Tales of Eden

by BlackRoseRaven

Détente

Chapter Seven: Détente
~BlackRoseRaven

Twilight and her friends arrived back at Ponyville without incident. Twilight sort of wished there had been some kind of altercation, just to prove the Kirin were liars, that they were the bad guys. But they were quiet and obedient, even if the one who seemed to be in charge was the opposite of meek.

Still, even angry as she was, she could understand the Kirin being a little upset, and that was strangely playing hell on her feelings. She wasn't supposed to feel bad for the bad guys, right? Sure, she had felt pity and understanding for Nightmare Moon, and Chrysalis, and even Sombra, but... but that was different.

These weren't just generic goons, as much as she wanted to tell herself they were, as much as she wanted to really believe they were all just... evil copies of each other or something. As eerily similar as they were, they had different emotions, acted differently when pressured by one thing or another.

The officer wasn't acting like the one in charge, still: the one who had been shot was. Was that their training, so they got confused as to which Kirin was more important, or was that just natural personality filtering through thanks to the weirdness of the situation they were in?

Twilight wasn't sure. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know, either. This was all too much, too strange, too different from what she had been expecting. And the stress of failure hanging over her head wasn't helping matters, either.

She was only half-surprised when they arrived back at Ponyville and found Royal Guard already waiting for them in front of the library. They shackled the Kirin, who complied silently with the demands: was it because these were 'fellow soldiers?' Was this part of the protocols they kept bringing up?

The guards applied more than just physical restraints to the Kirin, using artes and rings to bind their magic as well. And Twilight couldn't help but flinch when one of the soldiers slammed his hoof down on the back of the officer's neck, knocking him to the ground as he leaned down and growled: “That was for my friends, you bastard.”

“That's enough.” said a dry voice, and even Twilight was surprised that she was the one who had spoken.

The guard looked up at her, then scowled, starting: “So you not only screwed us, you also-”

“Hey! That's enough!” snapped Applejack, as she and Dash both stepped forwards immediately. “She didn't-”

“It's fine.” Twilight said quietly, and then she shook her head before she stepped forwards past her friends, looking evenly up into the eyes of the guard as she said quietly: “I want the people responsible for this to suffer as much as anyone. Maybe even more than you. But these specific Kirin didn't have anything to do with the attack. They're just soldiers. Lord Black is the one who deserves to be raked over hot coals.”

The soldier looked at her evenly, and then he snorted before he grabbed the Kirin and hauled him roughly up. The chains connecting his manacles jangled, almost drowning out the sound of the guard's hoof hitting the soldier again as he growled: “Get moving. It's a long walk back to Canterlot, crowbait.”

The Kirin didn't respond. Neither of them did, as they were marched off by the Royal Guard, who cut a swathe through the confused crowd of ponies. Pinkie Pie blew a raspberry at their retreating backs, but Twilight only shook her head and sighed quietly as she turned to enter the library, pushing open the door and starting: “Spike-”

She caught herself, freezing in the doorway and grinding her teeth together slowly before she closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and then cleared her throat as she walked inside like nothing had happened, her friends following behind her silently as she started: “It's late. You should all-”

“We can stay here tonight, Twilight. I mean, if you don't mind and all. Was a pretty tiring day.” Applejack said with an awkward smile, before she cleared her throat and asked: “Pinkie, think you can rustle up some grub for us?”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” Pinkie said brightly, before she smiled and added: “I mean, as long as you'll have us, Twilight.”

“Yes. Yes, of course, I... that's fine.” Twilight answered with a brief smile, before her eyes roved silently away, and she felt herself drawn into the library, leaving her friends behind.

They gave her space for now, though, and that was what she needed as she vanished into the depths of the library, into one of the private rooms, where a letter was waiting for her on a table, neatly left on top of a book of Eldraatic Myth. She opened it and went to work translating it, and she smiled faintly at how natural it was: at how soothing it was.

She knew from the first line of the letter that Mare Imbrium was not Princess Celestia.

I do not blame you.

That was what she needed to hear right now. That was what she needed to know: not that it wasn't her fault, because she still felt, knew, that somehow it was. But to not have to carry the additional weight of some stranger's blame.

She continued, and took solace and direction from the letter.

What is done is done. Focus now on what will happen next. Lord Black may now have designated you as a target. Remain vigilant and safe. Inform us if Lord Black attempts to contact you by any means. We await your report. Do not lie. Do not embellish. And do not fear judgment.

