The Book of Ages. Volume 1. Harmony and Immortality

by Rune Singer

Letters of unrest

"Daemon on the windowsill
What does you message bare?
Is it word from homeland
The calm, the loving and fair?
Spirit on the windowsill
Your lies believe I not !
For long now I’ve known
My homeland’s began to rot."
Rune Singer~2017

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Twilight Sparkle nursed her second cup of Vervain tea that morning while trying to go over her to-do list for the day. She grunted at how noisily Spike had pushed the study door open with his foot while managing a teeter tottering pile of books in his short arms. With unsteady feet he managed to set the pile next to a small ladder by the shelves lining the larger wall. Grasping the uppermost book and stepping up to place it he calmly asked over his shoulder “Had a rough night? You feeling all right?”

“Thank you, Spike, I know I rested but I am certain I dreamt of something important even though I forgot it as soon as I woke up” she answered kindly looking over her scroll and helped Spike by pushing the book he could not place deep enough, with a swift spell. Her tone turned to a frustrated staccato as she floated letters from three different piles around and replacing them a bit too forcefully.

“And I wish I knew the reason these ponies keep sending me advice, complains and all these invitations. Look Spike! look at this” and unrolled a scroll until it touched the floor.

The dragon hopped down the ladder and read the title aloud.
“The wishes of the Winged Coalition? Who are they?”.

Twilight rolled her eyes to the ceiling and raised her front-hooves to it.
“I don’t know OK? I read the thing and its the most hollow amount of text I have ever read apart from these from the other groups”.

Stomping it down with a rock paperweight the second pile was declared as nebulous dribble and the third she held down with the teapot and named it wooden language at its worst.Spike rolled up the scroll and placed it next to the first pile.
“So this is where you sent everyone off to huh?”

The scroll was levitated in the air as Twilight also magically raised a bust of Starswirl the Bearded, placing the former on its counterparts on the third pile and ungracefully letting the latter fall upon them. She answered yes with emphasis and wondered, Their letters should be arriving soon if I am not mistaken.

Spike had already gone to continue his book sorting when from on top of the ladder he glimpsed out of the window. “And here they come Twi! I see Derpy flying over and Pristine Delivery is almost at the door himself” he said brightly and hopped down rushing to the door “I’ll go get them!”. As soon as he had gone out a loud burp sounded from outside and a small hand waved a magical scroll through the door. “This came…” Spike added and as soon as Twilight levitated the scroll off his grasp, the hand disappeared and the sound of his footsteps diminished swiftly.

Twilight opened the seal and immediately another scroll popped out and at the sight of its sender she visibly brightened, her cheeks reddening as her eyes darted to the door. She set the second scroll down and opened Princess Celestia’s letter.

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
Within enclosed as aforementioned is Sunburst’s letter from Seaquestria. In a letter to us he has given a report about his progress with an Arcane knowledge exchange with Queen Novo’s magicians. He also informed us about the situation regarding the possible relocation of a significant number of Seaponies to their ancestral mount Ares above Seaquestria, as that percentage is interested to live as Hippogryphs again. The establishment of ground and air trade routes through Abyssinia has also been mentioned and as it is too soon to speak of any expedition to find the Stormking’s Island, no rumours have yet circulated on that front.
On a different note, I am concerned at a rising number of the Canterlot populous displaying a favouritism towards leaving the Capital if they don’t belong to the Unicorn race. Small factions have always existed in our history -I am sure you don’t need a history revision from me- and this now is like its predecessors, namely insignificant. Nothing of greater importance has arisen so far and thus I and Luna wish you a great day.

Your Mentor and Friend

Princess Celestia Victrix Omnium

Upon reading this Twilight paused in thought. Celestia has almost never named her pupil by full title apart from ceremonial or formal occasions, let alone mention it in a private letter. Besides that, Twilight has never read Celestia’s full title in a signature either. Victrix Omnium - Conqueror of All- was a title, literally, set in stone under a statue of the princess and was not being mentioned in either ceremonial nor formal occasions. She started to worry that some very important event was afoot, and her gut told her it was something Celestia and Luna had gone through before. But all previous thoughts vanished as she remembered Sunburst’s letter. After pausing a fraction in bashfulness, she broke the seal and a magical breeze flew out, caressed her cheek and vanished. Twilight giggled in delight her wings hugging around herself. Yet just as she read My lovely Twilight… Spike burst in, carrying two letters. The pony quickly rolled the scroll back up, bound it tight with string and sent it off flying into a random drawer.

“Spike! You brought the letters” she said in a squeaky tone.

“Yes I brought the letters Twilight” said he raising an eyebrow at her suspicious manner.

“Can I have the letters please?”

