Knights of Ice and Crystal

by Leila Drake

Chapter 20: Enchantment Shop

When White agreed to go to Jonathan's, Darren had already unpacked, introduced himself properly to Applejack, Fluttershy and Spike and found the castle's library. As he wandered along the countless rows that went up to a ceiling at least twenty feet high he looked for a book that might tell him more about magical ores and weapons.

He had expected that his sword would work as a moderately adequate focus for his magic. Still, the fact that it did not even properly channel dark spells anymore had been a nasty surprise. It was as if it was just a runeblade now, without the mysterious properties of the metal. Saronite was not only lighter than steel. It was produced by smelting an ore which was named after an Old God. Darren had always suspected that the ore was more than just a tough material. Every living being who wielded a saronite blade eventually went mad. Maybe Death Knights could only use them 'safely' because they were already cursed, undead and plagued by bloodlust... What Darren did not understand was how the blade could have been cleansed. And when?

Maybe it had something to do with that stallion, Sombra. He had to learn more about the shadow pony. The forces of the Void were too dangerous; if Darren just accepted that the sword's magic had gone elsewhere it might bite him in the arse later on. Unsolved problems had the habit of re-surfacing one way or another and anything involving dark magic meant big trouble in the long run. Take Frostmourne, for example. A paladin finds a runesword in the ice. First thing he does is slay hordes of undead and thus save his knights. Second thing he does is make himself Lich King of the Undead and slay the very same knights. In a way, Darren was relieved that his sword had turned more normal. At least now he could focus on getting better and training Eclipse without having to worry about any grisly side effects of his blade's magic.

Leaning dangerously far away from the ladder he was standing on, Darren pulled a book called Advanced Spells by Clover the Clever from a shelf that was too high for ponies to reach without magic or flying. He added it to a small pile under his arm. He hoped that he would have time to read the books tonight. If not, he would have to make a list of the titles and borrow them from the Empire's library. Given that they even had those books. Twilight was as powerful as an Archmage and Darren doubted that every city had one of her sort. Her collection was probably unique. He was glad that during his paladin training he had been forced to study loads of books and librams. Otherwise, the sheer amount of reading involved would have deterred him from looking into the matter.

That was when the library doors creaked. Twilight Sparkle entered, along with White Alloy. They both looked around, trying to find Darren.

"Hello?" called Twilight in sort of a hushed shout.

"Up here." Darren descended a ladder and set the small book pile down on the next table. He strode toards White, fist outstreched. White bumped it reluctantly.

"I'm gonna be frank with you," he said flatly. "I'm not happy with this arrangement. Feather is the one who vouched for you, along with Eclipse. You're a knight, for goodness sake, and knights really don't have a good reputation in the Empire. And your weapon obviously isn't just for show. But after you apparently saved my son twice already, I'm going to give you the benefit of a doubt." Twilight grimaced as White stepped closer to Darren. Even though he was significantly smaller than him, as all ponies were, the look in his eyes told Darren how serious the stallion was. "Do not abuse my trust."

"I won't," said Darren earnestly. "I swear by the Light."

Twilight's eyes widened a little at the oath that sounded so unusual from Darren.

"Uh, right," she said. "Now that that's off the table, we can go and tell Jonathan, right, Fluttershy? - Fluttershy?" She spun around. "Where'd she go?"

Darren raised a finger and pointed at the far corner of the corridor. Behind the door, a strand of long pink mane twitched and was pulled out of sight, followed by something that sounded like, "Eep!" Apparently, Fluttershy had walked beside Twilight but decided to hide instead of entering the library.

Twilight went back through the door.

"Fluttershy?" she asked carefully. "What's wrong?"

A muttered reply came from the other side of the door.

"You don't? Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Another muttered sentence. "Oh." Twilight's ears went down. She turned to Darren. "Just a minute, please!" She smiled apologetically and pulled the door shut.

White gave Darren a flat look, then he walked away and admired the library.

Darren rolled his eyes and sat down at the table, opening the first book. Pretending to read it, Darren wondered what Fluttershy's problem was. If the pony's name was any hint, as pony names usually were, she was probably too shy to travel to the Empire with a stranger. Or maybe she did not have the time and forgot to check her calendar before agreeing to go.

The door opened and Twilight and Fluttershy entered. The pegasus took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I will come to the Crystal Empire with you and Jon," she said quickly. "I'm sorry for the confusion."

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Let's go," she said.

---

The walk through town was uneventful. Twilight and White talked about the Crystalling, the royal family and White's profession, which was goldsmithing, and even though Twilight asked Darren one or two questions, he was too distracted to give her more than one-worded answers and she eventually gave it up. She greeted most ponies that they passed by, some with a "Hello" or "Hi!", others just with a wave of her hoof. Fluttershy did not say anything. She listened to the conversation between Twilight and White, nodding and occasionally risking a shy look in Darren's direction.

