Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Untitled letter, restored and preserved in the secret sealed archives of the Knights Mystic. Magically dated to 57 AF
…never thought I’d say this out loud, but I miss Cozy. She certainly had an incredible mind for all of this. I realize her genius is nothing compared to yours or mine, but she really understood… [segment missing] …ght Sparkle’s funeral. The stupid cow never caught on to what we were doing. I’m grateful you saw the letter before she had a chance to talk to those con-artist twins. Did you see they found the bodies? As far as I know, neither one… [segment missing]
…rysalis is dead as well. I guess it doesn’t hurt anything to tell you now. It was me. She was going to upend the entire plan to serve her own ambitions. I’m so glad you and Cozy never thought to try and strike out on your own. You have always understood the benefits of sticking to a good plan, especially one that’s working. Sombra’s dead too, but that one wasn’t me. He was too far gone in his insanity. In the end, it was windigos that consumed him. Ironic, right?
[segment missing]…ppy the machine is working. Your skill at magical artifice is profound. This guarantees our revenge will continue long after both you and I are dust. We have done it, my old friend. We’ve paid them back for what they did to us. I only hope Sunset realizes it was me before she dies.
Signed,
[REDACTED]
1113 AF, Nyumba Ya Joka
Morning came with the enticing scent of coffee and an only partially coerced apology from Heartwing. Emberglow could tell that Rarity was still a little miffed about last night’s revelations, as she muttered grumbles about historical libel throughout the entire affair. After a thoroughly stiff and awkward breakfast, the four ponies went downstairs to find Bakari deep in conversation with Sergeant Irontail.
“Bakari has agreed to store the things you will not be bringing with you today,” the zebra soldier announced.
“You found a guide who is willing to show us the way, and keep us out of trouble?” Heartwing asked.
“Yes. Myself,” the sergeant declared. “It is the best way to ensure you cause no disruption to Mlinzi, and that you return promptly down the mountain when your business is done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Heartwing said, with an exaggerated, comical salute. Irontail ignored him.
“Are the rest of you ready to depart?” she asked instead. The ponies all nodded their assent. “Good. I have packed a light lunch for us, assuming you don’t become lunch. The hike up the mountain should take the better part of three hours. I hope you are all prepared.”
“What’s the hike like?” Terminus asked.
“It’s several miles of switchbacks over rocky trails. We don’t need to bother Mlinzi often, so we don’t maintain the trails very faithfully,” Irontail said. “It won’t be easy.”
“We’ll keep up,” Heartwing said, with a significant glance at Rarity.
“This won’t be the first time I’ve hiked up a mountain to meet with a dragon, Heartwing.” Rarity tossed her mane proudly. “I’ll match you pace for pace.”
“This is no afternoon stroll for soft Equestrians,” Sergeant Irontail snorted at them all as she stepped out of the inn. The ponies hurried to follow. “Keep up or not. It doesn’t matter to me if you never make it to Mlinzi’s home.”
They followed Sergeant Irontail out of Nyumba Ya Joka, this time to the east, towards the mountain that overshadowed the village. Here, cool air was blowing down the mountain, a pleasant contrast to the warm, dry winds that had swept across the savannah on the other side of the village.
From Irontail’s description, Emberglow had expected a completely overgrown broken down trail. As they stepped off the road onto the trailhead that would lead up the mountain, however, she was pleasantly surprised. The trail was small, and a little rough, but it was nothing like the unmaintained trail that Irontail had alluded to. At places where the trail became too steep to walk comfortably, somepony (or probably somezebra) had carved clumsy steps into the trail.
It was still a grueling hike, and the sun made an exhausting trek through the sky as they climbed until it hung over their heads like an angry eye. The switchbacks were steep and aggravating, jackknifing up the mountain aggressively. The cool wind which had been so pleasant down in the village was now a detriment, pushing against the ponies as they tried to ascend.
When the group cleared the tree line, the trail ended in a wide clearing made of pounded dirt, cut into the mountain to create a flat pavilion. In the center of the pavilion was a stone altar, with a wide carved wooden horn attached to the side via a metal chain. Irontail halted, waiting for the ponies to gather around.
“This is as far as I go,” she said. “This pavilion is where we come to communicate with Mlinzi if we need to. On occasion, he also comes here to trade or barter for things he might need.” Emberglow looked around the pavilion, searching for some sign that a dragon had rested here before. There was nothing she could see. “We have sworn to leave him alone, so we go no further. If you choose to, the consequences are on your own heads.”
“Why did we even need a guide?” Heartwing muttered sotto voce. Terminus gave him a quelling look.
“I will wait here for six hours,” Irontail said. “Your path leads further up the mountain. I am told that Mlinzi’s cave is impossible to miss, about an hour’s hike if you follow the path. Meet me here when you are done with your folly.”
“Thank you for your guidance,” Rarity said graciously, pointedly ignoring Heartwing’s eye-roll. “We will return as soon as our business is done.”
“You know,” Terminus mused teasingly, “If you wanted to, you land-bound ponies could just wait here with Irontail. I’m sure Emberglow and I could be up and back within a half-hour.”
“Ha ha,” Heartwing deadpanned. “Let’s get hiking, Lazyfeathers. You can fly there if you carry me.”
“If you wanted a ride, you could have just asked,” Terminus waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Heartwing laughed heartily. Emberglow took a few extra seconds to catch the double entendre, and blushed brightly.
“C’mon, you two,” Rarity scolded playfully. “Leave the foreplay for when this is all over.” She was apparently over her embarrassment from last night.
Despite the scowling zebra they were leaving behind, the four ponies set up the next section of trail with light hearts and a bounce in their steps. Even Rarity, struggling a bit with the strenuous climb, was cheerful and smiling. The three Knights matched their pace to Rarity, and Emberglow found she was barely winded by the time they reached the cave.
The cave was not at the top of the mountain; the switchback curved around a crest of the hill into a narrow canyon that ended in a dark cleft in the mountain. Oddly enough, while the mountain above the tree line had been largely clear of brush and other plant life, a scattering of wildflowers poked out between the craggy rocks that topped the narrow canyon.
“It’s almost like he decorated,” Rarity commented.
“Or he fertilizes the dirt outside his home with the bones of unwanted visitors,” Heartwing whispered theatrically.
“Don’t be macabre, Heartwing,” Rarity sniffed. She took a deep, steadying breath. “Let’s go in.”
“While we’re inside, don’t touch any piece of his hoard,” Heartwing instructed. “Some elder dragons have the ability to sense each piece of their treasure hoard, to the point where they know if it is being moved.”
“His hoard?” Rarity’s eyes sparkled. “I’m rather curious to see what sort of wonders Spike has amassed over the centuries.”
“Did you even hear what I just said, Rarity?” Heartwing sighed exasperatedly. “Please don’t touch anything. No matter how pretty it is.”
“Darling, you’re speaking as if I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”
“I heard the story of what happened the last time you saw a dragon’s hoard, Rarity,” Heartwing said, pinning her with a sharp glare.
