Refined Starlight in a Broken Vessel

by the-pieman

Chapter 24

Four-ish weeks later...

I hold up the harp, staring at the strange, night-infused shadows on it. I’m currently sitting in the newly renovated extra room of the Golden Oaks Library, which has a bed just barely big enough for me. It’s the largest size Mattresses and Lumber Nails carried. I’m still trying to figure out that particular store combo.

I return my attention to the instrument, and hesitantly pluck one of the strings. A tremulous note rings out, pure and sweet, but it’s missing something.

Probably someone who knows how to play a harp, but that’s just a guess... Perhaps it likes stellar beings better. I begin my usual, blue glow, and pluck another string with my partially see-through fingers. Suddenly, as my fingers merely brush the other strings in passing, the harp produces an entire chord, smooth and sweet to listen to, like a professional’s hands had gotten a hold of it.

Strange... I continue to ‘play’ the harp, wondering what would happen... perhaps I should ask Twilight about this. It’s completely evaded my thoughts every time I’ve met up with her, especially with Rarity popping up almost every time and trying to convince me to act as a Species Swap template for her.

I mean, I’m sure being human is fascinating, and thumbs are, like, the best thing in the entire universe, but other than that... I realize that the harp is just playing random chords, with no real connection to each other, and get a touch frustrated. Exasperated, I think about a song, Sacrifice, and swipe at the strings.

A chord like something from a guitar’s tortured screams from the harp, and I feel the starlit night sky creep up from the shadows of the harp, and I feel my fingers twitch and stroke the strings, pulling forth the song from nothing but memory.

Somehow, I’m recalling the lyrics perfectly, singing along with the phantom band whose music pours from the night-harp. Nigh unto four minutes later, I let go of the harp, a grin on my face.

I look up to see that Spike opened the door and is looking at me with a dumbstruck expression on his face. A letter fluttered from his slack grip.

“That for me, I take it?” I wait for the dragon’s numb nodding. I reach down and pick it up. It’s a letter from Cadence!

Dear Ser Anthony,

I have contacted my aunt, the esteemed Princess Celestia Dawnbringer. She has given permission for our expedition through the Canterlot Lookinglass Gate to Wunderland, and has already begun preparations. I have been informed I will take a minimum of four guards for each ‘guest’, and no more than seven.

With purest sincerity,
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza

P.S. I couldn’t get my chamberlain to let me write the letter, sorry. Anyways, We’re cleared to go, and Twilight and Pinkie can come along, too. I’ll be bringing a total of nineteen guards, to keep it a prime number. I’ll get to finally see more than just what’s in the established clearing outside the other end of the gate! Ooh, I can’t wait.

P.P.S. I heard you and Pinkie had some... ‘alone’ time together about a month ago. I told you so. ;D

How the heck does she know... oh forget it. Besides, Pinkie wasn’t a pony at the time, which is completely different! I decide that I should tell Pinkie that we are going to be heading for Wunderland, so I get up and leave the library, making my way to Sugarcube Corner.

Part way there, I run into Pinkie again. “Hiya Anthony! I was just coming to invite you to a party! Ponyville is 120% back to normal! And you’re a hero to all of the town, and I just learned the word ‘juxtaposition’ which means two ideas or concepts next to one another and I think it’d be really cool to do a ‘Ponyville’s Hero’s party!” Her words speed up near the end, and for a second I could swear her eyes were swirling blue galaxies again... but no, it’s just Pinkie being excitable again.

“That sounds like a great idea! I might even have an idea for some musical entertainment.”

Pinkie’s grin turns even wider. “Wowie! What is it? Oh, wait, you want it to be a surprise, don’t you? Oh, this is going to be awesome, I just know it! I’d better go tell the others!” the fluffy pink mare zooms off, leaving a faintly candy-scented pink cloud behind for a second.

I shake my head at the silliness, then remember that I forgot to tell her about the trip. As I get ready to curse, Pinkie zooms back up to me. “Oh, did you need to tell me anything? I had a twitchy ear, rumbly belly, and a light head, which either means I’m really hungry, or a friend has something to tell me!”

“Well, we’re going on a trip to Wunderland in a few months. You, me, Twilight, and Cadence. How’s that sound?”

“Whoo! I get to go say ‘hi’ to Granny Pie! She doesn’t get to visit all that often, on account of her breeding Drumble Jubjub birds. They get really cranky and start frumigating if you don’t feed them on time, so she has to be there most times of the years, except Lend and Borrow.”

“Lend and Borrow?”

“Yeah, Lend comes before Lent, and Borrow is the same day, but on second thursdays of alternating years.” I am so glad that at least she understands what she’s saying.

