Intension

by MadMan

Dark Matter

Twilight opened her eyes. She wasn’t sure what had caused her to wake up so suddenly in the middle of the night, but she had a prickly feeling at the back of her neck, and a nagging suspicion something was wrong. She looked around the room.

Nothing seems out of place....

Twilight’s eyes tracked around the room and didn’t immediately spot anything out of place, so she looked again. She still felt like she was missing something.

THERE!

Sitting on her desk, which had previously been blank, was a small scroll, rolled up and tied with a delicate black ribbon. It seemed to be smoking slightly, and as Twilight got out of bed and approached, she smelled a faint smell of sulphur, and saw the faint burn marks on the desk where the scroll was sitting.

So somepony teleported me a scroll....

Now that she had ascertained why she had been woken, Twilight’s focus turned to the scroll itself. It was fairly small, roughly six inches wide and seemed to be about eight inches long. The parchment itself looked to be very high quality, smooth and even, and edges finely cut with no fraying or tears, so whoever sent it had money, or at least wanted to appear so. But parchment like this could be bought in almost any suppy shop, so no clues there. The ribbon was a little more revealing. It was about half an inch wide, and was tied in a bow. The body of the ribbon was black, and appeared to be silk. The edges were a fine dark purple lace. Twilight eyed it carefully. She seemed to remember a textile shop in Canterlot that specialized in designs like this.

So, what she knew: It was probably from Canterlot, from a pony with high tastes and probably importance.

What in the world are they doing sending me a letter at this hour? It better be something important.

Twilight gripped the scroll with her magic and carefully untied the ribbon. She set it off to the side to reuse later. She slowly unravelled the scroll, only to find she had it upside down. Flipping it over, she began to read the small and ornate writing upon it.

Dear Twilight.

Forgive me for not revealing my identity to you, but I will explain.

I have had my eye upon you for some time now. Ever since you conquered Nightmare Moon and restored the precious Princess Luna to her own form, to be exact. I knew then you were something special, and it wasn’t just magical prowess that called Celestia to become your personal mentor. You are very intelligent, Twilight, as well as brave, and both would serve you well in this venture. I would like to give you an opportunity; an opportunity I have only offered once before.

I would like to work with you, and you with me, on a project of great importance. I believe we can be very mutually helpful to one another. I have searched long and wide to find a unicorn with such ability as yours. I have a need of you, and in return I can offer you almost anything you can imagine. Simply name your desire, and I will give it. I have great power and huge resources at my disposal, and I am willing to give a great deal in order for you to join me. If it is what you desire, I can advance your training and knowledge beyond what you have thought is possible. I can assist you to become as knowledgeable as the great Princesses.

If you choose not accept my generous offer, you may burn this letter, and put it out of your mind, and that will be the last of it. However, if you should wisely decide to accept, there is but one simple thing you must do. Next Friday, make sure you are alone at the library. Send Spike to Rarity’s, or wherever else you deem fit, just make sure we will not be interrupted. I will arrive at exactly eight o’clock. If Spike is gone and you accept, hang a lantern by the door. I will approach if it is so. If not, simply leave the doorway dark, and I will go on my way.

Hope to see you soon.

Twilight laid the enigmatic letter down on her desk and sat back on her haunches, staring at the paper quizzically. The fact somepony had been watching her for so long concerned her, but then again, it wasn’t so unexpected. She couldn’t deny, she was a very magically powerful unicorn, and it was not surprising that it had caught the eyes of one who was looking for such a thing. However, the fact that bothered her was that they would not reveal their identity, and wanted her alone, but once again, she reasoned it out. The project was obviously top secret and probably controversial. The letter was presumably from Canterlot, and whoever it was from knew the value of a good impression. Even though she was apprehensive, Twilight could think of a good hoof full of reasons for secrecy.

The opportunity for such learning, though..... Where could it possibly come from, if not from Celestia, or at least one working for her government? It’s just too good of an opportunity to pass up..... And besides, if they DO mean me harm, what chance do they have? I helped to defeat Nightmare Moon and Discord, not to mention an Ursa Minor all by myself....

Twilight continued to ruminate over this as she made her way back to bed and took refuge under the warm blankets and soft pillows. She was too tired to make such decisions, and vowed to make up her mind in the morning.

