Finding Yourself

by ScarletRibbon

3 - A Princess and Her Princess

I left for Canterlot first thing in the morning, arriving at the castle just before noon. After a bit of inquiry with Raven, Princess Celestia’s secretary, I learned the Princess was busy entertaining diplomats from Saddle Arabia and wouldn’t have time to see me before continuing on to the afternoon’s open court session. Not wanting to waste any time, I left a message with Raven and continued on toward the Canterlot Royal Archive.

Progress was slow, and not because I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Finding books on Andromeda was trivial. The problem was that most of them weren’t useful, since large portions of the texts were blacked out. This practice was common amongst older texts in the Archive after the Princess set standards about forbidden magic. Normally, I could understand that. After all, Princess Celestia wouldn’t have ordered something censored if it wasn’t dangerous. Now it was just an obstacle to my research.

“Princess Twilight?”

I jerked my head up from the book I was searching. Raven was standing to the side with a stern expression.

“Yes?”

“Princess Celestia has agreed to meet you as soon as her afternoon court adjourns. Please don’t keep her waiting.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Raven. That will be all.” I tried to go back to my research, but I was so excited I couldn’t focus on my reading.

It wasn’t just that I was going to talk to the Princess. I was one of the few ponies for whom that was basically routine. But I was about to have a chance to talk to the Princess, who had met Andromeda first-hand a thousand years ago! How often would I get a chance to speak to a primary source about information that was several generations old?

Princess Celestia met me in the Canterlot Gardens - one of her preferred places to relax and one of our common retreats for personal discussion. Her favorite part of the Gardens was private and secluded, which was perfect for those rare opportunities to speak with her one-on-one. When we got there, she settled down in the grass - not far from where Discord’s statue had once stood - and lifted a wing, inviting me to sit and lean up against her. I happily obliged, cuddling against her side and tucking underwing, just as I had when I was still a foal and she was still my teacher.

It was nice to snuggle up against her, with her wing draped over me, as we had done many times in the past. Princess Celestia wasn’t my mother, but in some ways she was more a mother to me than my actual mother was. I mean, she was there for every major milestone of my life, starting with earning my Cutie Mark. After all, getting a Cutie Mark is one of the most defining moments for a foal, marking a significant life transition, and my real parents didn’t even get a chance to see most of it... though they still have traumatic memories of the event. In hindsight, I suppose that was my own fault, but it created a rift in our relationship.

But even beyond that, living with the Princess in the castle made it hard to share life’s momentous occasions with my parents. It wasn’t that my parents didn’t try to be part of my life; I saw them regularly, but I didn’t live with them. It’s hard to be a parent-in-absentia and while they were gone Celestia was always right there. Apart from my brother, then just a recruit in the Royal Guard, Celestia was the only pony I trusted in the entire castle, so when big things were happening in my life, there was only two ponies I would call upon. And as a filly, there were some things I couldn’t go to my brother for.

But the Princess?

The Princess was there when I lost my favorite pet. She was there to guide me when I suffered through my first estrus. She was there when I mastered my first teleportation spell. When my first serious date went poorly, she was the one who comforted me. She was the one who paid his medical bills when a young recruit from the Royal Guard beat the stuffing out of him. And she was the one who pardoned my brother for assaulting a civilian.

Princess Celestia always had my best interests at heart.

”What was it you wanted to speak with me about, Twilight?”

I was disappointed when she finally broke the silence; for a few minutes, I had lost myself in blissful memories. The sudden snap back to reality was unpleasant. I blushed slightly, embarrassed that I’d forgotten why I was there.

“I was wondering if you could help me with some research. I recently found a strange magical device; a small orb that I believe was created by Royal Court Mage Andromeda.”

Princess Celestia tensed up and remained silent for a several moments before replying.

“Andromeda,” she spoke wistfully, “now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” She stopped, her voice hitching slightly. Her beautiful, loving eyes became strangely distant, and I thought I could see them misting up. I wasn’t sure how to respond, or even if I should. I waited in silence.

Coming back to the present, she looked toward the pedestal Discord had once stood on. With a pained chuckle, she returned her focus to me and I could see tears streaming down her face.

”He was a good pony, always concerned for those around him. Always trying to make Equestria a better place.” Her gaze shifted toward the pedestal again, as she continued in a whisper. “I only wish he still was.”

Celestia shook and shuddered as she sobbed softly. Her choked cries, a lost and forlorn sound, rent my heart asunder. The guilt falling on my shoulders took my breath away as I tried not to start crying myself. I had not intended to open old wounds or cause her suffering, and yet I had. I wanted to mourn alongside her. To apologize. To do… something. Anything.

In all the years I spent as Celestia’s student, I had seen her cry only a few times before. When my friends and I gained the power of the Elements of Harmony, saving her sister from the clutches of Nightmare Moon, she had cried tears of joy. When a flood in a small village had claimed the lives of several families, she had mourned their loss openly, weeping in the streets and causing a media circus. But these weren’t the same as those tears - these tears were personal and raw.

Now I wanted to do something for her - to say something to her - but I didn’t know how to respond. How does one provide comfort for a millennium-old hurt? She had several lifetimes with which to suffer the pains of her memory. Instead the Celestia remained there in her grief, all of her usual poise and grace gone. All I could do was lay there awkwardly as she mourned a loss I didn’t know and couldn’t understand. So I sat, silently suffering alongside her and unsure how to continue my inquiry; or even if I should.

Eventually she spoke.

“Andromeda was my greatest friend,” she said, “and an impeccable mage. His research saved me. His research saved Equestria. Twice.”

“Then, why?” I asked. “If his research saved you, and saved Equestria - why are all the details censored?”

A sad smile crossed her face. “Just because a tool can be used for good, Twilight, does not mean that it should be used. Some things are far too dangerous...” She trailed off for a moment.

