//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirteen // Story: The Crucible of Restoration // by Golden Paw //------------------------------// “Ohhh I see,” Twilight rubbed her chin as she poured over the details within the Vault. It was certainly comprehensive. The information stored on every conceivable topic was there, from simple gardening advice all the way up to celestial mechanics and Twilight had quickly become absorbed in the thrill of study. Still there were things that eluded her. For one thing, who was it that Celestia had destroyed? There was absolutely no mention of anything about her feud or the fall of the kingdom. The records all just stopped suddenly one day and Twilight had a sneaking suspicion she knew why: Oracle. The tiny flicker of Oracle in Twilight’s own soul confirmed it, when Oracle had come into being the Vault’s purpose had changed. Oracle held the knowledge in its stead and those records had gone with her, now posing as Twilight. All that predictive guessings and intuition was now walking around, leaving just the basic records in their place. Twilight wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad for Oracle, in their bargain Twilight had given her freedom for a time, but it was only a taste of life. Would Oracle be contented with such? The dreadful hunger Twilight had felt when Oracle had almost devoured her still frightened Twilight. But in the end Oracle had kept its word, it was a little flattering to know that Twilight’s own sense of right and wrong had spared her from such a terrible fate. Am I really that ‘good’? Twilight examined her own heart and still didn’t know the answer. I try to do whats right, try to be a good pony but I still stumble. Everyone else seemed to think she was something special, some great all good pony and Twilight was forced to admit she had done some pretty amazing things. But that didn’t mean she ‘felt’ like the great heroine that everyone made her out to be. Twilight’s thoughts were shaken along with the ground she stood on. The tremble spread, leaving cracks in the walls and stone all around. Twilight started until she saw the dark rock being replaced by pale glowing marble. Oracle again. She was washing away the centuries of paranoid traps and curses that had consumed the land. Replacing it with something far more wholesome. The Vault would still need to be guarded of course, but Twilight was confident that with Vigil at the fore it would be safe. That had been one of the things been able to find out. Vigil had been created, not by the peoples of Sal Palomino, but by the same ancient power that had made Celestia and Luna. He’d been given a simple charge to guard the Vault and he’d done so faithfully. Twilight suspected that Oracle had been very selective in what it let her see. It had been boggling to think that the ‘World’ was in itself a being of knowledge and power. The Vault hinted at such, but had been frustratingly vague on any details. That tallied with the hints that Twilight had gotten from Celestia’s teachings, some overseeing force that gave the world purpose. It was going to take some explaining Twilight realised, when she came out of the Vault a ‘second’ time as it were. But Twilight could cross that bridge when she came to it. She still had some time alone with the Vault and planned to make the most of it. The change finished sweeping across the room, leaving the beautiful marble in its place and Twilight smiled, despite the drawbacks and loss it seemed that the choice to come here had been the right one. Twilight still ached at the loss of Tempest, feeling terribly responsible for his sorry state. It was a burden that came with being a leader. You made choices and ponies, good ponies, were thrust into danger and not all of them came back. It was the hardest part of being a ruler that she’d ever experienced and Twilight doubted she would ever get used to it. You had to know that what you were doing was right and of worth otherwise such a weight could crush you. Day by day Twilight was slowly coming to see an inkling of what Celestia and Luna had to wrestle with. Being a leader was far more than simply waving and smiling at the crowds, it was holding the fate of those who trusted you in your hooves. You were to guide them as best you could to…. A nagging doubt crept into Twilight’s mind, who had been guiding her here? She thought back to the advice she’d gotten in the test chamber, the journey through the desert and the flickering form of an alicorn that had forced her through the glowing barrier in the tunnels. Someone else had been pointing Twilight to this moment and she still had no idea who that someone was. Twilight really didn’t like the idea of some sort of ‘puppet master’ directing her moves, even if it had turned out to be a good result in the end.  