The first life you must save is your own.

Mare Imbrium

Twilight put down the letter, studying it for a few moments before she murmured: “I should have done more. My life doesn't matter as much as Equestria.”

“But what if your life had the power to change Equestria's fate?” asked a quiet voice, and Twilight flinched before she looked over her shoulder in surprise to see Rarity standing there, smiling faintly at her. “I'm sorry, dear. I thought I would... slip away and see if you were alright.”

“Yes. Yes, I'm fine.” Twilight shifted to hide the translated letters, but Rarity only smiled again and turned pointedly around, looking away from her friend, and Twilight Sparkle blushed a bit before she turned back to her papers, tucking them away into the book before she slipped this into a drawer of her desk.

She took a breath and turned back around as Rarity said softly: “I just want you to remember, dear, that we're all here with you. I can't imagine what you're going through right now, and I don't really want to, either.

“We all care about you very much. We... we all care very much about Spike, too, even if we don't always show it. He's wonderfully good at his job... and that requires him to stay in the background, to be... flexible. I think at times we fail to recognize what a true talent it must be...” Rarity smiled a little again, small and sad, rubbing at her face slowly. “To be so smooth and quiet at what you do, that everypony around you takes you for granted. That you set the world in order so naturally, that it's like you aren't even there at all.

“You're like that too, in some ways, dear. We forget how neatly you put everything in order, how good you are at bringing the best out of all of us. And without you, well, we're still very capable ponies, but we bump heads, and we get in one another's way, and... we aren't 'efficient,' to use a term you've always been so fond of.”

Rarity quieted, and then she turned towards Twilight as her friend approached, smiling faintly at her. “None of us want to see anything happen to you, dear. But as much as it frightens me and saddens me that you had to suffer so much, go through such terror and pain in Canterlot, I... it hurts much more to see you not being... the Twilight Sparkle we know and love.”

“It's... been a difficult few days, Rarity.” Twilight said, but it sounded like an excuse.

An angry, halfhearted excuse.

Rarity nodded, then reached up to gently touch her shoulder, saying quietly: “I know, dear. But remember who you are. The Twilight who defended that Kirin. Not the Twilight who... almost did something I know she would have regretted for the rest of her life.”

Twilight bit her lip, and then she nodded once, closing her eyes as she lowered her head. Of course they had noticed that.

“I hate them.” Twilight whispered, before she gave a shaky laugh and shook her head, blurting out: “Except I don't! And that's the worst part, the hardest part. I... I'm questioning everything. But my mind, the way I grew up, everything about me doesn't like that. But all the same I, I just can't stop thinking, questioning, wondering what... god, what is so very wrong that...”

She broke off, but Rarity nodded and leaned in to hug Twilight tightly, and the purple mare returned the embrace fiercely, trembling for a moment before she whispered: “I'm so afraid. Of Lord Black, of what's happening to Spike, of... of me. And I just want to know what Princess Celestia is hiding but that's... that's what I'm afraid of most.”

“She would never hurt you, Twilight, dear. She wants what's best for all of Equestria. I... I don't understand some of the things that have happened either, dear, but I know that... she wouldn't have asked you to handle all this without a reason, or without the best interest of Equestria in her heart. Because I know no matter what, you'll do what's best for all of us.” Rarity answered, emphasizing this with a firm squeeze before she took a breath and stepped back, saying quietly: “Just... make sure you come down when you're ready, dear. I think we could all do with a little company tonight.”

“Yeah. I... I'll come with you.” Twilight answered with a small smile.

“First I have to powder my nose, dear. It was quite the busy day.” Rarity replied with a small smile. “But good. Go ahead, then, and I'll be down in a moment.”

Twilight nodded, and she slipped past Rarity, hesitating, then giving her a quick, awkward smile before she turned her eyes back ahead, hurrying onward.

Rarity was left standing alone for a moment, smiling faintly before she rubbed slowly at her eyes, then let them drew inward, studying the desk where Twilight had been sitting as she wished that everything was simpler.

But nothing, as she had learned, was truly black and white.

---

The night was quiet, but the ponies were awakened in the morning by a terrible commotion from outside. It sounded almost like a riot, and as Twilight sat up, she couldn't help but blurt out: “Are they coming for me?”

“Everyone's pointing at the sky!” Pinkie Pie declared from the window, before she tried to crane her head up, whining: “But I can't see anything! It's all dark, though-”

“Lord Black.” Twilight whispered, before she scrambled to her hooves, but Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash caught her before she could bolt to the door.

