//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty One // Story: The Crucible of Restoration // by Golden Paw //------------------------------//         “They’re holding position Captain and I want it known that I think these things are really ugly,” Skyeye said with disgust.         “What of the air units, are they all back onboard?” Bold asked as he stared out into the blizzard beyond the Bloomberg’s windows. The in the final moments of the fight a surging wind had swept up and pelted the whole area with snow, thankfully covering the remains of their ‘saviors’. The rotten chunks of meat mixed with ice had taken up station all around the airship, hemming it within a ring of foul bodies. They weren’t alive, nothing alive could smell like that. It was a reek so pervasive it filled Bold’s nostrils even through the hull of the ship. Bold peered at them and saw they made no effort to remove the growing layer of snow upon themselves. Beasts beyond description stood as still as statues, all staring with milky eyes (those who even had eyes) at the Bloomberg with cold indifference. It had been like that since the last of the elementals had been destroyed. “The dead have been gathered and the last of the protection detail have come aboard as well, we’re ready to raise shields Captain,” Gossip reported his face as pale as the snow outside. Bold had heard the gurgling roars and wet snarls that accompanied the fighting so didn’t blame any of his crew for being unsettled. “And her Highness?” Bold said quietly. “The chief reported she was still out cold only a few minutes ago sir,” A little colour came back into Gossip’s face, “And also said that if she got one more message asking about the Princess she’d come up here and buck the living daylights out of me so I’m not going to send again.” Bold smiled, Applebloom clearly wasn’t worried so can’t be all that bad. He turned his attention back to the waiting host outside. Celestia knew why they’d come and saved them, one moment the Bloomberg was set to be overrun, or at least to witness the end of the brave ponies who’d gone out to fight. Then monsters had come and delivered them and Bold couldn’t help but wonder for what fate they had been ‘saved for’. Shaking these thoughts away Bold set his face in a confident expression, “Very well, raise shields and prepare to ascend again.” “You’re not going to thank those...things for saving us?” Sky asked and Bold saw his begoggled head lean down and peer at him in surprise. “We’re still surrounded by the foulest monsters I have ever seen Sky, they may not have harmed us but they certainly haven’t made any effort to show they’re friendly,” Bold tried to ignore the slight tremble in his own voice, stamping it out with false bravado. “We’re not out of the frying pan yet colt.” As if hearing his words the surrounding creatures all let out a hideous wail that spoke of pain and anguish that pierced Bold’s heart and rattled his nerves. If the damned had a voice then it would sound like that. “They’re breaking formation Captain and it looks like someone is coming forward,” Skyeye called out in alarm. The pelting snow suddenly lifted and the glow of blazing sunshine bathed the Bloomberg. Bold broke from his station, a vigil where he’d been standing for hours ever since Twilight had returned and made his way to the windows. Even from here, high above the ground he could see the approaching procession. Down below, a caravan of nightmares was being led by an imposing figure upon a chariot. It was roughly pony shaped, only squatter and Bold couldn’t miss the two curling horns that came up and around the figures ears. They had a shaggy coat that glittered in the sunlight, only partially obscured by a plated neck brace with bronze metal flaps which was reminiscent of some zebrican ceremonial armours Bold had seen. This newcomer was definitely no zebra however. He caught sight of a blue face with piercing eyes that glowed with a faint light of their own under a crown of what looked to be carved bone. The spectacle didn’t end there either. Bold’s eyes were drawn to the pair of beasts pulling the chariot. They were equine, but composed of white mist and pairs of glowing blue eyes. Frost crystals drifted down in their wake and Bold heard Skyeye curse from his observation dome. Wendigos. Every Equestrian knew the tales of those monsters, told on every ‘Hearth’s Warming Eve’. Creatures of ice and cold who fed off negative emotions and covered the land with snow. To see such beasts pulling a chariot sent a shiver down Bold’s spine that had nothing to do with the sudden drop in temperature. As the chariot drew closer none could miss the staff carried by the rider, held in a cyan magical grip the long glinting weapon was slowly raised and the tethered wendigos came to a stop. It felt like the whole ship held its breath before the staff was raised again and a magical nimbus played about its tip, “I bid you welcome to ‘Azganeth’ Equestrians. Please forgive my counterpart’s despicable reception.” Several of the crew started and looked about themselves as the voice seeped in from all around, as if the very air was speaking on behalf of the ram below. Bold had been