Chapter 9
As soon as I departed Mother’s company I was intercepted by Sergeant Stalwart, who quickly saluted me. “Lady Midnight, I have been assigned by the Lady Protector to guard you.”
“That is welcome news.” A slight wave of relief passed over me at the sight of him. No doubt Shadow’s pick for my guard detail was intentional since she knew I worked well with him. Given the circumstances, Shadow could have made things much more difficult for me to investigate into Archmagus Tempus’ death. That had been Magus Topaz’s intention by demanding Mother and I be restricted to our quarters, something that drew my increasing suspicion the more I thought it over.
‘Twas possible she had been involved in this murder, with how quick she had been to take advantage of the situation. Mayhaps she was merely opportunistic, but I could not put aside that she had a motive to see the archmagus dead. Though that made me wonder why Tempus was dead and not Daylight. Her only competitor being slain would have been more to her advantage, unless the idea was more to discredit Mother’s faction. That was possible, if extremely risky, but then Topaz was not playing for small stakes: she wished to overturn Mother as the most powerful pony in the Magi Order. Such ambition can cause some ponies to justify otherwise heinous acts as mere means to the end of more power. But what I needed were facts, not merely theories. Once I had more information, the picture of what really happened should begin forming before me.
I might need more than Stalwart’s help in this. Thus I cast a spell activating the signaling gem I had given to Subtle Song. If I was fortunate she would come to me quickly to give aid. That done, I considered my next move.
“Come Stalwart, there is work to be done.” I turned to the tower and started walking towards it. Shadow was already leading efforts to keep other ponies away from the tower and begin her own investigation. Looking over the tower and discovering what evidence I could seemed like a wise first move. From there I could follow up on things like interviewing witnesses like Daylight.
“You intend to investigate this matter?”
“Aye, Mother has given me this task while she deals with other matters,” I informed him. “I am to discover who was responsible for this murder and bring the culprit to her.”
Stalwart frowned. “I am not sure that is entirely wise, milady.”
“And why is that?”
“Because Topaz and others have already drawn suspicion to you,” he explained. “Some ponies might accuse you of attempting to cover up evidence or otherwise hinder the investigation. It might be best to allow Lady Shadow to handle matters. You know her; she will not stop until justice is done, and nopony will dispute what evidence she presents.”
I stopped in front of the tower and considered his objection. He had a point, but the issue was that I had been tasked by Mother to prove Daylight’s innocence to the best of my ability. That was not something I could readily ignore. Besides, what was the alternate course? Sit aside letting matters proceed while I did nothing? In addition to Daylight and Mother, mine own innocence was being drawn into question. Allowing myself to be labeled guilty because I did nothing would be unacceptable. To say the least, that would destroy my career and all my ambitions outright.
“Neigh, I will do as Mother asked,” I told him. “I know there are risks, but I think they are outweighed by the potential benefits. I trust in my skills, and I can present everything I find to Shadow.” I turned my attention to Stalwart. “Besides, I have one of her clanponies watching over me and ensuring I do not do anything unscrupulous, and Shadow will speak for thy unwavering honor and honesty to any doubters, neigh?”
Stalwart stiffened. “I have served my mater loyally for as long as I have known her.”
“Exactly. So while some might question mine intentions, thy character is beyond reproach. Not unless they wish to cross Shadow by questioning thee.” A pang of guilt ran through me at manipulating my bodyguard so, but I needed his cooperation with this investigation. If I could use his reputation to achieve mine aims, then all the better. There was much on the line at the moment, and I could not afford to not use all the resources at my disposal.
Stalwart grunted. “As you say, milady.”
With my bodyguard pacified, I focused mine attention on the tower— more specifically, on its wards. I cast a couple detection spells to study then, and my brow furrowed at the results. “Curious. The Archmagus’ wards have been disabled.”
“They have been broken?”
I shook my head. “Neigh, merely turned off by the looks of them.” The wards protecting the tower were quite formidable. Unsurprising when ‘twas the residence of an archmagus. Various alarms, protections against attacks, and magics intended to disable anyone attempting to break into the tower warded the building, but none of them had been triggered. Some had been damaged by the fire, true, but there were no signs that they had been triggered by someone forcing their way in.
Stalwart scowled as he looked up the length of the tower. “Do you think whoever slew Tempus disabled them?”
“I am not sure,” I admitted. “It would have been an extremely difficult task. They were built to prevent tampering, only a magus of exceptional skill could have done such a thing.”
My bodyguard looked to me. “Could you have done it?”
I stroked my cheek. “...Maybe, if I had a few weeks to carefully study them. ‘Twould be far easier to force my way past them, though that would have triggered every alarm built into them and brought every guard and guardian magus down on this tower within minutes.”
A possibility came to mind. I remembered Tempus turning off the wards as we entered his tower then reactivating them as he closed the door, though Tick Tock and Daylight had entered not too long after us. It could be that one of them had disabled the wards; Tick was the Archmagus’ apprentice, so ‘twould not be surprising if he had a key to get past them or a means to simply turn them off. They must have had some means to enter the tower by themselves.
That would be something to inquire both of them about later. I entered the tower with Stalwart at my heels. Instead of the respectable home I had visited earlier that night, the grand tower was now a burned out ruin. A lifetime of collected furniture and other personal possessions had been claimed by flame. I looked around the room, but found nothing of note. Thus I made my way up the floors to see if I could find anything useful.
‘Twas not until I reached Tempus’ meeting room—the room the Archmagus had died in—that I started making headway. There were already several other ponies present, all of them royal guards or magi who were busy with their own investigations. One of the guards approached me and blocked my path. “Sorry, but we are under orders not to allow anypony else to enter.”
Determined not to be halted, I narrowed mine eyes and did my best impression of the imperial tone Mother used whenever somepony dared to try and tell her no. “I have been assigned by Grand Vizier Sunbeam to investigate this murder.”
“And I have my orders from Lady Shadow herself.” The guard did not immediately move, and there was a moment of hesitation before his answer.
Before a debate of whose orders took precedence could begin, another pony spoke up. “‘Tis quite alright, Blaze, I know her. Let her pass.”
