Spirit of the Arcane

by DuskIsGolden

007. The Inquisition

007. The Inquisition

-Days later-

The Courts had built up their strength and grew in some size, the Princesses officially shunning them for killing the ponies who had learned the Arcane—Absinthe was considered a luxury asset now--, telling everypony possible to avoid the Courts at all costs. But the machine the Courts had built was improved; the room was decorated brightly with the dim emerald shade of green, faded red paint to adorn the high beams that held up the supporting roof. And in every gap between the supporting pillars was the bulb. Six feet high and with a core the thickness of several ponies’ hooves side by side, these bulbs were massive. They were made with glass to not only radiate the magic and light further from one end of the room to the other, they were made to refract the magic to every fiber of one’s being. It was an artificial effect of the Searching Spell used on students to see if they were ready for the Arcane magic, only this artificial effect was used to drain the user of any magical ability it all.

Only in theory was this proposed, however. Nothing said the bulbs were to actually work.

On the day of Absinthe’s inquisition, the Courts barged into her house, knocked her out cold, and dragged her body into the Court. They dragged her past the marbled and chiseled floors, past the hallways and books on magic and time, past passages and through darkened rooms until they reached the inquisition room.

They threw her body into the middle of the arcane circle chiseled into the ground and tied her, one stallion per rope, hiding in the corner of the room to help keep her constrained. The machines were switched on and they glowed for several seconds before dimming down—a sign the magic was waiting and ready to be released at any point in time.

"It was long ago that memories become engrained in ones' mind, pressed and molded into their skulls. Such tragic events can muddle the memory, the psychological profile so delicately produced by the brain. All it takes is a little thought and it's all over. You end up murdering and plundering, losing your profile as you go. Arcane magic is powerful," the leader had taken careful time in becoming finely dressed, watching Absinthe carefully as she awoke.

“Absinthe, wanted for murder of her mentor and murder of one Ignatius Constantine.” The leader’s words stopped and he tried searching for other accusations, and realized there were none. “Is they anything you would like to say before we begin?”

Absinthe stared at the floor, not knowing that what had happened in Soulrend was what killed her mentor. Her inquisition was unfair justice.

The leader sighed and walked up to her and hissed in her ear,

"I said, do you have anything more to say?..." he added in shortly after, "you bucking worthless foal," she couldn't react because another force was holding her down, slowly chiseling into her brain that this memory would never be let down. Soon, another Unicorn entered the scene. She glanced at the leader, a nervous look on her face.

"Are you sure this is going to end well?" she inquired, glancing over at him. The leader sneered at her, glancing back at Absinthe.

"The machine works. Trust me," he pitched in, "I suggest you don't look at it. It might..." he glanced up at the ceiling and gave a faint nod, "... mistake you for her," and at that moment, the bulbs began to shine. Their thin strips of light beamed onto the Arcane circle, and it glowed an unnatural shade of black and purple. Absinthe began to scream as the lights grew more intense. The leader closed his eyes and the Unicorn who he had requested turned away. More screaming ensued as each light proceeded to shatter. Another blinding light was focused- it was Absinthe, giving it her all to prevent her ability to perform the Arcane from being repossessed.

"There's no point in trying to stop it from working!" the leader’s voice boomed, "this memory will forever be lodged in your mind! It will drive you insane!" and at that, the rest of the lights shattered, the Arcane circle flamed down to a red-hot glow, and Absinthe collapsed to the ground.

"Make sure she never forgets this," the leader growled, "make sure that her next apprentice makes the same mistake. She needs to end," the Unicorn cast a sideways glance at the leader and told him,

"When you kill your mentor, you realize you inherit their soul, right? You inherit everything." the leader didn't notice what she said, so she kicked him hard in the side and said again, "did you hear me?" the leader shrugged.

"They inherit their soul, so what? At least their powers and strengths aren't inherited, right?" the thought was only mildly comforting and the Unicorn knew somewhere that both of them were right.

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