“Like... Leap Year?”

“No, silly, that’s when Frumious Bandersnatches mate and breed!” I have the feeling I’m going to get eaten by something during this trip.

“Well, sure, so when’s the party? Later today?”

“It’ll be tomorrow, and I even got a guest from Canterlot to help with the music! She said she knows you.”

“Vinyl Scratch?” I guess aloud.

“You know my maybe-cousin-twice-removed Vinyl Scratch? Oh, this is going to be awesome!”

“...you know, you two being related makes a lot of sense. Wait, that is who you meant is coming for the music, right?”

“Well, duh, the only other one I know personally is Octavia and she only plays slow music!”

“I dunno, I’ve seen some pretty heavy stuff on cellos before, and I wasn’t about to judge.”

Pinkie looks thoughtful. “You keep saying heavy. Is music related to weight, where you come from?”

“No, it’s slang. It means-”

Pinkie giggle-snorts. “Hee hee! I’m just playing with you, silly! Don’t worry, Vinyl has that covered, adopted or not. And I mean it when I say Octavia only plays slow, she doesn’t like to play fast music.”

“But she’s fine hearing it, apparently.”

“Well, you like living in houses, but you don’t like having to put them up every time you want to go to sleep, do you?”

I open my mouth to say something. I close my mouth. “Point.” I kneel down and ruffle her mane.

“Hee hee, you’re a good friend, Anthony.” She nuzzles my hand, and pronks off. “See-ya later, Anthony-gator!” She waves as she goes, turning a corner without looking.

That pony is crazy. Totally crazy. And I like her that way.

Practically bouncing with joy myself, I wander towards where Twilight is waiting; the post office. I’d been coming to the quaint little post office for the last few weeks, getting to say hi to Ditzy and Dinky, who were both adorable in their own ways, until my cast had come off. Twilight is sitting amiably on the bench outside the post office, still reading the Lookinglass Gates book, having been making notes about each chapter for the last four weeks.

“Heya, so Cadence sent me a letter earlier. We’ll be bringing nineteen guards with us for safety. I’m honestly a bit scared of going, but the not-knowing would just kill me!” I sit down and ruffle her mane like I did with Pinkie, only I know she doesn’t like it.

“Hey! Yeah, I got a letter, too. I know what you mean about not knowing... we’ll be the first formal explorers in almost half a century! Ooh, I can just hear the publishing awards already...” She looks like she’s daydreaming.

“Heh, yeah, feeling pretty glad I thought of going there, aren’t ya?”

Twilight nods happily, grinning and flopping her ears up and down. I laugh and ruffle her mane again. “So, what are you waiting out here for again?”

Twilight carefully places a bookmark in her place, and closes the book. “Celestia said she was going to have a rare old book sent to me, so that I can restore it. She said to take as much time as I want on it, that its quality is far more important than the promptness of its return.” She puffs her chest out proudly, making her look like she’s all fluffy from the chin down. “It’s a big responsibility, but I know I’m up to it!” She beams at me.

“Heh, sure, just don’t explode from excitement, okay?”

“Oh, please, it’s just a book, there’s no way anything weird will come from it.” She scolds me gently.

“I wasn’t talking about the book, I was talking about you!” I saw, recalling her tendency to overestimate her own capacity for calmness.

“I know, I was saying- oh, right, you’re being humorous, sorry.” She lowers her ears abashedly.

“Don’t worry, with enough practice, you may end up one-one hundredth as funny as I am someday. If you’re lucky.” I boop her nose.

“I don’t need to be funny, I’m already smart.” She retorts smugly. She’s improving, that’s for sure.

“You keep believing that, and you might get others to believe it as well.” I laugh and walk off. I’m going to finally get Rarity to tell me her little secret crush. Unfortunately Sweetie Belle answers and gives me some bad news.

“What do you mean she’s not back yet?” I ask, looking at Sweetie Belle, bewildered.

The little white filly shrugs and looks at me. “She said there was something she needed to get from ‘out of town’, and then she hasn’t been back yet. She does this sometimes.”

Dang it, Rarity. You can’t hide from this forever... I thank Sweetie anyways, and get ready to head off, until Sweetie calls out to me.

“Wait, d’you want to go crusading with Applebloom, Scootaloo and I? I don’t really have anything to do, now that my chores are done, and it’s really quiet in here with Rarity out...”

“Sure... I’ll be right back.” I dash off to the library to retrieve my crusading uniform shirt. Sure I’ll never get a Cutie Mark, but I don’t mind helping these kids out, although I’ve mainly spent most of my time trying to veto some ideas and explain why it’s the most god-awful, stupid decision ever.