The guard looked back. “But the Lady Protector—”
“Probably did not account for Magus Midnight assisting us,” mine intercessor said. “Do not worry, I will make sure she does not disturb the crime scene. Besides, there are a couple of questions I would ask her.” The guard grunted unhappily, but stood aside for me.
Moving forward into the space, I got a proper look at who had allowed me entry. Archmagus Theorycraft was a stallion short of average build, being neither overly thin, muscular, or fat. His orange-red mane and goatee were unkempt from inattention, and his brown coat could have used a brush. The blue eyes were sharp though, and intensely focused on Tempus’ charred corpse as he scanned it with his magic. He did not look up as he addressed me. “Midnight, dost thou remember where Daylight was lying when thou found him?”
“Aye.”
He waved at the floor. “Then cast an illusion where thou found him, including the position he was in.” Not wishing to offend the Archmagus, I did as he asked. He rubbed his chin and hummed. “So they were near one another. What could that mean...?”
“Have you discovered the cause of Tempus’ death?” I asked during the lull created by his musings. “One imagines he burned to death, but I thought it best to confirm it.”
Theorycraft sighed and his ears wilted. “Aye, all mine spells say ‘twas the fire that slew him. I can detect no other wounds on him. Granted, the burn wounds make it difficult to tell anything by sight, but everything else points to the shock of the fire killing him. Damnable thing to happen to him, he was but hours away from retirement. This was not an end he deserved.”
“Neigh, ‘twas not,” I agreed. “Whoever was responsible for his death should face justice.”
“I could not agree more.” He scratched the back of his mane as he cast more spells to further analyze the room. “Though discovering who is responsible will be a trick. At least if it was not—well, let us just say matters could be better for Daylight.”
I decided to leave the matter of Daylight’s innocence to the side for the moment. “Have you discovered anything else of note?”
“A little.” Theorycraft waved about the room. “The fire was definitely magical in origin. There is residual pyromancy all over the tower.”
Theorycraft was one of the most learned ponies in Equestria about magic, even if he was more comfortable in a lab, lecture hall, or library than he was in the field. Still, his expertise was something to harness if possible, and if he said the fire was magical in origin then ‘twas most likely so. “Was it some sort of triggered magic intended or some sort of spell?”
“A spell unless I am reading everything wrong,” he said. “Definitely unicorn magic, and this was all caused by one spell from one pony. I have checked, and the magic all has the same aura to it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “A single spell? ‘Twould require a great deal of magic to light this entire tower alight with but one fireball. The average magus would have exhausted themself doing all of this.” Mine initial guess for how the tower had been set ablaze had been that someone had used either pyromantic runes or cast delayed pyromantic spells and then triggered them after they had left to cast the entire tower on fire.
Theorycraft nodded. “Those were mine own thoughts as well. Though an Alpha level unicorn could pull it off with magic to spare.” He grimaced. “And there are not that many unicorns that powerful in Equestria.”
“Myself, Daylight, all the archmagi, and a small hooffull of others.” Including Topaz. She did not have Mother’s raw power, but she was a highly capable geomancer from everything I heard. I also had to take into account that a skilled pyromancer might have been able to do this as well. ‘Twas most irritating how the conclave made it so that there were far too many potential suspects. Mayhaps there was another means to narrow down the list. “I do not suppose there is a way to link the spell to the unicorn responsible?”
He shook his head. “Neigh, I am afraid not. And the fire has destroyed much evidence there might have been, both mundane and magical. Fire is a strong purifying element like that.”
I sighed and ran a hoof through my mane. “Did he have any noteworthy enemies?”
Theorycraft let out a short bark of a laugh. “Did he have enemies? You cannot be an archmagus without having them. If you do not make them on the path to becoming an archmagus then you surely make some by being one. Between the warlocks, monsters, and political opponents you are nearly drowning in people that hate you. If I knew how bad ‘twould be I might very well never have become one myself.”
“Mayhaps, but there must be some enemies that stand out.”
The Archmagus shrugged. “Mayhaps, but thou mightest be better off asking somepony closer to him about that. Westmarch is a long way from Eastmarch, and I did not keep up with everything Tempus did.”
“I will see about doing so later,” I said. “What about the other archmagi? Might they know more?”
“Maybe.” Theorycraft sneezed and blew his nose into a handkerchief. “Thou canst ask them what they know if thou desires. Bracing and Mossy are supposed to be going around talking with ponies to see if they saw anything.”
“I might do that.” I walked around the room, trying to find any clues in the room, but all I was finding was a burned out ruin. “Did you find any other corpses in the tower?”
“Neigh, thankfully Tempus was the only casualty. The fire burned hot enough to kill a pony, but not long enough to turn a corpse to ash.”
So Tick Tock had not been in the tower when it burned. “Are there any other facts you have discovered, if I may ask?”
He shook his head. “I am afraid yet. I was thinking to try out some more complicated spells next, but all of that will take time. Potentially a few days, for some of the rituals.”
Time I did not have then. I had found out some facts, but nothing nearly as decisive as I would have desired. Best to move forward onto some of the other leads. “Then I will not bother you any longer. By your leave.”
Theorycraft blew into his handkerchief again and nodded. “Go on ahead, though not too far. I or the other archmagi may wish to interview thee later about what happened. Bracing has probably already spoken with thy mother by this point, and I do not envy her for that task given the circumstances.”
I could well imagine Mother’s irritation over being questioned over and over again about what transpired. Mother did not like to repeat herself in the best of circumstances, much less in connection to a murder. But that was not my overriding concern at the moment. “I will take that under advice, Archmagus. May you have good fortune in your investigation.”
At that, I departed his company with Stalwart at my side. Once I was outside of the tower I found a small party waiting for me. Subtle’s presence was not unexpected considering I had summoned her, but Sidereal and Emeraude waiting there was something of a surprise.
Subtle flashed me a smile as I approached them. “Midnight. I thought I would find thee here. Alas, ‘tis been a sad ending to a rather enjoyable evening.” She sighed wistfully. “But as soon as the building caught fire, I expected I would find you mixed up in it and I came as soon as I could.”
