With one final flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash touched down on the balcony of Celestia’s tower. The flight there had been a quick but quiet one, the sounds of the waking city below just barely audible over the wind whistling by her ears. She took a moment to steady herself, shaking out each leg in turn but midway through her ritual she caught sight of a small, peculiar fire in the center of the balcony.
Already, Rainbow Dash knew what it was.
“The portal to another world,” as Twilight had tried to explain some hours ago when the sky was still dark and the sun had not yet risen.
His world.
Solaire’s world.
As if on cue, the flame swayed back and forth as if sensing a morning breeze that only it could feel.
Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. The longer she focused on the fire’s twisting tendrils, its hypnotic dance, the way it burned nothing with neither a pop or crack, the more she could understand why Twilight had described the flame as unnatural.
Rainbow allowed herself a small grin. And I thought this whole gala weekend thing was gonna be boring.
With a spring in her step, she moved past the small flame and slowed to a slight stop in front of the twin glass doors that led into the tower proper. Inside, she could see a large wooden desk, aged and well-worn, though its surface was clear of any document or parchment.
Explains why no one has tried to stop me from going in yet, Rainbow thought. No use in guarding an empty room.
And the room was empty. As she pulled open the leftmost door and stepped inside, the first thing she noticed was the walls, clean and whitewashed as if she had just entered a hospital room rather than the princess’ office.
“I don’t think she comes up here much,” said a voice.
In an instant, Rainbow caught sight of her friend casually leaning against a doorway she hadn’t seen on her way in.
The pegasus let out a half-hearted snort and let her face melt into a smile. “Pinkie, you scared the hay out of me.”
Pinkie Pie matched her expression. “Oops? I think? I heard you bumbling around up here so I thought I’d come give you a proper welcome to Casa de Celestia.”
“Casa what? No, wait, hold up. How did you even hear me? I mean, I just got here like ten seconds ago and I doubt somepony who was on the balcony could hear me land.”
“I know, right?”
Rainbow blinked. “Forget I asked. Just… do you still need my help with this thing? Banners to put up, streamers to hang? That sort of deal?”
“Nope!” Pinkie said with a victorious shake of her head. “I wasn’t sure when you’d be coming so I went ahead and started on all the fun bits myself. By the time I realized, everything was already finished! Honestly, it was like ‘huh, when did all this stuff get here?’”
Pinkie looked as if she were seriously contemplating the magnitude of her own party-making skills when she perked up into her usual self.
“I could use your help with one eensy little thing though,” Pinkie said. “Follow me!”
Pinkie swivelled on her hooves and hopped through the doorway she had been standing in.
Rainbow followed suit with a shrug and a sigh and passed through the door’s threshold in a couple of hurried strides. In the next room, a spiral staircase winded downward, each step accommodating for the round curvature of the tower. As Rainbow made her way down, she gave a cursory glance to each of the paintings lining the walls–the landscapes of exotic, far-off places that she couldn’t name and the portraits of stuffy-looking ponies who, judging by their frozen-in-time expressions, appeared as if they’d suck the life out of any room they walked into. After reading the plaque of the third portrait she came upon, Rainbow Dash guessed that most if not all of the subjects had long since passed away.
She faced forward, focusing instead on where she was placing her hooves. Further down and around the bend, Rainbow could just make out the clipped beat of Pinkie’s hoofsteps intermingling with her own. When the echo stopped, Rainbow quickened her pace down the stairs.
She finally caught sight of Pinkie standing in the center of a staircase landing several steps down, a slightly ajar door to the earth pony’s immediate left. With nothing else for it, Rainbow finished the last steps with a lazy flap of her wings and gently landed next to her friend.
Pinkie beamed back at her. “Hey-o, slowpoke. What kept’cha?”
Rainbow answered with a roll of her eyes, instead turning toward the half-open doorway.
“So this is his room?” Rainbow asked.
“Yep! Well, if you wanna get super-technical about it, it’s Celestia’s room because this is Celestia’s tower and it sort of makes sense that everything inside would belong to her, right? But then I got to thinking… if I’m throwing a party inside that door right there, then that also makes it a party room… right? Right?”
“Er… yeah, I guess s–”
“But then whose party is it?” Pinkie cried out. “Is it Sully’s? Is it Celestia’s? Is it no one’s party because no one’s been up here for the past three days and eighteen hours? I mean, listen to this, Rainbow Dash. There’s a plant in there, a cute little ficus, that hasn’t been watered in the past three days and eighteen hours.”
Rainbow’s left eyelid gave a small twitch.
“Three days and eighteen hours,” Pinkie repeated.
Rainbow sighed. “Okay. One thing at a time here. First of all, who in the hay is Sully?”
“Sully? Solaire? Keep up with me here, Rainbow Dee. This is serious stuff.”
Rainbow just blinked back at her. “Second of all, Pinks, you’re kinda freakin’ out on me here. Like… whoa. Seriously, you’re right below a ‘Twilight-level’ freakout right now. If you go up one more level, you’ll be right there and seriously, Pinks, if you’re gonna go ‘Twilight’ on me you better say something right now because I am not equipped to handle that kind of situation.”
The two ponies just stared at each other in complete silence.
Two seconds passed.
Then three.
Then five.
Then there, barely imperceptible, appeared the faintest hint of a grin on Pinkie’s lips.
Then on Rainbow’s.
Then not even a second later, the pair morphed into a tangle of limbs and laughter, their broken giggles and half-formed words babbling into the shoulder of the other.
Eventually the two separated when the mirth finally died down.
Rainbow Dash gestured toward the door and said, “So if everything’s already set up, what do you need my help with?”
Pinkie’s smile fell slightly.
“We-ell,” she said, drawing out the word, “I need to know what you think.”
Without further explanation, Pinkie gently pushed the door open.
As Rainbow stepped forward and gazed inside, the first thought that crossed her mind was one of confusion. All the unmistakable signs of a party were there–the cake, the chairs, the table covered with snacks and upturned plastic cups. But the closer she looked, the more she realized what was absent. The wacky games, the giant, festive banners, even the bright, loud colors that Rainbow associated so much with her friend, all not there.
She worked her mouth noiselessly before the words finally came out. "Pinkie, it's, uh…”
“Different, right?”
“Y… yeah. Different."
Rainbow caught sight of Pinkie standing by the refreshment table, an unidentifiable expression on the earth pony’s face as she gave the room a cursory glance.
"It's just that I was thinking," Pinkie began, “about all the other parties I've thrown. I mean, most of them are the same thing… catchy music, a lot of tasty, delicious treats and good friends from all over town."
“Well, yeah, but that’s only on the surface, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve seen how much work you put into each one. it’s crazy. You’ve gotta find out what’s their favorite flavor of cake, their favorite color, what kind of presents they’re maybe wanting and everything else, all with them not finding out what you’re up to!”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “What'dya mean by ‘everything else’?”
“You know, like how Rarity can’t have peanuts or she gets all swollen or like how Carrot Top’s always going on about how much she hates apples but everypony knows that she secretly loves them.” Rainbow shrugged. “That kind of thing.”
Pinkie said nothing for several seconds, instead moving for the large, circular table in the center of the room. She sat at one of its chairs and, elbows on the table, chin in her hooves, she stared at the ceiling.
“I didn’t know you were paying so much attention."
“Give me some credit, Pinks. I’ve helped you enough times to know how much you care.” Rainbow pulled up a chair of her own and sat three seats away from her friend. “And I absolutely know that you’re worried about this one.”
Pinkie met her gaze. “This is the right thing, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t have done it any other way,” Rainbow said with a reassuring nod. “After breakfast this morning you realized it too, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“His smile was the biggest when he was listening to your story, and this–” Rainbow tapped the empty table with a hoof, gestured to the modestly-decorated room with a flick of her eyes, “–this is the the perfect place to tell some stories.”
Pinkie’s grin slowly spread.
“You think Sully will wanna tell a few of his own?” Pinkie asked.
