Rise of Ponietheus

by twitterdick

22. Twilight Sparkle - Venit, Vidit, Vicit

To Twilight's surprise, Ponyville was incredibly copacetic. Apart from the obvious structural damage and all the broken glass, everything had basically returned to normal. She hadn't seen Ponyville since Ponietheus's surrender three days ago, and it was nice to see it and its citizens weren't as somber as those of Canterlot. The unicorns and such of the latter had always leant to the dramatic in Twilight's opinion. She preferred to get the objective or whatever it was over with and go home.

Ponyville's citizens had spent a great deal of time cleaning up the streets and doing some basic repairs. It almost made Ponietheus's sentence redundant. Ponyville was mainly home to earth ponies, after all, and, by Twilight's experience, they liked to do things themselves. Manual labor was beneath those in Canterlot.

The one thing both cities had in common was the horrid looks they gave the captive Ponietheus as he was paraded through the main street, surrounded by guards and some newbie princess. The playful banter and merriment of the citizens all subsided when they walked passed. Unlike before, however, the earth ponies' stares and whispers were angrier. Twilight Sparkle let herself look back at him. He kept his eyes on the ground and he looked pained.

She wondered if this was part of Princess Celestia's plan - to teach him some humility. Applejack had told her once that in order to teach a dog not to dedicate in the house, you had to stick its nose in it a few times before it grasped the concept. She wondered if that was the basic idea behind dragging him through two towns to some old water mill on the far side of time. If that was the game, she figured it was working. From the look on her "seneschal"'s face, he didn't like the smell.

Across the bridge between the town and the Everfree forest, near the small river that ran by the town, an old water mill had been decommissioned in favor of a more productive location upriver. It was a small wooden building with two stories and stone supports. The building wasn't in any kind of disrepair, but it was old, and dusty, and mildew had collected on the big wheel that sat idly in the river.

Twilight requested that the guardsponies remain outside, and she lead Ponietheus into the old mill.

He was a little too big for the place. It was built for ponies, after all. He seemed an average build for an alicorn, at least to her knowledge. He was about as big as Princess Celestia. Maybe he was smaller for a male, but she didn't know. She didn't like not knowing.

"This is it," she said, "Home sweet home, I guess."

"Yeah," he said softly, "I like the sound of that."

Twilight Sparkle frowned to herself and puzzled at the strange nostalgic flair to his tone. When she looked at him, she saw him genuinely smile for the first. He showed no teeth, but his eyes smiled and, for a flash, he seemed sweet, like a filly. That happiness fell away soon, however, and he began poking around the mill. He felt around the floorboards, listening to their creaks. He tested the integrity of a few shelves by pressing down on them firmly with one of his hooves. He carefully opened a nearby window and let the soft breeze in.

Twilights eyes drifted outside to the gentleness of the warm, sunny day. It was like the planet didn't even remember what had happened - how dark it was, or how, for at least a while, she didn't think things would turn out alright in the end. It was almost embarrassing that somepony like Ponietheus, who'd happen to divert her every expectation, had spurred such a feeling in her. She wasn't used to doubt, not on that scale. She wasn't used to a lot of things that had happened recently.

'Life never lets you just catch up, does it?'

She heard Ponietheus tapping on the walls. "This place seems really sturdy," he said, "How long has it been abandoned?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight said bluntly.

"The doorways are a little small, but I think I can manage."

"The place is yours, so I guess you can do what you want with it."

Twilight Sparkle surprised herself with the coldness in her own voice. She went over to the open window and let the breeze caress her face. In that moment, she felt really old and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. She considered laying down on the cold, hardwood floor and sleeping there.

A low thump caught her attention. She looked over towards Ponietheus, who she must've transmitted her previous wish telepathically too, for he had just laid down on the floor and stretched out his limbs.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"This floor is really comfortable!" he said before he pulled himself up. He smiled at her, but she could tell it was a fake. "Wood's a little aged, though."

"Well, get settled in. Tomorrow I'll show you the stone quarry and you can start working. I'm not one hundred percent sure how you'll be compensated or how you'll start paying the crown back, but I'm thinking it'll be something of a wage. The more hours you put in, the faster you pay your debt, I think."

"Sounds fair," he said. He walked over to a window on a wall perpendicular to the one where she opened a window. He stared out at the old water wheel. "You think that could work again?"

Twilight didn't care. "Maybe," she said placidly.

"River's a little too calm, maybe…"

He kept talking, but Twilight tuned him out.

It was then that Pinkie Pie of all ponies poked her head in through the open window and greet them both with a big smile. "Remember me?" she asked cheerfully, more at Ponietheus than Twilight Sparkle.

He just nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah, I remember you."

Pinkie Pie sniffed the air. "Nice place you have here! Smells a little old, though."

"You may come inside, if you like," Ponietheus said.

