Time and Space in Harmony

by Inkspots

Chapter 8

Time and Space in Harmony

by Inkspots

Chapter 8

The next morning Twilight was barely out of her tent when Rainbow Dash ambushed her.

“Alright, I’ve been reading one of the other journals, the one we found in the lab? With the pegasus magic? I just, I can’t do it, I need you to translate because half of it’s numbers, and half of the letters aren’t in the right place,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Can it wait until after breakfast?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow Dash agreed that food always sounded like a good idea and the pair moved over to the camp fire where Pinkie Pie was cooking oatmeal.

“So how are you two?” Twilight asked.

“Pretty good,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I mean, since the other day,” Twilight corrected.

“I guess worse off since Taraxipos is out and everything,” Pinkie said.

Twilight glared at them both.

“I mean your relationship, how is your relationship?” Twilight forced the point.

“Well why didn’t you ask?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight rubbed her eyes in frustration.

“Like I said, pretty good,” Dash repeated.

“So much better. It’s like taking a walk after you’ve been carrying around saddlebags all day and you ditch them and suddenly you feel like you’re lighter than air,” Pinkie said. “And let me tell you, it’s so much easier to relax after a hard day of fighting evil wizards when you’ve got a warm ball of feathers to curl up to at night.”

“Pinkie,” Rainbow was blushing.

“I mean, two tents? We lugged them here for nothing, I haven’t used mine in days,” Pinkie continued. “Anyway, I think now that I’m not so distracted, Madame Pinkie needs to get back to finding you a special somepony.”

Suddenly, it was Twilight’s turn to blush.

“I’m a busy Princess, fighting evil, saving the world, trying to get some oatmeal,” Twilight said.

“But Twilight, isn’t it better to be open and honest?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight regretted her earlier prodding.

“No, relationships are a private matter, I’ve always said so,” Twilight replied.

“Well isn’t this my favorite topic of conversation,” came Rarity’s voice. “I was off in a wonderful dream when my ears started burning and I knew, somewhere, somepony was talking romance.”

“That’s not true at all,” Twilight said.

“The truth is I smelled the oatmeal. But Twilight, my dearest friend, sister of my heart, my favorite Princess, you vex me so,” Rarity said.

“That’s also not true,” Twilight said.

“I knew the very day that Big Mac and Carrot Top started dating, I knew the hour Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash got together-”

“That can’t be true,” Dash insisted.

“Less than an hour after Sugarcube Corner closed, eight months and oh, what day is today? Eight months and seven days ago,” Rarity replied. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie’s mouths hung open. “And yet, I know nothing about my favorite purple pony. You won’t even let me set you up with anypony, and I know all the best ponies-”

“There are no ponies here, just us,” Twilight said. “So thanks but, I don’t want to date a tree. I’m not Fluttershy.”

Pinkie Pie cracked up.

“Don’t try and joke your way out of this Twi, you’ve never said one word about anypony you’re interested in. And I know, I bribed Spike for information,” Rarity said.

Pinkie Pie started serving up bowls of steaming oatmeal and everyone in camp was heading over to the campfire.

“Dash, if she keeps asking me about this, I’m not teaching you Pegasus magic,” Twilight said.

“That’s a bluff-” was all Rarity managed before Rainbow Dash leapt on her and covered her mouth.

“That’s a risk I can’t take,” Dash said.

Twilight ate her porridge in peace. Dash let Rarity go after she promised not to bring up the subject, then she got her own bowl from Pinkie.

“Thanks Sweetie Pie,” Dash said.

“Ohhhhhh isn’t that adorable,” Rarity cooed.

“I meant Pinkie Pie, they’re really similar!” Dash insisted.

The gossip stopped as Dark Matter approached the camp.

“Combat drills this morning. We’ve got a week of waiting, so we need to turn that into a week of prep. When the time comes, we all need to all be in fighting shape,” Dark Matter said.

“Actually, we should do the combat drill after lunch,” Twilight said. “I want to do magic training this morning.”

“Well you can work with the unicorns, and the rest can come with me.”

“Actually, this is magic training for everypony,” Twilight corrected.

* * * * * *

“Alright, before we begin, I need to read through some of these notes,” Twilight said. “But this is magic, so we can all prep by meditating for a moment before we start. Rarity, can you get them going?”