“What?” Rarity gasped. “How could you have possibly…”
“Rainbow Dash told me.”
“But I was… I mean, that was…” Rarity sputtered. “Misrepresentation! She misrepresented me! Well, if you had been there, and seen those gems, and that jewelry…” The other three were staring, and Heartwing was shaking with silent laughter. Rarity took a deep breath, eyes narrowing in annoyance. “Fine. Malign my character. Laugh at my expense.”
“Oh, Rarity. Never change, okay?” Heartwing said fondly. Rarity scowled at him.
“I promise to look only, Heartwing. Will that be acceptable to you?” Her voice was pure ice.
“Of course, Rarity,” he said. He motioned with one hoof to the dark mouth of the cave. “Who would like to go first?” This time three sets of eyes stared directly at him, and he laughed. “Very well.”
Heartwing went in first, his horn lighting up with a gentle yellow light. Rarity was right behind, with her own horn glowing blue. Emberglow stuck close to Rarity, and Terminus brought up the rear.
As they descended down the gentle slope into the canyon that led to the cave mouth, the dark gaping hole loomed above them. It seemed so much larger to Emberglow when she stood underneath the arched entrance. It was a dozen pony-lengths above her, wide enough to admit a creature many times her size.
At the Ivy Seminary, they’d learned about different class sizes of dragons, and even some very basic strategies for fighting dragons, but standing in the mouth of a dragon lair made her realize that education had been woefully inadequate. Suddenly she missed very keenly the familiar weight of her armor and the comforting presence of her rune gauntlet. She pressed closer to Rarity, ready to leap in front of her if things went poorly.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll keep you safe if I need to,” Rarity said, completely misinterpreting the gesture. Emberglow didn’t bother to correct her, though — having Rarity by her side did indeed make her feel better.
Emberglow had expected the cave to be dank and damp, but it was not. There were no stalactites or stalagmites, only craggy stone surfaces that reflected the horn light oddly. The sound of their hoofsteps echoed off the walls, and Emberglow could smell a faint odor of wood smoke, and oddly enough, musty books, in the air.
“Should we try to silence our hoofsteps?” Rarity whispered. Heartwing shook his head, without taking his eyes off the cave ahead of them.
“We’re not thieves or burglars,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong. Mlinzi might have changed from the dragon you knew, but he’s not a brute. He won’t attack us until he at least hears what we have to say.”
It wasn’t far into the cave when they saw the first glimpses of the dragon’s hoard. It wasn’t gold or gems, but rather a bookshelf, carved into the stone itself, bearing a few dozen tomes. Each level of the shelf used a different object as a bookend, from a jewel-encrusted globe on one, to a pair of polished crystal skulls on the next. The bottom shelf used a marble bust of some creature Emberglow didn’t recognize; it looked like a unicorn, though the horn split off and flattened at the tip.
“Mlinzi hoards just like any other dragon,” Heartwing began. “I’ve heard, though, that he prefers to collect items of significance, whose worth is measured in more than just bits. I can guarantee that each object here has a history, a story or a narrative behind it.”
“I imagine that’s Twilight’s influence on his upbringing,” Rarity remarked, and Heartwing nodded.
“Indeed. Though he’s likely to deny that any pony had any sort of influence on his current character.”
Deeper in, there was evidence of more traditional elements of dragon hoarding. But for each pile of bits or glittering jewelry, there was another carefully arranged shelf of books, or wooden carved statue, or some other kind of artifact. Emberglow felt an urge to stop and investigate each piece. Each of the mysterious objects in the dragon’s hoard had their own rich histories behind them, and she could barely keep herself from stopping to inspect every single item.
“Odd. He should have come out and confronted us by now. Perhaps we could summon him.” Heartwing said. The chamber up ahead was vast. As they entered, they saw the vaulted ceiling fade away high above them, high enough that the light of the unicorns’ horns barely even reached the craggy ceiling. In front, the floor sloped gently downward, covered by more of the eclectic hoard. Their limited light didn’t reach far enough to see how the chamber ended.
“How would we do that?” Rarity asked. Heartwing grinned.
“Easy. I told you Mlinzi can sense when somepony touches his hoard,” he said. “I’ll just find a book that’s interesting and start reading. Feel free to do the same, if you like.” He selected a title and pulled it out of the bookshelf with his magic, leafing through the pages with a casual air.
Emberglow eagerly took him up on the offer, trotting over to the nearest of the bookshelves and beginning to browse the titles. Most of them were in languages she didn’t understand. There were a few Prench titles, and some in languages that used characters she didn’t even recognize. She even found a copy of the Book of the Saints.
Just as Emberglow was about to pull out a book that appeared to be griffon poetry translated into Equish, she heard a rumble in the darkness up above them.
The whisper of leathery wings presaged a sudden rush of wind through the cave. With a dramatic crash, a dark figure landed on the ground in front of the ponies. Rarity let out a startled yelp, and Emberglow leapt deftly so that she was between the dragon and the unicorn.
Mlinzi was massive. Easily the size of Emberglow’s parents’ shop back home, he towered over the ponies. He was dark purple in color, with a wicked-looking row of emerald spikes lining his spine and tail. She could smell the scent of brimstone and old paper that seemed to waft off the dragon.
His long neck snaked about so that he could glare at Heartwing. Heartwing looked up at Mlinzi fearlessly, raised an eyebrow, and went back to his reading.
“That doesn’t belong to you,” the creature growled, his deep booming bass voice filling the chamber. His eyes were frozen on Heartwing, boring into the unicorn. “You don’t belong here. Get out.”
“Now Spikey,” Heartwing cooed, oozing false politeness. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”
“We are not friends!” Mlinzi roared, and Emberglow couldn’t help but cover her ears with her hooves, cringing away from the sudden noise.
“I wasn’t talking about myself,” Heartwing replied, pointing at Rarity with one hoof without looking up from his book. “Look who I found.”
The dragon’s serpentine neck shifted so he could gaze at the other unicorn, and his eyes widened.
“No…” he breathed. “It’s not…” He shook his head.
“Hello there, Spike,” Rarity said softly. “You’ve certainly grown.”
“No.” The dragon growled, his head moving back so he could easily see all four ponies at once. “No. I don’t believe you, Discord. This is cruel even for you. Did you finally make up with Flurry Heart, and borrow one of her pet changelings?”
“You must think so little of me, to believe I would try such a trick,” Heartwing noted.
“Little?” Mlinzi snarled. “Discord, I think nothing of you. You’re a vile, hateful, waste of breathable air. I wish you would just do us all a favor and die!” Terminus sprung in front of his coltfriend, ready to take the brunt of whatever attack he assumed would follow such an aggressive statement, but Mlinzi had already turned his attention back to Rarity, inhaling deeply. “You look like her. You smell like her. But you can’t be her. Rarity’s dead.”
