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Fragile2,498 words
The Fiddle & The Drum11,059 words
Trouble6,090 words
Preludes & Interludes2,491 words
On A Good Day5,030 words
Won't Be Broken3,242 words
Nobody Does You (Better Than You)3,897 words
Little By Little4,881 words
Maybe I'm Right8,436 words
Blue Collar Mare (Long Nights)3,685 words
Make This Go On Forever3,384 words
State of Love and Trust2,810 words
Some Origins of Fire5,909 words
Disaster Button3,107 words
Working For The Weekend2,911 words
Shadow on the Sun3,331 words
Somewhere Only We Know3,380 words
Dreaming Wide Awake11,537 words
Illusion & Dream6,077 words
Crystal Ball4,369 words
Start The Machine4,333 words
Halfway There3,961 words

Start The Machine

Twilight rose to her hooves, grinning from ear to ear as the infectious joy from the shared vision slowly began to ebb. She could literally feel the waves of emotion bouncing from the crystalline walls, the cheerful whooping of Scootaloo sounding so faintly that the princess couldn't tell if it was real, or just so resounding in her memory. The Seers, either from the vision itself or from Twilight's broad smile, also glowed with a happy satisfaction.

"Scootaloo's going to be just thrilled when I tell her," Twilight said. "Absolutely thrilled."

"I imagine she will be," Axiom spoke thoughtfully. The infectious smile had waned, and he scratched his chin with a hoof contemplatively. Archive, perhaps from the undue pressure Twilight and Axiom had placed on him before, looked similarly concerned.

"Thank you so much for showing me," Twilight said. "I'm sorry I was being so..."

"Emotional?"

The irony wasn't lost on the alicorn. "Right," she nodded bashfully.

"Now you can see why that rule is in place," Appear took advantage of the momentary gap in silence. "Emotions clouding judgment, all that jazz. Gotta say, I'm really glad that we were able to show you."

"It was nice of you to show me," Twilight agreed, "though I wonder... why did you? You seemed so hard and fast on that rule."

"Antenna," Alumni said simply. "Her body is asleep, always has been, but her mind is constantly connected to the emotional spectrum. Either you were so close to her body here that your anger was especially irritating..."

"Oops," Twilight whispered with a splash of guilt, though she reasoned that after not stirring during that shouting match earlier, Antenna wouldn't particularly notice her efforts to remain quiet now.

"...Or perhaps something of significant importance in the future is dependent on you seeing Scootaloo fly," Axiom finished for his fellow Seer.

"Oh dear," Twilight suddenly felt the weight of immense responsibility creeping upon her. "I don't suppose we could ask her?"

Axiom thought for a moment before shaking his head. "We can synchronize with her and her connection to the emotional spectrum; that's how we can see visions at all. But interacting with her directly is practically impossible."

"But she spoke, didn't she?" Twilight queried, looking at the small form of the filly laying in her bed, body steadily rising and falling as she breathed. "That was her voice, wasn't it?"

"You heard her voice?" Atlas asked with a raised eyebrow, looking to Audile, who shrugged soundlessly back at her. "It takes like, a crazy amount of concentration for her to communicate with others on her own. Scootaloo must be really special."

Twilight was reminded of the previous Friday night. She had told a tearful Scootaloo that she was special. Everypony was, of course, special in their own way, but Scootaloo either didn't or didn't want to believe it. And now, three days later, powerful secret psychics were hypothesizing that the young pegasus was, in fact, special enough to break a thousand year old rule. Coincidence didn't often sit well, with Twilight. But if it were she thought I suppose it's a happy coincidence. There was an abundance of squeaking, the telltale sound of a marker skating across the plastic coating of Audile's whiteboard.

PTS: But she spoke didn't she? That was her voice wasn't it?
At: You heard her voice. It takes like a crazy amount of concentration for her to communicate with others on her own. Scootaloo must be really special.
Or Antenna really wanted you to calm down!

Twilight giggled and blushed. "Sorry, again."

"No need to worry, your highness," Axiom waved a hoof, "though her motivation makes me wonder. Believe it or not, it's nice to not have the answers sometimes."

"But just so were clear, that was real?" Twilight asked worriedly. The circumstances surrounding the sudden vision depicting exactly what she wanted to see seemed too good to be true. "That was Scootaloo flying?"

"We don't show anything that hasn't happened or won't happen," Axiom assured her. "At any rate, you would know if emotions are faked. It's like when somepony laughs at a joke that isn't funny, something just feels forced. Off somehow."

