Chapter 43 - Background Cogs
Walking out of the complex, Lieutenant Serene Mist took a welcome breath of the fresh mountain air as the sun glinted on her golden armour.
Along with her team of magic specialists, she’d been working all through the night trying to free the crystal from its housing. It had been a slow and delicate operation, any mistake in cutting the magical tethers that bound the crystal to it’s housing could've resulted in a catastrophic magical release.
As her second in command, Nickel Plate, had put it: if they messed up... they wouldn’t have time to realize it.
After a tense moment as they severed the last tether, they let out a collective sigh of relief as the crystal came free of its housing without incident.
As the rest of her team set about crating the crystal up for transport, she’d left the chamber to inform the captain of their success.
Now standing outside in the mid-morning sun, Serene Mist took another deep breath before daring to look down at herself. After working all night in, and under, the crystal chamber she knew she was going to be filthy, but she still winced at the sight.
‘Horseapples, the stains must be really bad underneath. Not even the enchantments on my armour can make my fur look white. I just hope I don’t...’ Lifting a hoof up, she sniffed it.
Turning her head away quickly, she stuck her tongue out. Even after the body had been removed from the crystal chamber; even after spells to clear the air had been used; the smell had lingered.
‘Eww! Great, the damn stench has worked it’s way into my fur! Wonderful, I’ll probably have to shave it all off to get -that- stink out.’ Serene Mist flicked her tail in annoyance. ‘Okay, maybe nothing that extreme. But I -am- gonna have a long shower when I get back. Several long showers. All with scented shampoos. Lots and lots of scented shampoos.’
With one last deep breath she turned to one of the two Lunar guards standing outside the entrance, ignoring the fact that they were both watching her with some amusement.
“Where’s your captain?”
One wordlessly pointed out over the meadow, past where the troop-transport sky-chariots were parked up.
Glad to feel the grass under her hooves, and the sun on her back, she set off towards them. ‘Huh, they must have put the camouflage-netting over them after we’d gone in.’
She found the Captain sitting on the sloping meadow with his back to her and silently looking out at the distant mountains. As she approached she saw one of his tufted ears rotate to face her but he didn’t look round.
Serene Mist saluted his back. “Sir, my team has managed to free the crystal from its housing and are preparing it for transport as we speak.”
He lifted his head but kept looking at the mountains. “How long before it’s ready to be loaded?”
“Thirty to forty minutes sir.”
He nodded. “Excellent work Lieutenant.”
Serene Mist watched as he stood up and stretched his left leathery wing out until it trembled before bringing it back in with a snap. He repeated the process with his right wing. Turning round, he gave her a tight lipped smile. “My report will have nothing but praise for you and your team Lieutenant. Let us hope that this mission demonstrates that the Solar Guard and the Lunar Guard can work together.” He tapped her golden armour as he frowned at her ‘almost’ white fur. “Although I do wish we had been able to get you into a more stealthy set of armour, or at least one with a more appropriate fur enchantment for the terrain.”
Serene Mist just kept looking forward. “Sir.”
Her team had found themselves being pulled from the classroom lecture they were attending and being escorted to waiting sky-chariots. Disconcertingly, they'd found all their equipment already loaded on the transports; everything they might need to remove and secure a high-energy, potentially volatile, magical container.
Everything apart from their camouflage armour that is.
They had all turned down Lunar guard armour when it had been offered to them at the last minute.
The captain shook his head before walking past her and towards the entrance to the complex. Stopping by the chariots, he looked around. “Sergeant! I want those transports ready for dust off in the next thirty minutes. You can call in the forward observation posts as well. Also, please inform Lieutenant Violet to prepare Sergeant Greywing’s body for transport.”
Serene Mist jumped as a mound of grass stood up and saluted. “Sir.”
‘How the buck did I miss him? I must have almost trod on him.’
The sergeant turned around and addressed the empty meadow. “Well then, what are you lovely colts and fillies waiting for? Princess Luna to come and kiss you before asking nicely? You heard the officer, get that camo netting stowed and pre-flight done on the chariots in the next thirty.”
Three more mounds of grass stood up and got to work.
