//------------------------------// // Chapter 23 // Story: Tale of Two Dragons // by Kind of Brony //------------------------------// It could be counted on one hoof how many times Celestia had been filled with the sort of dread she was experiencing now… Well, on a hoof that Discord, or perhaps Pinkie had played with prior to counting, but the number was still quite low. The alicorn sisters decided it would be best to let Twilight sleep through the rest of the night before they told her of Spike's situation; what little they were aware of, that is. Celestia knew her student would be getting little sleep once she learned of what had transpired, and the solar princess hoped to have more information to offer the mare by morning. That was not the case of course. The hours before dawn yielded little progress other than to let the roaring flames of her fury die down enough to think levelly. Though she knew nothing could have been done in such a short time, it still twisted Celestia up that she would have so little to ease Twilight’s impending panic and heart ache. A guard announcing her student’s presence brought Celestia from her thoughts and she granted the young mare entrance. “You wanted to see me, Princess?” Twilight asked a bit apprehensively. Celestia smiled softly and gestured to the seat across the desk of her study. “No need to be nervous, Twilight. You aren’t in trouble,” she said, the words feeling hollow despite their truth. “I hope your old chambers were still to your liking.” “Oh yes,” Twilight answered as the tension left her frame. “I always forget how much I miss it until I come visit. The Golden Oaks Library is cozy, but my bed here is much nicer. I almost didn’t want to get up.” “Yes, I apologize for calling you so early. I’ve barely just raised the sun.” The alicorn looked out the window and couldn’t keep herself from sighing. “But it wouldn’t be right to delay this any longer. Twilight, something happened last night that you need to know about.” “What is it? Is Equestria in danger again?” “No, at least, not that I’m aware of,” Celestia answered, worrying her lip a moment before continuing. “As you know, the spell anchored to Spike’s fire is tied directly to my magic; a connection I’ve shared with the young drake for near the entirety of his life.” She forced herself to look at the mare across from her, and the sight pained her. Twilight was a bright mare, it was what made her such an amazing pupil after all, and she had already guessed what it was her teacher was going to say. “Something happened to Spike, didn’t it? You know from the connection.” Twilight’s eyes were downcast, hidden behind her hairline. “… Yes, the connection was severed last night by an unfamiliar magic.” Celestia's voice became hard. “He’s alive, I want you to know that Twilight. I felt his life force before it became hidden from my senses. If whoever did this had wanted his death, they would not have bothered with severing our bond with a spell.” The mere mention of death caused Twilight to shudder, and it was several seconds before she spoke. “Do you know where he was up until then?” “Somewhere near Ford Junction, though not in the city itself.” “Then that’s where I’ll go.” Celestia winced. She knew this was coming, and she dreaded it. “I’ve already sent my best ponies to Ford Junction to investigate. They’ll arrive within the next few days to begin looking into the incident. They have Lore Finder’s address… You don’t have to go, Twilight.” The alicorn had faith in her student’s abilities, but this situation was one she felt the young mare was not prepared to handle. While she and her friends had defeated the likes of Nightmare Moon and Discord, it had been with the aid of the Elements, and other advantages they were unaware of. Her sister’s compassion and desire to be freed, while buried deep by her captor, had tempered the Nightmare's retaliations, forcing the wicked mare to resort to tactics far less direct and deadly than she would have otherwise used. As for Discord, Celestia knew the often child-like draconequus would not unleash his full power on the small group of friends, instead choosing to play with them and most likely become the device of his own defeat. She had been confident in their ability to succeed then. But this was not the same. Twilight did not have some godly being to fire full of rainbows, and this enemy would not hesitate to fight with their full power and malice. Though it had only been a moment, Celestia had seen a soul fully willing to murder without remorse any who stood in their way, and that would include her young student. Simply put, Celestia did not yet think Twilight was ready for this kind of opponent, one that would not be reasoned with or reformed. They were an evil similar to Sombra in some regards, and Twilight would not have the advantage of them being in a weakened state upon their confrontation. Twilight may have had the power, but she did not yet have the fighting experience or resolve to do what she could very well have to. Even if she found the latter, it would be resolve born from hatred, and the young mare would never forgive herself. The solar alicorn regretted providing her student with so little combat training at that moment. It had been a decision born from optimism that she now saw the folly of. “I do to have to go,” Twilight answered without emotion, “It’s my fault he’s in danger to begin with.” “That’s not true, Twi-” “Yes it is!” the smaller