“I assure you, Spike, that I am Rarity,” she said, shrinking back a bit with hesitation. “I don’t know what’s happened to make you so angry at Heartwing, but you should...”
“I admit, you’re getting better,” Mlinzi continued, ignoring Rarity’s words. “The last time I spoke with a changeling, they weren’t able to correctly imitate the smell of a pony. It’s quite impressive, really.” He laughed humorlessly. “I thought I was being needlessly cautious when I collected this.” He reached over with a massive clawed hand, and with surprising delicacy plucked a wooden bucket off of a pile of gems. “You brought this on yourself by going along with whatever damn fool plan Discord put you up to.” Without further warning, he upended the bucket over Rarity. A viscous green ooze dumped out of the bucket, splashing over Rarity, who jerked away with a dismayed yelp.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” Rarity yelled angrily. “You’ve absolutely ruined my mane! And does this wash out of a coat? What about cotton?! I’ll have you know, if I have to replace this lovely robe I’ll be giving you a piece of my mind! Just because you’re…” She trailed off. Mlinzi was gaping at her, his fanged maw dropped open with surprise.
“You didn’t change,” he whispered. “You were supposed to change back. That’s what this is for.”
“I told you, Spike, I am not a changeling!” Rarity stomped her hoof for emphasis. Green sludge spattered on the floor of the cave. “I am Rarity! Honestly, even after so much time I never expected you to behave so brutishly.”
“You’re her. You’re really Rarity,” Mlinzi breathed. “By the Dragon Lord’s Egg, you’re really here.” He lowered his head, so that it was right alongside her. “You don’t know how long I looked. How long I wondered.” His expression hardened, and he jerked away as if burned. “Well. You’re really back then. Congratulations I guess, Rarity. Now get out.”
“What? Is that how you greet an old friend?” Rarity protested. “You swoop down, startle us, accuse me of being an imposter, dump sludge all over my perfect mane, and then demand we leave! I think not! Why, if Twilight Sparkle were here…”
“She’s not. Get out.”
“If you’re going to toss us aside like so much garbage, at the very least you could ask why we came!” Rarity demanded. Emberglow could see angry tears brimming in her eyes. Mlinzi sighed angrily.
“Fine. Why are you here?”
“Well, we need to—”
“GET OUT!” he interrupted, snarling at the four of them. Rarity and Emberglow both jumped, jerking away from the naked fury on his face.
“Not without the Element you’ve been keeping,” Heartwing said. “As soon as you hand it over we’ll be out of your scales. We intend to...”
“I don’t care what you’re going to do,” the dragon muttered. “I have nothing to give to you, Discord.”
“I know Twilight gave you the Elements to hide, Mlinzi,” Heartwing said. “I know you kept one.”
“You don’t know anything, you traitor. Last chance. Unless ponies have become fireproof in the last few centuries.”
“Spike!” Rarity shouted. “You stop making threats this instant! You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Emberglow stared open-mouthed at the fearless unicorn. How could she possibly not be terrified for her own life right now? The dragon loomed over them all, and the light from the unicorns’ horns cast even larger baleful shadows on the ceiling above.
“I was preserved by the Tree of Harmony herself, and tasked with reassembling the Elements,” Rarity continued. “If you have one, you need to give it to us!”
Mlinzi stared at Rarity. "'Us'?” he asked slowly. “You’re working with Discord to restore Harmony in Equestria?” He laughed bitterly. “You have no sense of irony.”
“That’s not fair, Spike,” Rarity protested. “Heartwing might be rough around the edges, but it’s clear he has changed. He’s doing his best!”
“His best?” Mlinzi snorted. He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “He hasn’t told you, has he?”
At that, Heartwing flinched. Rarity’s eyes widened as her gaze darted uncertainly between Heartwing and Mlinzi. Emberglow felt a cold, nervous sort of dread enter her gut.
“Ask him, Rarity,” Mlinzi said with a sinister grin. “Ask him the secret he’s been hiding from you. Go on. This will be the most fun I’ve had since the last time I tossed Discord out on his plot.”
“Heartwing?” Rarity asked, confused. “What is he talking about?”
“Mlinzi. It’s past and done.” Heartwing pointedly ignored Rarity’s question. “That has nothing to do with...”
“Ask him!” Mlinzi crowed to Rarity, leaning back as if to watch the coming spectacle. “Ask him who killed Twilight Sparkle!”
The cave grew deadly silent. Emberglow couldn’t even hear herself breathe. Every eye was locked on Heartwing. Finally Rarity laughed nervously.
“Of course he’s just making things up, Heartwing. Right?” Rarity asked. Her tone was almost begging.
Heartwing looked away, looking more exhausted than Emberglow had ever seen him. “Rarity, I…” he began, before faltering.
“Heartwing?” She sounded stricken.
He was silent and still for a long while.
“Heartwing?” Rarity’s voice was tiny, almost a whimper.
“I am responsible for her death.” He sounded so defeated, though his eyes were resolute. “That’s why…”
“Yes, tell them all of it,” Mlinzi sneered. “Tell them about how you destroyed Ponyville, and we barely had enough time to get everypony out in time. Tell them about how she begged you, on her knees, to see reason. Tell them how you laughed as you took apart the school she loved, brick by brick, until it was rubble. And she even told you what would happen if she had to put you back into stone.”
“Heartwing?” Rarity whimpered. Terminus had moved to stand next to his coltfriend supportively.
Heartwing closed his eyes and took a breath. “It’s all my fault, Rarity. Everything. If I’d listened to her…”
“None of this would have happened,” Mlinzi finished, slashing the air with one claw. “Not the Diarchy, not the endless wars, not the hundreds of thousands of pony deaths. It’s all on you.” He turned his back on the ponies. “See yourselves out. I think we’re done here.”
“Heartwing, what…” Rarity began.
“I have no excuse.” He hung his head. “I’ve spent the time since I woke up trying to atone, but…”
“You have been!” Emberglow cut in. She felt the uncomfortable weight of the eyes on her, but she had to speak up. She hated the way the proud stallion . “He deserves the benefit of the doubt!”
“Aren’t you a naïve little twit?” Mlinzi muttered, his back still to the three of them.
“Fluttershy had just…” Heartwing gulped, his eyes distant and unfocused, lost in memory and long-past shame. “I was mad with grief. I wanted...” Tears streamed from his eyes. “The loss was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I didn’t know how to handle it. I… “ He shook his head. “I can’t remember much of what was going on in my head. I might have wanted to make it all end; anything to make it stop.”
“You were unstoppable. Uncontrollable,” Mlinzi accused. “All of our friends who were still alive begged you to stop. To come to your senses. Twilight, Trixie, even Sweetie and Applebloom.” Emberglow felt Rarity stiffen beside her. She spared a glance; Rarity’s face was frozen in grief.
“In the end, she had to use the Elements, even though she wasn’t connected to them any longer.” The great serpentine head once again turned to face the ponies. “Maybe she waited too long, because she thought you were her friend. Maybe Ponyville might have survived if she’d acted sooner, if she’d died sooner. OR MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE COME TO YOUR SENSES AND SHE’D STILL BE ALIVE!”