“Whoa, Twilight, wait a minute!” Applejack said urgently, and Twilight gritted her teeth before the earth pony implored: “Just slow down, will you? You don't want to go runnin' out there half-cocked.”

“Take a moment. Breathe.” added Rarity, and Twilight grimaced, but then she wheezed out her breath, steadied her hooves under her, and straightened.

“Everyone seems real scared, guys, but I don't think anything bad is happening. At least, not yet!” Pinkie said helpfully.

“Great, Pinkie, thanks.” Rainbow grumbled, before she carefully let go of Twilight and stepped back, holding up her hooves. “Look. I know this is weird coming from me, but like...go slow? Maybe take a minute? Like... maybe he's here to talk, and if he is then, like... talk?”

Twilight wanted to snap at them all, but she knew that was the adrenaline more than anything else. The better part of her knew she had to talk to Lord Black: especially here in Ponyville, she had to be diplomatic and tactful. If anything happened, it would be her fault, and she knew that Lord Black's weapons were far more powerful than anything she could conjure in defense.

Especially now, when she was tired and confused and still weak from their previous encounters.

Her friends all looked at her, until Twilight firmed herself, lowered her head, and took a breath. And then Fluttershy reached up and touched her shoulder, saying quietly: “We'll be right there with you, the whole time.”

“Thanks. Thanks, all of you.” Twilight said softly, and then she took a breath and gave a small, shaky smile, saying: “Just do me a favor, okay? Remind me to calm down if I get too... engaged.”

“Don't you worry, Twilight, we'll make sure you don't get engaged to anyone, ever!” Pinkie Pie said firmly, and Twilight couldn't help but laugh a little at this.

“Thanks, girls. I know I can always count on you.” Twilight said with another faint smile, and then she took a last, slow breath, focused ahead, and walked towards the door, letting herself out.

The floating fortress blotted out the sun, and cast them all in darkness as it hovered above the village, slowly rolling across the early morning skies. Ponies whimpered and shouted and pointed as Twilight strode out to the center of the square, biting her lip and wondering what was going to happen next. What was Lord Black going to do?

Her answer came all too soon: a smaller ship seemed to appear out of nowhere, silently flying down in front of the library, ponies scattering away as Twilight simply waited and watched, feeling herself instinctively stiffen as she sensed the cold presence of the occupant within.

The ship landed, but only for a moment: the doors slid open, and Lord Black emerged, along with two creatures in heavy cloaks, their faces concealed by large helms and eerie, draconic masks. They could be anything, Twilight thought uneasily: griffins, ponies, drakes, or some other horrible monster: they gave no clues as to the truth of their identity, as they simply stood, their heavy cloaks rustling around their bodies, their masks frozen in snarls, eyes invisible behind the tinted lenses that concealed the truth of their souls.

Lord Black drew his eyes across the group of ponies before them, not so much as twitching even as his transport lifted back into the air, and withdrew towards the skies: Twilight, and her friends. He absently adjusted his cloak, and Twilight thought she saw the gleam of metal for a moment before the stallion asked her curtly: “Do you know where the remaining core pieces are located?”

“I do not.” Twilight halted, then took a breath before she began: “My name is-”

“Twilight Sparkle. Daughter of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Protege of Princess Celestia. Known as the Element of Magic and for her theory paper, On the Binding of Artes. Your dissertation earned you high praise: the highest of which is said to be the fact the Council of the Triad at first considered your research too advanced for a 'young mare' to have written without significant help.” Perhaps the slightest smile twitched at Lord Black's mouth, changing his grizzled features for a moment into something that had once been younger, handsomer, before the stoniness returned to his face, his single eye lingering on her. “You are... satisfactorily intelligent.”

“Satisfactorily?” Twilight blurted, glaring at the stallion even as she blushed a bit. “What-”

“I am extending you an open invitation to tour my facilities and join our Orphanage.” Lord Black interrupted, and as much as Twilight hated to be interrupted, at the same time she couldn't help but wonder-

“What the heck are you talking about?” Applejack blurted out, stepping forwards before she winced when Fluttershy and Rarity dragged her backwards. But even as they tried to get her to shut up, she shouted: “You attacked us! And now you're here with what, some kinda job offer for Twilight to watch kids?”

Lord Black gave a thin smile at this, but he shook his head, answering: “No. The Orphanage is not a place to abandon children. In simple terms it is a facility dedicated to training the best and brightest for field work.”

