• Published 25th Aug 2012
  • 5,505 Views, 133 Comments

Least Faithful Student - Dexter Helix



Twilight uncovers dark secrets of Equestria's past, while striving to protect the future from chaos

  • ...
15
 133
 5,505

Desperation, Revelation, Inundation

After a day of work she could hardly take seriously, Twilight finally managed to get her nap in. A couple hours wasn't much, but it was definitely refreshing. Again, she put Spike to bed, then proceeded upstairs. She whispered to herself to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.

"Alright, three teleportations, remember the obfuscation step, gotta be quick. Okay. 1. 2. 3." She whisked through two waypoints, small areas which Luna explained were not well-covered by Celestia's spies, and finally found herself in the lunar throne room. Twilight was shocked to find Luna there, waiting, with the library door already open. Luna urgently gestured for Twilight to come inside, and sealed the door quickly behind her.

"Twilight, I have something very important to tell you. I don't want to spring this responsibility on you, but you're the only pony who I could possibly expect to be of help."

"What is it, princess?"

"Equestria is in grave danger. Diplomatic communications with the griffon nation are deteriorating, rapidly. This is why Celestia has been missing for the past few weeks — she is desperately trying to repair the peace we've enjoyed for over a millenium. The griffon King is obstinate and refuses to accept any offer she makes. He has sworn that his soldiers will invade by the end of the month, and they will either kill or enslave every pony in their path. I was hoping to be able to wait longer before telling you this, but the situation is progressing much more rapidly than I expected."

"So you need me to use the Elements of Harmony to stop them?"

"Perhaps, but the griffon King is well aware of the Elements of Harmony. If he didn't have some reason to believe he could overpower them, it would be foolish for him to even make these kinds of threats. This is why Celestia and I believe he has acquired Elements of his own."

"There are even more Elements?"

"Tons of them. Relics from a bygone era. Mistakes which must never be made again. The more we lose to time, the better."

"But what are they? Where did they even come from?"

"A long time ago, unicorns were practicing forms of magic far more advanced than anything we see today. They were starting to create sophisticated forms of automated magical constructs. Machines that could solve problems and exert magical force without pony intervention. A research program at a place called Torchwood was working on magic receivers that would be able to pick up more magic from the Sun, providing the energy needed to perform more difficult tasks. They found something very interesting. An anomalous data point. One of their test receivers was picking up thousands of times more magic than any other. It was even a hundred times above the theoretical limit that could be derived from the Sun. At first they dismissed it; it must have been a mistake, they thought. But in reality, it was the first time ponykind managed to tap into dark magic."

"Dark magic?"

"Not the kind you're thinking of, I'm sure. It's a mysterious kind of magical particle which comes from beyond the Sun and Moon. Something among the stars. We ponies can't access it naturally — it's a fairly inert form of magic. However, the ponies at that particular lab were able to build a receiver to capture some of that energy and convert it to a form that a pony could use. That was the first Element. It was an amazing invention developed by brilliant ponies. Brilliant, but careless. Immediately, they set to work building more of those... devices, without testing them thoroughly enough. Before long, it was apparent something was wrong. Those who had been using the Elements started expressing aberrant behavior. They were violent and destructive — some reported that they were hearing voices. It was discovered that the magic the receivers had been picking up was not just random background noise. There was order to it. Information. The only thing we could tell for certain about the, well, things, on the other side, is that they knew what they were doing, and they enjoyed toying with us..."

Twilight just stared at the princess, unsure of what to say. The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

"...My mentor, Starswirl the Bearded, worked in that program. He understood dark magic better than anyone else ever has, and he was the only pony in the program who refused to bind to an Element. In a matter of months, nearly all the Element-bearers had been driven completely insane; they were demented beyond repair. They assaulted the townspeople, hundreds died...”

Luna’s voice shifted a bit, expressing some pride and hope, as she continued, “Fortunately, despite the massive amounts of magic available to them, they were limited in the amount their bodies could channel, so Starswirl was able to fight them and allow the ponies who survived to escape. The remaining unicorns settled down in a new land, and the Elements were not heard from for hundreds of years afterward. That was not meant to last forever, though, and the Windigoes appeared, seemingly out of the blue. Nopony knew where they came from, except Starswirl."

"So then the unicorns had to evacuate again?"

"And the earth-ponies, and the pegasi... No one was spared. But we found that the Element-Bearers had settled almost everywhere. Naturally, all three kingdoms settled upon the same tract of land; the only place free of the Elements' chaos — there were brief skirmishes, and the Element-bearers were drawn in by the smell of blood and fear. Desperate, Starswirl developed a risky solution. He developed six new Elements, each one regulated by the most sophisticated artificial intelligence system ever devised. The Elements of Harmony instituted a complex network of checks and balances, and were completely unable to function without the full set of six operating in tandem. By requiring the bearers to represent the important aspects of friendship, the new Elements would be able to ensure that they were only used by ponies that remained uncorrupted and harmonious... In theory, at least. He fitted these Elements to the six strongest ponies he could find, and they were quite effective. Working together, we were able to fend off all the bearers in the area, and drive them away for good."

