Occultus Canonicus- Book One: Honesty

by Blackbriar

Spoils the Bunch

“Safe? You want to know if this is safe ‘Princess’? No, it isn’t safe. It isn’t sane, it isn’t ethical, and I’m not even sure if it’s possible. But I’m willing to risk my Mage’s License and the security of all Equestrian futures on the off hand chance we can win this war. Omelettes and eggs, Tia, it’s omelettes and eggs. I knew you didn’t have the stomach for this work, it’s why we built that Summer home on that hill you call Canterlot. I do my work in the shadows and you bask in the light of all our little ponies. Luna sees things my way, and Faust preserve us, it might just be our only hope to save all of ponydom from being slaves, food, or worse to the animals pounding on our walls.”
-”Final Journal of the Harmonic Resonance Project” from the Redacted library of Starswirl the Bearded

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Twilight raised another teacake to her mouth with her field and munched down on a nutty goodness that was another of Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s masterpieces. In a surprise to exactly no one two hours had gone by and Twilight just didn’t feel the need to get up out of this comfy chair, in this quiet part of the bakery and deal with another threat. There were guards around town now that she was in residence, there were four other bearers of Harmony running around, each a force to be reckoned with. And Zoey was having a blast!

Having never been further south than the Ewe Ranches on a field trip before her banishment, and no further than the city limits afterwards. Zoisite Quill hadn’t seen much of Equestria, and she was drinking it all in with a zeal reserved for the uninitiated and the young. Even the concept of building NOT made of crystal and stone were fascinating to her. Wood was used as fuel for the forage, or the temporary stands set up for fairs to be saved year after year. Not build homes out of, let alone cities! Twilight marveled at the Page as she saw more colts and fillies that had normal matte hides and she was the focus of some attention as well. Most Ponyvillians hadn’t run into many crystal ponies save for a few that were passing by on parts unknown to explore a world a millenia removed. They couldn’t get enough of the way her hooves while soft to the touch still made little clink sounds on the tiled floor near the counter.

And the treats, my Goddess Celestia the treats! Crystal berries pies were all well and good but being so far north the Crystal Empires desserts tended to be more savory than sweet, what with sugar being a valuable and often times expensive import. Honey could only be found in the few months that summer held sway in the frozen north, and now with so much variety and choice she couldn’t keep up with the things pony folk were offering her. Eclairs filled with sweet cream, a distant relative of the maple sap fritters that were very popular in the heart of winter done up all fluffy and light, and chocolate! A substance to opposite what she was used to it was like dropping blots of ink on the blank canvas of her pallette. She tried one of everything and two with anything remotely associated with the ebony treat.

Pinkie giggled along, making small talk with Twilight, and as the sun started to get lower in sky a nagging feeling in the back of her mind started to form. Wasn’t she supposed to be somewhere, some where important, with someone important to her? She couldn’t remember, it was all fuzzed out by the recent memories of a fillies first trip to a candy store. Mr. and Mrs. Cake hadn’t been by their table in a while either, where they getting ready for the dinner rush? But she had arrived in Ponyville this morning, why had she done that? That worry grew as Pinkie attempted to tell her a joke when she wasn’t keeping along with the conversation to get her attention back. And when she noticed none of the other ponies were talking to each other only Zoey and herself that worry bloomed into full on paranoia.

All at once mental defenses snapped down like iron doors locking Twilight with in her mind. Deep in her psyche she focused on an image of what she used to be, a unicorn, floating in a light lavender glow. Just like Zecora taught her, she cleared her mind of all distractions. As Pinkie asked her if she was okay, and Zoey complaining for the umpteenth time that she couldn’t eat another bite the world slowed to a stop as Twilight started acting at the speed of thought. Something was very wrong after all, or else her training wouldn’t have brought her here.

Another Twilight, haggard looking, slightly malnourished, and very bookish with glasses and her mane done up in a bun poofed into existence. “About bloody time! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been fighting off their influence since you got off the Train!”

Twilight touched down on ground that was just there and addressed her stressed out clone, “I’m sorry Sublight, I didn’t even think to be worried with Pinkie around, she is so on top of things with her Pinkie Sense that it never occurred to me we were in a battle situation!”

