Lines and Webs

by Airstream

Of Amulets and Allies

The next day was a surreal experience for Twilight Sparkle and Morning Star. The day was devoted to performances and art, a surprising amount of which was dedicated either to the Elements of Harmony, or to their recent trip. The highlight of the day was watching a puppet show, the strings magically suspended as a tiny wooden Twilight Sparkle and Morning Star fought a monster with nine heads that more closely resembled a hastily repainted dragon than a hydra. The show was completely inaccurate, incredibly cheesy, and one of the most entertaining things Twilight had ever seen.

"Can you believe those two? Who knew Twilight Sparkle was an Alicorn in disguise?" Morning Star teased as they walked down a side street. They were both wearing carnival masks, his a bright red and hers a shining gold. They fit right in, as many ponies were in costumes of some sort.

"I know, right? And that Morning Star, with his book of all the secrets ever written? That's amazing, I bet he knows so much!" Twilight shot back, flicking her cape back over her Cutie Mark. "They both sound like real heroes, no doubt about it." They both laughed, wandering down the street together. Twilight was free for the rest of the week, until the Summer Sun Ceremony later on that week. She was taking full advantage of the time, rarely leaving Morning Star's side. He had proven to be more than competent and talented. He was also a hopeless romantic, as Twilight had found out late last night. The pair had barely escaped the throngs of ponies waiting outside of the arena, and they had stayed up late into the night, wandering in the Royal Gardens, laying out beneath the stars and talking about anything and everything, late into the night. There were also activities besides talking, of course. Nothing really physical, Morning Star was a perfect gentleman, and they both agreed it was a good thing to wait until they were both ready.

Much of their afternoon was spent wandering around different exhibits in the street. Occasionally, they indulged themselves by packing away the masks and capes to "appear" at an exhibit one of them particularly liked. After spending some time at each piece, they'd simply wait for their opening and disappear again, dropping their veils a few blocks away, clothed in their costumes and giggling like foals about the whole thing. Soon, however, the sun began to sink down behind the rooftops. Twilight, remembering her obligation to Princess Luna, as well as her probable desire for secrecy, took her leave of Morning Star early, citing exhaustion from the late night and the day’s events. They embraced one last time, and split up, with Twilight headed back up to the palace and Morning Star to the Archives.

As she trotted up to the palace along the main avenue, Twilight found herself wondering about the gathering she was supposed to attend. She had no idea if it was formal or informal, or what her role in the evening's events was to be. As she walked, she realized that the whole thing sounded rather fishy. If Twilight remembered correctly, the last time Luna had gathered unicorns to herself, it had kicked off the Celestial Wars. She resolved to be on guard tonight, and to be prepared for the absolute worst. She hadn't forgotten the words of that Pegasus. "Trust no one." he had said, and Twilight was starting to take those words to heart. She finally reached the walls of the palace, and as she headed for the tower her room was in, she saw the shadow of an Alicorn, black against the sun, watching her as she went inside.

________________________________________

Twilight entered her room to find several things lying on her bed. The first was a note written by Spike, his scratchy penmanship coming from his habit of dipping a talon in ink and using it to write. The second was a sealed black envelope, bound shut with red wax. The third was a white box, about the dimensions of a dress box.

Twilight decided to tackle them in order. Picking up the parchment from Spike, she read over the contents quickly. "Dear Twilight. Hope you're having fun today, I'm headed back to Ponyville to check on the library, I'll be back around midnight or so. Please, try not to get into any more public fights, you're making me nervous. See you soon, Spike."

Twilight realized that she had spent hardly any time with Spike, and resolved to spend a day with him before they went back. Day six would be best, she thought. Spike still loved a good party, and a chance to scare other ponies. The festival would provide both. She picked up the sealed black envelope. The handwriting was unfamiliar, and the letter was unsigned. "My dearest Twilight. I was delighted to hear that you were attending tonight's social. I was unsure if you were aware that it is a formal affair, a masquerade of sorts. The dress you wore at your ceremony was delightful in its own right, but I fear it is unsuited for tonight's festivities. With that in mind, I have ordered the creation of this dress for you, as well as the purchase of a mask. They are freely given, of course. Please, accept them as a token of my admiration for all that you have accomplished. See you at the party!"

