Act III-B - Let’s Do Research!
Deep in a cavern near the top of Mount Canterlot, Princess Luna paced back and forth in the darkness, mumbling incoherently to herself.
“Damnable! For all the ages passed I have never felt this way, and yet my sister calls this to be an omen of bad tidings! Now, with the target or would be initiator of my feelings out of sight, I can neither disprove her theory or validate my own heart!”
Luna stopped, stamping her hooves, then shouted to the ceiling. “Heavens, am I cursed to love and be denied or to be puppeted without strings for evidence!? What will you have of me!?”
Her mighty yell shook the walls and reverberated deep into the mountain. In response, several eyes snapped open in the darkness, glinting amber with cat’s-eye pupils. Stirred from their slumber, they watched their princess as she continued to plod around the catacombs in frustration, ready to do her bidding at a moment’s notice.
Yet soon, the princess could handle no more pacing, no more mumbling, and no more shouting. She found her way to a dark corner and lay down in a huff, taking a moment to calm herself before performing any other task. After a few deep breaths, she summoned a small writing desk and an aged book with exposed, Coltic binding embossed on the front with a crescent moon. Now seemingly calm, Luna carefully opened the diary, lifted her quill, and began to write.
I am at wit’s end. For one moment, I thought to gain a new friend in our odd arrival, now I am neither sure of his intent or mine.
Let me recount the events.
Sir David of Earth was distraught in mind this first night, something that is expected due to his circumstance. I chose to visit him after I noticed his retreat from the dreamscape to assess his condition. While there, we both spoke candidly, perhaps too much so on my part.
As we conversed, I felt friendship blossom and let it take root. However, that was not all. Somewhere in the back of my mind, other thoughts were planted. I am not quite sure if they are my own or from another.
I remembered the warmth I felt from his body during our first conversation when I made contact with him. It was… pleasurable, more so than I had experienced outside the embrace of my sister. I chose to seek more of it from Sir David. Again, I cannot be sure if it was my will, though, or perhaps his own.
What I found was more of the same. No, ‘the same’ does it an injustice. It was pleasure and comfort beyond bounds. I recalled internally that the peace I felt was like unto a foal. With his arms wrapped around me and my fur against his flesh, I could sleep away all wars and maladies. And sleep I did.
Damnable, Luna! Your actions have paved the way for contention! I knew at the time that my sister would not approve, and should I have shown a modicum of restraint, I would most likely not be in the situation I am currently in.
I somewhat intended to hide my inappropriate actions from my sister, though through casual conversation this morning at breakfast, it became evident to her. My mind raced to alleviate her fears, but they only poured fuel on the flames. Currently, she is somewhat convinced that I am under Sir David’s spell, and I cannot disprove that notion on my own.
However, more trouble was yet to be discovered. As soon as we confronted Sir David, mostly at the behest of my sister, I felt a new feeling well within me. Sister suggested appropriately that we be separated, but the mere thought sent my mind spinning. I did not want to be separated from him, and I spoke as such. Tia would have none of it, and I remember feeling actions would prove to her what words could not. I… I moved to Sir David’s side and after gazing into his eyes, I took his lips for my own.
What has come over me!?
That, unfortunately, was not the last. As I… kissed him, a change in magic was sensed by my sister. Letting out a frightful cry, she pulled me from his side and back to hers. She explained that while I was engaged, she could feel magic being drawn through her carefully crafted ward. The magic was being taken by Sir David!
I did not want to believe it, but through the lens of my own magic, I could see a conduit of power leading from myself to his own body. It gave me pause, but only for a moment. We both accused and interrogated him of his intent, but his words calmed me, and I sensed the truth in them… I hope. Sister was not as forgiving and is now quite set against either of us coming in contact with him.
Perhaps she is right, though secretly I hope she is not.
I have agreed to her demands; for now, they are most reasonable. I will wait for Twilight and Cadance to arrive, as they are already on their way. Through their combined experience, hopefully, they will unravel these mysteries laid before us.
Will my new thoughts and feelings for this stranger be validated, or will I be discovered to be a captured pawn in a nefarious plot?
Please, I beg, let harmony prevail, and all be well. I do not wish for another Nightmare.
Spent, the moon princess closed her book, lay down on the cool floor, and let sleep dry her tears.
***
Elsewhere, two young princesses talked as they meandered through the halls of the castle.
“I don’t know, Cadance, while I’m glad that Celestia and the guards checked out since we didn’t get to meet with Luna, it may not be the best idea to expose ourselves to the specimen in question. Shouldn’t we follow the containment protocol and start from the least exposed and then move up to the source?”