“Of course! And between the six- no… seven of us, I guarantee you, Pinks, we’ll be talking long into the night. I mean, for Celestia’s sake, we know nothing about him and he practically knows nothing about us. Seriously, Pinks, if we weren’t here, you and I both know that Twilight would just keep asking him questions about his curse or whatever. He’d never get a chance to just... y’know, sit down and relax.”
They remained like that for a long moment, both of them lost in their own thoughts.
Rainbow had just counted her eleventh tile on the ceiling when Pinkie’s voice cut through the silence.
“How are they getting along by the way?” she asked.
Grossly Incandescent
Chapter 6 - A Sanctuary, If You Will
The quiet in the barracks courtyard was thick and palpable as if every living soul within a hundred meter radius had stopped breathing. Chief among them were the two-dozen guards clad in shimmering, golden armor, standing stock-still in a dumbfounded stupor. Not that Twilight Sparkle could blame them, of course. There were no rules for this. No regulations for when one of your princesses suddenly challenges a foreign ambassador to a game of ‘who can hit the other more times with a sharp stick’.
“So there it is,” Princess Luna began, “do you accept my challenge or are you content with beating on those who do not fully understand what you are?”
Even from her spot more than several strides away, Twilight could still see the small smile that bloomed across Solaire’s face.
“It would be an honor to fight with you,” Solaire said. “But if I may, Princess, you don’t strike me as someone who gives anything less than their best. Out of concern for those watching, perhaps we should–“
Luna’s voice snapped out like a whip.
“Perhaps we should what, Knight Solaire? Give this contest any less than our all? Do you think me a frail, spoiled and pampered little girl who upon chipping a hoof, limps away with tears in her eyes? Doubtless that you fear hurting me but you will quickly find that I am more resilient than I look,” she paused, "and perhaps more than a touch skilled than you perceive me to be.”
Twilight felt Applejack nudge her in the ribs.
The earth pony leaned in close and whispered, “Y’reckon there’s some substance to those words?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight whispered back. “There’s so much we don’t know about Princess Luna. Actual historical documents from that time are… nonexistent to say the least, and she’s not exactly running off to the Canterlot Sun to shed some light on her past. It’s been years and she’s still Equestria’s biggest mystery.”
“So what you’re sayin’ is that you have no idea what’s about to happen.”
“Oh, trust me,” Twilight finished. “I’ve got some idea.”
Only a second had passed after they turned their attention back to the conversation did Princess Luna let out a very loud, very abrupt, “Hah!”
The training spear in her magic grip twirled lazy circles above her head.
“You are very brave to say such things, Knight Solaire. Now I won’t feel so bad when I claim this match as mine.” She turned to the circle of guards behind her.
“Lieutenant!” barked the princess. “You will officiate our battle. Not that it’s necessary, but my sister has been insistent that I follow at least some level of decorum.”
“Stars help me,” muttered Lieutenant Halcyon as he stepped forward. “Before you two start wailing on each other, I must ask if your Majesty is aware of the rules we follow here.”
“I have been nothing if not observant of the games my sister’s subjects play at. You compete for points and the only way to obtain them is by striking your opponent on either the head or chest. The first to accrue the designated amount is declared the winner. ‘Best of three’, I think was the phrase you kept bandying about.”
Halcyon let out a puff of air. “Then you know. I suppose there’s nothing left to do but begin.”
The lieutenant’s horn sparked to life and all eyes were drawn to the red orb of magic floating high in the air between Solaire and Luna.
“Oh boy,” Applejack whispered, already wincing.
In Twilight’s mind however, the apprehension she had been feeling only moments before had given way to a series of startling realizations. The first of which was that she, Applejack, and a small smattering of guards would soon be the only ponies of the modern era to have seen Princess Luna in any kind of physical fight.
There were stories of course. Stories that had been passed down from century to century, each retelling blurring the lines between fact and fiction past the point that whatever may have happened over a millennium ago would only ever be truly known by those who have lived it. But despite this, all versions of the legendary Midnight Mare portrayed her as a peerless warrior, a dark angel who rose up into blood-red skies to combat the savage griffon tribes, towering ancient dragons and the eldritch horrors of old.
The final realization caused Twilight to bite her lip.
“I should have brought my notes,” she whispered just as the magic orb turned green.
****
From the moment she had entered the courtyard, Solaire knew that Princess Luna was here for one thing. The intensity behind the princess’ eyes, the fiery gaze that bespoke of her desire to fight was poorly veiled, if intended to be hidden at all. Formalities were quickly dispensed and barely a minute later, the good lieutenant was already counting down for the match to begin.
Solaire himself had been expecting to lose but what he could not know was the manner in which he would be defeated. The knight stood as stiff as a board, the spear that was once in his hands now levitating directly in front of his face, its dull iron tip pressed firmly against the bridge of his nose.
“One to zero,” Princess Luna said, her horn’s glow winking out the moment his spear began to fall.
Solaire caught his weapon on the way down. “You snatched it right out of my grip.”
“Indeed I did.”
“Very effective. I’m surprised the others hadn’t tried such a tactic earlier.”
“Perhaps they thought it dishonorable,” Luna said with a shrug. “But I am not above such things. Many a time, such sentimentality is the final determining factor between victories and defeats. You of all people should know that.”
Luna cocked her head to the side. “Or maybe you don’t. Tell me, with no magic field of your own, what is to stop me from turning your weapon against you a second time?”
Solaire dropped into his stance. “You caught me off guard. I guarantee you, Princess, it won’t happen again.”
“We shall see.” Luna nodded toward the lieutenant, and soon, another red orb was floating above the competitors.
Solaire drew in a steady breath. Eight meters away his opponent stood and she held every possible advantage. With a thought he squeezed away the dull ache in his bruised knuckles and shut out all unnecessary sound. A clear mind was needed for this. A clear mind and even faster actions.
The orb turned green and in an instant, Solaire burst into a sprint. The distance between them wasn’t far. He could easily close the gap in a few mere seconds, but it may as well have been an eternity when a stoic-faced Princess Luna was waiting on the other side.
Solaire just barely noticed the almost imperceptible flash that came off Luna’s horn. Without a second thought he threw all of his weight into his leading leg, kicking up a great cloud of dust as he spun to the side. Not even an instant had passed when her spear ripped through the space where he had been moments before. Solaire’s eyes narrowed and with a powerful pump of his legs, he shot forward once again, his own spear aimed at the blue pony just a few steps away.
Disrupt her balance, he thought, and years upon years upon years of swinging a weapon was brought on display as he cleaved a wide, sweeping arc aimed at Luna’s legs. Just as anticipated, the princess leapt into the air. It was a small hop but even still, Solaire knew that even the flightiest of opponents can be trapped with gravity. He allowed himself a smile as he lined up the finishing blow with the descending princess’ chest.
As he lunged forward, Solaire could feel the tingle of magic on his skin, could see the glow on Luna’s horn, and he could hear the wind cut in two as his spear parted through nothing but air. He looked down and noticed the blue glow enveloping his weapon, and there, off to the side and just out of arm’s reach, Princess Luna landed on light legs, already in mid-pivot.
Solaire clenched his teeth as two rear hooves slammed square into his chest. The world became a whirlwind of crushing pain and blurred images and in the next instant, Solaire found himself staring up at blue skies, sprawled out on his back several feet away.
Through the ringing in his ears he heard Princess Luna’s approach. She appeared a moment later, looking down at him with a smirk and victorious eyes.
“Two to zero,” she announced. “It appears I have won.”
Lieutenant Halcyon cleared his throat. “Uh, actually, your Majesty, we don’t technically count… kicks, as winning blows. Powerful though your legs may be, the final strike must be–“
Luna sighed and tapped the fallen knight with her spear.
“There,” she said. “That should appease your rules.”
****
Twilight’s mouth slowly opened. Kicks weren’t anything new. Kicks have been around for as long as ponies have had hooves, but what she had just witnessed was unlike anything she had ever seen. The massive explosion of energy driven straight into another being, there wasn’t a wasted movement. There wasn’t any caution.