As he watched the ponies bustling around town, Darren constructed scenarios in his head. What if Eclipse had an episode and no one in the vicinity knew what was going on? What if nobody was there to calm him down, say, at school or on a playground? He had to put some kind of safequard in place, like a warning system. Maybe magical wards would be an option but he did not know how they might interact with Eclipse's magic. It would have to be a person. Somebody with the time to follow Eclipse around. He frowned as he adjusted the weight of the rolled-up carpet on his shoulder. Except he could imagine that White and Feather would not easily agree to another pony following their son around. But what if they did not know?

Ponies were not exactly stealthy, al least not in the city. Paved roads were the norm in the Empire. He could already see it before his mind's eye: some guard clip-clopping after poor Eclipse, following him around like a stalker... no.

They crossed a stone bridge over a small stream. It reminded Darren of the canal bridges in Undercity.

Levinia. He could ask Levinia. Nobody except Darren and Eclipse would know and she could warn him whenever the dark magic stirred within Eclipse.

---

Jonathan's shop was a small house on the edge of town, with a thatched roof and a clean white facade just like its neighbours. The only thing that made it stand apart was a wooden sign that hung above the door.

SPELL BAKERY

Below the curved letters was the exact symbol the map had shown earlier: A wand, crossed with a sword. The sign itself was in the shape of an unrolled piece of parchment.

Twilight pushed the door open. Darren had noticed that most Equestrian shops had doorbells but Jonathan's shop did not. Instead, the distinct smell of a library greeted him when he entered. The room was larger than Darren had expected. Various items were presented on shelves and showcases, ranging from mirrors over gemstones to small boxes. At the far end of the shop, a large shelf was stuffed with parchment rolls. That must be the one that Darren had seen through the mirror. A counter separated the front from the back. The floor before the counter was elevated - this way, pony customers could get almost on eye level with the human shop owner. There was also the constant scraping of a whetstone. Jonathan was currently bent over it, holding a gem glued to a short stick and frowning at the facets of the jewel.

"Just a second," he said, raising his head from his work. The whetstone slowed to a halt and Jonathan put the gem aside. "Oh!" He grinned and raised the safety glasses he had been wearing. His white hair was significantly shorter than two days ago. "Hi, guys. So you made it! And you are...?" he asked politely, wiping his hands on his apron.

"White Alloy. Nice to meet you." White stepped to the counter as if he wanted to buy something. Or maybe he just wanted to feel taller. "You're Mr Jonathan?"

Jonathan snorted. "Nah, just Jonathan. My last name is Baker, hence -" He pointed towards the door with both hands - "the sign."

"Very punny," said Darren dryly, putting the carpet down on the floor.

"We're in Equestria, man, how could I resist?" He and Twilight hugged, then he bumped his fist with Fluttershy's hoof. "What can I do for you?" Jonathan turned to White.

"They said that you were to go on a friendship quest," said White hesitantly.

"I am?" Jonathan shifted his weight, leaning on the counter with crossed arms. "How come?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at Twilight.

"You didn't feel the map's call?" asked Twilight, surprised.

"Ahhh, so that's what it was!" Jonathan exclaimed, chuckling. "I've been feeling that weird itch all over. I wondered what it was about. First I thought I'd eaten something I'm allergic to. But you're saying it's a map calling?"

"The map," corrected Twilight. "The Cutie Map, the one in the Throne Room. It activated to show us there's a friendship problem that needs to be solved."

Jonathan leaned away from the counter. "Wait. Rarity said something about this map. Isn't she in Canterlot because of it?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, and Pinkie Pie, too. But now the map wants you and Fluttershy to go to the Crystal Empire."

"Huh. Alright. Uh, well, I'd need to ask Starlight to mind the shop again. Hope she's up to it. And what kind of problem?"

"We don't actually know," admitted Twilight. "The map never tells us. It's part of the solution to find out. But," she looked at White, who gave Jonathan a polite smile, "we have a pretty good idea what it might be."

"I see." Jonathan smirked. "I wouldn't mind another trip to the Empire. It's always nice to hang out with the other half of the human population."

Darren rolled his eyes. Twilight laughed, apparently unaware of the comment's double meaning.

"Great!" she said. "When do you think you can go?"

Jonathan looked at the ceiling. He pursed his lips and hummed.

"Not today. I need to finish this urgent order. And I guess Darren didn't bring the carpet for nothing. You want me to enchant it for you?" Darren nodded. Jonathan scratched his chin and straightened his back. "Okay, just leave it and I'll do it 'til tomorrow. Other than that, if this friendship quest thingy doesn't take over a week I'll be fine. Though I gotta tell Starlight not to forget watering Clara again. Last time, she hummed sad songs for a week, it was depressing as hell."