Pinkie Pie grinned and pulled herself in through the window. "Heya, Twilight!"

"Hi, Pinkie Pie," Twilight said wearily.

"Geez, you look bushed!"

Twilight Sparkle nodded. "I am," she said in earnest. She noticed she couldn't maintain her authoritative voice very well whenever her friends where near. Pinkie Pie never seemed to get tired, with the exception of her more somber mood back when the storm was looming overhead. It shocked Twilight how quickly the pink pony's moods changed. She was a cheerful as ever. Ponietheus, she noted, looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Pinkie Pie turned to him. "I hope you're not angry with Princess Celestia. She's only being harsh because it's her job."

Ponietheus smiled softly again. "I'm not angry. Your Princess Celestia is very fair."

"That's great to hear," Pinkie Pie said, "Oh, and you're just going to love it here in Ponyville! We're right in-between Cloudsdale and Canterlot, so we always get to see the big happenings and the meadows around town are wonderful and there's usually a party or two every week because we're always celebrating something and the cake shop I work at is delicious!! Oh, and harvest will be soon and we always have a big dinner and you should come!"

Ponietheus nodded politely and seemed to appreciate the fact that Pinkie Pie was just trying to cheer him. Twilight, however, was more somber.

'Nopony in Ponyville is going to be happy that he's here, even if he's my seneschal or working off his debt to the state or whatever. Things aren't just going to go back to normal. Things don't always work out the way you want them to.'

Twilight Sparkle thought back to what Protean Joy when they reentered Ponyville a few days ago - about her being Princess Celestia's 'ace in the hole.' She wondered if Ponietheus was some how now a part of that. It was clear that Princess Celestia didn't like him, but Twilight Sparkle doubted she liked Discord all that much either. Still, both were here and both were pretty much tied to her.

She wanted to speak to Princess Celestia.

"I have to head back to Canterlot, you two," she said suddenly. The both looked at her surprised. She flashed a diplomatic smile and scratched her head. "Princess business, you know."

"Yeah, I get it," Pinkie Pie said. She went in to hug her. "Don't forget to relax every now and again, Twilight."

"I will," she said. She looked towards her seneschal. "I'll be back tomorrow morning to show you to that stone quarry. Please stay out of trouble until then."

He nodded. "Don't worry about me," he said softly.

Twilight Sparkle left the mill and headed back to the train station, daydreaming of her bed.

She spent the train ride dozing off with her head against the window. It vibrated with the rustling of the cars, but she was too tired to care. She found the repetitive taping sound of her skull against the glass comforting. It drown out the noise of the other passengers. Twilight smiled. It was nice to close her eyes and be alone in her own head. It was a good reprieve from the work that waited for her back in Canterlot.

She wondered if Princess Celestia ever felt like this, hiding being the rumbling of the afternoon train. Twilight hated feeling unsure, feeling like she was working with half the information. She missed books: their stories; their complete information; their predictability. There was a terror in uncertainty. She'd never felt more nervous for the future.

The trees, rocks, grass and fields that colored the view out of the train window passed quickly, and, soon enough, the train pulled into Canterlot station. The castle loomed over the roof tops in the distance. It was now more foreboding to Twilight that Harbinger's storm had ever been. She allowed herself to sit in her seat while the other passengers and the few guardsponies exited. The guards offered to escort her back to the castle. She declined in her authoritative voice and dismissed them. She wanted the solace of a solitary walk.

She decided to take the scenic route when she finally pulled herself from the train. There was a nice view of the valley to the south along a supportive wall that faced away from the mountains. She often walked along the the precipice there when she was attending school in Canterlot, and revisiting that spot had some nostalgic appeal. It was her favorite spot in the whole city. Nopony dare put a building so close the the edge, so there was always a nice breeze. The bustling sounds of the city faded into the background as Twilight walked along the wall. She enjoyed the relative peace and the feel of the sun.

She soon found, however, that she wasn't alone. Near the railing overlooking the valley stood the large, dark red alicorn from earlier. He stared out at Ponyville in the distance with a particular mixed look of grim sadness. He was slowing grinding his teeth underneath a soft frown. He seemed like he was waiting for something. Twilight Sparkle couldn't remember his name, but seeing him there made her stop in her tracks.

Soon he saw her and his vague expression settled. His eyebrows came down and his frown softened more. Twilight Sparkle swallowed. He was looking for her.

He solemnly walked over to her. "You're the mended princess, yes?"

Twilight bit her lip. He was huge, much bigger than Princess Celestia or Luna. His eyes were a darker red than his skin, and his coarse, black hair was slicked back and trimmed. He seemed to have a habit of keeping his head hung low so that he looked up at you from under his brow. On his left flank was a symbol she didn't recognize. It looked something like a lower case h, but a line perpendicularly crossed the stem above the curve, and the curve itself looped back instead of simply proceeding downward. There was a small hook shape at the bottom of the curve. It looked like a sickle or a scythe.

