Inverno in F Minor

by CrackedInkWell

24: Freiheit, Schöner Götterfunken in Eb Major.

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“So I’m pretending that I can’t see?” Inverno asked, looking at his teacher through the dark sunglasses. “Isn’t these glasses enough? I can hardly see what’s in front of me anyway.”

“That’s because it’s still dusk,” Key replied, “Once the sun is up, you’ll still be able to see through, but at the same time you need to act as if you’re blind.”

“But why?” the young unicorn asked, looking into his reflection on the crystal walls. He had on his dark sunglasses that covered his red serpent eyes. His long, messy mane was tied back into a knot. Over his back was a saddle bag that was large enough that it covered his cutie mark. And on his horn, it had bandages on it.

“Because,” the Professor explained, urging the colt to move along. “The more innocent and non-threatening you look, the less likely anypony would want to ask questions about you.”

“Are you sure this will work though?” Inverno inquired, “I mean how we are going to get past the guards?”

“Don’t you worry,” the elder stallion said, adjusting his saddle bag. “Just leave it to me. And once we get close to those guards and outside, I need you to lean on my foreleg. Because sometimes, blind ponies who are led by another pony tend to lean on them for guiding them around, you got that?”

“I think so.”

Soon, they were at their exit, where a couple of Crystal Guards were there. Standing there with bloodshot eyes, they jolted their consciousness awake when they noticed them approach.

“H-Halt,” one of them called out, as both of them crossed their spears. “Nopony is allowed to exit the Palace at this time.”

“And neither is the colt,” the other Guard added.

It was here that the Professor reached into his saddlebags and pulled out two bags and a lime green bottle. “How about a trade?” he inquired, “If you two would just turn a blind eye for just a moment, you two in return will get fifty bits each.”

“We’re not allowed to accept bribes,” they both said in unison.

“Did I mention that I would throw this in?” he lifted up the bottle. “I found this while I was wondering around in Sombra’s old cellar. I think it’s a kind of wine with a funny name: Des larmes de cristal Baies.” This got their attention, “You know this?”

“The tears of Crystal Berries?” one guard answered. “The sweetest and smoothest wines to have been ever made – I never knew the tyrant even had it.”

“It’s the only one that I could find with that name,” the Professor said, starting to put the bits and the bottle back into his bag. “But I can see that you won’t let us pass, so I’ll-”

“Wait!” They both said.

One of them said, “While we can’t accept any bits from you… I don’t think there’s anything in the rules against rare wines, do you?”

“I don’t think so,” the other Guard replied. “So… Maybe just this once.”

“Splendid,” the Professor grinned, giving the bottle over to the guards. “And don’t worry about the foal,” he added, “I swear on my life that I will look after him.”

After taking the bottle, both guards lifted their spears, “Go now before anypony catches you.”

“Thank you,” Key said as he and Inverno walked outside.

The two of them walked down a flight of stairs until they found themselves outside. They stepped out to a wide open space where at the center, suspended in midair between two pillars was a spinning heart that looked as if it was made out of blue crystal.

“What’s that?” Inverno asked, approaching the item.

“The Crystal ponies call it ‘The Crystal Heart.’” The Professor explained, “It what holds the whole Empire together, and what makes Crystal Ponies, well, crystal.”

Inverno took a step closer to the spinning heart, “I think there’s something inside it,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Look,” he pointed a hoof at it. “It looks like…” Inverno stared at the heart, the images inside seemed to have reflected back at him. At first, he couldn’t make out what was inside, but as the Heart slowed down, the picture became clearer. He noticed that it wasn’t just one image, but two. One showed him standing on a pile of rubble of broken crystal. His eyes and his horn were glowing brightly as the sun, giving a silent roar he stomped on the pile to reveal parts of other ponies buried in the shattered crystal.

On the other, he saw himself, but taller, older even, wearing some dark clothing waving a white stick around. He was surrounded by musicians and instruments of every size, shape, and description. His older self turned around and bowed to the inky darkness as the dark threw flowers at his hooves.