“The orb you found is probably a Spatial Key. Andromeda designed them to open portals between two places, enabling ponies to travel instantly between them without needing to master difficult teleportation spells. He made several prototypes before finalizing the design. Most of them were destroyed, but because he tested them all over Equestria, some were never found.”

“Destroyed?” I asked. “Why?”

“They didn’t work as planned. I’m not actually sure of the specific details myself, but they were used to end a war.”

“A war?”

“A war. Before I explain, can you name the sixteen schools of magic? Educate me.”

Magic was my specialty - my Cutie Mark. It was a part of my own identity. Why was the Princess testing me with such a rudimentary question? I wasn’t sure. Princess Celestia often tested me when she wanted to teach me something, usually because the subjects are related somehow.

“There are fifteen schools of magic in four Arts,” I answered, hesitantly. “Not sixteen.” The Princess simply watched me with an expectant look.

“The first four schools - Fire, Air, Earth, and Water - make up the Elemental Arts,” I continued. “They are low level magics, easily learned but difficult to master, acting as the rudimentary basis for most innate magics found in Equestria.

“The next four schools are Kinesis, Conjuration, Transmutation and Restoration; the Physical Arts. These higher levels magics are innately found in far fewer species than the Elemental Arts, and are significantly harder to learn, but also the easiest to master through education and practice.”

The Princess nodded. “Very good. Exactly as I taught you. Please, continue.” Her praise was almost patronizing in nature, like complimenting someone for basic arithmetic, but I reveled in it all the same. After all, She was my Princess.

“The next three schools make up the Spiritual Arts: Enchantment, Divination, and Chaos. These dangerous and complicated magics are never found in nature, and practiced only by the most powerful of magicians.

“The Dimensional Arts - Space, Time, Dream, and Light - are the pinnacle of magical achievement, so difficult and exclusive that they are often called ‘Alicorn magic’, since few outside of Alicorn blood are even capable of using them.”

Princess Celestia clopped her hooves together with a smile. “Very good.” She put her hooves down. “And incorrect.”

“What?” I sputtered. There was no way I was incorrect on this. This was elementary magical study that any educated mage would know. And I was supposed to be the expert on the subject.

“There is a sixteenth school of magic,” the Princess continued. “One that has been removed from the educational curriculum for hundreds of years.”

I gaped at her, torn between accusing her of lying and wanting an explanation.

“Tell me, why do you think it is that the Spiritual Arts only contain three schools of magic while the others contain four?”

I pondered the question for a moment. I had never considered the possibility that there was a fourth Spiritual school of magic. ‘Four’ was a common number found in magical studies and worked into magical development in many ways. For example, no spell could use more than four schools - the energy needed was incalculable. A fourth school in the Spiritual arts wasn’t out of the question at all!

But Celestia was asking ‘why’. There was one thing that Spiritual Arts had in common, that much I knew: they could fundamentally alter the universe. Enchantment could change a pony’s feeling about something - I had run afoul of it myself with the Want-It-Need-It spell, and Princess Cadance was a walking manifestation of it. Divination could actually alter timelines on a small scale - the final explanation I found for Pinkie Sense, though how Pinkie became attuned to such high level magic, I’ll never understand. And Chaos? Well, Discord was a great example of the dangers of Chaos magic. What would a Spiritual Art change that would be so dangerous as to be wiped from history?

“I’m guessing it was dangerous?” I offered.

“It was,” Celestia nodded. “But removing education from the equation doesn’t prevent ponies from accidentally discovering magic that utilizes it. Tell me - what schools of magic are involved when Rainbow Dash performs her Sonic Rainboom?”

Another strange shift in subject. I had never stopped to consider what magic Rainbow Dash used. The Sonic Rainboom was an impressive marvel, using an immense amount of Air magic that served as a baseline. The iconic expanding rainbow was going to be formed by a burst of Water magic. Probably.

“Air and Water?” I suggested.

Celestia delivered me a flat stare. “Do you really think a Sonic Rainboom would be rare simply through two Elemental schools of magic, one of which is an innate part of pegasus existence, and the other that is practiced almost universally by their race?”

I faltered. Celestia was right - if that was all it took, more than half of pegasi should be capable.

“Um...” I pondered for a moment.

The rainbow itself would need water to refract the light, wouldn’t it? But that would require a source of that light right in the center in order to have a circle of light, and creating light was basic Conjuration. Pegasi were notoriously bad at Physical Arts, which would explain the rarity.

“Conjuration.” Final answer. That made sense, right?

Celestia shook her head. “Rainbow Dash uses three schools of magic, but Conjuration isn’t one of them. The reason a Sonic Rainboom is so rare to see is because it uses Light magic, not Water, to bend the visible spectrum in the shockwave.”

“Light?! That’s...” I wasn’t sure how to respond. Rainbow Dash could use a Dimensional magic? Even I struggled with basic Light spells, and I was an alicorn.

“And using Light magic, she doesn’t need to use Water.” The Princess interrupted my sputtering. “In fact, a Sonic Rainboom is created with Air, Light, and Inspiration.”

Huh? Inspiration wasn’t a …

“Wait, that’s the last school of magic? Inspiration?” That might explain why the Sonic Rainboom had such a lasting impact on so many ponies. That didn’t sound dangerous.

“I recognized it immediately,” the Princess continued, “but I forbade all of my scholars from studying the effect until she was older, for fear that they would discover it. They thought I was being sensitive to research on foals. By the time Rainbow Dash was older, they had largely forgotten about it.”

It made a strange amount of sense, but it didn’t explain everything. “How is Inspiration magic so dangerous?” I asked.

“You already know that Enchantment changes how a pony responds to something. It changes how you feel, but the feelings are transient. When an enchantment fades, you can assess your behavior, recognize what was true and what was false. That’s why Cadence can’t just turn Equestria into a giant bastion of loving ponies who always get along.”