"I think I understand," Twilight agreed with him, "sometimes my jokes don't quite land with the others, but they usually chuckle anyways. It's nice that they don't want to hurt my feelings, but... yeah, I can tell."

"At any rate, I think that about takes care of what you came here for, yes?" Axiom asked her as Twilight's eyes flickered towards the wooden double doors. Her ears were pinned back guiltily.

"I suppose it does," she replied with a reflexive brush of her bangs. "Thank you again, so much."

"Serving royalty is literally what we're here for," Appear chuckled. "If you want to get going and tell Scootaloo the good news, you just have to say so."

The princess sighed with relief. "I really didn't want to seem rude, but yes! It's literally going to make her day!"

"I imagine you're rather tired as well," Alumni offered. "It was a fairly intense session, especially for a first time."

Twilight took stock of her current state. She was excited more than anything, followed by a heaping helping of happy. "Actually, no. I don't feel tired at all."

More squeaking from the whiteboard.

You will!

"I don't know if I should be worried," Twilight said jokingly, "But Archive?"

Archive, who hadn't spoken a word since Antenna initiated her vision, looked up at the princess. He seemed bleary eyed, as if he'd been ripped from a deep and restful sleep. "Hmm?" he hummed an inquisitive hum towards the princess addressing him.

"Your daughter, Record, she wanted me to bring you back home once we were finished here," Twilight explained softly. "She showed me where, but perhaps you could refresh my memory. It's been a lot to take in."

There was the clop of hooves along the crystal floor as, not Archive, but Axiom stood up from his seat. "That won't be necessary, your highness."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. It seems we have many things to discuss. Perhaps a policy change," Axiom told her. "With you and Cadance being so closely tied to your subjects emotional well being, perhaps the rule we seem to have broken today needs to be re-evaluated. Else, we won't be of any use to you."

Atlas shuffled from her seat, stretching her legs out. "I don't know if you could tell, but we really liked having you here today. Your inner voice is so different compared to Luna and Celestia. In a good way! Not that Princess Luna or Celestia have bad internal voices, it's just..." Atlas immediately sat back down sheepishly. "It was really nice to meet you, is what I meant to say."

As Twilight rubbed her foreleg against the other, the Seers all made noises of agreement. "I'm really glad to have met you all, too," she said sincerely, scanning over the group (Audile had simply drawn a large smiling face on her whiteboard). "Thanks again so much for your help. It might be a bit late for Scootaloo's project presentation, but at least I can tell her that the princess' blessing is, in fact, quite real. I'll be sure to pass along her gratitude next time I come along... though I suspect you'll already know."

The Cabinet of Seers nodded warmly at the alicorn. "It will be nice, for a change, to hear it from an actual pony," Appear told her. "Nothing like the real thing."

"Indeed," Twilight said. "I'll do my best to recount her reaction for you as well. Take care, everypony!" With that, she turned around, feeling their gazes on her back as she sauntered towards the large wooden doors behind the red cushioned throne. It was a very strange feeling, Twilight decided, to have ponies seem so glad for her approval. Maybe that was why they eventually showed Scootaloo's flight, so as to not disappoint her. Twilight hoped that wasn't the case.

"It was an honor, your highness. I hope to see you again soon," Axiom's voice rang out as Twilight's hoof stopped just shy of the wooden door. She looked back to him; he was smiling, but there was a sadness in his eyes. It was just as he had said earlier; it felt off somehow.

Twilight squinted as she emerged from the exit of the crystalline tower, the brilliant blues and greens of Eres were awash in an orange glow, a drastic departure from the muted cool palette of the crystal tower she had spent the last several hours in. She raised a hoof to shield her eyes from the setting sun, and standing next to the fountain with Starswirl's statue was Archive's daughter, Record.

"Princess Twilight!" She trotted up to her excitedly, neck craning high to peer into the darkened vestibule behind the alicorn. "Is Dad coming, or...?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. They have some things to discuss, it seems. But Axiom promised to make sure your father got home!"

Record nodded in turn, her blonde mane catching a breeze and wafting upwards. "Then allow me to escort you to the gate!"

"That sounds delightful," Twilight replied gratefully as she motioned past the fountain to the street. As she did, she noticed that several other ponies had emerged from the houses lining the path, and were looking curiously at her. "It was this way, right?"

"To Canterlot Castle, yes. Your castle door isn't ready yet." Record said as the two ponies started their saunter through the town.

"My castle..." Twilight chuckled, "I don't have a castle; I have a library. And it certainly doesn't have any portal doors in it."

"A princess without her own castle?" Record tilted her head. "Maybe it's a work in progress on both our ends."