mare interrupted, exploding out of her seat. “Every pony keeps saying that, but they’re lying! I was the one who didn’t watch him closely enough when I knew he wanted to chase after Amethyst!” Tears beaded at the corners of her eyes. “A-and he didn’t trust me because of how stupid I was being about his real sister. I was acting like a jealous foal and he ran away because of me.” Celestia was already making her way around the desk as her student fell to her haunches and broke down, her words incoherent between her sobs. “Shh, Twilight, it’s okay,” the elder comforted. “N-no it’s not,” she said as she buried her head against Celestia’s chest. “My little brother is gone.” “And we’ll get him back,” Celestia responded, voice firm. “You have to believe that.” Twilight didn’t respond as she got control of her breathing. Had she not been so distraught, the young mare would probably have been mortified by the large stain of snot and tears she was leaving on her teacher’s pristine fur. “Now, to address this guilt you’re feeling,” Celestia began as she rubbed circles into Twilight’s back. “Ignoring that you never could have known Spike would go to such drastic measures, the blame can just as easily be placed on myself for what has transpired.” It was a cheap tactic the princess admitted to herself, but it was enough to distract the unicorn from her grief if the appalled look was anything to go by. “That’s not true, Princess! It was my fault! You didn’t do anything wrong!” “Really? I gained another’s trust, then proceeded to practically drug them and force them into a meeting they did not yet feel prepared for.” “But that doesn’t have anything to do with Spike running away!” Celestia sighed. “Perhaps that’s true, though I find it unlikely.” She let go of her student and leaned back. “You spoke of Spike not trusting you, but I believe I showed far more untrustworthy behavior to the young drake. And let’s not forget that it was I who had pushed for letting Amethyst have her space when he was so desperate to go find her. It’s possible that, had I been more willing to compromise and promise him that I would try and convince the dragoness to return, he would have not run away.” “But that’s all just baseless speculation,” Twilight protested as she shook her head. “There’s no way you could have known Spike would have run away!” “And you could?” “Wha-?” “You could have known what Spike was planning to do?” Celestia repeated with a raised brow. “If you could, then so could I, and if that is the case, then that mean we are both at fault, no?” “No! You didn’t cause this!” Twilight reaffirmed with an angry frown and stomped hoof. Celestia felt horribly guilty for playing on her student’s idolization of her like this, but she hated seeing the mare put herself down. “Hmm, if you are so insistent, then I suppose we’ll have to agree that neither of us are at fault for what has happened, won’t we?” the alicorn concluded as she wiped a tear from Twilight’s cheek. “Twilight, the only one at fault here is the one who has taken Spike. Not you, not me, not Amethyst, and not your little brother.” The young mare went silent and stared down for a while, contemplating her teacher’s words before lifting her head and saying, “I still want to go look for him myself.” Celestia wanted to both sigh and smile at that. She was glad that she had, at least for the time being, gotten her student to stop blaming herself so much, but her resolve to throw herself into danger was Celestia’s initial worry to begin with. “… I won’t stop you if that’s truly what you wish, but may I ask that you at least spend some time to think about this? Even just to make a plan would be acceptable.” Getting up, she moved back around her desk. “Brief though it may have been, I got a glimpse of this foe’s very soul while he was casting his spell on Spike, and they were not the sort I’d have you fight if I could help it.” “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. Hesitating, Celestia actually bit her lip for a moment while she debated whether or not to give her student the details of what she had felt. If Twilight was anxious now, she’d try and teleport all the way to Ford Junction if she knew the gravity of her brother’s situation. Eventually, she decided that it was already too late for half-truths, and spoke, “This wasn’t an enemy you could reasonably use the Elements on, Twilight. Nor was it some wild beast from the Everfree Forest that could easily be outsmarted or tamed. Not even the dragon I had sent you and your friends to persuade to sleep elsewhere is a comparable challenge, for I had at least had dealings with that drake in the past and knew much of his hostility was a bluff. “No, whoever this was had an intelligence about them that was matched only by their apathy and willingness to hurt any who impeded their goals. “A battle against them would be unlike any you have fought, and I’m unsure of if you are prepared for it. You have power, my faithful student, and a keen mind, but your heart is one that could bring the Elements of Harmony together, and by that same virtue, is one that would scar irreversibly if it were forced to bear the burden of what you very well could have to do to save your brother.” Or what you could bear witness to if you failed, Celestia left unsaid. There was little doubt in her mind that this would become a hostage situation if it was not already, and if it was not handled with subtlety, Spike could suffer