//------------------------------// // 1. Vapour // Story: The Ripple Was a Tidal Wave // by Lawrin //------------------------------// The harsh sunlight intruded upon the chamber through the tall windows. It illuminated the mountain of books stacked in the corner and the form of a young mare stirring in her slumber. Her blanket was strewn across the the very bottom of her mattress. Twilight flipped onto her back with a tiny grimace. The sudden feeling of a large quantity of water on her muzzle awoke her. Startled, she tried to rise from her bed but a dark figure covered her face with her blanket. She was suffocating! Yet, Twilight didn't panic. She grabbed her opponent's tail with her magic and tugged. Hard. A squeal reached her ears and she threw her cover off. The young mare laid with her stomach on the mattress and propped her head on her hoof. Looking at her aggressor, she spoke in an annoyed tone. "I don't know why you even try, Lorigus Bacyvileía. You never win anyway." A dragon dangled upside down, held in midair by the unicorn's magic. He was of small stature and soft grey with faded blue accents. His underdeveloped wings, normally tucked in his back, were flapping furiously in an attempt to escape his older sister's clutch. "You're just angry I used the silly little blanket you love so much against you! If you sleep without one like everybody else, I can't choke you." "This is a special gift from Father and Mother! It's not silly at all!" replied Twilight hotly, shifting into a sitting position. "Besides, you don't need a blanket to attack me. You're a fotiás dragon, remember? You know, sentient reptiles that breath fire and fly? My coat is flammable so burning should be easier than suffocating." Lorigus flinched when he abruptly stopped struggling. With his wide fearful eyes, he stared intently into his sister's. His voice quivering, he declared, "I will never actually hurt you..."– he was now whispering– "Not by burning. 'Specially not by burning." Twilight discerned the dread in his voice and a part of her– a rather large one at that– wanted to give him a big bear hug until she squeezed the worry out. Instead, she gave him a smile she hoped was comforting. "I know that, you idiot." she chided softly. "Now, would you please get out while I prepare myself?" The little dragon beamed widely at her as Twilight lowered him slowly to the ground. He was walking towards the door when he exclaimed, "Oh right! Twi! Mom wanted me to fetch you while I'm here." "Understood. Tell Mother I will be there after I finish grooming." She looked up from the towel she had picked up and grinned. "So, it's twelve wins for me and none for you, huh?" Her brother closed the door behind him, grumbling about pony magic : Twilight chuckled triumphantly. ~~~ Twilight stared down at the assortment of brushes and different lotions carefully arranged in their ornate box. Her damp mane stuck uncomfortably to the nape of her neck and her forehead. She shivered slightly when the gentle breeze grazed her coat. The young mare magically picked up the drying brush and started combing through her mane and fur. She would have to repeat the same boring brushing process for about thirty times before applying all twenty types of lotion. Naturally, Twilight allowed the mechanical movements formed by habit to take over and let her mind wander freely. Traditionally, a dragon's grooming routine would consist of polishing one's scales with thirty types of stones or minerals – it depended heavily on the subject's political status – and twenty types of oils extracted from various plants and animals. But Twilight was a pony. Fortunately, her parents wanted to make sure their daughter would be included in the dragons' proud customs. They had commanded the court artisans to craft Twilight her own set, tailored to her specific needs. There were many advantages which came with being part of the royal family, she supposed. The young mare looked out of the window. Judging by the large puddles strewn on the streets, it must had stormed last night. She sincerely sympathized with the dragons living on lower levels. Twilight realized belatedly that the air was indeed quite humid. She set down her comb on her lavishly decorated vanity, allowing herself a moment of respite from the arduous routine. She stuck her head out of the opal frame which served as her window. Twilight was once again grateful for the enchantment placed upon the it: the magic regulated the passing of weather conditions. The Dragon's Faith dictated that connecting with nature was a vital part of life and they believed that communication could be achieved by allowing the elements to affect oneself. Of course, some were more rigid about the customs than others: as an example, Twilight had known an old maid who had requested a room without a roof several years ago. For families like the Bacyvileía's, the use of charmed window frames were common. In such a way, they could freely adjust the level of intensity to suit oneself. After a few moments relishing in the feeling of the wind in her mane, Twilight guiltily remembered her mother waiting for her. She sat reluctantly and went back to brushing her coat. Once she completed the tedious procedure, she eyed her reflection in the highly polished silver mirror. The young mare's adult entourage had often pointed out the inconspicuous yet tangible changes that occurred on Twilight's body: her horn was gently curved and the tip was coloured