“Oh, Twilight, can’t you be just a bit more positive about this whole thing?” Cadance shook her head in disbelief. “We performed a very thorough examination of the guards and found absolutely nothing. No threatening pathogens, no residual magic, not even a bit of mental suggestions or impressions. The same with Aunty—she seemed fit as a fiddle, except for her mood.”
“Yes, and I stand behind our diagnosis. It was a good idea for them to follow my new first contact protocol. I’m so excited!” Twilight’s wings fluttered to emphasize her words.
“I can imagine. I know how much you’ve enjoyed blending science in with the governance of Equestria, and I’m sure all of the ideas you’ve implemented will be of help in the Crystal Empire as well.” Cadence smiled at the young alicorn’s enthusiasm.
“Just doing what I can. But I’ll admit that you’re right. Since Luna decided to hide from us, and all Celestia said was to ‘give her time,’ I suppose we should continue on with the investigation. Even though our mission has expanded, we still need to make sure that the specimen is not being negatively affected by exposure to Equestria as well,” Twilight rattled off from her mental checklist.
Cadance frowned slightly. “I’m glad you agree, though I wish you’d stop referring to him as a ‘specimen.’ He may be of foreign origin, but as an intelligent, rational being, he deserves to not be labeled only for scientific study.”
Twilight shrank slightly at the mild rebuke. “Okaaay. I’ll try to be a bit more congenial with, uh, him. You did say it is a male, correct?”
“Yes, Twi. David is a he.”
“Whaaat? I’m just staying open to the possibility that his race isn’t sexually dimorphic and that we shouldn’t be so quick to make that assumption,” Twilight defended.
“Oh please. Are you suggesting that Celestia improperly identified him?”
To Twilight’s credit, she had learned to tone down her natural reaction to such a suggestion, settling for giving Cadance a dirty look. “No. Just that I prefer to draw my own conclusions.”
“Well, I look forward to your analysis. And… we’re here.” They rounded the last bend and saw the solitary door in the middle of the hall.
“That is the room where HE is located?”
Cadance smirked at Twilight’s snark. “Ha, ha, yes. Now I’ll go ahead and cast the protective wards over us so that you’ll be free to concentrate your magic on the evaluation. Sound good?”
“Yes. Please begin.”
Cadance closed her eyes and pulled at her reserves of magic. Using a combination of spells—protection, health, and mind shielding—she prepared to defend the two of them with the best the School of Magic could devise. Her horn lit up as she prepared to fire the spell, light seeping from below her closed eyelids, and with a bright flash the color of the sky, the spell was cast.
A shimmering blue layer resonated over the coats of the two mares, dimming slightly as time passed, but the protection did not lose any of its power. Only a faint glow of Cadance’s magic was visible on the tip of her horn as she continued to support and monitor her wards.
Twilight utilized her own magic and tested Cadance’s magical barrier for its effectiveness. “Yes, this will do quite nicely. Maybe you should write a few papers of your own.”
Cadance smiled, her eyes opening slowly, the glow of magic now lost from them. “Who says I haven’t already started to put ink to paper? After the changelings and protecting the Empire from Sombra, I wanted to share the benefits of protective magic with the world. Still, I’m simply not as prolific a writer as you are.” She gently nudged her sister and friend.
“Well, I can’t wait to read it. Maybe you’ll let me help edit it?”
“Of course!” Cadance replied. “After my staff does a first pass-through, though. Nopony needs to see the mess that is my raw, un-edited writings.”
“Okay,” Twilight said, sounding a bit crestfallen.
“Oh, Twily, you don’t have to wait that long. We can just talk about it!”
“Thanks. I suppose, though, that we should continue with our current job. It may not require much magic to be continuously channeled into these wards, but you said they still only last for thirty or so minutes before expiring, correct?”
“Yes, that’s the limit before they must be canceled and reapplied. This is to prevent any complications when the wards encounter other magics, externally or that we cast, which might cause them to fail unexpectedly if somepony attempted to use the wards indefinitely.”
At that, Twilight re-lit her horn and focused for a minute. “Okay, I’ve done a basic sweep of the room. I think it will be okay for us to enter now.”
“Did you see what he was doing?” Cadance asked.
“The speci— Ahem, he still seems to be asleep. And if he wasn’t already, I cast a temporary sleeping spell that should leave him unconscious and unaware that we were ever there.”
“Hmm. While that sounds like a safe method to use, it doesn’t seem too ethical.”
