Secunda Secundae Partis - Sed Nomini Tuo
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle huddled together in the cold, dark cell.
It had been a few hours since they had stumbled on the diamond dogs, and it hadn't got any better. Scootaloo had been with them then, but they had split up, and they didn't know where she was any more. And the diamond dogs that they saw showed no signs of letting them go. It didn't look good.
"What're we gonna do, Sweetie Belle?" asked Applebloom. The earth pony foal was out of ideas, after she'd tried bucking the doors down, which hadn't worked.
"I suppose we can just wait," Sweetie Belle answered. "Applejack and Rarity will notice we're missing... eventually. Then they'll come to save us. We don't need to worry."
"But Sweetie Belle, I told Applejack I was spending time with you. I didn't tell her where we were going," said Applebloom, the concern in her voice increasing.
"Wait, you didn't?" said Sweetie Belle in an incredulous voice. "I thought you did, so I didn't tell Rarity!"
"Well, if they don't know where we are... Then what?" asked Applebloom.
"We have to trust in Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle. "They haven't caught her, so maybe she got away."
The two foals began to wait, when they heard what sounded like singing in the distance.
Scootaloo had led them to what looked like an abandoned quarry, but Johann felt that they were already being watched. He drew his longsword, and swept his eyes across the quarry.
Behind them, the soldier ponies were still following. Although they had not slowed them anymore, Johann did not really appreciate their company. Obviously, they did not trust the Templars - though he did not know why. The only reason he could think of was that they thought that they were slave traders - the horses, being bridled, must have appeared as slaves - and that they were there to enslave them, but then they should have seen how they treated this Scootaloo. Bah. They made no sense.
As little sense as most people did, though, he was forced to admit. The French King had sought the arrest of the Templars despite their support for his reign - and despite him having no authority to do so. It was all the same madness, though he supposed that this people, having hostile neighbours, had more reason than most to doubt new peoples.
There was a single tunnel in the quarry, and Scootaloo indicated it. It was where these beasts had taken her friends, it seemed. Johann nodded, and the Templars advanced.
The tunnel was dark, with occasional torches barely lighting the path, and Johann understood how they had gone on unmolested by the ponies. However long this tunnel was, they could ambush their foes at every turn, without them knowing when or where it would happen, or even how many there were. It was a strategic nightmare for an attacker. If he had been leading an army, he would have halted this assault immediately, and commenced a sapping operation. However, that was out of the question.
Therefore, strengthening himself with the sign of the cross, he led his men into the very mouth of hell.
The tunnel was long, but if their enemies knew of their invasion, they gave no signs of it. Eerily, the tunnel was silent as they continued through it. Scootaloo did not seem to be worrying, though. The foal was behind them, and in front of the pony soldiers. Although Johann took a quick look back at it, its darkened face did not look anxious at all. At least it did not to his eyes, anyway. Perhaps it was, and did not show it the same way as he expected.
There was a sound ahead of them, and they came to a stop. However, it was not the sound Johann had expected - of armoured, armed soldiers running towards them - but rather that of metal grinding on metal. Yet it seemed unlike that as well. It was too loud for it to be far away, and yet it was not close as it seemed, or else they would have seen it. Therefore, after it stopped, and after waiting for twenty seconds after, they continued on their march.
The tunnel eventually ended in a massive gallery. There were three levels of the gallery, and they were on the highest. In the middle was a giant structure, which looked like a giant cone. Around it was a ridge that curved around it, like a spiral staircase. The entire room must have been the size of the great Temple of Solomon, at least. Moreover, all around, there were the same beasts he had confronted in the forest, in numbers greater than he had ever imagined.
They covered the giant cone, in some cases using various tools, in other cases ordering others around. It reminded Johann of nothing more than ants, covering a nest and swarming, multiplying. The thought filled him with distaste. An enemy with the numbers that ants had would be almost unstoppable.
As they waited in the corridor, surveying the room, Scootaloo crawled up to him, sweeping its eyes over the room. Its eyes boggled, and that worried Johann. If it and its companions had not come here, then the things must have captured them earlier.
Nevertheless, there was nothing for it. Either they were here, or not. Soon it would be time to find out.
He was about to step out into the room when there was another terrible sound, louder than the rest, like a great horn. In addition, as he watched, the beasts stopped their work, and the ones on top of the cone climbed down. If they waited a little longer, perhaps they would have a chance at this rescue attempt.
"We will wait for a little longer," Johann said. "When they have left, we will go in and investigate it. Be ready at my signal." The sergeants nodded, and they drew swords from their sheaths, and unslung the shields from their backs. Frederick began saying a prayer quietly under his breath. The ponies did not seem to understand what they were doing, but that was not important.
The beasts had all gone now, and Johann nodded. "We go now. Psalm one hundred and thirteen."
They started forward, and Johann led them as they sang "Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam."
Twilight and the Elements of Harmony had gathered and were heading into the quarry of the diamond dogs at good speed. It had taken longer than they thought to get everypony together, and now the strangers and the Guard ponies were far ahead of them. This did not bode well for making a peaceful rescue attempt.
