Gladiator

by Not_A_Hat

62 - Branching

I lay in bed for a while, before the roiling in my gut got too difficult to ignore.

I slowly slipped off the mattress, trying not to disturb Bit. I needed to be alone. I needed answers. My best bet for both was where I'd first seen the patterns; a cave in the Everfree.

I stood, a little unsteady. Feelings of shock, worry, and confusion swirled in my head. Something was in my mind. Twilight had known something about how I got here. Why? Why hadn't she told me?

Confusion, fear, and shame, most likely. I understood that myself; inaction turned into procrastination, and procrastination slid into secrecy; not even intentionally. She'd been afraid of my reaction, and as time went on, it would have only gotten harder and harder to confront me. I sighed softly, and rubbed my eyes.

My reaction… yeah. That was another. I'd always been a little unstable. Like our first meeting, or my various outbursts of temper. I was more in control than ever, but I was still, in many ways, impulsive and unpredictable. The prospect of me lashing out at her wasn't unreasonable. She'd be more scared, though, of me lashing out at me, or isolating myself.

Which… I was about to do, actually. I pushed the thoughts aside.

My belt clinked as I tied it on, and Bit stirred, lifting its head.

"Wes?" Its voice was bleared with sleep.

"Shhh." I tried to sound calm and collected, squelching the emotions whirling in my chest. "Go back to bed."

"Yes, Master."

I stopped, frozen to the core.

Tense silence hung in the air for a moment.

Bit lay back down.

"Bit…" My voice cracked.

"You said I shouldn't call you that, because I was your friend." Its voice quavered, slicing my heart. "But… but! Do friends sneak off in the night? Without even a word?" It sniffled. "Do friends disappear like that, leaving friends to worry?"

I slumped back against the wall, knees weak.

"Bit, I…" Suddenly, I felt more than a little selfish.

"P-princess Luna visited me just now." Its voice was shaking. It may have been crying; I couldn't see. "She said to keep an eye on you. I didn't think I'd need to, because I didn't think you'd abandon me." It sniffled again, and I hid my face.

"S…sorry." I choked out. "I'm… it's…"

"Dangerous?" Bit's voice was soft. "No place for a child?"

All that and more.

I was headed to the Caves of Sound and Shade. I was hiking through the Everfree, in the middle of the night, to explore one of the few places even more wild and uncharted. I was going now, because I needed answers. I couldn't hide my intentions for long, but there was no way my friends would let me go alone. And I needed to go alone, because…

Because…

It was dangerous, but my friends could handle that. It was late, but I'd called them in the middle of the night before. It was unknown, but some of them liked that.

Ah.

I stopped, realizing. I was going alone because of that word.

<Arcanaclypse.>

It was English. Half-remembered. Twilight hadn't even caught it the first time, and still didn't understand it.

Which was understandable, honestly. English was a language for poets and writers. It could be layered with deep meaning. I'd been using it for twenty years, easy, and I was still surprised by new words and rules.

But the meaning of this one was somehow clear, even if how or why I knew it wasn't. Whoever coined it had combined 'arcane' and 'apocalypse'. Magic. Danger. Enough to qualify as the end of the world.

Equus? Earth? I didn't know. But I needed to find out. And I was in no condition for explanations. No mood for putting together a decent party, with precautions and safeguards. Turmoil rolled in my gut. I wasn't decent company right now. I didn't have the energy for concerned questions, or the fortitude to explain my reasoning time and again to everypony willing to help. And if I asked, they would help. I'd be smothered in well-wishing.

Easier to just not ask.

My attention jerked back to the present as Bit sniffled on the bed.

Leaving it behind was a selfish choice, but my reasons were good, right?

Twilight's reasons had been good, too.

"I…I just want to help." Bit's voice was soft. I grimaced. "You've been p-protecting and helping me for as long as I've n-known you, Wes. Which is forever. P-please, let me come? I-I want to help. You're hurting. I can t-tell." It sat up, sniffling, pajamas ghostly in the moonlight. "I don't want you to hurt. Please, let me help? Somehow? You've been guarding me, in so many ways for so long. I want to - to g-guard you too, protect your heart. C-can't you tell me what's hurting you? L-let me be your friend?"

"Oh, Bitterbloom." I ground my palms into my eyes. "Oh, Bit."

We sat in silence for a minute, my deep, slow breaths counterpoint to its quiet sniffles.

"Alright." I slowly stood and picked up my dagger, holding it out. "Take this. Get your kit. We're headed into the Everfree." Having someone to protect would protect me, too. And Bit was about as undemanding of a companion as I could ask for.

"W-what if… what if we meet a monster?" Bit slipped off the bed, hesitantly accepting the dagger and wiping its eyes.

"They can beg the heavens for mercy." I shrugged, clipping on my vibroblade. "Because I won't show any."