Serene Mist looked around the meadow and shuddered. ‘How many more Lunar Guards are out there? Oh I’m so glad I didn’t need to ‘go’ out here. They would have all been able to see me...’ Turning back round, she jolted when she realized the captain had already set off without her. Walking briskly to catch back up she heard the sergeant start to issue, what Nickle Plate would have called, ‘motivational’ statements’ behind her.
She caught up with the captain as he approached the doors to the complex. “Sir, I mean no disrespect but I got the impression that the major was going to be in command of this mission from the in-flight briefing.”
The captain shook his head as he opened the doors. “That was the plan Lieutenant. She does like to get out-and-about these days. But unfortunately for her, she had a prior engagement.” He stopped to grin at her. “Officially, she’s testing a new exercise regime for Princess Luna.” His grin grew. “And that’s what you get for breaking rule one Lieutenant: don’t get caught.” With a big grin, he turned away and walked in.
Following him back into the complex, Serene Mist’s next question died before she could ask it as her nose wrinkled instantly at the smell. ‘Oh great, I didn’t notice it before but the smell is throughout the complex. At least it’s not as overpowering as when we first opened the door to the crystal chamber. All of us threw up.’
Seeming oblivious to any smell, the captain walked through the large sandy loading bay. The loading bay itself was illuminated by several magical floodlights placed in the middle of the floor. Next to the floodlights was a small pile of her team’s unneeded equipment, all of which had to be brought in by hoof. The troops-transport sky-chariots wouldn’t fit through the doors and the wagons in the bay had all been declared ‘unfit for purpose’ after cursory examination.
They walked up to a door marked with a sprayed on green ‘X’ and into the corridor beyond.
In the yellowish light cast by the emergency lighting globes on the floor, Serene Mist shivered as the approached the first junction. The right turn was marked with an ‘X’, which lead to the crystal chamber. The left turn was marked with an ‘O’, which lead off to the dormitory.
As they turned towards the crystal chamber, she looked over her shoulder and towards the dormitory. “Sir, may I ask what’s going to happen to all the bodies?”
He didn’t look round. “A fire spell. We’ve collected up all those we could find and dumped… Ahem… put them in the dormitory with the due care and respect they deserve.” He stopped and turned to look at her. “And let me tell you, someponies got a sick sense of humour. Do you know we found a body that had a rock, with a painted on face, where his head should have...” He tailed off and shook his head. “We ended up just picking up the mattress, with the body still on it, and throwing the lot into the dormitory. Messy. Very messy.”
Serene Mist swallowed, suddenly eager to change the subject. “And the crystal? Any idea what’s going to happen to it after we get it back? That’s a lot of stored magic.”
He set back off again. “It’s going to a magical disposal facility. Such a thing is far too dangerous to keep around.” He gave her another tight lipped smile. “No sane pony would want to be around that amount of stored magic.”
He grinned, showing his fangs. “So, that’s why we’re here Lieutenant.”
***
In the windowless conference room, Celestia was seated at a low table beside Luna. The only other ponies in the room were both seated on the other side of the table, looking at them.
Princess Celestia tapped the thick report on the table and leaned forward. “Can you summarise this report for us please Doctor Clear Mind? How are the bearers, mentally?”
The tan earth pony shrugged. “They’re just how you’d expect any pony to be after a traumatizing event. They are all experiencing, to varying levels: rage, guilt, paranoia... and all the other wonderful emotions that come with such an experience. However, they are all doing way better than anypony could have hoped for under the circumstances. As they are all leaning on one-another for support, they are helping themselves to, ahem, 'deal with it' better." Looking down he tapped the report himself. "But to be frank, it’s Miss Fluttershy that seems to be doing most of the work in that department. In fact, she seems to be handling it the best out of all them.”
Flipping through the report, he stopped near the end before looking back up. “As for the two I haven’t seen yet, I can’t really say anything until after I have spoken to them. But considering Miss Dash is responsible for a pony’s… demise, I would like to see her as soon as possible. And as for Miss Sunbeam.” He tilted his head as he looked down. “Miss Icefang? I suspect some form of pre-existing trauma from what I have been told.” He shrugged again. “But as I said, without speaking to them I can’t make any sort of valid assessment.”
