Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Excerpt from the Book of the Saints, Chapter 37, Verses 16 through 25
16- We must give the world a gift, to keep them safe when we are gone, said Twilight Sparkle.
17- Ponies to follow after us, to walk in our hoofsteps, to spread our Word, and to fight back the darkness of foul magic and alien creatures.
18- We will call them our Knights, and they will be as our children.
19- The first will be the Knights Mystic, said Twilight Sparkle, the Wise Leader. They will fight against Ignorance and Heresy. They will contain the unicorn threat.
20- My children will help yours, declared Rainbow Dash, the Ever Faithful. They will be the Knights Adamant, the strong hoof and mighty voice of the Goddesses, forever protecting our borders from threats beyond.
21- There must be more than an army, reasoned Applejack, the True and Just. My children will patrol the streets, keeping away threats from within. They will be the Knights Vigilant, and they will judge and protect the common pony.
22- My children will spread the Truth, at home and abroad, said Pinkamena, the Joybringer. They will show all the joys of the Truth, so that all ponies, from the Diarchy and beyond, will better themselves and prepare for rebirth. They will be the Knights Jubilant.
23- I will give to the world the gift of my Knights Radiant, said Rarity, the Eternal Virgin. Though no stallion may claim me as his own, I will belong to all as a mother and a sister. My children will be as I am, forever apart, belonging to none and all, healing all who require.
24- Last to speak was Fluttershy, the Bold Adventuress. My Knights Angelic will be the last; to bring hope to the darkness, to connect all of Equestria, and to shine the light of the Word where none other dare go.
25- So it was decided. And Twilight Sparkle gifted each of the Saints with the Sacred Runes, teaching them how to show others to use their mystic might to protect and defend, to serve and support, to uphold the will of the Goddesses throughout Equestria.
1110 AF, Ivy Seminary, New Canterlot City
Eighteen months at Ivy Seminary. Hundreds of classes, lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. Nineteen dropouts, one expulsion (for theft and assault), and two suspensions (one was Green Fields, the other was a stallion who had gotten one of the service staff pregnant). After the incident with the dress, life at the Ivy Seminary had gone much smoother for Emberglow; the bullying had all but stopped. She met with Lady Mercy twice a month now; once for her service weekends, and another time just to talk to somepony about what was going on.
Now, there was one main thing in Emberglow’s life that was causing her stress: Lofty Tale. Her best friend in the whole world was beginning to make hints that he would be interested in a little more than friendship. While romantic pursuits were generally discouraged to the students, they were not outright forbidden, and only two of the five orders swore a vow of chastity. Emberglow had been playing dumb, pretending not to notice what he was hinting at, all the while knowing that someday, maybe someday soon, he would say something that could ruin their friendship forever. More than anything else, Emberglow didn’t want to wreck the relationship she had with the kind, intelligent, and often funny stallion. But how could she tell him she was completely and totally uninterested in any sort of romantic relationship, especially with a stallion? For the Diarchs’ sake, he already knew she meant to enter into an order that vowed to chastity; what was he thinking? And how could she turn down a stallion without breaking him?
There was no chance at all Emberglow could go to her mother about this. That would end in a disaster of nightmare proportions.
She had considered asking the other major female role model in her life, but Lady Mercy Song knew Lofty Tale. Besides, Emberglow didn’t want to burden the graceful Knight with petty concerns like a hopeful stallion’s love life. Whenever she was in the Knight Radiant’s presence, she felt like Lady Mercy was invincible — a strong, unapproachable mountain of faith and confidence. Having a conversation with her about something as silly as saving her friend’s ego after Emberglow’s inevitable rejection felt… blasphemous, somehow.
Lofty Tale hadn’t said anything yet, however, so a part of Emberglow still hoped that he would forever remain quiet about his affections. They would be seeing a lot less of each other soon; after eighteen long months as pages, they were about to begin their one year period as squires.
Emberglow was looking forward to the new living arrangements; while the squires could continue to stay in the Seminary’s dorm if they wished, it was no longer a requirement. Though she would be spending her days with her assigned Knight, she would be spending evenings and Sundays with her parents.
The selection of a mentor for each new squire was an interesting process. Squires were always assigned to Knights from a different order than the one they aspired to. Emberglow didn’t know who she’d end up with, but as a sponsorship, she knew Sir Steadfast had influence in who was selected for her. She knew that if he still harbored hopes of luring her to the Mystics, he would see that she was assigned to a Knight Mystic to squire. Honestly, the idea was a little exciting to her; the Mystics valued scholarship and study, things she was already good at.
Lofty Tale was another story. As far as she knew, he had never decided which of the orders he was interested in joining. There was a committee of Knights, one from each order, who interviewed each page extensively, once a week for four weeks, to grill them on subjects such as their intended order, their qualifications, their weaknesses, and their goals. She wondered if in private Lofty Tale had informed the committee which order he was interested in. He had certainly not told her.
The assigning of squires to Knights took place in the Ivy Seminary’s auditorium, a room that saw very little everyday use. The only times it was regularly used were during mass assemblies every other month or so, where a large presentation or lecture would be held with the entire student body. The auditorium could easily hold four times that many, and apparently had in the past, but this year’s class was small.
Since the ceremony was scheduled for right after breakfast, a gaggle of excited pages made their way together to the auditorium. As usual, Emberglow was walking with Lofty. Emberglow was jittery and nervous; her hooves barely touched the path as she nervously pranced alongside Lofty on their way to the big meeting.
“So, you never told me what order you were going into,” Emberglow began as they walked together towards the auditorium.
“Meh. It’s because I’m still not sure,” Lofty said ambivalently. “Any order would be good, right? And it’s not the idea of a specific order that makes me want to be a Knight, but the idea of being a Knight itself.”
“Maybe you should go for Adamant,” Emberglow said. “They’re the most… um…”
“Generic?” Lofty smirked, and Emberglow laughed. “Well, it’s true. I thought about that, honestly. But it doesn’t appeal to me. What was that one thing that Lady Amaranth says all the time? ‘Ponies were not designed to kill other creatures. We just don’t have the tools built in.’ I just don’t think I’d be comfortable in an order whose primary responsibility is fighting.”
“You’re very good at it, you know. Fighting.” She wondered, briefly, if that was his special talent. Asking about a pony’s cutie mark was a very personal question, but she felt like she might be close enough to Lofty that it wouldn’t be rude. “I’ve… never asked you about your cutie mark.”
“My cutie mark is a play on the family crest. It’s an open book, with a crescent moon symbol on one page, and writing on the other. I always thought it meant my life was full of potential, that I could be whatever I wanted. You know, like an open book?”
“So what did you tell the placement committee? They have to know where you want to end up, so they know who to place you with, to squire for.”