“Yes here you are, but what’s wro-”

“Nothing! her eyes darting about “Nothing is wrong all OK, its… the… the books fell and I had to put them back up” brushing imaginary sweat with her hoof she added “Phew, its hard work doing that all at once.” Grabbing the uppermost letter hastily she exclaimed “Its from Rarity and Applejack!”.

Spike held the edge of the desk with sudden interest, previous suspicion at her hiding something forgotten.

“Rarity? What does she say!”

“Shh I’ll tell you in a bit, let me read Spike!” she cut off.

Dear Twilight,
Applejack and I have had a marvellous time here in Manehattan, at least for as long a she was free from her task. What ever did you send her on these “Affiliation” meetings anyway. Seems to me as if its a complete waste of time when Applejack would have plenty of tasks to perform at home or at least take a relaxing vacation here with me. She has returned each of the last three evenings completely exhausted and can tell me nothing coherent enough to warrant the effort. Oh I almost forgot, be a dear and ask my friend Tailor Made in Ponyville to stop sending me all these invitations to join a peculiar club of sorts concerning unicorn Fashion designers moving to Canterlot permanently of all things. The nerve! Other than that I will let Applejack write the next lines herself and give you her own point of view. Its a grand shame you all cannot be here though, Manehattan is just SO stunning this time of year. Anyhow, stay well and do send a kiss to my Spikey-wakey.

Yours Rarity.

Here Twilight looked up at an expectant Spike and added “Rarity sends a kiss” and went on with the same letter whose next paragraph was written in hasty block letters, not seeing how Spike’s cheeks flushed before he turned away.

Howdy Twilight,
This is some pickle barrel you’ve dunked me in I say!
These ponies are talking my head off evenin’ after evenin’ after evenin’. While most stuff they talk about in the beginning of their meetings is about how strong and talented and how many us Earth Ponies there are in Equestria, these other folk who go up the soap box next go on and on about stuff in the history of Equestria that I swear we never heard in school. Then the other night a few ponies read news out loud ‘bout unfairness towards Earth Ponies and such. They have these lists on the walls of teachers and shops and merchants that are all Earth Ponies and advise but not prohibit -as they say- to visit other tribe shops n’ places. Twilight these folks give me the creeps! I can never get a hold of any in private to ask what they are on about and the ponies listenin’ say that its nothing serious, its just harmless truth. See I don’t want to make any bold suggestion here but there’s a bad brew brewin’ here and no-one’s seeing it. Good thing is I’ve done my piece and I can return home.

See you soon Twilight.

A.J.

For a long moment Twilight found herself at a loss. She expected the letter Spike was now perusing, from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy who went to Cloudscape on a similar errant, would be of similar content. Indeed Spike’s brows grew more furrowed as he read on. Finishing it he looked up and slid the letter over the desk.

“Twilight, this is wei-”

“Weird?” she cut him off, “Militaristic and separatist? These and all of those -pointing first at the letters then at the scrolls- ARE about the same thing!”

“You mean Pegasi wanting security patrols but not an army and a new city but not a capital?” Spike answered a tad perplexed.

“Say what?” Twilight now forced the letter to unfold and stay rigid in the air.Her head went frantically from side to side while her eyes grew wider “The Winged Coalition? I don’t believe these horse-apples!” Crunching it up she sent it hurling across the room to drop in a crystal cruet, a gift from Discord. Spike watching the trajectory of the paper ball added that the matter did sound quite discordant and whether they should look into it. Twilight shook her head as she had the gut feeling the reason was lying somewhere else.

So it went for an hour or so, both trying to find an explanation less dramatic since Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s report was more upbeat and Starlight Glimmer’s -who was in Canterlot- had not arrived yet. At times Twilight glanced down to the drawer where Sunburst’s letter sat waiting. Her anticipation about the content and her worry about the situation that might as well be nothing but hay in the wind had her losing her trail of thought. She startled when Spike pushed a full cup of tea next to her hoof.
“I…-”

“Don’t mention it Twilight, since you did not answer the third time I asked about an idea, I thought you got too tired. Why don’t you call it quits for today huh? I got stuff to do you know!” and added while gathering up cups.”This castle does not run by itself” and left the room.

In a heartbeat Twilight opened the drawer and hugged the letter against her chest. She stood for a moment not deciding whether to go out the door or teleport out. With a little giggle she swooped out the window and beat her wings strongly a few times to fly high into the sky still hugging the letter close to her heart. Up there she took a few good breaths and set course for a place she knew she could find solace, and privacy.