The motion was sudden, violent, and completely unexpected. Mlinzi’s whole body spun, a single claw swinging out and swiping at Heartwing.
He struck with the backside of his claw, impacting with a hard, meaty smack. The strike knocked Heartwing sideways through the air and into a low stone table full of artifacts. Bits and pieces of the dragon’s collection scattered across the floor in a cacophony of chaos.
“Spike, no!” Rarity shook herself from her grief, her horn igniting as she tried to run over to where Heartwing was lying.
“That’s not my name, Rarity!” he screamed with rage, his entire body coiling to launch himself over to where Heartwing had fallen. With a single flap of his wings that created a gust strong enough to push against the other ponies, he leapt and landed right next to the fallen Heartwing. “I have nothing to do with ponies any longer; not their problems, and not the childish name they gave me! Did ponies stand beside my family as she fought this worm? Twilight Sparkle stood alone and she died alone!”
Mlinzi’s claw slashed through the air to pummel Heartwing’s side, slamming him backwards into Terminus. The duo tumbled to the floor. In a heap Terminus panted and tried to stand, but far too slowly.
The dragon charged across the cave in a flash. Emberglow’s breath caught with terror as the wickedly sharp claws glinted in the dim light.
Emberglow saw Rarity galloping forward to stop him, but she was moving too slowly. Emberglow’s instincts took over. She spread her wings and launched herself as hard as she could.
“I should rid the world of you!” Mlinzi hollered, raising his claw above the fallen ponies.
It was now or never. With all the force Emberglow could muster, she slammed into Mlinzi’s head, jerking him sideways. He grunted in shock, his claws cutting through the air above the downed stallions, just a hair from Heartwing’s flesh.
Emberglow landed in a heap on the floor, her entire body aching from the impact. She didn’t have time to rest. Pushing against the burning pain from her joints, she struggled to her hooves.
She leapt over to where Terminus had just found his own hooves, standing above Heartwing. The two Knights shared a brief look, then turned to face the dragon.
“No,” Heartwing rasped from between them. Emberglow spared him a glance as he struggled to his hooves. “No. Leave them alone, Mlinzi. Don’t hurt them for my sake.”
For the briefest of seconds, Emberglow thought she saw a glimmer of red light from the back of the cave.
“Fine by me.”
Mlinzi’s claw came down. Heartwing’s horn glowed gold. A sudden pressure, a solid wall of force, pushed Emberglow away. She let out an angry yelp as she was forced away, and Terminus did the same.
The sound of claws slamming into a glowing shield turned her gaze away from the darkness. Heartwing grunted, his hooves digging into the ground. The claw pressed down.
“Dragon Mlinzi!” Emberglow shouted, her hooves slamming against the invisible wall that kept pushing her back, to safety, away from the fight. On the other side of Heartwing, she could see Terminus doing the same. “We’re not going to let you kill him! The world needs Heartwing!”
“Like Tartarus it does!” the dragon shot back, looming over all three of them. He raised a claw and slammed the other down. Again. Again. The stone cracked under Heartwing’s hooves.
“Emberglow!” Heartwing ordered, voice breaking with strain. “Get Rarity out! This is my…”
Mlinzi swiped his claw sideways. The shield flickered and faded. Heartwing was tossed to the side, landing with a thud. The wall of force disappeared, and Emberglow rushed forward. Terminus beat her there.
The two of them hovered, floating over Heartwing. Emberglow’s heart pounded. All she could see before her was the furious dragon.
“Spike, please, wait!” Rarity screamed, her own horn lit. She was too far away. Mlinzi began to inhale, a great gasp of air that pulled Emberglow forward and filled her with dread.
“Stop!” Heartwing screamed, and a flash of golden light filled the cave. Emberglow was frozen, seized in an aura that surrounded her, Terminus, Rarity, and even Mlinzi. “Stop…” he repeated, gasping. Emberglow could only move her eyes, but she could see Heartwing shaking from strain. “No fire. No more fighting. I know you have it. Take me, instead. My life for the Element.”
Mlinzi’s lungs deflated with a puff of sulfur-laced air rather than the killing flame that Emberglow had been sure was coming. He eyed Heartwing, who was beginning to pant and gasp with exertion. A trickle of blood oozed from one nostril. “Would you really?”
The spell shattered, and Emberglow and Terminus both slumped to the floor, only to bounce up a second later, once again lunging between Heartwing and the dragon.
“No!” Terminus shouted as Mlinzi surged forward.
“You heard him yourself, Knight! It’s a trade.”
“You would even consider it? How dare you!” Emberglow hissed up at the dragon. “Maybe Heartwing was responsible for something, centuries ago. But he’s not that pony any longer! All I see is a flawed pony doing his best to fix his own mistakes, and a coward hiding in a dark cave!”
An orange glow joined the two glowing unicorn horns in the room, followed shortly by a soft pink one. Emberglow couldn’t spare a look, because her eyes were fixed on the dragon, but she was sure her Element was glowing, and Terminus’ as well. Her legs were shaking, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Rarity clutching her hooves to her mouth in terror.
“What are those?” Mlinzi gasped, rearing back on his hind legs.
“We told you, Sp… Mlinzi,” Rarity called out. “We’re finding the Elements of Harmony. Terminus bears the Element of Kindness, and Emberglow carries the Element of Honesty.”
“You’ve… found two of them,” Mlinzi declared. All of the fury and violence had drained out of his voice and his posture. Now he simply appeared exhausted.
“Mlinzi. Please. If Twilight gave you an Element to safeguard, let us have it,” Rarity begged. “If you ever saw me as your friend…”
“Rarity. I knew you for what, five or six years?” Mlinzi scoffed. “That’s less than one percent of my life.” He sighed. “You were barely a footnote. I’m done with ponies. Done with their crises, done with their drama. I just can’t care about ponies anymore.”
“Oh?” Rarity said angrily. “So if you don’t care about ponies any longer, why get so angry about what happened to Twilight?”
Mlinzi spun to face Rarity, and Emberglow hurried to place herself between Rarity and the dragon. He spared her an amused glance.
“Please, Spike.” Rarity’s voice quavered. “If you can honestly tell me that Twilight gave you nothing to keep safe, we’ll turn around and leave. But if she trusted you—”
“Wait here,” Mlinzi interrupted. He flapped his wings, nearly bowling the ponies over as he lifted his massive body into the air. He disappeared into the back of the cave, where the light of the glowing unicorn horns did not penetrate. Emberglow spared a glance at her Element, still held in the pouch under her robes. It had stopped glowing.
Soon enough, the dragon returned, bearing a chest in his claws. He laid the chest down in front of Rarity. It was larger than Emberglow had expected, about half as tall as Emberglow herself, and the same width.
