Aitran

by CTVulpin

Chapter 10

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash were still dripping slightly when they reappeared in the Aitran library and by silent agreement decided to go outside and find a patch of warm… light to rest up in until their manes dried out. After some discussion, they ended up on the little beach on the western end of the island, near the clocktower. Rainbow flopped down onto her belly with her wings spread out to either side while Twilight emptied her bag and laid it and its contents out to dry before laying down as well. “How long have we been here?” she asked no one in particular, “It feels like hours, but there’s no way to tell. I wonder if time even works the same way here as it does at home.”

“Why wouldn’t it?” Rainbow asked, looking askance at the unicorn.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said with some exasperation. She picked the Baseli journal up in her magic and opened it to the final entry before the constellation drawings. “Star Swirl made some off-hoof comment about altering the text of the Baseli book to make it so time would ‘flow’ normally so he could watch the inhabitants grow and develop on their own. He mentions it so casually, it’s like stopping or changing the way time affects the worlds inside these books is something he did all the time.” She lifted her head off the ground, ears flat against her head and eyes wide. “That would explain why the food in the pantry’s still fresh, and how Cirrus and Archeon can still be alive despite being apprentices to Star Swirl the Bearded, who was last seen in Equestria nearly a thousand years ago!”

“Uh, Twilight,” Rainbow said, sounding worried, “Maybe you should stop thinking about this. I think I can see a couple of ways you can break your brain if you keep going.”

“Like wha… oh.” Twilight fell silent for several moments, thinking. “Spike is supposed to take the book that brought us here to Princess Celestia,” she said at last, making it sound like a mantra, “She’ll find a way to get us back home, or at least contact us to let us know she’s working on a solution. We haven’t heard from her or seen anything appear yet, so… We probably haven’t been here long enough for Spike to have made it to Canterlot yet.”

“If you say so,” Rainbow said, lifting her wings and giving them a few flaps before folding them in, “Speaking of Cirrus and Archeon…”

Twilight sighed as she removed the red and blue pages, and the torn note, from the journal. “I’m starting to have serious doubts about both of them,” she said, “the Baseli natives had a lot of decorative gold during Star Swirl’s last recorded visit, but the only evidence of wealth I saw was in Cirrus’s room, and that had a greater focus on expensive wood and cloth than gold. Archeon’s room looked like it belonged to a merciless pirate with plans to strike other islands in that world. I don’t like how they seem to be the only chances we have of finding a way home ourselves.”

“What’s this?” Rainbow asked, pointing to the torn note.

“I found that in Archeon’s room,” Twilight explained as the pegasus read what she could, “Unless we’re lucky enough to find the missing half, it’s not going to be much use, and if Archeon had this half, I’m not sure I want to find out what’s in this hidden vault.”

“Well I do,” Rainbow said, “for all we know, it could be the key to the whole mystery of which stallion to take our chances with or where the exit’s located.” She stood up and stretched, and then nodded toward the library. “Come on,” she said, “didn’t you have some questions for Cirrus about Star Swirl’s family?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, standing up and gathering the books, papers, and bag, “I want you to listen in when I talk to him, and I’ll listen to you talking to Archeon. That’s probably what we should have done from the start.” Rainbow nodded and followed Twilight as she trotted up to the library.

---

“Ah, Twilight,” Cirrus said with a charming smile, “I am grateful beyond expression at how quickly you are recovering the missing pages. I am curious though, where is that other pony, Rainbow Dash I believe? I haven’t seen her since rrzzt first conversation.” Before Twilight or Rainbow could answer, he grew grim and said, “She has been finding the pages for Archeon’s prison, hasn’t sh-Zzzr?”

“So what if I am?” Rainbow asked, pushing her head into the trapped stallion’s field of vision.

“He is dangerous,” Cirrus said coldly, “His mind was unhinged long before Bzzt Star Swirl condemned him to that book, and I have no reason to think he’s improved since then.”

“We just want to go home Cirrus,” Twilight said, pushing Rainbow’s head out of her way, “and since you haven’t given me a straight answer about helping…”

“I’ve already promised I’d give you whatever you desire when I’m Fzz-ee,” Cirrus said, insulted, “If I may ask, where are you finding the pages anyway? Trapped as I am, I can feel Rzzzr there are two still missing from the book, but only one of them is on this island.”