“They didn’t seem overly bothered by my lack of decision. They told me I have until the end of my squiring to figure it out, but until then I was fine,” Lofty said, then grinned. “I should have told them I wanted to join the Radiant, just to see what they’d do.”
“You know you’re weird, right?” Emberglow teased, earning herself a playful shove from her friend. It was well known that the Radiant only accepted mares.
The auditorium was the biggest room on campus, sitting in the basement of the classroom block. It resembled an amphitheater, with a series of large stair-like levels going down to a central stage. Each of the levels had a row of seating cushions, and each cushion had a small fold-out desk next to it in case the pony sitting there needed something to take notes on. The two walls on either side were lined with electric lights, and, combined with three large light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, made up the audience lighting for the auditorium. The lights were blazing bright today, shedding light on the crowd of ponies gathered near the front of the auditorium.
When Emberglow and Lofty entered the room, much of their class had already gathered, and was sitting in the front of the auditorium. The rest of the room was filled with Knights, all dressed in either their official robes of office or their armor. Emberglow even spotted Lady Mercy Song, sitting among those Knights waiting for a squire.
“Somepony’s going to get really lucky,” Emberglow said, pointing out her favorite Knight to Lofty Tale. “Lady Mercy’s getting a squire.” Emberglow was already envious of the mystery pony; she knew she was getting somepony from another Order, but it would have been really nice to work with Lady Mercy more.
The two ponies took their seats among their classmates, silently waiting in the midst of the gentle murmur of a hundred echoed conversations. Soon, the house lights dimmed, and the stage lights flickered on dramatically. Several ponies walked out on stage; a dozen instructors, seminary administrators, and a few dignitaries took their seats on cushions arranged for them. The seminary’s headmaster, Pious Epiphany, took center stage. He was wearing Knight Armor, painted pink with the cutie mark of Saint Pinkamena. As a hush settled over the assembled students and Knights, he reached out with his hoof and began writing runes in the air. Emberglow recognized it as a voice amplification spell.
“My young ponies, I am so very proud of you,” he intoned, his voice magically filling the entire amphitheatre. “Today you gather here for an important milestone in your spiritual journey. You have completed the first step towards becoming Knights. For eighteen months, you have studied, struggled, practiced, sparred, worried, and conquered. You have overcome all challenges that have been placed before you, and now you are here. I have conferred with your instructors, and I am pleased to say that each one of you is worthy to become a squire.
“Behind you are Knights, the very thing you aspire to become someday. We have carefully selected each Knight who will be mentoring you. You will serve them with your full talents and intellect, and in turn they will pass on their valuable experience and wisdom. Each of you has strengths and weaknesses, and we have picked your mentors to reinforce the former while shoring up the latter. They will be your role models, your goals to attain. One day, you too will take the oath of Knighthood, in a sacred ceremony that will infuse your body with holy power and sacred purpose. You will be faster, stronger, and tougher than your fellow ponies. But you will use that holy power to fight the enemies of righteousness and the lies of heresy.
“We at the Ivy Seminary have a tradition when it comes to selecting mentors for young squires. Each of you has professed a desire to join a particular Knight order. Rather than assign you a mentor from your future order, we assign you to somepony from another. This is done for three reasons. First, to remind you that we are all of the same family. No matter which of the five orders you belong to, we are all of the same purpose, the same goals, only with different toolsets and tasks. Second, to offer you exposure to ideas and perspectives that may be new to you. Saint Twilight said, ‘Seek always for truth, even in unexpected locations’. The third reason, and perhaps the most important, is to foster friendship between the five orders. Once, we allowed a branch of our family to go off on their own, to seek their own destiny. Never again. The Saints have decreed we shall work together, and this is one of the ways we make sure that happens.
“Now, on this day you do not become Knights, but you are one step closer. Each order has their own oath of membership that its supplicants swear, but the oath we all hold in common is the Oath of the Squire. It is one of the threads that binds us all together as one in the service of the Saints. Instructors, if you please.”
Sir Heavenseeker and Lady Broad Strokes, one of the advanced class instructors, rose and pulled on a pair of ropes at the opposite ends of the stage. Pulleys tied to the ceiling unfurled a large banner, which held the Oath of the Squire. Underneath the oath were the Five Exalted Tenants, the core principles that upheld the Holy Equestrian Diarchy.
“Now, all of you pages wishing to become Squires, please stand. Should you wish to change your minds, you may leave right now, and go on with your lives. The decision is final; a pony who leaves our company now may never return. Those of you who are Knights, who have already taken the Oath of the Squire, please stand and join with us, reaffirming your conviction and dedication to our path. Ponies, place your hoof on your heart in salute, and repeat after me.” Everypony rose to their hooves and added their voices to the crowd.
“I am a Knight of Equestria.”
After each statement, everypony in the room chanted the words after Pious Epiphany. Emberglow felt a surge of pride as she said the words. This was it; it felt like the end of the path, or at least an end.
“I uphold the Five Exalted Tenants with my life.
“I protect my fellow Knights from harm.
“I hold close to my heart the Elements of Harmony: Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, and Joy.
“I serve the Diarchy, its leaders and its citizens.
“I keep watch against heresy and corruption.
“I defend Equestria from enemies within and without, with my life and breath.”
With each line of the Oath, Emberglow surged with pride and joy. In that moment, she was sure she could feel the love of the Saints and the Diarchs flowing through her. She couldn’t help herself; her wings fluffed out, spreading out in an unconscious display of her elation.
“Thank you. Please be seated, all of you. Now, I will call each of you up here to receive your robes, the official mark of your position as a squire. Each one is embroidered with the cutie marks of all six saints; so you remember that even though you seek to dedicate yourself to only one of the six, you must strive to serve and emulate all.” Headmaster Pious motioned offstage, and a pair of earth ponies, dressed as Squires themselves, hauled a pair of open crates on stage. The headmaster lifted something out of one of the crates; it was a robe, dyed snow white and marked with six holy cutie marks. “After I have given you the robe you have earned, I will announce the name of the Knight you will be squiring for, and their order. You will then take a seat beside your new mentor. We will proceed in alphabetical order. Page Astrolabe!”
Emberglow watched as one of her former tormentors made her way to the stage. Astrolabe and Emberglow had not exchanged more than a half dozen words since Green Field’s year-long suspension; if she hadn’t been stuck in the infirmary, mostly unconscious, while her best friend had vandalized Emberglow’s dress, she probably would have been implicated in the crime as well. As it was, Astrolabe had taken great pains to not heap any more torment on Emberglow, much to the latter’s relief. The headmaster handed a robe to Astrolabe.
“Page Astrolabe will be squiring for Sir Falling Foehn, of the Knights Adamant.”