"It'd be news to me if it were," Twilight said, doing her best to disguise her discomfort at the subject of her rather unconventional attempt at royalty. It hadn't been too terribly long since she had been crowned a princess, but she felt simultaneously underwhelmed and overwhelmed all at once. Though she was still feeling the residual elation of Scootaloo's impending joy, she noted uncomfortably that even in this foreign universe, she still didn't fit the mold of a normal princess. Record must have sensed that she had tread upon a sore subject, because she didn't say anything after. Coupled with the stares of the Eres townsfolk, Twilight felt increasingly awkward after a few short minutes and broke the silence.

"Where were they when we came in?" Twilight asked, regarding the villagers that the duo were passing. A young colt with a light blue coat and a short dark blue mane offered her a smile, which she returned. She instantly felt more at ease; Pinkie Pie would have loved to see her principles applied so effectively.

"We usually go inside of our houses when the metronomes start going again," Record answered. At the mention of metronomes, Twilight couldn't help but notice that Record answered shortly after being asked, instead of interrupting her during the question; she supposed that her timeline had adjusted to more match this place. "Sometimes the sessions can become quite intense. The crystal absorbs most of the... feelings, I guess you could call them; but some of it filters through the wooden doors. Our homes have some crystal lining to help insulate it, in case the Seers' visions get really intense."

"Then why aren't the doors crystal?" Twilight queried, not just to make conversation, but also out of genuine curiosity.

"I asked Dad once after Celestia visited a while back. I was out by the lake, and I didn't notice the door had opened. So many intense feelings just kind of washed over me..." she paused for a moment. "But he said that it was because they needed at least a little release, or the emotions would just keep echoing inside with them." Twilight was about to ask what the net effect of that would be, but Record beat her to the punch. "He didn't say what would happen to the Seers if that were to occur."

"Did you do the thing again? With the timeline and your ability?"

"I just heard you were inquisitive. You've caught up, I think. Just in time for you to go back home."

The two ponies had reached the edge of the town, and the winding path leading to the pale obelisk lay before them. The stone itself was positioned with the sun almost directly above it on the horizon; it gave the fleeting impression to Twilight that the realm was illuminated by a stone torch.

"I was worried at first, you know," Record spoke softly, coming to a halt next to Twilight, who turned her body to face her escort.

"Worried about what?"

"When your session was going on, there was a lot of strong stuff," Record explained, "A lot of not pleasant stuff."

Twilight frowned, her gaze settling on Record's hooves.. "Oh... you didn't see anything, did you?"

"No," Record said simply, "but I could feel it. I'm really glad it seemed to end on such a high note! Whoever it was, they were, or are going to be, very ha⁠—"

Twilight wondered why Record stopped, but then she felt it. Fear. It was an horrible, all-encompassing sensation of dread, and Twilight felt, despite being in the warm spring evening, the icy chill of of mortal terror. Panic began to set in, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Her heart was racing, and she didn't know why.

"R-record? What's going on? I'm... I don't like this. Please help!" Twilight started to babble confusedly, looking around for whatever was threatening her. Record's eyes were shut tight as she muttered under her breath; she too was suffering from whatever was affecting Twilight, but she seemed far more adept at dealing with it. The unicorn's eyes fluttered open.

"Your highness, it's⁠—it's alright," she whispered, her fragile voice contradicting her proclamation. "It's the Seers. They must be in a vision. You're safe. You're alright."

Twilight closed her eyes tightly, letting Record's assurances gently wash over her. Whether it was the impromptu counseling or the Seers' vision coming to an end, the fear started to fade away. "What in the world was that?" Twilight asked with a shaky voice, opening her eyes once more.

"What an odd coincidence," Record remarked, "that we should be talking about that the waves of emotion coming from their visions right before they conduct another one. It was a doozy, too."

"I'll say," Twilight agreed. Another coincidence, and this time an unhappy one. "I thought they were just discussing a policy change?"

"Well, change can be scary sometimes," Record attempted a joke, but the fear lingering in the air wasn't so easily quelled. Twilight didn't even offer a courtesy smile. "Sorry, bad joke. Something my Dad would say." Twilight did, however, crack the smallest of grins at Record's apology.

"At least you tried," Twilight said. "Is that what happens when you are caught outside?"

"Yeah, but it's usually not nearly that strong," Record replied. "Thank goodness for crystal magic. I hope whoever that was about was, or is going to be, alright. I can never tell which."