I had to wonder if ‘twas with Euterpe that she was enjoying her evening with, but I decided to ask another question instead. “Why wouldst thou immediately suspect I was involved with such things?”
Emeraude chuckled ruefully. “Because you have a singular talent for being in the middle of trouble.”
Subtle nodded her head at Emeraude. “I see our thoughts aligned.”
“So they do.” Emeraude grinned. “Fortune does swirl around Midnight in a delightfully unique way.”
Sidereal grunted. “If you can use the word ‘delightful’ in reference to the death of an archmagus, fey.”
Emeraude’s grin lost none of its luster as she flashed it for Sidereal. “What can I say? I have missed the conclaves so. The intrigue, the plotting ... the conflicts. And I must say, this conclave has gotten off to a very intriguing start. ‘Tis not every conclave that an archmagus turns up dead. I am most curious to see how this turns out.”
I decided to interrupt the conversation before it got too far off track. “The death of Archmagus Tempus is foul news. Indeed, I suspect he has been murdered—though not by Daylight, as Magus Topaz would claim.”
Subtle grinned. “And thou shalt require the aid of thy boon companion to do so, aye?”
“That is true. In fact, I could use all the companions I can gain for this.” I looked to the other two. “I trust you are here to aid me?”
Sidereal nodded. “My father would have wished for me to do so. An honorable pony has been slain, and I would see justice done.” A ghost of a smile showed itself on his lips. “And I suspect aiding you will look good to your mother as well, seeing that I seek her as my patron...”
“That is true enough, and I welcome your aid.” I was certainly not going to turn down the help of a skilled magus like Sidereal. Especially when I got along well with him, and knew his mother so well. I felt I could trust him, and trust was going to be in short supply that night. On the topic of trust, I addressed Emeraude next. “And what of you? I admit, one has to worry what the price of your aid will be. The fey never give boons for free, after all.”
“There will certainly be one, but what will it be.” Subtle smirked. “Though it is no higher than Euterpe's...”
I wondered what she was alluding to, but my thoughts were interrupted by Emeraude’s chuckle. “So suspicious. But do not worry, I am sure my aid is well within your ability to pay. I wish to be by thy side to see how this mystery unfolds. That is a mitigating price.”
“So do you have a specific price, or must we play the game where I guess what will be acceptable to you?”
Emeraude hummed to herself as she stroked her cheek. “For my council and wisdom to solve this mystery, I think a date with you shall do. A nice date, mind you—one appropriate for your station with a fine meal and entertainment.”
Subtle frowned as her eyes narrowed. “Careful, Midnight. This is not the sort of thing to do lightly.”
I frowned as I considered the proposed deal and wondered what game Emeraude was playing at. She did seem interested in me, though in what way I could not say for certain. The fey often thought in long terms, an advantage of immortal creatures such as her. Could this be some plot to entrap me within a complicated web? ‘Twas likely, dangerously so. But then this was going to be a dangerous mission for me regardless of what I did. Whoever I was pursuing had already killed at least one pony, and had probably intended on slaying Daylight as well assuming he was indeed not directly involved in all of this. Not to mention Emeraude has centuries of experience in all manner of plotting. That could be quite useful to me.
“Or spell thy doom,” Corva warned me. “Thou art playing with fire. Send the fey away and pursue thy investigation in other ways. No good can come of dealing with such spirits.”
“Even if she is dangerous, it might be best to keep her close. At least then I can keep an eye on her and gains a measure of what she really desires.”
“Or put her in a perfect position to sink a dagger into thy back,” Corva countered. “Thou hast enough enemies, and exile is usually as good a means to deal with a troublesome foe if it can be managed. Heed my warning: thou hast enough allies that thou needest not worry about such a dangerous individual.”
Mine irritation grew and I pushed aside Corva’s protests. “And will I be able to choose the time, place, and manner of the date? That I will be given a reasonable period of time, as determined by me, to make the arrangements, and that nothing further needs to come out of this affair?”
Emeraude nodded. “Of course. As long as the date meets the standards of a lady of your station, and that I only need to wait a reasonable period of time.”
I thought over the agreement carefully. There seemed to be no loopholes that could be abused in this case, and it seemed a harmless enough thing. “Then that would be acceptable.”
Emeraude’s smile widened and her eyes briefly glowed. “‘Tis a bargain.”
“As you think best, Magus,” Subtle said as she gave Emeraude a wary scowl.
It stuck me best to keep matters moving forward before I received too many questions from my book companions. “I do. Now then Subtle, there is a pony by the name of Tick Tock. He is Tempus’ apprentice and he was at the Archmagus' tower tonight when I was visiting Tempus, but he is unaccounted for. I need thee to find him so that I might question him. He might know of something of what happened tonight.” This struck me as a fine job for Subtle’s skills.
Subtle nodded. “I shall look into it at once.”
Stalwart frowned deeply. “You did not mention this to Lady Shadow earlier, Magus.”
I suppressed mine irritation. “Because I did not wish to tell the whole world that Tick had also been in the tower. The murderer might very well have been in the audience, and if they knew what I knew they might very well have aimed to silence Tick.”
“Topaz as well,” Emeraude added. “Tick might be an inconvenient witness to her desire for power. She might seek to remove him as an obstacle to her ambitions so that Daylight will remain a prisoner.There would be even more emphasis to remove him from the equation if Topaz were somehow involved with the murder.”
I nodded. “Such things occurred to me as well. If we are fortunate we will be the only ones who know of Tick’s importance. Assuming he has not been slain by whoever murdered Tempus, in any event. But such is another reason to look for him: secrecy is key at the moment. Though worry not, I have every intention of presenting him to Shadow once he is found.”
Stalwart grunted and his wings twitched. “Very well, milady.”
With him satisfied for the moment, I turned to the others. “The rest of us shall go and see if Daylight is conscious and ready to answer our questions. If there is anypony who might be able to shed light on what has transpired, ‘tis he.”
A inquiry of Shadow’s clanponies confirmed that Daylight had been taken to the castle’s dungeons. As was the case with many of the larger structures the Magi Order owned, Castle Aracana possessed cells in which warlocks and other dangerous persons could be held. The dungeons themselves were located under the keep, so we headed there. I wished to talk with Daylight immediately, so ‘twas a great pity when we ran into a pony whose company I could have gone without for the rest of my days.