Twilight set the letter to the side, opening the box. Inside, resting on top, was a delicate porcelain mask in gold and black, intricate rose vines curling in and around the eye sockets. The creepers were gently knotted, meeting in graceful tangles of vine and thorn. A silk ribbon ran around the back, meant to be tied, either with help or by magic. Twilight set it aside. She drew the dress from its box, holding it up. Standing in front of a mirror, she tried it on. It fit perfectly, of course. The fabric was a rich, warm velvet. A deep wine red, silver slashes running up the sides, and richly embroidered, it lent her a different sort of beauty than Celestia's dress. Where the white dress had given her an air of heroic, almost godly beauty, this was a different sort of look entirely. Twilight looked stately and elegant, commanding attention by sheer value of her presence alone. She set it to the side, and entered the bathroom. Drawing out a box of makeup she had found underneath the sink, she steeled her nerves. She had never had much of a head for this sort of thing, but Rarity had given her a few pointers. With a sigh, she began.

________________________________________

The garden party hosted by Princess Luna was a small affair, containing no more than fifteen or twenty ponies, all of them unicorns. Each wore formal attire, and each of them concealed their faces and Cutie Marks in some fashion. They talked in small groups of two or three, none of them daring to approach the Princess, who was watching them all with an amused look on her face. She had gone to great pains to conceal this party from just about everypony. Her sister, Princess Celestia, had just left for a four hour opera dedicated to her, citing royal duties as her reason for attending, although Luna knew better. Her sister was shamelessly in love with the music of that era, and she would undoubtedly be rapt with attention the entire time. A perfect opportunity, then.

She frowned slightly. All but one of her guests had arrived, and she was beginning to wonder if she had misplaced her trust in Twilight Sparkle. She had been her sister's most faithful servant, after all. It stood to reason that she might have informed her..."Princess Luna!" A familiar voice whispered from behind her. She turned her head, seeing only air. She sensed a magical disturbance, and so she felt through the air for the mare-shaped glamour behind her. Using her magical sight, she identified Twilight.

"A good evening to you, Twilight Sparkle. Where did you get the dress? It looks wonderful." Luna murmured in return.

"It doesn't matter. I need to know something, Princess. And please, be honest with me." Twilight said, maintaining her veil.

Luna tilted her head curiously. She wondered what could possibly have Twilight so paranoid. Unless... An icy fear gripped her heart. Did she know? It was unlikely, but Twilight was an astute pony, and she could possibly have all the pieces. She prepared herself for a fight. Clearly the Catalysts were not working properly if Twilight had reached the same conclusion Luna had. When she replied, her voice was measured, betraying not an ounce of the panic she felt. "Very well, Twilight Sparkle. I suppose I should be truthful with you, I owe you that much. Ask your question."

Twilight's voice was troubled. "Why are you gathering the unicorns to yourself? Should I be worried?"

Luna breathed a sigh of relief. If she was very lucky, she might be able to clue Twilight in to the nature of what was happening tonight. She began to speak. "I am gathering the most powerful spellcasters in Canterlot. They are among the most powerful Houses of Equestria, and they are here to reach an accord, regarding the pooling of resources and knowledge. You see, Twilight, my sister, Celestia-" Her voice cut off abruptly, her lips sealing themselves shut. She tried desperately to form words, to warn Twilight of what was to come. Suddenly, she felt that familiar warm tingle on her scalp, a feeling she knew all too well. She spoke, her voice entirely hers, but the words were the words of something else entirely. "My sister has agreed to allow a certain amount of high-level magic to be designated into the care of a few Houses, mostly ancient artifacts and such. The amount of magic that can be safely handled by these Houses has increased, and they are, as I said, very powerful." Luna struggled to break through the haze, but a throbbing headache caused her to stiffen slightly, and she soon abandoned the attempt. "You need not worry about the unicorns gathered here, Twilight Sparkle. They mean no harm to Equestria, and neither do I."

Twilight gave a short nod. "That's all I wanted to know, Princess Luna. Thank you for being honest."

Luna smiled weakly. "Of course, Twilight. Now, join the throng. Mix, mingle, make connections. I shall begin speaking in a short while."

Luna watched the lavender mare dispel her cloak and trot forward to join the fray. She would have to be careful what she said tonight, she would already be paying for her earlier attempt, and she could ill afford to cross Celestia, especially at this stage in the game. The Alicorn resigned herself to preparing her earlier speech, and hoped Twilight would be able to live up to her end of the bargain.

________________________________________

The party was finally beginning to pick up. No drinks were served, and no food was put on display. The night was silent save for the quiet conversation of the aristocracy, and there was no decoration, or even a table set. Nonetheless, the mood was light and cheery, and the full moon overhead provided excellent company to the dark mystique of the unlit foliage below. A few small boxes were set on the ground in front of the Princess Luna by servants, whose faces were also obscured.