A pale orange pegasus Knight, dressed in the light blue armor of the Adamant, rose and waved his hoof towards Astrolabe, who looked both nervous and excited. She descended from the stage and moved to sit with her new mentor, while Headmaster Pious called out, “Page Axel Grease!”
Each student had their turn, with each page called to the front, Emberglow became more nervous. Who would she end up with? She assumed a Knight Adamant; even after months of private tutoring, her proficiency at hoof to hoof combat was at best mediocre. Headmaster Pious, and several of the ponies on the squire placement committee had mentioned that the placement would be made to help the pages with their weaknesses.
“Page Emberglow!” Headmaster Pious finally called, and Emberglow stood on shaky legs. She felt something pat her barrel, and looking to her left, saw Lofty Tale grinning at her encouragingly. Smiling back, she made her way to the stage.
The lights on stage were hot, and she decidedly did not like the skin-crawling sensation of literally everypony in the audience staring at her. She froze for a second, before nervously proceeding over to Headmaster Pious, reaching out to receive her white robe. “Page Emberglow will be squiring for Knight Turquoise, of the Knights Jubilant.”
Emberglow’s eyes shifted out into the audience. A Knight Jubilant? What did that mean? She was sure she’d end up with a Mystic, or maybe even an Adamant. She saw a mare, dressed in the pink robes of the Jubilant, standing in the audience. She locked eyes with the older mare, noting with some nervousness the Knight’s gaze, which was just shy of hostile. She didn’t have time to wonder what that was all about, however, as Headmaster Pious had ushered her off the stage so he could call the next name.
Maybe Emberglow had imagined the glare. As she walked up the steps towards where the mare was sitting, she couldn’t see the expression on the Knight’s face. She reached the correct row just as the stallion behind her had his mentor announced. As Emberglow looked down the row of cushions, she could see the pink-robed mare, her gaze fixed on the stage, pointedly ignoring the newly minted squire walking down the aisle towards her. Her fur was colored turquoise just like her name, and she had a shiny silver mane kept long and flowing, streaked with velvety black. Emberglow received the slightest of nods from the Knight, the mare barely taking a second to acknowledge her squire. Emberglow’s nervousness was beginning to become a sense of dread.
It all vanished, albeit temporarily, when Lofty Tale was called to the stage. Emberglow’s eyes and ears were both pinned on the stage as her friend got up on the platform and received his robe.
“Page Lofty Tale will be squiring for Knight Mercy Song, of the Knights Radiant.”
Was it possible to be equally as excited for your best friend as you were insanely jealous? Emberglow had known that she would never have been able to squire for one of the Radiant, but that didn’t stop her from imagining how much she could have learned. She had also never considered that Lofty would have had the privilege of squiring for her favorite Knight, since the Radiant only allowed mares to take their oaths. She supposed that didn’t stop them from accepting stallion squires.
She realized suddenly that Lofty Tale’s eyes were searching for hers, and he looked worried. Worried that she would be jealous? Well she was! But that didn’t stop her from being incredibly happy for her friend, as well. Emberglow made sure to give him her widest grin, and he seemed to recover.
Since Lofty already knew Knight Mercy Song, he was able to find her quickly in the crowd. Emberglow could see the two of them speaking quietly about something, and her nervous dread returned. What kind of Knight was Lady Turquoise, and why did she seem so unhappy to have a squire? Emberglow’s dark thoughts stewed the rest of the ceremony. When every squire had been assigned to a Knight, Headmaster Pious stood up to speak again.
“Remember, squires, you will treat your Knights as your commanding officers now. Obey them exactly and you will thrive. Heed their words and you will learn. Follow in their hoofsteps, and you may one day be Knights as great as they are. After this meeting, you will be at their command for the remainder of the day. Squires, work hard, and the grace of all Saints be with you.”
The electric lights in the auditorium rose. Emberglow would have loved to have rushed over and congratulated her friend on his luck, but she would have to do so later. For now, she looked to the Knight who would be mentoring her for the next year.
“Well, come on,” the mare said, sounding impatient. “I’ve got an office in one of the high rises near the Central Cathedral.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emberglow replied as respectfully as possible, earning a grunt from the Knight. Emberglow followed closely behind an ominously silent Lady Turquoise, watching the expressions of excitement on all the other squires as several of them conversed animatedly with their new mentors. She even smiled and waved at Lady Mercy, who was already laughing at something that Lofty had been telling her.
The building that held Lady Turquoise’s office was eight stories tall, just a bit shorter than the High Cathedral itself. It was built in a manner that spoke of function over form. Simple square architecture rose from the street, interspersed by row after row of simple square windows. The walls were made of brown brick. A sign over the glass entry door, made of metal, read simply ‘Jubilant Overflow’.
“I’m on the fourth floor. You don’t have a problem with stairs, do you?” Lady Turquoise asked.
“No, ma’am,” Emberglow said.
“Good,” the Knight replied. Inside the building was a reception area, complete with what looked like a café, of all things. Ponies, most of whom were in pink robes, were sitting at tables drinking tea or coffee. There was a barista waiting at a counter piled with sweets and drink making supplies. Lady Turquoise paused suddenly, eyeing her younger charge for a moment.
“How do you take your coffee?” she asked suddenly.
This felt like a test. Emberglow answered hesitantly, “Um… black, ma’am.” Lady Turquoise’s eyes narrowed briefly, then she nodded. She walked over to the barista.
“Can you have two black coffees sent up to office 403?” she asked. The barista took out a small pad of paper, writing out the office number and the order.
“Yes, ma’am, as soon as possible,” he said. Emberglow was curious when no bits were exchanged. Maybe it wasn’t really a normal café.
“Thanks,” Lady Turquoise said, and without another word moved through the lobby to a small hallway at the south end of the room. The hallway led to a set of stairs going up, past two elevator doors.
“Sorry, I don’t do elevators,” Lady Turquoise murmured. Emberglow didn’t know how to respond, so she simply followed the earth pony up three flights of stairs to the fourth floor.
“Here we are, home sweet office,” Lady Turquoise said, pushing the door open to room 403. Her office was homey, with the walls filled with photographs of dozens of ponies, alongside a few needlepoint sayings, mostly quotes from the Book of the Saints. Her desk, centered just beneath the office’s only window, also looked neat and organized. It contained a few more framed photos, including one that appeared to be Lady Turquoise with an older couple, probably her parents. There were cushions on the floor, all of which appeared home-sewn. The only other furniture was a large cabinet sitting against the wall. “Take a seat, and we’ll talk.” She closed the wooden door behind them.
Emberglow cautiously selected one of the cushions and settled herself on it, watching the Knight warily. Lady Turquoise slumped down into the cushion behind her desk with a tired sigh.