“Inverno?” Key Signature broke his concentration on the heart. “Looks like what?”

The pale unicorn turned back to the spinning heart, finding that the images were gone.

“Uh… nothing,” he said, backing away from the spinning artifact.

“Well,... come on now,” the Elder Earth pony said, “We got an Empire to explore.”

The sun now peaked above the mountains, bathing the tiny crystal kingdom in its warm rays. Inverno can now see up close, the very buildings that he’d seen from afar. He saw the buildings that although not as tall and magnificent as the Palace, each was unique in color and shape.

Ponies began to wake up from their slumber, and one by one, they emerged from their homes. Shops opened up left and right. Soon, the air was being perfumed with the smell of pastries from bakeries’ ovens. Ponies prepped up food and goods from stands, that although tired, they all had a satisfied smile on their faces.

“What are they doing?” Inverno asked, leaning over the Professor’s foreleg as he was told.

“By the look of things, they’re opening up shops for the day.”

“What’s a shop?”

“Well, a shop is when somepony sells, or trade whatever they have made and exchanged it for bits, or money.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” Key looked down at the colt in confusion.

“Why do they trade bits for stuff?”

“A bit is a representation of something that’s valuable. For example, if you wanted to buy cherry, you would trade one bit for one cherry. But if you want something like say…” The elder stallion looked around the opening market to fit into his example. He spotted a booth where an alabaster mare was setting up jewelry. “If you wanted to buy a necklace with real gems in it, you have to trade them more bits.”

“Well, that’s just weird,” Inverno commented, “Couldn’t you just trade a necklace for a neck-AGH!” the little unicorn jumped when he felt stepping into something odd.

Key Signature looked down and quickly found what made him jump. Not paying attention, he realized that they were stepping into a park area where there was grass growing. He saw Inverno quickly stepping back on the smooth crystal road.

“What was that?!” the colt asked in alarm.

“It’s grass,” the Professor said stepping on it. “Grass is a thin little plant that you can walk on.”

“Walk on?” Inverno questioned, “I don’t want to walk on that again.”

“Why not?”

“It… It just feels weird,” he explained, “It’s like stepping on string that’s made up something odd.”

“Just step on the grass,” Professor Key said, “It actually feels nice. Come on, just try it.” Although reluctant, the colt was able to put a hoof over the plant known as grass. He moved his hoof around as if he were feeling a stringy fabric.

“Not only that,” the elder stallion continued, “But it’s edible too. Although, I wouldn’t recommend it because it’s a little too bland for my taste.”

Curious as to the Professor’s meaning, the disguised unicorn bent his neck down to take a bite out of the grass, only to quickly spit it out. “You’re right,” he said, “It really needs dressing.”

_*_

“Inverno?” Shining knocked on the colt’s door. “Hey, you up? Breakfast is ready.”

No answer.

“I’m coming in, okay?” The Prince said, opening the door. He expected to find the young unicorn to still be in bed, only to find it both empty and already made.

“Kid?” he asked out loud, “Hello? You in here?” He checked the bathroom, only to find it empty as well. “Come on, breakfast is going to get cold. Where are ya?”

He searched under the bed, in the closet, even behind the shower curtain, only to find no trace of the colt.

“Where is he?” Shining asked himself, exiting the room.

Comments

[Dragonofshame]

This isn't gonna end well...

[SageBrony07]

I loved how the crystal heart showed two futures. Great job. Good luck with the next chapter. This is going to be good.

[Luckyfanisaac]

After taking the bottle, both guards lifted their spears, “Go no before anypony catches you.”

Correction:After taking the bottle, both guards lifted their spears, “Go now before anypony catches you.”

[Ice Star]

“Go no before anypony catches you.”

Should be go now.

[Magical plane]

Crystal ponies recognize inverno and hang his body in the street end of story
Not that hasn't happened yet