"You and me both," Twilight agreed wholeheartedly, and felt a fresh wave of her very own anxiety start to settle in. "How do you know when they are done? Like, done done?"

"There's a light at the top of the tower that's lit when they are in session," she explained. "Of course, you can't really see it during the day, but they usually only produce visions at in the very early morning when the rest of us are at home and sleeping. That's when Luna has been coming to see them recently."

"Doesn't Princess Celestia come to see them too?"

"She does, but she generally doesn't stick around too long. Dad says that she gives them names for the blessing, but they actually show the visions when Princess Luna comes to call. It's a whole process," Record added.

"So I've heard," Twilight said succinctly. "Well, what do you say we get going in case they decide to start another one?"

"They said you were smart," Record smiled "We'll make a game of it; Psychic author versus librarian princess, I'll race you to the door!"

"We have the Running of the Leaves this week, I could definitely use the warm up!" Twilight exclaimed to Record's confusion. "It's an Equestrian thing. Whenever you're ready..." Twilight postured herself with her right foreleg forward, ready to sprint at .

"It should go without saying, but no flying, and stick to the path!" Record cried before mirroring Twilight's position. She began her countdown with a flourish. "Three..." her horn glowed in time as she spoke. "Two... One!" A loud bang sounded through the air as a small yellow explosion erupted in the air above them from Record's horn. The two ponies took off at a sprint, their hooves clopping noisily across the ground.

"Speaking of crystal magic, you ever heard of the Crystal Empire?" Record called back as Twilight lagged behind her, "They have a Crystal Heart that's all sorts of magical!"

Now she was just showing off! "I... know! I was there!" Twilight panted. Less talking, more running! Twilight willed her legs to move faster, and by the time they had rounded the second corner, Twilight's front legs were parallel to Record's back legs, and gaining ground. Record looked behind her with a surprised look on her face.

"Well, would you look at that?"

Inspired by her declaration, Twilight pushed even faster. They rounded another corner, with the stone obelisk dead ahead... but Record was speeding up too. Twilight calculated the distance ahead and the speed they were going, and she knew that she didn't have any hope of surpassing her. Still, she kept up her pace as best she could. Record approached the door first, and slowed down as quickly as she could without toppling over.

"Not bad, your highness," Record gasped. "A lot more of a challenge than my dad, that's for sure."

"Thanks," Twilight panted. "You're definitely no slouch. One of the best athletes in Equestria is going to be giving me flying lessons, I'll see if she can't work some cardio in there too."

"Sounds like you're up for a rematch," Record said, "In that case, so am I!" Record ambled up to the white obelisk with the brown wooden door looking even more ill-fitting against the stone structure, Twilight stepping alongside her.

"I suppose..." Twilight started with a cough, raising her hoof against the handle. "It was nice to meet you, Record. I'll see you again soon."

"Indeed. Take care of yourself, Princess Twilight... Oh! Before you go, I wanted to know if I could ask a favor?"

Twilight paused with her hoof resting atop the apparatus. "Of course! What is it?"

"I wrote some books, using the name P.F. Visions," Report explained. "It's another bad pun, but maybe... if you could read some of them? I'd love to hear some feedback from somepony as well read as you."

"I would be absolutely thrilled to, Record. Consider it done!"

"Thanks, Twilight. See you soon?"

Twilight looked back at the hopeful grin and offered one of her own. The handle clicked and the door began to open. In an instant, Twilight felt something overtake her. She didn't consider herself a sore loser, but she suddenly felt a seething rage overtake her. Feelings of anger and betrayal consumed her. Record's eye's narrowed in kind, and Twilight turned away with haste. This has to be the Seers she thought, and Twilight wasted not another second in stepping through the frame and back into Equestria.

"Twilight!"

Princess Celestia's voice greeted Twilight as the East Wing of the castle appeared in front of her. Twilight walked forward, and the door closed behind her. The silver lock automatically began to rotate shut, and the orange glow of an Eres sunset was wiped from right to left from the gap beneath the door. Twilight turned her head from the inert portal to the anticipatory face of her mentor looking down at her.

"Princess Celestia! You're still here? But it's been hours!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Only a few seconds over here actually," Celestia told her, "Which is a fairly long visit, all things considered. Time is funny that way. But how did it go? You must have seen quite a bit!"

"I... I did. It was... enlightening. And confusing. It went well, but then it didn't, and then it did. I know that doesn't make much sense but⁠—"

Celestia raised her hoof. "I know exactly what you mean. You are welcome to stay and rest, you look positively winded."

"I'm fine, honestly," Twilight assured her. "I just had a race with Archive's daughter, Record. I'm assuming you've met?"