Luna leaned in. “Suggested treatments?”
“Again, just what you’d expect your highness. Some might need it more than others, but a mix of one-on-one and group therapy will help them all come to terms with what they’ve been through. Certainly much more quickly than trying to tough it out by themselves.”
Princess Celestia nodded politely. “Thank you, Doctor Clear Mind. Please do whatever is necessary to help them. Funding will not be an issue here. My personal expense account can cover any cost if needs be.”
She turned to look at the familiar pony seated next Doctor Clear Mind. “Doctor Everhealth, how are they physically?”
Doctor Everhealth smiled back at Celestia. “Nothing time, rest and a balanced diet won’t fix your highness. I have Miss Dash’s medical records from Ponyville General and her wing is going to be fine... If she can rest it for long enough.” He tapped his notes. “Which I believe she will, given the amount of binding they put on it. And as for the other big, physical, issue,” he nodded towards Princess Luna, “that has been resolved with a little help. You’ll be glad to hear that Princess Sparkle has been successfully transformed back into an alicorn.”
Celestia smiled. “Thank you Doctor, that is indeed a relief.”
Doctor Everhealth rubbed his chin. “The last of the physical injury notes relate to the bearer’s guide, Miss Sunbeam. She apparently sustained several over the course of this little adventure. Curiously though, Ponyville General seems to have misplaced all the medical notes made by the examining doctor. So unfortunately, I can’t give you any more details right now, apart from the fact that none of them appear to be life-threatening.”
Luna smiled. “That’s good to hear. Anything else?”
The doctor nodded. “Yes. Moving on from physical to magical issues, I feel the need to bring your highnesses attention to something I discovered when examining Princess Sparkle. A few details that I feel that your highness's are best suited to tell her of.”
Doctor Everhealth took out another folder and offered it to the princesses. A golden glow lifted it from his hooves and floated it over to them.
With Luna leaning over her sister’s shoulder, both the Princess's eyes grew wide as they read the contents.
Princess Celestia lowered the report and looked directly at Doctor Everhealth. “Are you sure about this?”
“I am.”
Luna looked up at the ceiling. “We are going to have to be very careful how we tell Twilight this.”
***
Sunbeam whimpered on Zecora’s bed and started to thrash around in her sleep.
Standing up, Zecora walked over to the bed and picked up a bottle from the bedside table. Pouring some powder from it onto her hoof, she lent down and blew the powder into Sunbeam’s face.
The whimpers died and Sunbeam quietened down.
Zecora shook her head as she watched her. “There is no more within my power that I can do for you Miss Flower. That is the most powerful mix I dare to give, and you become more acclimatized to it with each application. I can do no more now but let you sleep through your fits and recover your wits.”
Zecora put a hoof on Sunbeam’s forehead and lowered her head. “I'm sorry, but you must now endure whatever demons your mind may conjure.”
“And as for when you wake…” She sighed. “I feel that sharing my hut with an enraged manticore would be for the better. At least they would not wait for me to turn my back before...”
Zecora frowned as she looked down. “Your breathing grows shallow Miss Flower.”
***
Twilight knocked on the door to Princess Celestia's personal quarters. Four guards stood on duty outside, all fully armed.
The door opened and the Princess called out. “Twilight, please come in. Guards, please take up stations further down the hall.”
Twilight stepped in as the guards moved away from the door.
Princess Celestia was sitting at a table with a pot of tea and two cups laid out on it. She gestured to the cup and saucer opposite her. “Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable.” She smiled at her. “How are the wings?”
Twilight gave her a small smile and ruffled her feathers as she walked over to the table. “Never realized how much I’d grown used to having them. Not until after they were gone anyway.”
Celestia nodded as Twilight seated herself down. “And how are you in yourself?”
Twilight looked away at the question and said nothing.
Celestia poured the tea, focusing on the pot. “I’ve been told that you have not been yourself lately, that you’ve been very quiet and withdrawn. And from our limited interactions since you got back, I’m inclined to agree.”
Twilight’s shoulders sagged. “I’ve… I’ve had a lot on my mind recently. But Doctor Clear Mind says I’ll be better... eventually. That I just need some time to come to terms with it all. And that my magic...” Twilight swallowed. “Well, it just needs some more time to recover, right?”