Twilight raised her nose a bit into the air. “I don’t want to take any chances, and we need to be able to conduct our examination without any possible complications. He was told that we were coming, and I think that notice will suffice for now.”
Cadance raised a brow. “Sure.”
The two walked to the door, looked at each other, and then nodded in affirmation.
Cadance gently pushed the heavy door open with her hoof, allowing the light from the hallway to illuminate the interior. There lay the object of their study: David, the human from Earth, sleeping soundly in his bed, covers neatly tucked in around him. He slept on his back, a gentle snore resounding as he slowly breathed.
Entering first, Twilight found the gas lamp and turned it up to its brightest setting. The light fully illuminated the room, and the two looked around.
Now in full investigative mode, Twilight began to make an internal catalog and checklist of everything she saw.
‘Nothing abnormal here. Clothes, some leftover food, quill, ink, and paper. Check!’
She scanned each and every item and furnishing with her magic, looking for signs of foreign elements, possible vectors of disease and magical residue. Finding none, she let out a sigh.
‘Check!’ she internally remarked.
“Something wrong?” Cadance asked.
“Nope, everything here is perfectly clean and safe. The few organics and other microbes that I can find here are already present in our world and would cause us no issues if exposed.”
‘Check!’
“That’s good to hear.”
“Now, on to the real prize,” Twilight said with a grin.
“Now, Twilight, stay professional.”
“Always!” Twilight replied with a slightly manic grin.
Twilight turned to the sleeping human. She looked at his peaceful face, and what she could see of his shoulders, but the rest was covered by the sheets of the bed.
She lit her horn and grasped the sheets at the top, near his chest, then slowly pulled them toward the foot of the bed. As soon as she had freed them from being tucked in at his sides, she quickly yanked the covers up and off the human in a flourish.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!” she screamed.
Cadance looked at her startled partner and lifted a brow. “Really, Twilight, you’re going to have the guards marching in on us if you aren’t quieter.”
“Bbuh, but that!” She turned her face away and pointed at the now fully revealed human. Although he wore a robe, it seemed to have been only loosely wrapped around him. What now was displayed before her, she had only seen the likes of in books, and never en vita.
“So, does this validate your mentor’s conclusion?” Cadance asked playfully.
“How can you be so… so calm?” Twilight held up a trembling hoof to her blushing face.
“Twilight, I’m married. And you have a brother! Surely you’ve seen one before.”
“No! Nope, nuh uh. Well, I mean diagrams in books, yes. But this isn’t like that.”
“Well,” Cadance started, “you have to start somewhere!”
Cadance lifted her hoof to the bed and gathered the corner of the sheets. She swiftly pulled the corner up to the man’s navel, effectively masking what had startled her sister.
“There, all safe. Let’s get back to business,” Cadance deadpanned.
“Thank you. Yes.” Twilight shook her head a bit and slapped her cheeks with her hooves. “Business.”
The two looked over the exposed human male, noting his flesh and the sparse fur or hair that grew in places. They inspected his face, teeth, nose, and eyes which looked empty in the magically-induced slumber.
“Can he see us?” Cadance asked.
“No. I’ve blocked his sensory input, so he won’t feel, see, smell, or hear a thing.”
“Lucky,” Cadance mumbled under her breath.
“I heard that.”
“Sorry!” Cadance said with a honeyed voice as she batted her eyelashes.
Twilight rolled her eyes, then went back to her mental checklist and started on the next item. She produced a magically-conjured tape measure and sized up the sleeping man’s features roughly, as she did not want to actually touch him.
“He isn’t going to bite, you know.”
“Yes. Well, we only know that for sure because he’s unconscious,” Twilight replied.
Finishing up her notes on his basic structure and measurements, Twilight smiled a bit.
‘So much DATA! Check!’ she thought to herself.
She put away her tape and put more magic into her horn, taking the human’s vitals and scanning for possible disease and conditions.
“From what I can tell, he is reasonably healthy. He has already produced a decent immune response to the few microorganisms that he was not already exposed to in his world. I don’t think that he will get very sick here.”
“What about magic?”
“Let me see.”
Twilight lit her horn and closed her eyes. The immense energy of the Element of Magic coursed through her and invigorated her entire being. With eyes white with power, she looked upon her charge and observed him in a manner few could… as the latent magic everything in the world possessed.
“I don’t believe it,” Twilight stated simply.
“What?”
“Well, for once, I think his own assessment was correct. He has NO magic of his own.”
“Huh? But… that’s impossible!” Cadance looked over to him, questions on her mind.
“Indeed. That is what I would’ve said before now as well. All things in our world have some magic in them, as they were born from magic in some way. But he has none of his own.”