around enough spell casters not to be openly shaken by such displays and simply gritted his teeth as the condescending tones filled the bridge. “I bid your alicorn leader to come and talk with me. It has been many years since I have had the pleasure of such a visitor,” Boldstorm could see the tiny figure below speaking in time with the voice and felt his eyes narrow. “Gossip prepare to broadcast,” Bold ordered even as he felt the hairs of his thick coat begin to rise and prickle. With a simple nod Gossip showed he was ready and Bold took a deep breath, “We thank you for your ‘assistance’. Not to sound ungrateful but we don’t even know your name nor your intent and so we will need some reassurances before we speak as friends.” The reply sounded out from the Bloomberg like an announcer during a wonderbolts race, Bold’s heavy voice rebounding off the snowy hills and forests all around. He watched as the figure below tilted his head as if in thought. “Surely my timely intervention on your behalf speaks of my intentions? But yes you are right, it was rude of me not to introduce myself: I am ‘Orzana’,“ Bold could see the calculating grin even from up here, “You’ve met my soldiers already and seen what they can do. We would be pleased to escort you to my home where we can talk further. The land of Azganeth is full of dangers.” As if on cue the hoard of abominations roared their approval and Bold bit his lip. He wasn’t cut out for this debate and negotiation stuff and dearly missed Twilight. In their weakened state the Bloomberg and his crew could really do without another fight. Yet the offer of an ‘escort’ sounded far more like a prison guard than a genuine act of protection to him. “Come let us travel together. Safety in numbers and so forth,” Orzana added with smile that chilled Bold’s blood. He looked to the crew, they were worn down. He could see it in their eyes plus the heavy hooves and claws in which they held their controls. The warmth and comfort of the Crystal Fiefdom had been leached out of them by nearly a week of constant fighting against foes from dark story books. They didn’t really have a choice. A battle now would finish us. “Very well Orzana we accept your offer. Please lead the way,” Bold replied through gritted teeth, not meeting the eyes of his fellow crew. It felt awfully like surrender in his mind. Twilight pulled herself from a tortured sleep. There were too many ponies relying on her to be resting right now, but her body was slow to respond. She felt drained and not just of magic or sleep. Her heart was heavy and her mind worn from constant thought. Still she was needed. Forcing her eyes open Twilight was welcomed by the faint glow of the medical centre which was a shock. Last she recalled Twilight was in the cargo bays…. “Take it easy your Highness, you’re aboard the Bloomberg,” A reassuring male voice filtered through the haze. Twilight blinked a few times until the vague blur above her resolved into a worried looking stallion, “I...the...crew?” “Mostly safe thanks in no small part to your efforts Princess,” The stallion assured and Twilight finally got a clear look at him, all mint green coat and blue eyes with a glowing horn topping to top it off. “I...thank you?” Twilight mumbled before the relieved looking pony smiled. “‘Healing Stave’ your Highness,” He replied before gently pressing a hoof onto Twilight’s forehead, “You’ve exhausted yourself Princess and you’re not the only one either.” Twilight slowly followed Stave’s glance to see that several more of the ward’s beds were full. Crew of all sorts were recovering all around her, some of them even waved with and gave her weak smiles. Some weren’t moving at all and Twilight’s mind summoned up the events leading to now, “I need to be up! There’s a….” “We know your highness, Bold has it in hoof,” Stave assured with a gentle but definite push downwards. “But!” Twilight yelled only to be put back down by Stave’s magic. “You may be a ruler of Equestria your highness and an alicorn, but right now you’re as weak as a soggy paper bag and I will have you get bed rest,” Stave pronounced with finality. It was a testament to just how spent Twilight was that Stave was so easily able to subdue her. So with a final snort of annoyance Twilight let herself be forced into the comfortable bedding. “At least tell me what’s been going on,” Twilight pleaded and Stave gave a conciliatory smile. “Well I don’t know all the details your Highness, but after you rescued the wounded from the field another Ram showed up and began fighting the first one,” Stave’s face became dour. “I don’t mind telling you Princess, they seem a very nasty bunch. The new ram is using necromancy by the sounds of things, dead creatures and animated ice.” “Is? You mean they are still fighting out there! Stave you have to…!” Twilight tried to rise again but Stave shook his head. “No Highness the fighting is over for the moment,” His expression told Twilight everything she needed to know. “There’s a ‘but’ coming isn’t there?” She watched as Stave nodded slowly. “Seems we’re ‘guests’ of the ram who won the fight. He has been very insistent that he talks with you Princess. But until I deem you fit