***

It was Friday, and Twilight was getting anxious as it approached eight o’clock. Spike had asked if he could go help Rarity with some new project, so Twilight didn’t have to expend any energy on that. She had hung a lantern by her doorway once the sun had gone down, and had settled down to wait. It was now four minutes until eight, and Twilight thought she was going to explode from the nervous energy building up inside of her.

She had reviewed the letter the morning after it had appeared on her desk, and had almost immediately decided to accept. The reasoning behind her decision was simple, and was much the same as what she had thought the previous night. She felt that if there was no danger and the letter was sincere, it was a marvelous opportunity to learn, not to mention help somepony with a project with implications she could only imagine.

Twilight was watching the clock, and indeed at the exact moment the minute hand ticked over to eight, a knocking came from the door. Twilight walked to the door and pulled it open with her magic, and a little trepidation. Peeking outside, she got her first look at the mysterious benefactor. Standing outside the door was a unicorn of a deep shade of black, with a white mane, and grey eyes. A dark cloak wrapped around her neck and trailed down her back. Twilight opened the door fully and stood aside to let the unicorn in.

“Well, hello Twilight.”

“H... Hello.”

The mare walked past Twilight and began to unfasten her cloak.

“No need to be nervous, dear. I am perfectly friendly.”

“I... Yeah, sorry. I was just a bit nervous, I guess, since you never said who you were.”

The mare finally got her cloak off and hung it on a hook by the door. Twilight eyed the cloak for a moment; something about the way it hung seemed odd. However her concentration was drawn back to the mare, who had began to speak.

“Yes, I know. I sincerely apologize, but once I explain what my proposition entails, you will understand why I could not put it in a letter.”

“Alright. Well, shall we adjourn to the sitting room?”

“Yes. Lead the way, dear.”

Twilight did so, and the two mares moved to the small sitting room off the main room. Two comfy chairs waited, and the mares sat in them and got comfortable. The mysterious unicorn looked around the room, then back at Twilight and smiled.

“Well, then, let us get started. I realize I know you but you do not know me. My name is Axion, and I am a magical scholar, much like yourself. However, I prefer to focus on the scientific and physical ramifications.”

Twilight cocked her head to one side, trying to wrestle a meaning out of what Axion had just said. First, there was the issue of the given name.

She is named after a hypothetical elementary particle, one thought to be a vital component in quantum chromodynamics and a possible component of cold dark matter. Well, I guess that reinforces what she said about being a scientist.

Second was what Axion had stated as her occupation.

“So, where I read a lot of books, you prefer to go out and actually perform the spells and experiments described?”

“Yes, as well as create my own. You’re very bright.”

“Well, that is why you said you were interested in me.”

“Very true. You are probably one of the smartest ponies in all of Equestria right now.”

Twilight blushed and turned her gaze to the floor between them.

“Oh, I highly doubt that. There are tons of more experienced scientists and scholars out there, and I bet at least some of them are a lot smarter than me.”

“You underestimate yourself, dear. Remember, you are the youngest ever to be accepted to Celestia’s school, and most of those scholars and scientists went there as well. Besides, if I thought they were a better match for me, why would I come to you?”

“I don’t know...”

“Well, I will say that intelligence isn’t the only reason I came to you. Your personality in general is perfect for me. You’re young and willing to learn, for one. So many of the scientists get stuck on their own beliefs and findings, they don’t want to be proven wrong. And for another, you have proven to be very brave, something else I hold in very high esteem.”

Twilight lifted her eyes back to Axion and found her to be smiling at the violet unicorn.

“Well, that’s true I guess.... Thanks.”

“Not a problem at all dear. Now, let’s get down to business. I want to help you, and in return you help me.”

The way that Axion phrased her request seemed odd to Twilight.

Shouldn’t it have been, “If you help me, I’ll help you,” not the other way around? Something seems off... Maybe it was just a poor word choice though.

Axion must have noticed Twilight’s look of consternation, and quickly backtracked.

“I say it that way, because I would like to help you with whatever you desire, because once we get started on my project, it will be difficult for you to find time to enjoy yourself.”

That makes sense..... I guess.

“So, Twilight, is there anything in particular you want?”

“Um... Not really. I was just hoping to find out what your project is. Maybe afterwards I’ll think of something, but I just want to opportunity to learn for now.”