As they entered the quarry, they could not even see them ahead. Twilight and her friends didn't slow down for anything, and they kept their speed as they entered the tunnel itself. They couldn't afford to be late. For both sides.
The singing grew louder, and Applebloom spoke, saying, "What is that noise? Who could be singing down here? It doesn't sound like the diamond dogs..."
"Maybe its somepony coming to rescue us," said Sweetie Belle, a hint of hope creeping into her voice. "Hello out there! We're down here! Please let us go!"
The head of a diamond dog poked around to face into the cell. "Quiet, you idiot ponies, or we will have to punish you!" Its mouth had twisted into a feral growl.
Sweetie Belle backed away, into a cell wall. "Yeah? Well, well..." She turned to Applebloom. "Well, what?"
"Well," Applebloom began, "if you try it, our big sisters are gonna punish you! And... And... Then you'll be sorry!"
"Your big sisters aren't here, though, and I am. So quiet!" shouted the diamond dog, and the two foals complied. They didn't know where their sisters were, or even where Scootaloo was, and they didn't know where the two were either.
But whatever the source of the singing was, it was getting closer. And the two diamond dogs guarding them seemed to be wondering about it just as much as Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were. And that seemed hopeful, at least.
Now it was very close, and the two guards had turned to face something just out of sight for the two foals. Gone was their idle indiscipline, replaced with an eager readiness to fight. They had changed faster than Applebloom had thought possible. She didn't even know what the things they were carrying were called - only that they were definitely bad news for anypony that had come to save them.
Scootaloo had thought she had gathered how her new friends spoke. But this singing was in a language as far beyond their normal speaking one as their speaking one was beyond Equestrian.
And beyond the difference in how it sounded was the difference in how it felt. There was an air of something special about what they were saying. Like it mattered more than anything else to them at this time. Like it was important, special. And Scootaloo thrilled in it. She could imagine, listening to them, that she was part of some great army, a great body of ponies, all working towards the same glorious aim. It felt amazing, like nothing she'd ever felt before.
They continued along the upper gallery. It was wider than anything she'd ever seen, bigger than the town of Ponyville. In the very middle was a giant cone that tipped a giant cylinder. It looked at this distance as big as Twilight's library. But she'd seen that there had been a large number of diamond dogs on it, and guessed that it had to be larger. She wondered what it was, or would be. But it wasn't important right now. Now, she had to find Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, and quickly.
Up ahead of them, some distance away, she could see two of the dog soldiers who hadn't gone, and she signalled to her friends. One of them, the one in white, nodded, and they began to speed up. Scootaloo hurried to keep up with them, when the dog soldiers spotted them. They were carrying things that looked like the things that the diamond dogs that had chased her from the quarry had carried, and they were loping on their way towards them.
But her friends didn't seem worried. They kept on their way at speed now, and the dogs didn't slow down either. Finally, they met, and one of the dogs, leaping into the attack, found itself speared in the guts by the weapon carried by one of the black soldiers. The other swung his weapon wildly overhead at the white soldier. What happened was something Scootaloo would remember forever. The weapon of the white soldier slid forward, as gracefully and effortlessly as a pegasus in flight. The dog's own weapon bounced off it just as it slid deeply into his throat. Blood spurted out, and he died with a shocked expression on his face, and a shallow gurgling.
The two soldiers with bloodied weapons withdrew them in a single motion, and wiped them clean on the dead dogs. Then they re-joined the singing, which the others had continued, not missing a beat. It was awesome and terrible. The advance slowed back to a steady pace, and Scootaloo slowed down a bit to the Royal Guards. "That was awesome," she said in a quiet voice.
The captain looked at her, and she could feel the heat of his intense gaze. "It was certainly something," volunteered one of the other Guards, but the captain's gaze shifted to him, and he quieted.
Scootaloo stayed with the guards a little, and then moved back to her friends. She didn't like the difference that she felt from the ponies just because she was more accepting of the new people.
As Johann re-joined the chant, he felt a certain satisfaction in his martial practice, with the defeat of these two beasts. His sergeant had done well in his turn, receiving the leaping attack of the beast with clarity and calm response. However, it was of the meisterhau that he was most proud.
It had been the most difficult strike to learn under his master, Friedrich Bach. Three days of each week, before he had taken the vows, he had trained with him. His father had been rich enough to afford the best, even for a third son. He had benefited immensely from that.
The skills he had learned from those sessions in training, he still practiced daily now. Now they had a lethal reality to him, rather than the pleasure of the prior practice.
As they continued circling around the gallery, the position that the beasts had come from came into view - a small barred gate. If they had prisoners, that room could be where they held them. Johann stepped up his pace, and the other Templars followed him.
When they reached the gate, it looked like they had reached their goal. Inside were two foals, about the same size as Scootaloo. Moreover, just as Scootaloo and the other ponies, their hides were brightly coloured, and their manes styled. Johann beckoned Scootaloo over, and it recognised the two foals, judging by their talking. However, although their guards were no longer a problem, the gaol was still locked. The goal still needed attention.