“I’m going to be completely honest with you, Emberglow,” Lady Turquoise said. “I don’t want you here. I never wanted a squire.”
“I… had gathered that, ma’am,” Emberglow said. Lady Turquoise gave her a wan smile.
“Sorry, I’m not exactly subtle. The short story, with all the details cut out that are frankly none of your business, I pissed off somepony much more important than myself, and he decided that I needed to learn some humility. So, he managed to tease out what would make me the most frustrated and humiliated. Thus, foalsitting.”
Emberglow bristled. She wasn’t a foal, and the characterization was unfair. But before she could say anything, Lady Turquoise continued.
“So now, instead of working on my very important project that I’ve been trying to set in motion for nearly a year now, I have to come up with a bunch of busy work for a squire. Don’t worry”—she put up her hooves to forestall the protest Emberglow was trying to make—“I’ll make sure you get all the training and instruction you need. I have to report back to my superiors on your progress, so we’ll be certain you’re making all the right progress you need to, checking all the boxes. Your progress won’t suffer, only mine and my project’s.”
Emberglow stared at the Knight. This was not at all how she saw her squiring going. Busywork? She opened her mouth to say something; an argument, or a protest, maybe, but she didn’t know what. Before she could come up with something to say, she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Ooh, coffee’s here,” Lady Turquoise said, sounding a tiny bit more cheerful. Emberglow jumped up before the Knight could, opening the door herself to allow the barista pony in, carrying two mugs of steaming black magic. “Just set them on the desk, thanks.”
The pony delivered his heavenly gifts with a smile, then left, allowing Emberglow to close the door behind him. The smell was incredible. Lady Turquoise motioned for Emberglow to take one of the mugs. She lifted it slowly to her lips, and took a tiny polite sip; the bitter, rich flavor exploded unexpectedly on her taste buds. She nearly choked in surprise.
“What… is this?” Emberglow managed to stutter, quickly taking another sip to confirm the experience. This wasn’t coffee; it was life.
“Um, coffee?” Lady Turquoise answered, confused.
“No, this is… amazing,” Emberglow marvelled, letting her third sip roll around on her tongue for a few seconds before swallowing.
“Oh, that’s right,” Lady Turquoise said with a smirk. “They only have instant coffee at the Ivy Seminary. That stuff’s garbage.”
“That’s… all I’ve ever had…” Emberglow said, wonderingly. Who knew coffee could taste this good?
“Wow,” Lady Turquoise said, her eyes wide. “Never?”
“No, we could only afford instant coffee,” Emberglow said sheepishly. Lady Turquoise eyed her with disbelief.
“Okay. Lesson one as my squire. There is no such thing as instant coffee in my office. When I send you to get coffee, you can fetch it from the kitchen downstairs. Got it?”
“Yes ma’am,” Emberglow answered enthusiastically. She didn’t mind fetching coffee in the slightest if it meant she got to drink more of this magical brew.
“At least your taste in coffee is good,” Lady Turquoise huffed. “Anyways, as for your training schedule, I’ve gone over your school transcripts. It looks like the only place you really need a lot of work is fighting. So we’ll be sure to take some time to spar every day, okay?” The Knight took a deep breath. “Other than that, I’ve got a list of things you can do. You’re already well ahead of your class on most topics, so I don’t have a lot of catch up to do there.”
This sounded like more busywork talk to Emberglow. She suppressed a sigh herself, but what other option did she have? This was her Knight, somepony she had sworn to obey. She took a long sip of her coffee, staring at her Knight with troubled eyes.
“I figure, if we both do the best we can to stay out of each other’s way as much as possible, this will go much more smoothly for us both. I can finish the project I have been literally devoting my entire life to for the last several months, and you can… well, you can do squirey things.”
Emberglow’s heart sank, her ears drooped. This was certainly not the experience she was hoping for. She wasn’t supposed to be a burden, was she? She wondered if Lofty was having similar experiences. She doubted it; Lady Mercy was amazing. She frowned, realizing with a twinge of guilt that she had just mentally insulted her Knight by implication.
“Emberglow? You still with me?” Lady Turquoise said, and Emberglow started, her ears perking up in surprise as she was jolted out of her distracted thoughts.
“Um, yes ma’am. Sorry. I was lost in thought there.”
“Right. So I’m going to need some books from the Mystics’ library. Here’s my request in writing, because depending on the time of day, the librarian could be a real plothole.” She slid one paper over the desk towards Emberglow. “Here’s the list of books and documents I need.” She slid over another. “Head to the Star Shine building. The library’s on the main floor, in the north wing, if you’ve never been there before. If you enter, you’ll be stopped by one of the guards, or one of the librarians. Tell them why you’re there, and show them these two papers. It might help if you change into those squire robes you carried in with you. There’s a washroom three doors down on the right. Feel free to take your time with all of this. I’ve got a pair of saddlebags in here, sitting by the door. Take those to haul the books back.”
It was a clear dismissal. Emberglow took the final few gulps of her coffee as she wondered what to say. Was there anything she could? She had been stuck with somepony who didn’t want her there, who saw her as a waste of time. But what could she do about it? She had sworn to obey; it was part of the Oath of the Squire she’d just spoken. Perhaps the best thing was to simply make as much of it as she could. Maybe the Saints had a purpose for her in here somewhere, even if she couldn’t see it right now. She stood from her cushion, and with a respectful nod to the Knight, picked up her new robes and the saddlebags, and left to follow her orders. As Lady Turquoise had said, the washroom was three doors down on the right. Emberglow walked in and latched the door behind her.
This moment was not at all what she’d thought. Putting these robes on was supposed to be a moment of triumph, of accomplishment. Not confusion and disappointment. She took off her page’s robe, letting it slump unceremoniously to the floor. There was a single mirror in the washroom, and she caught sight of her naked body; her cross shaped cutie mark, complete with a crystal heart in the center, and her athletic muscle, sliding just under her pink fur. The sleek wings, perhaps not as strong or fast as another pegasus, but well taken care of nonetheless. She was proud of her body; proud of the time she’d spent training it, jogging and exercising. She was proud of her mind, of everything she’d accomplished as a page. But now she felt so worthless.
With a sigh and a painful lump in her throat, she tried to put her thoughts aside as she slipped the new robe where the old had just been. It was clear the Diarchy spent more on squire robes than they did page robes. She imagined the additional comfort of the finer linens was simply a privilege of her increased rank, though Emberglow found it hard to be excited about the change.
Once she was out of the washroom, she trotted down the hall. There were few other ponies about, mostly Knights who ignored her, or spared her a brief nod. She didn’t recognize the pair of squires she passed, but got a cheerful wave from both of them as they scurried after their respective Knights.