---

"You're grim tonight, sir."

"Hmm?" I stepped past the piles of deadwood. They had been timberwolves a moment ago. The green glare of my blade winked out, darkness reclaiming the clearing. "Sorry. I’m thinking."

"Tell me."

I paused, looking to my aide. Its eyes glimmered darkly in the moonlight. That had almost sounded… demanding?

"Alright." I nodded, taking a deep breath. Maybe talking this out would help still my inner turmoil a little. "It all started when Discord accosted us, not that long ago…"

---

"And so, you're angry at your friends? At Twilight?" Bit cocked its head.

"Not… really." I frowned. "I mean, I was, at least somewhat. But… I don't feel that way so much, right now. More like disappointed? Frustrated? Lots of that might be spillover from the memory, though. I just feel generally… bad. About everything, and everypony. It's like - " I cut off, as Bit turned and wrapped its thin arms tightly around me.

"Shhh. It'll be okay."

I smiled involuntarily, letting it comfort me.

"Thanks, Bit." I patted its back. Eventually, it released me.

"Feel better, sir?"

"Yes, much." My grin was small, but genuine. "Alright, we need to move faster. Are you up for a little running?"

"Ready as ever."

"Good." I adjusted my pack. "I'd like to get there before daybreak." We slid off into the night.

---

"Sir, why are we hiding?"

"A minute, Bit."

My aide fell silent. I stared just a little longer.

"Bit, can you see it?"

"No, sir." It gave me a serious glance. "You say the pattern is just above the door?"

"Yeah."

It inspected the cliff face carefully in the dim, pre-dawn light.

"It seems blank of purposeful patterns."

"Blech."

I could still see the patterns. I paced in a small circle, trying to sort my thoughts out again.

There was something in my head.

It had affected me, without my knowledge.

It made me… see things? Was that all? I squelched that train of thought before I started second-guessing every single thing I'd done here in Equestria.

It might be connected to my appearance here.

It was definitely connected to the crystal tree.

"Shoot!" I suddenly remembered what Luna had said. I'd been too distracted to follow up on it, but… she might have known something about the crystal tree. It certainly sounded so. I glanced at the mural again. It was still evident to me, splayed across the bare rock, like it had been stained into the surface. Swirling, confusing, it drew the eye strangely.

"Fine, enough." I stopped my pacing, and turned to the door in the cliff-face. "This is the only place I could think of that might have some answers. Let's see what we can find." Bit nodded, and followed me. I pushed the door open, but froze.

Warm light spilled from inside the small guardhouse. I made a discrete motion to Bit; it vanished silently.

Firelight?

Somepony - something was here, and I had no idea -

"Come in, Wes."

I stopped, suddenly more confused and less worried.

"Pinkie?"

"The one and only."

I slowly stepped through the door. Pinkie was sitting inside, cooking pancakes in a skillet on the coals.

"What… how…"

"I thought you might want a warm breakfast. And maybe a friend?"

"Hah." A wry smirk twisted my mouth. "It's no use, huh?"

"None at all!" Her serious stare belied her cheerful words. "Don't imagine you can just ditch your companions so easily."

"How did you know?"

"Know?" She shrugged. "I don't know anything. I just guessed. This time, it seems I was right. So. Come in, bring Bit, have some breakfast."

"And explain?" The words were harsh. Telling Bit had been one thing; it was almost incapable of judging me. Pinkie, on the other hand… I had the uncomfortable feeling any comments she made on my feelings would be uncannily, precisely cutting. I didn't want to deal with that. I'd run from exactly that, much as I hated to admit it.

"No." She produced glasses, milk, and syrup from a small pack, and laid out the meal. "Not if you don't want to." She shook her head slowly. "You don't really get it yet, Wes. You think you're the only one who's willing to accept someone just as they are?" Her stare pierced. "Get over yourself. Your friends aren't that shallow. If you need some space, that doesn't mean you should run. Just ask for some."

I nodded hesitantly, and motioned for Bit. It faded into view, and we stepped into the room.

The food was good.

The milk was cold.

The companionship was pleasant.

"Thanks, Pinkie." We'd chatted quietly, and by the time we finished, I was feeling a little better. "Are you coming with?" I motioned to the trapdoor. "We're headed into the Caverns."

"If you'll have me." She shrugged. "I won't force my way in. I'm not even sure why you're here, or why I felt I should come."

"Well, if you'd like…" I grinned. "You can join the - "

"Search party?" She grinned back. "Yeah, I'd like that."

---

"You have no idea how much easier magic makes this." I spoke quietly, but my companions heard me easily.

"This is suuuuper easy!" Pinkie grinned. "So, lots and lots?"

"Yup." I smiled back. We were working our way through the singing caves. "There's a reason I practiced the mute spell so ferociously. We'd have been hard-pressed to make it this far otherwise."