Standing upon the stairs leading into the keep was Duke Chivalrous Line. Flanked by a half dozen of his guards, he glowered at the sight of me. “And what dost thou think thou art doing here?”
“Walking down the street and entering the keep,” I answered him briskly. My sympathy for the Duke was quickly being corroded away by his caustic behavior. “I was unaware that thou didst find walking so dreadfully offensive.” I blinked slowly. “Mayhaps thou shouldst consider becoming more inured the sight, for a fear ponies will continue to walk down streets no matter how much it upsets thee.”
“Thou wouldst insult a duke so?” Chivalrous played a hoof on the hilt of his longsword. “Watch thy tongue before thou dost lose it wagging it so.”
I sniffed derisively. I had no time for this fool and wished him out of my way. “I do not believe the Code Duello recognizes simply walking down the street as sufficient cause to demand satisfaction, nor am I aware of any society in existence that considers doing so to be an insult.”
Emeraude sighed and rolled her eyes. “Duke Line, I suggest you attend to more important matters. Like working on the continuation of your line, instead of risking it coming to an end here for foolish reasons.”
Chivalrous bared his teeth in a snarl. “I did not ask thee, creature. And do not jest with me, bastard. I know why thou havst come here, and I am not about to let thee see Daylight. Likely thou intends on collaborating with the murderer to create a story explaining what happened tonight.”
“And by what authority dost thou bar my way?” I demanded. “I am a Magus of Equestria, on business for the Archmagus of Canterlot and Grand Vizier. I believe obstructing me could be viewed as treason.”
“I am a duke of the realm, in case thou hast forgotten,” he shot back. “That is my authority to stand in thy way.”
Sidereal groaned with exasperation. “Last I checked, that is not sufficient authority to prevent a lawful investigation. You have the right to conduct your own investigation, but your power does not surpass that of a grand vizier or archmagus.”
“Curious,” I said in a mocking tone. “I would have thought a duke of the realm would be more familiar with the laws of Equestria. Was thine education somehow insufficient, or didst thou forget it on the bottom of a bottle somewhere?” Part of me hoped this fool would draw his blade. At least then I could be done with him and move on with my task.
Chivalrous bared his teeth in a nasty scowl and he started moving down the steps towards me. “Thou wouldst be coy with me? Thou art a tra—”
“Duke Line, I think that is quite enough,” Magus Topaz’s voice echoed around us. She stepped through the keep’s gate and moved in between us. She looked Chivarlous in the eyes as she addressed him. “Whatever your conflict is with this mare, I will not see blood spilt over it within this castle’s walls.”
Chivalrous hesitated, and his eyes flicked between me and the senior magus. It seemed Topaz held some power over him. Though curious and greatly irritated, part of me decided to press that to see what happened. “I am not fully familiar with all the relevant customs in Fillydelphia, but I believe one should normally keep domesticated animals on a shorter leash. When last I checked, the law stated that the owner would be held liable for any act they performed.”
“Why thou!” Chivalrous started to unsheath his blade, but Topaz placed a firm hoof on the hilt to prevent it from being fully drawn.
“My Duke, I think the events of the day have been a bit too strenuous for you,” Topaz told him without breaking eye contact. “I understand that tensions are high with the archmagus’ death, but cooler heads should prevail in such times. Mayhaps 'tis time for you to retire for the night?”
“But this whor—” Chivarlous was cut off when Topaz cast a silence spell over his muzzle.
I tilted my head at the scene before me. Topaz seemed extremely determined to keep the Duke from digging himself into a hole that he could never get out of, a hole in which I was deeply tempted to bury him. That made me wonder how important Chivarlous was to Topaz and her ambitions. “I am curious, why does this stallion wish to die? To have me freeze the flesh on his bones and shatter his body into a thousand frozen meat shards that I will then set on fire, creating an aroma of burnt flesh in the air that will cause all the ponies gathered to gag in revulsion?”
Sidereal growled from deep in his throat. “I have seen ghosts with a better self-preservation instinct than this stallion.”
“I am sure he merely feels extremely passionate about the archmagus' death,” Topaz said, trying to sound diplomatic. But then she turned a stern gaze onto Chivarlous. “Please, go to your room. I will handle this matter.”
Chivalrous huffed and he tried to say something, but ‘twas covered up by the silence spell. He shook his head and turned to storm away along with his guards. It seemed the fool had finally decided it was best to get out of my way. Though that still left Topaz here, and she did not seem like she was in a hurry to depart.
“Mine apologies for the Duke's behavior.” Topaz stared off after the departing Duke. “He forgets himself sometimes.”
“I believe 'tis more than mere forgetfulness that plagues him,” Emeraude whispered more than loudly enough for everypony to hear.
“I do not think one can forget what has never been known.” I frowned deeply as I studied the mare before me. “You are unwise to continue associating with him. He can only bring doom upon you.”
Topaz sighed and scratched the back of her head. “Unfortunately, we must sometimes accept the allies we can gain instead of futility pining after the allies we desire.”
“I may not grasp the intricacies of your political strategy, but I think you would have more of the allies you desire if you were less devoted to your existing alliance with a suicidal fool. It is only a matter of time ere he says something when you are not there to reign him in, and his downfall will likely damage everyone around him.”
“That is what I fear as well.” Topaz stared after her ally for a long time before turning her head my way. “Why I work to gain far more suitable allies for myself. In fact, that is something I wish to speak with thee about. In private, if possible.” She pointed looked at my companions.
I frowned as I considered the proposal. On one hoof, I had little intention of accepting whatever deal this pony offered me, but on the other ‘twas always good to know what another pony was thinking. Especially one whose cause I opposed. Thus I nodded to the others. “Go on ahead and see to getting me an interview with Daylight. I will speak with Magus Topaz, though I will not be long.”
“Alright Midnight.” Sidereal headed into the keep, though Stalwart pointedly stood outside the door as he watched us speak.