for duties I have made sure that will not happen,” Healing Stave announced with determination. “So who’s making the negotiations?” Twilight asked, fearful she already knew the answer. “Boldstorm your Highness,” Stave replied with a frown. Twilight shuddered, it had only been a brief glimpse of the rams fighting but she was in no doubt they weren’t out of the woods yet. The way they had torn into each other with their magic, it was enough to curdle your blood. The way the loser had simply exploded in a cloud of….. She shook her head, “Stave I want you to get Bold and the other staff down here right now. If I can’t be up and about then they will simply have to come to me.” Stave treated her to a knowing smile, “I thought that would be what you wished, as soon as I knew you were awake I sent for them. I’m not so arrogant to think I could keep the great Twilight Sparkle isolated.” “Big.D yer awake!” As if by speaking their names caused them to appear, Boldstorm and Applebloom rushed into the medical ward with relieved smiles plastered across their muzzles. Before anyone could stop her Applebloom was hugging Twilight and berating her about overdoing things. While Bold stood grimly off to one side, “Yer silly filly! Why’d yer have to do everything yerself?” “Glad to see you too A.B,” Twilight said with a slight tremble. It seemed Applebloom was in one of her ‘mothering’ phases as Twilight had begun to think of them. They were becoming more and more prevalent as her due date crept ever closer and so Twilight was not all that surprised when she made a massive fuss over sorting Twilight’s pillows and blankets. Having a foal does strange things to you. Twilight tore her attention from the still flapping Applebloom and regarded Bold with her best serious face, “Situation Captain?” “I won’t sugar coat it. We’re effectively prisoners your Highness, watched night and day by undead monsters and this ram ‘Orzana’ seems to be prepared to wait out your recovery before he talks with you,” Bold explained in a no nonsense manner. “Any indication about why he stepped in and ‘saved’ us?” Twilight said, her mind whirring. “Not so far. They haven’t hurt any of the crew as of yet but we’re certainly not being allowed to leave, nor are we given much room to explore this ruin he’s brought us to,” Bold reported, his frown deepening. “I’m sorry your Highness, I lead us here like rats into a trap.” “No Bold, you did what you thought was best to keep us safe. From what I’ve been hearing I would have made a similar choice,” Twilight assured. “We’re here now so it’s a simple matter of deciding what we’re going to do.” “What I don’t get is why they stepped in when they did. This Orzana seems just plain evil, I don’t reckon he did it out of the kindness of his heart,” Applebloom added still tucking Twilight’s blankets in so tightly that she could barely move. “It’s obvious he’s after something. Something he can’t just take and I suspect it’s got a lot to do with you your Highness,” Boldstorm added and Twilight was inclined to agree. “I guess we won’t know until I talk with him,” Twilight scrunched up her muzzle, “Every day we’re not being attacked is another day for us to recover. How long can we keep up the facade I wonder?” “No facade your Highness, you’re confined to bed for at least three days in my medical opinion,” Stave said with a frown. Twilight freed a hoof before Applebloom could complete the cocoon she was trying to snuggle Twilight into and pointed it directly at Bold, “Captain you have my permission to handle things for now, but I want regular reports and to be informed of any strange happenings alright?” She forced herself upright before sinking into a small mountain of pillows Applebloom had amassed. “Please pass on my thanks to Orzana and tell him that once I am sufficiently rested I would be happy to speak with him,” Twilight said before she turned to Stave again, “I’m sure you’re just being overprotective, I want to be out of bed within a day.”         “Strongly advise you don’t try to resume your full duties for at least three days your Highness,” Stave cautioned and Twilight simply smiled.         “Oh I’ll be up and about, but I don’t plan to talk with him for at least a couple of days. The more time we can dawdle the more time we have to find out what’s really going on.” Twilight announced with a grin.         The ‘books’ were everywhere, well Foresight assumed they were books. Many of them seemed to simply be stone tablets or scrolls lining the shelves. The whole chamber beyond was vast, far bigger than the humble door would have suggested from the outside. She saw the shelves were cut from the very rock, forming alcoves full of repellant tomes and grimoires that seemed to hiss angrily even as Foresight looked at them.         Nor was the feeling of seeping evil any less now that the door was breached. Foresight was more careful with her magic this time, only ‘peeking’ at the various tombs and collections one at a time. Even this small touch was enough to make her feel dirty and sick to her stomach.         