“There’s your bequest, Rarity. The last thing Twilight Sparkle left for you. And with that, I’m done with ponies forever.” He turned to Heartwing, still slumped and defeated in the heap where Mlinzi’s blow had flung him. “The next time I see you in my cave, I’m going to incinerate you. No warning, no talk.”
Heartwing nodded. With a glance at Rarity, he rose to his hooves and levitated the chest. With a motion to the others, they began to back out of the cave.
“Farewell, Spike,” Rarity called softly. The dragon grunted. With a sad sob, she turned to leave as well. Emberglow was last, bringing up the rear of the ponies.
“You there. Honesty. Wait just a moment,” Mlinzi called loudly. All four stopped, and the dragon snorted. “Did I say all of you? No. Just Honesty. The rest of you get out. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt her.”
All four ponies looked at each other, concerned.
“He used to be a dragon of his word,” Rarity whispered. “Now…? I don’t know.”
“I’ll see what he wants. Go ahead,” Emberglow said. Rarity seemed reluctant. “Get them to safety, Terminus.” Terminus nodded, using his wings to prod and usher Rarity and Heartwing out of the cave. Emberglow turned, and flew over to where the dragon waited.
“What do you want?” she asked suspiciously.
“You’re a Knight, right?” he asked, eyeing her. “But not one of Heartwing’s.”
“How can you tell?”
“I can smell the enchantment on you. And you’re too… naïve and innocent to be one of Heartwing’s. Call it intuition. Or maybe you just confirmed it.” The dragon shrugged. “Anyways, you’re not one of his. You’re not loyal to him.”
“He’s my friend,” Emberglow protested. The dragon laughed.
“Discord is incapable of having friends,” he sneered. “But that’s not why I called you back. I’ve got something for you.”
“What?” Emberglow couldn’t help her curiosity, despite the tone of the whole meeting.
“Here,” he said uncomfortably, picking an artifact off the table in one of his claws and tossing it to the ground at Emberglow’s feet.
She eyed it curiously. It seemed to be an ancient bronze shield. On the front was etched a four-pointed star, with pegasus wings, over top of a laurel.
“You take that,” he hissed. “And promise me she’ll be safe.”
“You still care about her,” Emberglow said, staring at the shield with wonder.
“Promise me,” Mlinzi repeated, laying the shield at her hooves.
“I swear,” Emberglow said, picking up the shield. The second her hooves touched it, she felt the thrill of power in the artifact. She didn’t know how, but this shield was something special. Something magical.
“Swear on your Element,” Mlinzi rasped.
“I swear on the Element of Honesty,” Emberglow said. She turned the shield over to reveal a pair of rotted straps. They would have to be replaced, but Emberglow didn’t think Rarity would mind. Emberglow would probably be able to do it herself, if she had to.
“Cross your hooves and hope to fly, eh?” Mlinzi said wryly, then snorted at Emberglow’s blank look. “Good enough. Get out. Don’t come back.” He turned his back on her, and Emberglow slowly backed away, keeping her eyes on the dragon until his figure disappeared into the dark shadows of the cave.
The other three were waiting for her outside, looks of worry on their faces.
“What did… oh my.” Rarity’s voice was full of surprise and awe. “That’s Flash Magnus’ shield, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know,” Emberglow admitted. “He just gave it to me. He made me promise to keep you safe.”
“That’s… kind of him.” Rarity’s voice sounded lifeless. She glanced between Emberglow and the chest. It was still unopened. “Well, let’s be on our way.”
The trip down the mountain was not nearly as cheerful as the trip up. Nopony spoke. The events that had happened in the cave brought a shroud of silence that pressed down almost stiflingly on them. Emberglow had to fight the urge to take to the air and fly ahead, if only to escape the gloom that had settled on the group.
After a hike that felt far longer than their first trip had, they finally reached the clearing with the altar, where Irontail waited for them, her perpetual scowl fixed in place. Without even a hint of friendly conversation, she led them back down the mountain to the village below.
* * * * *
Walking downhill was much more strenuous than walking uphill. After a while, Emberglow decided to do away with dignity and chose to hover next to the other ponies rather than hiking. This earned her an envious glare from Heartwing and Irontail, but soon enough Terminus joined her. Rarity seemed too lost in her own thoughts to even notice.
Every time Emberglow looked at Rarity, she ached for the pain Rarity must be feeling. To be honest, Emberglow herself wasn’t too deeply affected by the revelation; she’d never known Twilight Sparkle, and had never been her close friend. Emberglow could only imagine what Rarity was going through, what she was thinking.
The four of them went straight back to the inn when they reached Nyumba Ya Joka. Irontail, still a bit nonplussed by all of them, bid them farewell with at least a modicum of politeness.
“I’ll be going to bed,” Rarity announced as soon as they reached the second floor sitting room.
“Rarity, wait,” Terminus said, after glancing at Heartwing, who remained silent. “We’d all like to see what we came for. We need to see what was in that chest. Please. For closure.”
“Closure?” Rarity scoffed. “Certainly. If closure is important. Closure like being able to say goodbye to one’s friends before they die.”
“Rarity!” Emberglow shouted. “You don’t need to be cruel.”
Rarity ignored her accusation as she levitated the chest into the center of the room. The latch on the front was closed but not locked. It lit up with her magic, and she swung back the top of the chest, coughing daintily as a small cloud of dust puffed out. The four ponies leaned forward to see what was inside.
There were four objects inside. The first was a golden torc, complete with a lightning bolt shaped red gem, the Element of Loyalty. The second object was a small, ornate wooden music box, complete with a closed lid. The third item was a ledger, bound by a cord. Last of all was a book. Emberglow couldn’t read the title; it was written in an arcane language she didn’t understand.
“Well, at least we found an Element of Harmony,” Terminus said. “I wonder what the rest of it is.”
“Mlinzi did say it was left for Rarity at Twilight’s request,” Emberglow said. She shared a look with Terminus. It seemed the two of them would be responsible for carrying the bulk of the conversation, with the other two ponies deep in their respective funks.
“What’s the other thing?” Terminus asked. He glanced at Rarity for permission, who shrugged, and picked up the music box. Very gently, he pushed back the hinged lid to reveal a meticulously carved image of Princess Twilight herself, dressed as a ballerina.
“Oh, I remember that story,” Heartwing said, his voice lost in memory. Terminus nearly reached for the key to wind the music box when a note fell out from the lid, and he cautiously picked it up and unfolded it.
“Um, it’s for you,” Terminus said, sounding both confused and surprised as he handed the note to Rarity.
She took it with her magic, studying it silently for a few moments.
“Would you read it out loud?” Terminus ventured. Rarity shot him an annoyed look. “Well, we’ve all got an interest in this, Rarity. It’s not like it’s only your business.”
Rarity grunted, but began reading. “To whoever reads this note, whether Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, or Rarity, please turn the key to this music box using your magic and your magic only. Only one of the three of you can unlock this construct. Love, your friend, Twilight Sparkle.” Rarity’s voice grew more curious as she read the words aloud.