No restraint.
Twilight could still hear the dull whop of hooves on flesh echoing in her mind. She looked to the side and caught Applejack’s morbid expression.
“That buck would’ve uprooted one of my trees,” Applejack whispered. The earth pony faced forward, meeting Twilight’s eyes with a sidelong glance. “What is she doin’ here, Twi? What’s she tryin’ to prove?”
Before Twilight could answer, she heard Solaire sucked in a sharp gasp of air. They both watched in shock as the knight staggered to his feet and let out a low chuckle.
“Quite a kick,” he said, smiling. “If you had hit me any harder, I suspect you would have chopped me clean in half!”
A thin line of red dribbled out of the corner of his mouth.
“He’s bleedin’,” Applejack murmured.
“Internal hemorrhage,” Twilight whispered back. “He needs a doctor. The state he’s in now, he can’t–“
“I’d like to fight with you again,” Solaire said, brushing the dust off his knees. “I am not yet squashed, Princess."
“But you are injured,” said Luna. “If I had come to play, then I would have played.”
“Then what was that before?” Solaire said with a smile.
A thick silence draped itself over the courtyard. All around her, Twilight noticed the wide-eyed expressions of the guards, the almost collective intake of air at the slight that had just been hurled their princess’ way.
“Very well, then,” Luna finally said. “Truthfully, I expected that it would come to this. You don’t strike me as one who quits when the, ah… 'going gets good', as they say these days. Tell me then, Knight, what is your weapon of choice?”
“If possible, a sword,” Solaire replied.
Luna turned toward the lieutenant.
“Er…” Halcyon licked his lips. “Swords are available your Majesty, but… they’re in the armory. They are kept as sharp as serpent’s teeth."
“Fetch them,” Luna said.
“Your M–"
“Fetch them."
Without another word, Halcyon dipped his head into a slight bow and started toward the small cobblestone shack at the other end of the courtyard. Twilight could sense the unease in the air as the rest of the guards watched their lieutenant shrink into the distance.
“As for the rest of you,” Luna started again, “if you wish to return to your duties, then you are permitted to leave. I shan’t keep you here to observe a battle that you have no stake in."
One of the guards stepped forward. “With all due respect, your Majesty, we are sworn to protect the ponies of Equestria. That includes you.”
“You fear for my safety?"
“We fear him,” said the guard, pointing his horn at the single figure to Luna’s left.
The princess turned to the knight, who raised up slightly when he noticed the two-dozen pairs of eyes pointed his way.
Luna nodded slowly. “Solaire. Will you be doing everything in your power to do me harm?"
Twilight didn’t miss the almost instantaneous glance that Solaire shot her way.
He cleared his throat. “I will. Yes. It would be doing you a great disservice if I were to approach this battle with anything less than my all. But I must stress, Princess, that if you feel that your life is in any mortal danger at all, that you get away from me as quickly as possible."
“Oh? Then pray tell, Sir Knight, how would I manage that in the midst of our duel?"
“Your wings are far too pretty to be merely ornamentation,” said Solaire.
Luna stared at him for a long moment.
“Very well,” she began. “If you can force me to use my wings then I will concede the victory to you."
Solaire rubbed a knuckle against his chin. “Then what are the conditions for my defeat?"
“Giving up,” Luna said. “The instant you lay down your arms is the instant I become the winner. And before you ask, no. I will not magically manipulate your weapon or anything of the sort. You must lay it down of your own volition."
“I’m a stubborn, old fool, Princess.” Solaire directed his gaze to the far side of the courtyard. “You’ll grow old before I give up."
Twilight followed Solaire’s eyes and there she saw the distant form of Lieutenant Halcyon, the stallion exiting armory with two swords in tow. The summer sun glinting off his armor, he shut the door with a backwards kick and started making his way back to the group. Soon, the lieutenant was standing before both Princess Luna and Solaire, and with a grim expression he extended a shining, silver sword to each of them.
Solaire took his with a nod and a hum, but as Princess Luna’s horn lit up, the lieutenant pulled the sword away ever so slightly.
“Your Majesty, please. Allow me to dull the blades."
Luna looked the stallion up and down. “Lieutenant Halcyon, correct?"
“Your Majesty?"
“I have learned very recently that ponies of all ages and genders are allowed something called ‘fun’. Do you know what fun is, Lieutenant?"
“I do, Your Majesty."
“Then why are you attempting to take away my fun? Is a princess any less entitled to fun than you are?" Luna raised a brow.
Halcyon blinked. “Your Majesty, I am all for fun but this is dangerous."
“Dangerous,” Luna repeated.
“Yes. Dangerous."
Luna pressed a hoof to her chin, looked skyward for a brief moment before turning her gaze back onto the lieutenant.
“Your Majesty, the swords are sharp. I feel that I will have failed in my duties if I do not at least try–"
Luna raised a hoof and looked past the lieutenant towards Solaire, who was in the middle of a series of practice swings.
“Knight Solaire!” she called out. “How do you feel about the swords?"
“Hm? Oh.” Solaire brought the pommel up to his face and gazed down the sword’s length. “It’s a fine piece of steel. Expertly crafted, feels good in the hand. It’s a touch out of balance but no sword is ever perfect. I suspect it will serve well enough for what’s to come."
“Ah. Yes, they are indeed fine weapons,” said Luna, “but if I may inquire, what are your thoughts on the blade’s edge?"
Solaire frowned.
“Could be sharper."
“And there you have it,” Luna said, turning back to Lieutenant Halcyon. “The swords do not bother him and the swords do not bother me. Why under Celestia’s sun should they bother you?"
Halcyon’s throat bobbed up and down.
“And I say this to all of you,” announced Luna to the rest of the guards. “If you are so upset by my actions then I plead you, go report them to my sister. She may even reward you with a chuckle and a pat on the head. But know this: if you leave now, you may miss it."
Luna took one step, and then two. The sword in Halcyon’s grasp, once held by a green glow, was overwhelmed by calm swirls of blue and teal. Princess Luna pointed the sword out in front of her, the blade leveling at her opponent’s chest. Solaire and Luna’s eyes met, and Twilight could only guess as to what words were exchanged in that silent, unspoken conversation.
They started forward.
Between them, Lieutenant Halcyon backed away, his gaze darting to and fro between the two approaching figures. As Solaire and Luna drew closer and closer, their steps slowed and the crowd’s breath slowed and all the world came to a standstill as two silver swords lashed out and collided in a shower of sparks and a spine-shivering clang.
An instant passed.
But in that instant, Twilight Sparkle caught a glimpse of Solaire’s face and she saw Luna’s eyes and the pair became a blur once more and clashed again.
And again.
And again.
Twilight stood in awe.
Their swords were conductor's batons and their symphony was the sharp whistling of wind parting in two. They moved like water around rocks in a streambed–never stopping and never slowing down. A jab-step here, a quick turn there, a short hop to the side but never once flowing in the opposite direction, never once pulling away from the other. Their strikes came as fast and as relentless as the steps of their dance, a synchronous give and take of pulse-pounding parries and blocks, stabs and thrusts and slashes and hacks that always met metal but never cut flesh.
Solaire and Luna were evenly matched.
And Twilight stood in awe.
****
As he had learned long ago, an opponent’s range was only as long as the combined length of his weapon and arm. But now, as Luna’s disembodied sword cleaved the air where his neck had been only a split second prior, Solaire had grasped the fact that he was in for a wholly disorienting experience. The princess stood only a few steps away but just out of reach as if daring him to edge closer. She wore a blank face as the glowing sword in her control floated back to its owner’s side and like a snake, snapped out once more in a whiplash of bisected air.
A quick flick of his blade deflected the blow harmlessly to the side, but just as quickly, Luna’s sword had closed the distance and lashed out again and again in a torrential flood of sharp-edged steel.