Lady Turquoise’s office building was just behind the great central cathedral, which was only one building down from the Star Shine Memorial Building. She walked down into the familiar double doors, smiling politely when the familiar secretaries congratulated her on her new squire robes. She was about to turn north, towards the north wing and the library, when she heard a familiar voice.
“Emberglow, is that you?” called out Sir Steadfast’s voice. She turned to see him walking towards her, smiling faintly.
“Yes, sir.” Emberglow grinned, waving to him as he trotted over to her.
“I’m so sorry I missed your ceremony. You look good in your new robes, young lady. I’m so proud of you. Who’d you end up with as your Knight?”
“Lady Turquoise, of the Knights Jubilant,” Emberglow said. “I’m on an errand for her right now. She sent me to the library to pick up some records.”
“Lady Turquoise, eh? They consulted me about who you should be placed with, of course. They always do. I recommended the Jubilant, but I’m afraid I’ve never met Lady Turquoise. How are things going so far?”
“Everything is great!” Emberglow said cheerily, but the lie burned in her chest, like her namesake. She didn’t even know why she said it. She’d never lied to Sir Steadfast before, so why now? Was she so afraid of his disappointment that she didn’t want him to know she already was upset with her placement? She felt a little ill, and hoped it didn’t show on her face. She had to get out of this conversation. “Lady Turquoise is expecting me back as soon as possible, though, so…” There was another lie! What was wrong with her?
“Say no more. I imagine if you’re looking for records, you’re heading towards the library. If you have any trouble, don’t hesitate to throw my name around. Some of my fellow Knights can become a little obsessive and overprotective about the flow of information, so you might need some added authority.”
“Of course, thank you sir,” Emberglow said, full of equal amounts guilt and relief. “But, um, before you go, can I ask why you recommended me to be placed with a Jubilant? I half expected you to try to get me placed with a Mystic.”
“It would have made sense, if I thought there was any chance of you jumping ship to my side,” Sir Steadfast said, laughing as he shook his head. “No, I think this is where the Saints mean for you to be. Call it an intuition.” He waved to her, both friendly and dismissing. “Go see to your chores, Emberglow. Don’t forget, I’d still like to meet with you once a month, even though you’re a squire now.”
“Yes, sir!” Emberglow said, shame shading her enthusiasm. The older stallion walked off, out of the building, and Emberglow turned towards the north wing.
Signs on the wall clearly marked the hallways she would need to go down to reach the Mystics’ library. She’d never been this way before, but the way was well-indicated, so when she pushed open the wooden door that was marked ‘library’, she was surprised at the hissed challenge she got as soon as she stepped in.
“You! What are you doing here?” came the harsh whisper. She looked up at the speaker, a very young Knight in a purple robe, with a pinched, angry face and white fur, and his yellow mane was tied back in a bun. He was standing behind a desk that separated Emberglow from the rows of bookshelves stacked behind it, though as soon as Emberglow looked in his direction he rushed from around the desk to confront her. The room was full of the smell of old parchment. “Squires are forbidden in my library without permission from…”
Dumbly, she held out the two papers Lady Turquoise had given her, shocked into silence at the oddly vitriolic challenge. The young knight glared at the papers for a second before yanking them out of her hooves. His ears were pinned back as he scanned across the first paper, the letter of request from Lady Turquoise. With a grunt, he switched to the list printed on the second.
“It all seems to be in order, but I’ll have to deny part of your request. Your master asks for six books, but these two here”—he waved the paper vaguely in front of Emberglow, far too quickly for her to even see—“they are classed as controlled texts, and must not leave the building to prevent unprepared eyes from reading the words.”
“That’s too bad, sir,” Emberglow said, not caring that her frustration was starting to leak into her voice. “I’m sure Lady Turquoise had no idea that’s what she was requesting. I’ll be sure to walk all the way back to her office to let her know.” The smug look on the young Knight made her angrier. “I just have to stop off at my sponsor’s office first. Sir Steadfast.” She didn’t know if name dropping would get her what she wanted, but she was frustrated enough to try. Oddly, even the attempt at using her mentor’s influence made her feel soiled, somehow. “What was your name again? I’ll be sure to mention how helpful you were.” The sarcasm felt like acid on her tongue.
“Sir Steadfast, you say?” the librarian Knight asked cautiously. Emberglow knew Sir Steadfast was high ranking, but she hadn’t taken the time to study the ranks of the Mystics. She didn’t quite know just how high ranking, but it seemed his name was enough to cause the librarian to pause.
“Yes, my mentor,” Emberglow responded, feeling bitter that this bureaucratic plothole had made her stoop this low. “Your name, sir?”
“We don’t need to… uh… I mean, are you sure…” the Knight floundered, before centering himself. “I don’t suppose these texts are too dangerous, as long as you make sure nopony except yourself and Lady…” he paused as he checked the first letter, “…Turquoise ever touch them. Will that be acceptable?”
“Of course, sir,” Emberglow said, trying to be respectful, while also restraining herself from a relieved sigh and slumped shoulders.
“I’ll be off to fetch those books, then. You wait here, and don’t touch anything!”
That last was clearly an order, and even though Emberglow had gotten the better of him a bit, she didn’t want to test his patience. She looked at the desk he had been standing at, and there was a bench alongside it. Without a word, she sat down to await the librarian Knight’s return. She could hear him rustling around among the stuffed bookshelves, muttering to himself as he searched for the six titles on Lady Turquoise’s list. Bored and frustrated, she glanced at the librarian’s desk. Don’t touch didn’t mean don’t look, right?
Unfortunately, the librarian stallion was as organized as he was antagonistic. His desk contained only a single ledger, a single photograph of the pony and his mother, a single quill, and a single paperweight shaped like a small bowling ball. The leger only had the year on the cover, with no other markings. Emberglow briefly considered flipping the ledger open just to assuage the monotony, but didn’t want to antagonize the librarian unnecessarily. She ran her hooves over the cushioning on the seat, trying not to think about anything that was happening right now.
“Here,” the librarian finally grunted, dropping the books onto the desk with a muted thump. Emberglow jumped, earning herself a scowl from the stallion for having nearly drifted off asleep. There were six books in total, though only one of them was very large. Emberglow hadn’t bothered to look closely at the list, so she tried to glimpse the titles from the spines. Only two were visible: “Travels to the Northern Expanse”, and “The Crystal Barrier”. So Lady Turquoise’s project had something to do with the sealed Northern Empire. Interesting, though Emberglow doubted Lady Turquoise would be interested in having a discussion about the subject. The librarian eyed her suspiciously. “These aren’t for your eyes, squire. Do I need to put some sort of seal on them to keep you from nosing into your master’s business?”