"So... those six ponies then became the rulers of Equestria?"

"Not a moment too soon. The bearers had done such damage to the environment, land, and planetary system that life as we knew it was soon to end. The Sun and Moon were orbiting too fast, and as they drifted further and further out the temperature dropped lower and lower. The natural air currents in the atmosphere were so disturbed that the weather was chaotic and unpredictable, and the land was so scarred that it was difficult to get anything to grow. Even the animals were afraid to return to the area. But together, with the help of the Elements of Harmony, we were able to put everything back the way it was. We maintained order in the area that way unchallenged for centuries. That is, until Discord came into the picture."

"Discord..."

"A truly powerful being. Were it not for my sister's help, you surely would have stood little chance against him. Not that you should be ashamed of that — he defeated all six of us, in the same way he defeated you. You and your friends differentiated yourselves from Celestia and I in the way you solved that problem. See, Discord is capable of channeling six times the magic of any ordinary creature, since he is a combination of six creatures. An earth-pony, a unicorn, a pegasus, a dragon, a griffon, and a bat-pony, fused by the magic of an Element. The Elements of Harmony, in their normal state, must pass all of their magical energy through the bearer of the Element of Magic. I acted as a bottleneck which limited the total strength of the group. And..."

Luna's face expressed a deep shame. "I didn't have what it took to take on the magic-channeling abilities of Discord. He swatted me like a fly. It took us weeks to recover from being exposed to the void. That's something you accomplished in a matter of hours, thanks to your friendship reports."

"So that's why the book says they all died that day... Everyone believed that discord killed them."

"Exactly. When we finally came to, we were able to determine why it was that Discord defeated us, and we all agreed that there was only one solution. None of us liked the idea, but there was no other option. Besides... we had already lived for centuries. Even with the immense magic at our disposal, we wouldn't have lived much longer on our own. We chose to fuse together... and I died three times on that day."

"Three..." Twilight's face contorted with pity and anguish, "Luna, I... I'm sorry..."

"It's quite alright, Twilight. That was a very long time ago."

"If I could ask... What is it... What is it like?"

"To die?"

"Yes."

"It hurts. It's the worst feeling you can imagine. You lose control of your body... then you lose your senses... and then you lose your mind. That's followed by a very brief moment of peace... and... I don't know what happens next; my next memory was of being alive again. Reborn as Luna."

"And... once you fused together, you had the magical abilities of the three ponies who you once were, combined?"

"Yes... maybe even more than that. Suffice it to say that I was able to channel more magic than Discord could, and the Elements were able to provide all of it."

"And my friends and I are going to have to do the same thing?"

"Perhaps, one day. Though, I don't think it will be of any assistance. For now, at least."

"Because I was able to channel enough magic to defeat discord? How?"

"That's exactly the point. You're much more powerful than I ever was. You can channel the same amount of magic through your body that three of your very powerful predecessors could barely manage merged together. That's what Celestia felt, seeing you in the crowd at your first Summer Sun Celebration. It's what I could feel all the way from the Moon on the day of your entrance exam. You and your friends are immensely powerful, Twilight Sparkle, but you are truly the most amazing of them all. My sister and I knew you would be the one to free me. Only you could channel enough magic to defeat my corrupted form, and imprison the Element's twisted thoughts deep within my mind. You have already accomplished, in your short life, more than anypony ever would have expected you to."

"So, what's the problem with the griffons? Shouldn't I be able to channel enough magic to stop them?"

"Well, if the griffons have access to unbound Elements, it means they've been digging on ancient unicorn land. They are sure to have found many. We're not expecting one bearer. We're expecting an army of them. And griffons are not creatures to scoff at. Sure, they don't have horns, but they make up for it in size, wingpower, and physical strength. The Elements are going to make them into tanks. Their king is another story entirely... You, your friends, Celestia, and I, are going to be the only forces to stand any chance of winning this battle and defending the innocent life within Equestria's borders. But it won't be enough."

"What can we do?"

"You've already maxed out the Elements of Harmony. You've channeled all the magic they have to offer, and you still haven't reached your full potential. But you can do something no one else can. Something I tried to do and failed. You can tame an Element."

"WHAT?!"

"Twilight, I wouldn't even offer this to you if I didn't think you could do it. If a unicorn as powerful as you was corrupted by an Element... You would make Discord look like a friendly foal. That just goes to show how absolutely certain I am that you have the power and mental fortitude to take it on. You are, perhaps, the first unicorn in the history of time to be capable of this. I cannot say for sure what will happen if you do not, but Equestria's fate hangs in the balance, and we're going to need every bit of magic we can get."

"Is there... really no one else?"

"What I'm asking you to do is barely possible. I came so close to accomplishing it, but alas, my mind, and my heart, they were not strong enough. I was not organized enough. Your remarkable skills make you suitable for the task."

"But... What if you're wrong? What if I can't do it? What if it really is impossible?"

"Then Equestria is doomed either way."