Solaire winced as a particularly powerful blow came to a shuddering, ear-ringing stop just inches from the side of his head. Grunting, he forced away the floating sword with a shove of his own and finally took a step back. His chest heaved and his lungs burned but as he studied Luna’s face, saw the bead of sweat drip down into her brow, Solaire couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Luna replied with a scowl. She stepped after him and immediately launched into her next barrage of slashes and strikes. Muscle memory kicked in and Solaire weaved out of the first blow’s way before catching the follow-up swing with the guard of his sword. Again, he shoved away floating blade and took not one, but several steps back.
Solaire held in a chuckle when he saw Luna’s expression darken by the slightest amounts. She stalked forward on slow, deliberate legs and came to a stop as soon as she reached that same familiar distance from before.
“So you do have a range,” said the knight.
Luna shook her head. “Enough talk.” And the sword hovering at her side went horizontal with the sound of shivering steel and like a cannon shot, ripped through the air on a blue burst of energy.
Solaire stepped to the side, her attack a mere blur as it passed just to his left. Not even a second after, equal parts intuition and experience pulled a single knee to the ground the same moment Luna’s sword carved a wide, arcing slash at the now-empty space his chest had just occupied.
No time to gloat, he thought, and a cloud of dust was kicked up in his wake as he surged toward the princess with a single, powerful pump of his legs.
Luna’s brow lowered. Her nostrils flared.
Solaire tightened his grip. He pulled his sword arm back.
Use your wings, he thought as his sword came crashing down like lightning straight at the princess’ head. But in that small, insubstantial moment between a hummingbird’s heartbeat, his blade collided with nothing in a thundercrack of heat and noise. Vibrations ran up his limb as if he had just struck a wall of anvils but there was only Luna, the small gap of air between his sword and her neck, and there, the vague glimpses of a blue, near-invisible sphere.
Solaire’s eyes widened when he saw the brightening glow of Luna’s horn. He staggered back when the shockwave of the exploding sphere slammed into his body, and he could only watch in resigned horror as Luna, already in mid-pivot, let fly two rapidly approaching rear hooves.
****
Yet again, the effects of the kick were devastating. Everyone heard the snapping of bone. Everyone listened to Solaire’s pained gasps as he scrabbled to his feet, and everyone saw the pulverized lump of flesh that now hung limp from within the sleeve of his jerkin. It was as if his forearm had been replaced with a deboned fish and for a split second, Twilight was reminded of the brass pendulum in that big clock at her parents’ house, the way his left arm swang back and forth in a place that, Twilight was sure, wasn’t supposed to be swinging back and forth.
“Nope,” said Applejack. “Uh-uh. When I said I was gonna keep you company, Twi, I didn’t think that I’d have t–"
“Did you see that?” Twilight whispered.
“Huh?"
“That was a Grade Four forcefield conjured in the blink of an eye. Instantaneous, just… absolutely spectacular. And the speed at which she collapsed its structure, I've–"
“Well?” voiced Princess Luna from the center of the grounds. She faced Solaire, whose back was now to the spectating crowd. “Tell me, Sir Knight, do you still intend to fight me with a mangled limb? You have one arm. You can barely stand. Even your grip is weakening. It is over. Let the sword go."
Silence dominated the courtyard when, as if in answer, Solaire reached across his body with his good arm and, against all expectations, somehow managed to wrestle his sword into the hand of his destroyed limb. His left arm immediately sagged under the weight and the blade’s tip hit the ground with a dull thump, but still, Solaire held onto the sword, and he still faced forward, and his broad shoulders and back–resembling more and more a mountain the longer she looked–remained as resolute as ever.
Before Twilight could guess what was happening, Solaire unhooked a small bundle of white cloth that was attached to his belt. He held it firmly within his fist and in one smooth motion, he drew his arm back as if he intended to hurl the tied-up cloth through the air.
Twilight smelled it first, the sharp scent of ozone in her nose. She spared a quick glance to the side and saw that the look of disgust on Applejack’s face had given way to something much more primal. Her eyes were wide and her mouth worked itself noiselessly as if the words were caught in her throat.
And then Twilight felt it on her coat, the static, prickly sensation from her younger years when she used to read on the carpeted floor of her childhood home. It travelled through the length of her body, causing hairs to stand on end and giving off the unpleasant sensation that she was covered in invisible, electric ants.
All around them, members of the royal guard shifted uncomfortably on their hooves. Some were looking to their comrades with nervous expressions on their faces, while others had taken some steps back. When Twilight looked back toward Applejack, she saw not her friend but the guard that stood on the opposite side of her. Twilight craned her neck over her shoulder and caught sight of Applejack several paces behind her and pointing a hoof straight ahead.
“Applejack, what’re you–"
“Look,” breathed the earth pony.
And then Twilight saw it.
Bright gold electricity arced across every surface of Solaire’s upturned palm. Lightning bounced across the gaps of his fingers and through the white cloth sitting in the center of his hand. The sparks popped and crackled and grew, extending perpendicularly with the flat of his palm. And all eyes looked on as Solaire reformed his fist around the bolt of lightning that had seemingly been conjured from thin air just behind his right ear.
The lightning kicked and jumped and screamed within his grip, but even still, Solaire managed to angle it by the tiniest of amounts toward the one single pony in front of him.
Luna was a statue faced with a storm. Her eyes were wide and her ears stood tall atop her head. Her gaze flicked back and forth between the lightning bolt and Solaire’s face, and in the next instant, just barely audible over the intense howls and sparks of the lightning, came a quiet, muffled voice.
Luna's ears perked and her brows creased and as Solaire pulled his arm back and bent his knees, the wings that had remained at Luna’s side burst outward with a powerful gust of wind. In one single flap she took to the air, kicking up a wave of brown dust and debris in her wake.
Twilight blinked away the grime. She had to see. Despite all logic, she found herself moving forward. She squeezed past the wall of guards and stood, watched, waiting, as Solaire, poised in mid-throw, looked skyward at the princess.
His opponent hovered several meters off the ground, her confused expression just barely readable from such a distance.
And Twilight held her breath as the lightning in Solaire’s fist dissipated into nothingness as quickly as it had been born. The sword fell from his other hand, his arms dropped and Twilight stared up at the back of Solaire’s form as he dipped his head and said in a loud, clear voice,
“I yield."
****
The next few minutes passed by in a blur. First came the shocked silence. Then came the polite clapping of hooves on ground, which quickly devolved into what would be considered an uproarious applause considering who was doing the applauding. The guards all wore smiles as they patted each other on the withers and upon seeing their princess descend from her flight, moved forward as a well-oiled unit to express their amazement and congratulations.
From her spot in the now-shrinking shade of the castle walls, Twilight had counted more than a few sighs of relief among their ranks.
Princess Luna herself looked rather taken aback by all the attention directed her way. She looked small amidst the guards, with her too-wide smile and her eyes ping-ponging in their sockets as if unsure where to look. Before long, she caught sight of Solaire and the guards knowingly parted to let her through.
Twilight looked on as the two exchanged words. She watched their mouths, taking note of the short, clipped nature of their conversation. Then Luna gestured to Solaire’s broken arm, to which Solaire replied with a chuckle and a wave of his hand. Luna frowned. A few more words were exchanged and as Luna’s horn lit up, Solaire slowly nodded and extended his arm.
“Looks like she’s fixin’ him,” Applejack said. “It’s the least she could do, really, kickin’ him around like he don’t feel pain."
Twilight glanced toward her friend. “I thought you didn’t want him around."
The two ponies sat side by side, watching the gaggle of guards mingle in the center of the courtyard.
Applejack frowned. “I never said that. What I said, Twi, is that we shouldn’t be gettin’ involved with him. But that don’t mean that I wanted to see his arm gettin’ broke. It ain’t right."
“And if I remember correctly, your idea of right is that we do nothing at all."