As he begun to look around for the key, one of the soldier ponies came across, with the keys grasped in its left wing. It nodded in the direction of the dead beasts, and Johann nodded. Of course the guards would be carrying the keys. If they had known they were guards... No matter, the goal was still done. The glory belonged to God, not to any of them.
As the gaol door swung open, the two imprisoned ponies ran forward to embrace Scootaloo, another human expression that they shared. Scootaloo, apparently reluctantly, joined in, before breaking it, and pointing to the Templars and speaking again. The two other foals waved at them, and it seemed that Scootaloo must have been introducing them. Johann waved back.
Just as they were celebrating their reunion, the same great horn sounded again in the cavern, and with it, the sound of a great many feet, coming after each other. Johann looked around, and pointed back to the tunnel they had come from. "Time to go!" he said, and picking up one of the foals, he started to run. Frederick and Jacques picked up another each, and they started to run.
They had gotten about halfway back to the tunnel when the beasts started pouring out on the lowest level of the gallery. The Templars and the ponies kept up their flight, even as the beasts started to move towards them. The pony soldiers, faster on their hooves than the Templars, started taking an increasing lead, and Johann had to think quickly before the group broke into two.
"Hello!" he called to them and the leader turned to face them. Johann deposited the foal he held, the normal multi-coloured talking pony, on its back, and pointed at the other two being held by Frederick and Jacques. The leader called out to two of its underlings, who each took a foal on their back and then turned to continue their flight. Johann drew his longsword again, and marshalled his group for a fighting retreat.
Frederick was in the middle, with Jacques and Raymond to his left and right, respectively. In front of him was Hugo, with Johann bringing up the rear. The beasts were behind them, chasing them into the tunnels, and Johann feared that his premonitions might prove true. They would have to go in single file in the tunnels to keep enough room to swing a sword, and with the beasts coming at any time, they might need that more than thought.
The ponies had disappeared into the tunnel already, so with any luck they had gotten away. It was all in the Lord's hands now.
The Templars reached the tunnel before the dogs could catch them, and Johann turned as they headed into the tunnels. He would stand rear-guard, and hope he could stop the dogs from this end. Raymond hung back for him. They would fight back to back, if necessary - Raymond keeping his bulwark from the front impregnable, and Johann forming an unbreakable wall with his steel.
They came at them from behind, and Johann found himself facing one beast after another. However, the tunnels worked against the beasts as much as it had the Templars. They were only able to come at them one at a time, and Johann proved himself the master of them. They had no great art or skill, relying on their numbers to defeat their enemies, and now their sole advantage was lost to them. Johann fought as he fell back, beasts falling at each blow as their eagerness to attack proved their doom. Eventually the beasts stopped coming, merely waiting for Johann to falter and expose a weakness, and Johann knew that it was only a matter of time. Walking backwards through the tunnel was not a particularly smart move, but it kept him safe for now.
However, it had been going on for too long. He took a step back and stumbled over a rock. He fell onto his back and all that he could see was the next beast diving onto him, and his sword was on the ground. There was nothing he could do to stop it now. He waited for it to land.
However, it did not. The same purple flames filled the cavern, making a wall between him and the beast. It hit the flames, and bounced off, growling. It came again at the wall, and though it raked the flames, it was unable to pass. Johann stood up, picking up his sword, and turned to flee. Raymond was already gone. Instead, in his place was that same purple unicorn, with the same purple flames not burning its horn. He nodded his thanks, and then followed it as it turned and headed out of the quarry tunnel.
The growls of the beasts behind him eventually died out as the distance grew. Moreover, as they did so, so did the light at the end of the tunnel grow, until eventually they emerged back on the surface. Around, there was a great mix of ponies - pegasus, unicorn, normal, and soldier, both foals and grown - along with the other Templars. As he emerged, Scootaloo and the two other foals came up. Scootaloo pronounced the names of them both, and Johann repeated them twice, until it nodded. It seemed the one he had picked up was named Applebloom, and the other Sweetie Belle. Johann told them his own name, after gathering that the other Templars has done the same thing. They repeated it enough times for Johann to gather that they had gotten it, and then turned back to energetically chatting amongst themselves.
Johann re-joined the other Templars, and they gave thanks to the Lord together for their victory and safekeeping.
"Now do you trust them, Shiny-Winy?" asked Twilight, a hint of exasperation in her voice, deliberately using her mother's pet name for him. It was one of his pet peeves, as it was for her. Hopefully it emphasised her annoyance with his stubbornness.
"Yes, sis," he said, with an appropriately apologetic accent to his voice. He nodded at the two foals. "They held the diamond dogs back so we could rescue them." He didn't mention the terrifying master-strike that the leader had demonstrated. If that was a demonstration of the skills that the rest had, then he would have great difficulty in stopping them. And they probably knew it. That they hadn't forced the issue...
"Good," said Twilight, her satisfaction evident in her tone. "Because now I have to tell the Princess about them. So when we get back to the library, you can put in your report as well, and we can call it a day."