"Where would we even find an Element?"

"There's still one bound to me. You put a wall between it and I. A wall to keep it out of my mind, and take its power away from me, but I could still will it to someone else, if they accept it."

"But even after a thousand years, you were never able to defeat it! What makes you think I can do better?"

"I just know, Twilight. This is what you were meant to do."

Twilight sat in silence contemplating the issues. Suddenly, with everything hanging in the balance, she started calling what Luna had told her into question. What if it was all lies? How would she know that any of it was true? She had been learning in secret, from a library that only Luna knows about... What if some of it was true, but the Element was still in control of Luna, and simply leading her on, trying to take her power as its own? No... That was too hard to believe. All of this just made too much sense. With a sigh, she glanced up at the princess.

"How long do we have before the attack?"

"We believe we have until the end of the week before he crosses the Eastern Sea."

"And you're sure he's acquired this ancient unicorn technology?"

"It's impossible to know for sure, but I've observed countless spikes in magic levels within their borders. You can review the data if you'd like. Hundreds of peaks well above the specific-solar limit."

"Then I'm ready to do it."

"Once I bestow the Element to you, there is no going back. You will have one chance, and one chance only."

"I understand."

"Are you sure you're ready?"

"I am, Luna. You were right. I was meant to do this. I don't know how I know... I just know you're right."

"Then follow me. The battle can be quite destructive. We should move to a safer place."

Luna led Twilight through the library, and into a large, circular, domed room. The roof was at least twenty meters tall at its highest point, and the walls were at least 40 meters apart. Twilight stood in the center of the room, glancing around at the distant walls.

"What is this room for, exactly?"

"You may begin throwing things around... or you may throw yourself around. The extra space will ensure that nothing is broken."

"No, I mean... What is this room usually for?"

"Ah, this is the home of my pet, Pebbl; do not worry, she has several other homes to shelter her for the duration of your binding."

"Merlin's beard, she must be massive!"

"Adult rocs often have a wingspan exceeding twenty meters, she is of normal size."

"Oh my..."

"Quite. Before we begin, is there anything more you wish to ask?"

"What will the Element do? How can I fight back?"

"When it corrupted me, it exploited my anger towards Celestia. The feelings already within my heart were intensified manyfold. The Element relies on confusing you, misleading you, and using your own fears against you. All you need to do is stay organized. Remember what's true. Don't let it lie to you, and make sure you stay harmonious. It's going to try to corrupt you, but you must stand resolute. You must will it to obey you, instead of submitting to it. Stay strong. Stay positive. Remember only love, friendship, and harmony. Don't allow anything else to creep into your mind."

Twilight took a deep breath.

"Shall we begin?"

"Luna..."

"Yes, Twilight?"

"Thank you."

"You are a very good student. And you are welcome."

Luna drew a small metal sphere from a box behind her, shut her eyes tight, and forcefully willed a great deal of magical energy to the tip of her horn. The ball levitated between the two ponies. That was an Element. Or at least, the case for one. Twilight stared down her enemy, waiting for the fight to begin. Small symbols and patterns decorated the rough surface. Bits of gemstone arranged in complex arrays. It began spinning — Twilight thought she may have heard clockwork ticking away within it.

Luna slowly brought her horn down to touch Twilight's. Just before contact was made, a spark jumped the gap, and both ponies were thrown back. Twilight writhed in pain for a moment on the ground before curling into the fetal position.

"Twilight?!"

"I feel... cold..."

"That's normal. Fight it, Twilight. Remember that your friends love you. Remember that I love you!"

Twilight stood up, jaw clenched, breathing hard. She stamped at the ground forcefully with her hoof.

"No. No. No, no. NO!" Twilight yelled, as her body was lifted into the air by her own telekinetic force. Her breath was short. Her eyes were sealed, but the glow inside her head could be seen through her ears, nose, and mouth. Even her heart glowed a rhythmic glow, pulsing brighter with each heartbeat, shaded by her ribcage. Every part of her body twitched, as though she was having a seizure, and blood dripped from her nostrils.

Her heartbeat grew faster by the second. After merely a minute, the flashing became violent and unpredictable; her heart was fibrillating, and the glow was fading. The pulsing of the light stopped, as Twilight's body hanged limply in the air. With a great convulsion, her limbs were flung back, her eyes opened wide, an even brighter flash filling the room. The pulsing began once again, her heart fluttered ineffectually for a few moments before being extinguished once more, and her body returned to its flaccid state.

Luna looked on in horror as the scene repeated itself several times. She knew the binding was supposed to be painful and violent, but it had never been like this. After several minutes of near-death, Twilight's heart began beating properly again. For but a moment, she levitated peacefully, only to be dropped from the air carelessly seconds later. The thud echoed through the grand room as Luna rushed to her aid.

"Twilight!? Twilight? ... Twilight?"

The young unicorn was still breathing. She hadn't lost yet. There was still hope. Hope. Luna held her, speaking softly into her ear. "Your friends love you, Twilight. Never forget that they love you."