//------------------------------// // Pristine/Bedim/Crisp - Chapter 24 // Story: Dawn of Crystal Empire // by TopWanted //------------------------------// Pristine wiped the sweat from her brow. The hospital had been plagued by ponies for months now, ever since Bedim’s banishment. Javelin’s reveal of a plague made every pony on edge, believing that the slightest cough or sprain could be the plague affecting them. Javelin had given permission for the Stone Garden to be open to visitors and thus the ponies had come to know the nature of the affliction, but that didn’t stop the hysteria. She scowled as she thought of that horrid stallion. Commander Javelin had banished Bedim and unleashed a torrent of panic and suspicion in his wake. “Pristine,” the Old Mare called to her as she spaced out. “Pristine! Get the anesthetic!” They were in the midst of surgery. The Old Mare, while being old enough to be on the operating table rather than above it, was a master surgeon and clinician. Most of what Pristine had learned she had learned from the Old Mare. Pristine nodded and grabbed a small syringe of liquid set aside. It glowed a violet aura before the Old Mare took it with her magic and injected it into the convulsing patient. A middle aged stallion had come in with lacerations around his chest where a sword had cut deep. When he arrived he wore a blue tunic that indicated he was part of the Pegasus team of the North. His compatriots that brought him said he had been hurt in a joint training exercise with the unicorn regiment. Pristine did not have trouble believing this. Javelin’s unicorns were known for going too far. Recently, with all the panic in town, they had taken up patrols. Javelin had even given them authority to enter homes and businesses. It took all the authority the mayor had to convince them to only enter with reason. Pristine liked the mayor, whom she had learned recently was Crisp’s mother. Mayor Honey was an honorable mare, the total opposite of Javelin. She only wanted peace for her town, while it seemed Javelin wanted disquiet and unrest. Pristine knew exactly why too. She was learned, had read nearly every book in the convent library back home. “Sic semper tyrannus” was a phrase that popped up to her. “Thus always the tyrants.” And Javelin wished to be a tyrant, no question. All she could do now was stay low and wait. The time would soon come to help her friend and this city. Pristine and the Old Mare exited the operating room, the Old Mare removing her face mask and giving a long exhausted sigh. Pristine matched her enthusiasm by sliding into a chair in a very unladylike manner. “Ahem,” the Old Mare coughed, giving her a stern glare. Pristine pursed her lips and straightened up in her seat. “Is that her?” A voice came from the hallway beyond the doors. Pristine caught sight of two ponies, a unicorn mare and a nurse were looking at her through the door. “Yes,” the other voice replied. “She’s been working her non-stop. I think she might be living here.” “She’s that witch’s mare, right?” “Shh! Quiet!” “AHEM!” the Old Mare coughed once more and delivered her evilest of eyes to the two snoops. They gasped in shock and trotted off. Pristine gave a little smile at her mentor. Score one for the Old Mare. She could hear what the ponies in town said about Bedim. The insults, the threats, the insinuations. Deep in her heart she knew it all to be false. Bedim wouldn’t hurt somepony else, couldn’t hurt somepony else. Sure there were things that she previously didn’t know about Bedim, even Bedim didn’t know about himself, that were incredibly dangerous. But that didn’t change the fact that she knew he was a good pony at heart and that he was innocent. She frowned as she began to recall that night after the “trial,” where she learned just what Bedim was. Two weeks ago, Bedim’s mother, Lullaby, had invited her, Crisp, and Mayor Honey to her home after Bedim’s banishment. A red Pegasus was there as well, Lullaby insisting that he hear the truth as well. They all sat in a circle around a small fire place, the red Pegasus standing off to the side against the wall. Lullaby stared into the fire for a long time before breaking the murky ice that encapsulated the room and everyone’s mood. “What I’m about to tell you is very personal,” she began, never looking up from the fire. “But it’s something I probably should’ve told a long time ago.” No one spoke, simply listening to every word she said. She took a deep breath and continued. “I come from an island far far away. A little speck in the vast ocean, beyond even the Old World. On my island there was no winter. I hadn’t even seen a snowflake until I came here. It was… a paradise.” She paused to recollect her thoughts. Her eyes darted to Pristine for the briefest of moments. “I… lived there with my sister and father. My mother died when me and my sister were born so the only figure I ever looked up to was