Chapter 25. Quiet Meetings
Fluttershy glanced around at the tall, markless walls of the hall she was trotting down.
“Wow...” She breathed to herself. “This place is... incredible. And I thought it was impressive from the outside...”
And it was. Fluttershy had been wandering the streets of Vitrum for about an hour or so. Sure, she’d been having a bit of fun here and there as she went, but mainly, the pegasus had been doing what she always did during a Pinkie Party: searching for a quiet corner where she could weather the brunt of the cacophony that the affair inevitably produced.
At first, she hadn’t had much luck. Pinkie had been very thorough with the organization and dispersal of the festivities. There wasn’t so much as a single inch of the crystalline metropolis where the party wasn’t in full swing.
Finally, however, Fluttershy had come across a large structure. Though, to be accurate, ‘large’ didn’t even begin to cover it. The dark-red crystal building was over a hundred feet tall, and judging by how the curve of the walls meant she couldn’t see all the way around it, it had to be over 1000 feet wide.
Nevertheless, despite the immense stature of the edifice, Fluttershy couldn’t hear even a single sound coming from it, and that was exactly what she was hoping for. Luckily, as circuitous as the rest of the city might be, the roads leading into the building were easy enough to locate and follow.
Once inside, Fluttershy trotted down a large, nigh-cavernous corridor that followed the curve of the building and was illuminated at regular intervals by arcane lights that hung near the ceiling. The further she went, the more the sounds of the party faded behind her. A fair bit of her time was spent peering into abandoned alcoves that seemed to line the wall, as well as what appeared to be doorways that led into nothing but crystal. On occasion, she came upon stairwells that led up and down and perpendicularly intersecting corridors of equal stature, but she instead elected to continue straight ahead.
After a few minutes, she came to a corridor larger than any of the others that led to a doorway as large as the initial entrance that was filled with a wall of bright, intangible light. Fluttershy bit her lip as she considered her options. On the one hand, while the arch was no doubt intimidating, she couldn’t deny that there wasn’t so much as a peep coming from beyond it.
Finally, Fluttershy exhaled a large breath, dug her flask out of her feathers and took a deep swig. “Come on, Fluttershy...” She mumbled to herself as she trotted forwards. “Iron Will might have been a lying faker, but there was one thing that I can take to heart!”
She stepped through the light, allowing the magic to part around her like a gas-liquid combination.
“Attack the-!”
“ROOOOAAAAARRGH!”
“MEEP!” Fluttershy squeaked in terror, slipping onto her hindquarters in shock at the near-literal wall of sound that slammed into her ears.
As she reeled from the sensory overload, Fluttershy slowly came to process her surroundings. Closest she could tell, the pegasus was between the bleachers of an absolutely massive colosseum. Only half of the noise that was vibrating the air was composed of titanic bestial bellows and howls. The other half was a multitude of cheers and cries of elation sounding out from the mass of ponies and changelings that were watching from the stands.
Even from where she was sitting, Fluttershy had a clear view of what they were cheering about: in the pit of the arena, two titanic creatures were facing off against one another. One was the smoky, ethereal form that she recognized as Cerberus, grown to massive proportions, the closest he had to fangs bared and his pseudo-muscles tensed in eager anticipation.
The other was... it was something. Vaguely canine in nature, like how a dragon resembled a lizard, it was as equally massive as Cerberus, save that it was coated in actual- if twisted and strained- flesh, and any facial features it had were covered by a messy mop of hair that was a familiar shade of blue.
Any mysteries about the creature’s identity were dispelled when it started to laugh in an all-too familiar, somewhat distorted voice.
“BAHAHA! IS THAT THE BEST YOU’VE GOT, YOU DUMB MUTT?!” Gavrill barked mockingly. “COME ON, YOU CAN DO BETTER! FIGHT LIKE YOU’VE ACTUALLY GOT A FUCKING P-!”
“WOOF!”
“GAGH!” Gavrill cut herself off when her canine sibling lunged forwards, clamping his side heads on her shoulders and working at mauling her limbs while his middle head snapped forwards, trying to get at her face.
Nevertheless, in a herculean feat of strength, Gavrill managed to wrench her hands up and catch the middle head’s jaws mere feet from her face, ignoring the assault on her shoulders. She then wrenched her arms backward, ripping the head from its shoulders and causing the other two to howl in pain, releasing her from their grasp and allowing her to stagger backwards, the head dissipating into nothing in her claws.
As swiftly as the damage was done, it was undone, Gavrill’s shoulders rapidly stitching themselves shut while the stump of a neck erupted in darkness before coalescing into an unharmed but no less infuriated head.
Gavrill panted heavily for a moment before leering eagerly. “NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! READY FOR ROUND TWO, SHITBRAIN?”
Cerberus matched her grin for grin. “WOOF!”
And with that, the pair fell into a furious, senseless brawl of fangs and fury, prompting the onlooking crowd to roar their approval all the louder.
Fluttershy swallowed heavily as she worked to get herself to her hooves and backpedal into the archway as calmly as she could. She wasn’t paralyzed by the fight like most would have expected. If anything, it was all too similar to the fights that some of her more carnivorous friends back in Ponyville sometimes got into. Nevertheless, all she wanted to do at the moment was get as far away from there as poss-!
She had just about shuffled her way back into the archway she had come through when a familiar voice cut through the haze of raw terror.
“What the- Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy span around in shock at the familiar voice just off to her left and up. “I-Iron Will!?”
The minotaur in question looked down at her from the bleachers in surprise before vaulting over the railings and landing in front of her “What are you doing here?” He queried.