“You keep saying ‘of his own.’ ”
“Yes. He does have a small amount of magical energy centered in his chest, not flowing through the rest of him as it would anypony or anything else. That magic is actively diminishing, but at an infinitesimal rate. I can tell that the magic is alicorn in nature.”
“Oh, my.” Cadance recognized what the implications were. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” Twilight allowed her energy levels to return to a normal state. Staring at David again, she wondered what this could mean.
“I did not see any magical connection, as Celestia had reported to us. Not a bit of magic was flowing into him. However, I do feel that there is somewhat of a vacuum or negative magical pressure around him. It’s almost as if his body is asking for, or seeking out, magic. The odd thing is that it does not seem to be attracted to either of us.”
“Well, that seems to be good news, right?”
“Only time will tell. Come now, let’s go before the wards expire. We need to compare notes and make our first report.”
“Agreed.”
Cadance went nearer to the bedside and took hold of the sheets again, pulling them up over the sleeping man as they had found him. With her magic, she gently tucked him into bed as gently as possible and wished him sweet dreams in a low whisper.
Twilight watched her sister tending to the man, and looked on, perplexed.
“Why are you doing that?” she asked.
“I felt, after the rough way you exposed him, that somepony should put him back as we found him. It would be the kind thing to do.”
“Well, yes. I suppose. I just don’t know if I’m ready to get quite that close to him yet.”
Cadance chuckled. “Oh, Twily, you will find somepony to get close to soon enough. I’m sorry that your first exposure to a male was so visceral, though.”
“I can handle it, for academia and for the Princess. But only for study.”
“That’s the professional I expected. Now let’s get going.”
Turning down the lamp, the two left David’s room, closed the door, and beckoned to the guard stationed further down that they were done and that he could resume his post.
The two princesses walked slowly down the hall together, and as they walked, a naughty grin grew on Cadance’s face.
“I’m glad that, um, Sir David was healthy.” Twilight looked forward, not noticing Cadance’s expression.
“Quite so. He was an exceptional specimen,” Cadance said in her best Sparkle-impression.
Twilight stopped and looked at her strangely. “Really?”
“Oh, yes. Though not quite the length and girth of Shiny, he could give most stallions a run for their bits,” she said plainly.
“AHHHH! No! Not helping, NOT HELPING!!!” Twilight yelled as she galloped off.
Cadance just sat there giggling in the halls, almost succumbing to the laughing fit as it threatened to bring her to the ground. ‘Worth it!’
***
Twilight and Cadance now stood before Celestia in her study, giving their report.
Cadance started, “So, our initial findings are that Sir David is in good health and that both he and Equestrians should not suffer from any medical contamination being together. The pathogens he has brought with him are either already present here or are of such similar genetic pattern that they would cause no harm to the public. The same can be said likewise for our pathogens, as the few that he did not have in his world, his immune system is responding appropriately to with no negative outcomes foreseeable.”
From this news, Celestia began to wear a much happier expression than she did when the two young alicorns saw her earlier. “Thank you, Cadance, that is excellent news. Twilight, were you able to draw any conclusions about his magic or about what happened to Luna?”
“Sorry, Celestia, we have a few answers, but no conclusions yet. What we did learn is that the human—” Twilight paused to cough. “Ahem, that Sir David does not possess any magic of his own.”
“That is odd, but coming from another world, I suppose it is not impossible,” Celestia commented.
“Yes, I agree,” added Twilight. “However, there is… more. While he did not possess his own magic, we did find a small bit inside him. It was alicorn in nature, but I was not able to tell any more about the source, purpose, or how it got there.”
“I see.” At this news, Celestia’s countenance grew dim.
“The magic within him is dwindling at a very slow rate. It could be either dissipating or being used up, I’m not sure.”
“I see. Did you find any indication that he may be able to control or compel somepony?”
Cadance took a step forward. “No, we did not. And I certainly doubt he would be able to do so with such little magical power. I’ve seen the worst kinds of mind control, they all consume vast amounts of power and require quite a bit of control. Magically, I think it is beyond his capability.”
“And you, Twilight?”
“I agree with Cadance. If he is using some other method, it has yet to be seen. But with magic? It seems impossible. The residual magic we found in him doesn’t seem to have been assimilated; it might not be compatible with him. It doesn’t even expand to fill his body, as it would any other creature, but instead, is concentrated in a small clump in his chest.”
“That is most unusual indeed,” Celestia expressed. “What of the magical drain? Did you find any evidence of the link Luna saw of that I felt?”