“No,” Emberglow said, as nicely as she could manage. “But I could use some help getting them into my saddlebags.” She stood from her seat. If the rude stallion was so insistent that she couldn’t touch the books, then he could just do the work himself. She stood up, and he rolled his eyes at her. “What? If you don’t even want me to touch them…”
“Fine!” the librarian snarled, and he walked around the desk, picking up the books again and flipping the top open on Emberglow’s saddlebags. Though it was clear he was upset, it was also obvious how much care he took for his charges, gently slipping each one into one of the bags resting on Emberglow’s back. When the books were settled, he buckled the bags closed and smacked her rudely on the rump. “Now get out!”
Emberglow turned, narrowing her eyes at the stallion, for a brief moment considering retaliation. Deciding it wasn’t worth it, she trotted out of the library’s swinging door exit, back into the hallway, where she nearly ran face first into a smirking Sir Steadfast, who was waiting for her.
“From the look on your face, I’d say you just made the acquaintance of our very own Sir Trogium Pulsatorium. We usually just call him Sir Trog, though he hates the nickname. He’d probably protest more if I weren’t in his chain of command.”
“Sir, you knew,” Emberglow said, recovering from her shock. The two of them began walking towards the exit. “When I said I was going to the library, you knew he was on duty as librarian.”
“Guilty,” Sir Steadfast said with a smile, looking not at all guilty. “Sorry if he was a bit of a raincloud on your perfect day.”
“I’m a pegasus, remember?” Emberglow responded, fluffing her wings a bit. “We’re good at kicking rainclouds. Thanks for giving me the idea to use your name. He wouldn’t have let me get out with the books without it.” She hesitated, but then pushed forward. “I didn’t like doing that. It felt dishonest.”
“A clever Knight uses all tools at her disposal to accomplish her task,” Sir Steadfast said. “But I understand what you mean. You’re an honest soul, Emberglow. Politics just isn’t your thing.” He patted the young mare on her shoulder. “Remember, I’m your friend. It’s perfectly okay to use my name to overcome a few hurdles here and there.”
“I will. Thank you, Sir Steadfast,” Emberglow said. It was quite heartening to have Sir Steadfast call himself her friend. She supposed he was, after all, but in a day full of disappointments, it was awfully nice to hear.
The two ponies parted at the entrance, and Emberglow left to deliver the books to her Knight. She felt a little better, but the thought of being alone in the office with a passively hostile Lady Turquoise was troubling. Still, she steeled herself and squared her shoulders, walking back to the Jubilant Overflow building, making her way past the downstairs café and towards the office of her Knight. There were quite a few more ponies downstairs than there were before; three baristas now busily bustled behind the counter, serving the dozen workers, secretaries, and a few odd pink robed Knights sitting at the tables. She moved past them all and up the stairs.
Stopping at door 403, Emberglow hesitated. Should she knock? Technically she was going to be spending a lot of time in this office, but that didn’t make it hers. Making up her mind, she reached out a hoof and knocked.
“Come in?” came the confused voice from inside. Emberglow opened the door, noticing the shocked look on Lady Turquoise’s face. “I didn’t expect you back for a while. Did you get the books?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emberglow said. “They’re in the saddlebags.”
“Huh. And the librarian at the Star Shine building didn’t give you a fuss?”
“Well, he did,” Emberglow said, understanding the Knight’s surprise. “I was able to convince him, though.”
“Impressive. It was supposed to take you a little longer, though, so I’ve got nothing planned for you. Want to go pick us up some lunch? I don’t have bits, but the café downstairs is free for the Jubilant and their squires.” When Emberglow looked confused, Lady Turquoise explained. “You know the Jubilant take a vow of poverty. We’re not supposed to keep bits for ourselves, so the order provides our meals and coffee if we’re working in the building. If you want something offsite, however, you’re on your own.”
“Uh, sure,” Emberglow said, sliding the saddlebags off her back onto Lady Turquoise’s desk. “I mean, yes ma’am, I’ll go get us some lunch. What would you like?”
“Just whatever soup and salad of the day they’ve got,” the Knight replied absently, not even looking at Emberglow as she opened the bags to pull out the tomes inside. Emberglow watched her for a brief moment before sighing and leaving the office to head downstairs.
The rest of the day did not improve. After waiting in line to place her and her Knight’s order for a half hour, due to the busy servers, she wandered back upstairs with a rather uninspired split pea soup and garden salad for lunch. She ate, ignored by her Knight as Lady Turquoise read through some of her new books.
After lunch, Lady Turquoise reluctantly showed her the gym in the basement of the annex. They sparred together, and while the Jubilant Knight was an effective trainer, getting tutored in this subject just made Emberglow miss Lofty Tale. It felt like it had been weeks, rather than just this morning, since she had last seen him. When they were done, they showered and got dressed. Finally it was time for Emberglow to leave. Usually she would be staying with Lady Turquoise until dinner time, but all the squires who would not be staying at the dorms any longer would have to head back to the Ivy Seminary to retrieve what belongings they wanted to take home and clear out their rooms. Emberglow found herself eager to leave the Knight’s office.
Her time in the dorms at the Ivy Seminary hadn’t been the best part of her life, but she had some fond memories. As she approached her familiar door, a lone figure was standing next to it, now dressed in white squire robes.
“Lofty!” she called out, excited that her friend was there to meet her. He looked happy to see her as well, but his eyes were troubled. “Is everything going okay with Lady Mercy?”
“Yeah, Lady Mercy’s great,” he said, sounding distracted.
“I’m very jealous, you know,” she responded with a smirk, moving past him into her dorm room. She noticed his saddlebags; they were bulging and full. He had already packed up his room.
“Yeah, I think… I think I’m going to learn a lot from her,” he said, somewhat awkwardly. “Do you, uh, need any help packing up?”
“Lofty, it’s not like we have a lot of personal stuff in the dorms,” Emberglow said. She tried not to think about the one thing she would have liked to have been able to pack up. “Are you sure you’re okay? You seem nervous.”
“Um, well,” he said, rubbing the back of his head with one hoof. “I am. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”
No.
No no no please no.
Please please no. Please not today, Emberglow thought. It would be the last vomit garnish on the horseapple sandwich that had been her day today.
“What’s that?” she asked politely, her brain screaming protest. “You can tell me while I pack up. There’s only a few textbooks I want to take with me, anyways.” She walked into her dorm room, Lofty Tale standing awkwardly outside. Her back was to him as she pulled the books she wanted to keep off the top of her dresser.
“Emberglow, I…. erm…” he stammered, then took a steadying breath. “Emberglow, I like you. I’ve always respected and admired you, and you’re very pretty, I love spending time with you, and I’dreallyliketogooutwithyousometime.”