“U-uh...” Fluttershy stammered nervously. “I-I was looking for a q-quiet place, so...”
“Ah, right, the soundproofing wards,” Iron Will nodded in understanding. “Those are actually meant to keep the sounds of that,” He jerked his head towards the arena. “In. Inside, though... Well, while Iron Will can certainly see the appeal - watching those two tear into one another is certainly entertaining - it’s not the kind of spectacle Iron Will wants to partake in at the moment.”
“O-Oh. W-Well, don’t let me k-keep you…” Fluttershy squeaked out.
Iron Will cocked an eyebrow at the paralyzed mare for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh. “Look... Iron Will got directions from a Crystal Pony leading to a truly quiet place that you might enjoy. Do you want to come find it with Iron Will, or...?”
Fluttershy mentally weighed her options for a moment. On the one hand, follow the heavily armed and armored minotaur to whereabouts unknown. On the other…
The sound of snapping cartilage and tearing flesh rang out, followed by a pained howl that
prompted another round of roaring cheers and applause.
“HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, THREE-LEGS?”
“I-I think I’ll come with you… if that’s alright...” Fluttershy replied, her voice barely audible over the crowd.
Iron Will grunted and nodded. “Come on, then.” He stomped through the archway and its foggy barrier, followed closely by Fluttershy.
As the two made their way into the arena’s outer rings, Fluttershy looked around at the abandoned corridors curiously. “Wh-why is this place...?”
“Abandoned?” Iron Will provided. “Easy enough. Vast majority of Vitrum’s population is out partying, and only a thousand or two are currently watching the fight. The booth owners and vendors haven’t set up yet, either, and they’re normally the ones occupying these spaces.”
“H-how do you-?”
“Iron Will asked while he was following the crowd in. Now then... ah, this one should do.” He stopped in front of one of the empty doorways that led into the wall. “Now, let’s see... Iron Will thinks...” Iron Will raised his arm to his left shoulder, removed a circular piece of metal from his pauldron and pressed it into the crystalline wall. Instantly, the doorframe lit up with runes, and the doorway itself filled with light.
“There we go!” Iron Will grinned as he put the amulet back in his armor. “Scholar was right, these things are useful. Now then, come on.” He strode through the wall of light, once again followed by Fluttershy.
When she stepped out, Fluttershy rubbed her forelegs over her eyelids in an effort to clear her vision. As the spots faded away, Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her pace slowed as she took in the scenery before her.
It was... nature. Simple as that. A field of grass and flowers and soft rolling hills, broken only by the occasional tree or vertical outcropping of stone. Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of the land was simply how... natural it all felt. Like it was an honest to goodness slice of wilderness instead of just another urban park.
Fluttershy opened and shut her mouth numbly. “I... This... where...?”
“This is the Overloft.” Iron Will grinned pleasantly. “Remember those small islands that started floating above Vitrum after it was completely unsealed? Each of them has its own ecosystem on it that acts as a nature preserve and natural laboratory for the ecology-focused researchers.”
“Are-are there… animals?” Fluttershy breathed. A small lapine head poking its head out from behind a nearby tree answered her. Fluttershy’s face lit up with a radiant smile at the sight of the animal... before swiftly withering as a thought struck her. “Ah...”
“Worried that they’ll snub you?” Iron Will chuckled, not unkindly.
Fluttershy paled and her ears folded against her head. “Y-you h-heard about that?”
“Everyone from Manehattan to the San Palomino heard about that little... Iron Will will be polite and call it an ‘event’.”
“W-well...”
“And to answer your question...” Iron Will knelt down on his hooves, held out his hand and whistled. The rabbit perked up, jumped out of its burrow and hopped up to Iron Will, rubbing its head against the palm of Iron Will’s gauntlet. “The animals are used to interacting with the researchers and anyone else here for a picnic or otherwise. They’ll take kindly to you.”
Fluttershy let out a squee of joy as she swept the bunny up in a joyous hug. The bunny reciprocated, cheerfully nuzzling her. The sound of more squeaks drew her attention away from the hug and to a small crowd of animals. Mice, rabbits, squirrels, birds of all varieties, even some small rodents that Fluttershy didn’t recognize.
Reluctantly putting down the rabbit she had been hugging, Fluttershy cautiously made her way to the small crowd of animals, though picking up speed as they didn’t run away from her. She leaned over to take a closer look at one of the unfamiliar rodents.
“Oh, I don’t recognize you. What’s your name?”
Iron Will smiled as he watched the pegasus interact with the small crowd of animals, flitting about and speaking with them pleasantly.
Leaving her to her frolicking, the armored minotaur looked around for a moment before heading towards an isolated tree standing alone on one of the low hills.
Reaching the side of the tree that was casting a healthy shade, Iron Will reached over his shoulder, unlatched his club, and leaned it against the trunk before sitting down and leaning himself against the tree in turn.
He reached up to his shoulder... and froze. His face twisted in intense thought before flashing with horror, disgust, and finally resignation. Slowly, and with great trepidation, he clutched his pauldron, unlatched it, and gingerly lifted it off his shoulder.
Or, at least, he tried. The piece of armor stuck fast, and he was forced to start peeling it off. Once there was a gap between his skin and the metal, he leaned in and gave a sniff, recoiling almost immediately. With a weary sigh, he finished removing the armor off and set it aside.
Iron Will repeated the process with the rest of the armor on his legs and arms, slowly and surely peeling them off, a process made difficult due to the sweat matting his fur.