Luna called attention to herself by stepping forward. Such was the force of her presence, a dark and imperious thing, that she only needed to clear her throat to bring an immediate halt to the conversations taking place. She smiled, a thin smile showing no teeth, and spoke, her voice pitched normally, yet heard by all. "I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to join me this evening." she said, walking forward. "As I am sure you have heard, the purpose for this gathering is to determine the custody of several old artifacts and bits of knowledge. In the interest of neutrality, I have appointed an outside party to demonstrate the workings of these. If she could kindly step forward?" Luna asked, looking at Twilight. "Now," she said as Twilight walked to the front of the pack, standing absolutely still. "The first of these is an amulet, made to protect against all but the most massive of magical assaults. It requires a fair bit of magic to use, however." She slid it over Twilight's head, whispering the instructions to her. Twilight nodded and lit her horn, the amulet glowing in response. "Now, who would like to test this artifact?" she queried, as Twilight furrowed her brow, channeling magic into the amulet furiously.

A stallion stepped forward, sending a lance of brilliant green light straight at Twilight's heart without warning. The spell stopped mere inches from her skin, dissolving into a greenish mist the spiraled inside of the gem suspended by the chain. Another stepped forward, casting a bolt of whitish smoke that met the same fate. Without prompting, half of the unicorns in the party let loose, balls of light, bolts of electricity, and streams of unnatural flame all quickly being consumed by the amulet. As suddenly as the barrage started, it was stopped.

Luna stepped forward, smiling. She levitated it off of Twilight's head, settling it to one side. She took a similar one from another box, and Twilight quickly donned it. She channeled magic into this one quickly, as Luna explained its properties. "This is a twin forged to the amulet I have shown you. They cannot be worn at the same time, as the two tend to cancel each other out. It defends from physical attack by mundane means. Demonstrations encouraged." she said, stepping to one side. Immediately, Twilight was subject to a veritable hail of boulders and tree limbs. Her dress remained spotless. One unicorn drew a dagger, stabbing at her several times. This too was met with resistance mere inches away. At last, the assault ceased, and Twilight stood there, unharmed and remarkably well groomed, considering what had just happened. Luna quickly set the amulet to the side, and nodded at Twilight, dismissing her from the front of the crowd.

"Now," she said, looking at the assembled crowd. "Who will pledge for these items?"

The unicorn stallion who had first assaulted Twilight raised one hoof. His voice, bland and unremarkable, held no emotion at all. "I pledge three tithe for the magic-repulsing amulet, and agree to extend a geasa towards one individual of the Princess's choice."

There was a slight murmur from the crowd, apparently this was a fairly high sum. Luna seemed fairly surprised as well. Shaking her head, she spoke again. "Does anypony challenge this stallion's pledge?" There was silence only. The stallion trotted forward, taking the amulet into his possession. Luna spoke again. "And for the other amulet?" bids began to fly quickly, eventually settling on two tithes and the apparent ceding of a trade route to another House. The winner, a unicorn mare with a black coat and green mask, trotted forward to take it into her possession. With the evening's business concluded, ponies began to depart, pulling hoods over their heads or setting up veils as they walked, leaving the garden in different directions. Soon only Twilight and Luna remained.

Twilight waited for the Princess to speak. Luna sighed, and turned to Twilight. "I suppose you are wondering about some of what you saw here, Twilight Sparkle." Luna said, as she gestured to the lawn, waiting for the pony to sit next to her. Twilight did so, careful to avoid staining the dress. "This was my response to the ceremony my sister held for you. The public recognition of you and Morning Star was a message from my sister, to the nobles of Canterlot. She was unveiling you, as it were. You were largely anonymous, but Celestia has announced you as a servant and loyal subject. It gives her standing among the higher class ponies, especially the more powerful Houses of Canterlot."

"I thought the Houses were disbanded a while back." Twilight said, removing her mask. "And what do you mean 'servant'?"

Luna turned to look at her. "Twilight Sparkle. The Houses were no more disbanded than the castle torn down. They were greatly reduced in influence, yes. And they no longer officially exist under the current laws, and you will find no record of them having done so. However, my sister and I, though gods we are, cannot be everywhere or run everything all at once. Nay, Twilight. We need administrators, ponies to manage and keep the land, to collect taxes and build roads and ports and railways. The Houses remain, and I suspect they shall continue to do so for some time. And as for servant, what else would you be called? You are extremely loyal to Celestia, yes?" The unicorn nodded her head. "And you exist happily under her benevolent rule, correct?" Twilight nodded again. "Than what else would you be called? You wield the Element of Magic, and regardless of what you might think, you lead the way for the other Elements as well. You are a servant and student of Celestia, and that is no bad thing to be. In fact, it means you are far better off than most others living outside of Equestria. The Diamond Dogs come readily to mind. And I know my sister holds you in very high regard. You now enjoy status in Canterlot as the most high of her servants, valued above captains, generals, and even the highest of Lords. But this is where we have a problem."