white; her pupils were slitted, just like the ones of a cat; light marks streaked from the middle of her eyes to just below her cheekbones. Like tear streaks, she had thought. Her coat had also darkened over the years and a subtle, thin line of white scales had grown on her spine. It trailed from her neck down to the base of her tail. Her royal uncle had once explained that the land's magic was affecting her physique because her species was unadapted to it. The changes on her body were indications of the subtle morphing of her own magic. Her gaze swept lower and the unicorn saw the mark – a pink six-pointed star circled by five smaller white one – on her rump. Twilight shuddered as the memory of that day resurfaced in her mind. The excruciating pain coursing through her tiny body while she had vainly fought to control her magical surge was something she would forever remember. But the worst part was perhaps the what the event had forced her to conclude. ~~~ The temple was strangely tranquil for a place where dozens of priests and priestesses went to and fro. Lying on the marble floor, Twilight looked up. The white stone pillars stretched towards the heavens in a hopeless attempt to reach it. The idols carved from the tip seemed endlessly less significant than they usually would. Maybe it was the whole point. The sky was clear and the air was cool. She watched the lazy shifting of the rare, thin clouds. Stars were sprinkled all over and they twinkled in an oddly lively manner. Amongst the mass of tiny white points, the silver moon gleamed and shone serenely. The zephyr gradually dried her damp coat and the candles girding the earthy mound flickered faintly. The stream surrounding them flowed, singing a pleasant crystalline melody. It was a mid-summer night. Twilight's ear perked when they heard the approaching footsteps. The filly forced herself to rise as regally as possible to prepare to greet the priests and priestesses who would execute the cleansing ceremony alongside her mother, high-priestess Ágieros. They bowed in greeting and the dragons encircled the heap of earth. Her mother entered last. She smiled at her little filly when she spotted her and took her place: the centre. Twilight crossed the water and sat on the grass, ready to witness one of the four most sacred rituals. She wished she could help but knew that her magic was sadly inappropriate. The arcane chanting commenced and Twilight allowed the rhythm to lull her into a peaceful trance. Tiny orbs of light slowly swirled around and above. The sense of peace brusquely changed. It was replaced by something similar but inherently different. Her body was lifted into midair by the magic coursing through her body. It was a music impossible to read: it was fast yet slow, it was a jerky staccato but also a smooth glissando. A powerful feeling of belongingness washed over and Twilight relished in it. It felt wonderful and the filly briefly thought that whatever connected with her must have been something beautiful beyond words. Then, the agony tore in. It was as if a spear of ice punctured all her internal organs, shattering her body into minuscule pieces. A unimaginable pressure closed on her and Twilight could have sworn her horn was ground into fine dust. When she opened her mouth, she must have swallowed thousands of needles because she felt them lodged firmly in her throat. From her eyes leaked tears. Her vision was blurred but she could still perceive the orange sparks: her coat had combusted. Twilight finally managed to scream. She was only dimly aware of the dragons closing in, chanting furiously; she was too far gone. The pain worsened and worsened until it came to an abrupt halt. Her body fell on the ground with a sickening crunch and she would've sensed something tickling her rump had she not been so near unconsciousness. Twilight felt a big warm claw caress her with infinite finesse. A distinct voice broke through the buzzing and urged the others to carry her away. She did not hear where to. The voice sounded tearful. The filly was very very concerned but her body wouldn't move. She couldn't open her mouth to reassure the one stroking her sides. She couldn't lift her hoof to wipe away the tears. She couldn't even smile to console the broken voice. Suddenly, Twilight had an urge to cry too. The incessant buzzing grew louder and darkness swallowed her. When she woke up, the first things Twilight saw were big bandaged claws clutching her hoof tightly and a white feathery wing covering half of her bed. Her eyes moved up. Her mother was lying at her bedside with a blanket clumsily wrapped around her waist. Evidently, her three years old brother struggled to cover their mother in a caring gesture but gave up halfway. Twilight tried to grin feebly but white hot pain shot through her and she gasped. It discouraged her from any other movement thereafter. A few moments later, her father pushed the door open and entered the room with Lor following him. Glaurenberg saw Twilight watching and a beamed brilliantly. "How is my cute little pony doing? How do you feel? Do you need anything?" He seemed to be awaiting answers but upon Twilight's continued stare filled with frantic alarm, he said. "Oh right. I'm sorry. I forgot you can't move... which is a strange thing to forget considering you're bandaged all over." He waved his hand vaguely over his daughter's body while approaching the bed. He eyed his sleeping wife and smiled tenderly. "You