She turned to Scootaloo, who it seemed knew best how to talk to them. "Scootaloo, can you tell them to follow us back to the library? I've got to tell Princess Celestia about them, and I'm interested in learning more about their language, since they obviously don't share our own."
Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, course! Should be no problem." She stopped chatting with the other Crusaders, and approached the strangers. She poked one of them, the one wearing white, and she said one of their words. Johann. It turned around, and she beckoned it to follow. It nodded, and then Scootaloo nodded in turn to Twilight.
"Alright, it's time to head back. Everypony to the library, please!" she said, and she started the long walk back, with the others following.
"Oh master," snivelled the hound before Him-Enthroned, "the ponies have escaped, with the help of the five mystery warriors who slaughtered your servants previously." There was a low muttering among the elders at council. Twice in one day had this scourge appeared, as they prepared for the great war of liberation, as if out of nowhere.
"Have the ponies learned of our plans?" asked one of the councillors. "They could cause great strife if they were to catch us before we were ready." A muttering of agreement met these words.
"No. If they had done, then we would already be at war. If they have not risen to strike us a new blow, then they do not know - but they must suspect now. They know we have overstepped our bounds, but how far?" said another of the councillors.
Voices were raised and calumnies and insults of every kind were slung on both sides, but they were silenced when Him-Enthroned spoke up. "Whether they have learned or not matters nothing. We must continue our plans. Nevertheless, we shall accelerate each section’s progress. Until we are ready to attack Canterlot, we shall not meet. Each of you has direct control of your own section. However, until you are ready for this assault, you must not rest from your work. Now go."
The councillors slowly filed out, and eventually the council room was empty of all but Him-Enthroned and his two personal guards. It was a law from past ages that only Him-Enthroned and his agents were allowed to carry weapons in council, after past bloodshed over arguments just like today. The diamond dogs were nothing if not hot-blooded, which made a leadership position such as he had a dangerous task.
Outside, he was as cold-blooded as the dragons, but inside, he was burning with rage. How was he supposed to defeat the ponies and their allies with such poor warriors? They were more concerned with glory than victory, with appearances over success. Meanwhile, the ponies had professional soldiers by the hundreds. If it were not for the sheer numbers of dogs in the warrens all over this country, they would have no chance. And the small chance that they had now was threatened by their animosity towards each other.
"Damn these stiff-necked fools and their pride! Damn them to Tartarus and beyond! May they burn for a thousand years for their incompetence!" he raged in the almost empty council chambers. "They've cost us decades of secrecy by their inability to capture three foals. Three foals! Can you imagine any more foolish way to lose the element of surprise?"
His guards continued in their neutral expression, not giving off any sign of surprise at the anger of their leader. It occurred more than he would like to acknowledge. At least they were female, and had nothing to gain by exposing this flaw of his. It was why he had picked them: for their malleability, for their fitness, and for their appearance. Two of them were pregnant with his progeny at this very moment, but even so his own personal guard still numbered in the hundreds of slave soldiers. They were fanatically loyal as the free dogs could rarely be made, and the taxes on the slave markets brought in more than enough revenue to fund the preparations for the attack on the ponies.
Even though they were skilled, loyal, and obedient, they would not be enough. The free dog soldiers were the numbers that they needed for the main assaults. However, unless they worked together, the ponies would be able to defeat them handily.
This led to the councillors. Heads of their own respective tribes and clans, they would need to be persuaded not to take the opportunity to spit in the eye of another councillor at the expense of the war effort. In addition, if he appeared weak, then their loyalty might be weakened - and it was his own domain that had been attacked. If he could not prove his strength and worthiness, then he might as well sign his own death warrant, as well as throw away years of effort to free the dogs from the ponies, to reclaim their lands, and to purify the tainted land with the blood of the ponies.
Now he would have to wait. The artefact of their previous dominion was almost repaired now, and with it, the ponies would have no defence. They would reclaim their home, their lands, and nothing would stop them.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon," said Spike, trying to keep the three ponies from leaving the library. Twilight had been quite clear about that. But how were you supposed to keep three magically talented ponies from getting bored? At least Cadence was being helpful and waiting. Twilight's parents, however, were getting antsy. Spike couldn't really blame them for that - he was getting a bit agitated himself - but it did mean that he had to fix it. And it was definitely out of his skill zone.
"You've been saying that for the last hour," said Twilight Velvet accusingly. "You don't even know where she is!" She was not one of Spike's favourite ponies to deal with, even at the best of times. Whenever she was around, Twilight was stressed out, and Twilight was already more difficult to deal with than most ponies. Her stressed out version was even worse. And this was why. Her mother just kept forcing the matter, no matter what. It was enough to drive Spike up the wall.
"No, I don't," he agreed, "but I do know that it was something extremely important. She has been planning this celebration for a long time. She wouldn't leave it unless she had to. And she was with Shining Armour, so it must be extra important." This was the third or fourth time he'd had to explain it to her. Part of him thought it must be deliberate. And certainly it was irritating.