Putting the pot down, Celestia turned her attention back to her. “I have something very important to tell you, so I want you to listen carefully to what I am about to say Twilight.” She smiled gently at her. “And I thought doing it in the form of a lesson would be the best way to do that. Familiarity is so comforting after all. So, let us start with the basics, can you describe the process of casting a spell. Just the kindergarten details will do, no need to go into advanced theorems and the like.”
She smiled at Twilight’s sour expression. “Humor me.”
Twilight slumped. “A unicorn pulls magic into her reserve from the ambient magic field that surrounds Equestria. She then uses her horn to focus that magic into a spell or some other beneficial effect.”
“Very good. And how would you increase the amount of power a spell has?”
“By putting more magic from your reserve into it.”
Celestia clapped her hooves together. “Excellent. So therefore, would you say that the maximum amount of power a unicorn can wield is limited by the size of their reserve?”
“Yes. Well in most cases anyway; one exception does spring to mind.” Twilight tilted her head. “Princess, why are we…?”
A hoof was held up. “Shh, all will become clear my dear Twilight.” Celestia levitated her cup up to take a sip. “Now tell me, how big a reserve would a pony need to move the sun across the sky? Take your time, this isn’t a test.”
Twilight snorted. “A bucking huge...” Her eyes widened in shock before she threw her hooves up to her mouth. “I’m so sorry Princess! I didn’t mean to say that! Being around Sunbeam for so long... some of her bad habits... I’m so sorry...”
Twilight tailed off and cocked her head to one side quizzically.
Celestia had put her cup down rapidly and was currently snorting behind a raised hoof, in a very unprincess-like manner. Finally composing herself, she looked back at a sheepish looking Twilight, her eyes sparkling. “Ahem, while it is nice to know you feel that relaxed around me, could you try to be a little more specific in your answer please.”
Looking down, Twilight fidgeted with her forehooves. “Of course princess. I.. Umm… T-The calculations have been done many times. To be able to push an object with the mass of the sun, over the distances involved, a pony would basically need a reserve the size of house. And that’s just to have any affect on it at all. Scale the pony up accordingly, and they would end up bigger than even the largest of dragons.”
Celestia levitated up a cup of tea and calmly sipped it again. “Yet I am clearly not that size... despite my sister's opinion on my flank.”
Twilight blushed as she kept looking down at the floor. “No, but your special talent means you can utilize your reserve more efficiently.”
In the silence that followed Celestia took another sip and put the cup delicately down before looking at Twilight. “And what if I were to tell you that even with my talent, I still shouldn’t be able to move the sun.”
She smiled as Twilight’s head shot up, her eyes wide. “Twilight, do you really think that my talent would be that large of a force multiplier?”
“I…” Twilight looked away, sounding defensive. “Your talent has always been the accepted reason why you can move the sun. In every book I’ve ever read on the subject, that’s always been the stated reason. I’ll admit something always seemed to be a little ‘off’ about the formulas but feeling the need to prove them... well that just feels like questioning your personal abilities as a princess, and would be disrespectful.”
Celestia sighed and rubbed her eyes. "It has been the accepted reason for a long time, I grant you. But let me tell you something: it is a fabrication. A misdirection put into the books nearly a thousand years ago, all to hide the real reason why I can move the sun.”
Twilight turned back to look at her.
“Let us begin with the statement: A fully developed alicorn does not have a magic reserve.”
Celestia tried not to giggle at the expression on Twilight's face.
“Alicorns pull the magic they need directly from the magic field of Equestria itself Twilight. There is no intermediate stage of ‘pulling magic into our reserve first’ to enable us to cast any spells.” She picked her cup up with a hoof. “And by being able to tap into the field itself to power our magic, we completely bypass the need to have a reserve. Therefore, the amount of magic we can use is not limited to the size of a reserve, but rather to how much magic we can control.”
She sipped her tea again as Twilight’s jaw hung open.
“It’s called channelling magic Twilight. And to be honest, how much power you can wield becomes irrelevant at those magnitudes. It becomes how much you can control that determines just what you can do with it. Control is everything at those levels.”