my father. He was… special. A pony from a faraway land that fell in love with a beautiful exotic mare. He wasn’t a Pegasus but he taught me everything he knew about it, which was a lot. My dad was… amazing.” Her gaze became distant and her eyes began to mist over. She brushed a hoof against her face and returned to her story. “When we were eighteen, my sister… fell in love. Fell in love with… a monster.” Everyone’s faces became slightly skeptical. “And I don’t just mean a bad pony. I mean a literal monster. The island had a volcano and there was a nest and… You know what? All that’s not really important. What matters is that from that love came something beautiful.” Pristine pressed her hooves to her mouth as her eyes began to water. “Bedim is my nephew. Not my son. And he’s the only thing I have left of my sister.” Her lips began to tremble and she turned to the red Pegasus who also seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. “He’s not a monster. And he’s not a witch.” Honey stood up, her head down making it hard for anypony to see her expression. She began to walk forward toward the door which made Lullaby sigh as if it was an expected reaction for keeping something so monumental from her friend. However, Honey merely circled around a chair coming back toward her and wrapping Lullaby in a large warm hug. The two mares broke down in each others’ hooves as Crisp and Pristine sat silently and cried out their frustrations. By the end of the night Lullaby said goodbye to them all, ensuring Honey that she was okay staying alone. The red Pegasus was one of the last to leave, lingering slightly at the door as if he wanted to say something that might comfort her. He didn’t seem to find the right words, and so he left. Pristine and Lullaby were the last two in the house. Pristine giving Lullaby a big hug which Lullaby graciously accepted, squeezing the younger mare just a little bit tighter than she was used to. They parted and Pristine’s face grew stern. “I promise,” she stated. “I’m going to fix this.” Lullaby gave a small smile. “You don’t have anything to fix, Pristine.” Pristine frowned once more. “That’s another thing, how did you know my name?” Lullaby’s smile dropped and she darted her eyes to the ground. “Maybe another time,” she murmured as she began to close the door. “Thank you for everything.” Pristine was left alone in the cold as she stared at the door in front of her. Lullaby had more than one secret, and she had kept it from her. She wanted to know what that was. “Pristine,” the Old Mare called to her as she zoned out again. They were still in the down room of the hospital, recovering from the surgery they had just performed. The Old Mare sat beside Pristine, her hoof on her knee. “Are you alright, child?” Pristine gave firm nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” The Old Mare nodded in affirmation and looked off. “There have been a few more stone births in the past few weeks.” Pristine turned her head sharply in shock. “What? When? Every birth I’ve been to has been flawless.” The Old Mare sighed. “Exactly, every birth you’ve been to. You can’t be to them all.” She rubbed her neck in worry. “I fear the citizens may be realizing this. They may start to think you yourself are the cure to this affliction. It’d be awful if the commander began to use you as some kind of messiah figure. Heavens know, we need to give that stallion even more power.” She tapped her hoof lightly but worriedly. “I fear that we may not be what this place needs. The commander believes he can keep it in line through fear, but ponies need more than that. The problem with this place runs much deeper than a curse.” Pristine nodded at her mentor’s words. It was true, she hadn’t been doing anything to actively fight the problem. She had simply been going about her duties like this was Canterlot, but it wasn’t. Crystal Falls needed something more. She needed to start being proactive. She stood from her seat, earning an upward glance from the diminutive Old Mare. “I’m going to get some air,” she said. The Old Mare nodded and she left. Pristine walked with purpose towards the only place in the hospital that could help her. The room where she could start working on something, maybe actually making a difference. She parted the curtain and walked into the Stone Garden. Baby foals lay silent in their cribs asleep. Pristine walked to the end of the room and picked up a paper attached to a hook on the wall. It was all the observations made about the stone foals. Two lines were all the paper contained. “Sleep most of the day. Do not require food or nourishment.” Pristine frowned. Not much to start with, but she was determined. She took a look around the room. All but one crib had a name tag in front of it, a small note on it instead. “Abandoned.” It wasn’t uncommon for a mother to abandon her child in a situation like this, but it still made Pristine