Finally, he reached his chestplate. This one was more difficult, and it took a lot of effort, but when he finally managed to lever it off...
Iron Will grimaced as he stared at the bronze plate he was holding. Slowly, he reached forwards and felt over the twin holes in the metal. When he drew his fingers back, they came back stained red. Looking down, he lightly touched the areas of uninjured muscle that were surrounded by patches of blood-matted fur.
After repeating the process with the back half of the armor, he finally leaned himself back against the tree, his muscles going lax as he let out a massive exhalation, filled with exhaustion and weariness.
Iron Will laid there for a few minutes, thoughts flitting to and from through his burnt out mind.
Finally, he leaned forwards and started digging through the pile of his armor until he found his pauldron. Once he found it, he worked the amulet out of its socket again. Iron Will then held it in his palm and tapped its center, causing the circle of metal to light up with magic and runes. He swept his fingers through a sequence of glyphs before waiting patiently.
After a few seconds, the amulet pulsed with magic and a translucent copy of Scholar’s head appeared floating above Iron Will’s hand.
“Hey Iron Will! I see you’re enjoying Prairie Field! Not the most originally named of locations, sure, but I’ll admit to catching a quick nap there once in awhile. Aaanyways, what are you calling for?”
Iron Will opened his mouth to speak... then hesitated, the words dying in his throat.
Scholar frowned. “Iron Will? What is it?”
Iron Will heaved a heavy sigh and slowly shook his head. “Scholar... is this... any of this... ever going to get any easier?”
The light in Scholar’s glasses blinked momentarily before he too sighed with equal weariness. “What brought this on?” He asked quietly.
“Iron Will...” The minotaur’s free hand unconsciously came up to his shoulder. “Iron Will just took off his armor...”
“And you realized that you couldn’t remember the last time you took it off.” Scholar completed in a somber tone.
“No...” Iron Will shook his head. “Iron Will remembers when he last took his armor off. The problem is that the last time Iron Will did that was two weeks ago. Not!” He hastily rose his hand when Scholar flinched. “That Iron Will blames you. Iron Will knew what was coming, he expected this... or...” He groaned and ran his hand over his muzzle. “Iron Will... Iron Will thought he did... he’s killed before, life as a vagrant all but guaranteed it happening, but... but this...”
Iron Will gestured fruitlessly. “He... Iron Will just needs to know if this is how things are going to be. If... this is Iron Will’s life now. Iron Will can live with it if it is, but... Iron Will just wants to know for certain, that’s...” He hung his head. “That’s all.”
Scholar was silent for a moment before he groaned, lifting his glasses onto his forehead as he rubbed his eyes. “I... Iron Will... I want to tell you that things are going to get better. I want to reassure you... but I respect you too much to rehash a platitude. So... I’ll be honest. Things... things are going to get a lot worse before they get any better. This is a war. We’ve only just begun, and before this is all through, we’ll all be up to our elbows in blood, Equestrians and Academics alike.” Scholar lowered his glasses and shook his head slowly. “I... I’m sorry.”
Iron Will grunted and nodded somberly. “Iron... Iron Will understands... it’s not your fault. It’s... just how things are...”
Scholar was silent for a moment before speaking. “Iron Will... I can guess what you’re thinking about. What you’re worrying about.”
“Hm?” Iron Will grunted noncommittally.
“You’re afraid you’re going to fail.”
That caused Iron Will’s head to snap up, his eyes filled with honest shock.
“You’re afraid that you’re going to falter, or stumble, or just wind up being flat out not strong enough, either physically or mentally.” Scholar forged on. “You’re afraid that when push comes to shove, you’re going to buckle and everyone around you will suffer for it as a result. Iron Will, let me be clear on this: That is not happening. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. You will not break. I know with a vengeance that you are not going to give up or give in. I’m certain of it.”
Iron Will opened and closed his mouth wordlessly. “H...how?” He breathed.
Scholar fell silent as he bowed his head, his glasses glinting idly.
“LEFT FLANK! LEFT FLANK!”
“They’re trying to go for a pincer maneuver! Fall back, fall back!”
“Sir, the front lines have been overrun!”
“Damn it! Alright, get orders to the third division, tell them to reroute towards the east. We’ll turn this on them, catch them between the third, first and fifth. Then-!”
“SIR! THE ENEMY CHARGE HAS BEEN BROKEN!”
“What!? I thought you said the front lines were-!”
“Chief Minos is still alive! He’s taking them all on singlehanded!”
“Son of a-! I WANT ALL FORCES CONVERGING ON THAT OLD BULL, RIGHT GODDAMN NOW! FULL FRONTAL ASSAULT! GO GO GO!”
“SIR YES SIR!”
Scholar shook his head as he came out of the memory. “Empirical evidence. Way back when, during our heyday, while Concordia was still young and the more hostile remaining nations were taking potshots at us, we won a battle known as the Battle of the Red Plains. The fact of the matter is... we had no right winning that battle. We were outmanned, out-supplied, almost outmaneuvered... and we still managed to succeed. All thanks to one stubborn bull too headstrong to die and too obstinate to even consider surrendering. That was the day I became aware of it.”
Scholar allowed a small smile to show out of his hood. “Defiance is an all but genetic trait of the minotaur species. It’s not one-hundred percent, it can skip a person every once in awhile, sure... but when it’s there, you know that it’s there. Iron Will, I’ve seen more than enough of you to tell you with certainty that you have the signature will of the minotaurs.”