“Very well. Everypony take a seat and get as comfortable as you can,” Rarity instructed. “Close your eyes and think about your body. Start at the horn and simply make yourself aware of every part of you as you go down.”

“What if we don’t have a horn?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Hm...that’s a good question,” Rarity replied.

“Pegasi, focus on your wings,” Twilight said, then she scanned the notes further. “Earth Ponies, start at your feet and work your way up.”

“Alright, now, slow your breathing. Breath in, and while you’re breathing in start at your horn or hooves or wings, and spread all the way to the other end, then exhale, and while breathing out go all the way back,” Rarity explained.

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was reading, and from Star Swirl’s tone, he could barely believe it either.

Earlier today the owner of the vineyard, a hard working and even tempered old earth pony, came into the field where we were picking grapes. We came upon a section of the vineyard that has sandy soil, and the vines produce few grapes. A certain vine looked to be dead, and I asked if we should remove it and try planting a new vine there. The earth pony shook his head and placed a hoof on the withered vine. After a moment it turned green and the leaves uncurled. The earth pony wiped the sweat from his brow when he was done. The plant was restored, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I tried ask the farm owner how he had done this, but when he answered my limited vocabulary picked up little of what he said. When it became clear I didn’t understand, the owner simply told me ‘In the future.’

“What’s supposed to happen now?” Dash asked.

“Silence happens now,” Rarity replied.

Twilight looked ahead to an entry some months later.

Today the owner’s daughter and I were clearing the land west of the vineyard when we found a large boulder. I began levitating it up, but Carme told me to set the rock down. She approached the rock and closed her eyes. I cast a different spell, to reveal magical energies, and saw her hooves glowing with power. Then with a grunt she heaved the rock out of its hole and began rolling it across the field towards the property line where they would build the new wall.

Twilight was speed reading, but it was still fifteen minutes before she was ready to begin.

“Alright everypony, feeling calm and empowered?” Twilight asked.

“Feeling bored,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I want to buck lightning already.”

“I feel pretty amazing,” Jade said.

“Alright,” Twilight looked around for one of the larger marble blocks scattered about the rubble. “Earth ponies, you’re going to move that block.”

“That’s crazy talk,” Pinkie said.

“No, it’s magic,” Twilight said. “Pegasi, you’re going to be bucking lightning against the wall over here.”

The ponies moved into position.

“Alright, now, when you’re trying to push the block, don’t try to force it with your physical strength, it’s too heavy for that by far,” Twilight explained. “But you want to concentrate on the magical power in your hooves. Earth ponies focus their magic in their hooves, you want to use that to push the block.”

Pinkie and Jade started pushing against the marble block, which didn’t budge an inch.

“Now for lightning bucking, it says here that the key is to discharge the energy that is built up in your wings. You don’t make the charge with your feet, you just release it there. Star Swirl says you can release it other places, but the buck is the easiest way to start,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash turned around and bucked the wall, producing nothing.

“What? But it worked the first time,” she said.

“The first time you bucked it like you were cloud bucking, move your wings when you do it,” Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash tried again, with an audible crackle. Dark Matter looked at her with shock. He tried himself to no avail.

“You call that cloud bucking?” Rainbow asked.

“No, I’ve never, bucked clouds,” Dark Matter replied. “I buck faces.” He thrust his hooves out again.

“See, you’re doing it like you’re trying to kill the wall, but you’re trying to move energy from your wings to your hooves,” Twilight said.

“Are you sure I’m even capable of this?” Dark Matter asked. “I’m no wizard, I’m a warrior.”

Twilight set the journal down and cast a spell over Dark Matter. “Warrior or not, you’re a pegasus, which means your wings are full of magic, look,” Twilight gestured at Dark Matter’s black, leathery wings, which were shimmering with green light under the effect of the spell. “You’re trying to move that energy to your hoof.”

“Speaking of moving, this block is going nowhere,” Pinkie Pie said.

Twilight walked over to the marble block. Both ponies were sweating from the strain.