angry. She gazed down into the crib at the sleeping foal. Though its skin was gray stone, it still glowed of beauty that only Pristine seemed to see. She lifted the foal, finding her lighter than she imagined and held it in her arms. This unicorn foal was like her now, an orphan. She nudged its horn earning a tiny giggle from the small bundle of joy as it groggily opened its eyes. It’s pupils and irises were blank but did not scare her. Pristine’s smile grew wide. “Do you want to help me find out how to help you and your friends,” she asked. The foal gurgled an affirmative response. Pristine tapped her hoof against her chin. “Well, I cant have a lab assistant without a name. Let’s see… What’s a good name for one so lovely as you? How about… Amore.” The foal giggled. “I agree. It’s a wonderful name.” ---------- Bedim wiped the sweat and accumulated dust from his brow. He and Titus had been assigned a rather deep area of the Pit for a few weeks now. The other prisoners and guards liked to call it “The Disappearing Wing” since so many went missing in it. By all descriptions it seemed perfectly normal, like any other tunnel he’d seen since coming here. But there was one thing that nagged at the back of his mind. He constantly felt watched, and not just from the guards and shift leaders that patrolled the areas. He lifted his pickaxe and brought it down with a hard thwack to the stone. The rock fell away and a shiny wall of obsidian revealed itself. Bedim sighed with grief. He had been working this wall for the past three days hoping to find a vein of precious stone or something. Obsidian looked cool but it did not earn him any favors. Suddenly a blue light flashed across the surface of the shiny stone. Bedim quickly turned to face it but whatever had shown the light was gone now. The tunnel was empty except for a guard posted at the opening. Bedim took one last look down into the dark where no lantern had been hung. He squinted his eyes and could swear he saw a blue light retreat deeper down around a corner. A couple weeks had passed and while they didn’t tend to speak to each other during shifts, Titus had begun to open up to Bedim during the nights in their bunks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid,” Titus sighed with his hooves crossed behind his head. They both sat in bed, each one looking at the bottom of the bunk on top of them. “You seriously don’t feel that tingly feeling you get when you’re being watched in there?” Bedim asked. “Only from the goons,” Titus replied, his word for the guards. “Seriously, I just try to keep my head down. Stay low and no one will know.” He produced a small emerald and shined some moonlight off it into Bedim’s eyes. Bedim gasped. “How the hay did you smuggle that out?” Titus grinned mischievously. “An earth pony never reveals his magic tricks.” Bedim frowned as he looked at the precious stone. Something that big would have set him off back in Crystal Falls. Yet here he was with no burning sensation or glowing eyes whatsoever. In fact, he felt even better when he was in the caves. His first few days had been so tragic and hard but, in reality, after a week he’d grown accustomed to the work. Even looking forward to going into the mines. Something about the atmosphere and dark just soothed his soul. He rolled over in bed. “So you have it, what now? Not like you can spend it.” “Au contraire,” Titus tossed the emerald back and forth. “There are some things that can’t be bought so easily. They need to have some stuff in place.” Bedim leaned over and eyed his friend curiously. “What are you planning?” Titus smiled as he hid the emerald again and closed his eyes to sleep. “You’ll see. You’ll see.” At a month, another prisoner had entered Bedim and Titus’ wing. He was another earth pony with spotted gray coat and brown colored mane. He was old. Probably one of the oldest ponies Bedim had ever seen. His cutie mark was a hammer and hard hat. Their sector head, the yellow pony that had greeted them their first day, introduced him. “Seriously?” Titus asked as they were all introduced to the newcomer. “You’re putting us on a quota and we get an old fogy? How are we supposed to pick up his slack?” The yellow pony groaned. “No complaining! I’m just as angry about this as anypony. Just do your job and everything should work out.” The group moaned as they returned to their jobs. To Bedim’s surprise, the sector head brought the newcomer over to him. “You. Give him a bit of a lesson.” He tossed a pickaxe to the old pony. “If he doesn’t learn right away… do what you want with him.” He skulked away with a low cackle. Bedim frowned as he turned to the new pony. The old stallion seemed quite lost as to what he was doing or even where he was. He lifted the pickaxe unsteadily and let it lower onto the cave wall with a very soft thud. Bedim sighed as he walked over to him. “How high can you lift it?” he asked. The old pony lower lip quivered as he tried to respond but no words came out. Bedim placed a hoof over the stallion’s shoulder. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. You just… You just sit there.” He took the pick axe from the pony and leaned in close for a whisper. “If the boss comes around just pretend you were getting me a drink.” The old stallion’s face seemed lighten as the ghost of a smile crossed his face. Bedim began to work the wall with the stallion sitting and watching him to the side. Bedim decided he’d start the conversation. “So have you lived in the mountains your whole life?” The pony shook his head. “Okay. So you moved here. Where?” The pony did not speak for a long moment. Just as Bedim was about to give up and focus on his work the pony spoke up. “Trottingham.” Bedim raised an eyebrow. “Oh, a foreigner. So how long have you been in the North?” The old pony licked his lips. “Fifty years.” Bedim nearly dropped his pickaxe in surprise. “Fifty?” The old pony nodded. “I… worked in the mines before.” “You did?” Bedim stopped his work for a little bit to turn toward the pony. “So what was it like? In the older days.” The old pony lowered his head in memory of days past. “Better. Better than here.” Bedim smirked and huffed a reply. “No doubt.” A lantern flashed out of the corner of his eye and he glanced a look at a guard making his rounds. A small lantern hanging from his hoof. He eyed the two sharply as Bedim began to work again, obscuring the old pony from the guard’s view. The guard seemed to accept this and moved on. Bedim let out a small sigh of relief, but then furrowed his brow. The lantern had reminded him of something. He turned to the old pony. “Hey,” he asked. “Do you know a lot of stuff about these mines?” The old pony nodded. “Do you know anything about blue lights?” The old pony lifted his head and frowned at Bedim. He seemed to be concentrating really hard as if trying to access a long forgotten memory. “Blue lights?” “Yeah.” “You must be talking about the fairy folk,” the old pony grinned. “Fairies?” Bedim asked with a skeptical raised eyebrow. “Bluecaps are what they’re called. These ethereal lights that take the form of ponies to fool you into following them.” He leaned in closer. “They say that anypony that follows a bluecap disappears. Whisked away to the fairy kingdom.” Bedim chewed his lip in thought. It was a pretty far-fetched story. Still there could be such things as fairies, the world was filled with odder things. Plus he was sure that something was in the mines with them. Whether it wished them ill will or not only time would tell. Better to learn as much as he could, he had nothing better to do today while he worked. “So what’s the deal with these fairies?” The old miner grinned a semi-toothless smile, seemingly happy to have an audience for an implausible old stallion rant. “They hide underground in the caves because the sun and moon don’t agree with them.” Bedim continued to work at the wall as he listened. “The sun and moon?” The old pony nodded his head. “Really any kind of natural light will scare ‘em off.” “Good to know,” Bedim smirked. “What else you got?” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Never tell a fairy your name.” “My name?” “Names have power, boy. You don’t want a magical creature playin’ around with what’s yours. Anything that’s yours.” The old stallion gave a stern glare. Bedim chuckled. “You know that from experience, old timer? Or do you still have a name?” The old pony straightened his expression and grinned. “Gentry.” Bedim took one last thwack at the wall before putting his pick down and turning to face him. “Well, Gentry, nice to meet you.” He held out his hoof in greeting. “Bedim.” Gentry raised a hoof and tapped his. “You’re not bad for a kid,” he chuckled. Bedim rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, I’m still the guy stuck with twice the work.” “Aw phooey,” Gentry waved a dismissive hoof as he grabbed his pickaxe with the other, surprisingly stronger since the last time he tried to wield it. “I’m no slouch kid. The feeble act is just for those ponies I don’t like. You’d be surprised by how cold hearted you may be, how many would still try to help a feeble old stallion.” Bedim stared in disbelief at the renewed vigor in the old pony, who seemed to go to work like it was his calling. Which judging by his cutie mark it may very well be. Bedim threw his head back laughing before returning to his work as well. “You know, I got a friend who’d love to meet you.” ---------- Crisp just finished up forming a blade on the anvil when unicorn soldier came into his shop asking for him. Crisp wiped his brow and walked over to the uniformed pony. “Can I help you?” The pony shoved a sealed letter into his face. “Message from the Commander,” he stated and left. Crisp frowned as he flipped the letter over to look at the seal. “Yup, that’s him.” He hated