Twilight sighed. “No. Not a trace. And without further study of both Luna, and of Luna and Sir David together, I don’t think we will be able to learn much more,” Twilight added.
“Hmm. Do you think this as well, Cadance?”
“Yes, Aunty. I think our first priority is to make sure Luna is alright. But for us to be as sure as possible, we will have to see what happens if they are brought into closer proximity.”
Celestia looked pensive for a moment, then spoke. “You think the effects might have a range. That does make sense, as magic expended or acted upon has a finite supply. Extending the range at which a target is affected greatly increases the power requirement.” She sighed. “Very well, I will agree to the study of Luna in closer proximity to Sir David, but only after she receives a clean bill of health from the both of you.”
“Was someone speaking of us?” Luna said as she flew into Celestia’s study from the balcony.
“Luna!” Twilight called out. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Well, yes, my apologies for not being present earlier. I… needed some time to myself.”
“That is quite alright, sister because you have returned to us now,” Celestia said with a smile.
“What is the state of the investigation?” Luna asked.
Twilight stepped toward Luna. “Our first priority is to make sure you’re okay. We can fill you in on our findings as we do that if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course. I am sorry to have made you worry.”
“We all forgive you, Lulu. Now, please let Twilight and Cadance check on you. I am sure we will have more to talk about when you are finished.”
“Yes, sister. Let us begin.”
With that, Celestia rose to freshen up in her bathroom, as she had an important meeting pending. At the same time, Twilight and Cadance began poking and prodding at Luna, examining her much in the same way they did David, except for the one difference of Luna being awake. And though Luna did her best to be quiet and compliant, she quickly grew bored. Cadance noticed her flagging mood and tried a different tactic.
“So, Luna… what made you want to talk to Sir David in the first place?” Cadance asked, prompting Twilight to flash her a scowl.
“Let us see… I suppose it was more due to curiosity than anything else. After court adjourned, I sensed that Sir David had awakened from his nightmares. At that point, I decided to visit, but not to stay. However, when I arrived, rather than find a tormented, downtrodden soul, I found a man who, after I announced my presence, tried to hastily clothe himself, only to clumsily fall over the foot of his own bed and onto the floor. His actions surprised me so much that I could not stifle my laughter, even insomuch that I accidentally slammed the door in the faces of our dutiful guards.” As she recalled the events, a smile crept onto Luna’s face. Her heartbeat grew faster and her cheeks reddened with warmth as her emotions blossomed from the memories. “It was quite a sight. Embarrassed as he was, he politely apologised for his ‘improper’ display. I turned to give him a moment of privacy, but from that time onward I was fixated with learning more about him.”
“So,” Cadance pestered. “What did you learn?”
“Sir David has a wonderful soul and a magnificent mind. His wit can match me in words, which is no small feat. He is honest to a fault, treats me kindly as both a princess and the mare I am, and can fill a hall with laughter. His upbringing reminds me of my own, surrounded by the wisdom and company of elders, and his maturity speaks volumes of their nurturing care. He has also weathered hardships, as we all have, and grown stronger because of them.”
Twilight shook her head. “I can see why somepony might think you’re brainwashed. Do you even have one bad thing to say about him?”
Luna took a moment to think. “He shows us too much deference at times. It is nice to take responsibility for mistakes, but he does not need to apologise for every misstep.”
Cadance sighed. “Oh, Luna, maybe he’s just a bit intimidated by you! You do have quite a presence. Did he seem relaxed at all?”
“At first, he was exhibiting signs of stress. I suppose that is normal, considering his situation. He also might have been a little apprehensive of me; I understand that I tend to be rather forward.”
“Well, aside from his personality, did you learn anything about him or humans in general?” Twilight asked.
“His hands. You absolutely must ask to see his hands. They are most remarkable.”
“Uh huh,” Twilight responded, trying to stay focused.
“They are similar in dexterity to a dragon’s claw, but soft and yet strong.”
“You don’t say.” Twilight just shook her head again, then went back to her examination.
“And, Cadance, you would not believe how his mostly hairless body seems to harness the power of the sun’s radiance, considering the amount of heat he expels.”
“Really? And how did you come to that discovery?” Cadance pressed.
“Well, you see, while we did spend the last night talking, I became intrigued by his hands. I told you they were a magnificent appendage, did I not?”
“Yes, you did already,” murmured Twilight.
“Well, while I was examining them, I became compelled to see how they felt. I’m not sure exactly why, but I just pressed my forehead into the flat of his hand without asking.”
“Oh, Luna! Tell us more,” Cadance prodded.