My magic, which centered around sound, gave me a distinct advantage in this part of the caves. Instead of relying on earplugs, I now had the skill to simply surround us with a null-sound bubble. It even extended into the rock below, cutting off all of the vibrations that we released and stilling the echoing hum before it even began. There was a gentle, low-level vibration through the whole cave, but it was almost pleasant.

We'd been hiking for an hour or so. It was hard to tell what direction we were headed, but it seemed like we were moving generally back, towards the castle on the edge of the forest.

I ran a hand along the wall. Again, this part of the caves seemed to have been prepared, shaped, at least somewhat. Working stone in this cavern was very difficult without my specialized magic, but somepony seemed to have taken the time to smooth and mark a path, at least a little. I'd been following faint chisel marks, being sure to leave my own magical markers at every intersection for our return. Bitterbloom was trailing its fingers along the walls and floor as well, possibly leaving a scent trail.

"Sir, something is ahead."

"Yeah." We reached the end of the corridor, where Bit was pointing, and stopped. It was different here.

I'd seen something like this when I'd been exploring last, with Sakura waiting up top. I hadn't had time to do more than look, and I hadn't been close enough to even confirm what I was looking at. Directly in front of us, a curtain of blackness hung across the corridor.

"Well, let's start with the most basic scientific test." I pulled a twig out of my pocket. "Poke it with a stick!"

My 'scientific instrument' emerged from the blackness unharmed.

"Alright, stage two!" I graduated to a finger. Nothing happened. "Seems harmless?" I frowned, and tried to scan. The response I got made me shudder.

"Sir?"

"Sorry. The background magic here is ridiculous. I can't pick anything out of it with certainty. On the other hand, it's not more magical than average. But the average here is so high…" I frowned, and took a deep breath. "It just looks like… blackness. Like a field that absorbs light. I think we found the 'shade' part of the caverns." I frowned. "Which means, once we're past this, we're into unknown territory." I didn't know much about the Caverns. No-one did.

"So, how do we get past?" Pinkie eyed the wall of darkness. "I want to keep exploring!"

"Yeah." I frowned. "We need to move on, but if we can't see…" I stopped, an idea striking. "Let me try something." I stooped, running my wand over the stone floor. This close, picking up the magic of the singing stone was definitely doable. I slowly scanned forward, extending my reach nearly into the dark.

"Hah!"

"What is it? Huh? Huh?" Pinkie bounced eagerly. "Ooooh, should I guess? Is it - "

"It's different magic." I stood. She quieted. "It's not singing stone, which means once we're in, I can drop this mute spell."

"And that means?" Bit gave me a frown.

"Well, maybe I have a spell that can help us navigate." I eyed the wall of shadow again. "But I'm a little leery of stepping into that before we know what's on the other side." I glanced backwards. We hadn't met anything hostile; we hadn't met anything at all. But that was no guarantee that we were safe. "I'm scared of grues."

"That's silly!" Pinkie smirked. "There aren't any grues in the Everfree!"

"Um, okay." I shrugged. She was probably right, but I still wasn't taking chances. "Step back, you two. I'm going to see if I can set this spell up." We drew back from the dark curtain, and I concentrated on remembering.

Echonarchy was a versatile and powerful discipline. Lyra used it for just about everything, and one thing she needed was full-circle threat detection. She had taught me this spell early on, but I hadn't started practicing it seriously until after storming Phoresy's keep. By now, it was nearly usable. It was an echolocation spell.

I carefully harmonized my magic again, trying to visualize the effect I needed. I wove the spell structure slowly; no need to push myself. I'd rather get it right the first time. The most difficult part of the spell was the converter, a complex piece of magic that could translate the sound patterns into something useable, and project that sensation into my consciousness.

When I was done, the spell hovered in the air in front of me, a neon globe coated with tiny spikes and barbs. I double-checked everything, and raised it to my forehead. Lyra could cast this in a split second, but mine at least seemed correct.

It settled into place with a strangely electric feeling. I blinked; I didn't see any difference. I snapped my fingers, and lights went off in my head.

"Oh, weird." I cut off, and tried to squint at my throat. "Man, this is weird." Sounds exploded on my consciousness like fireworks. Snapping fingers shot silver sparks; clearing my throat threw lines of green light.

"Sir?" I turned to Bit; its light voice had a silvery hue, and I could 'see' it even with my back turned. "Is it working correctly?"

"I think so. Let me move the mute zone, and maybe I can take a look into the next area." I carefully extended the magic bubble we were traveling in, stretching it out until one end of it stuck well into the darkness before opening one end, so I could hear the response.

"Hello?" I yelled into the tunnel.