Axion laughed, a light laugh of one slightly amused.

“Yes! Thank you, Twilight! You could not have said a more perfect thing. I am completely positive now, you are the one. Then yes, we may get started. But I must warn you, it is not for the faint of heart. What we are going to achieve is completely unprecedented. We will be going where no pony has gone before.”

“.... Go on.”

“I am attempting to combine the magical force of two unicorns into one focal point, and then from there into a feedback loop through a crystal oscillator, and hopefully creating a superheterodyne regenerative circuit, which will feed into some sort of temporary reservoir, which will output one, and only one, pure wave. It not simply the combined waves of two unicorns, but one completely new, and powerful, overtone.”

Twilight leaned back in her chair as she tried to grasp the implications. When magic is combined, the power is increased exponentially, instead of in a linear function. However, it is a long-standing fact in the scientific community that power from two separate unicorns cannot be completely merged; there will always be two separate streams, powering each other. Such pulses are extremely temperamental, however, often having a sort of negative feedback and the two streams will reject each other, splitting in an unpredictable and often dangerous manner. If Axion could figure out a way to wholly combine two streams of magic, so many things would be open to ponies that were previously too dangerous or too power-intensive to try.

“What about systematic risk?”

“We will have a system that clearly defines how many times the circuit will run before output. Also, we will use very high-capacity hardware, and I don’t think we will even begin to approach the maximum level of the equipment, reducing if not eliminating the risk of meltdown.”

Twilight felt a grin spreading across her face. This was clearly a unicorn with vision and brains, and the will to use both. If they were successful, they would be hailed as the bringers of a new scientific age, one of progress and expansion beyond previous imagination. But suddenly, an intrusive thought wormed its way through her giddiness.

“But..... Hundreds of others have all tried this same experiment, in thousands of different ways.... What makes your attempt different?”

Axion simply smiled at the bewildered librarian before her.

“You shall see soon enough, dear.”

Twilight smiled and clapped her hooves together.

“Great! How soon?”

“I am unsure. There are still a few things to get together before we may start. That is why I was hoping you may take your request now, while we have the spare time.”

Twilight leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hoof on her chin, thinking.

“I’m just not sure what I could ask for, really.”

“Well, take a little while to think about it. I’ll send you a letter in a few days time, and you may simply send your reply back with the messenger.”

"I will give it good thought."

Axion rose and made her way back to the front door. She opened it with a cloud of midnight blue fog embossed with white flecks, but before she left she turned back to Twilight, speaking with a suggestive glint in her eye.

"I can't wait to work with you. Take care."

And then she was gone, walking off into the night and quickly being enveloped in the darkness. Twilight stared after her for a moment, feeling that something felt wrong, some detail that she had missed. Shaking her head, Twilight closed the door and turned around. She moved to walk away, but paused with her hoof in the air. She looked at the empty coat hooks beside the door, studying them intently, so sure there was something out of place. Try as she might, though, no revelation was forthcoming, so Twilight shook her head and walked away.

***

"Ugh! I hate Tuesdays! They're like Mondays, but worse."

"What's the matter, Twilight?"

"Nothing, Spike. Just impatient."

"Still waiting on the letter from the scientist?"

"Yes. It's been a few days."

"Well, it'll be here soon enough."

Spike turned back to categorizing the pile of books beside him, and Twilight turned back to the window she was gazing out of. She had patiently waited for the promised messenger, but none had yet come, so she had become impatient. She had spent considerable time thinking about what she could ask Axion for, and late one night, Twilight had a revelation. Axion had said that she had great power and resources available to her to fulfill Twilight's wish. Twilight had devised a plan to not only get something she wanted greatly and studied to great extent, but was also a way to test Axion's ability to grant it. Twilight wanted to know exactly how powerful this mysterious scientist was.

Several hours later, the sun had completed most of its journey across the sky and was preparing to relinquish its place in the heavens to the moon. The horizon to the west was glowing a multitude of colors as the sun set, turning the overhead clouds brilliant shades of red, orange, and purple. Twilight was upstairs in her study, finishing up some letters to patrons with overdue books. She had all but put out the thought of receiving any letters until the next day.