By the time I get the shirt on and get back to the boutique, there’s a piece of paper stuck to the door telling me they’re at the clubhouse.

Oh well, I guess I can make this quick. I decide to enter my Dynamo form and rush to the clubhouse. I’m not spending all that time walking to the other side of Ponyville.

‘Skidding’ to a halt near the clubhouse, I power down, noting that my shadows when I do that have started turning to the nightscape, and I can’t seem to make that effect go away. Brushing off some stray dust, I walk up to the little clubhouse, and get a flying tackle from a pair of micro-ponies, Sweetie and Applebloom gripping me in tight hugs. Scootaloo stood at the top of the stairs, dramatically shrouded by the angle of the sun and the location, putting her just barely above my natural line of sight.

“Aw, come on Scoots, I don’t bite... much.”

For some reason, she seemed to put on what I can only explain as some sort of threat display, puffing up her feathers and putting her wings up. I guess I scared the kid somehow.

“Oh, alright, alright. Be that way. So, what do I need to save you from- I mean, what are we going to do first?”

Scootaloo puffs up even further, somehow. “We’re going to try being Cutie Mark Crusader Junior Electricians!”

Oh god, this is going to go... wait, Twilight said that even lightning in this world doesn’t normally reach lethal levels. And that there’s almost no wiring or electrical work for appliances... what are they electrifying?

“And, exactly how do you plan on doing that?”

“We pooled our allowances and bought two of these!” Scootaloo proudly pulled out a pair of Junior Arcane Circuitry sets, similar to the one I bought in Canterlot but haven’t tried out yet.

“You know that’s all magic, right? I’m not sure how you three could...”

Scootaloo looks down at the set, her wings drooping. “Yeah, but... well, I thought it was a good idea...” Sweetie and Applebloom both charge back up the ramp to give Scootaloo a hug.

“Hey, come on, so you made a mistake. The smart and adult thing to do is learn from it and become better peo- ponies.”

Scootaloo looks back up at me, her ears perking up. And now she’s puffing up again. What is it that I’m doing to make her do that?

Anyways, The three of them quickly conscript me into helping them, especially with three major points:

- They need an adult’s supervision, so I guess that means me.
- They also need help getting the annoying little twist ties off of the the numerous things inside the boxes, something you usually ask a grown unicorn to help with. Fingers rock.
- They also need some finer control putting some of the parts together. Once more, fingers rock.

“You know, I wonder how my electricity mixes with this magic stuff. I bought one of these myself to find out, but I never got around to it.”

Sweetie gave a half-hearted ‘huh’, before nosing out little pieces of metal, and pushing around the big, ceramic base tiles.

Applebloom was holding the instructions, and I could see that the back side was labeled in ‘Prançais’.

...Prench? Wait... Prance!? Jesus Christ these ponies... I barely resist the urge to facepalm.

Applebloom begins rotating the instructions ninety degrees, while Scootaloo is sorting the pieces by shape. Sweetie Belle is eyeing a single piece, this one shaped like a bolt of cloth or a scroll inside a circle of symbols and runes.

“Magic runes, huh? So that’s how you get magical electricity...” I think for a second. “Hey, if it’s possible, let’s leave the energy input piece out, I wanna try something.” I hold up a finger and send a few sparks across it to demonstrate my idea. “You girls think it’ll work?”

Applebloom looks up. “Actually, Sweetie is supposed to be th’ ‘input’, ‘cuz she’s got magic.”

“Aww, come on, aren’t you a little curious? Magic isn’t the answer to everything.” I boop the yellow filly on the nose with the current in my finger, about seven volts. I don’t wanna hurt her after all.

Applebloom jerks back at the shock, and stares at her nose, cross-eyed. “Whut was that?”

“Electricity, you silly filly. I can make electricity. And I don’t mean the kind you ponies get from clouds or magic. This is a bit more... natural.”

Scootaloo looked over at me, poofing up again. Seriously, she looks like a koosh ball when she does that. “I can make lightning!”

“Sure, but is it enough to knock out a demon for about five minutes?” I hold up my hand and start generating more electricity. Much more than just my finger. My shadows are turning night-ish again, too.

Scootaloo deflated, looking utterly miserable for some reason. “N-no...”

“Good! Electricity like this is dangerous! I don’t want anything to happen to any of you! I don’t want you to get hurt.” I release the energy into the ground at my feet, sending the charge harmlessly into the wooden floor in ten-volt intervals. Don’t want to burn anything.