Emeraude took a moment to squeeze my leg and whisper into my ear. “Careful with that one. Her words are like honey, but there is a coldness in her soul. She has ambition and little else to sustain her. Such ponies can be very dangerous.” I nodded ever so slightly and Emeraude followed after Sidereal, leaving me to speak with Topaz.
“Speak you piece, Magus Topaz,” I told her. “I have work to do on behalf of the Archmagus of Canterlot, and will not be delayed long.” That was true, but I also desired to put pressure on Topaz to get right to the heart of what she desired.
Topaz smiled as she stepped next to me and cast a privacy spell. “‘Tis quite simple: I desire thee as an ally. Thy help would greatly aid in my cause to become archmagus, and it must be said, thou wouldst make for a much finer political ally than the Duke.”
I scoffed. “I would not e'en consider such a thing so long as he remains tied to your cause. And, to be frank, your association with him speaks poorly to your character.”
“Sometimes we make temporary allies we do not like because the short term advantages outweigh the costs,” she tried to assure me. “And if gaining thee as an ally had the cost of losing him, then 'twould be more than worth it.”
I narrowed mine eyes. “And I should be discarded just as readily when my usefulness expires. That strikes me as a poor bargain to make.”
Topaz shook her head. “That is not something I see as readily happening. Thou art growing in influence, and thy popularity grows amongst the younger members of the magi. What is more, I would be beholden to thee if thou didst help me become archmagus. A favor I would be prone to returning someday. Weigh all of that to a poor ally as Chivalrous who is starting to harm my cause, and I believe my course is clear.”
Everything about this rackled against my sensibilities. To both ally with such a disrespectful pony, and then cast him aside so readily … did she know nothing of loyalty? “I see no reason to think you are especially skilled at judging the value of an ally if you would ally with him to start with. And if you can find no better allies, then I must ask why all the better choices judge it wise to avoid your cause.”
Topaz’s eyes became colder, even if her tone was still as smooth and pleasant as it ever was. “Because many fear thy mother and the influence she wields over the Magi Order. Few wish to risk their careers being destroyed because Sunbeam Sparkle disapproves who they associate with. Which is rather part of the problem considering she has turned the Magi Order into her puppet. A dangerous turn of events for all of Equestria. No single pony was intended to wield so much power besides Her Highness.”
“Many things were not intended in the early days of Equestria,” I countered. “Much has changed since the Rebellion.”
“Without a doubt, but not all of those changes have been good.” Topaz waved vaguely about us. “The land is in poverty. Even after a decade there are still many bands of bandits plaguing the countryside. And now the reivers threaten our shores again, all while our defenses are weaker than they have ever been.”
She had some points, even if she overstated some of them. “Perhaps. But I cannot imagine the world the likes of Chivalrous Line would create represent an improvement.”
Topaz shook her head. “Do not concern thyself with him. I have a better vision for Equestria. One where we return Equestria to a proper balance, where power is more evenly shared between the magi, nobles, and commoners.”
That all sounded nice, but I knew that ‘twas the details where such plans would come to ruin. “Who would be gaining more power, and who would lose power? Other than my mother, obviously.” Topaz opened her mouth to answer, but I continued pressing. “I know who your allies are, and what they desire. What you are speaking of is decentralizing power as it once used to be. Such decentralization of power is inefficient and only led to the Rebellion. Returning power to the nobility will only allow them to squabble amongst themselves and resist the Crown. Giving the pegasi power like they once had will only encourage them to fight one another and rise up in revolt once again. And recreating the earth ponies’ parliament will only return us to the chaos we saw during the Rebellion. Such a division of power is dangerous and will create nothing but discord.”
“And putting all the power into the hooves of one mare is also dangerous,” Topaz declared, her tone losing its pleasantness. “Even if thou thinkest Sunbeam to be competent and that her rule is beneficial to Equestria, there is no guarantee the next pony who gathers so much power will be.”
I blinked owlishly. “Curious. I was under the impression that Celestia was the ruler of Equestria, not my mother. If I have in fact been a princess all this time, I must take the needed measures to correct my severe lack of royal accoutrements.”
Topaz scowled. “Thou art twisting my words. Thou knowest that I was speaking of thy mother, not of Celestia and the power she rightfully wields.”
“But you are speaking of Her Highness, for she is the one who holds all the power. I should know, my mother has complained more than once that Celestia restricts her actions and does not follow her advice as often as she would like. The power Mother possesses is only held at Her Highness’ pleasure. She can, and has, stripped her of her titles and power. Any criticism you lay at her hooves you should instead lay at Celestia’s.”
Topaz shook her head, and while she did well to hide it, I could sense her growing frustration. “And what of thine own future? Wilt thou always be beholden to thy mother? For I will be far more thankful of thy support than she will be.”
“Will you? Or will you cast me aside once my use is done?” I stepped up to her until we were nearly touching muzzles, causing her to stiffen as she refused to back away. “If you wish to prove that you desire me as a supporter then do these things: first, publicly denounce Chivalrous Line and cast him from your supporters, for I will not be in the same faction as that pony. Next, delay the conclave until Daylight is proven innocent or guilty. ‘Tis only decent and fair.”
Topaz wrinkles her nose. “I cannot continuance that. We cannot allow us to be cowed into delaying the conclave merely because—”
I cut her off with a slash of my hoof. “Enough. Do not lie to me. Aye, mayhaps you can salve the consciences of your followers with the lie that you are being brave by pushing forward with the conclave, but ‘twill not work on me. In fact, I give such excuses nothing but my scorn.”
Topaz’s brow furrowed. “I am sorry thou feelest that way.”
“I am not.” I swept past her and towards the keep gate. “If there is nothing else, I have much work to do. And I suspect you have plotting to do yourself.”
“Best of luck with thy business then.” Topaz looked back to me as she walked away from me. “Though if thou art hoping that speaking with Daylight will aid thee, then thou wilt be sorely disappointed.”
I headed into the keep and tried not to let Topaz’s final barb bother me. After speaking with my retinue, I learned that Daylight had indeed regained consciousness and that Shadow, Topaz, And others had already interrogated him. The fact he was still in a cell after those interrogations was not encouraging. Mayhaps Shadow was merely being cautions, but she would not keep a pony imprisoned if she knew them to be innocent. Neigh, she must have at least some doubts.
