//------------------------------// // 16 Discoveries // Story: The Twilight Enigma // by iisaw //------------------------------// Chapter Sixteen Discoveries In which plans are created, discoveries of a scientific nature are made, and some incidents of great significance to the future of Equestria are uncovered. July 9th, 1012 - July 12th, 1012 Equestria Since Chrysalis's new hive was a matter of public record, no matter how well it had been buried in obfuscating bureaucracy, I saw no reason to pretend I didn't know about it. So, as an opening salvo, I wrote to her and asked for a little of her time to discuss the matter.[1] ---------- [1] Celestia, according to her nature, was working on the situation from behind the scenes. Luna had enthusiastically volunteered her services if things came to outright warfare. ---------- I had expected Chrysalis to offer any number of excuses and to try to dodge me at any cost. So, it was to my great surprise that I received a reply from her the very next day. Dearest Princess Twilight Sparkle, How very good to hear from you! I understand that you have been adventuring abroad, and I am certain that you must have many fascinating stories to relate concerning your trip. I would dearly love to see you, but I am afraid I am not in Canterlot at the moment and will be absent from the capital for the remainder of the month. Nevertheless, if you are not too exhausted from traveling the world and can muster the strength to make another, much shorter journey, I would be delighted if you would accept my invitation to visit the Blueblood country estate. It is quite pleasant at this time of year and would only be enhanced by your presence. I understand if you are not able to accept. You must have so many important matters to attend to that a visit to an old friend cannot take precedence. If you are unable to come, I will make it my first priority to contact you when the prince and I return from the country. Sincerely Yours, Queen Chrysalis "It's a trap," Rainbow Dash said, reading over my shoulder. From over my other shoulder, Rarity said, "I'm inclined to agree, Twilight. She's being far too polite!" "She didn't write this letter," I said. "She undoubtedly has a secretary who fixes up her correspondence for her. Like what Periwinkle does for me." "So… not a trap?" Dash sounded disappointed. I shook my head. "The original was probably something like, 'I'm on vacation, Sparkle. If you want to blather, you can come to me.'" "Yeah." Dash grinned. "That totally sounds like her!" = = = While letters went back and forth between Chrysalis and I, arranging the particulars of my visit, I spent more time with Luna and caught up with my Canterlot friends. Most importantly, I arranged an intensive research party with Moon Dancer and Starlight Glimmer. It was great to hit the books with a couple of congenial companions, but I've got to say, the expression on Starlight's face when I described the design structure involved in the Alicorn Amulet and the Talisman of Night was just a teeny bit unnerving. She's a wonderful pony and a good friend now, but she has tendencies. "There isn't much known about crystal dynamics on the scale you're talking about, Twilight," said Moon Dancer. "There might be some more information in the Imperial Crystal Library." "I think there's a scroll in the Starswirl wing of the Canterlot Archives that mentions something about resonant crystal engineering," Starlight Glimmer said. "I remember skimming it when I… uhm…" When she snuck in to steal the time spells. At least she had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Let's take a look at it," I said. None of us slept that night, and by the time we staggered out of the Archive building in the late morning, we'd filled an entire scroll case with notes and drawings of several prototype devices that had nothing to do with the original thrust of my research. That's the way science goes sometimes. But one of Moon Dancer's ideas did have direct bearing on what I was working toward. In fact, it was the key to what I had been thinking about ever since that horrible day onboard Nebula. She'd worked out a way to vary the amplitude of the power transmission between crystal nodes independent of the level of input. It didn't seem like a big deal until Starlight Glimmer pointed out that such a device could transmit information along with the power. "Like a magical semaphore," I said, tapping my chin with a hoof. "How fine and how fast can the variations be?" As it turned out, the only practical limit would be the ability of the artificer who created the paired crystals. "Nopony could read a signal that fast," Starlight said, pointing to her calculation on a scrap of paper. "But they don't have to!" Moon Dancer put in. "We could use the crystal vibration