The crusaders clustered around, and began to assemble the first set-up, on a big ceramic board with a bunch of concentric rings of pegs to hook the pieces onto. I had to intervene more than once when Scootaloo or Sweetie would try to wrestle the uncooperative pieces into spots they wouldn’t fit. I doubt that the arcane circuit would react any better to damaged parts than a normal, electrical circuit would.

“So, how does this work when all put together? Do you just... give it magic and it does it’s thing?”

Sweetie Belle nodded quickly, and I saw a flickering, weak glow from on her horn. Her face contorted in ways that could not possibly be natural or healthy. She grunted like she’d eaten five pounds of cheese, and grimaced like it turned into a kidney stone along the way.

“Holy crap, kid. Stop! You’re gonna have an aneurysm if you keep that up!”

“N- nuh... uh!” finally, she let loose a flurry of sparks... all two of them. They dribbled limply to the floor, fizzling out like wet pop rocks when they touched the floorboards. Sweetie looked winded, and her cheeks were red as a firetruck. “W- wow... what a rush!”

“Okay, never never do that again. I am not going to bury any of you! Seriously, let’s just try my way, alright? I’m here to make sure you stay safe.”

Applebloom looks back down at the instruction sheet. “Also, yer supposed ta touch yer horn to the ay-ray, Sweetie Belle.”

The little unicorn, still panting and looking around like someone who just ran a marathon on forty pots of coffee, nodded. “Okay! O- once Anthony goes, can I go again! Please!?” Sweetie bounced up and down a little, and I held back a giggle. Even if she may have just almost fried herself, it was still an adorable sight. Huh, and Scootaloo is puffing up again. I’m starting to think pegasi are just weird at that age.

I... also don’t know their ages. I should probably ask some time. After science, though.

“Well... maybe. I just don’t want there to be any accidents. From any of you! I know I’m being kind of a killjoy, but I’m going to try this ‘responsibility’ thing today, okay?” I pick up all three of them in a light hug. “You’re going to stay safe, alright?”

Even if they’re ponies, I could never let a child get hurt or worse while I’m around. I’d never forgive myself.

All three of them squirm for a moment in my grip, until they’re comfortable, and hugging me back. Even Scootaloo is joining in, holding me with her little wings as well as her forelimbs and pushing her face into my armpit. Weird child.

“So, we do this carefully, and safely. Yes Sweetie, you can try again, but don’t wear yourself out.” I put them down, find the array according to the diagram, and decide I should start with just two volts from my finger. Just a start.

I gently place my finger on the outer edge of the outer circle, and release, and suddenly...

Nothing happens. Judging from what the crusaders put together, it’s supposed to summon a miniature cloud. Or make a duck turn purple, it’s a little hard to tell.

“Well, fine, take fifteen volts!” I hold my finger away and return it to the plate after a quick charge. The filigree designs proceed to do fuck-all nothing, much to my frustration. Before I can simply unload a lethally-explosive level of cosmically-charged lightning, I sit myself in the corner and fume for a few minutes. “Razzin’ frazzin’ magic.”

I look over as giggles erupt from nearby the set, and see that there’s a little, pale green cloud now hovering over the circle, and Scootaloo is grabbing it and mushing it like clay.

“Oh come on! I know I put more electricity into that than any of you could! That’s so unfair!”

Applebloom looks over. “But it’s nawt eel-ec-trissity! It’s magic! That’s what ‘Ar-cany’ means!”

Sweetie Belle looks up. “It’s pronounced ‘ar-cane!’”

I sigh. “So, now what? None of you got your marks, and honestly, I think it’s because you need to do something special. I’m pretty sure this is intended for any unicorn to do.”

The three let out an ‘aww’ and looks at their hooves, Scootaloo stopping her molding of the cloud to do so. The other two began talking about what they could do next, but Scootaloo went back to messing with the cloud.

“Hmmm... Hey Scoots, You said you can make lightning. Can you use that cloud and zap the array? Maybe your electricity would work.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “It’s not that type of cloud, dummy!” She pokes it to make her point. A few moments later and she holds it up. “Lookit what I made!”

“It’s... a bowl.” I note.

“With high sides!” she looks... pleased. I don’t know why, and she’s doing that poofy thing again. I think I need to hug that out of her, I don’t doubt she’s extra soft now that she’s doing that again.

“Sure, uh... good job.” I say and pick her up. I don’t have the heart to tell her that was probably the lamest thing I’ve ever seen done with a cloud.

She snuggles into me again, once more pushing her muzzle into my armpit. I wonder if there’s something wrong, and this is how pegasi deal with home issues.

“Anyway...” I just sit there holding the orange filly. “What else could we try?”

The other two look up, and seem a little awed by me holding Scootaloo, who has now curled up in my one-armed hold.