“No, you’re trying to push the block. The magic needs to push the block. Here, stop pushing at all,” Twilight instructed. “Just lean against the block with your hooves, okay?” Both ponies stood there, waiting. “Now, just picture the block moving, like a gust of wind is coming out of your hooves and pushing the block back. Don’t try to move your legs, just lean against it.”

Both ponies stood there, leaning against the block silently. After thirty seconds or so, Pinkie’s end shifted forward slightly. The shift in balance caused the pink pony to topple to the ground, but she was up in a flash. “I did it! It moved, Dash it totally moved!”

Twilight set the four ponies to practicing, cautioning them against wearing themselves out or getting frustrated, then she went over to Rarity and Quick Fix and sat down.

“Pretty remarkable, eh?” Twilight asked.

“Quite so. I can’t believe nopony has stumbled on this since the ponies of Harmonia,” Rarity said.

“Star Swirl suspected that here in the Everfree Forest, with so much ambient magical energy in air, non-unicorn ponies were more likely to express their powers, but any pony should be able to do this with training, it’ll probably just be a lot harder for say, a pony in Ponyville to learn to do this, but they should be able to eventually. Anyway, we can turn back to traditional magic,” Twilight said.

“I don’t know, Twilight, you can just work with Rarity. I could be salvaging pieces from the containment device,” Quick Fix said.

“You’d rather be down in that horrible basement than up here?” Rarity asked.

“Well, if it’s magic lessons, yes,” Quick Fix said.

“Quick Fix, you’re selling yourself short. If you doubt yourself you’re never going to get better,” Twilight said.

“Well I’m sorry, I don’t doubt myself, I just know myself,” Quick Fix said with anger in her voice. “I’m not like you Twilight, I’m not a wizard.”

“You’re a skilled, intelligent unicorn, you went to Celestia’s School-”

“I don’t care that I went there, I don’t care where I went to school I’m not that kind of unicorn,” Quick Fix got up and started walking towards the tower. “I’m going to do something useful with my time,” she said as she left.

Once she was gone Rarity turned to Twilight.

“Well I did not see that coming,” Rarity said.

Twilight frowned. “It’s been like that for years. Celestia asked her to attend the school because she’s a genius with magical devices, and you need to know the ins and outs of mathemagical theory to work in that field. Celestia’s school was the best place for her to learn that theory. The problem was, everyone else at the school was applying that theory to their spellcasting, while she was applying it to her craft. She can levitate things, and create light, but that’s about all I’ve ever seen her do. Other ponies at the school gave her a pretty hard time about her spellcasting.”

“Well, hopefully her mood will improve and we can approach the topic differently later. But Twilight, I must confess, I don’t feel terribly useful in the battle to come,” Rarity admitted. “When the Elements activate it all seems so natural, I don’t have to really think about it, the magic just happens, but you know me, I’m not exactly a wizard pony myself.”

“I’ve been thinking about this since Taraxipos escaped. He didn’t out perform me in magic, he didn’t do any magic at all. He tricked me. Which made me think of you,” Twilight said.

“I know you’re going somewhere with this but I’m a little hurt,” Rarity said with a smile.

“You know the scenes you create for your fashion shows?” Twilight asked.

“Oh yes, those, I actually learned those from a pony who did the sets for a travelling theatre company. It’s much cheaper to hire a unicorn who can create the look of a stage than building one and carting it all over Equestria, setting it up and tearing it down. But what am I supposed to do with those?” Rarity asked.

“You’re just thinking about it from one point of view. But really, they’re illusions, and illusions have turned the tide of battles. Fourteen hundred years ago during the second Pegasus War, one side hired a unicorn to disguise a battalion of soldiers as a flock of migrating birds. The enemies flew right under them, thinking nothing of it, and the ambush wiped them out,” Twilight explained. “Have you ever changed a pony’s appearance? Maybe make it look like they were wearing something they weren’t?”

Rarity looked around to see that the other ponies were out of earshot.

“If you repeat this, we will never be friends again, but, perhaps I once used my magic to make a model appear like she was wearing a dress. But that client gave me absolutely no time to actually produce ten dresses, he’s lucky he got an illusion at all,” Rarity whispered.

“Taraxipos isn’t just a monster, he’s a wizard. I doubt anypony would be able to produce an illusion that could fool him completely, but I bet you could confuse him, make him hesitate, and in a battle like that seconds can make all the difference,” Twilight said.