She turned back to the Vault, “There were references to those kind of spells somewhere…..aha!” Twilight found the relevant section easily enough under the reams and reams of spells the Vault contained. “A spell for magical directions, summoning a glowing path allowing a caster to follow a path through….” Twilight’s voice trailed off. The spell was right, but it was the name of the submitter that caused her to pause: Twilight Sparkle. She stared at the image for a long time before with a deft hoof motion focused on the name. ‘Twilight’, mythical being of great power and potential. ‘Twilight’ is a time of change, the moving from day to night or night to day. The title Twilight is often used to denote a creature whose destiny is to reshape the world around it, either directly or as a catalyst to events, often unaware of their role at the time. Names and titles of this kind are used particularly in the case of the Equinus races, who name their children after a potential they represent. A curious trait of this race is their ‘cutie mark’ (an outward symbol of special talent or skill) that appears on their flank when the pony in question begins to discover their own potential, usually depicting an image relevant to their skill. Has often seen the use of ‘Twilight’ and other invocative names clearly pointing to a design for their future. This method is by no means infallible as names and titles are often subject to various interpretations. Just because a creature has a providential name/title it does not follow that they will fulfill that potential. Many equines have held the name (in full or in part) of a world changing title such as ‘Twilight’ and yet have never achieved so. Twilight stood motionless as the world faded away, urgency gripped her and she looked to the other spells she’d witnessed. Yes there, the pulsing beacon she’d felt that lead her to the Vault proper also submitted by Twilight Sparkle. She returned to the previous entry: Other examples of similar destinies are: Pivot, Fulcrum, Catalyst and many others, often linked with a secondary title such as Grace and Law along with other more applicable areas. For example a pony named ‘Tactical Pivot’ would have his potential in the area of important military decisions. The pony in question may never rise to become a great general or leader, (as stated before) it could simply refer to the said pony being good at tactical games such as chess. To truly discover a creature’s role in the world is a matter of time and observation. Their own acts will show them to be who they will choose to be. A ‘cutie mark’ only gives a possible potential, in the end it comes down to the pony in question to decide what they will do with the talents and gifts they are given. Situations of ‘destiny related potential’ are of course not limited to equines or their offshoots. Other races in the world also have their own creatures of legend and power, but it is more easily spotted among the equines due to their nature of giving their offspring such names and titles. This is why when an equine of note appears their name will inevitably be one of import or in relation to a feat of renowned. Whether this can be as a result of the name itself driving the pony in question to do great deeds or that the name has become synonymous with ponies of great fame is still unclear. But the frequency in which such events occur make it a reasonably safe deduction that ponies with a certain kind of name will amount to great things. “I’ve watched you since the very first day, to see what you might be, to see what you might do….” The words of Celestia all those years ago came back to Twilight’s mind and she saw them in a new light. Twilight had begun by looking for possible leads in who had been guiding her, now she was getting a lesson in destiny and potential. No wonder Oracle had known she’d be called Twilight. She was sure there was more to it than just this article that had pointed Oracle in Twilight’s direction, but at that moment she felt a shiver pass through her. Oracle was nearly out of time. Twilight refocused on the task in hoof. The entries in the Vault that Twilight herself had supposedly entered were all linked to the events that had lead Twilight here. That couldn’t be a coincidence. She frantically studied each of the spells in turn, reading and rereading the methods until Twilight was confident that she could cast them. Another tremble washed over Twilight and she felt a stabbing pain in the small part of her core that held Oracle. It was as if it was being wrenched forcibly out of Twilight’s chest. The world seemed to spin and Twilight felt herself falling as the tension in her chest only grew. She gasped as the sense of something hurtling towards Twilight filled her mind’s eye. Oracle was returning and it was using Twilight as a beacon, pulling at their shared link like a guide rope. Twilight sank to her knees as the pain doubled and a rushing sound filled her ears. Oracle was almost here and Twilight could see she was trying to tell her something, something very important. Twilight tried to reach out to Oracle, but the very nature of the world seemed to be bending and distorting around her, as if the room was suddenly made from jelly. Oracle looked lost as if unsure how to find its way back, despite the link it shared. It ‘looked’ at Twilight with pleading and a firework went off in her head.   Oracle didn’t want to go back, it wanted more of the freedom Twilight had granted it. It was the underlying fear that had nagged Twilight since they’d settled on this plan. What if Oracle didn’t want to go back? Twilight couldn’t blame it for such a desire. To be lonely and cut off from the world outside with only the records of a dead nation for company. Oracle wanted life but saw nothing other than hopeless imprisonment again, it was screaming at Twilight to do something, anything to help. It wouldn’t risk stealing life again, the tiny part of Twilight within Oracle saw to that. Oracle was, in a way, now Twilight Sparkle and could never live with itself if it claimed the real Twilight as its own, yet it now feared terribly being trapped again. Twilight set her jaw in determination, she’d not been idle while the Oracle had been away and had prepared for such. It was a solution she’d wanted to avoid, but ever since Twilight had sensed the terrible need within Oracle she’d decided to study the Vault for an answer. Life was not something either of them had power to give and there was only enough for one or the