“If doin’ nothin' means keepin’ us all safe, then... yeah.” Applejack sighed and rubbed at the space between her eyes with a hoof. “Listen, Twilight, I ain’t gonna say what I said before, but I think what we just saw only makes my case all the more real. We have just seen a critter from another world pull a bolt of lightnin’ out of thin air. A bolt of lightnin’ he was fixin’ to hurl at a princess who had just shattered his arm. He scared her, you know that, don’tcha? I don’t imagine it’s easy scarin' a princess."
“He scared us all,” said Twilight.
“Then why do I feel like… I dunno, like you’re wrackin’ your brains over a real simple situation?"
“Maybe because I am,” Twilight replied.
“And you do know that he said he’s fine with leavin’, right? I mean, you’re the one who told us that."
“I know, Applejack. I know.” After a moment, Twilight’s brow furrowed and she wrinkled her snout. “Okay, look. Imagine it’s raining outside, but not like a drizzle… like it’s coming in sideways it’s storming so hard. You look out your window and you see a pony, completely and utterly exposed to the elements, just walking along the side of the road. What would you do, really, if you saw that?"
Applejack’s eyes roamed across the surface of Twilight’s face as if she were expecting to find an answer there.
“Well,” she began, “I’d run out there and offer her a place to stay. Two or three times that’s actually happened, Twi. Not very recently but I do remember ‘em."
“Okay,” Twilight said with a nod, “then what would you do if that person refused your offer?"
“I’d insist."
“And still no?"
“I’d insist again."
“Against all expectations,” Twilight continued, “this person absolutely refuses your hospitality and chooses to stay out in the storm for whatever reason. What would you do then?"
Applejack looked down at the grass, and slowly, her gaze drifted upward towards the center of the courtyard. Solaire and Luna were still chatting but now they wore amicable smiles and somewhere along the line, a tightly-wound bandage had found its way onto his arm.
Her expression unreadable, Applejack looked back at Twilight. “I’d offer him an umbrella,” she said quietly.
For the better part of thirty seconds, the two sat there in silence.
"I think that’s the point Rarity was trying to make,” said Twilight in a low tone. “The time me and her talked, emotions were kind of running high and she ended up just yelling at me."
Applejack shrugged. “That’s Rarity for ya. Eloquent in all places and situations... except when it matters a’course. Speakin’ of, I haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since she walked out of breakfast.”
“Yeah. She said she had some work to finish up."
“Right. The gala dresses.” Applejack paused. “ Or sleepin’, more like. We’ve had a long night, Twilight Sparkle. You especially. Would it kill ya to at least think about gettin’ some sleep?"
Twilight smiled, looking on as Applejack rose to her hooves.
“Do you really expect me to sleep now?"
Applejack smiled and shook her head. She spared a quick glance out into the courtyard before turning back toward Twilight.
“Dunno,” she said. “I don’t think there’s a person alive who rightly knows what you’re gonna do next. But what I do know, Twi, is that you’re about to have some company."
Twilight raised a brow and turned her gaze to the center of the courtyard. There she saw Solaire calmly making his way to their spot in the shade. There was a relaxed quality to his steps, as if he were strolling through a park or window-shopping on a Saturday morning. He caught her looking and promptly held up his palm in return.
Applejack suddenly looked sullen. “Reckon that you’ve got a whole interrogation lined up for the poor fella."
“Very funny,” Twilight groused. “But yeah. I do."
Already turning to leave, Applejack doffed her hat in farewell. “Then I’ll leave y’all to it, then. Third wheels are only third wheels when they don’t realize it. I’ll see ya later, okay?"
“What will you do?" Twilight asked as she rose to her hooves.
“Get acquainted with my pillow,” Applejack said, and then the next moment she was gone, walking away back towards the same set of doors they had passed through an hour before.
****
As he made his approach, Solaire had watched the hatted pony lay eyes on him, exchange a few words with Twilight Sparkle and leave all within the span of ten seconds. Now, as the purple pony looked up at him with expectant eyes, Solaire couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of guilt for something he may or may not have done.
Solaire gestured to the double doors the hatted pony had just gone through. “Did I…?"
“What?” Twilight stared for a brief moment, and then her brows shot up. “Oh! Oh no, she’s just sleepy. You didn’t scare her off or anything if that’s what your thinking. Yeah. Applejack wouldn’t, uh… you know."
Solaire blinked.
“Nevermind,” said Twilight. She took a breath and sobered her expression. “So how are you feeling? How’s your arm?"
“Tender,” Solaire said, presenting his bandaged limb. “Your Princess Luna insisted that she mend it, to which I replied that she need not worry about such a small, miniscule injury. She then said that she poured only a fraction of her strength into that kick, to which I replied that only cravens hold back in duels where honor is concerned."
“Wow, uh–"
“We became fast friends,” Solaire finished. “Do you think it presumptuous of me, calling royalty a ‘friend’?"
“What? No.” Twilight shook her head. “I think she’d like that actually. Uhm, Princess Luna’s been… out of touch with everything until recently."
“Ah."
When Twilight did not continue, Solaire brushed off the back of his legs and sat in the grass next to the unicorn. The guards were still milling about their princess, no doubt continuing their rounds of questioning from before.
He ran a slow hand through his hair.
“I’ve already forgotten their names,” Solaire began.
“Hm?” Twilight turned her neck to face him.
“The Royal Guard. They all introduced themselves one by one after the fight. I couldn’t name them past the third, let alone tell them apart. This may seem rude of me, Miss Sparkle, but when they’re all the same color, same shape, even in the same armor…” Solaire breathed in deep, “… I feel like I’ve crossed them somehow."
Twilight did not speak for a few seconds.
“Well, they do strive for uniformity,” she said. “If it makes you feel any better, they’re not really all white. There’s an enchantment in the armor that alters their coat color on a polyfollicular level. It’s a pretty simple enchantment, but… yeah."
“Then what of your friends?” Solaire asked. “Even now, I’m having trouble recalling some of their names."
“Like who?"
“The pink one."
“That’s Pinkie Pie."
“And the one with the, er… the hair."
“Uh,” Twilight furrowed her brow, "Rarity?"
“No. No no, I know Rarity. I promised that I’d speak with her after, well… after she saw me die. No, the one I speak of is yellow."
“Oh! That’s Fluttershy, yeah.” Twilight nodded. “She does have a nice mane, doesn’t she? You know, they go to the same spa, she and Rarity."
Solaire glanced her way. “Spa?"
“It’s a place where they, uh,” Twilight paused, “where they clean you, essentially."
“Ah."
“Yeah, it’s–“ Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, what about Rainbow Dash? You remember her, right?"
Solaire pointed at his head. “The colors."
“Right. And what about Applejack?"
“The hat."
“Yeah! See, you do know them."
Twilight gave him a big smile and Solaire couldn’t help but give one as well, if only to match her enthusiasm. After a moment, his smile faded.
Solaire looked away. “I apologize, Miss Sparkle. Where I come from, names are… rare. They’re meant to mean something, identify you as a person. But you see, there are very few people where I come from. Just the monsters that are left behind, and, well…“ he let out a puff of air through his nose, “… those who still have the strength to struggle."
He could feel her gaze on the side of his head.
“Our first talk,” Twilight began. “The one with myself, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and Captain Rook."
“When I first awoke."
“Yes. You spent some time discussing your travelling companion. I, uhm… I believe you said her name was Adria.” There was hesitation in her voice. “The one who killed you."
A pause.
“Yes."
“Well. You mostly talked about what you two were trying to accomplish and how it sort of, well... fell apart at the end."
Solaire let out a short chuckle. “Miss Sparkle, if you’re asking how I received that gaping hole in my stomach, I can assure you that that was her handiwork, yes. Or should I say that it was the culmination of all her training and hard work? She always was a perfectionist when it came to her magic."
“Did you teach her?” Twilight asked.
“By the Sun, no! I haven’t a drop of magic blood in me!"
“Then that lightning from before?"
“Hardly magic, Miss Sparkle. The lightning spear that appeared in my hand was simply the reward for a lifetime of good deeds."