slept for over two days. Your mother insisted to stay with you all this time." He sat on the opposite side of Ágieros and clutched Twilight's available hoof just as tightly as his wife. "I am so happy you're fine. I wanted to stay too, but um, there were... er, emergencies..." he trailed off, voiced tense and strained. The implication was clear. Twilight might have been a young filly but she was educated in all the domain an emperor would be. The population was unhappy. Twilight Bacyvileía, the controversial honorary princess, had interrupted a sacred dragon ritual. Surely, as a pony, she would have no qualm in disturbing the order of nature so important to a race beneath her own and injuring the high-priestess, her kind mother. Or so must have been told the story spreading like wildfire. Twilight always knew she was mostly tolerated at best, despised at worst ; the hatred especially apparent in places further away from the capital. They seemed to view her as an intruder, a self-entitled individual from a race that knew nothing of dragons. Oddly enough, instead of the wretched feeling Twilight had expected, her mind only numbly acknowledged the news. Something stirred beside her. Ágieros slowly lifted her head and froze for a few seconds when she saw her daughter blink back. Next, she burst into tears. It was obvious that the white dragon was using all her willpower not to simply launch herself onto her little filly and squeeze her in a motherly embrace. Glaurenberg gave Twilight a sympathetic grin. It took several minutes for Ágieros to calm down. At her husband's urging, she stifled a sob and started to recount the happenings from after Twilight fainted. The distance between the temple and the hospital had been huge but Twilight's life had been sustained through the effort of the dozen of panicking priests. They'd efficiently transported the filly out of the temple and descended upon the red sandstone hospital. The nurse who'd received them – Ms. Wendika, she was called – had only allowed herself an instant of confusion before leading them to the emergency wards. She had performed first aid on Twilight's burns while waiting for the doctor to arrive. Her condition had been stabilized by the time Glaurenberg had reached the hospital and had started to demand to see his daughter. "Because yes, your father ordered them to lead him to you," said Ágieros with a smirk. "He even invoked the Royal Name because they hesitated. I must say though, it was a sensible decision to take a few minutes and examine that strange, panicking, very – and I do mean very – disheveled black dragon. He probably looked a tiny bit insane. Just enough to get his very own personal ward." By the end of Ágieros' sentence, Glaurenberg was of a noticeable red shade, which was an incredible feat considering he was entirely black. "At least, I was not the one being restrained by half a dozen full grown dragons because the doctor seemed to cause their cute little filly pain while bandaging her." This time, it was her mother that sported a heavy blush, readily apparent against her stark white skin. She tried to hide it by burying her face into her wing. "It must be my motherly instinct." she muttered. "Anyhow, the priests and the disciples wanted to come see you but the nurse refused since you needed quiet to rest. They should be able to visit now. I will go bring them up. Oh yes, they have their own room now since Ms. Wendika was tired of seeing them crowd the waiting room." "Wait a minute, Ági," said Glaurenberg. "I have to pick something up at the front desk ; I will go with you. Now, Lorigus, come with Dad." Lorigus stayed firmly seated on his chair, seemingly unwilling to move. "Do you want to stay with Twily and look after her?" asked his father in a hesitant voice. The infant nodded firmly. "Um, okay then. We will be back in no time. Remember to behave, son." The moment the door closed, Lor scuttled towards Twilight and climbed on the stool where his mother sat. He kneeled on it and gripped Twilight's hoof with his tiny claws. It was becoming a very popular gesture in her family, she remarked. Must have been because it was the only part that wasn't horribly burnt. Her brother locked his eyes with her. "Twi not wowwy. Low becom' wawy-a when big an' pwotect Twi. Pwotect Twi fwom fwya." he said with a utter and complete conviction only a child could muster. Twilight knew he must have been scared because his voice quivered slightly. But his pale blue burned with determination and Twilight felt a surge of pride towards her brother. He would indeed make a fine warrior. Apparently satisfied with his heroic speech, he found an empty spot on his sister's bed and curled up to sleep. Twilight stayed wide awake in a lethargy. The door crept open and almost two dozen dragons filed in. They were arguing in hushed tones whether they should wake Twilight or not. "They somehow managed to multiply over the course of four hours. I believe they really like you, Twilight." said Ágieros in tired amusement. The whispers stop and everyone turned to stare at the injured filly. A collective sigh of relief was heard in the room. Then, a monstrous cacophony erupted. "Twilight! We were so worried–" "You were almost dead–" "We need to get you out of here, the food is–" "You look in such a bad shape–" "Is it still hurting?" Facing the chaos, Twilight was overwhelmed. She scrambled for words before remembering she couldn't speak anyway. Fortunately, Glaurenberg