to vary a second power source connected to a speaker! We could transmit speech or music without using wires!" "Hmn… the crystals would take an awful lot of magical power and skill to create. It's a neat trick, but hardly cost-effective," Starlight replied. "Unless we could make it work over a very long distance," I said, fervently hoping that we could. That triggered another round of furious calculating. When we all double-checked each other's math, there was a long moment of stunned silence, and wild hope surged in my heart. I remained silent while Moon and Starlight began excitedly discussing the possibilities of our discovery. "We should call the device a rapid amplitude-deviation interpretive oscillator!" Moon Dancer said. "That's a mouthful," Starlight replied. "Maybe something shorter?" They kept it up as we made our way to Donut Joe's. They rambled on through coffee and doughnuts. They made plans to get together again after noodling around with the ideas independently for a while, and I grunted my assent. Before we parted, Moon Dancer asked me if this was what I'd had in mind when I'd come to them with my request for research assistance. "Something like it, yes," I said, smiling back at her. "But we've done so much more than I expected… thanks to you both." We shared a hug and went our separate ways. My mind was still racing as I plodded up the High Street toward the palace. With modifications and the addition of certain adaptive structures, the device could be made to carry matrix information as well as linear. It would take incredible levels of power. It would take a base structure so huge that it boggled the imagination. But it could be done, I was certain of it. Tirek's evil spell could be mechanized, automated, and turned to the service of good. = = = It was a bit of a shock to meet Sesseressia at the gates to the Blueblood country estate. "I'm head of Her Majesty's personal security detail, now," the ex-changeling general told me, as she ushered me into the foyer of the mansion. "Well, I'm sure that was an easy decision to make. Is Jigsaw still at the University?" It was as close as I wanted to come to asking if they were still together. "Oh, yes. On the tenure track. I'm very proud of her. If you'll please wait here, Your Highness, I'll inform Her Majesty that you've arrived." I thought she had put particular emphasis on the titles. A not-so subtle way of indicating how she thought the two of us ranked relative to each other?[2] Maybe I was just being over-sensitive. Still… having the "muscle" meet a visitor instead of a steward or butler was a breach of etiquette, and was not something usually done by mistake. ---------- [2] Chrysalis was still technically "Queen-in-Exile." Though, with the new hive, the qualifying "in-Exile" might justifiably be dropped. ---------- The foyer was gilded to within an inch of its life, and appallingly expensive paintings and knick-knacks occupied every available space that wasn't taken up with displays of the Blueblood coat-of-arms. That message was very clear, and one I was used to seeing in the homes of most of the old noble clans: "We are an ancient, wealthy, and powerful family… don't forget it for a second." "Princess! It's so good to see you!" I turned… and was completely stunned. Fortunately, my mouth worked pretty well on its own. "Your Majesty! You're looking well."[3] ---------- [3] No courteous fib, that. She was looking amazing. She'd taken on the form of a gorgeous slate-gray alicorn with an emerald mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a convoluted symbol in black that somehow invited association with the changeling race. ---------- "Yes, I am, aren't I?" She smiled at me. "But please, there's no need for formality here! You must call me Chrysalis." I was completely off balance. She was being so nice. Maybe the letter hadn't been written by her secretary after all. Her manners were practiced and perfect. "And you must call me Twilight, of course." "That's so kind of you!" "Not at all." Oh, ponyfeathers. My cheeks were beginning to hurt from keeping my smile from becoming a rictus. Chrysalis' grin was just a bit lop-sided. I assumed that was because she was taking some sort of perverse pleasure out of all the forced niceties. She was a creature that thrived by deception, after all. "Won't you come and have some refreshment on the terrace? Our chef makes a wonderful saffron-infused lemonade, and there are some splendid tea cakes." "Aaaagh! I can't stand it any more! What the hay has gotten into you?" Chrysalis threw back her head and laughed. "Point to me, Twilight! I've out-Canterlotted the nicest princess in the land." That was more like it. "I was beginning to suspect that some evil creature had kidnapped you and taken your place," I said. She