In any event, ‘twas not difficult to get a turn at interrogating Daylight, even if I did have to wait for my turn to come up. Mother’s authority did much to remove barriers to mine investigation, but even her considerable power could only do so much against bureaucratic inertia. There was also the prerequisite that I visit him alone. ‘Twas a security measure I could not argue against without being denied my request. Given who had been murdered and the fact Daylight had allies of considerable power and influence, ‘twas reasonable they wished to take precautions to make sure that their prisoner remained imprisoned.
Thus I was lead to Daylight’s cell under the keep. All things considered, the cells were kept in good condition, and I could feel the magic suppressors built into the very stones. ‘Twas hardly anyplace I would wish to stay, but then prison cells were not intended to be hospitable.
A pair of stern-faced guards flanked Daylight’s cell and they eyed me with a degree of wariness as I approached. When I finally got to look at Daylight I saw that he was in a pitiful condition. He had not been given the opportunity to clean himself of the ash from the fire, and the guards had taken great precautions to make sure he remained secure. Chains tied his legs together while an obsidian suppression ring adorned his horn. Still, his spirit had not been broken, for his eyes were bright when he saw me.
I looked to the guards. “Leave us.” I wished to speak with Daylight alone, for there might be things he would only say in private to me. That could be critically important given the nature of my investigation.
A pity then that the guards did not seem quick in following my request, and one of them frowned deeply at me. “We have orders from Lady Shadow not to leave him alone.”
“And I will be here,” I assured him. “I am a Magus of Equestria, and am the Archmagus of Canterlot’s agent for this investigation.”
One of the guard’s ears flicked. “I mean we are supposed to stay.”
I scowled at the stubborn guard and drew myself to my full height, as I did my best to imitate Mother’s imperious tone when she was especially irritable and expected to be obeyed. “Mayhaps thou misundestood that as a request? I did not ask thee what Lady Shadow told thee to do, I told thee to leave us. Do I have to waste time explaining to Lady Shadow and the Grand Vizier how a pair of guards cannot show enough initiative to know when they should let a magus and prisoner speak in private?”
The two guards stood there for a long moment and glanced at one another out of the corner of their eyes. One of them shrugged, and the other sighed. “We will be waiting right outside.”
I did not look at them as I stepped closer to the cell. “Go.” The guards left, though given how sound echoed in the room, they would likely still hear anything we said. Thus I cast a privacy spell to prevent anypony from overhearing us.
Daylight sighed in relief. “And here I thought they would never leave.”
I let out a breath I had not realized I was holding. In truth, I was a bit surprised that had worked. “Well, now we have some privacy.”
“That is good. Though thou shouldst know that some ponies might become suspicious knowing the two of us are alone.”
I shrugged. “What will they suspect? That I seek to aid one of my mother's known allies? That is to be expected. If they think I am up to foul deeds, then whatever I do will be seen in an ill light. ‘Tis pointless to worry overmuch about.”
“True, so we might as well meet their expectations. Thankfully thy mother has not abandoned me in my time of need.”
I tilted my head. “Did you fear she would?”
He shrugged. “‘Tis difficult to predict what she will do at times. Sometimes she does things one way, and then the opposite another.”
“That is her way,” I admitted. “Sometimes even I have trouble predicting how she will react. But I assure you, I am here to give aid on her behalf. I am trying to find whoever was responsible for this and bring them to justice, and clear your name.”
“That is good to hear.” Daylight rubbed the back of his neck to the rattle of his chains. “We better figure out a way out of this predicament or I am really going to be in serious trouble. More than I already am. The law does not take the murder of an archmagus lightly.”
“Indeed. So what can you tell me about what happened in Archmagus Tempus’ tower?”
Daylight let out a long sigh. “Not much. I have no memory of what happened. In fact, most of my memory for the entire night is gone. I remember bits and pieces from today, but after that everything become increasingly fuzzy until ‘tis nothing but a blank. I do not even remember going to Tempus’ tower. The first thing I remember is waking up in this cell and being told I was suspected of murdering the archmagus.”
“Ah. That is concerning.” Assuming he was telling the truth, that was extremely inconvenient. I had hoped he would be able to tell me something that would aid in his defense. Instead I was presented with an even greater mystery. Mayhaps the trauma of whatever happened to him had destroyed his memories of this night? I had read of how such things can be damaging to short term memory. “If you know anything that might exonerate you...”
Daylight shook his head. “Alas, I do not. 'Tis quite frustrating, I assure thee. Shadow had me thoroughly questioned.” He frowned deeply. “Though there are a few things of interest there. Shadow brought in Archmagus Bracing to examine my mind. They did not tell me what they discovered, but they seemed ... perturbed I would say.”
I hummed as I considered this information. “Do you think it possible you were mentally attacked?”
“‘Tis certainly possible,” Daylight confirmed. “That would explain the hole in my memory, and the headaches I am experiencing.”
I frowned, not liking the sound of this. “It would take a very talented caster to manage that.”
“Indeed, I like to think my mental defenses are worthy of the office I seek.”
“I would expect no less.”
Daylight’s eyes narrowed. “Though I have to wonder, why remove my memories but then set the tower aflame? I can understand someone using mind magic to make me forget whatever happened in that tower or trying to kill me, but not both. If their desire was to implicate me then they took a considerable risk by setting the tower on fire. Any number of things could have gone wrong, such as one of the tower’s beams falling on me.”
“Evidently they thought the risk worth it,” I said. “Whoever is responsible knew you were a capable pyromancer, and that the flames would not have been a problem for you. And the castle is full of powerful magi. ‘Twas merely coincidence that it happened to me and Mother that responded first.”
“If this was an attempt to frame me, 'twould seem to be effective considering my current predicament.” He sighed. “'Tis possible that Topaz or one of her supporters is behind this. They would gain the most from me being charged with murdering Tempus.”
I rubbed my chin. “Aye, but 'tis a terrible risk for them. If their plot was discovered the consequences would be terrible for them. Their entire faction would be discredited, and the lucky ones would only have their careers destroyed.”