Celestia’s horn lit up and a golden glow and gently closed Twilight's mouth as she put her cup down. “Let’s see, how did Starswirl put it? Ah yes, like watering a flower garden. For most unicorns, their magic is like watering a flower garden with a watering can. For some powerful unicorns, like Starswirl, it is like watering a garden with a hose. For an alicorn though, it is like trying to water that delicate, ever-so-fragile, flower garden... with a three-foot storm-surge straight off the ocean.”
Sitting back, she watched the younger alicorn intently. “Like I said, it is not the power you have, but your ability to control it that becomes the more important factor.”
Twilight sat there trying to get her voice to work. “B-but why is this not...? Why didn’t you tell...? Why hide it?”
A pained expression fleeted across Celestia’s face. “Because with the proper equipment, any pony could do it. Admittedly, it would be a lesser version, but still extremely powerful.” She leaned forward. “Think about it Twilight, any unicorn with access to the right materials being able to wield magic at magic at near alicorn levels. An extremely dangerous situation, wouldn’t you agree?”
Twilight opened her mouth.
Celestia tapped her hoof on the table. “The incident with Miss Lulamoon and the Alicorn amulet serves as an excellent example for this. And she wasn't even using the amulet to its full potential.”
Twilight closed her mouth.
“Anyway, I feel we have started to drift a little off topic. Let us move back to the main reason I called you here. What happens to a muscle that is never used Twilight?”
Twilight pulled her head back the change in topic. “Uh.. uh… it, it atrophies?”
Standing up, the princess walked around the table and seated herself next to Twilight. “Just follow my line of reasoning here for a little bit longer. Now, let's recap, an Alicorn doesn’t need a…?”
“Umm. A reserve?”
Celestia put a wing around Twilight. “And you are…?”
“An alicorn.”
“So you don’t need...?”
Twilight blinked. “A… a reserve?”
“And what happens to a muscle that isn’t used?”
“It…” She turned to look at Celestia and blinked with a confused look. “Are you saying my reserve is atrophying?”
She got a nod in response.
Twilight looked down, her tone puzzled. “My reserve is… dying? I can’t cast magic because...”
Her eye widened.
Celestia felt the jolt run through Twilight and hugged her as tightly as possible with her wing as the younger alicorn began to shake violently. "Calm Twilight, calm..."
“Calm! My reserve is dying Princess! I can’t cast any magic because my reserve is bucking dying! I’m never going to be able to cast magic again! What use am I without...”
Celestia rested her head on the top of Twilight's. “Do your deep breathing exercises Twilight and listen to what I’m saying: you don’t need a reserve. You’re an alicorn now so you can cast magic without one. This is what I have been telling you, you will be able to do magic again without one. I swear it, as a Princess of Equestria, I swear you will be able do magic again Twilight.”
Feeling the shaking lessen, even though Twilight's breathing remained rapid and shallow, Celestia nuzzled her. “I swear on everything I hold dear, you will be able to do magic again Twilight. This is all perfectly normal I can assure you.”
Twilight swallowed. “I’m… I’m going to be okay?”
Celestia loosened her grip on Twilight. “I swear it. The reason this is happening is that when you ascended, your body kept its magical reserve, but only as something akin to vestigial organ. As it still worked though, you would have still been able to cast magic the way you always had and not noticed any difference. However, as an alicorn body grows, the reserve eventually starts to fail, and when it does, your body begins to look for another source of magic. With it's new abilities, it eventually finds the magic field of Equestria itself to draw upon."
Celestia slumped slightly. “With both my sister and myself, it took almost a decade after our ascension before the transition phase even began. So that is how long we thought it would take with you Twilight. That is why we didn’t rush to tell you, we thought we had plenty of time left. Both my sister and myself agreed that you should finish your princess lessons before we told you.”
Twilight tilted her head. “W-why?”
Lifting her head with a hoof, she looked Twilight in the eye. “A whole new type of magic to learn about Twilight. Vast, powerful magic... and you would have had to ignore all that and sit through mundane, dull, yet still very important political lessons. Tell me truthfully, would you have been even a tiny bit distracted?”
Twilight took a breath in... and then closed her eyes, saying nothing as her head fell.