He held up a hand. “Now, there will be times where you’ll flinch. Times when you’ll strain and hesitate, and even times where you bend. I expect that. And I trust that every time, you won’t break. You won’t shatter. Instead, you’ll come back ten times stronger as a result. I trust that when push comes to shove, when the hammer meets the anvil, I’ll be able to trust you. And why shouldn’t I? After all...” His grin widened as he folded his arms behind his head. “Your name suits you perfectly.”
Iron Will gaped at Scholar wordlessly for a few seconds before slowly grinning. “...thank you, Scholar.”
“Not a problem. Now... I have a mission for you: Relax. Lay back, get some rest. I want the guy who I’m trusting my back to to be fully back on his game by tomorrow. Capiche?”
Iron Will nodded. “Capiche. So... see you tomorrow?”
“If it’s a second sooner than twenty-four hours, I’ll charge you with insubordination.” And with that, the image dissipated.
Iron Will took a deep breath, in and out, his shoulders slumping as tension he’d forgotten he’d had flowed out. He eyed his armor, in need of some repair work and a good cleaning, before mentally shrugging. The armor could wait.
Instead, the minotaur simply leaned back and stared at the horizon, watching as a certain pacifistic pegasus played with the local fauna and finding shapes in the white fluff of the far-off clouds.
Pretty soon, Iron Will’s mind was serenely drifting along, as peaceful as his surroundings.
-o-
“- thank you, darling. You can be quite sure that the next time I need gem polish, I’ll buy from you! Ta ta!”
Waving the crystal pony goodbye, Rarity allowed herself a quiet squeal of joy. So many ideas! Already, she could picture an entire line of new accessories utilizing the absolutely incredible gem and crystal work she had seen many of the crystalline citizens wearing. And that wasn’t even mentioning their radiant bodies themselves. The sheer flood of creative ingenuity was... there were simply no words that could describe it!
Currently, the fashionista found herself rubbing shoulders with Vitrum’s upper-class, courtesy of an invitation from a sufficiently impressed well-to-do stallion she’d met an hour back. It wasn’t anything extravagant, just a calm little soiree, a quiet celebration of victory and freedom.
The event was being held upon an extensively decorated veranda situated on the edge of one of the chasms that formed the Subarchives. Rarity had to admit, as daunting as the drop might appear, it was most definitely majestic in every sense of the word.
The ponies she was interacting with matched that description to a T. What they lacked in the pomp and circumstance of Canterlot’s nobility, they made up for with the innate feeling of honest power they seemed to exude. It was as if they knew they were nobility, and felt no need for the displays the Canterlotians preferred. Honestly, they almost made the nobility seem insecure by comparison.
And so polite! Well, to be fair, there had been more than a few party-goers who had given her varying degrees of the cold shoulder, but apart from them the rest of the opulent ponies were very welcoming, eager to hear about how fashion and customs had changed in the past millennium.
Rarity shook her head and smiled as she exited from her thoughts and started seeking out another target of fashion to speak with. Her smile widened as she caught sight of a pegasus mare whose exquisite mane was done up in a flawless bun thanks to a pair of ornate crimson pins.
“Excuse me!” She simpered, tossing her mane as she trotted up to the crystalline pony. “Pardon me, but I couldn’t help but notice those exquisite hairpins you’re sporting! Could you tell me where you acquired them?”
The mare beamed at the praise. “Why, I’ll have you know that I made them myself!”
Rarity gasped in awe. “Oh my! How incredible!” She extended her hoof in greeting. “I’m Rarity! A pleasure to meet such a pleasantly fashion-oriented pony!”
The pegasus giggled and shaked her hoof. “Garnet Orb! A pleasure as well, especially considering your luxurious mane-do! Did you style it yourself, or-EEP!” Garnet suddenly cut herself off as she stared up at something behind Rarity. And above her, if the angle of Garnet’s head was anything to go by.
Rarity blinked in confusion before looking over her shoulder. She paled when she saw the hem of a furry dress, and paled further as she looked up and up at a grim-set face with yellow eyes and horn-lined eyebrows, all framed by snowy white hair.
“W-Why, hello! L-lady Priscilla was it?” Rarity stammered out nervously, slapping on High Society Grin #32: ‘I know I’m going down, but I might as well go down fabulous!’
The tall artificial being cocked an eyebrow at the panicked unicorn. “Indeed.” She then smiled lightly as she turned her attention to the pegasus next to her. “Garnet. I am glad to see you well. I trust that you have found all your affairs to be in order?”
Garnet Orb immediately smiled gratefully. “Yes, but thank you for your concern. An uncomfortable number of my employees were injured in the battle, but with any luck my business should be able to return to operation by tomorrow. Apart from that, the majority of my and most everyone else’s assets were perfectly preserved in the Archives and elsewhere. For that, you have my thanks.”
Priscilla shrugged, but smiled nonetheless. “The credit deserves to go to my father for his research into preservation magics, but your thanks are appreciated nevertheless. I eagerly await the return of your business. Armaments will be a valuable commodity in the coming days, your specialized ceramics most of all.”
Garnet smiled openly as she ran a hoof over her hairpins. “Thank you for the compliment, milady. So!” She gestured at the ongoing event. “Are you here to partake in the festivities? I’m certain that there are more than a few entrepreneurs present who would like to speak business with someone of sufficient authority.”
The tall woman sighed melancholically as she absentmindedly ran her fingers over the blade of her scythe. “I’m afraid I must decline. I was merely passing through on account of this being the most expeditious route to my abode. I have business awaiting me within.”