Celestia nodded her head. "Of course. She's quick to reply, and just as fast on her hooves it seems. I might see her myself in just a moment."

"Oh?"

"Yes, those nobles from Baltimare from this morning? Before I met with you? They actually inquired about their expected foal, asking for the Princess' Blessing. Quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

Twilight bit her lip before replying. "It's not the first one that's happened today."

"Destiny is a funny thing, isn't it?" Celestia asked thoughtfully. Twilight didn't mention to her that Axiom had said the exact same thing earlier to her. The rule of three had already been reached as far as fateful coincidences was concerned in Twilight's eyes, and she didn't want to press further. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be just a moment."

"Before you go," Twilight said as Celestia's magic turned the lock of the door, the light from below now a faint blue-ish purple - perhaps one of an early sunrise or (Twilight shuddered internally) a late twilight, "they may want to talk to you about something. A change in policy, perhaps."

Celestia blinked, but didn't otherwise display any other emotion. Applejack would have called it a 'right proper poker face.' "I see," she said.

"Please don't be mad," Twilight spoke softly, ears pinned back.

"I'm fallible, Twilight," Celestia told her disbelieving pupil before turning around to look at the portal, "and if something I put into place long ago needs changing, then I am ready to re-evaluate it." The door opened, and a white glow surrounded Princess Celestia. She stepped inside, and the door swung shut, silently, behind her as the lock clicked again. Twilight only just had time to exhale, and the door opened again.

"You weren't kidding..." Twilight said as Celestia stepped towards her. "Everything go okay?"

Celestia cleared her throat before answering. "It did."

"And the policy? Your rule?"

"That's still up in the air for the time being. It's been in place since my sister was banished, over a thousand years ago, so it will take quite a bit of time to see if my guideline needs to be altered. Come, let's get you to your room."

Twilight still didn't feel tired, but walked behind Princess Celestia back towards the exit of the East Wing nonetheless.

"Did they tell you what happened today? What they showed me?" Twilight was so happy that the Seers showed her Scootaloo's flight, but now, walking alongside the very pony that forbade them from doing so, she felt terribly guilty about doing whatever it was she did to coax Antenna to break the rule.

"They did!" Celestia replied, far more cheerfully than Twilight would have guessed. "Scootaloo gets exactly what she wanted, and you learned a valuable lesson. It seems like a win-win."

"I guess it does..." Twilight yawned, though she stifled it. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?" she asked nonchalantly.

"After this? Reading the newspaper if I can," Celestia said simply.

"The newspaper? Don't you have royal messengers for important information?" Twilight's eyes were growing heavier with each step she took.

"For big boring princessy things, yes," Celestia said as they passed the last of the Phoenixwood torches lining the corridor. "But for everything else, the things that actually matter to the ponies, there's no better source than the local newspaper. As I understand it, Scootaloo once had a stint as a reporter, didn't she?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, the foal free pre-e-esssss..." Twilight couldn't conceal her exhausted yawn this time. "She's sorry about that cake thing, by the way."

Celestia giggled. "I do love a good cake. It might be the reason we have so many parties. You sound like you are quite party pooped, Twilight."

"I am," Twilight admitted, "I don't know where it came from."

"You know how parties can be exhausting? After one of Pinkie Pie's especially, you probably sleep quite well, yes?" Twilight nodded her head in understanding, snapping her head rather abruptly up as she did so. "After a long session with the Seers like you had, I bet you experienced enough happiness to fill several days of endless partying. And I'd be willing to bet, enough sorrow to fill several sad, lonesome, and draining days."

"Mhmmm..." Twilight stopped walking, her legs slowly crumpling beneath her. "So draining..."

"It's all catching up to you," Celestia whispered to her as the younger pony was levitated to Celestia's back in a yellow aura. Celestia raised her wings up just enough to act as a support to keep Twilight securely held in place with large feathery pillows. The white alicorn adjusted her route from the throne room to Twilight's former bedroom. The smaller pony softly snoring on her back attracted many stares from her royal guard and other castle denizens, but Celestia paid them no heed.

Twilight was nestled into her old bed, and as the blanket was pulled up to her chin at the behest of Celestia's magic, the princess of the sun whispered into her pupil's ear;

"Sleep well, my little pony."

Author's Note:

A friend and I who have both been out of the game for far too long are inspiring one another to write more, and after 8 months, there's another chapter.

Written while binge watching Alien Covenant and the making of, so thanks Ridley Scott.

I promise the next one will be faster. Thanks for reading!

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