"…ello, ello, lo, lo, o…." My voice bounced off the walls, echoing back and forth as it traveled. With each bounce that returned to me, I 'saw' part of the tunnel up ahead. The smoothed area continued, although it meandered and twisted strangely. Nothing moved.

"This stillness is almost creepy." I turned to my companions. "It seems clear. I don't know how far the darkness extends. Um, maybe if we walk single file, we can - "

Bit clicked its tongue, and silvery sparks shot into the darkness. It turned its head. Its ears stretched, growing ribs and taking on a wider aspect. It was copying me.

"No need, sir. I can see."

"…huh. Did you learn that just now?" I gave it a curious stare. Sometimes its precociousness was almost scary.

"I borrowed it from a bat. Fluttershy showed me."

"Clever." I nodded.

"It seemed it would be useful." It shrugged. "Now it is."

"Soooo." Pinkie leaned in close. "It's just me. All alone. In the dark. It'll be scary, Wes. I won't be able to see."

"Um…"

"I won't know if something's sneaking up on us. I won't be able to see you, in case I need an emergency hug."

"I, uh - "

"What if we get separated? I'd never find my way back. I'd starve, Wes. Or die of thirst. If a grue didn't get me!"

"I thought - "

"Wes! You've got to do something! I can't take it! I can't do it, Wes, I can't go on like this!" She threw her forelegs on my shoulders, flinging her head back dramatically. "Wes, please!"

"Alright, fine! We can try the mindlink!"

"Woooo!" Pinkie dropped to the ground, bouncing in joy. "Finally! Woohoo!" She turned a backflip.

"Ugh." I facepalmed. "I can't believe…. Whatever. Let's get this over with."

---

" - next year I'll shave my eyebrows off, cuz I like looking WEIRD. Fiddle-dee fiddle-die fiddle-dum-dum, I get - "

"AAAAAAARGH!" I threw my head back, letting out a primal roar of frustration. "Pinkamina Diane Pie, would you please stop singing!" I rubbed my temples. "Talk about 'can't get a song out of your head!' Seriously!"

"But I like singing." I could see the disappointment in her voice. "And when I sing through the link, I can do awesome sound effects!" She demonstrated by playing three accordions at once. In my head. I twitched.

"I, ugh." I stepped forward, and blinked. The neon world of echoes and song was suddenly filled with real color. The glow of my headlamp lit the tunnel dimly, but it was lit. I could see. We were out of the Shade.

"Free!" I dropped to my knees, raising my hands to the roof. "I…I'm free!" I reached back into the darkness, and yanked Pinkie out before snapping the link and collapsing on the floor. "No more party songs in my head. No more accordions! Oh, sweet, sweet silence!" I kissed the now-visible ground.

"Sir, you're embarrassing me." Bit gave me a flat look.

"You are such a teenager." I grimaced back. "Let me have my fun. No need to be serious all the time, right?"

"Maybe so. But perhaps we should be serious about what's ahead." Bit motioned to the end of the tunnel, where spikes of crystal were obvious. As I watched, a crackle of magic jumped from one to the other. "That doesn't look exactly… inviting."

"Great." I sat down and rubbed my eyes. "Alright, we're taking a break for now. It's lunch; I'll set wards, so let's rest."

---

"How long has it been?"

"Seven hours, sir."

"And how many sections have we seen?"

"Thirteen distinct sections, although several were only a few minutes long."

"Like the one with the fox-fire. Thankfully."

"Indeed."

"Heeeeey, loooook!" Pinkie called from nearby. I turned; she was pointing at a large, embossed vase. "There's writing on this!"

"Yeah, but we can't loiter!" I called back. "Much as I'd like to. I want to get to the end of this road, if we can."

We were currently working our way through a section of the caves that may have been inhabited. The 'pathway' we'd been following the whole time actually expanded into something like a paved road, here. Doors lead off into the darkness on either side, and columns and arches supported the roof. I snapped my fingers, watching sparks of sound bounce into one hidden area. It was empty, just like the rest. I nodded. I still wasn't convinced that we were safe, but I was starting to believe we might actually be alone.

The sections we'd traversed had all been varied and beautiful, though several were exceedingly dangerous. Only good judgment and a large dash of luck had gotten us through. Especially the section with floating tongues of flame. Fox-fire was nasty.

We'd walked along shallow streams, surrounded by glowing plants. We'd climbed up and down winding spires, gazing at iridescent patterns formed by moss on the distant ceiling. We'd nearly gotten lost in an embarrassingly small maze. We'd been chilled and warmed, dirtied and dampened, but we pressed on.

"We're nearing the end of this section, I think." I looked around. The buildings, such as they were, were shrinking. The road narrowed slightly. "We need to tell the Princess about this place. I bet it was old when the city was here."

"Yes." Bit looked up. "She would like that. Wes?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you take me to see my mother?"