Twilight blinked. "How do you mean?"

Luna turned her eye to the moon. "There are those in high circles that will resent you for your status, those that even now seek to depose my sister, or at least see her power reduced. It is foolish, of course, but that is the nature of such things. They will seek to manipulate or discredit you. The purpose of this gathering was threefold. One, it assured me of the good intentions of some of the most powerful Houses. Two, it provided you with an opportunity to make some allies among the nobility, something I think you succeeded admirably at. Three, it showed them that you were not a pony to be taken lightly. Those amulets were made for my sister and I. Few, if any, other unicorns would have been able to use them, let alone as long as you did. It is my belief that you are possibly the most powerful spellcaster alive today. This was my ceremony, Twilight. My sister adores the light, and I prefer to work the winding, subtle ways of the dark. It is my nature. I have offered my patronage, Twilight Sparkle. Do you accept it?"

Twilight paused briefly, gazing at the stars, before saying "Yes, Princess. I do."

Luna smiled, and bowed her head. "Excellent." She touched her horn to Twilight's, its dark length shimmering with transparent blue light. The purple mare's eyes lost focus. The Princess of the Night spoke quietly and insistently. "You will have no memory of what transpired this night. You will instead remember attending a small party hosted by me in the astronomy tower, which was attended by you and two others. You will not tell my sister about the events of the party unless directly asked. You will not remember this command, but you will obey it. When I release you, you will return to your room, and go to sleep. Do you understand?"

"Yes..." the little unicorn mumbled, her eyes half shut.

Luna divested her of her dress, setting it to one side, and removed the makeup and jewelry from around her neck. "You may go, Twilight Sparkle." she commanded, and she watched as the purple mare left the gardens, returning to her quarters. Gathering up the bundles, she stuffed them into one of the boxes, sealing it shut with magic. Quickly, she buried all evidence of the containers, marking the spot exactly in her mind. She then accelerated the rate of growth on the grass, watching as the disturbed earth was hidden by the replaced greenery. She took flight, landing in her quarters. She took a deep breath, preparing herself. She sensed her sister beginning to move, about ten minutes away from the castle. The Princess moved out to her balcony, basking in the moonlight. She would need it, to endure what was about to come.

________________________________________

The call came approximately fifteen minutes later. "Luna, meet me in the Vault.". The command resonated in her head.

Luna began to walk. "Yes, sister."

She approached those double doors with a feeling of dread, opening them with her horn. She stepped inside, wincing as they closed behind her. The feel of magic was thick here, the room saturated with the power of the Elements. She trotted forward. Her sister was kneeling before the altar that the Elements rested on, her eyes closed in meditation. "Come sit with me, Luna." she said, her voice even and quiet.

Luna walked to the altar, kneeling beside her sister. She waited for her to speak. "Explain what happened tonight, sister of mine." the monarch said, her eyes still closed.

Luna bowed her head. "I had invited Twilight Sparkle to a...party in the Astronomy Tower, along with my two assistants. The subject of the Elements came up, and a slip of the tongue caused me to nearly reveal some information I should not have. Thankfully, the Elements prevented it, and steered me back in the right direction." Her sister was silent. "It truly was a simple accident, 'Tia. Would that it had not happened, but happen it did." Luna waited for the inevitable.

Celestia opened her eyes, coming to her hooves. Luna stayed down, partly from fear, partly for protection. Celestia sighed, looking at her sister compassionately. "Luna, what am I going to do with you? Even when you have been touched by the Power of Harmony, you still manage to find trouble. Honestly, one would think you’re trying to get into this sort of mess. It pains me to do this, but you leave me no choice." She closed her eyes again, and when she opened them, they burned with the terrible light of the sun.

Luna gasped, suddenly unable to breathe. Her body went rigid, and suddenly her skin burned and prickled in a thousand places. She felt the headache return in full force, threatening to split her skull apart. She tried to struggle to her hooves, tipping over to one side. She began to convulse in pain, and her jaw clenched down on a scream. Blood began to come from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. She was lifted into the air, every muscle, bone, and joint in her body on fire. She felt her vision go dim, and she realized that she was losing consciousness, though she did not need air, it was pain driving her towards sweet blackness. Suddenly, it receded, and soon it disappeared completely. The not-pain was relief all in itself, but her treatment was not over yet.