Celestia smiled. “Don’t be ashamed by it. I feel the same way about those two options myself.” Closing her eyes, she looked away and took a breath in. “We also wanted the time to be able to impress on you just how dangerous this information is. Ponies can’t ever know about channelling magic Twilight.”
Twilight’s looked up sharply.
Celestia leaned in close. “Because there are so many smart ponies out there Twilight. If they become aware that there is a way to use magic way beyond their usual abilities, they will look for it. And once they start looking, somepony will eventually find a way to do it. I’m sorry Twilight, you can never tell anypony about channelling magic."
Lifting a hoof, she brushed Twilight's mane.
"It is a heavy burden to bear and I’m sorry to put it on you, but it is necessary. I myself have carried that burden for nearly a thousand years.” She sighed. “And I will advise you against telling your friends. You won’t be lightening the load, trust me. All you’ll be doing is giving them the same burden to carry as well. Don’t get me wrong, I trust the bearers to be able to keep this secret, I just didn’t want them to have to carry this weight if they don’t need to. So it’s best, for them, if they don’t know.”
Twilight’s mouth set in a thin line. “I see.”
Celestia turned her head away at her tone. “Anyway, moving back to you and your magic, your body has entered the transition phase, and while in it, you can’t cast any type of magic. Before you ask, it took six months for both Luna and myself to fully complete the transition.” She smiled wanly looking back at her. “I’m sure that you will put us both to shame in that department.”
Twilight's ear twitched as she looked away from her. “So, if it took you and Luna a decade before this even started, why is it happening to me now?”
Celestia's ears fell at the sight. “The crystal that drained you of magic Twilight. It drained your reserve so aggressively that when your body tried to draw magic from it, it just couldn’t find any at all. So your body would have automatically started looking for another source to pull magic from, which would have triggered the transition phase. While it might be early, it shouldn’t cause any long-term problems as far as I can see.”
Celestia rubbed Twilight’s head with a hoof as Twilight kept looking away.
“You will be able to cast magic again Twilight. Vast, powerful magic. You are about to take the last step to becoming an true alicorn. There will be some physical changes to come as your body adapts to channelling magic. You’re going to get taller for a start. A larger surface area allows the excess magic to radiate off easier, which in turn helps prevent magical saturation.”
Twilight just kept looking away.
Celestia’s shoulders slumped. “Please Twilight, I don’t ask you to like that I’m asking you to hide this information, to like that I’m asking to hide this from your friends. I just ask you to understand that it needs to be hidden. I have to be cautious with this. T-this is all to do with when I had to… H-had t-t-to…”
Never having heard the princess stutter before, Twilight looked round in surprise. Her ears folded flat at the sight of the Celestia with tears in her eyes.
Wiping her face with a hoof, she gave Twilight a rueful smile. “Look at me. A thousand years and it still hurts to talk about it. You must think me a silly old...” She suddenly leaned down so she was almost nose to nose with Twilight. “All power comes with a cost Twilight! Remember that. Not telling your friends is a cheap one. The cost I eventually paid was much higher...”
Pulling her head away, Celestia closed her eyes.
“Because of ponies being able to channel magic Twilight, I had to send Lulu away. Can you even imagine what that felt like? I had to banish my little sister because some ponies could channel magic. Afterwards, as I stood there... all alone in the wreckage, it felt like my heart had been ripped out. From then on, each day when I had to raise and lower the moon, her moon, my heart was ripped out anew. Imagine it Twilight, for a thousand years, twice a day, having your heart ripped out.”
She ground her teeth. “And then somepony started Nightmare Night. The nobles would invite me to attend the… festivities. And I had to smile at them as I declined.”
Celestia lowered her head to look Twilight back in the eye, to which Twilight found herself pulling back from. “Do you know she cursed me Twilight? My little Lulu cursed me as I stood over her and… sent her away” She swallowed as she lifted her head. “It hurt so much, and for so long Twilight. You have no idea just what you and your friends have done for me. You brought my Lulu back. You stopped the pain. I owe you all so much. Words can't...”
