CoH (Book One) : Of Magic and Masquerades

by Diespitris


Chapter Eighteen : Infiltration

If there was one thing Twilight took pride in, it was her magical prowess. She could, thanks to the teachings of Princess Celestia, cast a great number of spells—from generic attacks of pure magic, to something as complex as levitating an Ursa Minor. She could briefly teleport and conjure a temporary set of wings for herself, but never before did she craft the likes of a disguise spell. As with countless feats of magic, she had only read up on them during her studies, and she doubted she could pull one off.

Fortunately, Sombra was a great help in what was her first attempt. Then, her second, her third, her fourth... All were failures.

Magical disguises were tricky, as they affected a pony's physical form in more than one way, and she couldn't be Twilight Sparkle if she wanted to break her way back into the Crystal Empire. Everything needed to be concealed. Her purple coat, the pink and plum streaks in her mane and tail... her horn. It was a jarring thought, yet she remained dedicated to her training throughout the entire morning (with a quick break for breakfast). By noon, she was educated on the basics. Well, her memory of the basics were refreshed—leaving her a little more confident in her capabilities. As Sombra tended to the fire with his magic, Twilight went over her notes one last time.

A complete disguise spell was, in actuality, made up of a series of smaller spells. Casting each one individually was a cinch. Weaving them together into a seamless appearance, however, was an entirely different story. It took a great deal of power and finess, though it didn't exactly dawn on her exactly how much was needed until she re-read what she managed to write down. No wonder her first attempts were in vain...

“Do you think you'll be able to do it?” asked the stallion, looking over his shoulder at her.

Twilight bit down on the corner of her lip. “I think so,” she hesitantly replied. “How exactly am I supposed to change my body, though? I know I need to be a crystal pony, but what then?”

Sombra turned. “Well, the 'crystal' part is already there, thanks to the Crystal Heart.” He tapped on his chin, briefly inspecting her. “Your horn will most definitely have to go. Despite my lineage, the population of the empire is purely an earth colony. The colors of your hair and coat aren't all that important, just keep them light. Crystal ponies tend to bear coats of lighter colors.”

“Well, you know more about them than I do. What's more common?” After all, proper color-coordination wasn't on her list of specialties.

Humming, he wandered over to the bookshelf. “Perhaps some visual aid is in order,” he muttered, skimming over the tomes. He soon took one into his magic and returned to her side. Levitating the book between them, he slowly turned through the colorfully-illustrated pages. It was another worn journal, with every page depicting the crystal ponies and the architecture of the Crystal Empire. “My father kept quite a few records on the crystal ponies during his years among them,” Sombra said, a small smile on his face. “This will certainly help.”

Carefully, Twilight took the journal into her own magic. It took everything in her power not to gush over it. It belonged to Sombra's father (and she held strongly onto the belief that he was Starswirl), and that made it a relic. Scholars and collectors would pay any number of bits to get their hands on such a unique item. Nevertheless, she swallowed down the excitement and she nodded at the stallion. “Thank you,” she said.

His smile grew a little wider, causing a strange sensation in her abdomen. “You are quite welcome,” he replied. His horn lit up then, and a crystal obelisk sprouted from the ground nearby. “Use this as a mirror,” he added. “It will make it easier for you to put a visage together if you can see yourself.” He made himself comfortable by the fir with a quill and a fresh piece of parchment. “Leave the rest to me.”

“Rest?”

“You'll need a new name, and some backstory for good measure.”

Nodding, and with the journal in tow, Twilight approached the mirror. According to the records, the most common coat colors among the crystal ponies were light blues, golds, and purples, and they doubled as common hair colors. She could work with blues and golds. As much as she wanted to keep a nuance of herself, she couldn't take the risk. So, though it took a great amount of focus, she began to experiment.

She successfully cast the spells she needed, to her delight, yet she couldn't claim victory in her use of colors. It was borderline chaotic. She felt like a rabid chameleon as her body rapidly changed colors before her eyes, and none of them were what she wanted. Bright pink, sickly green, and at one point she even made herself transparent. Her mane and tail were no better off. Oh, stars, she didn't want to even acknowledge that mismatched disaster.

It didn't help for her to catch Sombra staring in horror at her every now and again. The additional pressure was stressful. “I can't do this!” she yelled. “I can't get it right!”

“You need to calm down,” retorted Sombra. He stood, and he walked up behind her. “You're casting too many spells at once. Slow down, take it one step at a time.”

Twilight groaned and rested her forehead against the mirror. “But, where do I start?” she grumbled.

“If you can't summon colors out of thin air, then think about familiar ones. What's your favorite color? Try applying it to your coat.”

She thought about it for a moment. “I really like blue,” she said softly. Blue was the color of the sky, the water, the wonderful gala dress Rarity made for her... and it was the color associated with calm...

… and the streaks in Sombra's hair.

Her face grew hot—an alarmed squeak escaping her throat. With a nervous chuckle, she immediately shook the thought from her mind. “Y-yes! Blue!” she shakily exclaimed. “I'll start there!” True to her word, she did exactly that, and she didn't stop until her coat was a satisfactory shade of light blue. As strange as it was to see herself in it, it was met with Sombra's approval. Besides, it reminded her of Rainbow Dash, and so she moved onto getting her hair in order.