“Wait. As... work for you? I don't want to work with you! I... I hate you!” Twilight shouted, stamping a hoof, shock robbing her for a moment of diplomacy.

But the stallion only shrugged and answered, carelessly: “Liking me is not a requirement for our operatives. Familiarity is discouraged as a matter of course to prevent instances of nepotism or weaknesses in operational security.”

The stallion's eye shifted away, and Twilight trembled before she shouted angrily: “I am not taking a job with you!”

“The offer will remain open for consideration until my task here is complete. Your Princess Celestia spoke highly of you and said you would make an excellent candidate.” Lord Black answered, and Twilight's eyes went wide as her blood froze in her veins.

She trembled for a moment, then whispered: “You're lying.”

Lord Black met her eyes, and he didn't speak. And she saw in his unflinching gaze that he was not, and it filled her with confusion, and anger, and a thousand questions.

“Why do you want the core?” Rarity asked suddenly, and Twilight was surprised, but also glad: she had been about to shout something far less useful at the icy stallion.

“That 'core' is an anchor that was left here many years ago. It is an extremely valuable and vital piece of equipment that must not be tampered with.” Lord Black answered with a brief shake of his head. “It is not Celestia's to use as she sees fit. It must be repaired and replaced.”

“Do you know about the power crisis?” Twilight asked impulsively.

Lord Black looked at her measuringly, and then he gave a short nod.

“So you know that without those stones, Equestria may run out of power. Our larger cities are already experiencing brownouts.” Twilight said.

“And the instability in the global energy network has also caused your earth and air artes to become unstable. I am aware. But that is not my problem.” Lord Black answered evenly. “This world has already been altered in ways that require increased monitoring. I cannot-”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight exploded. “Your Kirin, Muse, they all talked like that too! What do you mean, 'our world?' Are you trying to say that you're not from this world?”

“We are not.” Lord Black answered bluntly, and Twilight stared in disbelief at the stallion. “I am from a world tasked with monitoring other worlds: we maintain and protect-”

“That's horsesh-”

Lord Black turned his eye on Rainbow Dash, who immediately quailed and cleared her throat before she supplied in a meeker voice: “Hard to believe?”

“Yes. I apologize, I forgot that guns, Kirin, and flying ships were commonplace on this world.” Lord Black replied acerbically, and then he returned his eyes to Twilight and said: “It doesn't matter what you believe. It does not change the point of the matter. Celestia has created a greater threat by tampering with this anchor. Her intentions may be pure, but the results will not be.”

“What about you?” Twilight asked quietly, meeting Lord Black's eye as she straightened a little, feeling some of her fear vanishing. He was cold, and callous, but he was also logical, in a way she could understand. “You said you wanted to protect us, but you bombed Canterlot.”

“It was an anti-materiel strafe. We used neither bombs nor artillery.” Lord Black corrected, before he leaned forwards and added in a lower voice: “I said that I am here to protect all worlds. Not just yours. And I will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary for the greater good.”

“Faciam quodlibet quod necesse est.” Twilight murmured.

Lord Black smiled at her; a cold, unhappy smile. “Precisely.”

“So you would destroy our world in order to 'protect' others.” Twilight stated more than asked, her voice betraying the faintest tremble.

“Yes.” Lord Black answered, unflinching and terrible.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Twilight Sparkle took a breath and said: “We're not going to just lay down and let you take away something that could save our world. Our world is all that we have.”

“I understand that. But sacrifices must be made, all the same.” Lord Black absently made a gesture with his left hoof, and Twilight got the sense that he had just signaled an end to the discussion. “If you will not make them willingly, then I will be forced to take any and all actions necessary to bring these problems to the correct conclusion.”

“Wait!” Rarity cried. “Can't you help us? You have all this technology, why-”

“These anchors cannot be replicated. We do not have the knowledge, or the technology to do so. They are invaluable.” Lord Black answered with a short shake of his head. “If it is destroyed, or drained of energy, it will mean catastrophe. For all of us.”

“So... so you're just going to take it away, and leave us to suffer?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.

“The worlds will balance themselves. We interfere as little as possible. Only when-”

“You can't be serious. You're here, tellin' us all this, and tellin' us that at the end of the day you're just gonna take what's ours and leave? And we should, what, thank you for it?” Applejack glared up at the stallion. “No way. That ain't how it works, buster!”

“Don't our lives matter?” whispered Fluttershy.