gravely. Luna had been adamant that two of her more skilled night guards be placed on the team sent out for this reason. As the self-proclaimed Mistress of Shadows, she always had a knack for subterfuge in her younger days, and had ensured such traits were prominent within those who served her. The fact that Celestia did not recognize either of the guards her sister had chosen when she had thought she knew them all showed that Luna’s penchant for intrigue survived her millennium long banishment. Twilight shook her head. “I’m sorry, Princess, but I don’t care,” she stated as she met the older mare’s gaze with a firm one of her own. “I can’t just leave Spike out there and do nothing. I have to at least try and save my little brother… You understand, don’t you?” “… Yes… yes I do,” was the tired reply. “As I said before, if your heart is set, then I will not stop you, but can I at least make one request?” Twilight nodded. “Go back to Ponyville first, talk to your friends, and plan carefully. If you agree to do this, then I will lend you my personal chariot to take you home right now as well as cover the expenses of your journey if you still choose to go.” Biting her lip, Twilight looked at the floor as she turned the deal over in her head, no doubt considering whether letting Spike get another day away was worth setting out with a well-constructed plan, her friends’ help, and extra bits. It was a gamble for Celestia as she doubted the other Elements would sit idly by while their friend set out on a rescue mission, and thus would put themselves in danger as well. Even so, delaying them lowered their chance of finding the culprit before the guards did, and hopefully by then, Spike would be safely back in Ponyville. “Okay,” Twilight finally decided. “I’ll go back home first, talk to the girls and gather supplies. But I’m taking the first train to Ford Junction tomorrow morning.” Celestia smiled, pride flaring in her chest as she watched her student breathe deeply and exhale, reining in her emotions with far more skill than she thought her capable of. She really had grown a lot since beginning her friendship lessons, and Celestia was thankful for that. Reaching into her drawer for a piece of paper, the alicorn levitated a quill from the inkpot at the corner of her desk and quickly drafted instructions. “I’m glad; I’m sure your friends will aid you greatly in this, my faithful student.” Passing the note to Twilight, who seized it in her own magic, Celestia explained, “Take this to my assistant, Raven, and she’ll have the chariot prepared for you.” “Thank you, Princess, for everything,” Twilight said with a small bow. “And especially for being here.” “You had the right to know.” Celestia watched her student hurry out of the room, and sighed. “I just hope it was the right choice for both of your sakes.” The alicorn did her best to clear her mind of the current crisis and looked to the various forms on her desk that needed attending to. Luna was resting after her night shift, something Celestia herself wished she could be doing, and day court had been cancelled, but the solar princess still had a kingdom to run and she would do her duty no matter how much she’d rather be out scouring the world for her draconic friend. … Now if only she could focus on the page in front of her instead of fidgeting, that would be great. Luna’s alarm went off two hours earlier than normal as she sat up and stretched a foreleg over her head while using her magic to stop the beeping. Yawning, she grabbed a small jar from her bed stand and wiped the dried rheum from her eyes so that it would fall into the slowly filling container. Very few ponies were aware, but dust from the dream alicorn’s eyes could be used as an alchemic ingredient in the most potent of sleep aids, and so Luna donated what she could to the castle pharmacist to work with. A fact the few insomnia-suffering guards and faculty were very thankful for, even if they didn’t know they were drinking potions made from one of their princess’ eye crusties. She pondered briefly if it would be off-putting to any of them, after all, there were food dyes made from insect shells and she remembered a time when mares infected themselves with parasites to stay slim. Surely this was no worse. “Luna, are you awake yet?” her sister’s voice asked from beyond the door she was knocking on. Blinking, the dark alicorn rose from her bed and made her way across the room, flicking the lights on with her magic as she moved. “Yes, Tia, I’m awake, and surprised you’re already here. I know we agreed to this time for the meeting, but my alarm just went off.” Opening the door, Luna was greeted by the sight of her sister’s sheepish smile. “Yes, sorry about that. I guess I was a little anxious to speak to you.” Sighing, Luna spoke, “I hope you didn’t let your anxiety get in the way of your work too much. I’d hate to find the kingdom has fallen apart while I slept.” “Of course I didn’t,” was the somewhat indignant response. “I’ve ruled a country long enough to know not to let personal affairs affect matters of state... even if I did only manage to get through two thirds of my paperwork.” Luna would have joked about the comment if the air around her sister hadn’t grown depressed, so she instead sobered her expression and got down to business. “How did your student take the news?” Entering as Luna stepped aside, Celestia sat upon the edge of the bed, her sister soon joining her. “Twilight… took