“Ah, I see.” The wealthy pegasus nodded in understanding. “A shame, truly a shame.”
“Er, excuse me?” Rarity spoke up, finally recovering her voice. “I don’t mean to be rude, but... you live...” Rarity cast her gaze out over the abyss that lay past the veranda’s balustrade. “Down there? It’s just that it seems a bit... how shall I put this...”
“Unsightly?” Priscilla cocked an eyebrow, rotating her scythe’s shaft in her fingers.
“Ah, well, t-t-that’s not quite how I would put things...” The mare hastily denied. “Though I will admit that the view from up here is not terribly flattering.” She couldn’t help but add under her breath.
“I agree, the Subarchives are quite underwhelming at the moment due to maintenance being run on the thaumaturgical matrices incorporated into the structure.” Priscilla informed her absentmindedly as she stared at the void. “After all, it wouldn’t do to have them decay to the point where they release all their energy at once. We didn’t reclaim our home just to blow it sky high, after all.”
Rarity somehow managed to pale even as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
“Still...” Priscilla hummed, stroking her chin in thought. “Nevertheless, my home is a fair sight more impressive than the Archives as they are now. Especially considering...” She trailed off in thought.
Garnet ‘Ah’-ed in comprehension. “I see... so you’re going to...” She too trailed off as Priscilla nodded in agreement.
Rarity glanced between the two ancient individuals for a moment before clearing her throat and interjecting, “Excuse me, but I do not appreciate being left in the dark like this! What, precisely, are you referring to?”
Priscilla stared at Rarity blankly for a moment before heaving a sigh and shrugging. “I... suppose it would do no harm to show you some of what we have stored there. You might even find it to be...” She waved her hand slowly. “Culturally stimulating, if you will.” She tilted her head inquisitively. “Would you be interested in accompanying me to my residence?”
Rarity opened and closed her mouth slowly in shock before gathering her wits and coming to a conclusion. “I-I-I suppose... it would be my honor?”
Priscilla nodded in acceptance before directing an inquisitive look at Garnet. “And you?”
The pegasus waved her hoof in a negative manner. “I’m afraid not. This gathering of the not-so-nouveau riche is very important, you know, I can’t just up and leave!” Garnet suddenly grinned in a predatory manner as she caught sight of a blue Earth Pony on the other side of the room. “Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to remind a certain vendor of earthen supplies of the contractual obligations he holds! Wish me luck!”
And with that, she opened her wings and took off.
Priscilla hummed as she watched Garnet catch up to the Earth Pony. “I wish her well. It would not do for us to find issues within our economy at such a critical juncture...” She mused to herself before shrugging. “No matter. The matters of the nobility are ones that they shall sort out themselves. For now...” She swept around and started to stride towards one of the exits. “Come. Let us be off.”
Rarity adopted a swift trot in order to keep up with the Homunculus’ long stride as Priscilla went through the exit.
The archway opened up into another of the long halls that were apparently common in Vitrum, made of the same white crystal and lit by large arched windows that let in the light of the sun, scarce as it was. At the end of the hall Rarity could see a staircase, leading further down and into the depths of the cliff itself, presumably to the very heart of the Subarchives.
From the top of the stairs at the end of the hall she could see soft white light emanating from globes attached to the wall, and as the two got closer Rarity could see that they were made of a very thin, seemingly non-existent transparent crystal.
Bolstered by her thus far peaceful interaction, Rarity chose to speak up. “I’m curious...” She started, pointing her hoof up at one of the lights. “How do these globes emit light like they do? I highly doubt they use fire. After all, flames don’t emit this kind of light.”
Priscilla turned her body enough to cast a shocked look down at the unicorn. “The Princesses do not employ manaluxes? Not even in Canterlot?”
“Oh, is that what they’re called?” Rarity mused. “No, I’ve never seen anything like them, and I’ve been to the palace. I admit, I have heard Twilight ramble about more science-minded ponies working on some sort of electrical light source, and they sound somewhat similar, but those are years off, if they even work. Is that what these ‘manaluxes’ are?”
Priscilla frowned and shook her head, regaining her composure as she adopted a thoughtful expression. “So they restrict not simply the populace, but themselves as well? Why... an air of fairness, to prevent the line between classes from becoming too distinct? Or something simpler...”
She shook head lightly as she exited her thoughts. “Either way, no. Manaluxes are magical constructs that emit light and are conjured and kept stable by arrays carved within the walls. I know of the light sources to which you reference, and they rely on wires; manaluxes have no such physical component, and the crystal is merely an illusion in order to specify the area in which the magic is contained in order to prevent careless collision. When Concordia was still extant, they were the primary light source for almost all buildings in arcane-centric territories.”
Rarity gaped up at the draconic woman as she attempted to process the explanation and the implications that it held. The mare tried to formulate a response, tried to find where to even begin... and realized with a sinking feeling that, in the end, she just couldn’t.
It wasn’t that Rarity was a simpleton, far from it, it was just that her intellectual skills weren’t suited for the task at hand, being focused on an entirely different subject. She couldn’t analyze the information, she couldn’t infer any earth-shattering implications, she couldn’t ask the right questions.
The best she could do at the moment was file away the explanation and Priscilla’s musings with a heavy heart and plan on presenting them to Twilight at a later date.
Rarity then put her actual skills to use by putting on a convincingly winning smile and nodding in pseudo-understanding. “Well, I must say, it’s quite impressive how well you’ve managed to integrate them into the architecture. You would not believe how many light fixtures I’ve seen where it looked like somebody just decided to pick a spot at random and sloppily hammer it in!”