“You make a good point. Now let me ask you something: mares or stallions?”

Twilight wrapped Rarity in a binding spell and hung her upside down from the Fountain of Harmony.

“First lesson, dispel those magical effects,” Twilight replied.

“Well you are just no fun,” Rarity said. Twilight started walking back towards the other ponies. “No wait, Twilight, Twi? Twilight come back please, Twilight this isn’t funny. Twilight Sparkle you let me down this instant!”

Twilight ignored Rarity and checked in on Rainbow Dash and Dark Matter. Rainbow Dash was succeeding in creating an electrical charge with almost every strike against the wall, but the crackle didn’t seem very intimidating. Dark Matter had managed only three successful lightning bucks.

“Princess, even if we’re capable of doing this, what is the point, I doubt this much electricity would hurt a pony, much less a powerful wizard like Taraxipos,” Dark Matter said.

“I know it’s not much now, but Star Swirl talks about a rebel pegasus bucking a guard and putting enough electrical charge into it that the charge jumped from that guard to three others and knocked all of them off their feet and unconscious,” Twilight said. “We’ve just got to work up to that.”

“Well how do I put more charge into it? When I try to really give it a kick, I usually end up making no charge at all,” Dash asked.

“I’m not completely sure, because Star Swirl isn’t completely sure yet. I just need to read further. For now, focus on getting the charge down every time,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, look, look!” Pinkie Pie called out. Twilight looked over to see Pinkie and Jade were moving the marble block slowly across the floor. “It’s like I’m not even moving it, but Mind Pinkie is moving it, it’s crazy.”

Jade started laughing and then Pinkie started laughing and the block came to a halt as the two Earth Ponies cracked up.

“Oh Pinkie, I had it going,” Jade said. “You ruined me.”

“Laughing never ruined anything,” Pinkie said very seriously, which just caused Jade to laugh harder.

* * * * * *

After a few hours everypony returned to the camp for lunch, which Spike told them was just hay.

“Just hay, not even hay with powdered sugar?” Pinkie asked.

“Sorry, but if we’re going to make these supplies stretch for the next seven days, it’s going to be just hay for lunch. We lost three whole barrels of food in the canyon,” Spike explained.

“I’m gonna be happy to see AJ and Fluttershy again, but I’m going to be even more happy to see some fruit,” Rainbow Dash added.

“Well when combat drills start, you’re going to be glad you’re not full. A good kick to the stomach can make you vomit almost instantly, and then you’re done for,” Dark Matter said.

Quick Fix came up from the lower levels with a couple of pieces of the device floating in front of her. She came over to the camp and grabbed her hay and took it back to her tent silently.

“Is Quick Fix upset?” Jade asked quietly.

Twilight nodded.

“This sounds like a job for Pinkie,” Pinkie said, then she got up and headed for Quick Fix’s tent. Twilight quickly levitated Pinkie up into the air and away from her destination.

“Sorry Pinkie, but I made her upset, I need to talk to her,” Twilight said.

“Awww, okay, but only if you sing her a song. I haven’t gotten to sing anypony a song in so long,” Pinkie said.

“I’m not going to sing to her, I just need to apologize,” Twilight said.

“Sad or happy, everyone has combat drills,” Dark Matter added. “Jade, do you think you could wear Applejack’s armor?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t tried it on,” Jade said.

“Oh you could put it on, but it wouldn’t fit you at all,” Rarity said. “AJ’s a good bit thicker in the thighs and shoulders from all that apple bucking. I’ll make some adjustments tonight.”

“Well Dash, Pinkie, armor up when you’re done eating, then everyone meet me in the palace hall,” Dark Matter said.

After lunch the group collected back in the hall. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were wearing their Crystal Kingdom Armor, the rest were just standing around. Quick Fix had said nothing to anypony.

Dark Matter had spread out numerous pairs of battle shoes, lances, and even two swords.