it better than I expected,” she began with a wan smile, “I’m proud of how much she’s grown; possibly even more than she ever did under my tutelage here in Canterlot.” The smile fell. “She wants to set out and search for him herself.” Luna winced. “We suspected that to be the case; did you manage to convince her otherwise?” “Only not to rush into things without a level head.” “That’s what we hoped for. If all goes well, the guards will have handled the situation before she can put herself in danger. They already had quite the lead on her to begin with.” The poorly constructed optimism left the younger alicorn’s voice as she asked. “Why do you look so sad, Sister? This is good; your student will more than likely be safe.” “I know, I just wish it didn’t come at the price of deceiving her,” Celestia replied. “I seem to be doing that to my friends frightfully often lately. Perhaps Amethyst should have punched me in the face instead of you.” Luna rubbed her cheek. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t have argued if that had been the case. That dragon has a mean hook.” Celestia nudged her with a wing, earning a chuckle from the smaller mare. “All joking aside, I’d hardly say you’re deceiving her, or at least, that this only constitutes as a white lie. No one would fault you for wanting to keep Twilight safe. Really, with her aptitude for attracting trouble, I’m surprised you have not yet locked her inside a padded room with a hoofball helmet on her head and a pair of those small, inflatable tubes around her forelegs.” Watching Luna gesture vaguely around her own legs, Celestia chuckled and said, “Water wings, and yes, that thought has crossed my mind before. You try spending any amount of time around an adorable little bookworm with enough magic to level a house and see how much of your mane is left un-greyed.” Though the joy was fleeting, her disposition was far less somber than before and a semblance of a smile remained on her lips. “I suppose I can only hope she understands; there’s no point in worrying about what is already done.” Luna hummed her agreement and let the room fall silent for a while. “Has there been any word from Discord?” she finally asked, getting a near-growl from her companion. “No,” Celestia began, “I swear I’m taking away three good deed stickers minimum when he returns for this.” Suddenly, her golden magic flared and a scroll popped into existence before it was floated over for Luna to take. Quirking an eyebrow, the blue alicorn grasped the scroll in her own magic, the blue aura quickly undoing the draconequus-shaped ribbon and unrolling the paper. Having already deduced who the sender was, Luna honestly wasn’t too surprised to see a sketch of Discord with bedroom eyes sprawled across a love couch and the words, “For those lonely nights, Sunbutt,” scrawled at the bottom. The ribbon floating by her head however, did give her a bit of a shock when Discord’s voice came out of its fabric mouth. “I’m sorry, but the draconequus you are trying to reach is currently helping the lost heir of the Gryphon Kingdom dethrone his tyrannical uncle whilst using his unmatched intelligence and a sprinkle of phenomenal cosmic powers to prevent the bloody casualties of a civil war. Please leave a message after the beep and Discord will get back to you when it has the most comedic affect… Quack.” With that, the ribbon once again went limp, leaving Luna to gape at it for a moment before snapping her jaw shut. “Well… I suppose that explains the reports we’ve been getting about political unrest in Gryphonia,” she tilted her head in thought. “Hmm, it may actually be quite useful if Discord succeeds in his endeavor. Him having the favor of a young prince turned king will do wonders for trade agreements between our kingdoms. And really, getting that would-be warmonger out of power can only be a good thing.” “That is not the point, Luna,” Celestia fumed. She rose from the bed as her ethereal mane and tail started to flame, the latter of which left small scorches on Luna’s sheets, and began to pace. “All that has been done for him, the freedom we gifted, and the one time we truly have need of him that blasted platypus-wannabe has to go gallivanting in the affairs of an entirely different country. And that’s not even mentioning that he has done this without consulting us first. We made it quite clear, did we not, that he was to speak to us before leaving Equestrian borders. The last thing we need is for him to spark conflict between our country and another.” “To be fair, it does sound like he means well and is doing important work. And-” “Hah! He probably doesn’t even care about the good of any of it. Rocking the foundations of a kingdom? Dethroning a world leader? Creating a power-vacuum and the inciting civil unrest of a sudden shift in political agenda? Yes, I’m sure he’s having himself a ball-!” “Celestia! Calm yourself!” Luna demanded with a stomp of her hoof as she stepped in front of the pacing alicorn. Even without the Canterlot voice, the younger alicorn’s words reverberated off the walls and left the room in absolute silence. Meeting Celestia’s stunned gaze for several seconds, Luna continued once she was sure her rant would not restart. “First, while what you say about his motives may be true, I do not believe Discord would act in the interest of bringing suffering to anyone, no matter how chaotic it would be. Even I, the one who was skeptical of releasing him, have