“It was similar to, well, kind of like… It was very pleasant.”
“And warm?” Cadance added breathily.
“Yes, but I did not feel the heat as strongly as I did against his chest.”
“Ooooh!” Cadance squealed, completely losing focus on her task.
“Oh please, Cadance. Luna, you do know that entering into physical proximity of him is completely against the protocol, riiiight?”
“We did not sense any danger from the time sister and I spoke with him before, and I had reapplied my protective ward, so I saw no wrong in it.” Luna frowned at the youngest princess.
“And yet here we are, examining you because your magic ended up inside him somehow.”
“Ah, yes. I see. Perhaps I was a little rash in my decision making. However, I remain confident that I would have made similar choices at a later point in time.”
“So, you were saying how you got close to his chest?” Cadance attempted to refocus the conversation.
Looking at Twilight, Luna’s eyes met her annoyed expression, asking permission to continue. Twilight responded simply by rolling her eyes and going back to her examination.
“Yes. After I felt his hand, which was a very positive experience, I wanted to see if his touch normally provided similar stimuli.” Luna attempted to make her story sound as clinical as possible. Hopefully, to avoid further annoying the alicorn in the room who just so happened to be key to both her and David’s release. “It turns out that the answer was yes, from my limited experience at least.”
“Oh, is that it?” Cadance asked, sounding somewhat saddened.
“Yes. I believe so.”
Twilight straightened up. “Well, if you’re done with your story, I am also ready to present my findings of your exam, Luna.”
“Thank you, Twilight. What have you found?”
“Hold a moment, I would like to hear this as well,” Celestia called out as she rejoined the group from her bathroom.
“Certainly. As I was about to report, I can say without a doubt that there is nothing I can find wrong with you, Luna. You are not being controlled or have any physical or magical conditions affecting you. I found a few of Sir David’s human pathogens in your system, but they are not and will not cause you any ill effects. I suppose considering your exposure to him…” She coughed roughly. “Having this much at least show up is normal.”
“And the magic draw? The connection of magic Luna saw herself between Sir David’s body and her own?” Celestia asked.
“I cannot find it. Luna’s magic is whole and undiminished in both capacity and strength. If there was a connection, it is not present now.”
“Do you surmise that it might reappear?” Luna inquired.
“Yes. Cadance and I have a hypothesis that if there is a connection, it is limited by range. With your permission, we would like to study you both again, but with you in closer proximity to Sir David.”
“I would find that plan acceptable. What do you say, sister? You currently hold the reins in this delicate situation.”
Celestia thought for a few moments. “Hmm. I believe I did say that I would consent to the experiment if you were found in good health. As that has been determined, I see no reason why it should not go forward.”
Twilight sported a wide, manic grin at the thought of doing more experimentation. Her face alone conveyed her desires to her friends in the room. “Let’s go then!”
“I am afraid I have other duties that I must attend to. Cadance, Twilight, please take care of Luna in my absence,” Celestia said.
“I am no foal, sister.”
“I know that, Lulu. I did not mean for it to be in that manner. As we are still dealing with an unfamiliar phenomenon, I only wish for you to be safe.”
“I will be,” Luna replied.
“Well, shall we go?” Twilight asked.
The four alicorn princesses left Celestia’s study together. As they reached the last intersection of the halls, Celestia embraced Luna, and they nuzzled each other affectionately and somewhat apologetically. After they had separated, Celestia turned to walk toward the main halls of the castle, probably headed for the throne room, while the remaining three meandered down a separate hallway towards the guest quarters.
After separating from Celestia, Twilight quickly interjected, “Let’s stop. If the connection between Luna and Sir David is based on range, we should start the preparation and examination now and approach more slowly.”
They all stopped and decided to follow Twilight’s advice. Twilight called upon her magic and rechecked Luna for signs of the magical siphon. Not finding anything, Cadance prepared her ward spells and cast them on the three of them. Now fully prepared, they began to walk down the final halls, approaching David’s room.
The sight of the three princesses in such concentration was a bit unnerving for most of the guards. Here they were faced with the Princess of Friendship, actively wielding the power of the Element of Magic, her sister-in-law, the Princess of Love and ruler of the Crystal Empire, warding against all possible interference, and the stately Princess of the Night, walking forward with purpose-filled eyes, not paying heed to any of her surroundings. At least one guard wished that they had given some prior warning before something so intense came by his post.
Much to the guards’ relief, the princesses passed all their posts except one. Cadance motioned to the guard stationed in front of David’s room and asked him to stand by further down the hall.