“Uh... we could... uh... usually, Scootaloo comes up with things to do.” Sweetie admitted. Scootaloo just yawned, and it felt almost like she was purring.

“Well, looks like she might be unavailable. You think she got enough sleep last night?”

Applebloom and Sweetie both start looking at other things in the room, not answering my question.

“What? Did I do something?”

Sweetie looks down at her hooves, and I could swear she’s even more flushed than before. Applebloom is just refusing to meet my eyes, but she’s also got a blush for some reason. Did my pants come undone, or something?

Nope, fly’s up and everything. Guess they’re just embarrassed because they can’t come up with anything. “Well, I guess I’ll go then, just... call me if you come up with something.” I place Scootaloo down gently, and crawl my way through the clubhouse door. Cute kids, but... strange.

Scootaloo appeared to be waking up as I left, and had a sad look on her face, but there’s only so much weirdness I can take at once. Maybe I can... wait, I haven’t even been to Applejack’s house in a while. I wonder if they need any help up there? The clubhouse is on the property, so it can’t be too far. Just past this hill of apple trees, right?

---

I must’ve wandered into a trans-dimensional warp or something, because I’ve been wandering beneath these trees for days. The searing heat of the sun is baking my brain, and I’ve not seen any sign of civilization or life beyond the endless trees. I should’ve stayed back. I should’ve known that the universe would do this to me!

I’m going to die out here! I’ll be lost forever, flickering out and never seen again! Woe is me! Woe is m-

Oh, wait, there’s the farmhouse.

I trek up the hill and look back, the clubhouse peeking up over the foliage of the next hill over.

Huh, guess it was only, like, twenty minutes. Tops. Well, I feel like a dumbass. I wonder if that means the same thing here? Do they have donkeys? I decide to ask later. I head up to the farmhouse and knock on the door.

The door opens with a creak, and a withered sack of green wrinkles looks up at me. Granny Smith sure is looking better from the last time I saw her.

“Heya, Granny Smith, how are you today?”

She smiles up at me, a warmth in that smile reminding me of my own grandma. “I’m doin’ alright. The insurance money from the orchard that great burnin’ galoot torched came in, and we got m’ hip replaced! See-ram-ic and arcanium! I c’n walk better now than I could forty years ago! And we had enough saplin’s to replant without needin’ the money, so tha’s even better. How’s you doin’, Anty-boy?”

Wow... that was... close to my name. Thank god it’s just her way of speaking. “I’m doing great. I figured since I didn’t have anything to do today, I’d see if you needed any help. Not sure what I could do, but I’m making the offer all the same.”

“Weeell... c’n ya do any pipin’? the kitchen sink is clogged agin, and Applejack and Big Mac don’t know squat ‘bout nothin to do with pipes.”

“Well, I’m not exactly an expert, but I’ll give it a shot. Show me the pipes.”

Granny Smith leads me into the kitchen, and points at the double sink. One side was so dry that the little cracks in the porcelain were visible. The other was almost overflowing with black-green water, and smelled like a sewer had thrown up in it.

“Yep, you definitely got a problem. I’ll see what I can do...” I think for a moment. I suppose I could just reach into the drain and see if I can find the blockage... but that water... is no longer water. Come on man, you’ve killed a Changeling Queen, you’ve literally blown a demon’s head off, you’re the hero of Equestria and... you’re gonna need a looooooong shower after this.

Closing my eyes, I reach my hand into the not-water and feel for the drain. Once I find it, I reach in, trying to see if I can touch whatever’s stopping up the sink. I could probably go intangible... no, then it’d be in me, and I really don’t want to think of the implications.

“Well, y’ gonna fix it?” Granny’s voice urges me forward, and I swallow the lump in my throat and whimper. The water feels like... well, not like water. I also can’t feel the pipe as anything more than pressure around my wrist. Also, I think I may be stuck.

That said, I think I found the problem. Whatever it is, it’s grainy and mushy all at once, like really low-grade schnapps runoff. It’s packed in, and probably settled into the pipe when it was backed up slightly, and then just piled on top of the obstruction. I’d need a pretty powerful batch of Liquid Plumber, or the assistance of a star-powered Mario to get through it.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any of those, so I’m gonna have to think. Then I get an idea. I enter my Heat form and heat up my other hand over the not-water. I’m gonna try and make this sludge evaporate. Several seconds on high heat pass, and I’m starting to see the water bubble, then boil. It’s working! But the stench is really doing a number on my gag reflex.

...Oh god, it’s cooking onto my arm!

It’s like the cast all over again, but when I pull my hand out in panic, I see that it’s a crusty green-black-brown, and smells like the rancid insides of something that died of cholera.