Beyond Ponyville the River Saddle glistened in the noon light making her squint a little. Yet as soon as she was over the outskirts of the Everfree forest, the light dimmed. The sun did not dim per se, though the light was less bright as -in typical Everfree fashion- the forest soaked in the surrounding illumination. Being able to avoid crossing the forest on foot was a grand advantage and thus she flew East from the Bogg, following the Everfree river towards the Castle of the Two Sisters. Landing before the gates she sighed looking at the two restored towers midst the otherwise ruined castle. She remembered of how difficult it was to find workers willing to travel within the Everfree forest to start with the reconstruction, whatever fee she offered. At least the two towers got finished last year before the winter came, she thought and teleported to avoid the known by now traps within.

For just a split second she appeared within a dark room a bit akin to the private reading room of the Sisters but dark and uninviting. A stand with a book was just visible from the left corner of her eye, glowing with its own pulsating light. Turning to look at it she was ported away before she had a single glimpse and appeared at her initial destination.

“That…that was weird?” she mused aloud and dismissed it as just another of the castle’s quirks. This castle was a prime example of decaying and rampant magic that never seized to astound those who tried to understand or control it. Even the most powerful among the magic users found it futile, since its existence was now intertwined with that of the Everfree forest, magic and all.

The room Twilight was aiming for was inaccessible to those without magic skills or those not in contact with a magic user. Sunburst and she had stumbled upon it during one of their research meetings. Shrugging off the event in the unknown room as one of the numerous quirks of the decaying castle she looked about the room. She blushed remembering how .Long talks by the fire, deep into the night whether this castle was sentient or caught in a decaying loop of jumbled magic turned to a more personal nature. Research meetings became magical dates, and spell experiments enabled them to discover a common romantic interest.

This relationship was but few weeks old and had not been revealed to their friends yet. There is no reason yet is there? she mused, we aren’t doing anything wrong and no one of our friends is being neglected nor our duties and responsibilities. She really felt she wanted to keep this small thing to herself a bit longer and completely shut out the day’s news and all outside world issues. This was their own private haven.

Even if they mostly met to see each other, they still unwound, relaxed and forgot the world outside. And they still did what they loved to, study and research magic, they just realised that it was even better and more fun, together. This fact filled them with happiness and fulfilment.

Twilight trotted over to a pile of pillows and throws on the floor and lied on her back, wings stretched out holding Sunburst’s letter above her face. She giggled again and biting her lower lip, unfolded the scroll.

My lovely Twilight,
I can hardly wait to tell you about this visit here in Seaquestria. The sights, the music the sheer volume of history and magic to be studied humbles me and intimidates me a bit. Promise me we shall visit together next time an exchange of knowledge is arranged, it will be the most magical time ever. The Sea Ponies and Hippogriphs -some want to stay while others wish to shed their aquatic form- are so friendly and eager to learn. Trust is key here and I believe without the Stormking’s hindrance, alliances will soon flourish between them and Abyssinia.
But now to you, how I miss you!I..you know me, I am not used to such desire to be stronger and bolder for somepony. Yet I find myself achieving more and discovering more about myself. Why yesterday while I decanted the essence of Glassroot we prepared the last time and added it into Dittany powder, it turned such a shade of purple that it reminded me of your eyes! Thinking of you I was inspired to add this to a flask of Shadow Silk oil. Oh by Celestia, a field of magical concealment of about two hooves appeared and remained stable for about thirty minutes. I simply must show you in person as I…
…darn it, got carried away.
I want to see you again and hold you in my arms OK? I think about you all the time and miss you a whole lot! There I wrote it…
And this makes the next bit of news ever the better. A summons from the Royal Sisters has cut this visit short and I will be in Canterlot tomorrow at noon the latest. I believe your whole day will be all about reports and a meeting of the Princesses. The whole affair wont take longer I believe and we will have the evening to ourselves. Shall I find you in our room then? Please be there.

Missing you every moment,

Yours, Sunburst.

“He will be here tomorrow!” Twilight intoned every word looking gleefully at the painted ceiling.
Birds and deer where skilfully drawn among myriads of flowers and winding branches. Her eyes followed the whimsical deigns, smiling at nothing, when she stood up in attention shouting “TOMORROW!!!”. Thus started a speed cleaning of the place, a righting of the books and alchemy equipment, a replacement of candles in their holders and wood in the fireplace.

The throw rugs and pillowcases needed a good washing, so these Twilight bundled up and without any interruption this time, teleported out of the Castle. Another magical leap and she was in her own one back in Ponyville.

Having appeared in the laundry basement she set her burden to wash in a laundry tub, adding water and detergent while causing the whole thing to move centrifugally with a spell, having first created a purple barrier above the container.

Something flew in with great velocity and smacked her right in the back of her head disrupting her concentration and lowering the barrier. Until she got to stop the moving waters, everything was soaked and soapy. Swearing something about yak dung and rotten fruit, she set about drying the place and starting the laundry spell all over again. At least the laundry hall is cleaner than ever, she thought as she wrung her mane noticing a scroll floating in the air towards her, wringing the water from itself. By releasing the spell that compelled it to seek her out, Twilight recognised Starlight Glimmer’s magic by default. The message within conveyed worry and anxiety.