The shelves reached all the way up to the distant ceiling and Foresight took in the large curved roof and chandeliers hanging above which had a certain organic quality to them. Looking further afield she was rewarded with several desks, well more like sacrificial stone altars by the negative auras that clung to them. A great many lives had ended on those slabs.         As Foresight and Impasse pushed further in the lights above sprang to life, not so much lighting the darkness but defining the shadows already present. Over it all Foresight felt a presence, a source of almost bottomless anger that had seeped into the grey stone and left a bitter tasted in the air.         Foresight could just make out the far wall in the distance and saw it was decorated by a mosaic of breathtaking complexity. Gems had been arranged to form the pattern of what looked to be a giant insect or beetle. Sapphires made up most of the body, spread open wings in diamond while off coloured amber picked out two pupiless eyes that seemed to regard them from under a central thrusting horn.         The unlight also began to grow, spreading from the central globes up in the ceiling until it traveled down stretching lengths of a resin like substance. The more Foresight looked the more she saw evidence that this place had been used for dark deeds. Stains of dried blood were well worked into the floor and tables while the shelves practically heaved with books that had leather covers. Foresight could almost hear the echos from the previous owners of the tanned hide screaming even now.         Such hatred and anger, it was like a glimpse into the darkest parts of a mad person’s soul. Yet there was a certain order to it which was even more shocking. This was not the lair of some mindless savage pulling the wings off flies. More the calculated study of what the fly went through as its wings were pulled off and then distilled. Pain and horror studied under a careful and studious eye before being written down for posterity.         Even with her burning resolve Foresight could only handle so much and as her stomach churned she cut off her magic. Closed her eyes and took a ragged breath, noting the very air seemed to be dirty with hate. What would do this?         “It is hurting you to be here Foresight. You should wait outside until I set it ablaze,” Impasse said and Foresight felt her resolve solidify.         “No!” Foresight snapped before swallowing,  “I mean no, we need to know what we’re dealing with. For all we know burning this place down would set free whatever horrors it may contain.”         Impasse continued to watch her with his blank expression and Foresight found she couldn’t match it, “We need to know who made this place and why, otherwise we could end up doing more harm than good in destroying it.”         “If you are sure?” Impasse left the question hanging in the air.         “I am,” Foresight confirmed before trotting forward to get a better look at the mural dominating the rear wall. Even at a good pace it took several minutes for her to come close enough to see an inscription surrounding the mosaic. It wasn’t in any language she’d ever seen before, but that had never stopped Foresight in the past.         With a tenuous spell she drew in it’s meaning, “Though I burn, my work will go on. Order will prevail.” Foresight said out loud, but the words came out as a series of clicks and hisses. Obviously whoever wrote the phrase clearly hadn’t spoken anything resembling Equestrian or even an Equine dialect. You really needed a set of mandibles to pronounce it correctly.         As she spoke the words, or as close as a muzzle could match the strange light all around intensified, casting the whole room into more shadows. A distant echo in the very soul of this place seemed to call to Foresight, then it was gone and she was happy it was. It had felt terrible.         At the base of the mural Foresight saw evidence of more recent inhabitation, but even these were ancient. There were long dead candles and a small lamp along with what looked to be bedding. Scattered about the makeshift living space were more books and scraps of paper, but what was interesting was, they were written in distant Equinus. A small scrap caught Foresight’s attention and she read it without the need for her magic, “...e finally figured out the basic alphabet of what I’ve started calling ‘Proto linguistics’ or Firstborn speech. This whole library is in a sub-dialect! It’s amazing to see that even among the first living beings of our world there were differences in languages to such an extent….” She rummaged among the spidery scrawls and found other examples of hastily written text, as if the writer was in a hurry, “....ply astounding, I had no ide….I would have reasoned that the fir……” It was badly damaged, slow mould and what looked to be patches of fire damage spattered the paper, causing Foresight to frown as she tried to piece together the meaning. “Somepony was here long ago. They made a study of this place,” Foresight said as she continued to spread the pages of aged notes about herself. “So we are not the first ones to come here,” Impasse affirmed as he stood guard. “No we’re not, they were clearly an equine if the writing is anything to go by, but unless I use more magic I can’t be sure. Piecing