The advice of her friend helped her remain calm as she tried to think of something more familiar. The colorful spectrum of Rainbow Dash's hair was out of the question, though she was always fond of Fluttershy's pink mane. It was a warm, soft pink—the opposite of Pinkie Pie's intensity (not that there was anything wrong with Pinkie's very pink hair). She was pleased with the results and, as a tribute to Applejack, she transformed the pink and purple strands of hair into a more orange-like hue. She was tempted to keep her eyes the same. However, after a second thought, she settled for a teal to tie it all together.

Now, the hard part was conjuring away her horn. She already knew what it was like to suddenly have it magically torn away from her. Discord was the first. Trixie, the second. Now, to have to do so herself... It was inconceivable. Yet, it was necessary. She took a deep breath and, with one final burst of magic, she was no longer a unicorn. She then took a step back, numbly and silently regarding the blue-hued stranger on the other side of the crystalline mirror.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


They were hidden amongst a pleasantly light snowfall as they hurriedly made their way to the Crystal Empire. Sombra didn't seem particularly worried, while Twilight couldn't keep her heart from drumming wildly against her ribcage. “Are you sure you can get me through?” she asked. She placed a hoof against the barrier's surface. The magic undulated, but her hoof didn't go through. Unfortunately, her newfound identity wasn't enough to trick the “anti-Twilight” spell.

Sombra nodded. “Have faith, my friend,” he said. “I know how to solve this conundrum.” Horn alight, his body was once again lost amongst a cloud of black smoke. His altered form pressed against the barrier, piercing it. He then formed a circle, creating a rounded entrance, and he yelled, “Jump through!”

Without arguing, she jumped. Thanks to Sombra, there was a large enough hole in the shield for her to safely pass through and she landed safely on the other side. Adrenaline and giddiness nearly had her dancing with joy. “You did it!” she exclaimed in a hushed voice. “You actually did it!”

The stallion joined her on the ground, his natural form returning. “I told you, did I not?” he chuckled. He took a look around. As he suspected, everypony was too busy with celebatory preparations to mind the shield (and all available guards were, most likely, at the palace). “This way,” he said. He lead the mare behind a small crystal house, where they had a little extra cover. “I'm afraid this is where we must part ways, Twilight.”

“Do we really have to?”

“I'm too much of a liability, you know that.” There was a sadness to his voice. “I'm not capable of conjuring a disguise right now. The crystal ponies' memories may be fuzzy, but they'd recognize me right away. Besides, you won't be alone. I promise I'll keep an eye on you. Right now, however, you have the objectives we planned.”

Twilight nodded. Said plan included making contact with Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack—all while avoiding Trixie like the plague. The worst part was that, for the time being, she was barred from using her magic.

Sombra cleared his throat. “Good,” he sighed. “Now, let us rehearse.” He stood a little straighter, his muscles becoming rigid as he looked impassively down at her; it reminded Twilight of Princess Celestia's regal stance before she gave a test. “What is your name and occupation?” he asked.

“My name is Beryl Prose. I was a teacher before...” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I was a school librarian before you took over the Crystal Empire.”

“Very good. That's all you will need, so long as you refrain from your magical impulses.” Again, he sighed. “You'll also have to pretend to love Trixie as much as they 'love' her.”

Twilight's stomach churned at the thought. “Wonderful.” Shivering, she rolled her shoulders. “Alright, I better go now. The sooner I get to the others, the better.”

“That would be best.”

She sensed his hesitation as he reached out and touched her shoulder. “You will be fine,” he added. “I will always be nearby, just in case. If something happens, don't doubt I'll be there—whether with information or a helping hoof.”

Automatically, she blurted, “I know.” Heat rose in her cheeks. She did know. Sombra was her friend, even if he made her feel... strange at times. “I should go,” she quickly added. “I have to find my friends.”

He withdrew his limb. “Yes, go. We still have little time to prepare. Good luck to you... Beryl Prose.”

With a little more haste than she meant to give, she turned away from him and dashed from the secure location. There was no choice but to push past the hesitation she felt towards leaving him behind. There was work to be done. She ran a hoof through her mane, if only to feel the invisible horn amongst it. No matter what, she was still a unicorn. I'm still Twilight Sparkle.

The empty streets soon became sparsely occupied as she neared the Crystal Palace. She took her time. As much as she wished to speed things along, it was of the upmost importance to blend in—to look like any other crystal pony, and all other crystal ponies were acting as though nothing was wrong. Shops were open for business, and doing very well for such an early hour, and many eateries were serving breakfast to sizable crowds. It was nothing like the eerie, monotoned following created upon Trixie's arrival.

Not a single thing appeared out of place. Yet, as she fixated her gaze upon the palace, she felt the nagging sense of its falsehood. It was a different brand of imprisonment—not of chains or shakles, but of the perverse altering of free will through the misuse of magic. The fur on the back of her neck rose. One of the first lessons Princess Celestia taught her was that she must never abuse her powers in such a way. Magic was to be used for the well-being of Equestria and its residents, not for selfish pursuits.

Trixie thought herself an all-powerful Queen, but Twilight aimed to change her mind.