To her surprise, Priscilla nodded in seeming agreement. “Yes, I know what you mean. The construction of Vitrum was before my time, but I have heard the stories from my father. He rarely recounts the apparent hell it was to get everyone to cooperate without being sufficiently inebriated.”
Rarity’s smile became more natural as it took on an eager tone. “Oh, do tell!”
And so the conversation went, drifting through idle topics as the pair descended deeper and deeper into the repositories of knowledge, occasionally turning this way and that at Priscilla’s discretion.
As they walked, the architecture gradually shifted around them. Arches and buttresses lost their air of nobility, instead taking on a rune-laden sense of security. Intersections and off-shoot paths became rarer and rarer, replaced with long-reaching corridors and walls lined with firm, unyielding doors. And had either of the two looked up, they would have seen the ceiling looming higher and higher.
Finally, Rarity stopped when Priscilla came to a sudden halt. “Oh? Are we there no-ho-how-!” Whatever she had to say died off in her throat as she stared up and up and up at the fantastic sight before her.
Without her noticing, Priscilla had led them into one of the doors that had been lining the hall. Said door had opened up into a grand room of very similar aesthetics to the prior halls, but on a far greater scale. Two facts stuck out about the room like a sore hoof: First, it was almost absolutely empty. Nothing, not a thing, be it a mote of dust or a worn table and chair or even a stray hair besmirched the well-polished crystal.
Second, the room wasn’t completely empty. There, hanging on the wall opposite the door, was a painting.
But what a painting. The most immediately eye-catching attribute was its sheer scale. Exquisitely framed within a sturdy seal of crystal with a clear screen over it, the piece was nearly two or three dozen feet across, no question, and well over a hundred feet tall, nearly brushing the room’s impressive ceiling. And that was to say nothing of the scene the painting depicted. Although it was rendered in monochrome, the simple color palette did not do anything to harm the painting’s beauty. If anything, the contrast of black and white served to accentuate the beauty of the grand, sweeping panorama held within the portrait.
Rarity wasn’t overly familiar with the architecture of castles; they were rather rare in Equestria, after all, and she was fairly certain Canterlot Castle wasn’t representative of all the myriad architectural styles that had been created over centuries of castle building. Still, the difference between the fortress portrayed in the painting and Canterlot Castle was, quite literally, like night and day. Looming in the background atop a rocky, craggy peak, this castle did not look like bright, inviting Canterlot. Squat, grey, studded with slits Rarity had a sneaking suspicion she knew what for, and by the seams in its stone construction completely unpainted, it looked simply mean. And though it should have offended all of Rarity’s aesthetic sensibilities, it had a certain brute charm to it, a beauty of purpose. It declared that it was there, and that it was going to stay there, and damn any attempt to dislodge it.
Still, the castle and its peak were only part of the painting. The foreground was dominated by a battered-looking rope bridge, of the exact kind found in Daring Do novels that broke at the most appropriately dramatic time. At the other end a dirt footpath led into a dark forest, dominated by snowcapped evergreens that looked about as inviting as the Everfree. On the whole, it was a bleak and desolate landscape, but beautiful in its solitude and simplicity.
And the details! Rarity could hardly believe it had been painted, it was so precise and fine. She shivered involuntarily, feeling the biting cold that had to blanket the landscape in front of her. Though, that wasn’t the only reason she was shivering.
“My word, it’s absolutely frigid in here!” Rarity snapped out of her awe as she came to terms with the vault’s - for that was what the room was - glacial atmosphere.
“But of course.” Priscilla swept across the floor to the painting, absolutely undeterred and perhaps even a little relaxed by the temperature. “After all, it would not do for me to allow my abode’s paints to run, no?”
Rarity waved her hoof dismissively. “Well of course, that goes without-GRK!” She froze suddenly, her eyes slowly widening as her mind caught up with Priscilla’s words. “Wait... your-?”
Priscilla smiled fondly as she gestured at the masterpiece. “Allow me to present to you the Painted World of Ariamis.”
Rarity worked her jaw fruitlessly for a number of seconds until she managed to reclaim a piece of her wits and slowly trot forwards. “P-painted-! Surely you don’t mean...?”
The giant woman’s smile became all the more proud as she lightly brushed her fingers over the canvas. The painting rippled around her digits like a pool of water. “Its name is indeed accurate in every form.” She slowly pushed her hand into the painting. “I did invite you to my residence, did I not?” She extended her other hand towards the mare.
Rarity fumbled helplessly for a second before swallowing her nervousness and hesitantly grasping the proffered hand with one of her forehooves. Nodding, Priscilla stepped into the painting as if through a curtain of water. Rarity had no time to even try to avoid being carried in with her, passing through the barrier with a sensation not unlike stepping through a spider’s web, largely due to the wall of snow that greeted her as she came through the film.
“Ack! Pfeaugh! Is the weather in here always like this?” Rarity called - not yelled, heaven’s no! - over the heavy wind blowing snow in her face. Oh, her mane was going to be ruined! That windswept look was Rainbow Dash’s, or Twilight after making her own choices at the spa, not hers!
Priscilla hummed contentedly as she ran her hands over her arms. “But of course. This is the ideal temperature for our purposes. And besides, in my opinion, this temperature is quite pleasant.”
Rarity sputtered indignantly as she swept the snow from her eyes. “Well of course you would, you’re wearing what I pray is a fake... fur...” She trailed off as she stared up at the castle before her. It was even more imposing in real life, as even to Rarity’s decidedly non-military mind it clearly had an absolutely commanding view of the entire area for miles in every direction.