seemed to have noticed her dismay and silenced the room. "Now, I'm sure Twilight would like to hear what occurred during and after the ceremony." he said, glancing at the unmoving filly. In reality, she didn't want to know the cause of her outburst. However, unable to refuse, she braced herself as well as she could. Something akin to dread rose to the surface of her consciousness. "Oh, of course. Since she seems so curious." an elderly blue dragon said. He cleared his throat and started. Twilight silently wished for a disturbance or anything that could stop the words from flowing out of the elder's mouth. Nothing happened. He went on a long-winded narration stuffed with flowery and poetic language by the end of which the filly felt like curling up to sleep with her undisturbed brother. To summarize the story, the priests had been performing the ritual like usual and everything had been proceeding smoothly. That is, until they'd felt heat on one side of their circle. When they'd opened their eyes, they had spotted a flaming Twilight. Of course, they'd disturbed their circle and had rushed to help their whimpering friend. The rest was history. "The weird part is that nobody felt the magic changing," said a young priestess. "And even though the ceremony was cut right in the middle, the magic feels the same as it usually is after a complete ritual. Makes you wonder what's happening, doesn't it?" The adults continued talking between between them while Twilight tuned out. They were all wondering why they hadn't sensed the surge coming miles away. There was in fact one explanation to everything. But it was one which nobody wanted to acknowledge. Twilight Bacyvileía was the danger. Suddenly, as the realization struck her mercilessly, all the feelings she tried to block with numbness drowned her. The acute shame at causing all the trouble, at injuring her mother, and simply at her sheer incompetency in controlling her own abilities crushed her heart. Twilight had always secretly wished more than anything to be loved by the people and help running the country. She could have become an advisor to the future emperor or empress. She had wished to make her parents and uncle proud, make them never regret adopting her, loving her. Instead, she was the hazardous element in a terrifying equation. Twilight's magic – one she had always loved despite its deviation from the norm – was a threat to her beloved country, to its citizens and to all the dragons so very precious to her. Excitement throbbed in the air as the adults discussed celebrations for Twilight's eventual recovery. The little filly's dreams and hopes were silently extinguished like a dying star overlooked by all. For over four months, Twilight Bacyvileía was unable to use her magic. ~~~ Twilight arrived in the dining hall and smiled at the peaceful scenery her family painted. She sat at the excessively long table while her brother recounted animatedly his confrontation with her. "Then whoosh she used magic again so she won. Again. It's super duper unfair!" "Really? I simply utilized all my assets to my own benefit and maximized its effects. You can't accuse me of anything concrete." said Twilight. Lorigus proceeded to pout in that dangerously cute manner that always managed to soften her somehow. "Good morning sweetie," said her father with a grin. "You should eat fast, your uncle wishes to see you afterwards." "So early in the morning? Is there a problem?" asked Twilight worriedly. "Oh no. I believe it's a good news. I can't tell you however ; Brother would surely like to announce it to you personally." "But Mother needs assistance with her morning rituals..." "You don't have to worry about that, honey," said Ágieros. "We will have enough members now that Priest Voithós and Pristess Daro are back from the western campaign." The young mare nodded in understanding but apprehension coiled her stomach. Twilight ignored it. ~~~ Moondancer walked into the resting area chatting excitedly with a grey mare. "... and that's why I believe Haycartes' theory of matter transposition can be applied to second degree universes," she concluded. Twilight Velvet smiled affectionately. "I'm glad to that see my favourite student hadn't changed much. 'Oh, I'm the saviour of Equestria now. Never mind that, did you know an ancient spell forgotten by the world can be revamped? It's totally useless but the theory's fascinating!'" "W-well, it is! You can't pretend you're not interested," retorted Moondancer as she felt her cheeks warming. "We're sure it's interesting, Moonie, but it's not the time for this. The great and powerful Trixie needs her daily dose of theine the researchers have so cruelly denied her," declared a blue unicorn, throwing her cape back with a flourish. "In other words, we're going to a tea sho–" Trixie stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened comically and words stumbled out of her mouth. She was frantically trying to analyze the situation. "Oh, uh... Hiya there– I mean greetings– Mrs. Velvet. I hope you are well... What are you doing here? Is there a field trip for school foals? No! Wait! You're a researcher here. I knew that... I'm not causing trouble!" "Nice to meet you again too, Bellatrix. I can see you're not showering fireworks on the staff here like you used to." Moondancer noticed the almost predatory grin on Mrs. Velvet's face and concluded that her favourite teacher hadn't changed much either. "Well, Trixie, where