Abruptly, her attention was pulled from the letter she was writing to the nearest window. A light tapping could be heard, but Twilight couldn't see any discernible source. Moving to the window, she pushed it open, and was immediately ambushed by a bundle of black feathers. Twilight shrieked and fell the the floor, hooves over her head in an attempt to ward off a perceived attack. When none was coming, she opened her eyes and looked around. Sitting on her desk was a large crow, a letter folded and clamped in its beak.

Twilight cautiously stood and approached the crow. It sat still and quiet, eyes on her as she got closer. When she was only a few steps away, it opened its beak dropped the letter onto the desk, then hopped over to perch on a bookshelf. Twilight watched the bird for a moment, then unrolled the scroll and read it. It was short, only a few sentences, and basically said what Axion had said before; that she would give Twilight anything she asked in return to help Axion with her project. Twilight grinned and opened one of the drawers on the desk, retrieving a pre-written response she had drafted earlier. Twilight rolled the parchment up carefully, then tied it shut with the same ribbon that had come on the first letter Twilight had received.

"CAW!"

"Oh shh...! Don't do that! You scared me!"

Twilight glared at the crow, which had picked that moment to let out a signal of its impatience.

"CAW!"

"Yes, this one is for you! Just hold on a second!"

Twilight tied the ribbon in a neat little bow, then help the letter out towards the crow. It eyed the parchment with beady black for a moment, as if trying to decided whether to take it or not. In one swift movement, it leaped off the shelf, snatched the letter from Twilight's outstretched hoof, and swooped out the window faster than the eye could follow. Twilight walked over and closed the window, then let out a sigh. She leaned against the window and closed her eyes for a moment.

Well, there's that sent. Now Axion can write back and tell me how foolish I am for asking for such a thing, or will accept and come do it. Either way, I should get quite an interesting response.

Twilight opened her eyes and turned to walk out of the study, intending on going to bed. As she snuggled into her blankets and lay her head on the soft pillows, a quiet thought slid across her mind, making her smile.

Either Axion will finally reveal exactly what her limits are, or she's going to attempt something not done in over five hundred years, just to get my help. Either way, I win. I can be quite clever sometimes.

Author's Note:

Major thanks to Empsplosion, who is going through right now and editing all of Intension.

Comments

[Little Voice]

While Twilight is being portrayed as a bit cocky in this story, there is a whole lot of enormous potential in it. I look forward to the next chapter.

[MadMan]

556800 I'd rather call her confident. And I'm working on it.

[Scygnus]

I usually wouldn't comment until I was finished, but after chapter 1, there's a comment I have to make since it looks like no one else did.

DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS!

[JetGrey]

I did get the feeling Twilight was less than modest - but I got the same from the "I wasn't prepared for this" song, too. She has grown a lot since Boast Busters.

It might take me a while to get through your copious work, though!

[Quarik]

The chapter restarts about halfway through, then goes through it all again. Apart from that, 'twas good...

[Kapuchu]

I think the thing she wants is wings.

[Commander Darklight]

Dear Axion

I want wings

Your partner
Twilight Sparkle

[dustybronybooks]

I think she wast to be a tree.

Dear Axion

I want to be a tree

Your partner
Twilight sparkle

[Iamawesome]

Well, even though I just have a single chapter down so far, I think I have to comment. You shold really take a look at show vs tell:

The way that Axion phrased her request seemed odd to Twilight.

Shouldn’t it have been, “If you help me, I’ll help you,” not the other way around? Something seems off... Maybe it was just a poor word choice though.

Twilight felt a grin spreading across her face. This was clearly a unicorn with vision and brains, and the will to use both.

Statements like these are what I would consider really bad style, because they leave no room for interpreation, no room for the reader to figure the situation out for himself.
Some of the dialogue also sounds a bit off to me. This might be just my personal view though.
However, all in all this was not what I would consider a good first impression. That being said, as the story hooks themselves are well done, the concept of the story in total intrigues me and the rating indicates better chapters later on I will definitely continue reading.
Still, I would advise you to maybe take an editor and revisit (at least the first chapter/s of) this story. First impressions have a huge impact on judging a a story's quality and yours might very well drive people away before they even get into things.

[TerranceJet]

I thought the title was misspelled at first, but after reading the chapter, I feel that the word intension was completely intentional. I really like the feeling of anticipation here, it's a cool and quiet suspense.