Tears again, I noted as I let her words sink in. She was getting mad this time, worked up in a way I hadn’t seen since Chrysalis’ deception was revealed.

“But Inspiration? Inspiration changes what you believe, Twilight! It is slow, insidious, and subtle. Inspiration alters a pony’s soul. And when all is said and done, you can’t know what was real and what was just a manipulation!” Celestia yelled.

The Princess was shaking in anger. If she hadn’t already been laying down, I wasn’t sure if she could stand. And then, the shaking stopped, followed by a loud sob.

“Andromeda was the most noble pony I knew. I loved him, Twilight. I loved him with all my heart.”

I did my best to embrace her as she bared her heart and soul before me.

“I still do,” Celestia whispered, dissolving into tears again.

It all made a bit more sense now.

“Sister!” a voice cried out from above, distracting us both.

With a sniffle, Princess Celestia looked up toward the sky. Princess Luna was flying rather recklessly toward us, desperation written across her face. The younger Princess dropped down with a decidedly ungraceful landing, wasting no time in closing the distance to her sister. Luna’s breath came out in short gasps, as if she’d been flying desperately for a long time.

Her wild and frantic demeanor was not lost on either of us, sobering the mood quickly. Princess Celestia was the first to speak.

“Luna? Aren’t you supposed to be in Manehattan? What brings you back here?”

I was almost jealous of how quickly she was able to put her emotions in check. It also meant she chose to show me her vulnerable side, something that few other ponies would ever see. I smiled through my budding tears, realizing that I was just as important to her as she was to me.

“Sister, I’m sorry to interrupt your private time with Twilight.” I nearly choked on my own tongue. “We have a problem, and We need to depart right away.” Luna’s tone indicated this wasn’t up for discussion.

Princess Celestia stood up abruptly, and because I’d been leaning heavily on her, I had to flap my wings in an effort to not fall over. It didn’t work. I tumbled to the ground and ended up feeling like an idiot, but neither of the Princesses paid any heed.

“What happened?” Celestia asked.

“Negotiations in Manehatten were on hold for a few hours,” Luna replied, “so I decided to do some Dreamwalking to check on the ponies who work at night.”

“Go on.”

“While looking about, I came across a dreamer who was suffering from a jumbled mess of thoughts and memories, as if she was knocked unconscious unexpectedly. I didn’t want to risk walking the Dreamscape of a pony who wasn’t actually dreaming, but I unraveled her thoughts to hopefully let her rest easy.”

“Wait, you can do that?” I blurted out, interrupting. A white wing nudged me into silence as Princess Celestia gestured for her sister to continue.

“As her thoughts unravelled, I saw some of her memories among the strings. In one of them was an image that I’m sure was the entrance to Gwydion’s End! I briefly considered delving into her consciousness to verify what she had seen, but I didn’t want to take the risk of her waking.”

I’d heard enough about that phenomenon from Princess Luna before. Proper dreams were malleable and insubstantive, allowing her to enter and leave at will even if the dreamer awoke. Dreams that came from causes other than REM sleep - like daydreams or the idle thoughts of a comatose patient - were risky. If they awoke while Princess Luna was dreamwalking, she would be trapped in their consciousness until they resumed a dreamlike state again.

Princess Celestia closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “So, one of the guardians of Gwydion’s End has awakened?”

“No, sister. It was a filly.”

Princess Celestia went stiff. “A filly?” she asked in a low voice. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Would I have flown here directly on my own if I wasn’t?” Luna replied. “What should we do now? Merlin is no longer with us to re-create the seal, and no pony has ever been able to cast the spell.”

Princess Celestia shook her head. “We hope the filly doesn’t do anything rash.”

“What’s Gwydion’s End?” I asked, confused.

Celestia heaved a heavy sigh. “A place where the past is dead and buried. And I fear it won’t remain that way for long. Do you have the Spatial Key with you?”

I nodded. “In my saddlebags, back in the Archive.”

“Then hopefully it is one of the later prototypes.”

“She found a Key?” Luna blurted.

Princess Celestia nodded. “I’d hoped we never again open the portal, but we need to be prepared. Twilight, I want you to figure out how to activate the Key. If Gwydion’s End is disturbed, the fate of Equestria might depend on it.”

“Where do I begin?” I asked, uncertain I was prepared for this.

“Many of the prototypes used a mirror to act as the portal,” Princess Luna said. “Just be careful. All we need to know is if we can make it work. If a portal opens, close it immediately, and report back to Us. Don’t tell anypony what you are doing. Not even Spike.”

I nodded hesitantly, still unsure of what exactly was going on as both sisters immediately took flight in the direction of the Everfree Forest. I took off after them, shouting more questions, but my inexperience with flight left me unable to keep pace. Before I’d even cleared the castle grounds, they were already past the city gates. I knew it was hopeless to try to keep up, so I returned to the Archives to retrieve my saddlebags, and then took flight for Ponyville. Princess Celestia seemed to think this portal was important, so my best course of action would be to do what I do best: experiment.

The Princesses were only visible as specks on the horizon as I crested the city walls, and I screamed in frustrated realization as I started a sharp descent from the mountainside.

I had made my Princess cry.

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From the light of the blazing inferno outside, Zecora was able to make out a timberwolf just inside the cavernous entrance of Gwydion’s End. In stark contrast to their usual demeanor, the terrified timberwolf paced against the cavern wall, yipping and whimpering at nothing.

The usually dangerous animal hardly seemed to be a threat now, but that only concerned Zecora even more. It was possible that it had simply gone bonkers in response to the massive eruption of water and flame just outside and needed some time to calm itself. But what if that wasn’t what set it off? What was truly kept secret in this cavern? The darkness beyond gave no answers.

The darkness also reminded Zecora that she hadn’t brought a light.