the Commander for what he did to Bedim. A little over a month had passed and they still hadn’t heard one word from him in the mining camps. Captain Gladius had apparently tried to get permission to visit and even personally deliver any messages but his uncle, the Commander, denied it. Just what was that pony’s deal? Crisp threw the letter on the front counter of his shop. His shop. Still hard to say really. Less than a year ago he was an apprentice and now a master forger with his own shop. Not that he would even be here if it weren’t for… the curse, as ponies were calling it. Girder, his old master, had been so happy to learn of his wife’s pregnancy. However after the fiasco with the Commander revealing the plague of stone births, he and his wife’s worst fears were realized. Their child had apparently been born stone. Pristine and the other Crystal Falls doctors tried to explain that they were doing all they could but Girder was a stoic pony, not trusting many others. He packed up his family and took the baby south to Canterlot where some cure might be found. He’d left the shop in Crisp’s hooves, to the delight and the dejection of the young stallion. An orange pony in a large dirtied apron walked out from the back. “Everything okay out here, boss? Thought I saw a soldier.” Crisp leaned against the counter and held his head. “Its fine, he was just dropping something off.” The pony frowned and looked at the letter with its seal. “Isn’t that the Commander’s seal?” “Yup,” Crisp stated. “…You going to open it?” “Nope.” “Why not?” Crisp turned to the pony and grabbed the letter, beginning to pace around the room. “Well, gee, let me think. Maybe because he’s a jerk? Maybe because he’s a nut case that thinks my best friend is a witch? Maybe because I just really don’t feel like talking to him? Take your pick.” Crisp eyed an open flame coming from a burner in the shop area. He walked past the curtain and began to hold the letter up to flame. “Wait!” the other pony shouted and ran toward him. “It might be important!” “Anything the Commander has deemed important has nothing to do with me!” Crisp shouted. He began to lower the letter once more but the other pony caught his hoof. “Look, boss, I know you got a hate on for this guy, but think logically about this. You’re not even going to at least look?” He caught Crisp’s gaze and the master forger yielded. He rolled his eyes opened the letter. He began to scan it lazily at first but then became very interested. Once he was finished reading it he opened his mouth slightly to say something but nothing came out. The other pony frowned. “So what’s it say?” Crisp cleared his throat. “It says I might have a way of getting Bedim back.” --- Later that day, Crisp took a stroll through the woods. He was heading to the Training Area, where Commander Javelin had asked him to meet. In the past few hours since receiving the letter Crisp had plenty of time to think about the position Javelin was giving him. On the one hoof, it would be a way to ensure Bedim’s release. On the other hoof, he’d be putting a lot of faith in a pony that condemned others as spies and witches. This was a big decision and he couldn’t make it without talking to the pony himself. He wanted to deny the Commander his request. No doubt actually speaking to the slimeball would assuage himself of that. Two unicorns greeted him at the track, guiding him to a small, rather reserved looking, hut. Not at all what he was expecting as a home for the Commander. He shrugged and entered. The inside was even more Spartan. A simple cot, not even a bed, lay in the corner. A desk sat to the side. Crisp scanned the room some more but really that was it. Some scrolls and papers were shoved under the cot or on top of the desk but nothing else. Crisp frowned, this was not what he was expecting. “Ah, young Master Crisp,” a strong masculine voice announced from behind him. The Commander had just entered from outside, he turned to give a parting order to one of his unicorns and they saluted to leave. He turned back to Crisp. He wore no golden uniform as he usually did, instead wearing a simple red scarf. With nothing to cover his body, Crisp could see many scars, some healed, some half healed. Around town it was hard to imagine the Commander in anything but his uniform. To see him so open and fragile looking was a shock. “I hope you made it through the forest safely.” “I-I was fine,” Crisp stuttered. “But, really, I-I’m no Master.” Javelin raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Youngest in your field to achieve the title of Master Forger. I’d say that gives you rights to be called that?” “Well,” Crisp rubbed the back of his head embarrassed. “I probably never would’ve gotten that title without your words to my master.” Crisp straightened his posture, realizing that he had just complimented the pony he hated. He cursed himself in his mind. Suddenly Javelin