Celestia lay down beside her sister, collapsed and heaving on the floor. She murmured to her soothingly, casting an opiate spell over her, and soon Luna was drifting on clouds of muzzy happiness. Celestia was crying, and so was Luna, as the ruler of Equestria cradled her sister's head, whispering to her. "I'm sorry, Luna." she whispered. "I know it hurts, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." And Luna wept like a foal, tears and blood coursing down her face as she both hated and loved her sister for making her feel this way. They spent much of the night that way, only stopping when Celestia went to raise the sun the next morning.

Comments

[Candor Champion]

I'm not quite sure how to react...but I know I want more. please?

[Isador]

Something tells me that the elements shoudn't be trusted. That and it seems as though they or something else can force Celestia and Luna to do what they're desired of them whether it is what they want or not.

[iRemnants]

I hope Luna's scheming accelerates Celestia's plan. I am dying to find out what happens.

And why is it that you have to hurt all my favorite ponies!?

[Saffron Panther]

Luna...

[khatre]

*possible spoilers* *AKA WAG*

We knew that the Elements had their own personality (they can choose bearers after all) but now we know that they have their own specific goals.
Celestia did not seem happy about her actions. Almost like her actions were not by her own will.
Theory ...
Luna never used all of the Elements at one time. The powers were evenly split when her and Celestia defeated Discord. So the Elements have some power over her but more limited compared to Celestia.
Celestia used some of the Elements to defeat Discord but had to take up all of them to send Nightmare Moon off to her prison. This gave the Elements a greater deal of control over Celestia. Not controlling her thoughts (her will is still her own) but her actions (i count spoken words as actions) are not always her own.
A pony controlling a single Element would normally have free will (or very close to it) But if the pony bears the Element long enough (or the pony uses its power long enough) the Element can synchronize with that pony more effectively. Essentially gaining the control that having multiple Elements would normally require.
This brings up the question.. How did the Everfree Lady gain freedom from her Element? Is Celestia carrying a massive burden for her?
I may be thinking about this story too much But ...
I love this story! The planning and details are Professional quality!
You Sir deserve all the in Equestria!

[vinilscratchedmynose]

Celestia is still a bitch.

[Delta93]

So... AWESOME!!!
I am absolutely dying to find out more!

[Stiggerzz]

with every chapter i grow more and more attached to this story

you sir/ma'am, can write a damn good fable
l.wigflip.com/xkp4TT1A/roflbot.jpg

[Azure Sandora]

What?

That ending, just...

WHAT?!

[Beware The Carpenter]

This is one of those stories that makes a lot of pieces, and I'm hoping they will come together in a logical way. My two main questions (before this chapter) is why didn't the Everfree castle get looted ages ago, and what's happening with Morning Star:

My guess is Celestia wants him to breed with Twilight and make the next generation of super unicorn, that in itself I don't disagree with but there seems to be this huge sense of urgency, requiring drugs, magical subliminal messaging, ect to accelerate a process that would happen by itself given time, (I agree with the writer that Twilight wouldn't ordinarily sleep with a guy she wasn't married to, or at least knew much better then Morning Star).

There was that quip about foals conceived on the last night of the celebration are considered blessed, so I will assume that that's the deadline, but if Morning Star has been being prepared for this his whole life, why wait until now to introduce him. Celestia could have done the whole Everfree thing last year, let them have a long distance relationship for a year, then told Morning Star to propose and this summer sun celebration could have been a wedding as well.

Also the obvious question of what **** is happening with Celestia and Luna????

If all the pieces come together logically I will be very very happy, if not I will be disappointed.

[BarrenBaron]

not sure if Celestia is just depraved enough to hurt her only family compulsively, or if being controlled.

[websterhamster]

Seems like Loony Luna is trying to rebel...

[Nightyarn]

Luna's trying to warn everypony whilst battling Celestia in her head at the same time. Somepony needs to save Luna'

[Connor Gorden]

Celestia gives me that whole Big Brother(sister) double think vibe
And Luna, poor Luna... Well, I never thought I'd root for Nightmare Moons return, but there it is.

[EverfreeSparkle]

6035518 And how is that related to this story?

[Nevermore777]

This is a great story and I’m suprised I haven’t heard about it until now. It wasn’t until I accidentally stumbled across the second book that I even heard of it

[Teraunce]

Yeah seems like Celestia and/or the Elements of Harmony are being very very disharmonious.