"Huh?" I stumbled, nearly falling, in my surprise. "What brought that on?"

"Celestia said I should. I talked to her at Twilight's party."

"…how did that come up?"

"I, um." Bit hesitated, and gave me a cautious look. "I asked her how to be grown up. She said to ask my mother for advice."

"Ah." I rubbed my eyes, trying to think. "Well, maybe we should."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if Celestia thinks it's a good idea, it probably is. And I need to talk to Tezeca as well." One of my fists clenched; I slowly relaxed it. "I need to give her my verdict. And maybe a piece of my mind."

"Ah." Bit gave me a searching glance, but said no more.

After a minute more of walking, we turned a corner and reached a wall.

"Huh?" Pinkie stopped. "Wes, the road ends."

"Um." I stepped forward. She was right. The smoothed path ended here. I ran a hand over the wall, casually inspecting the patterns marked onto it. They were twisted and tangled, spikey and… wait a minute.

"Um, Bit, Pinkie, can you see anything on this wall? Any pattern? Anything at all?" Both of them shook their heads. "Oh. Um." I stepped back.

The road, chipped and cut to a noticeable path, ran right up to the foot of the wall before stopping. The wall was rough-cut, but didn't seem specially worked in any way. It was almost as if the builders had gotten this far, and then just decided to quit.

Or… maybe they'd started here?

I looked backwards, tracing our footsteps in my mind. If… whoever, whatever, had built this path had lived in that strange, underground city… maybe they'd worked their way from here, and carved a useable path through the caves until they were near enough the surface to… escape? Visit?

I shook my head; speculation was useless. All I knew was that we'd reached the end of the road, and it was a dead end. I sighed, stepping back.

"Is that it?" Bit gave me a confused look.

"I think so." I shrugged. "I was hoping for answers, and we found something." I looked back over my shoulder, examining the wall again. "It's just not - " I stopped.

This one was… different?

Like the rest of the patterns I'd seen, the spirals seemed jagged and sharp, pointless, almost tribal, with no obvious symbolism. They drew the eye strangely, but.. This one, instead of leading the eyes of the viewer in wandering paths, confusing in their complexity and dizzying in their depth, it kept pulling my eyes back to one single spot.

This mural had a center.

This mural was telling me something.

"Sir?"

"Just a second…" I ran a hand over the stone, feeling for a clue or a hint. "I think there might be something here."

I worked in silence for a good half hour, carefully canvassing the entire wall, trying to unlock its secrets. At the end, I knew no more than when I'd started.

Finally, in frustration, I thumped a fist against the wall.

It echoed.

"Oh!" I stepped back. Sparks danced in my vision as the sound-spell tried to translate the sound into something I could see, but all I got was a mess. Still, there was something back there.

"It's hollow." I looked at the wall again. "There's something behind it." I rubbed my chin in thought. "We need to get through." I paced in a small circle, trying to assemble my options. "I don't really care how." I rifled through my pack, searching for tools. Eventually, my hand dropped to my belt. I rubbed a finger along the hilt of my vibroblade, thinking. Finally, I made up my mind. "Stand back." I unclipped the weapon, and raised it. "I'm cutting my way in."

"Ooo!" Pinkie gave an appreciative grin. "Awesome!"

"Shield your eyes, sir."

"I'll just keep them closed. The spell should be enough." I took a moment to dig a bandage out of my first aid kit, to tie over my face. Then I pushed a little power into the blade, and it winked to life. I carefully drew the echonarchy down, concentrating it. The vibroblade was a weapon, not a powersaw, but it should be able to cut this; I'd engineered it for use against the crystal golems. I touched it to the stone wall, and with a squeal, a plume of dust shot away. It basically buzzed the stone apart, using high-frequency sound to rip tiny pieces off. I could 'see' it cut easily, the echolocation spell even allowing me to look into the cliff. As soon as the blade was through, I started dragging it sideways.

It was hard work, physically and magically exhausting, slow, hot, and gritty. By the time I was done, I'd cut a hole barely two feet square; just enough for me to climb through. I cut the last piece holding it in, and it fell with a dull clunk, disappearing into the hole. I stepped back, wiping sand of my forehead, and untied the cloth around my eyes.

Something gleamed brightly through the opening.

"Woah…"Pinkie stuck her head through for a second, before climbing through completely. "Woah! You guys gotta come see this!"

"Just a sec." I dusted myself off, and motioned for Bit to climb through. It carefully complied. I gave the tunnel one last look. Now that I'd opened a path, the pattern was fading off the wall, as if it had accomplished its goal.

I leaned down, and crawled through.

"Holy crow…"

"This is it." Pinkie's voice was solemn. We stood, awestruck, staring up at a gigantic crystalline… tree. It's branches spread evenly, reaching up for a non-existent sun. It had no leaves, but the lacy profusion of branches didn't seem to need them. It was a clear, pure blue, shimmering slightly even in the dark.