Stopping short of the room, Luna and Cadance turned back to Twilight, still focusing her power on examining Luna and their surroundings.
“Anything yet, Twilight?” Cadance asked.
“No. Nothing yet, not even a little magical disturbance around us or from within Sir David’s room.
“Can you tell if he is awake?” Cadance pressed.
“Well, he was sitting on his bed and writing, but I’ve already put him to sleep again.”
“Oh, Twilight.” Cadance shook her head.
“What!? You agreed with me that it was preferable that he not interfere!”
“Hush you two,” Luna scolded. “While it may be more convenient for the exam, I would ask that you refrain from doing such things to him without his or at least MY express permission.”
Twilight’s power-white eyes grew even bigger. “Oh, I’m sorry, Luna. I suppose I just let myself get carried away.”
“It is not me to whom you owe your apology.”
“It’s nice of you to protect him, Luna,” chimed Cadance.
“It is my responsibility. He is a guest in our kingdom, is he not?”
“Yes,” Twilight responded meekly.
“Then we should treat him with more respect. Now, let us continue. It is a shame he is already unconscious, but that matters little at this juncture.”
The three continued to walk towards the room until they were face-to-face with the door. “Still nothing, Twilight?” Cadance checked.
“Nope, not a thing from Luna or Sir David.”
“Okay, I’m going to go in first. I just want to make sure somepony isn’t surprised again.”
Twilight looked like a ghost. Her eyes were still white, but her face paled at what Cadance said.
“Did I misunderstand something?” Luna asked.
“No, not at all. Just a moment,” Cadance replied, winking at Twilight.
She pushed open the door wide enough for her to slip through, and verifying that David’s parts were fully covered, she called for the other two to come in.
Twilight went first, a somewhat relieved look on her face when she noticed David’s lap was covered by some clothing. Following her, Luna came in as well.
When Luna took a glimpse around and saw David sitting up against the bed’s headboard, memories of the early morning came back to her, and she felt her face flush.
“Wait! Something is happening!” Twilight cried.
“I feel something odd as well,” Cadance said.
In Twilight’s vision, she saw Luna’s magical aura expand from inside her body and become a bright, blue light. The light grew until it pushed forth from Luna’s chest and then seemed to collide with another barrier.
Cadance grunted a bit as she felt Luna’s magic encounter the wall of the ward she had placed on Luna.
“What do you see?” Luna asked.
“Your magic! It’s become a bright aura and is focusing itself. I see it pushing against the ward—no, wait!”
“Ugh,” Cadance grunted again.
“Your magic has penetrated the ward, Luna, and has connected to Sir David’s chest! It seems to be flowing from you to him specifically, even though we are closer in proximity.”
“Are we in any danger? Is Sir David?” Luna asked.
“Let me see. No, the amount of magic you are releasing is still small, and your own personal levels have not dropped at all. It is as if the drain is below your personal threshold of regeneration. As for Sir David, though, I do not know what it will do to him.”
“Tell us more. Focus your attention on him.”
“He… His body is storing the magic in his chest. It is still very little compared to the relative amount of latent magic all creatures in our world possess, especially considering the source is a mature alicorn. I’m hesitant to say, but even though he is gaining your magic, I don’t think it is entirely his fault.”
“What makes you say that?” Cadance asked.
“Well, as I said before in my report, I sensed what seemed to be a negative magical pressure or a vacuum of sorts. It’s possible that after coming to Equestria from a land without any magic, his body is simply trying to adapt and equalize to the presence of magic all around him.”
“If that is true, why does my magic feed it and not some others’ like Tia’s?”
“I don’t know. It’s only another hypothesis and one that is much more difficult to test.”
“Well, we should focus on testing the connection between Luna and Sir David now, right, Twilight?” Cadance added.
“Yes. Luna, please leave the room. Let’s see if the extended range theory holds up and the magic flow stops.”
Luna nodded and left the room.
“What now, Twilight?” Cadance asked.
“It seems the magic flow has stopped again. As she turned to walk away, the channel became weaker, and when she left, it disappeared again.”
“I felt as much from the ward,” Cadance replied. “I don’t think any of my spells can prevent the flow of magic between them. Also, from the pressure I felt, the magic came from inside Luna and flowed to Sir David. It was not pulled from her.”
“I am pretty sure I saw the same. Luna, would you be comfortable not having Cadance’s protective wards on you?” Twilight asked.
“Of course,” Luna answered from the hall.
“What are you thinking, Twilight,” Cadance asked in a whisper.