There it was. She blinked, her eyes suddenly wet as she saw the impending end of one of her first real friendships. There was a pain in her throat, harsh and very real. She’d been dreading this for months, but she still had no idea how to respond. It was hard to breathe.
“Lofty.” She forced herself to speak, not bearing to turn around. She couldn’t see his eyes, wouldn’t look at him. She clenched her own eyes shut as she tried to keep her voice even. “You know I’m going to be entering the Knights Radiant. They swear an oath of chastity. I can’t be with anypony. You know that.”
“Hear me out!” he called out to her desperately. “I know that’s what your plan is. But you’re not locked into your order yet. I think we’d be really good together! And if I’m right, you can pick any of the other orders. It wouldn’t stop either of us becoming Knights!”
“Lofty…” Emberglow sighed. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the real reason. She turned around, her eyes finding his earnest, hopeful face, his eyes full of hope and pleading. This was going to break him. It might break her too, but she had to say it. “No. No, Lofty. I’m going to be a Knight Radiant. It’s been my dream since I was a foal.”
“Dreams can change!” he shot back, desperately. “We could be your new dream, Emberglow. Us, together!”
“That’s not my dream, Lofty,” Emberglow whispered. She walked back over to the door frame, where the stallion waited. His ears were drooped, but his eyes were pinned on her.
“I’m not asking for much, Emberglow. Just that you give us a chance.”
For a heartbeat, she considered it. Would it hurt less to pretend? If she said yes now, only to reject him later? To lie?
No. She wouldn’t lie to Lofty. Her stomach still churned from even the minor deceptions she’d told to Sir Steadfast earlier. She felt sick to even consider it.
“Lofty. Your friendship means so much to me. You’ve been the rock that kept me steady through all of my trials here. I don’t want to lose that. But…”
“Emberglow, please,” Lofty begged. She shook her head, reaching out with one hoof to gently touch his shoulder.
“No, Lofty. The answer is no.” Emberglow gazed into her friend’s stricken face. “You are an amazing pony. You’ll probably go on to make some mare very happy. Some other mare. Not me.”
“I don’t want some other pony,” he protested. The despair in his voice made her ache.
“You can’t have me,” she said, and leaned forward to kiss him gently on the cheek. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t…” Lofty said, shoving her away from him. It wasn’t hard, not enough to hurt, but still violent enough that she was surprised, and nearly tripped. “Don’t… don’t apologize. Don’t touch me. What… what was it all for?”
“What was what for? Our friendship? Lofty, how can you ask that?”
“How could you lead me on?” Lofty hissed, glaring at the floor, his face twisted with a snarl. Emberglow could see tears in his eyes. She felt the same leaking from her own.
“Lofty, I never meant to lead you on,” she cried desperately as she felt the shards of her most important friendship trickling through her hooves. “Never.”
“I… I can’t…” he stammered, looking up at her one more time, before fleeing down the hallway, his hooves beating an angry tempo against the floor.
Emberglow raised a hoof, about to call out to him, but lowered it when he turned around the corner that led to the stairs downwards. Shoulders slumped, ears flat against her head, Emberglow turned back into her old room for the last time, slinking towards her books. Woodenly she slipped them into her bags before rifling through the other drawers, looking for the only other thing she cared to take with her. It was her pair of cutie mark medallions, the only survivors of her destroyed dress. She lovingly placed them alongside the textbooks she was taking, closing up the saddlebags and exiting the dorms. As she trudged away from the dorms, she both hoped and dreaded that Lofty Tale might still be on campus somewhere, but she never caught sight of his light green fur, or his black mane. She supposed it was for the best.
Emberglow had slept her last night in the dorms; her parents were expecting her at home tonight. They would be ready for her now, elated to get to spend more time with her. But she wasn’t sure she was ready for that right now. As she set off for her parent’s home, she walked instead of taking to the skies. She felt too heavy to fly, her wings limp at her sides.
The shop looked little different than it had when she had gone into the Ivy Seminary. There was a dent in the sign above the door; some drunk pegasus had run into the sign mid-flight a few months ago, and her parents had not bothered to fix it quite yet. The moon and stars were out, and most of the street was dark besides the gas lamps that would remain on until sunrise. Her parent’s shop was dark, but she could see the lights on in the second floor living room, and the shadows moving as her parents moved about the room. She reached out to try the door; it was unlocked. She let herself in without knocking.
“I’m home,” she called upstairs to her parents. She tried to inject her voice with some semblance of enthusiasm. It wasn’t very effective.
“In the living room, sweetie. Lock the door behind you and come up and tell us about your day,” Needle Point’s voice came from upstairs. “We have cupcakes.”
Cupcakes sounded divine right now. She closed and locked the door behind her before heading up the spiral staircase into the living room. Her parents were waiting for her, sitting on the couch. There was a plate of cupcakes on the coffee table, and both Needle Point and Textile were beaming, though their expressions fell when they noticed hers.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Needle Point asked instantly. Emberglow said nothing, but sat down on the couch between them with a flop. She didn’t even know where to begin, so she simply reached out and snagged a cupcake. They had red frosting on the top; Emberglow was willing to bet the insides were rose pink. She took a bite; it was pink on the inside, with sprinkles. It was delicious. She wolfed down the cupcake before leaning into her mother, burying her face in the older mare’s chest. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Emberglow shook her head. She didn’t want either of her parents to see her tear filled eyes, either. She felt her father’s hooves go around the both of them.
“No? Okay. Do you just want to cuddle then?” her mother asked, and Emberglow nodded, her mother’s fur tickling at her snout as she moved her face.
“Well whatever it is, it can always be better with a few cupcakes and a hug from mom, right?” her dad said, and Emberglow felt herself laughing, reaching her hooves around her mother and squeezing them together tightly.
She never did manage to tell her parents about her day before it was time to sleep, though she promised to talk about it over breakfast. After the uniform blankets and mattresses of the dormitory, her own bed at home, with a hoof-made quilt from her mother, felt like a warm hug from the mare. She expected to be up late thinking about everything that had gone wrong today. Instead, she was asleep in minutes, her exhausted mind shutting off much sooner than she thought.
Emberglow didn’t frequently dream, and when she did, she was usually flying. This time she was swimming, flailing around in a giant pool. She’d never learned how to swim, and her hooves and wings thrashed about, desperately trying to stay afloat in the salty liquid she was suspended in. Every time she went under, her mouth and lungs would fill with liquid. She desperately looked around for something to grab hold of, but there was nothing nearby. Her robes were drenched, their soaked weight weighing her down and dragging her into the depths of the pool. Desperately, she glanced upward at the moon, the only light she could see.