Or diarrhea. I am suddenly so glad I only put one arm into the sink.

Granny smith starts cracking up. “Sonny, you do know we’ve got one ah them fancy pipe-cleanin’ doohickies, right?”

“Well, yeah, but if you push the blockage from the sink end, it’ll just get stuck further down the pipe. You need to push the stuff up or you risk making the problem worse.”

Granny Smith nods sagely. “Tha’s why it’s a grabby-one.”

“...” I sigh. God damnit. I end up with my arm looking like I just punched the Swamp-Thing for nothing. Fuck my life. “Alright, where is it?”

“Right above th’ sink, Anty-boy.” I look up. It’s right at eye level.

“Right.” I grab it and pull my arm out of the drain. That was probably the most disgusting noise I’ve heard in my life. Anyway, I lead the tool down into the drain and when I feel resistance, I try and grab it. I pull up a mass of rusty, organic sludge... and a mass of blonde and red hairs. “Uh... huh.”

“Dag-nabbit! Those look like Applebloom and Applejack’s hair! Ooh, I’m gonna give ‘em sucha walloping’ when they get back, they won’t be able to sit fer a month!”

I think for a moment. They’re quadrupeds, how often do they need to sit, anyways?

The sink gurgles and slurps as the now-cleared drain slowly does its thing, leaving a crusty layer of baked gunk on the sides of the sink. Granny Smith eyes my arm. “Well, Ah guess y’all should get yer arm cleaned off. I’d offer th’ sink, but... Don’ want it gettin’ clogged again. Take yerself to the hog pen, they’ll clean ya, an’ they don’ bite, neither.”

“...fine, where’s the pen?”

---

Now that that horrific experience is over and my arm is clean, minus the pig slobber, I decide I have learned my lesson. Don’t offer help to the Apples!

I still don’t have anything to do today though, so I think on what other ways I could waste time. Maybe I can finally talk to Twilight about the harp? That seems like it might take another couple of hours. I think I’ll try something a bit... softer for a demonstration though. Not sure how well she’d take to my appreciation for dark music.

I make my way to the library, looking around me as I go. Everyone has fully accepted me and then some! I can remember when I first came here, all the closed doors, scared faces... that’s all over. I’m accepted. These ponies aren’t so bad, I guess. As long as they keep their minds off my junk, that is. I’m going to have to make Canterlot hear my speech next.

I return to the library, go into my room, and pull out the harp. The sunlight coming in through the window leave stark, deep shadows of nightscape on the instrument, and I take a moment to look closer at it. The strings themselves are thin strands of night time, and I shake my head. It’s quite obviously a powerfully magic artifact. Or, at least, a really impressive party-trick, one of the two.

I head down the stairs, just in time to see Twilight walking back in, levitating a large wooden crate, the top already being pried off with nothing but magical force. Damn this unicorn is strong.

“Hey Twi. What’s in the box?”

“Hmm? Oh my package arrived from Canterlot! They had to bring it down slowly, by cart and carriage. It must’ve gotten held up in Fetlock, the town at the base of Mt. Canter.” Fetlock, at the foot of a mountain. I swear, I lost brain cells from that. Twilight set the crate down, and propped herself up on the edge, like a puppy trying to see into a box. I hear her squeal with delight as she pulls out... a single, battered journal.

For a moment, she keeps her delighted face, but it fades as she looks at the book. “Uhm... I don’t recognize this... is it written in gryphon?” she holds up the book in her magical grasp, and she makes an almost pained noise in the back of her throat as she looks over the pages inside. She looks at me with a pitiful expression, ears down and her eyes wide. The book, labeled “Mein Tagebuch” floats in front of her. beneath the title, a smaller line of text reads, “Nicht öffnen!”

“Well I’d help, but I don’t know much German, honestly...”

“German? This is gryphon!” She pokes at the book again, still looking miserable.

“Well, it certainly looks a lot like German to me. You probably have similar languages as humans but have different names. For example. I have a bit of understanding of French. With an ‘F’.”

At this point, she’s stopped paying attention, pawing at the book as if petting it will make it divulge its secrets to her. Offhandedly, she replies, “It’s prench, from Prance. Fancee is a dialect.” she doesn’t appear to be actually responding to my statement, but a statement from someone else, probably said a long while ago.

“Why do you want to read this anyway? It’s just someone’s diary or something. Seriously, what’s so important about some bird-lion’s journal?”

She turns the book back to me, flipping open to the first page. The inside cover has more writing on it. “Because of whose it is! I recognize the name, it’s the title he used while in the Gryphon Empires!” The words she’s pointing at are ‘Wirbelnde-Sterne der Bart.’, which is a load of gibberish to me.