The silence hung in the air. Twilight put a hoof on Celestia's chest. “Princess, I never knew…”
Celestia looked away. “I'm not the good pony you think I am Twilight. Do you know what I did after I’d banished my little sister? After I had finished going mad with grief and rage had filled my heart?” Her head still turned away, Celesta lifted it up towards the ceiling and took a stuttering breath in.
“I went looking for them.”
Twilight watched silently as Celestia stared at something only she could see. The silence dragged on until her head fell. “Your role model is…”
Celestia turned to face Twilight, a sad smile on her face.
“...Flawed."
There was a bitter laugh. “None of them appreciated that irony. The pony they were trying to create the perfect world for, was so deeply flawed in herself.”
Twilight just kept looking up at her.
Rubbing her eyes Celestia shuddered. “I’m sorry Twilight. Old ghosts, even I'm not immune." Panting, she forced a smile. "But I swear, I never intended to tell you all this when you came in. I had it all planned out in my head how this would go... It’s just when I started talking about it, I couldn’t stop. I had to tell you. In a thousand years, you’re the first pony I’ve ever told this. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to burden you with my troubles as well as everything else. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to...”
Twilight held up a hoof and stroked her chin.
Celesta took a deep breath in. “Whatever your personal opinion is of me now, please, you have to understand my reasons for hiding the information. The necessity of it. After all this time, I still hate them so much. I would still…" She closed her eyes. "I’m sorry Twilight, I might be powerful, but I am still a pony underneath. A powerful pony, with all the accompanying base emotions. I can do so much harm... Please, we have to hide that information, I..." Her head fell. "I don’t want to be that pony again.”
Twilight wrapped her forehooves and wings around Celestia barrel, hugging her tightly. “I understand. I’ll do as you ask Princess.”
Celestia smiled down at her. “Thank you.” Her smile fell. “Now I have shown you the weak pony that I am, is it possible that we can still be friends?”
Twilight gave her a small smile. “Always.”
The smile returned as Celestia wrapped her hooves and wings around Twilight, encasing her, as Twilight hugged her back. “Thank you. Thank you so much Twilight. You don't how much that means to me."
They held the hug for minutes before Celestia spoke, an uncommon feeling of dampness on her face.
“I meant to tell you before we got… distracted. I have some good news for you...”
***
The nightmare had been elusive to find, and even harder to enter, but Luna had managed to force her way in.
The raging sandstorm limited her view to mere inches, while the wind was deafening with its roar.
Luna closed her eyes. ‘Something powerful is trying to push me back out of this nightmare. And whatever it is, it feels familiar. I know this magic, so where have I felt it before? And why does it give me a feeling of loneliness?’
She shook her head. ‘Focus. My time here is limited and that can all wait. The link is unstable and the dreamer is the priority. Let us make haste to find them.’
Turning, she trotted off towards to where she felt the sandstorm was at it’s strongest.
***
Doctor Everhealth bowed to Princess Celestia in her personal quarters.
“How did she take it Princess?”
Recently showered and still damp, Celestia smiled. “About the whole channelling magic subject: stunned. Hopefully it will give her something positive to focus on now.”
“And the other news?”
Her smile dropped for a second before returning. “Oh, you mean about her magic saturation results? She was ecstatic.”
Doctor Everhealth smiled. “First time anypony has ever been cured of magical saturation. The condition does appear to be linked to a ponies reserve. With her reserve no longer holding any magic, coupled with an alicorn’s ability to shed excess magic, she seems to be cured.” He waved a hoof. “Can’t understand why nopony thought to try that treatment before. We just need to turn the affected pony into an alicorn and then drain their reserve absolutely dry. It’s so simple really.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes so simple.” Her smile fell. “But while Twilight was ecstatic about it, she quickly quietened down when I told her that it was only herself that was cured. That her friends would still require ongoing treatment.”
Doctor Everhealth’s ears fell. “While it is possible that cutting their reserves out, or at least what passes for them in pegasus and earth ponies, might cure them, it would also...”
Celestia turned away to look out the window over Canterlot. “It would also mean that Rainbow or Fluttershy wouldn’t be able to fly, ever again. Applejack wouldn’t have her strength to buck trees. Pinkie wouldn’t, probably wouldn’t, be able to do what she does and Rarity certainly wouldn’t be able to cast any magic. They’d be shells of their former selves.” Celestia looked around. “Unacceptable!”