The unicorn blinked a few times. She frowned ever so slightly. “What?"
“Miracles, Miss Sparkle. An inexplicable force that appears when beckoned, heals when ordered and kills when commanded. Many can learn but mastery requires true faith. Something that Adria lacked I feel.” Solaire sniffed. “No, Adria’s magic came from deep within. A direct draw from life itself.
Soul magic, I believe she called it."
Twilight grew strangely quiet. Solaire spared a glance and saw that she was staring straight ahead, an unreadable expression on her face.
“Miss Sparkle?"
“Sorry, I just–“ she shook her head and gave a small smile. “It’s a huge coincidence that we are literally worlds apart and yet we have the same name for the same type of magic. Did you know that yesterday morning, I believed that I was the only pony in Equestria that even knew of soul magic? For two months I was essentially killing myself in the basement of my library, trying at the very least to prove its existence. I worried my friends. I locked myself away. I lied to them, because I knew that if they found out what I was doing, they’d try and put a stop to it."
“What happened then?” Solaire asked.
“I succeeded. I crystallized a piece of my soul and, er… I’ll spare you the details, but it hurt. It hurt a lot."
Solaire rubbed at his chin. “Based on my very meager knowledge on the subject, Miss Sparkle, I’m led to believe that that’s quite a feat. The princesses must have been impressed with your discovery."
“No, they yelled at me,” said Twilight offhandedly. “But Adria– we, I mean, when you were dead, Luna picked through your wound and found shards of crystal just embedded in there. How in the hay did that happen? I mean, it took me two months of pain to form a crystal not even the size of my hoof. But this Adria forms them with enough ease and speed that she can just… use them as ammunition? Surely she forms them beforehand. Tell me at least that."
Solaire patted at his abdomen where the gaping hole had once been. “She pointed her staff, formed it and fired before I could even react."
Twilight’s brow knitted together.
“But how?” she asked. “When I started this whole thing, I envisioned that these crystals would be used to power train engines. City streets. Entire buildings! Whole teams would be needed to craft them. Planning! Latticework! I can’t believe you're telling me that the person who betrayed you is capable of weaponizing her soul like… as a move. A technique that she could pull out of her backpocket on a whim. I mean, even Princess Luna said that the spell she shot at you outstrips anything that she had contributed to the field, and she had a school."
Solaire raised a bit.
“I can’t believe that either,” Twilight continued, and she breathed out a heady sigh. “A thousand years ago, Princess Luna of all ponies had a school dedicated to soul magic."
“A thousand years is a long time,” Solaire said. “What happened?"
“It drove Luna insane and Celestia burned it to the ground."
“Now I can see why they yelled at you,” he finished.
“Yeah, well. If Princess Celestia didn’t want anyone discovering the dangers of soul magic, then maybe she shouldn’t have hid it."
Solaire did not respond for a moment.
“You sound angry,” he eventually said.
“I’m angry, and I'm tired and I feel inadequate,” Twilight said. “My discovery should have heralded in a new age of magic and industry, and instead I find out that I’m retreading very old, and apparently, very dangerous ground."
Solaire frowned. “Miss S–"
“And then I find out that the being who emerged from my crystal fire had a travelling companion who uses soul magic to, well… murder her friends!"
“Miss Sparkle…"
“Why does that make me feel bad!"
“Miss Sparkle."
Twilight shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m venting to you of all pon– er… persons. People. You.” She groaned. “I’m really sorry. You have your own set of troubles and here I am, just unloading all of mine on you. As if you really want to hear them, right?"
“Miss Sparkle,” Solaire began in a steady tone. “The reason I said that your discovery must have impressed the princesses is because it impressed me. You are forgetting one crucial detail that separates yourself from people like Adria and I."
“What’s that?” Twilight asked.
“Whilst Adria and I are dead, you, Twilight Sparkle, are very much alive. You have a bright future ahead of you. Your heart beats in your chest. It is the fact that you are alive that you will never reach the level of power that Adria currently wields."
She looked to the grass, frowning. “I don’t…"
“What prevented you from forming a bigger soul crystal?” Solaire asked. “Was it the pain?"
“I… suppose?"
“And what is pain?” Solaire continued. “Is it not your body’s way of screaming at you to stop, to warn you that if this continues, you may very well die? You knew perhaps on the surface, perhaps deep down, that if you kept pouring more and more of your life into that crystal, you simply would have ceased to be."
Solaire watched as the unicorn shut her eyes, her lips forming a grim line.
“Death is the greatest deterrence of all, Miss Sparkle. You remove death, and you are completely and utterly and horrifyingly free. What else is there to stop you, if not your own fear?"
Twilight breathed in deep. After a moment, she let out a slow stream of air through her nose and calmly rose to her hooves. She looked out into the courtyard, squinting in the ever-rising presence of the sun.
“It’s a lot of information,” she began. “I need to process. I need to write things down."
“Miss Sp–"
“And I need to write a letter. I told him I’d write after my lecture yesterday and I never did. The least I could do now after all I’ve put him through is to fill him in on what’s happened."
Solaire nodded even though she was not looking his way.
“And Solaire?” she continued. “If you don’t mind me asking... during your duel with Princess Luna, you said something to her right after you conjured your lightning bolt. What was it?"
Solaire smiled.
“I told her that I never miss."
Twilight bowed her head slightly and glanced at him from over her shoulder.
“You kept your promise,” she said in a quiet tone. "Thank you for not hurting anyone, Solaire. I really mean it."
****
Princess Celestia looked up from the ream of papers that had been placed on her desk not even ten seconds prior. A purple unicorn stared back at her.
“Twilight Sparkle, this is not a letter. This is a book. A book you addressed to Spike."
“I’m sorry–that’s two hours of straight writing. I wanted to be thorough."
“And thorough you have been,” Celestia said as her horn took light and began leafing through the pages. “You wish to inform Spike of our guest."
Twilight nodded.
Celestia turned to the last page, her eyes quickly scanning over the document. “And if he so wishes, he is to board the earliest train to Canterlot in lieu of arriving tomorrow for the Grand Galloping Gala.” She looked back up.
Twilight nodded again. “Yes, I wanted to apologize to him in person for all that he’s had to put up with in the last two months. I made him lie. I made him continue with his work even though he knew it was hurting me. I’ve been horrible, I–"
“I understand, Twilight Sparkle, and I applaud you for wishing to make amends so soon. I can send your letter right away. Right at this very moment, if you so wish?"
Her ears flattening, Twilight gave a small smile. “If it’s no trouble, Princess."
Without another word, Celestia levitated the stack of papers and it disappeared in a pop of displaced air. She regarded the unicorn with inquisitive eyes.
“I, ah…” Twilight cleared her throat. “I’ve brought something else."
Twilight’s horn took light and she grabbed the manila envelope that had been resting on her back. She floated it out in front of her and allowed Celestia custody of the envelope. A second later, it glided through the air and placed itself neatly in the center of her desk.
Celestia smiled. “I believe I know what this is."
“I did most of the preliminary work,” Twilight said. “The fine-tuning, the proper bindings and spell gradients. All that’s missing is, well… your touch. It has to be you who casts it."
“I understand,” said Celestia. "But before we continue on to the busy work, I was hoping to gather your thoughts on our guest. I trust you and your friends have reached a consensus?"
Twilight gave two slow nods. “An informal one, but I’ve a general gist on what everyone thinks of Solaire."
“Could you elaborate?"
“Well, everyone more or less wants to help him in some fashion. The only one who was on the fence was Applejack but I could kind of sense that she would come around. Past experience and all that."
“And what do you think?"
“About Solaire?"
Celestia nodded, and it took Twilight a brief moment to answer.
“He’s out of a storybook,” Twilight said with a shrug. “A storybook if the hero and everyone else were tall, zombie bipeds, and instead of trying to save the princess from whatever’s snatched her, everyone’s trying to… save themselves, I guess. Or something like that. Yeah."