"Oh," Fluttershy muttered, taken aback. "We didn't mean to distract you from your work. I'm sure it's important."

"Don't sweat it, Flutters, the door sign did say 'Open'," Jonathan reassured her with a friendly smile. "Friendship quest aside, are you okay?" Concern crept into his voice as he eyed her.

Fluttershy cast a quick glance at Darren, then at White Alloy. She nodded.

"I - I think so," she said quietly. "Yes." She raised her head.

White stepped away from the counter, descending to normal floor level.

"We need to return home tomorrow," he said. "My family and I are going to visit Ponyville's, uh, tourist traps today." He hesitated, frowning in confusion. Darren could almost see the gears in his head turning. Was there even such a thing? Maybe they had Equestria's Biggest Apple or something of the sort. "How about we have dinner together?" White proposed. "That way, we can get to know each other a little better before making any rash decisions."

Jonathan nodded. "Sounds fair. I know a place. It's four streets down, across from Spirit's café. I'd kill for one of their hayburgers. Say, at Seven?"

---

"He's different from what I expected," said White after the door had shut behind them.

"How so?" Twilight curiously tilted her head.

White hesitated. "No offense," he started with a half-heartedly apologetic glance to Darren, "but Jonathan is more... well, like a pony."

"What?" Twilight giggled, then fell silent when she saw Darren's face. She lowered her ears and kept walking.

"As in, more approachable?" guessed Darren testily.

White gulped, his ears down. He looked like the kid in class who had just said something he'd thought had been smart at the moment. "Well..."

Darren sighed. "I usually am the grumpy one," he admitted. "I'm sorry. It's not... intentional. I wasn't always this way."

"Jonathan and Darren have both been through some terrible things," said Twilight. "Everypony deals with that in a different way, I guess. I..." she broke off, grimacing uncomfortably.

Darren stopped walking. He felt he should say something to relieve White of his worries. The stallion had put his son's life into Darren's hands. The least he could do was show it was not the wrong decision.

"Look, White," he said, "I can see your point. Letting a stranger give lessons to your boy, it's a risk."

"You're not," White interrupted him. "I just made a comparison. It's not... a very fair thing to do." He let out a long breath, biding his time. "I'm sorry. We still don't know each other very well. I only know that you're a knight, you used to fight necromancers, can use frost magic and know a lot of card games. And where you work. But that's about it. It didn't escape me that you listen more than you talk."

"Fair enough," grunted Darren.

"But," White went on, "I know that for whatever reason you do feel responsible for Eclipse's wellbeing. I can respect that. Maybe in time, we can become actual friends."

Darren's mouth twisted into a hesitant, lopsided smile.

---

Eclipse opened his eyes. He was in a foreign room. Castle. He was in Ponyville and - oh Stars. He buried his face in his hooves. Everything came back to him. The train ride, the shadows, Darren pointing his sword at him. Blinking rapidly, he turned his head around, frantically searching for a familiar face.

"Hi, sweetie." His mom sat on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?" She stroked his mane, affectionately running her hoof across his cheek and down to his muzzle.

"I... I don't know." Eclipse sat up. "Is everypony okay? Is Darren okay?" His voice rose along with the panic that wormed its way up from his gut.

"You passed out. But yes, we are all okay."

Eclipse sighed and sank back into the pillows. "Oh, good," he breathed. "Mom, what happened?"

"Peridot went to Sugarcube Corner with Spike and Applejack. And your Dad is at Jonathan's shop with Darren and the Princess. When they come back, we can take a walk to the lake. If you're up to it." The cheery tone could not hide the worry still entched into her face.

Eclipse tilted his head, confused.

"I dunno. I'm tired. But who the hay is Jonathan?"

Feather wrinkled her nose.

"He's the other human and a friend of Darren's. Princess Twilight seems to know him pretty well. Darren said that he might be able to help with..." She hesitated, grasping for words. "...with teaching you to control Shadow Magic."

Eclipse sat up again, suddenly feeling giddy.

"I get my own teacher?" Eclipse was not the slowest or the fastest in class. He was very interested in History and terrible at Math. So he knew first-hoof that with a big class, teachers could not always meet the needs of every single student with their lessons. Only rich ponies could afford private teachers. "Ooh, does he teach things like special moves and..." He paused. "Wait, Shadow Magic? Isn't that..." His face fell. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes. "Mom, are you saying that I'm 'special'? And need 'special' care?"

His mom recoiled a little.

"You're saying that as if it's a bad thing," she chided. "Yes, Eclipse, you are special. Everypony is, and everypony is special in a different way. And one of your... specialties is Shadow Magic, apparently." She added the last word hesitantly. "Your magic is very powerful. That's nothing to be ashamed of. But it's important that you learn how to control it. Do you understand?"