are the other girls?" asked Moondancer in an effort to steer the conversation in a less embarrassing direction for her best friend. "Er, Lemon Hearts and Minuette went to the restroom a while ago," said Trixie, obviously grateful for the distraction. "Twinkleshine and Lyra are not done with the examinations yet and Bonbon went to buy"– she shuddered– "coffee. Let's sit somewhere and wait for them." The three mares found a free sofa and conversed for a while. Then Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Lyra and Bonbon joined in one by one. "By the way, how is Shiny doing? I heard he became Captain of the Royal Guards. I had thought he might change majors and become a teacher or something at some point since he was so good with kids when we were younger. Oh right, how is Cadance? It's still kind of unbelievable a princess babysat us but there we were. Sorry, off topic. Anyways. Is she doing anything in particular? Is she seeing someone? Ooh, let me guess. I'd say she's dating Shiny!" babbled Minuette with her usual overflowing amount of enthusiasm. Mrs. Velvet lit up and a broad grin split her face. "I'm glad you mentioned this. Shining is getting married to Cadance! Princess Celestia herself would be presiding the wedding. The news is not very known yet but I suppose the princess will announce it soon." Moondancer wasn't expecting to hear that. Anypony from her old class could have predicted this outcome, if the sweet way they used look at each other during their volunteering periods was anything to go by. It simply happened earlier than anticipated. Nevertheless, she felt overjoyed for them. They were such wonderful ponies by themselves but formed an even more delightful couple and truly deserved to find happiness together. The atmosphere was quickly charged with excitement and the chatter continued a while until Mrs. Velvet excused herself, her obligations calling her to elsewhere. They didn't have to wait long for a relatively disgruntled Twinkleshine to appear in the hall, stomping the ground a little harder than usual. With a puzzled look on her face, Lyra asked, "What's wrong, Twinkle? You look kind of angry. Well, I mean, as angry as you can look." "I am kind of angry, Lyra. That inspector just wouldn't believe me when I told him that nothing changed, the pillar of Recognition is the same as ever, yadda yadda yadda. He just outright dismissed me! He even dared to tell me I don't understand my own magic. And those useless tests he passed..." Moondancer could feel Twinkleshine's temper flaring as she ranted on a few minutes before cooling down speedily. "In the end, he was forced to admit defeating Nightmare Moon did nothing. He didn't apologize for wasting my time," she ended resignedly. "That sounds awful, Twinkle. I believe a trip to the tea shop, basking in their aromatic and relaxing scent, ought to do you some good," said Trixie. "You just want tea, don't you?" asked Moondancer, amused. Her best friend sniffled once as they exited the shiny building that was the headquarters of the Advanced Magical Research and Learning Institute. "I feel insulted that you thought I had ulterior motives, dear Moonie. I suggested tea because it is truly the best therapy for any kind troubles, mind you. In fact, any problem should be resoluble as long as you have enough of that delicious and miraculous beverage. Though you might be a teeny tine bit right," conceded the blue unicorn in a low voice. Moondancer was trying hard to hold back her laughter when a letter appeared in front of her in a soft yellow flash. Momentarily destabilized, she stumbled backwards and fell on her flank. She heard a sigh on her left. "It's been years since you started to exchange letters like that with the princess. How can you still be surprised by one?" mocked Lemon Hearts in a gentle tone as she help Moondancer to her hooves. Moondancer gave her a sheepish grin. She tore the seal off and her eyes scanned the letter written with a remarkable penmanship. She lowered the letter when she finished and sent it to her apartments in the castle, right on her desk. She looked at her curious friends and said, "Princess Celestia is summoning me for tomorrow morning. She told me to bring the Pillars of Order too. I guess it should be related to Shining and Cadance's wedding." At those words, Lyra smiled at Bonbon apologetically, "I guess you'd have to wait outside then." "When do I ever not?" sighed tiredly the candy mare. "Cheer up, Bonbon. Today is not tomorrow yet so we're going to stay with you for a while, to bring you to a tea house namely, before scathingly abandoning you in the beautiful yet cold building that is the Canterlot Castle where you will lose yourself and thus never see ponykind ever again. Maybe this time will be my final attempt to convert you. I shall at last convince you that tea is superior to your horrid coffee." Bonbon snorted. "Not likely Trixie, but nice try." A smirk formed on her features and she added, "All hail coffee overlord. Guide us to destroy the pitiful ones that are the tea blends." Trixie made a defiant noise. "I refuse to take part in your pathetic attempt at a childish squabble. Now if you would please excuse me, it's time for business at the Flowery Aroma & Delicate China. Tea, tea, tea!" Trixie exclaimed as she trotted bouncily. Truly, Trixie never fails to entertain, thought Moondancer. "Man, sometimes I wonder if Trixie isn't actually from Great Briddleton," mused Minuette.