“That is irrelevant.” Lord Black answered.

The transport that had dropped him off earlier descended to land behind the stallion, the door sliding behind him as the ponies trembled and stared at him. And, as he began to turn to climb in after his bodyguards, Pinkie Pie shouted: “No!”

She leapt forwards, seizing him by the collar of his cape and shaking him roughly, glaring up at him as she shouted: “No! Our lives are the only thing that matters! Not how neat and tidy and fancy-schmancy everything is, but our lives! We are part of those worlds you keep saying you're supposed to protect, you... you stupidhead!”

Lord Black calmly looked down at Pinkie Pie, and then he gently reached up with both hooves: for a moment, Twilight saw that metallic gleam again from his right limb, before his wide cape fell back over his body, concealing it from view again even as he held Pinkie's hooves for a moment, squeezing them gently.

She trembled as she looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks as she whispered: “It's not fair.”

“You remind me of someone very dear to me.” Lord Black said, his voice almost gentle, before he carefully pushed her back. He turned and climbed into his transport, and then he hesitated before he turned around and leaned out of the transport, saying almost solemnly: “I will do whatever it takes to retrieve the anchor, in its entirety. And I will not hesitate to neutralize anyone that gets in my way.”

Twilight trembled, and then she stepped forwards and said roughly: “If you won't protect us, then we'll protect ourselves, Lord Black! I... I'm not afraid of you!”

Lord Black studied her for a moment, and then he said: “My name is Thorn Blackfeather. Princess Celestia referred to me as Lord Black out of security concerns, which are now irrelevant. And before you make me your enemy, Twilight Sparkle, consider this: would you protect one foal, at the cost of a hundred other lives?”

Twilight trembled and opened her mouth, but Lord Black – Thorn Blackfeather – cut her off, saying coldly: “No, it is not a fair question. But if you want to walk this path, then you must learn to do what is required of you. And you must live with the consequences.”

With that, Thorn withdrew into the transport, and it rumbled as it took off into the air, flying back towards the floating fortress.

Twilight trembled, staring helplessly up at the flying machine before she gritted her teeth, but she couldn't even summon up any anger. Tears of frustration and confusion made her eyes ache, and she helplessly tried to blink them away, swallowing her sobs: she felt powerless. Helpless. Like she was just a toy, a pawn in some cosmic game she didn't understand.

Pinkie Pie trembled, then leapt into Twilight, hugging her tightly and burying her face against the unicorn's neck. She was shaking like a leaf, and Twilight embraced her fiercely back, not knowing who was trying to comfort who as she whispered: “We'll... we'll get through this. Somehow, somehow, we... we can get through this.”

But did she really believe that? Could she really believe that?

The floating fortress above their heads blotted out the sky. Lord Black, or Thorn Blackfeather, or whatever his name was, was inside that fortress, commanding that silent titan as it slowly turned and simply floated away, like it was nothing more than a passing stormcloud.

But that storm was simply moving to some other part of the world, relentlessly searching for the remaining pieces of the anchor. Lord Blackfeather was going to find them, she knew: there was no way they could stop him, and no way any military of this planet could resist him. Not even if they combined all their powers, could they hope to take on a ship of that magnitude, or the incredibly dangerous personnel inside.

And that wasn't the worst of it.

The worst of it was that he had been cold, and relentless, and yet so honest. So convinced that what he was doing was, if not right, then the only thing he could do. No, there had been no sense of righteousness about him, not like some of the villains she had fought.

He had been remorseless. Dedicated. Determined. And, she thought, terribly aware of what he was doing, but he knew the consequences for what he had to do were greater than if he did not.

But what did that mean for her? For them?

They still had to protect their home, their nation, their people, from the consequences of Thorn's actions. They had to stop him.

But even as Twilight trembled and fought not to cry as she and Pinkie clutched each other, her mind moved a thousand miles a minute, forcing her to see and understand even the things she didn't want to.

They couldn't win through brute force.

Lord Thorn Blackfeather was made of stone. He wouldn't make concessions as to what he wanted.

But did that mean negotiating was completely out of the question? Or did that mean they had to go about this another way?

Would he accept a trade?

But first, she knew that she needed answers. If she was going to get anywhere with Thorn, she needed answers from someone who knew what was going on. From someone who had dealt with before, and who had some idea of what this all meant.

And the only mare who had those kind of answers, was Princess Celestia.

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

I'm not even sure who to root for now....