Every direction... including straight down.
“EEEEEEK!”
“... Miss Rarity, I assure you that the state of this bridge is simply due to my aesthetic preferences. It is structurally sound, I promise. Now, if you would please stop strangling my leg?”
“Not until we’re back on solid ground!”
A weary sigh. “Fair enough...”
After a few minutes, Rarity collapsed onto the frigid stone steps with relief. “Never again!” She hissed.
“The only other exit is by dropping from the ramparts of the tower.”
Rarity’s eyes snapped open, ablaze with fury. “Sadist!”
Priscilla shrugged as she started to climb the steps. “An occupational hazard often made inconsequential by a host of viable targets. What of it?”
Rarity grumbled darkly as she hauled herself to her hooves and followed behind the dual-blooded Homunculus, ascending the stairway to the entrance of the looming fortress. It was only upon cresting the steps that a thought struck her. “Priscilla...” She started slowly. “I do believe it’s time you elucidated our reason for being here...”
Priscilla gave Rarity a morose, searching look before gesturing at the gates and letting out a flurry of runes, causing them to slowly begin to grind open. “The greatest treasures in all of Concordia. Safeguarded by me for the duration of my imprisonment.”
Rarity tilted her head in order to catch sight of what lay through the gates as soon as possible, but the instant she did, her heart nearly stopped.
It was... an art gallery.
Or, perhaps more accurately, the art gallery. Sure, she had been to art galleries where the up-and-coming of Equestria’s art scene demonstrated their work. She had been to art museums in Canterlot and Manehatten celebrating the greatest works Equestrian artists had produced. All of them collectively paled in comparison to the collection now arrayed in front of her. Paintings, sculptures, photographs, calligraphy, glass; every kind of visual art imaginable, in dozens of styles familiar and entirely unknown; and all exquisite masterpieces of the kind that sold for millions of bits at art auctions, that were protected by the most advanced security measures in museums. And that was just the first corridor!
Rarity scanned the paintings in numb, open-mouthed shock, before suddenly shooting to her hooves and dashing for one particular painting. A broad, sweeping portrait depicting two individuals, a wolf with a minotaur’s stature and an equally statuesque figure composed entirely of wood, both wearing armor, both with solemn expressions and both firmly clasping each other’s forearms.
“The Peace of Blackthorn Knoll.”
Rarity jumped as Priscilla’s wistful voice drifted from behind her. Looking up, she took note of the giant woman’s nostalgic expression.
“Rendered by the good sir White Tail.” She went on with a sigh. “Those were hard times. We truly feared that the lupen and the arboreal populaces would return to war once again.”
Rarity shivered lightly as she stared at the array of artwork. “This... how?” Was all she could manage.
Priscilla’s expression soured visibly as she turned sharply and began to march down the hall, followed closely by a shocked Rarity. “Your ‘Princesses’...” She said solemnly, her voice as cold as the air around them. “As much as I and most Concordians currently loathe them... I cannot truly describe them as evil. Not after this. Every time they sealed away a populace, they did not allow their armies to ravage or ransack or run rampant. They were careful. Methodical. They preserved as much as they could. What art they could safeguard, they brought to Vitrum and sealed it alongside me for safekeeping.” She shook her head solemnly. “An evil person would have eradicated these masterpieces wholesale. This... this is worse.”
“How so?” Rarity asked slowly.
“Because this shows that they had not changed at all. That even after all that occurred they were still the individuals I respected and admired and followed and...” Priscilla waved her hand helplessly before sighing. “And considered my friends. And that will make this entire endeavor all the more complicated...”
Before Rarity could respond, the pair emerged onto a plaza and she was forced to a halt. She stared at the grand edifice erected before her in unmitigated awe. “This... this is...” She breathed.
Priscilla’s mood lightened instantly. “I consider this to be the Painted World’s center piece...” She breathed. “The Moment of Truth. Depicting what is widely considered to be the true birth of the Oligarchs.”
~~~
Scholar knelt forwards and rested his forearm on his knee, staring out over the edge of the cliff. “That’s a lot of fire demons. Remind me again, why do they want us all dead?”
“Well, let’s see...” Chrysalis stepped up to his left, one chitinous hoof raised as she smirked viciously. “They’re sadistic, they’re psychopaths, they’re bloodthirsty, we’re in their way, so on and so forth. Take your pick. In the end, does it really matter? After all, they’re nothing more than a legion of mindless brutes.”
“Hmph.” Celestia flared her wings as she stood next to the Queen, an equally cocky expression on her muzzle. “You’d think they’d get along with you, at least. If opposites attract, I suppose the flip side must be true as well.”
Luna ignored her sister’s antics in favor of raising her nose at the army below. “‘Tis of no consequence. The battle shall be difficult, but we will succeed. It’s, quite simply, inevitable.”
Cadance nodded in agreement and smiled pleasantly as she flanked the Lunar Mare. “If you could employ some form of caution, I’d appreciate it. Ichor is hell to wash out of my mane.”
Minos snorted harshly as he swung his battleaxe up onto his shoulder and towered over Scholar’s right. “I’ll break their lines on the eastern front. Serpense, can you take the south?”
The hydra’s many heads swayed and whipped about to and fro as they sported equally vicious and fang-filled grins. “With ease!” “I’ll use the river that runs through the plains!” “Or rather...” “The river that’ll be running through there once I’m through with it!”