other. Still Twilight had given the Oracle more than just a body for a time. she’d given it something it had never had, a chance at mortality. Twilight didn’t hide her intentions, she wanted Oracle to understand the why’s of what she did. It wasn’t a happy moment, but Twilight took some peace in seeing Oracle’s wailing stop and give a metaphorical nod of understanding. In a voice that was identical to Twilight’s own Oracle simply said, “Do it.” Twilight felt her eyes water as she cast the spells she now knew. The essence of Oracle had a gleaming path to follow, where exactly it lead Twilight didn’t know, the natural order of the the world would take care of the rest. The Oracle Twilight gave her a final smile in thanks and bent its course up and away, leaving only the store of knowledge it had taken from the Vault. Twilight gave a sad smile as the Oracle dissipated for the final time, going to whatever came after this life, before refocusing on the incoming mass of Knowledge. It was like a cannonball hurtling towards her and she had less than seconds to act. Her horn blazing Twilight summoned a glowing outline of tiny lights, that looked remarkably like herself. They flew forward to meet the onrushing tangle of facts and caught it neatly, cradling the confused mass of knowledge that one mind couldn’t hope to contain and redirected it into the Vault once again. Time stuttered as the very spells Twilight had used to save both her and Oracle were added to the repositories own, the potential becoming a reality. Before time could reassert itself Twilight sent her magic into the past. lighting the way for herself when she needed it, leading Twilight to the Vault safely. Her task completed Twilight snapped back to the here and now, all this took less than the width of a moment to achieve. Less than a second since the pain of Oracle’s returning had tugged at Twilight’s soul, but she knew it was forever to be burnt into her memory from that day forth. She’d given Oracle what it wanted most of all in the world, freedom. Time and reality snapped back into the focus and Twilight was alone in the Vault. The walls shone with new life and the very air felt fresher, newer, less oppressive. Twilight turned around to see that the glowing sphere was still pearly white but even that felt more wholesome. Tiny motes of golden light floated all around, and Twilight held out a cautious hoof. As the little star brushed against her Twilight thought she heard laughter in the distance. It was carefree, joyous and Twilight had the impression of gratitude that filled her heart with fire. The faintest whisper was heard in the still air and she strained to hear it, “Thank you Twilight.” The motes slowly winked out, each one fading in turn until Twilight was left standing alone. The only sound to be heard was a tiny sniffle escaping her nose. There was still much to do, lithi to save but just for that instance Twilight knew she’d done something right. She stood motionless, savouring the peace that now settled here, the old pains and hurts washed away. It felt good to know she’d done her part, even if it had been a sad event. With a final bow Twilight turned away and headed out of the Vault. She never looked back to the floating ball of knowledge. The temptation to remain was almost overwhelming, just one last look at the history stored within. She could get lost in there, ever learning, but what use would it be if she became trapped here? That was the lesson that the builders had in their own faltering way been trying to explain. Knowledge given freely and too quickly was terribly dangerous. Learning tempered with experience and time was what truly gave wisdom. Even when Oracle had left Twilight alone it hadn’t given her free reign with what was within the Vault, Twilight understood that now. It had shielded her from the vast stores of unknowns and gave Twilight only what she needed. Maybe in time Twilight could come back? But a warning note in her heart knew that everything she could find out in the Vault could be learned to far better effect by doing what was needed of her. Twilight mused over all this as she climbed the ramp that lead to the brass doors and the world beyond. Even as she approached Twilight could see they had changed along with everything else here, the murals and impressions showing far happier scenes than before. As she came near the doors swung open of the their own accord and Twilight caught her first glimpse of the new life growing outside. The magical vortex had gone, leaving clear blue skies all around. The light of the day’s sun warmed her coat and Twilight saw to her joy that where there had once been barren ruins plants and flowers were springing up as if making up for lost time. Right before her, standing proud, was Vigil his own eyes looking around the changing landscape in wonder. He caught sight of Twilight and his majestic brow furrowed, “Elevated one? I thought you’d already…” “It would take too long to explain,” Twilight said in a melancholy manner, “What’s important is that I found the answers I sought. Vigil’s intense scrutiny bored into Twilight, “I see there is more to your visit than I could have first hoped for. Does this mean the Vault is now safe, that I can leave my duty?” He indicated the growing flora all around and Twilight felt a weight settle in her stomach. “I...er..no. I’m sorry Vigil this place still needs protecting, more than ever now,” Twilight looked up and almost cried at the dashed hopes within Vigil’s eyes. “But now your duty won’t be such a lonely one. Life is returning to Sal Palomino.” Vigil for his part simply nodded, “I understand, you (the previous you) said