There was no shortage of fire in the large hole behind her, but Zecora would need something she could carry safely and would burn long enough to survive the trip if she was going to make any progress. The complete lack of vegetation in the pit left no suitable wood for the occasion. Zecora eyed the timberwolf. She did not savor the idea of killing the beast in this wretched state. Perhaps a more diplomatic approach would suffice?

She approached the creature carefully, addressing it in a soft tone. "I’ll need some wood for ample light, to save a filly from her plight. If you help me gain some sight, I’ll save you both before the night."

Zecora watched the timberwolf calmly, uncertain if her words were understood. The beast looked at her warily, then back across the burning water, up into the dark cavern, and back to Zecora. It raised a leg slowly, and with a sudden spasm, a long piece of wood dropped from its chest.

Zecora bowed deeply to the wolf before picking up the wood in her teeth. She waded into the water, approached some of the alchemical flame, and set the stick alight. Immediately, the timberwolf's whimpering was renewed, and Zecora's eyes widened in shock. It could still feel the flame. With a newfound respect for the frightened and now pained creature, Zecora waded back out of the water, trotting cautiously into the cavern beyond. Instead of remaining at the entrance alone the timberwolf followed her, softly crying in pain.

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The clouds below me were taking on a dark shade of gray as I approached Ponyville, and the wind was beginning to whip about unpleasantly. I wasn't used to flying nearly as much as I was walking. Though I knew I was approaching home, I didn't have much confidence in my ability to judge my exact location. Thanks to their innate Air magic, pegasi nearly always knew where they were, even with clouds obscuring their vision. Unfortunately, I wasn’t familiar with how to channel that magic with my new wings. Theory and practice are wildly different when practice involves instincts you haven’t developed.

But even with practice, the Ponyville weather team was struggling as I approach. They had completely lost control of a storm that was blowing in from the Everfree. I could see several of them zipping about, frantically trying to corral the uncooperative storm front. It would be raining hard below the clouds, but I needed to make sure I didn't fly past my home so I grudgingly began a slow descent.

As I dropped below the clouds, true to my expectations, the rain was coming down in sheets; a rain far heavier than any other I could recall in recent memory. In the distance, I could barely see the outline of Golden Oak Library. It was much further away than I had thought. It wasn't worth ascending again, but I still had a fair distance to cover.

Rain pelted me, soaking my coat and weighing me down, and a strong wind buffeted my wings as I flew over the outskirts of town. The strength and stamina of a pony who spends their entire life exercising her wings simply dwarfed that of a pony who’d only had wings for a few weeks, and I was tiring. With a not-so-graceful stumble, I touched my hooves to the ground, folded my wings, and proceeded at a trot along the muddy roads of Ponyville. It wasn't ideal, but at least I could finally relax my wings. The ground was much more natural to me anyway.

What is Gwydion’s End? I wondered as I continued down the windy streets. Clearly Princess Celestia felt it was important enough to abort my private meeting with her, so it had to be something significant, but I’d never heard of it. I mentally added Gwydion’s End to my growing checklist of things to research.

As I trotted along, I noticed the sign on the door of Sugarcube Corner read 'Closed', and all the window shutters were secured. It was unusual for the Corner to close during regular business hours, even in the midst of a full-blown crisis. Curious, I stopped and rapped on the door. To my left, one of the shutters pushed open, slamming against the side of the building with a sharp crack as the wind took hold.

Carrot Cake, the proprietor of Sugarcube Corner, stuck his head out the window and looked at me, shouting over the wind and rain.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but we're closed and Pinkie Pie is out at her family's farm. Can I help you?"

Out on her family's farm? That was news to me. Still, it wasn't unusual for Pinkie to visit her family on short notice.

"No, that's alright," I yelled back. "I was just wondering why you've closed up early tonight!"

"This storm has been going for over six hours! All this rain started some floods down river," Carrot turned away from me and looked down toward the river as he responded, making it difficult for me to hear him. "River Light was forced to abandon the dam, and the wind knocked out the lines to the generator about an hour ago. There's no power in town right now, so if you really need it, you'll have to talk to her and see if the two of you can get the generator up and running again."

River Light was the unicorn in charge of maintaining the large hydroelectric dam that powered Ponyville. Reconnecting the lines would be incredibly unsafe in a storm, and I wasn’t familiar with how to fix it by myself. I wasn't terribly concerned with the lack of power, since almost anything I needed could be emulated with a spell. Normally I’d go help out for the sake of the rest of the town, but at the moment I had a portal to open.

Carrot turned back to face me, his voice clearer again. "I hope the pegasi can get this under control soon. Cup is struggling to keep the twins calm with all the thunder overhead." A flash of lightning and rolling thunder punctuated his lament.

A horrified expression crossed his face as the thunder faded. "But if you would like to get out of the rain, you're welcome to come inside!" he quickly added.

I smiled at him and shook my head. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I have things I need to get done tonight. I should be getting back to the library." I nodded politely to Carrot Cake and turned to leave.

"Okay. Good evening, Princess." The window shutter closed up again.

I stepped back into the street, looking around. It was only then that I realized I was entirely alone in the pouring rain. The normally bright and busy town square was dark, muddy, and deserted. I was so preoccupied with getting home that I had been oblivious to my surroundings. Now I could see, all the houses and businesses were just like Sugarcube Corner: windows either dark or shuttered, and doors closed tight. No sign of ponies anywhere except the occasional weather pegasus overhead struggling to fight back against the storm. The effect was wholly depressing. With a shake of my head, I resumed walking toward the library, pondering what I had learned in Canterlot.

From the Archive, I’d learned that Andromeda may have rivaled the Princesses with his innate magical talents. He was the first unicorn ever to devise a teleportation spell that could take a pony further than their own line of sight, and he was responsible for creating a Teleportation spell simple enough that almost any studied unicorn could use it.