It towered above us. The cave we found ourselves in was huge, soaring, cathedral; the wall behind us curved brokenly into the darkness. The glow of our lamps was lost in the depths of shadow. The feeble light of the tree wasn't nearly enough to show the walls. Looking up, it was hard to get a feel for how huge it actually was, but even with perspective twisted by darkness and depth, it dwarfed us.

"I thought it would be smaller," I said helplessly. Last time I saw it, it was only the size of my hand.

"You knew this was here?" Pinkie's voice was incredulous. "I've been searching for years!"

"No, I… " I stopped. "I didn't know. I had no idea where we were headed. But, um… where did you…"

"In a dream." She stepped closer, slowly. "I had a dream about this place, once."

"Gah." I slumped against the wall, pressing a hand to my head, and trying to think. "What they hay is this thing?"

"Hmm?" Pinkie turned back to me. "It's the tree, of course!"

"But that doesn't mean anything!" I threw my arms out. "I saw it in a dream, too! It was only this big!" I motioned with my hand. "Someone had it in a pot! But Luna said it didn't look like that! And here it is, except it looks like that! And you've seen it, which means… I don't even know! Should we expect other Pinkies to show up?"

"Of course not, silly!" Pinkie giggled and poked my forehead with a hoof, forcing me to look her in the face. "That would be ridiculous!"

"Oh. Well then." I sighed bitterly. "Blargh. Alright. Let's keep exploring." I pushed Pinkie's strangeness out of my mind and tried to deal with the pieces I understood. One; I'd seen this, or a representation of this before, and it seemed connected to how I got here. Two, the patterns I'd seen were connected to this, or to the small tree… I stopped, confused. I still didn't know enough. I still didn't know anything. I sighed, and rose.

"Sir, come look." Bit's voice called from the center of the cavern. I set my pack down by the entrance, tagging it with a spell so I could find it again, and followed.

My aide was standing stock-still near the trunk of the tree, looking down into a pool of… something. The trunk rose from the pool, yards across, stabbing roof-ward with a gentle curve. The pool surrounded the trunk completely. It almost looked like water, but the surface rippled and moved constantly, throwing strange reflections back to my lamp. It looked like silk in the breeze, transparent, held against the night sky.

"My gosh - it's full of stars!"

"Blergh." I facepalmed. "Pinkie, how many of your comments are from old sci-fi movies, and I've just never noticed?"

She only smiled.

But she was right. The pool - if that's what it was - did seem to be full of stars. I pulled my twig out, and poked it into the surface. It left a ripple, much stronger than I'd have expected, which spread much faster than it should have. When I drew it out, it glimmered oily. I poked it in again, and dragged it slowly towards the edge, feeling for the bottom. At the boundary, it met a sudden resistance, and then it came free. It had been cut cleanly in half.

"Oooo - kay." I looked at the end of the stick; it was smoothly sliced, as if by an impossibly sharp knife. "Both of you, stay away from this thing. I have no idea what we're looking at, but it's dangerous." I turned my lamp back to the rest of the cave. "Let's see what else we can find."

We carefully circled the cavern. It was fairly dull work. The cave was large enough that by the time we made it halfway, we were starting to get tired. We moved towards the wall for a break, and I noticed the vines.

"These are strange." I poked one. They were black, and seemed old. "They're not dead, but what are they living on?" I followed one down to the floor. It sprang from a tiny seed. I searched for a while, coming up with an un-sprouted one. I scanned it, and blinked. "Discord?"

"Huh?" Pinkie looked towards me.

"This feels like Discord's magic." I frowned. Had he known his casual comments would end with me here? I sighed, and rubbed my eyes. Just what I needed in my life; an amoral chessmaster. Celestia at least had the decency to ask. I carefully extracted a bottle from my pack, and sealed the seed inside. The enchanted crystal ought to keep it dormant until I could get Zecora to look at it.

Tiiiiiiiing!

All three of us turned to the tree in surprise. A flash of light emanated from the pool, running up the trunk. It split at each branching, tracing the whole thing with a thousand thousand glimmering dots, as it divided again and again.

As the glow grew slightly, the walls and ceiling of the cavern came into view. I gasped; the light the tree threw traced a familiar pattern. Spikey, swirling, almost tribal. I gulped, and rubbed my eyes. If I'd needed confirmation…

The light slowly faded, but the pool kept glowing. Hesitant, I looked to my companions. Bit was as impassive as ever. Pinkie seemed cheerful. I pushed thoughts of danger from my head, and walked back to the edge.