Twilight,
I was initially going to write a lengthier report of how my progress with the fillies in the School for Gifted Unicorns is going ahead. But matters marginally related to this came to my attention that could not be set aside. Even though I have spoken to the Sisters about my discoveries, they are convinced this is a trivial matter that comes up once every decade or so.
Nevertheless I’ll start from the beginning:
My first week here was really interesting and entertaining. I must admit teaching fillies magic is not what I ever imagined myself to be doing but it has led to many a productive day. Princess Celestia has been an amazing mentor to these young ones but sometimes I think she lacks the tenacity to be a bit more stern when it comes to experimentation. Yes I can hear you already “not experimenting? Not going head first into action? Are you sure you are yourself Starlight?” and yes that is what I mean by progress. Anyhow I have gotten to know my students by name and their parents have started talking to me more than just politely thanking for the lessons, when they come to pick up their foals.
This Saturday though I was invited to join the most peculiar of meet-ups. Having lived here you must know of the establishment Fleur-De-Lis’s family has sponsored. There I was welcomed on stage as a quest of honour for my contributions to teaching the youngest generations of magic users their rightful art. I kid you not Twilight, that was what I was being honoured for: hardly a week’s worth of supplementary magic tutoring. The hall was packed and everything from the food to the entertainment was brought to us with the compliments of the --Magical Amalgamation--. As the evening went and most of the ponies had gone, the curtains where lowered over the windows and the doors closed. I initially thought a show was to start when several unicorns succeeded one another in presenting speeches on Unicorn rights, superiority of the Race and boycotting non-unicorn businesses. I hand it to them this propaganda was portrayed as mere ideas and suggestions but it was propaganda nonetheless and if I cannot recognise it as such then don’t call me Starlight Glimmer.
Princess Celestia assures me the capital is full of secret societies with ideas of grandeur and that I should see the piles of correspondence she receives from them for myself to understand their frivolity. I even approached Princess Luna and she laughed heartily after telling me how many disgruntled ponies dream of revolutions, wars and changing a system they don’t really understand.
I was not approached again and I don’t sense any change in my student’s parents behaviour either yet now that I am aware of it, more Unicorns walk the streets of Canterlot than any other race lately.
Be that as it may, after your pressure and mine added to that, the Princesses HAVE called on a meeting of few, as you must know by now, so we’ll discuss this in detail tomorrow.

Your friend Starlight Glimmer.

Twilight who was already heading towards the cutie map room turned to walk back and up to her study. Retrieving the balled up message from the cruet, she headed back to her first destination. The Cutie map was not responsible for her sending her friends on these errants -she would not call them missions before, but she sure felt like it now. Nor was the map displaying anything at the moment either.Thinking deeply she retreated to her throne and sat into it. Her right hoof under her chin she looked from place to place upon the map, where her friends must be. Only Starburst and Pinkie Pie had gone on ambassadorial duties and the current issue did not seem to include other races.

Even though she had picked up the message from her Pegasi friends she was not really in the mood to read it. What more or different than the others would it contain? she thought.

Not coming up with anyone else to bounce ideas off she thought of pursuing Spike’s thought of Discord possibly having involved a talon…or paw in this. With Fluttershy away Twilight did not really know how to call or find Discord. The Draconequus was either there on not and that was that. Despite this knowledge she headed towards Fluttershy’s cottage wondering on the way about whom the pegasus had left to mind her animal friends.

After thumping on the door several times when ringing the bell did not bring results, a slurry voice answered the door. Tree Hugger greeted her with her customary calm demeanour and invited her to join their Forest Seance. After looking in, Twilight declined politely. No she was really not in the mood to join the animal parade arranged in a circle on the house floor that was now covered in foliage, besides Discord was clearly not there. Poor Fluttershy had a great mess to clean up when she returned.

It was early evening when Twilight returned home after having bought a treat for Spike and Owlowiscious in Town. Spike had already hung the laundry to dry and was waiting for her in the library, having lit the fireplace against the chill. She informed the little dragon about them going to stay in Canterlot for a night or two and that they’d leave early after packing the next day. The rest of the evening was spent in quiet reading, Spike moving on with his current favourite “The Tales of the greatest Heroes” and Twilight engrossed in Lavish Peony’s latest romance “Magician in Love”, albeit her book camouflaged behind a cover of “Medicinal Compounding in Buffalo History”.

All was well with her world and Twilight despite her worries, felt it was all in somepony else’s hooves for now. If needed she and her best friends, even adding the aid the princesses, Discord and the Changelings, would all save Equestria again. As always.