Line-of-sight teleportation was the simplest of Space magic. Of course, Space magic itself was a Dimensional Art, so it was already hugely difficult - if not impossible - for most unicorns. But when Andromeda found a way to break the line-of-sight barrier, it was a huge discovery with major implications, especially in military application. His new spell combined Space magic with Kinesis to create a completely different method of teleportation. The new spell required significantly less Space magic, and with Kinesis being a unicorn’s strongest native school, studious unicorns were able to leverage the spell without too much difficulty.

Unfortunately, as with any Dimensional Art, it was a very tiring process for the caster and required huge amounts of magical energy. Still, as Andromeda continued refining the spell, he noticed a feeling of disorientation during the process, and over time it became clear that teleportation wasn't quite as instantaneous as everypony had believed.

Using a tracking talisman, he noticed that during a teleport there was a very brief period of time where the unicorn did not exist in Equestria, but instead tunneled through a dimensional space he called ‘the Aether'. The further the teleportation went, the longer this tunnelling time lasted. Andromeda became infatuated with the Aether, and set about developing a method of teleporting in a way that he could use his magic in the middle of his own teleportation and investigate the nature of that space.

With some time and considerable planning, he eventually designed a device that would open and sustain an aetheric tunnel; effectively a pair of linked portals that could teleport a pony - or anything else - between them. Thanks to Celestia, I was pretty sure that I now had a name for that device - and likely possessed one.

The concept of an aetheric tunnel itself wasn't new to me; I had observed the effect of traveling through one firsthand many times, and it was one of the first concepts taught in Celestia’s School For Gifted Unicorns’ Teleportation 101 course, though I had never really invested much thought into it before.

Unfortunately, much of the text surrounding Andromeda’s research was censored. Thanks to the censorship, none of the books I found detailed exactly how these Keys were linked, how the Key itself worked, or any in-depth details on how they were made. The only thing I could be sure of was that, even though they had apparently worked, these teleportation portals should be in widespread use today. And they weren’t.

It didn't take long before I rounded a corner and the library came into view, the branches of the great tree whipping around violently in the wind. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing that none of them had snapped off under the stress. Pushing open the door, I stepped inside and quickly closed it behind me.

Finally indoors, I fluffed my wings sharply and shook my body in an attempt to evict the moisture in my coat. As I came to a still and allowed my eyes to adjust to the dark interior, I noticed a faint light coming from somewhere upstairs. The power was out, so it wasn't a lamp. Spike could create light by setting something on fire, I supposed, but he wasn't that irresponsible. It didn't seem like candlelight, either. In fact, it was purple, not entirely unlike the glow of my own magical signature.

"Spike?" I called up the stairs.

No answer. Was he out? I guess that would prevent me from having to find something for him to do.

Curious, I fired up a simple light spell, illuminating my surroundings. When I reached the second floor, I could see the other light was coming from the storage closet. Had Rarity special-ordered glowing fabric? Glowing clothing just seemed like a terrible idea, and I couldn't imagine Rarity, of all ponies, utilizing such a garish design decision. Particularly in purple.

Pulling the door open and peering into the closet, I noticed the light was coming from somewhere in the back and it was brighter than I expected. I stepped inside, but there was little room to maneuver with all boxes of fabric. I began methodically lifting the boxes up over my head, and setting them in a stack just outside the door.

With enough of the boxes out of the way, I was able to see the source of the light: the mirror. More specifically, the thin coils of metal encircling the mirror's frame were radiating a brilliant amethyst glow, pulsating with a low tempo. As I stood there marvelling, the light offered a good look at my reflection. My mane was still soaking wet, hanging down off my neck in a most unflattering way, and my tail was similarly limp and lifeless. The color of the glow accentuated my lavender coat, making my outline look almost ghostly against the dim wall of boxes behind me. The overall effect was hauntingly beautiful in its own way.

I needed a towel, I decided.

Nosing through my saddlebag for something to dry off with, I pulled the Spatial Key out, intending to get started as soon as I’d dried myself off. As my magic touched it, a snaking tendril of magical energy anchored to my horn, and I felt my own magic being stolen away by the Key.

I instinctively released my kinetic grasp on the Key, but it simply hovered there, buoyed in magic I was no longer willfully continuing to channel. I could still move it about with the spell, but I was completely unable to drop it. A cold fear choked out any other emotions I might have had; was my magic being absorbed, or even stolen? It felt like part of me was being violated, somehow.

Blue arcs of electricity flashed across the surface of the mirror, steadily growing more and more violent, and a strange wind whipped about me.

If a portal opens, close it immediately.

Luna’s command echoed ominously in my head.

Hindsight is a wonderfully terrible thing. Like when you jump into a river in the middle of the summer without checking the water temperature, and then you feel like you’re freezing to death.

But it’s too late to do anything about it.

Or like the moment you realize the ancient magical mirror you’re staring at appears to be actually doing something, and you had just discovered it was deemed dangerous enough to censor from the public.

And it might be too late to do anything about it.

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"Whaddya' think girls? Would it look good on me?"

Scootaloo looked over to see what Apple Bloom was gesturing toward. It was just another one of the necklaces, though the color did match her mane almost perfectly.

Apple Bloom, she thought to herself. Wearing jewelry?

Scootaloo burst out laughing. "I don't think jewelry suits you, no matter what it is!"

The earth pony frowned. "Well, it's not like it suits you, either!"

"Well, sure, but I can’t wear jewelry. It just gets in the way. Besides, you’re the one ‘oohing’ and ‘awwing’ over it.

"Ah am not!"

"Are too!"

“Am not!”

Sweetie Belle cut in. "Girls!"

"What?" Scootaloo asked, feigning innocence. "We all know it's true."

Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo and stamped her hoof. "No, it ain't! You were just as excited about this stuff as Ah was! Ah saw you lookin at those fancy wing gloves!"

"Oh, yeah?" Apple Bloom was right, but Scootaloo couldn’t admit that now. Suddenly, she had an idea. "How about a contest?” she said, pointing at the wing covers of a nearby pegasus statue. “I'll bet it looks better on me than it does on you!"