"Woah…"

Looking into the pool, the stars were gone. Instead, a vision of machinery spread just below the surface. Gears, wheels, springs, cogs, sprockets, brackets, rotating and reciprocating mechanisms whirred and ticked with complex and confusing power. My mind flashed back to the manikin I'd seen.

Was this… a machine? Why was it here? How -

Plib.

My thoughts cut off, as the end of my stick was ejected from the pool. It arched gently through the air, and landed at my feet.

"Oh." My voice was quiet.

<Wesley Kilmer?>

I started. The voice was grating, mechanical and monotone, but understandable.

<"Y…yes?"> I answered hesitantly.

<You made it. It's possible I'm glad. I hope the journey was not unduly difficult. Are you ready?>

<"I… no, um…"> I stopped, suddenly unsure. I held my silence for a second, thinking. Finally, I firmed my resolve. Whoever - whatever I was talking to, they didn't seem evil. I'd best be honest; I didn't know enough to fabricate a decent lie.

<"Look, I'll be straight."> I drew myself up, laying out my words candidly. <"I'm Wesley Kilmer, but I don't have any idea who you are or what you're talking about. Can you explain what I need to be ready for? Why you expect me to be ready?"> A hint of desperation crept into my voice. <"Anything?">

<Oh dear.> A moment's silence, filled only with gentle ticking. <It's possible I’m discouraged. I assumed… Ah. That was my mistake. Hold a moment, Wesley.>

As I watched, the machinery in the pool started to move, to fold. It gathered inwards, compressing and compacting, sometimes folding in what looked like impossible movements, until it finally made a package no bigger than my hand.

With a sudden movement, it sped towards us. I stepped back, surprised, as a huge face seemed to fill the pool. Then, a hand rose from the surface, and landed on the edge. The manikin shrank as it climbed out; it was no taller than me. The pool had magnified it to strange sizes.

<"I apologize."> It shrugged. <"You say you don't remember me, so for now, you can call me Cog. If you please, maybe I can help your recall."> It stepped forward, and with shocking speed and grace, placed a hand on my forehead. I flinched, but it had penetrated my guard easily; if it wanted to kill me, I'd be dead. Something in my mind clicked.

<"That is all the interference I can manage."> It shrugged fluidly. <"Someone wounded your soul. You've been recovering, but scars are still apparent. You now have a chance to remember. When it arrives, seize it firmly! Be well, Wesley."> It stepped backwards, and without even turning, tumbled into the pool.

<"Wait!"> I leaped forward, trying to catch it. <"How will I... Can't you tell me…"> My voice echoed into silence. <"My answers!"> I lamented, hand outstretched.

But it was gone.

Comments

[DarklightArk]

Well I could go for a Bluebell Lettuce and Tomato sandwich after reading this.. er Bacon not bluebell.

[Novi]

4617199

"So long as there are men, there will be wars."
— Albert Einstein

[Not_A_Hat]

4617302 Some flowers are pretty good. I've had nasturtiums in salad (they're spicy!) and day lilies in stir-fry. But bacon is still my favorite. :)

4617327 He was a pretty smart guy, by all accounts.

[Novi]

4617505
*snort*
A pretty smart guy? He's a genius!

[DarklightArk]

4617505 Hmm, gotta try it

[Arexander]

Noooooo! I caught up! Now I have to wait for the amazing continuation of the story like everyone else!

WORTH IT!

[Ocean Waves]

It's not Grue you need to watch out for, but the Minions. And I honestly thought that Pinkie was going to ask for a piggy back ride.

[Not_A_Hat]

4622588 This is impressive. Actually, since I've used both the denotation and the connotation of these words in various different elements, I'd be hard-pressed to find part of your analyses that doesn't pertain to future plot points in some way.

I'm flattered that you've enjoyed my story enough to do this much thinking about it.

[Fireeaters]

welp. thats different!

[kepha76]

After a week of reading I finally caught up !
This is such a great story and your way of putting episodes of the show into the story is so good !
Hope you write at least another 60 chapters before the story ends !
Cheers from France !

[Not_A_Hat]

4630591 France? Awesome! Thanks for the kind words; I'm glad you're enjoying it!

It *probably* won't run another sixty chapters. But then, I never expected it to be this long.

[Lord Ivel]

Heh, just started reading yesterday and already caught up, can't wait to see what happens next. And yes I read 62 chapters/303,877 words in two days, just finished a year of studying and still searching for a job, so I've got plenty of time up my sleeve. Well, here's to a good story, may there be many chapters more.