“I do not expect to turn you ladies into soldiers,” Dark Matter began. “We don’t have enough time for that. My combat training began when I was five, and I did not deserve the title of soldier until I was twenty-seven. What we can do is get you combat comfortable. Now, that’s going to mean different things for each of you, based not only on your physical condition but also your nerve and determination.” He walked over to the spread of weapons. “To begin, we’re going to assign weapons. The lances are for the armored troops, and I wish we could outfit all of you, but we only have four suits of armor between us. Rainbow Dash, this is your lance, and these are your battle shoes.” He gestured towards a pair of shoes that had curved hooks on the front. “These are basic pegasus battle shoes. The hooks are for latching on to your enemy and dropping them from height, or disabling the wings of a flying opponent. Jade, you can work with your lance tomorrow. Today, you and Pinkie will be using these.” He gestured towards two different pairs of boots. These lacked hooks, but were thicker, with a sharp edge on the front and a thick, reinforced back. “These are striking shoes, for close combat. A well placed kick with these on can snap a leg in half.” He moved on to the two swords. “Quick Fix, Rarity, these are your swords. Unicorns have traditionally eschewed fixed weapons in favor of telekinetically wielding weapons.”

“What about me?” Twilight asked.

“To be honest, Princess, I would prefer you stayed out of combat, but I realize that won’t be the case. I considered assigning you a sword, but it seemed pointless to divert some of your energy towards floating a sword about and away from your magic,” Dark Matter explained. “If I had any armor to give you, I would gladly do so, but I do not.”

A thought popped into Twilight’s mind. “Hang on a second.” Twilight left the main hall and entered the tower. She went into the camp and dug out the ornate chest that the Elements of Harmony were kept in. She opened it and pulled out her crown and the pendants for the others. She desperately wished Fluttershy and Applejack were there with her, but she left their pendants in the box and went back downstairs. “Sorry to bring some magic into your combat drill, but this could be very beneficial,” Twilight said. She put on her crown and clasped the pendants onto her friends.

“In Star Swirl’s journal he and the other ponies use the Elements to protect themselves with a magical armor,” Twilight said. She could feel the power emanating from the crown, a vast power that even in her most impressive moments she felt dwarfed her magic like the sun dwarfs a candle. She didn’t know what to do, the Elements always seemed to have a mind of their own, so she simply spoke the word armor in her mind. Light flashed from the crown and Twilight felt her body grow warm, like she was stepping into a hot shower. The light faded and Twilight looked down. Her body was covered in armor, but she felt, if anything, lighter than before. The armor was incredible looking: the plates were the same purple as her coat, but the edges were lined with gold trim. Her crown had become a helmet, with her mane flowing out of the gap along the top. Her wings emerged from two slits in the back, and the armor went all the way down to her hooves and covered them, creating striking shoes that merged seamlessly with the armor. “It’s amazing feeling, like I’m wearing nothing.”

“And beautiful, look at this your Cutie Mark is on the flank and everything,” Rarity said. Twilight looked back and saw her star shaped Cutie Mark was there, made of encrusted gems. “How did you do it?” Rarity asked.

“Just ask for it, I just said armor, and it appeared,” Twilight explained. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie got out of their armor and set it aside. Then they closed their eyes. Rarity’s armor appeared first. It was brilliant white with silver trim and the panels had ornate flares and scroll work. Her Cutie Mark was there, three brilliant sapphires, and her mane curled out of the gap in the helmet without a hair out of place. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both erupted in light. Dash’s armor was blue like a summer sky with gold trim, and even though it was magical and weighed nothing, it was still light and sleek looking, with the panels hugging her body closely. A brilliant ruby made up the lightning bolt of her Cutie Mark. Pinkie’s armor was quite the opposite, with heavy, overlapping panels of cotton candy pink with blue trim. Her hooves were wrapped in thick striking shoes and her mane exploded out of her helmet gap. Two blue topaz and a citrine made up her Cutie Mark.

“I have never seen armor such as this,” Dark Matter said, with genuine awe in his voice.

“I’m thoroughly jealous,” Jade said.

“There are perks to the job, but you have to save the world a lot,” Pinkie Pie said.

Once they were done admiring their armor, Dark Matter returned to business.