“Oh, just a little advanced experimentation. Please place a ward on Sir David as you have placed on us. Then, dispel Luna’s wards. I need to see something.”
“Okay.” Cadance’s horn brightened for a brief moment. “It’s done.”
“Luna, please come back in. Slowly.”
Luna nudged open the door and looked at Cadance and Twilight standing next to David’s bed. She then looked at David, and again her face flushed red and warm.
“Aha!” Twilight cried out.
“What is it?”
“I see your magic flowing all around you, Luna. It is actively seeking to gain access to Sir David, but we are currently blocking it with Cadance’s wards.”
“Ahh!” Cadance yelled out.
“Oh ponyfeathers. We were blocking it. Your magic is too strong and has nullified the wards. The connection seems to be behaving no differently than it was earlier. Can you leave again?”
Luna looked at Twilight, becoming a bit flustered with having to leave and come, and leave again when asked. She wished that this would all be over, that she would be able to talk to David again, normally, even if she must be chaperoned.
Luna snorted and turned to leave in a huff.
“There is goes again. Just as she leaves, the connection is severed.”
“So ranged it is then, right?” Cadance asked.
“Probably. We just need to do a couple more iterations, now that we know the wards aren’t going to help.”
Twilight called Luna back in again, who was looking more and more frustrated with the process. She tried to explain. “I’m sorry, Luna. It’ll just be a few more times, I promise. Just remember, repetition is one of the fundamentals of science. We need to be sure.”
This somehow seemed to calm and convince Luna into cooperating. Internally, though, every time Luna came and left, she felt her desires to stay with David and talk with him grow a little inside her.
Twilight, however, stuck to her experiments. She noted that for each pass she made, the same connection appeared and disappeared as Luna was ordered from the room.
Now knowing that this trial was nearing its end changed something for Luna, and she became concerned that these results would not be favorable to her desires. This one thought pervaded her mind and made her frustrations and her feelings for David swell even more.
“Okay, Luna, you’re doing great!” Twilight beamed. “Let’s have you leave one more time—”
“NO! I have left enough. Come and go, test this again. I am tired of waiting,” Luna snapped.
Twilight felt a little edge in the air. “I’m sorry, Luna, I know this is unfair to you, but it must be done.”
Luna looked sternly at Twilight, then her face softened a bit and turned to David. “Can I not approach him?”
This time, it was Cadance who spoke. “No, Luna, I’m afraid you can’t yet. Be patient, Twilight is doing what she can to make this right.”
Luna did not turn to face Cadance or say anything in reply.
“I think we have enough data for today,” Twilight tentatively noted. “Let’s go and take a break to discuss what we’ve found.”
“No,” Luna responded. “You asked me to leave again, and I will do it. I must do it, for him.”
Luna turned around resolutely and marched out the door, closing it behind her.
“Uh oh,” Twilight said.
“Oh, don’t worry, Twilight, she doesn’t hold it against you.”
“That… isn’t the problem. The, uh, connection… it didn’t stop this time.”
“Oh my.”
“Yeah. Let’s call it quits and see if the range has just expanded a bit. I’m sure that’s all it is,” Twilight reassured herself.
“Sounds good to me. I’ll let Luna know, and start heading back while you keep watch on the connection.”
“Sure.”
Cadance left the room, and Twilight could hear her soothing Luna in the hallway. Soon after, she heard the light clip-clop of their hooves moving away as the two walked down the hall talking.
Twilight stayed behind, her head on a pivot watching David’s chest first, and then turning to the door. Back to David, then to the wall. Again to David, and then further to the corner of the wall.
Drops of sweat started to collect under Twilight’s bangs in a show of anxiety and the stress from constantly channeling her magic. After a few minutes, the ribbon of magic was still present, constantly changing directions in its travel as the one it was tied to continued to move around the castle.
“Ohhhh my,” she said to nopony in particular. “This can’t be good.”
Noticing that the position of the ribbon had finally stopped shifting, she determined in which compass direction it was pointing, and assuming it followed a straight trajectory, noted that it was pointing directly as Luna’s quarters.
“This cannot be good at all.”
With her current theory debunked, she sighed and released her surging powers. Finally, back to normal, she looked over at David and spoke in a hushed voice. “I’m sorry about all this, and I hope it turns out alright. I’ll continue to look for more answers, and we’ll figure this out, just you wait and see.”
The words she spoke to David were very kind, but if someone were to overhear her little pep-talk, it would be difficult for them to determine exactly which of the two it was intended for.
With her speech over, she turned to the door and left to catch up with the others who had parted so long ago, and to mull over the prospect of sharing the new news.
***