The Subconscious Twilight dusted off her fetlocks and struck a proud pose, “But I did as we agreed on, I remain ever vigilant in the back of your mind monitoring for mental attacks and it finally payed off. It’s so gratifying to have your existence affirmed!”

Rolling her eyes and giving herself a brohoof, only missing once or twice like the nerd they were they got down to business. “Well clearly I haven’t just been enjoying a nice afternoon in Sugarcube Corner or else we wouldn’t be here. What can you tell me that you sensed in the background that I clearly missed?”

A blackboard appeared behind Sublight and she used her field to write down one, two and three, “At least two of the criteria for a mind influence spell have been met, with the third probably coming next to make it a full on mind control spell. Your Alicorn constitution has held them back so far but if we don’t act soon I doubt we’ll be able to help anyone out other than the Cakes with their bottom line. Did you know you’ve eaten over a dozen of those tea cakes in the last hour. We’re going to have to do so much arial cardio after this!”

Watching as the blackboard was filled in with her mind’s very immaculate hoof writing Twilight reviewed the list, “Nonsense, we’re being attacked, and under the Royal Charter of Discordia we have every right and legal authority to channel fully powered Alicorn Magic at out aggressor, even base spells at that rate burn thousands of kilojoules a second, we’ll work it off in no time. Note to us: that’s why Princess Celestia has a sweet tooth, more calories equals a great well of magic to tap into.”

Clicking the chalk back into the tray Sublight regarded her partner, “Neither here or there unless we can counter their attack. Phase one is complete, they were able to enter proximity to us undetected and were able to cast their spell to enthrall us. It is so incredibly weak and fine that we didn’t even notice it slip in. As our parasympathetic nervous system has only been numbed and not shut down we can tell that we’re too full and need to use the restroom we still have control of our glands. Though with just the trickle of adrenaline keeping me whole in this state that’s going to wear off in about 5 microseconds. We’ll need to kick the sympathetic nervous system into gear if we’re going to activate any more of the limbic system and as we’ve lost most of the upper brain functions to this mesmerization we’re stuck with enteric nervous system. And to block their attack long enough to reboot our brain we’re going to need a massive reflexive action to distract both the attacker long enough and wipe or mind of the control. Above or below Twilight, you’re the one that has to worry about cleaning up after yourself, I’ll just have to deal with the memory.”

Grimacing at the idea she’ll have to further embarrass herself in the situation of already being hypnotized while her friends are in danger she asks, “What about phase two, that’ll play a role to be sure.”

Humming to herself in thought, “Phase two, maintain enthrallment while the spell takes hold. Well, they have to be close to maintain contact with their spell, something this delicate is not likely to survive long in the aether. More than likely they’re with in five yards of us.”

Twilight waved a hoof at the black board and it flattened into a Diamond Dogs and Dugouts board game like Shining Armor used to have. But instead of hidden traps and monsters the layout of Sugarcube corner rose up out of the grid lines. “Well, there are currently three ponies in my vicinity close enough to cast that kind of spell. Only one of them is a unicorn, and Lyra Heartstrings special tallant is playing the Lyre and going on about those hooman things. She also doesn’t have the finesse to handle this type of spell. A beautiful concerto on strings as fine as floss, sure, but not mental penetration magic. Besides, we’d have to be by her earlier than this and she entered Sugarcube Corner after us. But the only other two are Pinkie and Zoey. Zoey’s a Crystal Earth Pony, and Pinkie is well Pinkie. She has a special magic all her own, but not anything that should be able to penetrate an alicorns defenses!”

“Yeah, about that, much as we hate to admit it the only new factor in range that could be affecting us is her. And you know, I haven’t seen her eat a CRUMB since we got here. Usually we have to tie her down to keep her from diving muzzle first into the display case. Which brings up another unsavory question. Who or what is doing this? Few creatures are as adept at mind magic as unicorns, and the only other species that would fit the bill.

“Changelings!” “Changelings!”
“Good to see we’re on the same page. So, did you decide how you wanted to do this Twilight?”

“Yeah, and it’ll be that much funnier when I finish my friendship report to Princess Celestia about this. Prepare for a eructation of epic proportions!”