"But that doesn't even make sense", Sweetie Belle countered. “Apple Bloom doesn’t have wings!”

“Sure it does,” Apple Bloom chimed in. “Scootaloo wears the wings, Ah’ll try and put on some of these here earth pony stockings.” She kicked softly at one of the indicated pieces for emphasis.

Sweetie Belle blanched, but quickly recovered. "You’re not even wearing the same thing. How are you supposed to decide which one looks better?"

"You do,” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom responded in perfect unison.

"But it needs ta be official!" Apple Bloom added. "Why don'cha put on one of those fancy crown thingies while ya do the judgin'? That way it'll look all official-like."

"Great idea!" Scootaloo jumped up on top of a nearby unicorn statue, buzzing her wings slightly to keep her balance as she pulled the crown off. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom worked at unclasping the golden stockings from an earth pony statue.

"I don't know about this..." Sweetie Belle said, hesitantly.

Scootaloo fluttered over to Sweetie Belle, setting the crown on the unicorn’s head. "Nonsense. What's the worst that could happen?" Adjusting the crown so that the small sleeve lined up with Sweetie’s horn, Scootaloo pressed it down into place, even though the whole thing was much too large for the young unicorn.

Immediately, the entire chamber went dark. Scootaloo heard a quiet shriek from Apple Bloom's direction as a low rumble shook the chamber.

"Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom’s voice cut through the ominous sound. “I think this statue just moved! Maybe this isn't such a good idea!"

"Sweetie Belle? Can we get some light in here?" Scootaloo pleaded.

Suddenly, a blinding light illuminated the entire cavern. Scootaloo staggered backward, averting her gaze. She blinked repeatedly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.

"Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle?! No! No, no, no." Apple Bloom's voice rang out shrilly from somewhere behind Scootaloo, sounding panicked.

As the cavern came back into focus, she could make out a tall unicorn stallion in front of her, shaking his head. The light from his horn was fading, clearly the source of the intense illumination just moments before. He seemed disoriented.

She stared. There were no other ponies with them when they came inside. The stallion's eyes snapped open, interrupting her thoughts before they could even begin.

"What?" the stallion uttered in a low baritone.

It was little more than a whisper, barely audible over Apple Bloom's cries. The stallion spun around, casting about wildly, his pupils dilating in recognition.

"No. No, I shouldn't be here!” He stopped, staring just past Scootaloo. “And why are there foals here?"

Scootaloo followed his gaze, turning around slowly. Behind her, next to Apple Bloom, a small, jet black statue of a unicorn stood, wearing only a crown.

Sweetie Belle!

Suddenly, everything else didn't matter. Sweetie Belle was a statue! Apple Bloom was sobbing and trying desperately to remove the crown, but it seemed to be stuck.

"This is bad." A mare's voice Scootaloo didn't recognize came from somewhere nearby. "The seal is breaking."

Scootaloo felt herself spun around roughly by a magical grip, coming face-to-face with the stallion.

"Why did she put on the crown?" he demanded. His muzzle pressed into Scootaloo’s nose harshly, and the simple question carried so much authority that Scootaloo shrank back, terrified.

"Who would be so reckless as to break the seal!"

As Scootaloo cowered under the imposing presence of the stallion, a realization jumped out at her. He was no ordinary stallion. His face didn’t make it obvious, but his side did. He had the striped coat of a zebra... but still a unicorn’s horn.

Something inside Scootaloo told her she should run; to flee from this strange stallion and run as far as she could, but her legs were paralyzed and fear was sapping her ability to reason. Unable to do anything else, she spoke in a whisper.

"I did it,” she confessed.

"What?!”

“I put the crown on her head,” she whimpered.

“You stupid child! Do you have any idea what you have done?!” The stallion roared back in her face, spittle showering over her. “Answer me, child! Why did you do such a foalish thing?!"

His voice boomed at a volume Scootaloo didn't think to be possible. She dropped to the ground and covered her head with her hooves, afraid of what might come next.

Why had she done it? Scootaloo couldn't even remember anymore. Terror had taken total control of her mental faculties and no answer would come to her lips. Instead, she lay there, shaking uncontrollably, only dimly aware that she was losing bladder control. The stallion took a step toward her, but was interrupted mid-stride with a soft grunt and a thump.

The stallion uttered a curse as he lurched to the side. Apple Bloom set her hooves back to the ground and then turned to face the stallion.

"Just who d'ya think you are, picking on a filly? Huh?!" The small earth pony was furious. "Ah buck apple trees bigger than you!"

The stallion wheeled around to face her, his horn ablaze with magical energies that lit the cavern up as if it were mid-day.

"They're foals, Xin," the mare's voice spoke again, finally giving a name to the angry stallion. "They must not have known any better."

In the bright light of Xin’s horn, Scootaloo was able to make out a red earth pony mare this time. She wore one of the necklaces, but her leggings were missing.

"That doesn't matter now.” Xin replied. “All our efforts are wasted, and these children ruined it!" He spat the word with disgust.

"CEASE THIS FOALISHNESS, ALL OF YOU!" A more familiar voice cut through the darkness. “Foals they may be, but you act like one too.”

Both of the mysterious ponies stopped and turned to face Zecora, who traipsed slowly between the statues, speaking in her usual cryptic rhyme.

“But come, let us speak,” she continued. “About me. About them. About you.”

Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief at the presence of a trustworthy adult, but then scampered backwards as the timberwolf limped in behind Zecora, growling in warning.

The strange stallion ignored the wooden creature, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"These children have doomed us all, Caretaker. There is nothing to discuss at this time.” Scootaloo could feel the despair in his voice. “The seal has been broken, and its power is weakening even as we speak.”

Scootaloo shrunk back, the guilty feeling in her chest re-asserting itself. Everything was her fault.