“Assassinating me alone would have been far simpler, as grim as the idea is.”
“And e'en that is a titanic risk to take when the conclave is undetermined,” I pointed out. “Mother would see to it that your murderer was brought to justice. Her pride alone would see to that.”
“'Tis possible that Topaz's faction has grown desperate to win, and one of them made a foolish mistake. I have seen ponies make worse mistakes over less.” Daylight leaned back against the far wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “The other explanation is that someone else is responsible, though I know not who.”
“The latter strikes me as more likely.” I frowned as I tried to form a list of potential suspects, and it became more outlandish with ever new name added to it. As Theorycraft had said, ponies who wished to become archmagi easily collect enemies. “And much more concerning.”
Daylight let out a huff. “That only raises more questions, and ones I do not have ready answers for.”
“Just so.” I rubbed my chin as decided how to proceed. “May I examine your mind as well? I wish to see what Archmagus Bracing saw.” There was some risk to this; Daylight could be lying to me and be trying to draw me into a trap, thought such would be foolish given the circumstances. If he assaulted me, either physically or mentally, he might as well announce from the tallest tower in Fillydelphia that he was guilty.
I also had to consider the possibility that Daylight had erased his own memory in some complicated scheme to make himself seem innocent, but such a thing would have been dangerous. Mind magic was a delicate discipline, and erasing one’s own memories was akin to doing surgery to one’s own brain in terms of complexity and potential dangers. After all, how would you know what memory you were trying to remove when you forgot about it? I remember one incident where a pony had nearly destroyed their own memory entirely as they tried to remove the grief they felt from the death of a loved one and ended up removing everything even slightly related to the deceased.
“Thou might as well. I have few options available to me as is.” Daylight scooted closer the bars and presenting his head to me. He possessed a fine skull, one that somehow brought a level of comforting familiarity to me.
I cast a mind reading spell and touched my horn to his brow. Being careful as I went about my task, I sought Daylight’s memories of the night. I found nothing.
Nothing at all.
Memory was an inherently unreliable thing, but there were degrees to that unreliability. There should have been something, but I could find nothing involving the events of the day.
‘Twas easy to see why Archmagus Bracing had been perturbed. This was not a natural loss of memory, but one done by magic, I was sure of it. The question was who had altered his memories. ‘Twas possible Tempus had done so, though I could only guess why. The more likely prospect was that ‘twas someone who had tried to set up Daylight. At least as long as there was not something I was missing—which seemed damnably likely. Every fact I learned just seemed to create more doubt.
In any event, I pushed aside my frustrations to see if I could discover anything else as I probed around the edges of the hole in Daylight’s memory. I quickly found where he woke up in the dungeon cell and him being questioned by Shadow and Bracing. On the other end of the hole was a scattering of memories. There was the events involving the reivers, meetings with magi, the Royal Guard, and others, and the talk he had with the pony he suspected was his sis—
I snapped the link and staggered back from Daylight. “You are my brother?!”
Daylight grimaced as his ears flattened to his head. “Please, not so loud. We do not need the entire castle to overhear thee.”
I spluttered and held a hoof to my rapidly beating heart. “What madness is this?! I have no brother!”
Daylight groaned and ran a hoof down his face. “This was not how I intended this to happen. ‘Twas my plan to have a nice dinner over which I would explain all of this.”
I gave him a flat stare. “Then you have failed in this task.”
“‘Tis not my fault!” He stomped a hoof. “I did not plan on Tempus being murdered and having thee discover this by probing mine mind!”
I took several breaths as I tried to regain my composure. “What in the world makes you think that we are related?”
“A number of things,” Daylight grumbled. “First there has been your mother’s unwavering support of me, even on the occasions when I have disagreed with her.”
“You would hardly be the first pony she has supported despite some disagreements.” Morning and Shadow both came to mind, the latter of whom she often disagreed with quite vehemently. That did not even get into Mother’s eternal support for Princess Celestia and the many arguments with her.
Daylight shook his head. “Neigh, ‘twould not, but that is hardly the only evidence I have. Art thou aware of Respite Point?”
I nodded. “Aye, ‘tis a hospital and sanctuary ran by the Order of Sol Invictus.”
“Indeed. In addition to being a place of healing, it offers a place where a variety of ponies can seek refuge. Including mares with ... how shall we say, pregnancies with social complications, and who wish to stay at a place away from prying eyes until their foal is born. Especially those of high station.”
Mine eyes narrowed. “You are not suggesting…?”
“I am,” he said firmly. “I have checked the records, and Sunbeam Sparkle was at Respite Point for a number of months. What is more, she left shortly after I had been born. And if that is not enough, she also gave a very sizeable donation to the Order at her departure.”
“That could all be a coincidence,” I countered, not quite believing mine ears. “I imagine most of the mares of high station that leave a foundling at Respite also leave donations to ensure the proper care of their foals. And Mother could not have been the only mare there at that time, and she might have been there for other reasons.” She had certainly never spoken of this incident with me, but then, she kept a great many things secret from me.
“Mayhaps. Coincidences certainly happen, but my time as a magus has taught me to distrust coincidences. And the facts add up, like my talent with pyromancy and considerable magical talent. No one fact is entirely decisive, but when taken together...”
Could this be true? If Daylight was my brother, that just created more questions. “Then why did she not keep you? She kept me, but ‘twas not so with you.”
Daylight sighed and his shoulders slumped. “That I do not know, and the question has plagued me for as long as I could understand such things. Mayhaps I was born at an inopportune time for her, or she grew to loathe my sire. ‘Twas something I desired to ask of her. In addition to...” He bit his lip and his eyes looked to the floor. “If I am to be honest, ‘twas my hope that she would finally acknowledge me once I became archmagus. That I would finally have met her approval.”
Something about that statement struck a chord in my heart. I well knew the desire of a child to get the approval of their mother. It must have been even worse for him; he had never known Mother, not as I had. It could not have been easy for him to go through life without his parents. Not knowing my birth mother had caused quite enough distress for me.