“Alright, we can get Jade and Quick Fix outfitted in the Crystal Kingdom Armor, and then we’ll all be battle ready. Now, let’s warm up,” he said. They stretched, did pushups and jumping jacks, ran in place, and then Dark Matter set them to their first task. “Keeping cool in combat is one of the hardest things for a novice pony to do. You have to stay alert, but stay calm. You’ll find that you can only fight for so long if you’re on edge and nervous the whole time. So, to this end, I want you to charge at the marble block over there, like you’re going to attack it. I’m going to make it more difficult than that. Pinkie, you’re up first.”

“Oh, allow me to lend a little realism,” Rarity thought for a moment and cast an illusion over the block. Suddenly, it looked like a model pony wearing a green sundress.

“I don’t think I can take that seriously,” Quick Fix said.

“Well forgive me I haven’t built up an intimidating collection yet,” Rarity replied. She cast another illusion that briefly looked like a Changeling, then morphed into a model in black lingerie.

“Now it’s just disturbing,” Dash said.

“Hush, I’m going to get it in a moment,” Rarity closed her eyes from a moment, then the model turned back into a Changeling and stayed that way.

“That will work,” Dark Matter said. “Pink, charge.”

Pinkie Pie stamped her hooves and started running full tilt at the Changelings. Before she was halfway across the room Dark Matter swooped down from above and caught her in the side and sent her skidding across the ground.

“No, you’re focusing too much on the target, what did I say? Calm and alert,” Dark Matter barked.

“Hey, lay off her,” Rainbow Dash cried out.

“You leave your emotions back in camp, pegasus, I’m not picking on her I’m helping her,” Dark Matter replied.

“It’s okay Dashie, I’m not really hurt or anything,” Pinkie Pie said.

Dash backed down, but her face was clouded with anger.

“Alright, Pinkie, again,” Dark Matter ordered.

Pinkie got back up and shook herself out, then charged again. This time Dark Matter came at her from directly above. Twilight saw her tail shiver, and she leapt to the side.

“Ha, dodged it!” Pinkie said.

“And failed, now those Changelings would be on you. After you dodged my attack you need to continue on and complete your attack,” Dark Matter said. “Try it again.”

Pinkie made another charge at the illusionary Changelings. This time Dark Matter tossed a piece of stone rubble at her, which pinged off of her armor. She continued on anyway and swiped at the Changelings.

“You need to be aware of what I’m doing. If an enemy who can strike you at range, like a unicorn or giant spider takes aim at you, they’re now a serious threat. Alright, take a break, you can try again later,” Dark Matter told her.

“Let me try,” Dash said.

“Fine, charge when you’re ready,” Dark Matter said. Rainbow Dash burst forth at full speed, leaving a rainbow contrail behind her. Just before she reached the Changelings though, Dark Matter flew behind her and caught her tail in his teeth. Dash responded by bucking her back legs at Dark Matter, who was caught in the side with both hooves. He didn’t let go of her tail though, and dragged her to the ground and stepped over her. “What is this?”

“I thought this was combat training,” Dash replied.

“This is you being petty, being a show off. You’re pitching a fit like a foal all because I tackled your girl and it’s pathetic. If you cared about her you’d let me do my job,” Dark Matter yelled into Dash’s face.

“Of course I care about her,” Dash yelled back.

Dark Matter latched onto Dash’s armor with his battle shoes and picked her up into the air in front of him, shouting into her face.
“Then grow up and let me teach her how to defend herself. The reality is that along the way it’s going to hurt, it’s going to hurt all of you. And I hope I hurt all of you, so that when the time comes you have some vague idea what you’re up against,” Dark Matter shouted.

Twilight lifted Dark Matter and Rainbow Dash and separated them, and set them down about ten feet apart. “Regardless of right or wrong this can be discussed rationally,” Twilight said.

“I don’t need you playing Mother Hen right now Princess, I need to know that this Pegasus is smart enough to realize I’m doing her a favor,” Dark Matter said.

“Dark Matter, that’s going too far,” Twilight said. Dark Matter glared at her, then turned his gaze back to Dash, who was breathing heavily and crouched down like she was about to lunge on him, but after a moment she stood up and exhaled, visibly trying to reign herself back in.

“I got carried away,” Rainbow Dash admitted after a long pause.

“You did, and I know your heart was in the right place, but Dark Matter is trying to help us,” Twilight said. Then she turned to Dark Matter. “But you have to accept that we’re not your cadets, you’re not our commanding officer, and this isn’t a military unit, we’re friends here.”