“Aye aye, boss, and good luck out there.”

“Thanks Sublight, good to work with you finally.”

Back in the real world, Pinkie had just finished asking if Twilight was alright when from deep with in her equine bowels there was a rumbling the likes of which would give even the dragon teenagers from the Badlands pause. At point blank range, their muzzles barely six inches away. The freshly crowned Princess of Friendship let loose a thunderous belch that pushed the poofy haired pony’s mane straight back like she just got in a yelling contest with a manticore. It seemed to go on and on, stars were born, burned, and winked out of existence during that burp. And when it was done you couldn’t hear anything but a polite, “excuse me” followed by a blast of eldritch might that tore the whole side of the building off it’s foundation.

Also aimed at Pinkie Pie’s head.

“BY ROYAL DECREE, WITH THE POWER INVESTED IN ME BY THE GODDESSES OF THE SUN AND MOON, BARE WITNESS TO THOSE THAT WOULD DEFY THE CROWN!”

And Twilight charged through the smoldering hole.

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Back on the farm things had been going just about as well as you would think they were. The red eyed pony jerked his head and the three Apples in a row: Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, soon found themselves forced into a closet near the pantry of the kitchen.

Wheeling around with lasso in teeth Applejack whipped her rope at the creature as it ducked out of the windows aperture. Cursing in a way that would get her hide tanned if Granny heard her she dashed down the hall and out the front door. Only to find Blackbriar already squaring off with him. The pudgy pony, having miraculously lept through the window was now in mid buck with the creatures jaw. With the sound of metal sledge slamming into a granite slab the intruder flew snout over tail four times before connecting with fence post. This was cold comfort for the thing as it bucked again by Applejack right through the post and a tree trunk 20 feet further. The crackling of wood could be heard for miles as a 30 year tree had it’s life cut short as the creature blasted out the other side.

Approaching cautiously, Applejack and Blackbriar circled around the cloaked figure only to find themselves suddenly flattened to the ground as if a wagon had been parked on their withers. A sickly greenish glow coming from a stump on the attackers head. All his flights through wood had all but completely shredded his cloak, and what lay beneath was haunting.

It used to be a pony, that much was sure, and probably an alicorn based on the stump on it’s head. A jagged ruin of a foci for magic now a charred husk currently oozing foul smelling ichor from the torn tip. His flesh was taut and drawn to the bone, like a creature that hadn’t eaten in years and was kept alive by some unholy power. What little muscle remained on the things skeletal system was ropy and torn in places, as if the sheer act of moving in any way was a labor of pain. And it’s eyes. Instead of the usual pupils and eye lids there was just a skull with eye sockets. Filled with in by two glowing coals from Tartarus itself.

Discord was a threat to the realm in terms of his grasp on reality.
Nightmare Moon was a threat to the pony way of life in general.
Chrysalis was a parasite with delusions of grandeur.

This thing was evil.

Applejack looked to her left and could hear Blackbriar yelp in pain as the distinct sound of bones breaking in his rib area creaked and snapped like rotten floor boards.

“What’s a matter Blackbriar? A little pain too much to bear after a thousand years in retirement? I would think you would recall an old friend like me. I guess not, time has not been kind to me, and death even less so. I must say, getting to you will be sweet but killing off your family line in this time will be the icing on the cake. You like cake don’t you? I can’t eat it any more, after my tongue started to rot all I could taste was putrid meat! You left me in that seal, but I’m not built like you! I wasn’t blessed by Her Majesty with a form that could withstand the process. Instead I’m naught by a SHADE haunting my own corpse! Well ‘Chef’, there’s a new course on the menu, and wouldn’t you know it there IS something I can eat like this.”

Turning to Applejack Blackbriar stopped writhing in agony as the mare met the things eyes directly for the first time. “How rude of me, here I am about devour your very essence when I haven’t even introduced myself. Stalwart Tome, at your service, now just lie there while I devour your silly mud pony magic.”

Over the sound of Big Mac trying to buck the door off the closet hinges with what little room he had left, and over the muffling of Granny Smith’s hooves pressing down almost painfully on her ears Applebloom heard a scream.

It was her sister. And she was dying. Slowly.