together broken text is far harder than reading old unknown languages. I have to try and get into the ‘mind’ of the writer,” Foresight reminded Impasse who nodded slowly. “And you are unsure if that is a wise plan considering the nature of this place, I understand,” Foresight felt her insides clench. Impasse showed no sign that he suspected her true motives for all this, but then again he was as unreadable as a smooth stone wall at the best of times. “I’m going to try, it can’t be as dangerous as the actual texts themselves and it will help us know more. Be ready,” Foresight cautioned before she allowed her natural talent to do its work. The first impressions were of a keen mind and dedicated student, unsettlingly close to her own in many ways. He’d come here by accident, lost in the tunnels below the city, no the Crystal Empire Foresight corrected. Lost for days he finally stumbled upon this library, long since abandoned and then…. A sheen of frost covered the papers as Foresight delved further, teasing out the lost echos of the life which made these scraps. She gasped as terror gripped her. The amiable writer had been shown something, something so terrible that the pony he had once been was blasted away and replaced by….. Foresight’s eyes snapped open and she shoved herself away from the now brittle papers which cracked and disintegrated under her hooves. She’d seen the face of a pony from history, a dark villain who had spread such misery and pain. She’d also seen that it wasn’t even the true ‘him’ anymore and what was left of his once kind soul had screamed at her for forgiveness. “Foresight?” Impasse asked seeing her distress. “It was Sombra, he...well…” Foresight struggled to breath, the after effects of her magic still jangling her nerves with its power. She shouldn’t have been surprised, Sombra had to have come from somewhere. But to see just how far the pony he’d once been had fallen… Foresight took several steadying breaths, “These were written by the pony who would become Sombra, this place twisted him. Broke his spirit and reshaped him into a tool of fear and darkness.” “That is grave news and more the reason to destroy it now,” Impasse said. Foresight gritted her teeth and shook her head, “We can’t just destroy it. There is a power here beyond anything I’ve seen before. More akin to Celestia and Luna’s strength. I fear simple fire won’t be enough.” And I must know more, if it had the power to create Sombra then maybe we can undo centuries worth of damage to the world maybe… Impasse was watching her and Foresight felt the fear welling up again, how could he not know? They’d been together so long now she was sure Impasse could read her like an open book. “I can’t destroy it yet, what if Twilight fails? I…” Impasse just stared at her all the longer and Foresight couldn’t take it anymore, “Well don’t just stand there! We could have the answer right here in our hooves! This is where the cure could be, doesn’t that mean anything to you? I can’t risk losing you Impasse, you’re falling apart and if you die then I….” “You have dug too deep Foresight. This place never held the answers we sought and if you continue down this path I cannot follow you,” Impasse’ words cut her to the core and Foresight felt the pain and hurt bubbling to the surface again, “I have stood by you for years Foresight, at risk to myself.” Foresight paused, a tiny flicker of hope blossoming. She dared hope that Impasse would say something more, that he cared for her in some way, that the long years of their time together had managed to make him feel something for her despite his curse. Maybe he… “But I will not let you do something you will regret and not just you. The darkness down here must be destroyed now, before it can spread any further. I have trusted you this far to do the right thing. But now I see you are about to stumble.” Impasse took a step backwards away from Foresight and she felt her heart plummet, the disappointment tearing at her feelings like a claw, “It would be better for me to kill you now rather than let you fall further, but I cannot Foresight. That last taste of what I could have has stayed my hoof thus far but no more. Please do not make me do something terrible.” Foresight shook, the fears warring with her sense of right. She felt the worries and desperation pulling at her and finally made her choice, “No, You’re right I can’t let you do that Impasse.” He moved just a little too slowly as the spell, drawn from the library, slipped into Foresight’s mind like a blade into a scabbard. Impasse had only taken one hoof step when her magic reached out and snared his limbs. He didn’t shout or curse but simply stared at Foresight with his cold dead eyes. “Celestia forgive me, I should have acted sooner,” Impasse’ last words cut Foresight to the centre and she knew they would stay with her forever. Still she completed the spell, using her own fears to power the growing darkness which trapped Impasse in a web of fibers not unlike the ones covering the ceiling above. “I can’t lose you Impasse, I’m going to find a cure no matter what it costs,” Foresight said sadly before she turned to the dark library and all its secrets.