“I must get to the Queen and warn her of this at once.” Xin beckoned toward the earth pony mare. “Come, Lydian,” he said. “We depart immediately."

He turned and trotted briskly toward the passage back to the surface. Lydian didn’t move.

"Xin?" she asked, timidly. He didn't answer. “Xin, stop this. This isn’t right.”

"We have precious little time and my power is weakened,” he replied, continuing onward. “What do you want me to do?"

...What would Rainbow Dash do?

Scootaloo drew herself up straight. Rainbow Dash would put him in his place, and she wouldn’t back down. That’s what Rainbow Dash would do.

She bolted after Xin like lightning, darting in front of the stallion. There, she planted herself in front of his hooves with every step he took, impeding his progress. The stallion's eyes narrowed as he stared down at her with disdain.

"Get out of the way, child!" he commanded, pressing forward despite the impediment. "I must see to the Queen!"

"We're not leaving her behind!” Scootaloo growled at him. She continued to place herself underfoot and stared defiantly back at him whenever she had a clear line of sight.

The stallion stopped abruptly. "What we do is no concern of mine. I am going to see the Queen. I should just be arresting the lot of you, but I don't have the time for such a luxury."

When he tried to resume walking, Apple Bloom joined in on Scootaloo's blockade, stopping the stallion's progress entirely. Finally reaching the end of his patience, Xin lifted them both with his magic, and tossed them roughly to the side.

"XIN!" Lydian scolded, quickly trotting forward herself and sitting directly in the path where the fillies had stood. "They are children! Cease this at once."

“Yes, they are children! Children who have doomed us all!” Xin roared. “Queen Celestia must alerted at once!"

The cavern echoed ominously with Zecora’s cackling laughter, giving pause even to the furious stallion.

“It’s a Queen that you are after?” she grinned at the stallion. “You’ll soon be distressed! Your Celestia is no Queen, She is a Princess. Your Equestria has changed, and your knowledge is weak!” She thrust her hoof at the stallion threateningly. “The Princesses rule now; to them all you should speak!”

The stallion paused, stepping back from Zecora. A look of confusion spread across his face.

"I … I am sorry, Caretaker. I am confused. Did you say Princesses? Plural? What has happened to Celestia?"

“Hah!” Zecora’s reply was almost jovial. "Indeed, you have been absent. Your education now due; your ancient beliefs simply no longer true. No Caretaker am I, that tradition is gone. Yes, now in Equestria, She still rules the Dawn.”

Zecora waved a forehoof toward the ceiling in grandiose fashion.

“But no longer alone does she reign over all, and fair Luna now reigns when the nighttime doth fall. But that’s only two Princesses, and two more there are still. Four Princesses total to impose their will! One in the North, who reigns over Love, and the other brings Friendship you aren’t worthy of!

“And yet you pretend to know more than you do, abandoning these children for troubling you. If you could but know just who these three foals are, you’d carry them out from here, and carry them far!”

She raised a hoof and gestured to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

"These fillies three, whom you now chastise? Friends of the princesses, all. No lies.”

Zecora pushed her snout into the taller stallion’s muzzle in a mockery of what he had done to Scootaloo.

“So now, let me ask you, are you set on this path? Do you want to be facing four princesses’ wrath?"

The stallion stared cross-eyed at Zecora, confusion spreading across his features. With a heavy sigh, he turned around.

“You are correct, Caretaker,” he confessed. “Indeed, it seems there is much I do not know. But the seal is decaying rapidly, and when it weakens enough that Gwydion is freed, I can assure you that my compatriots will be the first victims of his wrath."

He returned to Sweetie Belle, lifting the statue onto his back with a quick spell. "This foalish child will be likely be destroyed with them if she is left here, but I cannot do anything for her. For her sake, I hope your Princesses can."

“Oh, thank ya, Mr. Xin!” Apple Bloom latched onto his leg. His glare forced her to disengage, falling backwards into Scootaloo. The two fillies embraced, sharing a moment of relief.

"I will carry her," the stallion continued. "Come. Princess or Queen, it does not matter now. This matter must still go straight to Celestia."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom gingerly followed the irate stallion as he stormed up the tunnel. Lydian fell in beside them while Zecora pulled up the rear with her timberwolf companion. Lydian started talking as they walked, her cheerful tone strongly at odds with the mood.

"Well, now that all the unpleasantness is gone, I must say I am surprised to see you here, Zebra. I thought your kind was long driven from Equestria. But if you are not to be addressed as Caretaker, may I ask for your name?"

"Zecora is mine,” she replied. ”These fillies two? Apple Bloom, Scootaloo. Upon the one misfortune fell, she is christened Sweetie Belle."

"Oh, pleased to meet you!” the mare continued, unfazed. “I’m Lydian Mode, though most ponies just call me Lydian!” She paused for a moment before adding, “I hope this isn’t rude of me, Zecora, but I find your speech strangely melodic. It’s nice!"

"Much has happened between your kind and mine," Zecora responded. "There is much to know, but it will take some time."

The stallion snorted derisively. "Time, however, is one thing that is fleeting," he added. "As Lydian has said, I am Xin. I would be curious to know more about this story, Zecora. However, it shall wait until another day."

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Quickly, Twilight, think of something, I prodded myself.

The mirror’s surface was beginning to distort and shift, the crackling lightning upon the surface dancing erratically as the Spatial Key continued to drain magic from my horn. My curiosity about the mirror-portal was gone, replaced entirely with fear. I really just wanted it to stop whatever it was doing; I needed to get away, do more research, maybe talk to Princess Celestia and figure out what I should do about the mirror. But first it needed to be disabled somehow. And fast.

The Key was still drawing magic from my horn, using magic seemed unwise if I could avoid it. In any case, I already knew that spells were unlikely to do much, as the Key had a habit of absorbing them, and the last thing I wanted to do was empower it. With the clearly magical filament along the mirror’s edge, I couldn’t be sure that the mirror wasn’t enchanted with a spell-absorbing matrix either.