The moon was huge, much larger than normal. A silver, slim crescent hung in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars that seemed to drip from the tip of the crescent moon like tears. The starlight seemed to dance in the sky as it dripped down into the ocean Emberglow was drowning in.
As she slipped under the waves, her sodden wings fluttering uselessly in the water, she reached out with a single desperate hoof towards the moon. She didn’t know how she knew, but she somehow understood that the moon was somehow more than just a light in the sky.
“Please!” she cried out, saltwater slipping through her lips and into her lungs. She sputtered and coughed. She didn’t even know what she was asking for.
It was then that the moon spoke. A kind, sweet voice, laced with desperation and hopelessness, echoed from the beautiful sliver.
“I’m sorry!” the voice sobbed. “I’m so sorry! I can’t do it! I can’t reach them! I have no power here!”
Emberglow tried to call out to the moon, to catch her attention. She didn’t even know what she was going to say; comfort her, maybe, or beg her to stop crying. Maybe ask her for help so the little pegasus wouldn’t drown. But every time she tried to open her mouth to call out, the salty liquid of her tears filled Emberglow’s mouth.
“I no longer have power here,” she repeated again. “I have failed again, sister.”
“No…” came a whispered response, floating through the air like a gentle breeze. A soothing voice, full of wisdom and compassion, but weak. “They see you, sister. They hear you…”
“What?” the voice asked. The surface of the moon shimmered, and for a brief instant Emberglow thought she saw an image in the silver moonlight; the figure of a dark-furred unicorn mare with wings. “Oh, you hear me?” The winged and horned pony reached down with one hoof and Emberglow woke up with a short scream.
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10309440
10308921
Maybe I misunderstood something, but isn't Siam the old name for Thailand?
10309413
That would be spoilers! You've been warned, but if you really wanna know...
The short answer is, probably. I've written way far ahead, (I'm working on chapter 28 right now, lol) and they haven't popped up yet, but unless things change, I'm planning on them making another small appearance some time around chapter 30 or 31 or so. If they don't, though, I'll probably end up writing a small side story about them. Bolero and Iodine are just too cute!
10309473
Derp. Yup. Fixing my comment now.
10308921
Hey, fair enough. I should mention, if you're really worried, just put it in the description as a warning or something. Though at the end wasn't too bad either. Neither really breaks storyflow so no trouble to you.
I just tend to raise a eyebrow at these warnings sometimes. I'm just always, "well of course the author dosen't think that way! It's just a story..." but I forget certain authors I shan't name very much do think that way(though generally it's almost evident through their friendly portrayal of the bad stuff depicted).
This story just keeps going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. I really love it but at times it is quite saddening. I love libraries and nothing good ever comes from, especially the restriction on what appears to be fairly benign information. .
So it seems that Luna and Celestia are still somewhat alive. That's a bonus, but I think Emberglow is going to freak out not understanding what an alicorn is. That's going to be a little mean to Luna being the "monster" again. But I think that Emberglow being able to see the sisters can mean only one thing, she has great magic potential. (Or shes secretly a alicorn herself)
Love the story so far, keep up the good work!
10314545
Is it weird that I sometimes forget how sad her story can be sometimes? I think that's weird.
I feel the end too come out and say this. I love this. It feels so fresh and new with something I have not seen before. It feels rare no days to see someone make something new from the floor up and I love that you have done this. I feel so invested in learning more about this world in all its darkness and good.
And I love that we are seeing it from the eyes of one fully part of the side we’d call ‘the bad guys’ with no flutters in her hope. It makes her feel real and the world more so. No one EVER thinks “we are the bad guys!” when they grow up knowing nothing, but that. It makes the world feel believable and grounded. And will make the story all the more impactful when she struggles with her own feelings as she gets too view more of this world. I hope it's a long battle for that change as well. I never like when someone just ‘switches’ worldviews in the blink of an eye and switches sides. It feels fake. It needs too be worked for. Won. I want too see the battle inside of her as peace by peace she comes to terms with she learners and how it breaks her world.
That still seems far away, but ya. I am very hopeful.
Yay!!!! Luna!!!!
I wonder if there are alicorns in this world....
Please be a yes...
Good heavens, poor Emberglow. I hope she gets a break soon, this whole story just keeps leading her to the precipice of genuine happiness and then sucker-punching her with misery.
I mean, it’s a great story and I can’t wait to see what happens next, but still... poor Emberglow.
10424489
People keep saying this to me, including my editor! Which is really odd to me, because I simply don't see Emberglow's story as being a sad one. I mean, it very deliberately has sad parts.
Maybe I see each trial she overcomes as a happy moment, even though she had to wade through swamps of messiness to get there?
I don't really know what that means, though I may have a distressing tendency to torture my poor main character...
As always i really like this story, the sad bit with Lofty made me remember when i struggled learning about my own ex gf not feeling attracted to men anymore, i think he'll overcome her anyway, even if it will be hard forgetting such a cool pegasus. Poor Glowstone also had to suffer learning that you can't choose who to love and it's consequences
Fluttershy the bold?
Though I am loving the look back, explains a lot. Not to see why the Angelics of all where the one to revolt. Makes me wpnder if Jujilants will be the next to "fall". Saint Pinkamena's emphasis on truth sounded a lot like the rebel radio broadcast in the previous chapter.
10309473
Yes it is, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia too. They were all part of the Siamese Empire.
The name Siamese twins come from a pair of famous conjoined twins that came from French Indochina who were connected by a narrow strip of flesh in their midsections. They worked in a sideshow that, I believe, was run by P. T. Barnum.
Fun facts: Those two were so successful that they earned for themselves enough money that they bought a home. They even went own to each marry and fathered several children with their wives. One became an alcoholic while the other was a staunch teetotaler. When one brother died of a fatal heart attack, the other had such a bad panic attack that it sent him into cardiac arrest.
I just imagined Rarity's face when called an "eternal virgin". And it made me laugh out loud.
Sir Falling Foehn
(I'm just teasing, sheesh) and Ember in that I always enjoy learning something new (even if I'm liable to forget it in due time) but I was tickled pink at learning what those names meant, you, sir/ma'am did your homework, which means that your story is going to be even better for me than it already was.
Sir Trogium Pulsatoriuma
I'm a bit like The Holy Saint Egghead
Poor Rarity, eternally labeled as virgin, I love to see her face if she could read Cozy deception of her
Also, this is a pretty fine work.
Wtf Is that all about?
Wtf intensifies.
Whoah, is Luna trapped somewhere?
Heeeeeres LUNA!
And thus begins Embers learning of the truth. Just a hint of what and alicorn is
Yo Luna sealed in the moon again but this time for being good?
NOW THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A LIE!
10309466
Blasphemy. Heresy.
OH. SHE'S HERE.