“Sorry Twilight, but it’s just some German junk. I don’t read it fluently.”

She perks up at the last word. “But you do speak it a little? You could help me get started on a translation! The lost works of Starswirl the Bearded!” A sudden gust of wind stirs the room, sending some of Twilight’s research notes fluttering into the air and causing the journal’s pages to flip wildly. Twilight immediately began grabbing all the loose pages and collecting them. “Oh, drat, Spike or Rainbow Dash must’ve left a window open again. I suppose if you’re not interested, Anthony, then you’re not interested. Did you have anything you wanted?”

“Hmmm, not exactly say as much as show.” I hold up the harp to Twilight.

Twilight gasps and drops the book. Wow. I didn’t think the harp was that impressive. Her entire expression is wide, and I feel the harp get yanked from my grip, sailing into Twilight’s hooves. She immediately begins rotating and turning it, examining it from every angle.

“How did you get this?” She hisses at me, a look of... terror? Yeah, I think that’s terror on her face. What is wrong with this harp?

“Well, I got it from a Unicorn I met a few days ago in the park. Her name was Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Who?” Twilight furrows her brow, and I can see from here that her breathing has picked up in pace. Jeez, something has her scared.

“I have no idea, but she certainly seemed to know a lot about me. Anyway, what’s so special about the harp? I mean, there’s something I know is strange about it, but what do you know?”

“This isn’t ‘A Harp’, it’s a lyre, for one... secondly, it’s the Lyre, all others are based on this Lyre. It’s the Fundamental Lyre, and without it, stringed instruments wouldn’t exist!” Twilight stopped to suck in a breath. “It’s also Princess Luna’s!”

“So this was design number zero, huh? Well, guess it’s mine now.”

“You can’t just steal one of the Fundamental Tools of Creation!” Twilight looks aghast at my announcement, clutching the lyre with all four limbs and her magic aura.

“I didn’t steal it. It was given to me by someone who was definitely not princess Luna. I stole nothing, just acquired it from the thief.”

“That’s still stealing! I’m going to get this sent back!” Her eyes have gone wild. There has got to be more to this harp if she’s going this nuts about- wait, she called it a ‘Fundamental Tool of Creation’, and even I could hear the Capital Lettering on that title.

“Well, wouldn’t it be better to be held by someone of similar power to Luna’s before it’s official return?”

“No! There’s no telling what sort of calamities could be summoned or manifested! It’s a tool of unimaginable power and unknown utilities! We don’t even know how it works!” She stared at me, panting and flailing her forelimbs for emphasis.

I scoff. “I know how it works.”

Her forelegs came down. “Y- you do?”

“The lyre, please?” I hold out my hand, and once she reluctant parts with it, I hold it up. “First of all, it’s a musical instrument, no matter what powers it has, so of course that’s it’s main function. Now, how about a song? A song from my world?”

I Spark up and focus on the song. “This song is called What I've Done.” With that, I begin to play the lyre as before.

My fingers find the strings by instinct once more, tugging, pulling, plucking and caressing to pull forth the notes as needed. This time, it doesn’t start with a screech, probably because it’s already set to ‘band’. The music flows out, and I sing along, the lyrics sad and almost depressing. Once the song ends, I see Twilight staring in shock.

“A-Anthony! You have no idea what that might’ve done! What if you played a song and made weather happen, or an earthquake, or- or-”

“And? Can’t you control your weather? Or stop earthquakes? What happened to all that environmental control you had?”

“Anthony, you’re holding one of the eight things that made the world! You’re basically asking what an ant would do if a rhino had been about to step on it! they’re strong, sure, but not that strong!”

“So what you’re saying is, I’d be giving Equestria a taste of what my world deals with on a regular basis?”

“No, you’d be changing the fundamental structure of Terra! You could’ve made an unending, ever-growing hurricane, or an earthquake that continues for centuries, or a tidal wave immune to wind resistance and friction!”

Okay, those thoughts never would’ve occurred to me without serious prompting.

“Well, then if it’s Luna’s and it’s so gosh-darned important, why’d she let it get stolen? How’d that other pony get it?”

Twilight shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know! She gave each of the Fundamental Tools to a constellation of stars to keep safe, where nothing can get to any of the tools at all. The Stars use them to grant wishes.”

I think. Constellations. “Hmmm, one wouldn’t happen to be a weighing scale of rather simple design, would it?”

“Yes, Libra. The scales have control of the balance of morality.” Those I could see having catastrophic consequences for messing with.