words to similar effect. Not only that but she showed me what would happen if I faltered in my charge. It was terrible.” Twilight shuffled, her gaze falling to the iridescent marble the path had become, “I’m sorry Vigil, but that’s the way things have to be.” Vigil’s noble features became impassive, “I see, and the kiss?” Twilight started, “Pardon?” Vigil grinned, “Your ‘predecessor’ said that the next time we met I could have more than just a peck on the cheek?” Twilight felt the blush starting and silently cursed Oracle for her mischief, “I….” she began before Vigil laughed heartily. “I know I don’t understand much about what happened in there Elevated One, but I can believe it must have been interesting. Don’t worry I won’t hold you to a promise you clearly know little of,” Twilight looked up to see Vigil was smiling in a very odd manner. How much did he suspect? How much did he know? “Fear not Twilight, I know my duty and with your intervention my task will be all the easier. I only ask one thing before you leave, for real,” Twilight looked skeptical, having had enough of deals and promises for one day. Unperturbed by her expression Vigil continued, “I only ask that you could pass on my best wishes to my cousins, I have not heard from them in such a long time. I fear they may have chosen to forget me.” Twilight paused, looking into his hopeful face and felt her heart go out to him, “I don’t think that they have forgotten you Vigil and nor will I now that I’ve met you. I know it can be lonely doing what’s needed but be assured that what you do is of vital importance and I will never forget you.” Twilight’s mind flashed back to the brief glimpse she’d had of the Vault in all its ‘glory’. Should the knowledge of even half the things within ever got out it could spell disaster for everyone. Some things were best left unknown, trust me. The tiny voice whispered from Twilight’s heart and she recognised the voice to be a shadow of Oracle, even now trying to keep her safe. It took a moment to realise that Vigil was studying Twilight again, a curious look in his tear rimmed eyes, “You have the shadow of this place upon you now. I can see it in your eyes. It falls upon all who come here, you’d best go before….” Twilight shook her head, “No not a shadow, more of a ‘souvenir’ and one I am grateful to have.” They both stood there. One tall and imposing, the other small and meek yet somehow taller and more powerful for it. “Thank you Twilight, it would mean a lot to me if you could do that simple thing for me,” Vigil finally said, shaking the sadness from his face and looking his regal self again. “I will,” Twilight replied softly, before she did indeed lean upwards and give Vigil a tiny peck on the cheek, “They haven’t forgotten you Vigil and care more than you know.” The tiny spark of Oracle shone in Twilight’s core and she was amazed to realise that she meant it. Twilight didn’t know how she knew Celestia and Luna’s minds on this matter, but was glad she did. Vigil looked at Twilight in wonder before mumbling a simple, “Thank you.” He straightened and spread his armoured wings, “Good speed and fortune to you Elevated One. I hope we meet again someday.” Twilight returned the salute with a bow of her own, “I’d like that too. Maybe one day I can come back and check on you, until then good health and happiness to you Vigil.” With her goodbyes done, Twilight spread her wings and with a few beats lifted into the air. As her view expanded Twilight could see the dilapidation and emptiness of eons slowly being reclaimed by green growth. With a final glance back at Vigil, who was even now resuming his place atop the pyramid Twilight soared into the distance. Clouds, natural and heavy with refreshing rain were already billowing in from every side and Twilight was sure that Sal Palomino wouldn’t be a desert much longer. The vortex that had ruled this land for so long was gone and so with confidence Twilight activated her locator and communicator. Both started up without hindrance and Twilight had never been so happy to see a simple flashing dot that showed her exact position. She was many miles into the desert, but with contact regained Twilight was able to pinpoint the Bloomberg’s location without trouble. Feeling renewed and hopeful Twilight clicked her communicator, “Bloomberg this is Princess Twilight Sparkle, please be ready for my return.” She waited a few moments before the astonished voice of Gossip crackled in response, “Your highness? We thought you were dead!” Twilight bit her lip, oh yeah that. “I’m quite well and can explain what I can when I get back, please have the command staff ready to meet me in the briefing room when I return.” There was a pause that was just a little too long for comfort, “Um that could be problematic Princess. Boldstorm currently has Foresight in the brig charged with your assassination, while Impasse is also there pending inquiries surrounding the death of Thorn Spite.” Twilight stared at the communicator, “Well I’m alive and well so you can obviously drop Foresight’s charges. Please put Bold on the line.” Shouts and shocked voices were the only reply until finally Twilight heard the gruff tones of Boldstorm, “Um your Highness? Is that you?” “Captain this is Twilight Sparkle, I order you to release Foresight and Impasse right this moment and be ready for a debriefing in about an hour is that understood?” This is going to take a whole lot of explaining. Bold’s confused reply quickly came, “But we saw you um, die your majesty. How can you be…..” Twilight gave an exasperated sigh, “Captain I will explain things when I get back, until then do not do anything foolish alright?”