Eclipse nodded. Flashes of what had happened raced through his mind. He had fought against a knight! And it had been a stalemate! At first, the magic had just poured out of him without purpose or focus. But then, when Darren had told him to let go, he had done something. It had felt frightening and dark but also strong and strange... He had used his power to hold Darren and look at him. Look into him. Oh Stars, Darren probably knew that! Eclipse felt dirty. He had invaded somepony's privacy in a bad way. But the things he had seen... were they true?

"Mom," Eclipse whispered. "I gotta tell you something." He crawled across the blanket into her embrace. "When Darren and I... when we fought against each other... I did something. I could see... things. Like, like memories and thoughts. I think I saw Darren's mind!"

The grip of her forelegs around him tightened.

"W-what did you see?"

"I'm not sure if it's okay to tell you," Eclipse admitted. "They were somepony else's memories, Mom."

Feather chuckled proudly. Then, she sighed.

"That's true, honey, but your magic is dangerous. I think it's better if you tell me everything."

"O-okay." Eclipse sat back, trying to gather his thoughts. He sniffed. "Okay... Let me think. Um. At first, I pushed into his thoughts like... like trying to get through a door. And then I wanted to make him feel bad so he would stop trying to take my magic. But, Mom, I also kinda didn't want to. I just... did it. I looked at him, I mean, at his thoughts. And there were things that made him feel bad so I made him look at them too. Make him remember them.

"We were in that stone city. There were humans and monsters and skeletons. And the monsters and skeletons killed the humans. Darren also killed humans." Eclipse grimaced, feeling heat spreading from his chest and tears forming in his eyes. "He was on the side of the monsters." He cleared his throat, trying to keep talking despite the sobs that would not stop finding their way out. "And th-then we were in a land like the Frozen North with m-more monsters, I, I think they were undead, Mom, and Darren watched them k-kill human knights around a big tower. And he had this big skeleton griffin he was riding on, and, and," he took a deep breath, clutching his Mom's hoof, "and he was in a tent with the Princess and s-scaring her - but," Eclipse closed his eyes, trying in vain to fight the stream of tears, "then the Princess shouted at him, I mean outside of our heads."

"She asked him what to do," said Feather quietly. "Oh, Stars, Eclipse, I'm so sorry you had to see all that!" She hugged him again and kissed his forehead. "I'm so sorry!"

Eclipse hiccupped, snorting to get his nose free.

"I feel dirty but I don't wanna know how Darren feels! I think he knows what I saw!"

"But if that's true," Feather said slowly, "Then Darren... was evil."

Eclipse nodded.

"Oh yeah," he said. "What I saw was definitely evil. Much, much worse than anything I've ever seen in my whole entire life! I've never seen anypony kill anyone! He was like a totally different pony, I mean, oh, you know what I mean!" he grumbled and sniffed.

Feather rubbed her muzzle, deep in thought.

"And in those memories, he scared Twilight?" she asked.

Eclipse nodded again.

"But she still trusts him, I mean right now. Something must have happened..." Her eyes widened as realization struck her. "You said you showed him the things he feels the worst about?"

He nodded a third time but quickly stopped. His ears and nose were now completely clogged. He just wanted to run away. But he knew he could not run from himself. And being with Mom was better than being alone...

"It's like with Nightmare Moon," muttered Feather. "A reformation... Just like Princess Twilight said..."

"I don't get it," said Eclipse. "He is always so helpful and he protected us against Sombra. And then I find out he used to be worse than Sombra."

"But if Princess Twilight trusts him... And you're right, he is nice. Although sometimes a bit distant.

"Maybe that's why he wanted to get away from his world." She took a deep breath, looking nowhere in particular. "Maybe he wants a new start. But he still carries his sword around." Feather groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ugh, this is so complicated! He looked so sincere when he said he wanted to help! And I believed him."

"Me, too," muttered Eclipse sadly. "I still want to. If I hadn't looked into his mind, I'd still trust him. But, Mom, he said he was sorry for scaring me! After I made him relive his worst moments! He said, 'Well done'!"

"I bet that's why he didn't tell us about his past. If this is anything like with Nightmare Moon, it might not even be his fault that he did those terrible things."

"I'm gonna tell him," Eclipse decided. "I'm gonna tell him that I know. And I wanna tell him I'm sorry for looking. If he really feels so bad about his past, that means he's good now. Doesn't it?"

Feather nodded slowly. She rubbed her muzzle.

"His eyes... they used to glow at first, ice cold. And now they don't. Eclipse, I think you're right. That's very brave of you, that you want to talk to him. But I want to be there when do it, young stallion," she stated firmly.

Eclipse smiled shakily.

"I would have asked you anyway," he admitted. "I don't feel 'specially brave right now."

Author's Note:

A lot of dialogue here, as will be in the following few chapters but don't worry, there will be more action later on!