With a glance at the other ponies, she lit her horn and wound the key. When she let it go, the music box sprung to life. The ballerina Twilight, far more articulated than a mere mechanical artifice, began to spin and dance gracefully in place as a bright tune plinked out of the inner workings of the box. Everypony watched, fascinated, as the miniature princess twirled about. When she finally came to a stop, she bowed, and looked directly up at Rarity.
“Hello, Rarity,” the music box said, and everypony jumped back with surprise. “I am a magical construct, created and developed by Twilight Sparkle. I have been awakened by the unique touch of your magic. It is my purpose to answer questions related to the objects of your inheritance, your possible destiny, and the final subjects of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s research. Are you in a place where you trust everypony that can overhear?”
“You sound just like her,” Rarity whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears. With some surprise, Emberglow realized that Heartwing was also weeping.
“I’m sorry, that was not an answer to my query,” the construct said. “Please answer with a yes or a no.”
“Yes, darling, yes.” Rarity shook her head, her eyes fixed on the tiny princess. “Please. I wish to know everything Twilight wanted to say to me.”
“I will begin with the introductory message.” The construct cleared its throat, and when it began speaking again, it had the same voice, but this time heavy with emotion, somehow more real than before.
“Rarity. Oh, where do I even start?” The voice that came out was exhausted, and sounded scared. “I don’t know if or when you’ll ever hear this. I have no idea what happened to you, but please know I looked. I looked for years, Rarity. I wish I had more time, but I don’t. Somepony has to bring Discord to his senses, and there’s nopony left but me. The Elements won’t choose new bearers, so I have to bend them to my will in order to turn him into stone again. I won’t kill him; someday he’ll regret what happened today. In his heart, he’s a good creature, even in his current madness.” The voice sighed.
“The date of this recording is fifty-four years after you disappeared. If you’re hearing this, then every plan I’ve made, every failsafe, every backup, has failed. I didn’t want to ask this of you, Rarity. You’ll note that ‘Rarity saves the world by herself’ is so far down on my checklist that I hope it never comes up. I’m so sorry to have to ask you to do this, but if you’re hearing this message, then things have gone so much worse than I ever thought possible.
“I was a fool, Rarity. I’m sure if you’d been here, you would have seen it coming. The way those Canterlot politicians slowly manipulated me out of power after Celestia and Luna moved on. The way ponies behind the scenes stirred up trouble between Canterlot, Manehatten, and Cloudsdale. You would have seen the strings that led to the puppetmaster’s hooves, if not even the puppetmaster him or herself. I wish you’d been here. You could have stopped me from making a fool of myself, from basically signing away the government of Equestria into the hooves of idiots and con-ponies.” There was another long sigh.
“Now I have to rely on you. Hmm. That’s actually a comforting thought. To know that even though things are bad, I’ve left ponies behind who can pick up the mess I left. Please, Rarity. Listen to what I have to say.
“In this chest, I’ve left one of the six Elements of Harmony. The other five I’ve scattered throughout the world. I’ve asked Spike to give them to our friends and trusted allies to hide, after I’ve passed. And I’m sure this will kill me. I don’t know how Celestia survived when she did the same thing to banish Nightmare Moon; it wasn’t something I ever had the courage to ask her about.
“This construct knows who will have the Elements, but you’ll have to piece together where they’ve been taken from that. I specifically asked them not to tell me, so as to keep them safe and secret.
“Somepony is conspiring to destroy Harmony all over Equestria. And I don’t mean harmony as an abstract concept, but the literal gestalt field of Harmony magic that permeates the entire land. It’s generated by several sources; the balance and harmony between the pony races, the Elements themselves, the Crystal Heart up north, even the very presence of Alicorn Princesses generates it. And somepony is plotting to destroy it. They’re behind Sombra’s attacks on the Crystal Empire up north, they’ve been recruiting ponies of ill repute throughout Equestria. They’re behind Cozy Glow and Tirek’s escape from Tartarus. In fact, I’m pretty sure the only thing they’re not behind that’s gone badly the last few years is Discord’s insanity.
“I’ve compiled everything I know about the plot in the ledger, left inside the chest. There’s precious little, but what I have is yours to look over. Maybe, with time and more context, you’ll be able to make sense of what happened.
“The second book is a spellbook. Be warned, Rarity. If you open that book, there’s no going back. If you want to live your life in peace and quiet, settle down somewhere, maybe open a few dress shops and be just as successful as you always were going to be, then ignore this construct, ignore the book, and walk away.” The construct smiled, and there was something so proud and knowing in the expression that for a second Emberglow forgot it wasn’t a real pony. “But if you want to save the world, then open the book. I believe I know what you’ll choose.
“The third gift is this construct. Rarity, this isn’t me. It’s a program, a very limited intelligence created by magic. It’s like a talking encyclopedia. It can answer some of your questions, and I’ve programmed it with a few answers. Hopefully it will give you some information. Maybe it will help you find some closure.
“Rarity, be safe. Be strong. But most of all, be yourself. Whatever state the world is in right now, I’m sure it could stand to be a bit more elegant, more charming and more fabulous. You hold all my hopes in your hooves, Rarity.” Some of the light of emotion left the construct’s eyes. “Message complete. Do you have an inquiry, Rarity?”
In the silence that followed, the only sound Emberglow could hear was quiet sobbing.
* * * * *
Rarity had been dead silent when the two of them had retired to bed that night. Emberglow had left her alone to her thoughts. No matter how badly she wanted to take the mare in her hooves and comfort her, wiping away her tears, she knew that Rarity wanted solitude.
In the morning, the two mares prepared for their day in complete silence. Emberglow left the room first, to find the other two waiting for her.
“So, what happens now?” Emberglow asked Terminus, pointedly ignoring the tired dejection on Heartwing’s face.
“We need to speak with Rarity. That construct she found has some answers about where the other Elements went,” Heartwing said. “We’ll wait for her.” Everypony looked down.
“I’m here,” Rarity came walking up the hallway. Her voice was flat and a bit downcast. She placed the construct into the center of the room. “You can ask what you wish.”
“Construct, we need to know where Twilight hid the Elements of Magic, Laughter, and Generosity,” Heartwing said to the music box. The tiny ballerina remained silent. He glanced at Rarity. “Perhaps she only responds to you.”
“Twilight, darling,” Rarity said. “We’d like to know where the Elements of Magic, Laughter, and Generosity are kept.” The music box sprung to life with Twilight Sparkle’s voice once again.
“The Elements were all given to friends and allies. Generosity was hidden in Canterlot, under the care of Sassy Saddles’ son, who inherited your shop there. The Element of Laughter was given to Flurry Heart for safekeeping. And Magic was given to Captain Celeano to hide somewhere in the seas.”
“We knew that last one, at least,” Heartwing said.
“I suppose we should head back to Jubilation, then.” Rarity glanced at Heartwing. Her voice was coldly neutral. “Will you be heading back to Equestria once we get there?”