Celestia raised a brow.
“Ugh, I don’t know, Princess. He’s weird, but in a kind way. He’s strong but he’s not mean and menacing. He’s dead, Princess, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s the nicest dead person I’ve talked to in my whole life."
Twilight paused and made a show of examining the flat of her right hoof. She peered up at Celestia through raised eyelids. “Have you heard about the duel yet?"
Celestia leaned back slightly. “Indeed I have. Quite a spectacle, as I have been told. I was also informed that my sister broke Solaire’s arm. Was it as bad as my informant made it out to be?"
“It was gross,” Twilight said, “but if you’ve heard about the broken arm, then surely you heard about–"
“The lightning?"
“Y… yes."
“It was the the peak of their duel as my imagination sees it. All that power generated by one being. It is hard to believe, is it not? The closest we have come are the thunderheads we craft in the weather factories, but even then, the energy needed to produce them is only a margin less than the energy they put out."
“Novelty weather,” Twilight said. “Unable to be harnessed in any real fashion. But Solaire’s lightning, he pulled it out of thin air. He was holding it for a good five seconds. I’ve never seen anything like it before, Princess. It was like standing next to a firework that kept on exploding."
“What are your thoughts?” Celestia asked without missing a beat.
“It was amazing,” Twilight said. “And it scared me, frankly because it’s new."
Celestia gestured for her to continue.
Twilight licked her lips. "I talked with Solaire. After the duel, of course."
“Oh?"
“It was only after the fact as I was replaying the conversation in my head that I remembered what he said. Solaire said specifically that this… ‘magic-but-not-magic’ can be learned."
“And did he have a name for this… phenomena?"
“He said miracles, but I don’t know if that’s ‘Miracles’ with a capital ‘M’ or ‘miracles’ used as just like a general noun, implying divine intervention or some other.” Twilight clicked her tongue. “I didn’t want to pry. But the point I’m getting at, Princess, is that he said that it can be learned, and learning implies that it can be taught."
For just a second, Celestia glanced down at the manila envelope.
Twilight pressed on. “Just imagine it, Princess. A whole entire branch of magic that has yet to be discovered. Just think of what he knows that we don’t. I mean, in ten, twenty years, there could be unicorn, pegasus, earth pony fillies and colts running around with lightning bolt cutie marks, and not because they fly fast."
Celestia was stock-still as she stared at the unicorn sitting across from her. “You wish to learn this information from Solaire."
“Yes."
“And you have accounted for the fact that he will be leaving in less than forty-eight hours, yes? I have heard of accelerated courses, but Twilight Sparkle… less than two days. Come the eve of the Gala, Solaire will be gone."
Twilight looked at the manila envelope sitting on Celestia’s desk.
And Celestia smirked as she finally undid the brass tabs keeping the envelope closed. From within, she pulled out a paltry sum of just two papers, but every inch was covered in diagrams and equations and notes.
On the bottom right corner on the back of the second sheet, scrawled into the margins was a single sentence. It had been circled several times.
“What is Celestia’s fire made of?” it read.
After a long moment, the alicorn princess set the papers down and looked up at the unicorn.
“This may just work,” Celestia said.
****
“You know, Pinkie Pie’s gonna be on me like sprinkles on a donut if she finds out that I let you in here, right?"
Solaire drummed his fingers on the table and leaned back against the one and only human-sized chair. The parlor of Celestia’s tower had been decorated with a bric-a-brac of items that had surely not been there when he had departed for breakfast earlier in the day. Through the giant circle window on the far side of the room streamed in rays of the afternoon sun. Illuminated most of all was the big, white banner covered in puffy gold lettering that now currently hung from the ceiling.
Hovering just to Solaire’s left, Rainbow Dash looked less than enthused.
“So,” began the pegasus. “You said it was important and now you’re just sitting there. Party’s spoiled and it’s all because good ol’ Rainbow Dash exercised the appropriate level of caution in the face of an ‘emergency’."
“I grew tired of wandering the castle,” Solaire said, rubbing a shoulder.
“Huh? Was no one with you?"
“Oh, yes, there were ponies. I would pass a maid occasionally. Or a guard."
“No, that’s not–“ Rainbow sighed. “So no one was escorting you around the place, like Twilight or Applejack or, I don’t know, Fluttershy?"
Solaire frowned. “Should there have been?"
“Uh, yeah? We agreed as a team that we’d show you around the castle during the day and come back here for the party at night! You’re not supposed to be at the surprise party before it even starts! That’s not how it works!"
Solaire looked around the room a bit more. “If I may inquire, Miss Dash, but what is a party?"
“What? No, that’s…” The pegasus winced as if in visible pain. “No. Did you just say that you don’t know what a party is?"
Solaire nodded.
“It’s like a celebration,” Rainbow said, looking glum.
“Ah, yes. It has been too long. Tell me, what are we celebrating?"
“You!"
“Me?"
“Yes!” Rainbow cried out. She jabbed a hoof at the big hanging banner. “Didn’t you read the sign?"
Solaire stared up at the banner for a long moment, his brows creasing.
“I cannot read your letters,” he said.
“But it’s completely legible, Solaire. And huge. I mean, I could read it from another timezone."
Solaire shook his head. “I believe you misunderstood. Your letters are foreign to me, Miss Dash. I cannot read it. They appear as… construction toys for children. Or buildings."
He looked on as Rainbow’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a small ‘O’.
Solaire was about to speak when there came two loud, sturdy knocks from the door on the other side of the room. Both Rainbow Dash and Solaire looked, then they looked at each other, and in the silent seconds that followed, Rainbow cleared her throat and called out a single,
“Yeah?"
“Ah, Rainbow Dash,” said a matronly voice from behind the door. “It is Princess Celestia. May I come in?"
Rainbow whipped her gaze back onto Solaire.
“Hello?” came the voice again.
“Er, sure. Sure! The room's a little messy though. We–"
The door glided open on quiet hinges and there, just beyond the threshold, stood Princess Celestia, her eyes already taking in the numerous decorations that had been hung up within.
“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, “we kind of, uh… took over your room. Sorry."
“Oh, it is no matter,” Celestia said as she walked inside. Her gaze scanned from left to right, before finally settling on Solaire. She glanced at the pegasus. “I was hoping to have a word with–"
“Oh yeah! Of course, of course,” Rainbow Dash said, holding up her two front hooves as if in apology. She started drifting towards the door on lazy wings. “I was feeling a little antsy anyway. No idea what Pinkie was thinking when she made me ‘guard’ the room."
Celestia nodded as the pegasus went by. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. Please, do not mind the door–I won’t be long."
“No problem,” Rainbow said, and then took a left out the door and disappeared from sight.
For a long moment, Solaire regarded the tall, white pony through sidelong eyes. His hands were folded together atop the surface of the table, and despite a growing itch on the tip of his nose, he kept his hands in place.
Solaire sniffed.
Celestia, for her part, simply glanced about the room as if she were seeing it in a new light. She smiled when she saw the banner.
“Do you know what it reads?” she asked.
Solaire shook his head.
Celestia looked his way. “It says ‘Believe in the ponies that believe in you’. A very tame message considering the pony who wrote it."
“And quite cryptic as well."
“Or astoundingly simple to understand. It is all a matter of perspective, don’t you think?” Celestia began walking, horn aglow as she levitated a chair away from the round table. She sat down in its place, the spot directly opposite of Solaire.
“How is your arm?” Celestia asked.
“Tender,” Solaire repeated.
“I apologize for the injuries you sustained at my sister’s hooves. She is competitive–almost to a fault–and in all the time that I have known her, she has never shied away from a challenge."
“She is impressive with a sword,” Solaire said.
“As she should be. Long ago, there was no Royal Guard. No standing army. Back then, my ponies did not fight for us, but rather, we fought for them. My sister comes directly from that time when those skills were needed, and that is why I asked her to fight with you."
Solaire remained silent.