It was clear that the Key and the Mirror were interacting in some fashion, so I decided I needed to separate the two before things got worse. That task seemed simple enough. Turning to leave, I ran nose-first into a wall of boxes. In the process of clearing space to get back to the mirror, I had successfully barricaded myself in.

If the portal fully opens, this wall could hopefully contain anything that came through the portal until I find a way to contact the Princesses, I reasoned. No problem; the first step to teleportation was to visualize where you wanted to go. Fortunately, my mental image of the main floor of the library was nearly perfect, as I spent a large portion of my time there.

A clear image formed in my mind, as familiar to me as nearly anything in Equestria, and I began casting the spell. As I channeled the energy to make the jump, an intense pain shot through my horn and I nearly blacked out. Losing all motor control for a moment, I collapsed to the ground, and the base of my horn burned with agonizing pain.

The spell was lost. The Key, suddenly no longer suspended, clattered to the floor and rolled away. The tendril of magical energy running between it and the base of my horn was still there, leaving a tingling sensation in my skull where they met, and I felt it absorbing even more of my magical energies.

A humming noise started emanating from the mirror, goading me into action. I needed to get away, but now I wasn't sure how. Under the circumstances, I could only think of two ways out -- through the door, or through the mirror - assuming the portal actually worked. I certainly didn't dare try my magic again while something was feeding off of it, and I wasn't about to brave the dangers of the mirror. Steeling myself against a pounding headache, I forced myself to stand.

The very wall of boxes that could have provided a barricade now prevented my own egress. They needed to be out of my way as quickly as possible. I tried to lean my entire body weight into one of the boxes, but it only slid about half of a foot. To my ever-increasing horror, I suddenly remembered that the storage closet was in a hallway. This stack of boxes was now pushed up against the wall across from the door. I would have to pull them away. Unfortunately, hooves aren't really designed for pulling on heavy, cube-shaped objects. That’s what magic is for.

But the boxes are cardboard, I reasoned, and the fabric inside should give. That meant a possibility I could buck the boxes until they fell apart. I suddenly wished I’d spent more time bucking trees with Applejack instead of cheating with my magic.

The humming sound from the mirror was starting to rise in pitch and the tingling in my head was intensifying. I wasn't sure how much time I would have before something really bad happened, so I threw myself into the task with gusto. Turning away from the boxes, I thrust my legs backward powerfully, hoping the flimsy cardboard would cave under the impact. Unfortunately, the boxes were more solid than I thought, and my hind legs forced the rest of my body forward, toppling my center of gravity over my front legs as I slammed face-first into the ground.

Today was miserable. I’d tormented Celestia, suffered through a long flight in lousy weather, and now I was trapped in a room with an out-of-control and probably dangerous spell. And now I’d smashed my face into the floor. Tears streamed down my face as I looked up at the mirror helplessly.

Through my tears, I noticed that the Key was beginning to levitate on its own again, drifting toward the socket at the top of the mirror. The mirror’s surface looked like it was actually boiling now. The glowing wire around the mirror was no longer radiating purple, but instead a brilliant white so bright that I had to shield my eyes from it when the pulses hit their brightest.

"Celestia... please..." I whispered weakly, calling out for the one pony that had always been there for me. I didn't know what else to do.

The Key locked into place, and suddenly there was a deafening roar as the surface of the mirror distorted inward, bending wildly and contorting into impossible shapes. The magical stream between my horn and the orb intensified.

I was sure it was trying to use my energy to finish opening the portal now, and I couldn't do anything to stop it as pain ravaged my most sensitive organ.

"... save me!" I screamed.

Even though I was screaming at the top of my lungs, I couldn't even hear my own voice over the roar of the gathering energies. I closed my eyes and broke down into sobs. Whimpering in pain and hoping that everything would be over soon, I laid down and curled into a fetal position, awaiting my fate.

It was then that a series of three waves hit me, punctuating the end of my life like the dots in an ellipsis.

The first wave was heat blasting from the mirror - an intense heat that enveloped me completely. I genuinely thought I was on fire; my entire body was in agony. At that point, I'm fairly certain I actually screamed in terror, but the second wave hit immediately afterward.

That wave was nothing but a cacophony of sound. It was just jumbled noise, louder than anything I’d ever heard, like it was bypassing my ears and going straight to my brain. I wasn’t sure if it came from the mirror or the orb, but I could no longer hear anything but the senseless noise. I was dimly aware that I had screamed all the air from my lungs, and with all of the pain I was in, it was a struggle even to inhale again.

Before I got managed to even take a breath, a wave of kinetic force blasted into me. I hit the wall roughly and I felt a terrible wrenching sensation in my horn, unlike anything I'd felt before. And then I felt nothing at all.

Comments

[zaku666]

well that escalated rather rapidly

[Mix-up]

this is a very interesting story so far, I like all the mystery that it has so far. I'm looking forward to see the next chapter.

[Sir Casem III]

Um, normally I wouldn't really comment on old chapters, but is there a section missing here?

"This storm has been going for over six hours! All this rain started some floods down rive

by myself. I wasn't terribly concerned with the lack of power, since almost anything I needed could be emulated with a spell. Normally I’d go help out for the sake of the rest of the town, but at the moment I had a portal to open.

And here?

Today was miserable. I’d tormented Celestia, suffered through a long flight in lousy weather, and now I was trapped in a room with an out-of-control and probably dangerous spell. And now

boiling now. The glowing wire around the mirror was no longer radiating purple, but instead a brilliant white so bright that I had to shield my eyes from it when the pulses hit their brightest.

It's really jarring. I even refreshed the page because I thought text wasn't loading or something.

[publiq]

Cutie Mark Crusaders, unsealers of long-forgotten evil: YAY!!!!!!!

> Lydian Mode being the cheeriest pony of the bunch

Nice touch.