And, once again, it was not sufficient for her. Velvet sulkily pouted at him, again. And, again, he sighed in annoyance. He hoped Twilight would come back soon, and rid him of this troublesome mare. Else, he might do something he'd regret.
Luckily, he didn't have to hold it back anymore, because before she could say anything more, the door to the library opened, and in came Twilight, followed by Shining Armour, and stooping low, five beings he'd never seen before. They looked like shaved diamond dogs, bar their faces, which were still covered in hair. They were wearing strange clothes, unlike any on the diamond dogs he had seen. Moreover, it was in plain colours - white and red, or black and red. Four of them had visible weapons, while the fifth did not look to be bearing any weapons at all. Then there followed five stallions without cutie marks, and looking taller than even Big McIntosh.
Then after these strangers, in came the three Crusaders. Scootaloo was looking abnormally pleased with herself, and Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were being fussed over by the next ponies to come in, Applejack and Rarity respectively. After them came the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Even the usually excitable-looking Pinkie Pie bore a dour look. This meant it was about Business.
"Spike," called Twilight, dragging the dragon's attention back to her. "Shining Armour and I will have to take a note to the Princess. But before we do that, did you find any spells to help us understand and be understood?"
Spike shook his head. "Sorry, Twilight, but your parents have kept me busy all while you were out. I didn't get a chance to look."
"That's okay," Twilight said, frowning a little at her parents. "But we need one now. Can you look for some?"
Spike nodded. "Of course, Twilight. I'm on it," he said as he hurried off to check the shelves. It had been fruitless to organise them following the Canterlot Library, as Twilight would pick up books that interested her and leave them lying around, eventually slotting them where they made sense (to her, at least), and the townspeople didn't have much other interest (in general) in the library other than to take the same book out and to return it later. There was the occasional exception (Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash surprisingly), but largely, many books were never even looked at.
Therefore, instead of heading down to the Languages section, Spike had to go and find the Other Magic section, and start digging through the different books talking about obscure water-breathing spells, or complex mane-altering spells. Then, after finding the books on languages and magic, he had to eliminate the outliers. Out went The Draconic Tongue and Unicorn Magic, and then out went The Magic of Speaking - How to Keep Friends and Influence Ponies.
At last, after tossing aside another dozen books, Spike found what looked like the book Twilight was after, Understanding Strangers the Magical Way - A Primer on Translational Magic. "Twilight," he called, "looks like the one." He held it aloft and then hurriedly let go after Twilight took it in her magic. He'd had enough experiences of that sort of travel to say 'no' at the start.
"Should be, Spike," Twilight answered after a quick glance through it. "Thank you. Now, could you please take a note for Shining Armour? He's got to report his business to the Princess."
"Sure, Twilight," said Spike as he hurried to grab a scroll and a quill.
"Now hold on just a second, Twily," said Twilight Velvet. "What is this all about? Who are these people? You can't just invite strangers into your house like that. It's not safe! You, of all ponies, should know that!"
"It's perfectly safe, mother," said Twilight, fighting desperately to keep her resurgent annoyance that she'd had at her brother's behaviour, and now at her mother's, from her voice. "They saved these three foals from the diamond dogs. We can trust them."
"But they look so dangerous, dear. What if they're just tricking you?" she went on, and Twilight was almost ready to fume.
She was about to start yelling at her mother when she saw Cadence smiling behind a raised hoof. And as if a log had been removed from her eyes, she saw the humour in it. Getting angry with her mother being protective? What a laugh! It was as funny as Pinkie Pie's greatest jokes. And here she was, thinking it was as serious as Rarity's dressmaking.
It was funny enough to laugh. And so she did. At first, it was a light chuckle, but as the tension of the past hours faded, so did the laugh grow. When she had finished, she was rolling on the ground, laughing at the sheer comedy of it all. Then, as if to cap it off, Pinkie Pie leaned over her, her serious face looking all the stranger for it being her.
"Are you alright, Twilight?" she asked, sounding a little worried. And Twilight could only smile even wider at it. Worried? At a little laughter? It could only be Pinkie Pie.
"Of course I'm alright, Pinkie Pie. It's only a little laughing. Nothing wrong with that," said Twilight, her grin now wide as ever. Behind the party pony was Cadence, her own grin no longer hidden. Twilight giggled a little bit, and Cadence's grin grew even wider.
"Well, alright then," Pinkie Pie said, her serious face almost slipping for a second before she controlled herself again.
Twilight righted herself, and turned back to the book Spike had dug up. "Okay. Well, let's see what this book says about translation magic." She opened it up, and glanced over the contents, looking for the crux of the book.
Eventually, after dismissing Body Language And You, and Are You Saying What I Think You're Saying for the moment, she found what looked like the chapter they were after, The Magic of Languages.
"Okay. Well, let's see what they say there," Twilight said, before quickly glancing through it. Nothing... Nothing... Nothing... Wait! That was it! A translation spell, at last. Easy peasy, too. There was nothing that she couldn't handle. Wait. What was that part it said about 'both parties'?