“Do try not to be too cocky...” Solum Nox moaned, crossing his arms flatly. “As tempting as it would be to collect on your contracts, I fear that I will be too occupied to collect on your dues in the midst of combat.”
A synchronized trio of booming laughs erupted from three figures who were floating behind the party upon a large storm cloud. Each member of the group was massive in their own right, an adonis with rippling muscles and bare chests. Each of their heads was obscured by a helmet of gray steel whose sole opening was a single lens situated in the middle of their forehead.
The middle-sized member of the trio, whose hands were wrapped in blackened chains, chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. “Your opinion is as amusing as always, Nox!”
The largest, who was toting a ridiculously massive sledgehammer, swung it over his shoulders and pulled the shaft against his neck with both hands. “But have no fear, we are confident in our survival.”
The smallest, whose helmet was more elaborate than his brothers’ and sported a multi-layer lens within the inner workings, fiddled with the mechanisms, causing the glass discs within to click and rearrange and refocus. “Either way, we will concentrate on making the sky untenable. Any objections?”
Daemos let loose a jaw-cracking yawn as he slowly crawled to his claws, raising his head proudly and spreading his wings to the fullest extent of their massive span. “Just avoid striking me or others and I shall be perfectly content.”
“Enough prattle!” Discord cackled as he snapped into existence, standing atop Celestia’s back, one foot firmly planted on her rear and the other on the back of her neck. A tan military jacket festooned with medals and a metal military helmet adorned his twisted body. A cavalry saber in his claws rounded out the ensemble. “Come on, gallop closer!” He cried enthusiastically as he swung the weapon about wildly, “I want to hit them with my sword!”
Scholar’s grin widened beneath his hood as his robes lit up with vicious runes.
“Well then... let’s get to it.”
~~~
Celestia sighed sadly as she ran her hoof down the photograph she was holding.
It was… always painful to look at this photo. Any photo from back then, really. To remember the better times, when they had all stood together in camaraderie and friendship. No guilt, no nostalgia.
She wished she could bring those times back.
But those times were never going to come back.
She contemplated burning the thing, as she always did when she looked at it. For a few seconds, she simply stared at it, the spell ready to be cast. And, like always, she tucked it back in the box and magically sealed it again. This was no time for pointless regrets.
Celestia steeled her nerves as she slipped the gut-wrenching memory back into its hidden position in her desk before clearing her throat.
“Private?”
The door to her office cracked open as one of her soldiers poked his head in inquiringly. “Yes, Princess?”
“Send for General Pilum. I require his presence immediately.”
“At once, Princess.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.029 seconds
Total duration
1,098 users online
1,972,095 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
i haven't truly checked but wasn't pilum killed by iron will?
5911726 Yes.
Yes he was.
i.ytimg.com/vi/p6bWkIWJw4w/hqdefault.jpg
5911731 i see so the weird light that got out from the armor is some creepy way for celestia to return em to life?, maybe a transfer of their last minute memories into a cloned body?
5911739 Already said too much as is!
5911746 i got the idea from this manga , and so far we only know that he is back to life in equestria
Ahh, the Painted World. Horrible and lovely place at the same time.
"The border between the sides lies not on earth, but in ones' hearts"
This conflict can be compared to a civil war, between parts of old Concordia. And civil wars end either when all sides but one are eradicated, or when the war's cost becomes too big. When both sides cannot get an upper hand, people on both sides get tired of grime and deaths. And a moment comes when everyone is ready to negotiate just because continuing the war is not worth things it was started for.
And in my opinion, the main conflict can be solved by Oligarchs leaving. They are past, and we should move to future. Immortal ruler might not age, but his soul does. And Oligarchs are VERY old. Without them, thing will settle over time.
So the Elements are finding out what tia and the others are truly like underneath all that "Love, Happiness and DIE HEATHEN!"
5911759 akumetsu...amazing manga, I think ive read that all the way through about 4 times since I first found it.
5911746 another amazing chapter
5911731 Another excellent chapter. How's the comic by the way? Hope it's going well. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here preparing for finals.
Great chapter.
General Pilum????????
but he was killed in a previous chapter or saw the wrong name
Necromancy, Celestia you are a bigger hypocrate than I could imagine...
WIN SCHOLAR, SHOW THESE PONIES AND CHTULU MORONS WHAT HAPPEN WHEN THEY PISS YOU OFF!
5914242
Yes. Yes he was.
t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdzAmobnk5njgi6hZ303VxHwdjvfXeQLy_BG-883qEBB1pVcwGyVy9UPQ_
Spreading his
5914802 Always the stupidest of mistakes... thanks.
5914838
Glad to help
I'm wondering, will the imprisoned races be released anytime soon?
Heh. Lord Commissar reference from Dawn of War 2: Retribution. I approve.
5911746 I'm going to guess that the light was a soul?
The thing I'm only curious about is what will happen to Twilight once they purge the Harmony out of her. I mean she's hella powerful with it flooding her system and all I can think about is how powerful she'll be once it's gone.
Y'know I am suprised no one had posted this yet and we all know one of us was gonna do it so I'm doing it
5920164 Trust me, Xomniac and I have gone over this. We have... plans for Twilight.
5925884
Yes! If Trixie is this powerful with Harmony out of her I can't wait to see Twilight
scottthong.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/twisparhammer40k.jpg
couldn't help myself :)
Hah, so she somehow revived them. Welp, they'll just have to be killed again.
Well it's nice to have some character interaction again. Even if it is kinda over the bodies of a bunch of soldiers that everyone seems to have forgotten about. The moment with Iron Will and his armour, was nice, though.