Dark Matter flared his nostrils and turned to Rainbow Dash, then back to Twilight.

“I’m sorry, Princess, I’ve never trained civilians. I’m used to pushing a pony to their absolute limit, because that’s what they signed up for,” he said tersely.

“That’s okay,” Twilight tried to lighten the mood with a happy, buoyant voice. “We’re all out of our element here. How about we switch to a different exercise and come back to this later?”

“Very well.”

Dark Matter walked the ponies through basic attack stances and basic attacks. Rarity created an illusion of a wooden training dummy, and the ponies practiced rushing it with their lances or lunging at it with their battle shoes. When it was Quick Fix’s time to practice with her sword she had trouble unsheathing the weapon, which hung at her side out of her vision. Once she got it out she was very slow and deliberate with her movements. Dark Matter told her to be faster and more fluid, or the enemies would dodge any attack she made. She swung the sword in an arc and lost control of it. It went skidding along the floor and Jade had to leap out of the way to avoid getting her hooves sliced.

“Quick Fix, what is this? How are you going to keep a hold on it when you’re striking a solid object? Or trying to block an attack? This is as basic as I can make it,” Dark Matter said.

Quick Fix let out a yell of frustration.

“This doesn’t matter! I’m not going into combat, I’m going to build the containment device and then I’m going home and you can all stay here and get eaten,” she yelled out and stomped off to the tower.

Dark Matter stood there for a moment. “What did I do this time?”

“Nothing,” Twilight said. “This is a long standing problem. How about we wrap it up for the day?”

“Fine, but tomorrow, we need to cover more ground,” Dark Matter said.

“Hey Twilight, how do I get rid of this armor?” Rainbow Dash asked. Moments after she asked the armor melted away into nothing. “Oh, I guess you just want it to.”

* * * * * *

Twilight braved the grotesque kitchen and travelled down the servants’ passage to the library, and into Taraxipos’ lab. There, she found Quick Fix sitting at one of the tables, pushing two cogs together slowly with her hooves.

Twilight sat across from her at the table and said nothing.

“You never bullied me,” Quick Fix said finally.

“Of course not,” Twilight said.

“But we weren’t really friends.”

“I didn’t have any friends back then.”

“I wonder if Celestia thought we were friends, if she asked me to come on this journey because she thought ‘here’s two school chums, they’ll love the chance to take an adventure together,’” Quick Fix said.

“I doubt she thought that, and I doubt she’s ever said the phrase school chums,” Twilight said. They both shared a chuckle.

“You’ve got five really wonderful friends. It’s so easy to tell. Like, sometimes you see two ponies together, and you know they’re in love, they just can’t hide it, it’s in everything they do. It’s like that. Even when you argue, even when Rainbow Dash is picking fights, there’s no question. You all are tied together so strongly,” Quick Fix said.

“I’m very lucky to have them,” Twilight replied.

“It’s hard to be around that, but outside of it. It’s like being back in school. Like I was standing on the edge of a massive maelstrom of magic, and I wanted to throw myself in, be a part of that, but I couldn’t,” she said.

Twilight thought back to her days in school, to exam days, when ponies would wait with dread for their turn to stand up in front of the class and perform a spell they had been tasked with learning. She had shared a few classes with Quick Fix, who waited until everypony was done and started leaving, and then she would pull some device out of her saddlebag and bring it up to the teacher and there, in the empty classroom, she would show her work.

“I want you to stay, after you complete the device,” Twilight said.

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend now,” Twilight said.

“They’re your friends,” Quick Fix replied.

“The six of us have been tied together since our birth, possibly even before that, but I would never say they are my only friends. Spike, my brother, Cadence, Celestia, and now you, Jade, even Dark Matter, I suppose, all friends of mine,” Twilight said.

“Friends or not, once the device is completed, I’m not good for anything else.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all. When Spike came with me to save the Crystal Kingdom, I didn’t think he’d be much more than a burden, but he ended up saving them. And I know you’re smart and skilled, and I have no doubt in my mind that I want you to be here,” Twilight insisted. “But I’m not forcing you. This is a volunteer expedition. If you want to go, you can.”

Quick Fix didn’t reply, she just kept turning the cogs for a while. Then finally, she spoke.