Re-examining the spell, her mood fell a little bit. It needed both the spell-caster and the person speaking the different language to say the same five words in their language. So if she said tree, frog, air, book, reading, they would have to say those same words, but in whatever their language was. So before they could solve this problem, they'd have to understand each other a little bit. Moreover, they had almost no common references at all, only the little that Scootaloo had taught them.
Luckily for everyone, Twilight liked the puzzle of languages. And so, by the time that Spike had come back down, and started taking Shining Armour's note, Twilight had begun to once more lay the groundwork for the spell.
Each word had to be perfect. Sure, the spell would still work, mostly, if a word or two was wrong, but each error would make it less reliable. It wouldn't do for it to say 'You've crossed me for the last time' when what was meant was 'you’ve come across me again'. And this was especially important with such new people, without any real understanding of the pony culture. Any mistakes might lead to permanent damage to their relationships.
Therefore, while Spike was sending Shining Armour's report to the Princess, Twilight had taken another piece of parchment and was drawing different trees. They weren't anything to hang in a gallery, but they were reasonable enough. Placing it down, she puzzled over the next word, before deciding on two. How would she get them to understand that, though? Ah! Just show groups of two. That was a simple solution.
Well, that was two words... Hmmm. Book was another simple one. Then reading seemed the natural next word. One more to go... Quill. That would do it. Now how to make them understand all the words that she wanted them to...
She went over to Scootaloo, who was still looking pleased with herself, and asked, "Do you know any of their names?"
"Yeah," said Scootaloo. "That one in white's called Johann, and that one," she indicated the one with no weapons, "is called Frederick. Why?"
"I'm going to try a little translation spell I found in one of my books. And it needs them to co-operate," answered Twilight. "It'd be more polite to call them by name when I need their help."
"Cool. Hey, when you do that, can I talk to them too?" asked Scootaloo, doing her best to look persuasive.
"I guess that's up to them," said Twilight with a gentle smile. "I won't stop you, if that's what you're asking."
"Cool! Uh, I mean, thank you, Twilight," she said, before running back over to her friends and whooping for joy. Twilight shook her head good-humouredly, and went back over to the stuff that she had prepared for the translation.
"Johann!" she called out and the one in the white turned to her. She beckoned it over, and it came to join her. First, she lifted up the drawing, and indicated all of the trees. "Trees," she said, which it repeated. She nodded, and then indicated the trees, and then it. It paused for a second, and then spoke a word, which she hoped was its word for trees. She repeated it, and then he nodded. She put down the parchment, and then pointed at two of the Crusaders, then two of the Element bearers, and then at last at two of the strangers. Then she said "Two," and waited for it to repeat her, which it did, and then indicated it again.
This time it responded to her quickly, saying its own word. She nodded, and began to work through the other words. Each time, it was faster, and soon they had gone over all five words. At last, they were ready for the spell. At last, they would be able to understand each other easily. First one more step of preparation was needed. She indicated each of the objects, in turn, again, saying their name. When it responded, if it did so in Equestrian, she shook her head and said its word, and then repeated the action. Eventually, it caught on, and as she said the name, it said its own word for it. Now she could begin.
Twilight's horn lit up as she summoned her magical energies. She began preparing the spell, and as she did so, she indicated the objects in turn. "Trees," she said, to which it spoke its own word. "Two," she said, and it did as before. They went through the five objects, and finally Twilight cast the spell.
It took a step back, and spoke new words - words unlike what it said prior - as it touched first its head, then its stomach, then its left and right chest, with its right hand. Twilight frowned, thinking the spell had failed. Then it spoke and she could understand it.
"What in the Sacred Name was that?" it asked, without seeming to expect an answer. Twilight smiled, and spoke.
"That was me," she said, and its eyes boggled. It clearly hadn't expected this, and Twilight smiled again. Magic wins again over doing things the earth pony way.
"You... You can understand me?" it asked, clearly not believing the evidence of its ears. Well, she supposed that it would be the same if she had been in its boat. But, of course, she wasn't.
"Well, now I can. I cast a spell, and now we can understand each other," Twilight said. Unexpectedly, its face hardened. She wondered what that meant, but obviously something she'd said had been wrong...
"You're a witch?" it asked, and although the word didn't mean anything bad in Equestrian, she figured that it did mean something evil in whatever its language was called.
"I... Don't think so. What do you mean by witch?" she asked, aware now that somehow she had angered this lethal warrior.
But it wasn't the warrior who answered, but the one Scootaloo had called Frederick. "A witch is an evil person, someone who uses sorcery," Frederick said. "Although what you may mean is something different, magic is a tool of evil where we come from." Well. That explained it, at least.
"Ah, I understand. No, I am not a witch. When I say magic, what I mean is something that allows me to alter the world around me - for example, making a barrier between a friend, and those who would harm that friend," she said, looking pointedly at Johann. "Or in this case, to allow two peoples who do not understand each other to understand and converse together. Neither purpose is evil, although there are those in this world who fear a similar thing. Our word is 'enchanter' or 'enchantress', the first if the suspected pony is male, the second if female."