“Please, consider our situation,” Celestia continued. “My sister and I, as protectors of our people, needed to see how you would react under pressure. She was more than willing to play that role."
Solaire nodded slowly.
"You are a complete enigma to our world, Solaire. If we were to help you, we would need to know you."
“And what have you learned?” Solaire asked.
Celestia said nothing. Instead, her horn took light and a small object popped into existence in front of her head. Solaire watched in silence as she floated the object over and placed it squarely in the center of his side of the table.
Solaire stared at the silver ring with a deepening gaze. It was a plain band, of smooth finish and bearing no etchings on either the inside or out. It was not exceedingly bright or exceedingly dull, but sitting somewhere firmly in the middle of the pack–as low-key a ring that he had ever seen. But as Solaire reached out and traced a finger along its surface, he could feel a warmth to the metal as if it had been sitting out in the sun for hours prior. He pulled back, turning his gaze back towards the princess.
“What is this?” Solaire asked.
Celestia’s face was a neutral mask. “The ring is not a gift but an invitation. If you are to accept then the ring is yours… as are the responsibilities that come with it."
Solaire raised a brow.
“You are to keep the ring on your person at all times,” Celestia said. “You must never lose the ring. You must never lend out the ring. You are the only person who can know what function the ring serves. Do you understand?"
“Not at all,” Solaire said. He glanced down at the plain band with something akin to caution.
“I know not what sort of dangers you will run into in your own world, Solaire, but if worse comes to worse and you find yourself in a situation where losing the ring is a very real possibility, I must know if you are capable of swallowing the ring just to keep it in your possession."
“Is that necessary?"
“That is how important it is,” Celestia said. “Am I clear?"
Solaire nodded.
And with that, Celestia shut her eyes for a brief moment and began.
“The ring is both a guide and a messenger,” Celestia said. “From the warmth it emanates, it tells its wearer that the fire atop this very tower is burning. You emerged from that fire, yes? With a simple recasting of the spell that brought you here, you, Solaire, will always be able to return here to Equestria."
“Given that the bonfire burns,” Solaire said. “Who is its keeper?"
Celestia paused.
“I will be managing it,” she said. “I am the one who lit it, and with some research and experimentation, I shall be able to extinguish and relight it at will. Even now, I can feel a strong connection to the flame."
Solaire rested his chin on a knuckled fist. He looked to the ring, then to the princess.
“I take it there are stipulations regarding my visits. Offered help is often with its own demands."
“Nothing so trying,” Celestia said. “All we ask is that you share the knowledge of your magic with us. This can be done in any place of your choosing, with either me, or Princess Luna, or–"
“Twilight Sparkle,” Solaire said.
“Yes. Or Twilight Sparkle."
For the first time Solaire reached out and plucked the ring from the table. He held it between his thumb and index finger and stared through the loop towards the ceiling. It was warm and heavy with enchantments.
“Twilight Sparkle,” he repeated. “This was her idea was it not?"
“As is often the case, yes. She is a young, bright mind, and hungry for knowledge. In fact, she is also responsible for creating the spells that are imbued into that ring. I simply acted as the hammer for her forge. But please, do not mistake this invitation as greed on her part. We wish to help, truly, but we would like yours as well."
“A mutual trading of goods, then” Solaire said. “I get to rest, talk, even sleep if I so desire."
“A sanctuary, if you will."
“And all you ask of me is that I teach you my ways?” Solaire gave a half grin. “Is that all? Really?"
“Of course,” Celestia said.
“You are not going to ask me to smite your enemies, are you?"
“You will be safe here, Solaire."
Inside his chest, he felt something stir. He clenched his fists and suppressed a smile. He looked down at the table and did nothing about the bangs that fell over his eyes. He didn’t even bother looking up when he heard the shuffling of hooves at the far end of the room.
“Reckon we don’t gotta listen in anymore,” said Applejack.
“Good thing, too!” said Pinkie Pie. “If you guys made me hold it in any longer I would’ve literally exploded with excitement!"
“Yeah, that’s great and all,” said Rainbow Dash, “but that Twilight Sparkle did kind of steal our thunder."
“Howdy there, Princess C. We’re gonna be havin’ us a good ol’ fashioned party soon as we wrangle up the rest of our gang. You’re welcome to join us, if’n you wish."
Solaire heard Celestia let out an airy chuckle.
“Maybe, girls,” Celestia said. “I have a lot of things on my plate that need my attention. But perhaps later on, I could… "
Solaire did not hear the rest. Their words had blended together into an entangled jumble of noise. Keeping track of so many voices at once was a skill that he had forgotten. A skill that was not needed back in Lordran.
A skill that he was willing to relearn.
He clutched the ring in his fist.
“I accept," he whispered out.
****
Applejack entered Rarity’s room on light hooves. The room no longer resembled a suite in the castle, but an attic above an old tailoring shop. Spools of cloth in an assortment of colors and material lay strewn about in the far corner of the room. Snippets of loose thread dotted the floor and an assortment of ribbon rolls had been painstakingly arranged in columns and rows on top of the bed.
Rarity herself was sitting in a chair facing the far wall, a wide table in front of her and the sounds of a sewing machine punctuating the air.
Applejack cleared her throat, and the unicorn stiffened slightly. The sewing machine stopped and she swiveled in her chair, a small smile already prepared.
“Applejack! I didn’t hear you come in.”
Rarity's usually pristine mane looked as if she slept in it and a pair of posh red glasses sat just a tad askew atop the bridge of her nose. When a stray strand of hair fell over her eye, she dispatched it with a quick puff from her mouth.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” said Applejack. “Weren’t sure if you were sleepin’."
“No matter. No matter,” Rarity said as she stepped out of her chair. Her gaze flicked to the wall behind Applejack.
“How do they look?” Rarity asked.
The earth pony turned, and there she saw a beautiful purple dress adorning a wooden mannequin of a mare. The dress was of the quality that she had come to expect of Rarity–no-holds-barred, cutting-edge fashion to be worn for the sake of one single day.
It would turn heads.
“There’s more,” she heard Rarity say, and Applejack found herself stepping to the center of the room to reveal five more dresses on five more mannequins arranged in a neat line along the wall.
“Every time I think that you can’t possibly top last year’s…” Applejack let out a low whistle, looking to each one in turn. “They’re all done?"
Rarity nodded.
Applejack nodded as well.
“Where’d you get the mannequins?” she asked.
“I had a servant bring them to me last night. The guards use them for their armor. They had spares, apparently."
“Right,” said Applejack. “S’pose that makes sense."
For a few moments, the two continued on in a comfortable silence until Applejack shuffled on her hooves and cleared her throat.
“Since you’re done with the dresses and all, Rarity, we was hopin’ that you could make it to Solaire’s party. We weren’t so sure since you were a bit frazzled when we last saw ya."
Rarity turned to face her. “Eh heh, yes. I suppose I was a bit out of sorts.” She looked to the right, back towards the long table and sewing machine.
Naturally, Applejack looked as well and caught sight of the telltale signs of a busy workstation. The sewing machine was still on.
“Didn’t you say you were finished with everything?” Applejack asked, raising a brow.
Rarity glanced back for a moment longer, and with a twinkle in her eyes, set off towards the far side of the room. Applejack followed suit and soon, the two ponies were standing side by side, looking down at the assortment of half-finished white garments.
It took Applejack all of five seconds to realize what she was looking at.
“Rarity… you didn’t."
“I did,” said the unicorn. Her horn sparked to life and the enormous suit jacket whose sleeve currently sat within the machine rose into the air and pinned itself flat high against the wall.
They both stared up at the human-sized garment, one pony wearing a victorious smile, the other a small frown.
“What did you think I would do, Applejack? After all, the Grand Galloping Gala does have a dress code."
Equestrian Ring
An enchanted ring from another world. Who knows what spells were weaved into its metal…
The glassy orb in Kirk’s upturned fist pulsed a deep, malevolent red. He turned to the sorceress and nodded.
“It is ready,” he said.