was right by his side, putting a hoof on his shoulder. He stared straight at him, never breaking eye contact. “Never doubt that what you earned, you earned yourself. Take credit for your genius, young master.” His words were smooth as silk and Crisp hated that he was falling for it. Crisp took a deep breath. “About your letter. I’m afraid I can’t just-” “And your genius is what I need you for,” Javelin interrupted, leading Crisp over to the desk. He pulled out a scroll from a drawer and unfurled it so that both could see. Crisp studied it unintentionally, his own curiosity overcoming his distrust. His eyes opened wide in shock. “This… These are my plans?” he questioned. Javelin smiled. “Indeed they are, young master. I was truly fascinated the first time I laid eyes on them. A magical engine. Energy for all ponies! It’s forethought like that that I so desperately need in the Crystal Falls that I plan to build.” Crisp frowned. “I’m sorry… I thought you said in your letter that you wanted me to work for you?” Javelin smiled broader and waved his hooves. “I do! But not in any official capacity. You’ll still have your freedom at your shop. Plus I’ll make sure to stop any intrusive patrols onto your street. However I just want you to come here to the camp every week. Work with some other ponies I have here. Great minds like you! I’ve shown them your designs and they’re all very impressed.” Crisp opened his mouth but found it hard to say anything. Finally he found it. “And this will get Bedim free?” Javelin’s face grew solemn. “Young master. I swear that what happened with your friend was something that needed to be done.” A chill of hate swept through Crisp. “But,” he continued. “I do realize that it was an awful thing to do.” He walked over to the window and motioned for Crisp to join him. He swept his hoof over the view outside. “What do you see?” Crisp squinted through the dirty glass. “I see soldiers training?” Javelin smirked and shook his head. “Look past that.” Crisp sighed but continued to look on. To his surprise he actually did see something else. In the soldiers’ barracks, several fillies and undressed ponies were playing or even eating picnics. It took him a moment but he realized that they were actually families. The soldiers’ families to be precise. Husbands and wives with their children. Javelin saw that he saw them too. “That is who I did it for.” Crisp turned to the Commander. “These ponies are scared. They need somepony to believe in. I truly wish that could be me, but… you have been around town. I’m not as popular as I used to be.” He chuckled a little, his face becoming very melancholy. “However, I learned a long time ago that belief and fear can be equally powerful. Belief can bring ponies together stronger, but fear can be an adequate replacement. I don’t like it, but it works.” He turned his attention to Crisp again. “Your friend was a scape goat, I will admit that.” Crisp felt his face flush with rage, but not as much as he had expected. Javelin continued. “I don’t condone what I did, but I’d do it again. Those ponies out there need to know they are being protected.” “So why blame Bedim as a witch!?” Crisp shouted. Javelin grew silent then looked out the window again. “I don’t know if there are witches or not. However I do know that your friend was a danger to everypony he met and himself!” Javelin’s voice raised only slightly and yet the air grew cold. Crisp shivered a little. “I sent your friend away where he couldn’t hurt anypony. Where he could discover things about himself without putting the ponies I love at risk.” The two stared at each other with determined glares for a long moment. Crisp contemplating his words. One the one hoof, the Commander had done something absolutely despicable. On the other hoof, he did it because he honestly didn’t know what else to do. Crisp still wasn’t sure if he could trust him. “Again,” he stated cold and simply. “If I do this, will you let Bedim return?” The Commander did not move for a moment, keeping eye contact. Then he slowly raised a hoof toward Crisp. “You have my word.” Crisp looked at the offered hoof and clopped it gently in a gesture of agreement. A few minutes later, after having hashed out the little details, Crisp left the small hut and went home. The Commander sat at his desk and eyed the young master’s blueprints. He opened another drawer and pulled out a light almost see through parchment. He placed it over the blueprints, black lines and redesigns drastically changing the look and purpose of the machine. He grinned evilly. A soldier knocked at his doorway and the Commander hid the parchments away. “You called sir?” “Yes,” Javelin said, running a hoof through his mane. “Make contact with the warden at the Pit. I need that stallion dead. Accident if possible.” “And if not, sir?” Javelin grinned once more showing off a fearsome set of teeth. “Tell him to be creative.”