"I admit, it does not seem evil what you are doing," said Frederick, nodding. "But if you look at it from our view, we have seen you do strange things, things we have not seen before. It cannot help but to be a suspicion. We are strangers here, for we are in this world, but are not of it."
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight, her curiosities aroused.
"Well, until today, we existed in the world of Europe, in the land of the Franks. We have never seen a pegasus like Pegasus of legend before, nor a unicorn. Where we come from, horses and ponies do not speak, but are dumb before their masters - except where God has intervened," said Frederick. "And what you call magic is unknown to us. To be able to understand another's language is the work of years, or decades. To do so in a single day is as fantastic to us as all else that we have seen, and yet is even more." He shook his head. "Such unity as that must bring has not been seen of nor heard since Babel of old."
Twilight pondered for a bit. Some of those words were still hidden in their meaning, and yet they were spoken with such knowledge that to remain ignorant of them would be foolish. "Excuse me, but I must ask. The names that you speak of - Pegasus, God, and Babel - I do not understand who they are. You know them, obviously, but I do not. And obviously, I do not understand many parts of your culture, either. Would it be too much to ask for your assistance in learning of your culture, of who you are, of all these things that you speak? For learning of our cultures will, if nothing else help us to avoid such unpleasant mistakes as we previously ran into."
Frederick readily, and Johann eventually, nodded. "Yes, we can do so," said Frederick. "If you are willing to learn, then until we can continue with our task, we are ready to teach. Perhaps our Sovereign King sent us here for that purpose. If not Crusaders in the Holy Lands, then we can still bear our crosses here."
"Excellent," said Twilight, and she took a fresh piece of parchment. "Let us begin with this lesson, then."
"As you wish. Now, you know my name, but I do not know yours. How am I to refer to you? As he or it?" asked Frederick.
"Neither," said Twilight, looking at Frederick with a puzzled expression. "I'm a mare. A she. And my name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle."
"Ah. Well, then, Twilight Sparkle. Pegasus, first. Pegasus was a winged horse who sprang forth from the head of the monster Medusa, when she was slain. A legendary beast," said Frederick. "He was ridden by another hero into war, and helped slay many dangerous monsters."
"Many dangerous monsters? Like what?" Twilight asked, interested in these different things from this land of the Franks.
"Oh, many things. They're all myths, really. They do not really exist. Stories about the pagan gods, born out of simple superstition," said Frederick, dismissing the matter with a wave. "God is the one true god. He is three persons in one divine unity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
"Wait," said Twilight, trying to take all this is. "So you believe in a divinity that is composed of three persons, but is only one? How does that even work? At least with magic, you can test it, and see what it really is. But from what you're saying, this 'God' is not only his own father, but a third person as well. It makes no sense!"
"I cannot tell you how he is so, except that though we distinguish between the persons, they are indivisible in substance. What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is. All three are eternal, boundless, uncreated. Nevertheless, there is one eternal, boundless, uncreated being, though there are three eternal, boundless, uncreated persons in that one being. And that is why it is a mystery," said Frederick, not seeming perturbed by her reasoning. "It is something revealed to us by God, though we do not, and cannot, fully understand it in this life. In the life to come, we shall understand it as it truly is. It is a great mystery, though as the saint Athanasius said, unless someone confesses this truth whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever."
The discussion seemed to be going nowhere fast, and Twilight decided to leave it for the moment. Whatever this 'God' thing was, or whoever he was, was a question for another time. "Well, perhaps we should move on to Babel, then. What is that?" she asked.
"Babel was a tower that the early peoples were beginning to build. They sought to reach God and Heaven by force, thinking they were able to do anything. However, God smote them one day, by causing them to speak many languages - none could understand the other. And so they left and found their own lands, and never again were humans united as such," explained Frederick.
Again, with the 'God' stuff. Obviously, this 'God' was important, but they seemingly refused to explain who he actually was. But Twilight forced a smile onto her face, and said "Thank you. Now, for my own introductions. I am Twilight Sparkle, as I told you; the fillies you saved are Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle. This," she pointed out Shining Armour, "is Shining Armour, my brother, the captain of the Royal Guard. That is Princess Cadence, his wife. And these are the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony - Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. This is my close friend and helpmate, Spike. And those are my parents." Each pony and dragon nodded in turn, as they were introduced, and at Cadence's introduction, the strangers bowed.
"So who is the ruler of this land, and how does Princess Cadence fit into that?" asked Frederick. "Is she his daughter?"
Twilight laughed. "No, Cadence isn't Celestia's daughter. She is her adopted niece, and the ruler of the Crystal Empire. Princess Celestia, and Luna really, are the rulers of Equestria. They raise and lower the sun and moon, and bring peace to the lands. For Princess Celestia, I am studying the m- ah; I mean I am studying friendship. They are fair, just, and merciful. Shining Armour has already reported your presence to them. And I will be compiling a small report on you for them."
Frederick nodded, slowly. "Very well. What do you wish to know?"