[Not_A_Hat]

4640404 I'm glad you're enjoying my story. I wouldn't question your reading speed; just don't forget to sleep!

[REDACTED99999]

I just read this ff in a weeks time, and I must say- Thank you. Thank you for writing this marvelous story. The characters are believable and absolutely... well, well written. I especially like Bit and Wes, and their unexpected relationship XD The story is enjoyable to say the least. I have read books that did not make me shiver with as much anticipation as this story did. Good job on that!
I could go into lenght about how funny and well written your story is, but as far as I understand from your ending notes, you do not have the time to read all the comments, so I will leave you with this last thing:
After being on fimfinction for little more than a year, reading many good fanfictions, this is the first one I have, and felt the need to, give a comment. Keep on the good work (I was happy to notice that you still update-many people leave lenghty projects like this behind and that sadens me greatly)

Everyday I rock my
Fancy Pants

[Not_A_Hat]

4642984 You are very, very welcome. Writing this story has been a blast, and it's sincere thanks like this that help make it worthwhile. (Sincere criticism is the other half - I'm serious about improving.) I'm very glad you've enjoyed it, and I hope I can continue to entertain until the end.

I can usually read all the comments. I don't have that many fans. (Yet.) I don't always reply to each one. I will finish this story; hopefully before the end of the year. I have a personal standard, where if I publish something, I see it through to an ending, at least. Be the change you want to see in the world; I want to see more completed fanfiction! : P

Despite all appearances, I am still
Not_A_Hat.

[REDACTED99999]

4643406 I am glad you feel that way. The only problem I have is the name of the magic schools - namely that I cannot remember what they do, even though I think it gives realism to the story that they have a school of magic for everything XD I think mentioning what the school does after you use it in your story would help. For example I think the most used school right now is Echonarchy, and you mention it in the chapter "Branching" and say that Lyra uses it for just about anything... But I cannot for the life of me remember what the school represents... is it the school for music magic? I would asume so since Lyra uses it but I am not sure :)
I am glad you took the time to reply to mine XD
And I am glad that you are resolved. Too many fanfictions are unfinished, that much is certain XD

Best outro ever! XD you, my good sir, have earned my respect. I want to try aswell:

I will alway be a
Dragon1600
(hmm... It's like the numbers at the end ruin it -.-)

[Not_A_Hat]

4645499 Yeah... I may have miscalculated with the magic schools. I wanted a dash of... well, intricacy, really. I wanted the magic system to feel labyrinthine and interesting, and that might have happened. but several readers have said they find it confusing. I was inspired by Chine Mieville's 'New Crobuzon' series, but... he's a better author than me. :P I've cut back on the random made-up words in more recent chapters.

Echonarchy is indeed the magic of sound. Lyra uses a metamagic spell, which changes the nature of her internal magic so it matches echonarchy more closely. This way, she can apply her cutie mark talent directly to her internal magic. Since her cutie mark boosts her skill with sound, she can apply that boost directly to herself. It's a technique she developed after years of research, in an attempt to be a more lethal fighter.

I've written a short piece intended to make the magic system more understandable to people, although it doesn't list the schools. I should really polish that up and post it.

I try and reply to the people who have serious questions or criticism, or seem like they'd appreciate it. Some comments just don't need a reply.

Try this;
Breathin' flames and taking names,
Dragon1600

But I need to finish editing today's chapter, so
I bid you adieu with a tip of my
Not_A_Hat.

[REDACTED99999]

4645704 I have not read that series but I do feel it is labyrinthine, just do not expect the readers to remember every school XD
Yes okay, so I was right. Good ^^
hmm I do understand the magic somewhat, it is just the schools that are... well I cannot remember what each is called :)
Sidenote: I also like princess Luna and the way you potray her. Good job with that ;)
ohh a new chapter.... Looking foward to it! :D

Breathin' flames and taking names, (It even rhymes ;D)
Dragon1600

[Booster Spice]

4620918

Chapter 62. Yaay for lots of underground and Tree.

Grue, and Minions? @.@.. Ive watched Both the movies, s far, and specials, and This is the First Time Ive realised the link.

Im going back to something simple like octonion based quantum relativity

[StarChaser01]

"Woooo!" Pinkie dropped the the ground,

Wow... not only can Pinkie break the 4th wall, but apparently she can pick up large chunks of the earth AND mess with grammar...

[Not_A_Hat]

5223202 Fixed! Unless Pinkie changes it back...

[Remmy4warlord]

The Doctor's Rules of Investigation.
If it is dangerous. Poke it with a stick......

[DoVaShy]

I know this is probably an old chapter and possibly even an old story but I'm sorry I couldn't ignore this.

No a place for a child?

It's at the beginning of the chapter and I couldn't help but point it out. Sorry.

[Not_A_Hat]

7034323 Fixed, thanks!

[Dj7291993]

"Well, let's start with the most basic scientific test." I pulled a twig out of my pocket. "Poke it with a stick!"

This falls in line quite well with one of my favorite mechanical methods: hit it with a hammer. If it's not working, bigger hammer.

I stepped past the piles of deadwood.They had been timberwolves a moment ago.

Missing space.