took a second to parse what I'd said, and then laughed again, longer and louder. "Ah! Much, much better, Twilight. Believe it or not, I miss having a little snark aimed in my direction from time to time. I'm so respectable nowadays that ponies are unfailingly polite to me." "Any time," I muttered. We walked the grounds and gardens as we made small-talk. I duly admired the statuary, fountains, and topiary, and we ended up on a spacious terrace overlooking an artfully channeled trout stream. Blueblood's little country place was bigger than most townships and must have taken a fortune to maintain. Chrysalis hadn't been joking about the lemonade. As weird as it sounded, a bit of saffron in the drink gave it an intriguing flavor. Knowing Blueblood, I supposed that the fact that saffron was hideously expensive played a big part in developing the recipe. "So you haven't become a pirate, then?" she asked when I finished relating a condensed and heavily edited version of my trip to Zebrica. "What? No! How did you even hear about that?" I hurriedly shuffled my wings back into place at my sides. "It's the hottest gossip in town, Twilight. The mysterious Captain Blackmane, who nopony's ever heard of before, and who seemed to have disappeared as soon as she sold her cargo? A delicious mystery! Accused of piracy and murder, but saved by the unprecedented intervention of Princess Luna. Why, it must be a conspiracy at the highest levels of government!" Her pony form had a sweet, honest, and open smile that completely hid the fact that she was thoroughly enjoying twisting the metaphorical knife. "That's all nonsense!" I protested half-heartedly, recalling the look on that poor pony's face as I… Chrysalis let her over-done grin drop. "Yes, of course it is. But the nobility are so unbelievably bored by their ridiculous lives that they'll fasten on anything at all to enliven them." "But you know it's all a mistake." Mistake, yes, but not completely false, I reminded myself. "True, but enlightening the twittering class would mean breaking my confidence with you, and I'd never do that!" She tossed her head, looked out over the stream, and took a sip of her lemonade. "Besides, knowledge is power, and I am loath to relinquish any of either. Marechiavelli advised as much in The Princess. She put quite an emphasis on the necessity of good information. 'The more unlikely it is, the more highly it should be prized.'" "That book isn't in general circulation. In fact, it's almost impossible to find a copy." Was that a little twinge of jealousy I felt? "Well worth the effort and cost, though. Very insightful. I can see why Celestia might want to suppress it. I'll loan you my copy, if you'd like." "Thank you, but I've already read it." "I imagine that was some time ago," she said, casually refilling our glasses. "If I were you, I'd consider going through it again. With more experience under your hooves now, you might get more out of it." Rarity wasn't the only pony that was getting fencing lessons. Why was Chrysalis telling me all that? She was as much as admitting to me that she was up to something. I tried to keep my ears from pinning back and only partially succeeded. "I'll bet it's full of handy tips on how to undermine an enemy while appearing to work within the law." Chrysalis laughed, and demurely covered her mouth with a hoof. "I'm sorry, Twilight, but you're terrible at this! And you've completely got the wrong idea." "Have I?"[4] ---------- [4] Yes, I can recognize a desperately defensive conversational gambit when I blurt one out, thank you. ---------- "Of course!" she said, waving a hoof in airy dismissal. "I'm not trying to hide another invasion swarm. If that was my plan, there are far more secure locations to create a hive. I am doing what I can to unite the changelings and ponies in peace and harmony." "Yeah, right." By then my ears were fully flattened and I was trying not to snarl at her. Her smile got even wider. "Will you take my oath on it?" Her horn began to glow. It was horrible manners to insist on such a thing, but with the security of Equestria at stake? "Yes, if you don't mind." We wove our magic together and she said, "I give you my oath that my new hive was created as the first step of my plan to unite the changelings and ponies into a common society, coexisting in peace and harmony." I lifted my horn from hers and the magical bond flickered out. She was actually telling the truth. "Oh, the expression on your face, Twilight!" Chrysalis laughed. "But… but… how… no, why?" "Would you believe it's selfless generosity on my part?" She actually batted her eyelashes at me! Before I could begin to find a way to express my outrage, her normal, predatory grin reappeared. "No, of course you wouldn't. Whatever else you are, Twilight Sparkle, you