“Rarity…” Emberglow began warningly. Terminus looked angrily at Rarity, but Heartwing held up a hoof, forestalling any more out of either of them.
“What do you mean, Rarity?” Heartwing asked softly.
“Well, I only thought, because of what we learned at Mlinzi’s cave, that perhaps…”
“Perhaps I would abandon all of you?” Heartwing spat. Rarity flinched. “Leave you to fend for yourselves? Run away and hide in Angel’s Rest?” His eyes blazed with fury. “Rarity, what kind of pony do you think I am?”
“I don’t know, Heartwing,” Rarity shot back. “I thought I knew, but now I’m unsure.”
“I’m the same pony you’ve been travelling with all these weeks.” His voice lowered, and his eyes filled with unshed tears. “Rarity, I’ve spent the last three hundred years regretting those moments, and doing everything I can to atone. If you think I’m going to give up on that, you’re wrong. I’d never abandon their memory and their legacy, and I’d never abandon you, either.”
There was a humming sound, and suddenly the room was filled with a flash of red light, pulsing from the mares’ room. All eyes were drawn to the open door, and without a word the four ponies dashed over to look inside.
Laid out on Rarity’s bed were the other objects kept within the chest; the ledger, the spell book, and the Element of Loyalty. It glowed brightly with a cheerful sort of red light. Rarity and Heartwing both gaped at the glowing gem, but Emberglow and Terminus looked at each other knowingly. Terminus reached up with his hooves, gently shoving against Heartwing's flank to push him into the room.
“Go on,” he said. “You know why that’s glowing, love.”
“But…”
“Go, Heartwing!” Terminus demanded, leaning with his whole weight to shove Heartwing into the room. Heartwing stumbled forward, sprawling against the side of the bed. With his eyes full of awe and disbelief, he reached out to touch his Element with his hoof.
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yo shit Discord gets an element
surprising ngl
Huh! Not who I thought would get the element of Loyalty. I've had no idea who might get magic... maybe Starlight Glimmer? It'd make sense since there seems to be a 3/3 split for each party. Also, Grogar is probably the one writing that letter. Could be wrong, though.
Also, if I can ask, how much of this story is left? It feels to me like we're on our way towards the ending, and a bit more exposition as to how things to here. This is my favorite story, currently; so I'm always eager for more.
Ooof! I wonder what Mlinzi would think of this new development?
So the new Rainbow Dash kept Loyalty, sounds about right. And we now have a newer new Rainbow Dash.
That opening letter, man... questions! The numbers, Mason! What does it all mean?!
10922408
He's very old, and very tired. I doubt he wants to think much at all for a long time.
i have a feeling spike will show up again he can pretend he doesn't care, he had a lot of practice of that, but knowing she alive in danger will gnaw at him, and no matter the time that passed in the end he still her friend, and regardless of how the villains behind everything have tried to destroy harmony and friendship, and no matter the time that passed in the end friendship is magic
Some very interesting stuff in the opening letter. Hints that one of them might be the Creator, though I don't think I'm knowledgeable enough to guess who.
...Do I want to know what the contents are? Or who might have a convenient bucket of that stuff in the future?
That meeting went both worse and better than expected. Quite a few very interesting revelations, though now I'm curious how long it'll be until someone needs to return for one of the books on Mlinzi's bookshelf (or for Mlinzi himself). Wonder if he'd react differently knowing that Heartwing now bears an element.
Seems Twilight may not have been quite as clueless as the letter-writer thought. Really looking forwards to learning what Twilight left for Rarity, and really hoping that those don't fall into the wrong hands.
Part of me wonders whether the Diarchy dehorns Unicorn when they're just a few weeks old because it's easier on the soul to kill something that doesn't yet show a personality and can beg for help with words.
But then another part, the cynical one, throws in that it's just both easier to take them away from their families at a very young age, before those families had a chance to grow too attached, and that baby horns are probably more 'profitable' during the time they begin showing surges.
And then I feel like I want to cry for a bit.
I wonder...
This supposed mastermind behind all of this, whom Twilight, based on what she tells Rarity via magical construct, seems to have at noticed, though clearly too late... Well, let's theorize.
Here's what we know so far about this world: first, there's a huge bias against unicorns and unicorn magic. Hatred and bigotry, even. This seems to have been sown either during or even before Twilight's coronation - by hidden powers, no doubt. How long they've conspired is largely left unknown.
We also know that there's some kind of machine, which was mentioned earlier from a chapter concerning Steadfast. Here we get another indication. We know it's magically constructed, presumably either by a unicorn or at least a creature of immense magical ability. This device seems powered by something akin to anti-Harmony, and which the Knights Mystic, if I recall correctly, are in charge of protecting, and potentially using.
Based on the excerpt found at the beginning of this chapter, we also know that the person writing this fragment of a letter is likely dead. That's given by the "dust" line. To whom they are writing is unknown, but based on what's said, we can eliminate Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, and Sombra. We can make a few assumptions based on those names, too, that, quite possibly, this is a letter being written to Tirek. The fact that we knows these names are of all the members of that League of Villains from Season 9's premiere demonstrates this, though it doesn't quite prove the identity.
I don't believe we can say that Tirek wrote it, since some of the syntax doesn't sound like him. I don't believe he's the kind of person to write, even ironically, "my old friend." We know, however, that Tirek is old - I believe it's been confirmed in other media that he's the same Tirek from G1. If we take that into account, then whomever is writing this letter could be G1's Grogar.
Though this does contradict Season 9. At the same time, since the story doesn't follow Season 9's canon, maybe that's intentional.
However, based on that "dust" line, I don't know if that can be accepted. Tirek being old and being unable to be killed (I believe that's the case) would suggest that this line doesn't apply to him. Conversely, it can't apply to an immortal goat wizard - though, we don't actually know if Grogar is or was immortal. Assuming, however, that both speaker and recipient are mortal, that dispels much of the evidence, that suggests this could be either. Also, the speaker refers to intelligence - and Tirek, while tough, wasn't really all that calculating.
I'm also struck by this apparent hatred that the letter's writer has for Sunset Shimmer. We can infer that that hatred and animosity must have translated to whatever actions led to Sunset being labeled as the First Heretic, and why there was such a huge deal about her capture (and subsequently, the truth about that, being that she was never actually captured; that it was a Changeling.) This doesn't seem to be because of her unicorn status. In fact it seems deeply personal, and moreover, a suggestion that Sunset could have spoiled everything.
So, who has the potential of being a dangerously cunning individual, likely having connections to many of Equestria's villains, isn't immortal, and hates Sunset Shimmer? Given these admittedly hollow factors: why not Abacus Cinch? She might have had a bone to pick with Sunset, and given what she experienced during the Friendship Games, perhaps that's led her to despising magic users such as unicorns.