“What’s it like, being good at magic?”

“You already know what it’s like. It’s like finding an oasis in a desert, and as soon as you dip your hooves in you want to bathe in it, you want to consume it and have it in you and know its every facet. I imagine you feel exactly the same way.”

* * * * * *

The ponies waited, and trained. Twilight read every word and formula in Star Swirl’s journal, and as the days passed the ponies learned more and more about harnessing their innate magic. Soon Jade and Pinkie Pie were hefting marble blocks over their heads and tossing them around. Once they had gotten comfortable doing that they started working on using the magic to enhance their jumping. Dash insisted that the last thing Pinkie needed to be able to do was jump more. They had also begun turning their skin to stone, but the progress on that ability was slow for both ponies.

The pegasi learned how to increase their already impressive speed by consciously tapping into the magic in their wings, increasing the voltage of their lightning bucks, and create cyclones with just a flap of their wings.

Rarity began creating more and more menacing monsters for them to attack, though they frequently fell apart when the ponies moved through them, and more often than anyone was comfortable with they were exceedingly well dressed monsters.

Dark Matter worked them into a sweat every afternoon with exercises and weapon drills. Their muscles burned in new and exciting ways, and by dinner time it was usually just Rainbow Dash and Dark Matter left standing.

But looming over it all was the green glow of the barrier around the Royal Arsenal.

When it was Twilight’s turn to man the observation post she sat and stared into the glow, looking for some sign of a black vapor floating along the tower’s walls, but never any movement. She wondered if he was simply hiding in there, all smoke and no fire, failing to regain any of his old power. And then she wondered how wrong she might be.

And then suddenly, one afternoon twelve days after she left, Fluttershy appeared in the air above Harmonia during combat drills. She tried to tell everypony that AJ and a wagon were waiting on the far side of the canyon, but she was passed around like a doll and wrapped in tight, desperate hugs. Eventually they all headed out to the canyon and saw the wagon and then noticed the enormous two headed dog that was pulling it.

“I know exactly what you’re going to say about strays following me home,” Fluttershy began. “But I think this time he might really be helpful.”

“Where in Equestria did you find an Orthrus?” Twilight asked, dumbfounded.

“Actually I found him in Harmonia. He was in the Everfree Forest, lost and alone. He’s just a puppy and I couldn’t let him stay there and get eaten by a Manticore or something. His name is Oscar,” Fluttershy explained.

“A puppy? How can you call that a puppy? Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, when he’s fully grown he’ll likely be twice that tall,” Fluttershy said.

“Well she named it, so there’s no getting rid of it now,” Rarity said.

Twilight, Dark Matter, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy flew over the canyon. The Orthrus began to growl at them, but Fluttershy said they were friends, and the massive dog stopped growling and sat down, its two foot tongues hanging out of its mouths. Twilight climbed into the wagon and found AJ resting on a cushion, her midsection wrapped and splinted.

“I guess ya’ll met the pup?” she said.

Twilight wrapped her in a tight hug around the neck, trying to avoid her ribs and succeeding in choking her.

“I thought you’d be happy to see me, not trying to kill me,” AJ said.

“I’m sorry, I’ve missed you so much,” Twilight said.

“Missed you too, sugarcube. You defeated this Taraxipos yet?” she asked.

“I wasn’t about to let you miss out on that fun,” Twilight said.

“That’s real kind of you, Twi, real kind.”

Rainbow Dash and Dark Matter flew the wagon back to the palace hall, while Fluttershy led the Orthrus around the canyon on foot. Twilight helped Applejack out, and they slowly made their way up to the camp. When they entered, they found the camp torn to pieces and Spike knocked out in the firepit.

A cold chill ran down Twilight’s spine. She rushed through the camp and pulled Spike out of the fire. His dragonhide meant that he was unharmed. Twilight looked around for the attacker, but the camp was empty. Then she realized what was worth taking, and began searching the supply tent. She found the ornate chest that the Elements of Harmony had been stored in, though recently only Fluttershy’s and Applejack’s. It was empty.

Spike woke with a jolt, screaming. Once they calmed him down, they asked him what had happened.

“The skeletons, the pony skeletons, from the kitchen.”