"…Can I help you?" she asked nervously.

He cocked his head and studied her wings. "Wings. Horn. You're the mended princess. You haven't been an alicorn long. You're too small."

"My name is Twilight Sparkle, not 'mended princess'," Twilight said. "What are you still doing here? I thought the alicorn had all left."

"I am permitted to stay as long as that scientist is here. He wished to speak with your despot as I wish to speak to you."

Twilight Sparkle scratched her chin. She felt like she was talking to a robot. He had a strange way of talking, like he wasn't good at it. He had a deep monotone, a still face and he didn't emote much. She tried to think of his name, of what Jupiter had called him.

"You're… Saturn, right?"

"I am called Saturn, yes."

"Why do you want to talk to me?"

He looked down and away. His eyes were quietly resigned. "I wanted to speak to you about my friend, the one that caused all this. I call him Drifter."

"Drifter?" It was the first name besides his own that she had heard him say.

He shook his head. "A simple nickname. Not the one he was born with, but I think Drifter fits him better than his real name, or the one your beings gave to him - Harbinger."

Twilight had figured this guy had some kind of vested interest in Ponietheus. She remembered when they saw each other on that field a few days earlier. Ponietheus cried and Saturn seemed like he'd seen a ghost.

"You knew him? Before all this, I mean."

Saturn nodded and grinded his teeth. "Yes. He is my brother, though not in the literal sense of course. We grew up together, under the same circumstances… until he found this place. Do you know the story?"

Twilight Sparkle nodded. "Yes, I know the story," she said wearily.

"I thought he had died," Saturn said softly. He looked down at the ground and scowled. Twilight Sparkle understood everything once he said that. She couldn't explain it, but she thought she could see what he felt behind his stone face, his tired eyes and his dry words. Ponietheus was his friend, and he would look after her. It was like her and Spike - the way she looked after Spike.

"…But he is in your hooves now, as well as your despot's," Saturn said, "Drifter is out of my reach. I came to ask you to look after him, if you can."

Twilight Sparkle smiled at him. "You're free to visit him if you want."

Saturn looked sad. "I-"

His eyes darted up towards something behind her. He sneered. Twilight could feel his anger in her gut. She turned to see. An deep green alicorn flew off from the castle into the distance, up into space. "That is why I cannot stay," Saturn said, "I tried to convince your despot to allow me to see my friend while he was incarcerated at her castle, but she would not allow it."

"Please don't be angry with Princess Celestia," Twilight Sparkle said, "This… this whole thing has been pretty personal for her."

"Be calm. I bear no ill will against her. I understand her position." Saturn turned and looked out over the valley. "She loves this place, I can see it. Drifter loved it too. I asked your despot to put him to work here, to pay for what he did, just as I ask you to watch over him."

'I really don't want to,' Twilight told herself in her head. Still, she couldn't shake this sorrowful feeling in her stomach. She didn't seem to have a choice. The words came out before she could stop them. "I will. Don't worry."

Saturn turned back around to face her. "That old one who just flew off - do you know her? She's the one your despot's sister came to fetch."

"Oh, Gaea?"

"Yes, her." Saturn seemed vaguely disgusted. His brow was more furrowed, and he looked off to the distance with an intense frown. "I believe you should know. She plans to meet you, to have you brought to her in space. A warning; She is not your ally. She stinks of age and fear - fear of the unknown, just as those who came before her. You are a something she doesn't have control over. And so, as I asked you to watch over my friend, tell him that I beg him to keep you safe from her."

Twilight Sparkle frowned. He hated Gaea, that much was clear. Something had happened with all these alicorn, something much bigger than Ponietheus. She felt toyed with. She felt like she had been thrown into something she didn't understand. She felt angry. In fact, she felt too angry, as if the anger wasn't all hers. Her head began to sting just a little, and she felt a slight pressure on her chest.

"What has Gaea done that's made so uncomfortable."

"She is old, and so are her ideas," Saturn said, "She… uses beings, is ruthless, merciless, uncompromising, needlessly pragmatic-" He cut himself off and shook his head. "It is not your problem, little mended princess. It is mine." He spread out his wings and looked upward.

"Please look after my friend," he said solemnly, "And look after yourself as well."

Then he was gone.

Twilight Sparkle watched him until he disappeared into the sky. She wished she could trade Ponietheus for him. She sighed and let herself stare off over the valley while her mind processed the encounter. The mix of sorrow and anger she felt in her gut had left as well, and the old feelings of resignation and fatigue settled back in. 'So, this is what it means to be a princess. I have so many questions.'

She closed her eyes and sucked in a good lungful of air. Then, she turned towards the castle, hoping to meet with Princess Celestia.

Author's Note:

The end is nigh.