So I considered the facts Daylight has given to me, putting aside mine own feelings on the matter. ‘Twas entirely possible that ‘twas all a coincidence, but the facts did point rather decisively in a single direction. Certainly enough to look into the possibility. And I could see nothing that countered his facts. He might be lying to me to gain mine aid, but if that was true then this was truly a desperate gamble on his part. If I discovered him to be a liar then the damage to his cause would be considerable. Then there was another fact that aligned with Daylight’s theory: Mother’s reaction to whenever I had brought up the idea of marrying Daylight.
Small wonder Mother was so aghast at mine earlier proposal—the simple thought of imagining me wrapped in passionate coitus with mine elder brother would drive a pony to drink. Mine eye twitched as the full implications of that swept over me. I had suggested lying with mine own feathering brother!
Oh sweet Nightmare's teats feathering a bastard's whore, I did not need that image in my head either!
“Please stop thinking about it, ‘tis not an image I wish to see either,” Corva said.
I blinked, aghast at the idea of Corva plucking such thoughts from my mind. “Thou canst see that?!”
“Not of mine own desire, I assure thee,” she grumbled.
I shook my head, trying desperately to dispel those terrible thoughts of my brother embracing me in forbidden carnal pleasures. “Whatever the truth might be, we still have more pressing matters to deal with. Like preventing you from being hanged for murdering an archmagus.” Though I had every intention of asking Mother about this matter of Daylight potentially being my brother. Mother may have her secrets, but this was one I could not tolerate silence on.
“Aye, ‘tis probably best to concentrate on that first,” Daylight agreed. “Once I am free we can deal with that other matter in our own time. Though I do I hope thou hast more leads. Otherwise I might be in a great deal of trouble.”
Unfortunately, I had to agree with him. My interview of Daylight had created two questions for every answer I received. Still, I had a learned a few things. Magic had been involved in Tempus’ murder, and powerful magic at that. Someone had seen cause to remove Daylight’s memories of what had transpired, and yet left him alive while the Archmagus had been slain. Yet the all important question for why events had transpired as they had eluded. Why murder a retiring old archmagus? Possible answers for that were forming in my mind, and while I did not have the answers I desired, I was determined to find them one way or another.
“I do not yet, but I will.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
658 users online
812,672 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
damn middy quite the mouth on this one eh
i think this is the first time ive heard middy swear 
I'll admit it. The first thought I had after reading this was, how the hell did Little Pip (from Fallout: Equestria) get inside of Midnight's head?
Makes me wonder what other colorful anecdotes she's hiding inside that disturbing mind of hers.
You know, I was thinking of suggesting self-induced amnesia, but then Midnight did it for me. Clever girl.
Are we sure Midnight's a cryomancer, cus that burn was almost as bad as that one that killed Archmagus Tempest.
Definitely didn't see the probable relationship between Daylight and Midnight coming yet it does make sense. Heck, while typing this out I actually stared at their names long enough to realize they sound like siblings just by those alone. I also found Midnight's reaction to their potential relation absolutely hilarious. Please continue this awesome story soon. I'm loving every minute of this.
well that's out of the bag now.
Still sayign Tick Tock for not beign in the runnign for his master's position gives him motive, also gives him the time to know and turn off the wards and bet he is hiding his potential. Topaz is jsut tryign to use this to make her move but not caused it.
Also Topaz has a point of too centralized power
9181240
YUS! I was not the only one to think of Littlepip!
Says the spirit.
And so the truth outs on the Sparkle-Shimmer split, though there are much more pressing matters to address first. The hole in Daylight's memory does largely support a frame job, as does Tick Tock's continued absence. And Topaz... yeah, don't try to court the smart ones, dear. They notice patterns quickly.
Interesting the discussion of wider politics and Topaz’s (claimed) desire to return to a decentralized power.
9182070
Go read that.
It was actually stated in The Lunar Rebellion.
That's the problem with announcing your retirement with a big ceremony.
A formal date? That price doesn't seem too bad for the help of an old and very powerful fae in this situation.
Chivalrous is really trying to get himself killed by the time this is over.
Sounds like the official investigation has some leads, hopefully non-Daylight ones.
Oh hey, there it is.
Yeeeaah, let's all just move on.
I'm starting to think that the guilty party is not Topaz, that it's not Daylight under his own will, and that in truth the assassination had nothing to do with the conclave to name a successor.
If only it were that easy. What's that expression... if I tell you not to think about pink elephants, what do you then think of?
Can't say I expected the sibling bombshell to drop quite in that manner. I still think Topaz looks like the obvious culprit here (with Tick's help of course)... perhaps even too obvious. Just wonder what other twist could happen otherwise.
No my little pony. That is not your legacy. Ours has ever been the parable of Adam and Eve, ones given choice... and choosing. And then knowing good from evil, choosing again. And again. And again. And choice does wonderful things. Extraordinary things. And terrible things. War never changes... but people do.
Perhaps your legacy begins there... but this story is the same as ours. Of all peoples nature... for we are all fallen, and hard to live with.
Many of the characters of Lunar Rebellion are less evil then they are... sad. Sunbeam, I've learned, is a high functioning sociopath. She is literally physically incapable of a proper emotional, so she has to actually work at caring. Its doesn't simply switch on for her. And its harder for her because Shadow is not one to play her games... nor one to dismiss her.
Bright Charger is supposed to be a monster... but again, I feel such pity for her. How do you feel about growing little pony? Thats going up and feeling different inside. I wonder what she thought as she lay there.
Did she cling to hope? A future assured? Or... her foals? The true and treacherous? Did she merely say she could have more... then with a lift of her head and what she had done... knowing that she wouldn't. As young as she was, to bear such a loss...
Did she think of those she loved? She did love those ponies... she had too. Did she curse them for their leaving, their demands that drew her from duties... for leaving her alone and with foal. If they could only be like her favored foal... she loved them, but they were just so... different. One was a healer for stars sake!
She loved them still... she only did this for... oh. They were dead. Dead or lost to her. So... she lay amongst the wreck and ruin as her ravaged frame worked desperately could she, oh so ascended, begin to grasp the depths of her sin, how her war was the least of it?
And so, the ascended being left life alone and wept for by none... pity the Charger, who sought power at the cost of others. If there is a God in Equestria... I hope they let her home at least.