aren't a complete fool. My motive is selfish. When my subjects are an integral part of pony life, I will be one of the de facto rulers of Equestria. It's as simple as that. As I said, I'm quite fond of power." "Wait," I said, trying to get my mental hooves under myself. "You mean this is a plot to take over Equestria?" "A small part of it, at least. I tried a more ambitious plan, but that didn't work out... thanks to a certain meddling little unicorn." At least she was smiling when she said it. "But now, I've discovered that many ponies are willing to take the very thing I tried to force on them. More lemonade?" "It… it won't work! Ponies won't… won't…" I trailed off. I had started speaking from pure emotion and had nowhere to go with my thoughts. "Ponies have, Twilight," Chrysalis said, calmly refilling my glass. "Many highly placed and important ponies in Canterlot have made use of the services my subjects provide, and have even come to depend on them. It is quite an equitable situation, sustainable and satisfactory to everyone involved." "That's disgusting!" "Oh, you think I mean the sort of shape-changing games that you and Luna get up to? Well, that's a part of it, yes," she said, casually selecting a tea cake from a golden platter and deliberately not noticing my growing anger. "But a surprising number of ponies just want to have somepony to talk to… somepony they aren't able to, ordinarily. Love frustrated or lost can be a powerful motivation." I stood up, barely able to keep from shouting. "Maybe a few of the jaded Canterlot nobles have fallen for your tricks, but most good, honest ponies will never—" "Like the ones in the Smokey Mountains?" Chrysalis gave up the pretense of politeness and sneered. "The salt-of-the-earth ponies who seem to be not much more than a life-support system for crooked teeth and five-pound eyebrows? They know my drones are there. Who do you think helped to dig out the caves? When a pony has a choice between a cousin who's so stupid he has a bag of hammers for a cutie mark or a handsome, witty, and attentive stallion, who do you think will come out on top? The more ponies come to associate with changelings, the more normal it will seem. It will be a very slow process, but I have time, and I've learned to be patient." "Celestia will put a stop to this!" Wait! Don't say that, my brain told me just after my mouth had blurted it out. Chrysalis shrugged. "Perhaps, but I don't think so. What harm is there in what I am doing? Not one pony who has entered into a relationship with one of my drones will say that they are unhappy with the arrangement. Ask them yourself if you don't believe me. What was the phrase the minister used? Ah, yes! 'A symbiotic relationship.' I'm sure you know what that means. The nobles and ministers who understand how valuable my subjects can be will be opposed to Celestia making peremptory use of royal fiat, and my new family has considerable influence and wealth to fight against any such misuse of power." "Your new family? You don't…" "Oh, didn't I tell you? The prince and I will be married at Midwinter. The ceremony will be held in the great hall of Canterlot Castle, as is the custom for royal weddings. You are, of course, invited." = = = "It was a trap," I said to Rainbow Dash when she swooped down to fly alongside me as I approached Ponyville. "Huh?" "I don't understand it, either," said Spike from his perch on my back. "It all seems weird and icky to me." "Not a bad summation," I muttered. "What happened?" Dash demanded. "Let's wait until all the girls can join us. Then I'll only have to go over it once. Can you round them up and have them all meet at the castle this afternoon?" "Sure thing, Twi!" Dash flipped herself over into a power dive and then did a snap turn and zoomed toward Sweet Apple Acres. I continued on at a more sane speed, and touched down on the little balcony outside of my bedroom in the castle. "It's good to be home," Spike said, hopping off my back. I felt the same way until I entered the throne room and got the shock of my life. "Hey, Twilight, what's wrong?" asked Spike when I came to an abrupt halt. He was standing behind me and I blocked his view. I reached out with my magic to try and sense the flow of energy within the castle, and found… nothing. "The thrones, Spike," I choked out. "Look at the thrones." He walked around me and glanced at the slabs of inert crystal. "What? I don't see any… oh! What happened to the cutie marks?" "They're gone, Spike. They're gone because the Tree of Harmony knows. It knows, and it's decided I'm not a good pony anymore. I…" I choked on a sob and tears burned in my eyes. Spike didn't understand. How could he? But he could see how upset I was and rushed to hug me. "I've failed, Spike," I sobbed. "I've failed!" = = = =