Still, this theory has its holes. The most obvious is that it's doubtful that the human Cinch could be involved. It's unclear how long she was at Crystal Prep and it's never indicated that she was ever to Equestria. It could be the pony version of her, but that would have to lead to a lot of assumptions about her relation to Sunset Shimmer. Still, if anything, we might be looking for a character, in-show or of original creation, who has similar characteristics to Cinch: coldness, ruthlessness, cunning, intelligent, and probably grudge-filled.
Spellbook for Rarity? How come I have a feeling whomever of the three to have gotten that book were chosen by Twilight to eventually inherit Magic?
Also, dammit Spike. Talk about being cold to Rarity.
10922671
Interesting theory,
I may have a suspicion about what that anti-harmonic magic machine could be. Since it's a machine, it's probably a modified creation of Cozy Glow's magic absorber in School Raze. Cozy Glow's magic absorber was a crude and unrefined creation maybe it was recreated in a form of a machine. I believe the Mystics didn't use it because it required certain artifacts to start it of which I think they don't know what they are.
I have another guess on what that anti-harmonic machine may be, but I'm more certain that this is much more plausible. It's possible that it's Grogar's Bewitching Bell, it was rendered inert at the S9 Finale, the Bell can suck magic from AND transfer to anyone it's user wishes to, but it can't control which magic to transfer. Its location remained unknown after that. But the only downside to this theory is that the letter said that it's a machine, not an artifact. Then again, the Bewitching Bell could probably be installed on a contraption to make it more practical(maybe modified it so the user may choose any kind of absorbed magic that he/she wishes) and mobile.
Oh dang, there were a ton of emotional and plot beats here. Based on the opening letter, I figured that Heartwing's secret was the whole event of freeing the Terrible Trio to test Twilight only to have it backfire even more horribly than in canon, but what you went with is far heavier. Mlinzi was handled well, he's very angry and jaded, but hints of who he once was remain. I anticipated Heartwing offering to trade himself for the element, but that didn't make it any less impactful. Giving Emberglow Flash Magnus' shield is a great way of letting her be very useful in fights while still being a pacifist. And I wonder if that spellbook is similar to the powerful cursed tome she once used in the past...
10922671
What about one of the Dazzeling's? They would have reason to hate all ponies and their magic, especially Sunset Shimmer and the former element bearers.
Or, in some twist, Wallflower Blush. After all, we don't know if her story had been resolved by the time all this started. Admittedly, that one's a long shot.
I also noticed that Spike never mentioned Scootaloo. Perhaps it's because RD is already dead by the point Twilly dies.
10923688
I don't think the Sirens or Wallflower are likely. While the Sirens would hate Sunset, they love magic too much to want to see it banished from Equestria. Also, why they never reformed, they did move on (assuming that special is canon). Wallflower has similar reasons, but she also lacks a concrete motive for wanting to hurt or conquer Equestria.
Except telling her the truth until you couldn't keep it secret anymore.
Also, no you didn't. You set out to hurt people. That was your initial goal. You wanted to make others hurt for trampling on friendship and harmony, after YOU did it first.
Also also, Emberglow and Terminus are getting on my nerves this chapter. Stop beating Rarity down whenever she puts up the slightest bit of anger at the reveal that your precious Heartwing has so much to answer for. YOU didn't know Twilight. You didn't know what a beautiful soul she was. Stop demanding Rarity be your perfect functioning tool. She has every right to grieve and to be angry. And Rarity, please stand up for yourself more.
10922671
A few notes.
Tirek is not the same as G1. Their backstory is quite different. It's likely he's not only old, but immortal—he and his brother, Scorpan, came to Equestria when Starswirl wasn't stuck in Limbo yet, meaning it had to have been a thousand years ago at least. Plus, unlike normal creatures, his physical age depends on how much magic he absorbed, so we truly have no idea how old he is.
Furthermore, he's quite smart and calculating. Don't let the muscles fool you. He played on Discord's ego, he devised Cozy's ritual and much of her plan from his prison cell, and he knew from the start none of them would be able to do the mission on their own when False!Grogar sent them out to get his bell. He waited for the others to fail and then tell him what they encountered so he could formulate a proper plan. Tirek is very, very smart.
Wouldn' it be ironic if the author of the letter is Tirek (they are likely powerful if they took out Chrysalis), addressed at Sunburst? Who went insane after Starlight lost herself in the search for Rarity? Sunburst might have come to blame Unicorn magic in some way for what happened, and never having been a capable spellcaster in his own right, turned to magical artifice to build his revenge.
Oof...rough chapter.
But goooood.
Loved it ^^
10924696
Your points about Tirek's G1 relation and his intelligence/cunning are indeed good rebuttals, and I agree that it would be ironic if he was the one writing the letter. However, I believe syntactically that can't be the case. For how cunning and calculating Tirek is, it's doubtful that he'd employ the terminology used in the letter. Perhaps as subterfuge, sure, but that requires a few extra leaps that I don't think the story fully justifies just yet.
10924696
10926333
The only hint that it could've been Tirek is in the phrase "I can't believe I'm saying I miss Cozy Glow" but it becomes impossible for him to be the writer because he never knew Sunset Shimmer.
So it's either a villain we forgot about, it's one original for the story
*sobbing* beautiful....
Man. I've been chewing my way through this story over the course of the last week or so, and I have to say there's a lot of really good exposition in this one. Some of the mysteries that have been following us from the very beginning finally have some answers, and yet more remain. Personally, I had been holding out hope since the early chapters that somehow Twilight might have survived in some way, but this chapter has mostly put paid to that idea for me. Though we the audience have yet to see a body, or heard of one mentioned even in passing, so I suppose it's still possible.
I also continue to wonder about Sunset Shimmer. I theorize that it will be Sunset, not Rarity, to bear the element of Magic. But we still don't know what happened to her, the mystery about the time dilation in the mirror realm has yet to be expanded on, and in general I'm really not sure what to expect on that front. It would be a welcome surprise though, to see the character that's been alluded to perhaps more than even Twilight herself in person. I'm also rather fond of bacon horse myself, but I suppose time will tell. I'm not about to get my hopes up; almost everyone else from the canon universe is dead and gone, so I'm not sure if I should expect Sunset to have made it somehow. Either way
I hope the answers to these questions are satisfying.
Looking forward to reading the rest of what's been posted so far, and more besides when the chapters are written.
Discord being the new Element of Loyalty is a teensy bit hard to swallow...but dang if it wasn't a
The bit with
SpikeMlezi was rather harrowing, and for all that I think he was a bit too harsh, I can't say that I entirely blame him either. You can't just expect him to "get over" the past, although it would be nice if maybe later he puts aside his anger to help in some epic final battle against the Diarchy.Wow, actually I had expected that Discord would end up with an element. But I thought he'd get Magic. And I thought they were searching for Magic here. So because of that it still was a pleasant surprise after all, even if I had kinda seen this coming.
I'm also wondering if Rarity will get assigned a new element. Especially with that spell book thing now.
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I've got a feeling that Rarity will get the element of magic and Rarity will become an alicorn
................ I.....
Spike......