“Really?” Twilight said, surprised, “we’ve searched just about everywhere on Aitran already…” She paused and looked at Rainbow, silently asking if they should answer Cirrus’s question. The pegasus shrugged in response, leaving it up to the unicorn’s judgement. “The other pages have been the worlds inside the books that weren’t burned,” Twilight said at last.

Cirrus blinked and frowned in surprise. “Of course,” he muttered, looking away for a moment, “Then…” he smirked, “you’ve probably seen the rooms Archeon claimed for his use. You’ve seen that my accusations against him are not groundless fabrications.”

“We’ve also seen evidence that you’re as greedy as Archeon claims you are,” Rainbow snapped, butting in again.

“It is no crime to surround oneself with fine things” Cirrus said flatly, “although from the looks of you, I can see how my Zzzrt former associate could cloud your perception.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow snarled, unfurling her wings threateningly, “Are you calling me stupid?”

“That’s enough,” Twilight said firmly, pushing Rainbow aside again, “go cool off somewhere Rainbow. Cirrus, don’t make me regret giving you what help I already have. I don’t want to blackmail you, but keep in mind that you need us –both of us - if you’re going to escape that book.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Cirrus grumbled, “but you need me just as much, don’t you?”

“Tell me about Clover and Nyx,” Twilight said, deliberately changing the subject, “I believe you owe me that for the latest page.”

“Yes, I suppose I can tell you a little more,” Cirrus said grudgingly, “My master met Clover as he was exploring another world, shortly before he created Aitran Island and moved us here. She was his equal in many regards, including in formulating Books. It was several… well, I’m not sure how long exactly. You may have noticed, Aitran has no cycle of day and night, and time passes unmarked if it truly passes at all. Archeon and I were nearing our majority age when Nyx was born and as she grew it became clear that she had inherited her parents’s intelligence and would earn the right to learn the art of writing worlds at the same time Archeon and I – her seniors.” As he spoke, Cirrus’s voice grew slightly but noticeably harder and he was gritting his teeth by the end. He paused and composed himself, regaining his usual charming demeanor. “That should be enough, for now,” he said, “go into the final world, retrieve the last lost page, and I’ll tell you everything else you need to know.”

“I look forward to it,” Twilight said levelly as she closed the book on him. She turned away from the alcove with a frustrated noise and Rainbow chuckled.

“He’d fit in with some of those Canterlot ponies, wouldn’t he?” the pegasus said with a wry smile.

“And the Princess wondered why I wasn’t interested in friendship,” Twilight said in a deadpan mutter. “Alright,” she said with some dejection, “I’ve already got a bad taste in my mouth about this, so let’s just get Archeon over with.” She gave the blue page to Rainbow, who took it in her mouth and walked over to the blue book. Twilight sat down next to the fireplace and tried to drive the negative attitudes out of her head while Dash inserted the page and turned to the viewing panel.

“Oh, my dear, dear wonderful friend,” the bearded stallion said, grinning widely as he appeared from the faintly buzzing backdrop of the panel, “You are doing me such a favor. I can almost feel it, the Rzzz-derful freedom from this… this accursed prison.”

“Yeah, yeah, unjustly imprisoned, you’ve told me,” Rainbow said dismissively, “to be honest, I’m starting to wonder about that, given what my friend I have seen in the books.”

“You found the surviving illusions?” Archeon asked, surprised, “I see, I see… You went into my old rooms then? Saw Cirrus’s too I’d imagine. Heh. Hahaha…” His voice grew quiet, almost dreamy as he continued, “Foalish dreams of being a warrior. That’s all. Had to defend myself… I’m not crazy, as Cirrus might lead you to believe. You haven’t been talking to him, have you?” He stared at Rainbow with one eye, the iris unnervingly small. The cyan pegasus flinched back reflexively, not sure how to respond. “Been here too looong,” Archeon moaned, “Let me out.”

“Can I ask a quick question before we go?” Twilight asked, leaning in, “What did you think of Nyx, Star Swi-”

“Master’s daughter?” Archeon asked, cutting her off, “too smart for her own good sometimes, would’ve gotten in far more trouble earlier if we didn’t keep an eye on her. Master didn’t want us going into the illusions without him, but Nyx… Heh heh Zzbz Almost got away with it a few times. Cirrus was jealous of her, he thought Master would pass him over and give Nyx all the secrets alone. I…” He shuddered, and what sanity had been returning to his face as he spoke started to drain away again.