Doctor Everhealth tried to smile. “Agreed, but it does give us new avenues to explore though. Who knows what the future will bring. Maybe we’ll find something before… Before the situation becomes critical.”
Celestia nodded, looking back out the window. “Maybe we will find something before that happens. Now if you’ll please excuse me doctor, I have matters I need to attend to.”
Doctor Everhealth bowed and left the room.
Princess Celestia kept looking out the window.
‘Years. We still have years to find a cure.’
She smiled.
‘Another cure. We do know what -does- work, don’t we doctor. You said it yourself: ‘it’s so simple really’.’
Celestia turned and seated herself back down at her desk and levitated up a quill and parchment.
***
As Luna approached the centre of the sandstorm, the confusing and disturbing shapes which flashed continually within the storm had gotten worse.
Only one shape remained constant within the storm.
Luna looked up at it.
‘A pegasus. I wonder what significance of that shape is?’ She grimaced. ‘No time to linger. I must find the dreamer before...’
Stepping forward, Luna found herself in the eye of the storm.
With yellow sand underhoof and a bright blue sky directly overhead, everything felt unnaturally still and quiet as the storm raged around her.
“Where’s the… ?There!’
Lying face down, sprawled out in the sand, was a dark green unicorn mare. A sand drift had formed on one of her sides, spilling over her back and partially burying her.
Taking a steps towards the mare, Luna tried to call out to her. She grimaced when no sound came from her. ‘I’m fading from the dream faster than I realized. I must act before…’ Reaching her hoof out, it passed through the mare’s rear leg without stopping.
‘Damn.’
Luna put her hoof roughly on mare’s rear leg and concentrated.
‘Help! You need to let somepony help…’
Luna faded from the dream.
***
‘...You.’
Luna looked around her bedchambers and sighed.
“I hope I did enough. Something was wrong with the dream. It was failing but she wasn’t about to wake up.”
Sitting up, she levitated a glass of water over to her and took a sip.
“I shall be on the lookout for that dreamer again tomorrow night.”
Laying back on her bed, she settled down. “Now to see who else is calling out for help in their dreams.”
***
Sitting in the troop-transport sky-chariot, with the five other members of her team, Serene Mist watched as they approached the non-descript warehouse situated next to a mountain.
‘It’s right In the middle of nowhere. Can’t think of a better place for a magic disposal facitily to be honest. I hope they have restrooms.’
As they approach, all her team started looked uncomfortably at each other. All having talents related to magic, they could all feel the pressure of vast, barely suppressed, magic coming from the warehouse.
As they landed, the pressure had got a lot worse.
Serene Mist shivered. ‘You know what, I’ll think I’ll hold it. I really don’t want to go in there.’
Landing next to the chariot carrying the crystal, the captain folded his wings up and seated himself down, waiting.
After a few minutes, two ponies walked out of a small side door.
Despite neither wearing uniforms, the captain saluted each one in turn.
“Sirs. One magical crystal, for the destruction of.”
The earth pony handed him some papers. “New orders captain.”
Serene Mist watched as the captains eyebrows went up as he read them.
“They want me to take it where?! But that’s just a storage facility! Surely they want this thing destroyed?”
“The orders came all the way from the top Captain. Somepony very high up decided that they want the crystal placed into secure storage and not destroyed.”
The earth pony tapped the orders. “See, they were very specific on that detail.”
***
The sand continued to drift over her as she lay in the sand. Part of her knew this was a dream, but she didn’t care how she knew this anymore. The sand was so cool and comfortable. It promised release from the heat and rage of the storm. Release from the image tormenting her.
‘I’ll be able to let it all go once I’m buried. Soon, no more whispers, no more… him.’
She cringed.
‘Soon, no more pain, no more hurt, nothing left of value to lose…’
Only her right forehoof was left unburied by the sand now.
‘Nothing of value… Apart from friends that is.’
The hoof twitched.
‘Friends! I have frien…’
She felt her hoof being grabbed and pulled from the sand as a familiar voice spoke to her.
“Silly Sunny. You’ll miss your party...”
***
Zecora checked back on Sunbeam... and let out a sigh of relief.