“Leo, Cassiopea, Aquarius. Just to name a few. And of course, Lyra”

“Well, not quite. The Lyre is one of them, along with the Scales. There’s also the Sword, the Crown, and the Hammer.” Twilight said.

“Alright. the Sword... That’s either Orion the Hunter... or the other one I can’t remember, the Hero.”

“No, Orion is one of the heroes of the old Unicorn nation, before Equestria. Marecules is the constellation dedicated to the earth pony hero who defeated a corrupted alicorn with her strength alone.”

“Huh, well, I’m only going off of the stuff I know from my world. Oh yeah, that’s it. It was Perseus, the Hero. Anyway, yeah. I’m only going off my knowledge of the constellations that I was taught in human school. You ponies are bound to have some differences.”

Twilight nodded. “That makes sense. That you recognized any at all is impressive. But Leo is a type of monster-class creature here. In the order Stellamorphous, to be precise. All of these parallels, though... do you think that, maybe, our worlds were connected, once?”

“I don’t doubt it, anything’s possible when you figure in the ‘infinite-universes’ theory, which I happen to believe in. Also, I suppose another Stellar creature is Taurus, a bull?”

“Cattle, but yes, they’re pretty common in the Minotaur’s countries. They raise them as sacred animals.”

“Taurus is a bull in the human constellations. Eh, whatever, I suppose there’s not a huge difference. So if each of the Artifacts have some purpose, what’s the Lyre supposed to do aside from supposedly create unnatural disasters?”

“The Lyre is supposed to control Destiny, or the Future. It’s not clear, actually; the legends are really old.” Twilight fidgets in place.

“Huh, that sounds like trouble. Fine, I’ll give the Lyre to Luna after tomorrow.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you. I don’t know how somepony could’ve stolen it, but it shouldn’t be running around.” Twilight, shuddering from the adrenaline crash, went to the couch and lay down on it. “Oh jeez, I am exhausted. I’ll... I’ll reshelve the...” Twilight yawned broadly. “in th’ ev’n’n...” She was snoring before long at all.

I think about the instrument in my hands. I seem to have control over the way it plays so wouldn’t that mean that I have control over what it does? Couldn’t I just tell it not to cause any disasters? Eh, whatever, I’m still gonna rock that party tomorrow. Vinyl might like some of our music. Who knows. I wonder what I’ll play... I think on that for a bit, but decide I’ll choose one once I’m on stage. This is gonna be good.

Comments

[Sigmacipher]

6878561 italics...because reasons....

[Booster Spice]

I wish I could remember the name and author of the old short story where this musician in an advanced civilisation claimed to be able to create things using his advanced mesonic synthesiser or some such, and ends up going all the way.

I just hope he doesnt play Europe:The Final Countdown.

[the-pieman]

6878617 I've... never heard of such a story before...

And what's wrong with Final Countdown?

[the-pieman]

6878615 It's meant to be used to indicate inflection. I'm inflecting the word "whimsical" because it's the (obviously) poor excuse she gave. The real answer she knows all this is because she can literally tell the future... to an extent. The Lyre allows her to read intent.

[Kichi]

6878623 I think I can answer.... There is nothing that go to your head if you think "Final Countdown"? He could very well throw a Doom FF spell to the planet and destroy it.

But if this story goes like the previous story, I don't think is going to happen.

P.S: You accept suggestions for songs?

[Sigmacipher]

6878623 Final Countdown= end of the world, Also I read the chapter about the lyre before I saw your comment, plus she might be able to see the future...but if she doesn't know how we get there then she's kinda useless.

Also because inflection does not answer the question...it just makes people want to try to kill you in your sleep.

[the-pieman]

6878768 What do you suggest? I will only do songs I've heard before (meaning Anthony would know them) but I may make special exceptions if I can write a good scene for a song.

[Kichi]

6878864 Well... I have a very long list

But to really suggest maybe you could like those

One

Two

Three

four

Five

Six

And if you like any other song from the list... But for the moment I can only suggest those six.

[the-pieman]

6878996 well I'm going to avoid anime songs, mostly because I've only seen a few, and they aren't the kind known for their music. Such as Detective Conan and Kuroshitsuji.

[Kichi]

6879043 don't worry, not all of the songs in the list are anime songs. But a couple of the songs are in spanish, to give you a warning.

[jaxman147]

Omg, Anthony is such a dork. Please keep him a dork. His dorkitude entertains me.

[the-pieman]

6905706 His "dorkitude" is part of who he is. It won't change.

[LordNobady]

The lire reminds me of soul music for sir Terry Prachet.

[the-pieman]

10832958
There are specific rules for how the Lyre works and what it can be used for, as Twilight alludes to, though neither she nor Anthony actually know what those features really are.