“I think we’ve heard enough for now,” Rainbow said, reaching over and closing the book before Archeon could launch into another round of pleading. “He’s nuttier than a squirrel and Cirrus doesn’t seem trustworthy,” she said, “Who the hay is the better choice?”

“I wish I knew,” Twilight said, “I would’ve gone with Cirrus after we put in the second set of pages, but each world we go to makes it seem more and more like we’re caught between having to choose between Nightmare Moon and Discord with no Elements of Harmony to keep them in check. Actually…” She brought the torn note out of her bag. “If we’re lucky we might have a third option, and there’s always sitting around and hoping for a rescue party…”

“I’m not going to sit,” Dash said with determination as she walked over to the map and started up the tower rotation, “There’s still one more hiding spot to open up, one more world to investigate, and if the pattern holds then it’ll be the one in the last journal.” She glanced down at the books sitting under the map as the tower rotated and then looked over at Twilight. “You’ve explained that one to me already, haven’t you?” she asked, “the one with the frog-people?”

“Yeah, the Forestsea is what they called it,” Twilight said with a nod, “Used to be a vast land, then it sank under the water and is now mostly a bunch of walkways under a village built into the treetops. The natives were extremely hospitable, and Cirrus and Archeon spent a lot of time there… Oh dear…”

“They betrayed Star Swirl,” Dash said pragmatically, opening the passageway behind the bookcase, “If they messed with the frogaloids, it’s be par for the course.”

“Frogaloids?” Twilight echoed bemusedly as the pegasus galloped down the passageway to the elevator. She shook her head at the random naming and started to summon the Forestsea journal over to refresh her memory about Star Swirl’s impressions, only to pause as a new question occurred to her. “The histories are admittedly unreliable about how many students and apprentices Star Swirl had throughout his career,” she mused, “but where’d he find Cirrus and Archeon and why’d he bring the two of them here?” She filed that away for later, figuring she could work the question into the stories she’d be getting from the prisoners in exchange for the next page set, and then opened the Forestsea journal. She’d read only two words before Rainbow Dash came galloping out of the passageway, hit the painting switch to re-open the front door, and pranced impatiently in place waiting for the stone slab to get out of her way. “You ok?” Twilight asked.

“I know what the clue is for!” Rainbow declared happily before dashing out of the library and down the column-lined path.

“Wait up!” Twilight called out, running after the speedy pegasus. Rainbow ran past where the path split to lead to the power station and then turned and ran into the trees on the left. When Twilight caught up, she found Rainbow standing by the marker switch set up by the door of a small log cabin.

“You’re getting faster egghead,” Rainbow said with approval as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Thanks,” Twilight deadpanned as she entered the cabin. Like most every building on the island, the cabin was a one-room affair without windows. The back wall was dominated by a large boiler with a prominent pressure gauge affixed to it. To the left of the boiler was a painting of the base of a tall redwood tree growing out of the cement floor of a brick-walled enclosure and on the right wall was a large red valve wheel. Rainbow Dash was standing to the left of the door, using her wings for balance as she reared up and carefully spun the tumbler dial of a green safe built into the wall. “You know the combination I take it?” Twilight asked.

“Yep,” Rainbow said, spinning the dial to the left, “It’s a simple three-number lock: 33 right, 12 left, and… 20 right. There we go.” She grabbed the handle in her teeth, twisted it to the right with a satisfying “clank,” and pulled the door open while saying “ta-da!” around her grip. Twilight looked inside the safe, raised an eyebrow, and then grabbed the contents in her magic and brought it out for the pegasus to see. It was a box of matches. “Oh,” Rainbow said, looking a little disappointed as she released the handle and settled onto all fours.

“Were you expecting the book or something?” Twilight asked.

“With the way the puzzles work around here? Nah,” Rainbow said, “But, matches? Seriously? If you’re going to put in a safe, at least put something kinda cool in it!”