seen the progress he has made since his reformation. And though he may not show it, I believe he greatly appreciates the trust you have placed in him, and he will not so easily risk that and his friendship with Lady Fluttershy for a few sick kicks. “And second, as great as his powers are, what did you expect him to accomplish in joining our search for Spike?” The question actually seemed to stun Celestia, so Luna pressed on. “Don’t tell me you thought him omniscient? That he would simply know where Spike was? If we had ever thought him so powerful, we would never have sought to defeat him all those years ago. We would not have sent your student and her friends to do the same. “This situation is one that must be handled with subtlety; not a half-crazed draconequus throwing marshmallow fluff and pickle chips all over the place.” Celestia blushed and looked down. “Discord’s powers are great and have a scope few could ever match. I’m sure he could find some way to cover thrice as much ground as either of us.” “Hmm, I suppose that is true,” Luna conceded. “But Discord is and always will be a wild card; I don’t think any amount of friendship lessons will be enough to change that. Perhaps it is best he is not here. Not to mention his utter lack of tact; in the state you and Twilight are in, I doubt either of you could handle an inappropriately witty comment from him without blowing a hole through the castle wall.” “Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve calmed enough to control myself; I wouldn’t do anything so rash,” argued Celestia, which got a skeptical look from her sister. “Really, Celestia? It’s one thing to lie to yourself, but I can literally feel the anger and worry roiling off of you. Plus you just burned holes in my sheets. You may have mastered the mask you show to the nobles, but your ability to mask your emotions on an ethereal level is still far from perfect.” Celestia turned away with a frown. “Maybe that is a good thing; I’ve only known one pony that could hide their emotions completely, and all the ability accomplished for them was keeping others from knowing how much they needed help until it was too late.” From the corner of her eye, Celestia saw the younger alicorn flinch, and she sighed guiltily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Moving back to the bed, Celestia sat down. “I don’t see why we’re talking about this anyway. Discord will not be helping us, and no amount of bickering will change that… let’s just do what we planned.” Luna chewed the inside of her cheek, glad to move away from the heated conversation, but worried about what was to come next. “Are you sure, Sister? There is little chance that searching the ether will reveal Spike’s location, ‘tis like searching for a needle in a haystack. And you seem… tired.” She moved to her sister’s side. “Definitely not the right state of mind for an endeavor like this.” “What else would you have me do? Though my responsibilities to Equestria keep me bound here, I still have a responsibility to my loved ones as well. If I cannot leave, then this is the next best action I can take, and I’ll do so happily if there is even a remote chance of it helping Spike.” Getting more comfortable position so that she’d best be able to free her mind, she added, “Besides, I’m hardly that tired at all. Since your return to your nightly duties, I’ve been better rested than I have been in the last millennium. A little mental fatigue is nothing really.” Luna could have ignored the conviction shining clear through Celestia’s words, but when her sister turned and she got a look into her determination-filled eyes, the argument on her tongue died. “Fine,” she conceded with a sigh, “but only for an hour, okay? Try for any longer and I’ll drag you out. Exhausting yourself will help no one.” “I know my limits, Luna, I won’t exceed them,” Celestia responded haughtily. Rolling her eyes, Luna laid down before shutting them and activating her magic. “This isn’t cake-eating, dear sister, your limits aren’t boundless.” With a snort, Celestia shut her own eyes and met Luna’s magic with her own, letting the calming blue presence intertwine with her own and serve as her anchor. As the white alicorn’s soul drifted from her body, Luna had little to do but to maintain their connection and think. Initially, Luna had volunteered herself as the one to walk the ethereal plain, claiming her sister’s own admission that she was the more skilled of them in this field, but Celestia had countered with the fact that she was more familiar with both Spike’s and the assailant’s aura. In the end, they settled on alternating roles each night, so neither one would become too strained. Really, though it may have been somewhat heartless to think, the night princess was of the opinion that the only purpose this arrangement served was to mitigate the negative effects of an otherwise pointless endeavor. While she couldn’t say she was as desperate to save Spike as Celestia and Twilight as she simply wasn’t that close to the drake, she still wanted to help him and her new friend Amethyst. This being so, she knew that their best option was to let their soldiers handle the rescue while they themselves remained strong for their nation and friends. Losing composure in front of their subjects would only lead to panic, after all. I’m not sure if I like being the level-headed one between us, Sister, Luna thought. It’s most definitely a jarring experience.