"Your names, your genders, from what organisation you come from, who you represent, and why you are here. And whether you are here for peaceable reasons, or not." Twilight nodded to Spike, who came over with a quill and parchment. "Spike, note down their... Religious beliefs."
"Of course, Twilight," said Spike, and he began to scribble it down. "Followers of a three in one god. Is that agreeable, Frederick?" he asked the one who had done most of the speaking.
"Yes, it is as good as one may get in a quick report, I suppose," it said, with what looked like a slight twinkle in its eyes. "Very well. I am Frederick. This is Johann, and behind us are Jacques, Hugo, and Raymond. We are all men, and we are from the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, known also as the Templars. We are the servants of Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of our order, and of our Sovereign King, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are here by unknown means, but because of an unjust and unrighteous generation, who persecute us without reason. And we do not come for war, but rather to bring a message to the emperor of our neighbours, asking for succour in our need."
All as he was saying this, the dragon was hurriedly copying it down as best he could, as Twilight looked over his shoulder to see that he was taking it down accurately. "Succour, Spike. Ess, you, see, see, oh, you, are," she said in her final correction. "Now send it off to the Princess."
As the Templars watched, the small dragon lifted up the scroll, and burnt it off to the Princess at once.
"What was that?" asked Johann, noting that none of the ponies had seen anything wrong with it, and that things had already proved strange here.
"Spike can transmit messages to the princess with his flame. It's a skill he has," said Twilight. "She will already have received it. She will probably reply soon. Don't worry."
There was a flash outside the library, the light coming in through the windows, and then a knock on the door. "Perhaps she has even come to Ponyville herself to meet you," Twilight said in a bit of surprise. This was unexpected. She went over to open the door, and found herself face to face with yet another member of the Royal Guard. Beyond him were at least twenty or thirty Guards and no Princess as far as she could see.
"Good morning, sir. What can I do for you?" she asked, politely.
"We're here under orders, Twilight Sparkle. Do you hold those called the Templars within?" he asked, in a no-nonsense tone.
"Why, yes. I just told the Princess about them," she said.
"Good. Stand aside, then, please." As Twilight stood aside, confusedly, he walked in. "Johann, Frederick, Jacques, Hugo, Raymond. You are hereby placed under arrest by order of Princess Celestia of Equestria, for high treason. Anypony abetting these enemies of the Crown in any escape or any plot of theirs will receive the same penalty. Will you come quietly?" asked the unicorn guard.
Johann's sword almost sung as he drew it from its sheath. "High treason? I have been in these lands not a day, and done nothing against its rulers in any way, unless you count defeating the enemies of their subjects. What evidence is there of any such crime? And what assurance do I have that you will not attempt to kill us when we are enslaved?" he asked, his voice attempting to be balanced.
"I cannot tell you what evidence of this crime is held against you, for I have not been shown it myself. As to what assurance of your safety you have - you need none. We are not barbarians here, like they may be where you come from," said the guard. "Will you come quietly?"
"Hang on a minute. They've been with me almost all afternoon, and they've done nothing wrong," said Twilight, shaking her head a little bit. "Are you sure you have the right orders?"
"Twilight Sparkle, the Princess made it clear to me that no-pony is unbound from the penalty due to abetting a traitor. Not even you." He looked at her, warning her with his eyes. "Don't go any further."
"Why did she not inform me?" asked Shining Armour, as perplexed as Twilight was. "This is most irregular."
"Captain, I do not understand it any more than you do. I merely obey, and would suggest that perhaps she does not trust you." He shrugged. "I am only obeying orders."
"Sergeants. This is not the first time we have been faced with unjust imprisonment, and now we have no brothers to support us," said Johann. "We will go with them, and pray to our last support to free us. Only the Lord Jesus can save us now, as always." He took his longsword, and dropped it at Twilight's hooves, repeating the move for his arming sword and dagger. Slowly his sergeants similarly disarmed, and after doing so, Johann went to the pony soldier.
"Well, then, we are coming quietly. And though we may be accused falsely, the Truth will set us free," he said, and the pony soldier nodded. "Let us go, then."
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4681577
Wait no longer, good sir.
Well that escalated quickly.
Moar.
...
...
...
Enough said.
Truth in this case being Twilight Sparkle ripping through every law book she can get her hooves on and finding just what the Templars did wrong. I just hope her testimony combined with Shining Armor's report frees the Templars. But I can just see Twilight kicking down a courtroom door with a yell of "OBECTION!!!" to save her new friends' life.
The ponies and humans working together were awesome, hope to see more of that soon.
4724272
unfortunately, this story has a 'tragedy' tag... it isn't going to end nearly that nicely.
4724665 Well, given the diamond dogs were talking of soaking the land in pony blood I figured that. I would much prefer to see the Templars die fighting the Diamond Dogs alongside the Ponies instead of executed for a shoddy reason.
4725627
Fair enough.
Is that supposed to be like that?
I love this
Actually magic is surprisingly tolerable in the church. Since I can't type well on my iPhone I will quote a post just to give you all the idea on 'magic'.
Regarding the story I am enjoying it very much.