Twilight chuckled and turned toward the boiler. “It might not be cool,” she said, “but I’m pretty sure I know what we’re supposed to do with them.” She carried the matchbox behind her as she knelt down in front of the boiler and looked into the small square hole in the base. “Ah-ha, pilot light,” she said in triumph. She levitated a match out of the box, struck it, and then held it inside the hole until she saw the pilot light catch. “Now we just turn up the heat,” she said, straightening up and grasping the valve with her magic and turning it. She was a rewarded with brief hiss of gas followed by the faint roar of fire as the pilot light ignited a flame jet underneath the boiler. “And watch the science happen,” Twilight finished her statement as she cranked the gas up to the maximum and sat back.

“And… what is this supposed to do?” Rainbow asked as the needle of the pressure gauge started to quiver and then slowly rotate across the meter.

“We’ll see,” Twilight answered, having absolutely no idea but full confidence in Star Swirl’s design. Her smile grew incrementally in time with the needle’s slow march toward the right side of the gauge, and just as it reached the end it suddenly swung back to zero and began sweeping across the gauge again at a faster pace. In time with the needle’s fall, a sound like a large mechanism releasing, shifting, and then catching again echoed in from outside the cabin. Without even needing to ask or look at each other, the two ponies ran outside and followed the sounds, which repeated every few seconds, to their source: a raised brick enclosure containing a giant redwood, which proceeded to rise several feet out of the ground with a hiss and the clank of ratcheting machinery.

“Twilight,” Rainbow said, staring up at the top of the tree in stunned befuddlement as it rose again, “We’re making the giant tree even taller.”

“That’s not all,” Twilight said, pointing at the base. Rainbow looked down as the tree shot upward again, revealing an alcove carved into the trunk big enough to contain a single pony. The tree continued to rise as the ponies watched, taking the alcove higher and higher until it finally came to a stop just above the normal trees. “I don’t think I saw the book in there,” Twilight said, craning her neck to look up, “did you?”

“I don’t think so,” the pegasus said, “let me double-check.” She flew up and poked her head into the alcove. Other than a magically-glowing crystal lamp in the ceiling and a little button on one side, the space was empty. Rainbow hovered and puzzled about it for a moment before realizing the purpose behind the tree. She dived back to the ground and landed next to Twilight. “The book’s underground,” she said, “you’ll have to ride the tree down, get the book, and bring it up here.”

“You should go down with me,” Twilight said, “We’ll only be in there long enough to use the book. How would I get back up anyway? The controls, if you can call that boiler a control, are in the cabin.”

“Teleport,” Dash said simply, “duh. You’re an expert at that.”

“But… Oh, fine,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes, “go turn off the gas, I’ll be back in a minute or so.” Rainbow nodded and trotted back to the cabin. She turned her gaze up to the alcove, hoping that once the pressure was gone that the piston-tree wouldn’t just drop straight down all at once. Fortunately, once the tree began dropping, it did so in increments, pausing for a few seconds before falling another few feet. This isn’t going to be a fun ride the unicorn thought grimly as the alcove approached. As soon as it reached ground level, Twilight jumped into it and braced herself for the jarring descent. “This is… such a… inconvenient… way to… reach a hiding place and… Oh, over already?” She stepped out of the tree into a room that had been excavated from the dirt and walled with wooden panels. Six tree trunks grew through the room along both walls, and in the center, under the bare lightbulb that provided light to the room, the linking book sat upon a stump. The cover was greenish-grey and the spine was reinforced with a thin layer of tin. It was untitled, but when Twilight opened it to the back page and saw a network of wooden walkways standing above a body of water and weaving between widely-spaced, thick-trunked trees she knew she was looking at the final surviving world from Star Swirl’s library: the Forestsea. Closing the book and putting it in her bag, Twilight heaved a sigh, screwed her eyes shut, and focused on moving herself from her present location to the doorstep of the log cabin. She winked out in a flash of light and reappeared on top of a surprised and briefly grumpy Rainbow Dash. “Heh heh… sorry.”

Comments

[Moon_Fire]

This is better than what I thought it would be

and first to comment

[FinalGamer]

I like the fact you don't comment on every single area, since you skipped past the bottom of the ship at Baseli. Shame though cuz I love that area but no worries :3

Also, hellz yeah Channelwood/Forestsea. I wonder if they'll find that machine with the guys speaking weird languages.

Hatchee toooh-baaaaah natoh-KAO...

[Starcat5]

Archeon speaking fondly of Nyx... That speaks highly of my favorite twist from Myst IV remaining intact once you get to that story.

[Borg]

It really is a very inconvenient way to get to a hiding place.