CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence

by GanonFLCL

Chapter Twenty-Six: Conspiracy

Two Days Later

It was late in the afternoon when Silvertongue opened the door to his bedchambers, carrying along a large container with him which he set alongside his bed for the time being. He took a long breath as he looked out his bedroom window and out on the city beyond, at the towering skyscrapers, at the clouds of smog off in the distance, at the fiery orange sky above.

He often imagined what the northern sky might look like these days if the Beacon's magical aura didn't pour out and obstruct the view. The sun would surely be high overhead by this point. But would there be clouds to obscure it from view, to protect one's eyes from the glare? Would there be a pleasant breeze to kiss his face? If there were clouds, what would the weather be like? Would it be raining? Snowing? Would it be calm, or would it be stormy?

Sometimes his mind drifted to these things when he was alone, because these minor curiosities allowed him to distract his thoughts from things he'd rather not dwell upon. A welcome distraction ensured that he did not meticulously overthink a plan to the point of failure; the best plans were the simple ones, and the simplest plans simply required a little bit of patience and for all those involved to play their parts to the letter.

And now, this plan of his was finally coming to pass. Soon, all of the pieces of the puzzle would slide into their proper slots, and he was eagerly awaiting the results. Every actor had played their roles perfectly; every act of the play had proceeded smoothly along—well, mostly smoothly. He had not accounted for Nihila involving herself directly and introducing her cult into the mix, but with some effort of his own he managed to push things along at the speed that she desired and she'd drawn back.

Now, everything was coming to fruition even before the supposed three-week limit that had been imposed. She'd been pleased with this—the only reason why she hadn't recklessly thrown more of her dedicated secret followers at the issue—and left him to his work.

He let his essence waft about him, calling out to Nihila so that they may converse and coordinate the final act of the play.

She did not wait long to reply. "My Warden, I trust that you bring me good news this day?" she cooed, her voice like silk because she knew she was right.

"I do indeed, my lady," he said calmly, still gazing out upon the city outside. "Everything we have been working towards has come together at long last. Soon, we shall be able to gaze upon the fruits of our labors and rejoice in victory."

"Then it is time to make use of these accursed Elements at long last…" she hissed, her voice rippling with excitement. "Oh, I have waited thousands of years for this opportunity, my Warden. You have done well, if what you say is true."

"I have it in good authority that the Chronomancer has taken my bait," he said with a grin. "She will most assuredly make contact with me within the next few hours, upon which I shall present our offer. She and the Elements do not have the privilege of denying it given their time constraints. The Element Bearers will gladly accept the offer as well when my daughters, whom they trust, stand at my side."

"My pawns have done their job well, then. The Elements' trust in them will be used against them, as is expected of such pathetic insects." Nihila let out a sinister chuckle that made his blood run cold. "I trust that you have ensured that the next stage of the plan can continue as well, my Warden?"

He nodded. "Indeed I have, my lady. I have spent many hours over the past weeks researching the magic that would allow you to directly influence the minds of these Bearers. Once I have performed the ritual, their Light will not protect them from your power; their hearts and minds, their bodies and souls, will be yours to command."

"Exquisite. You do not disappoint, my Warden. At long last, Harmonia will fall and I can drown this world in my Darkness. I will devour every living soul that dares to defy me. I will rain down fire and blood until there is nothing left but ash. And then, my Warden… we shall use this Chronomancer to move on from this world and claim another."

"Of course, my Lady. Have you by chance decided on which world will be your next target?"

"Naturally. The homeworld of these Element Bearers is an ideal location to continue my grand ambitions. I will consume their world as I will soon consume this one. None will stand in my way…"

The elation she felt sent a sickening cold through his stomach, and yet he felt a warmth spread through his heart immediately afterwards. She was so eager for this that he could more than taste it now, like a thick wax on his tongue that numbed everything else.

"They would be fools to try." He bowed low to the ground. "I shall begin preparing the ritual at once, my lady, with your permission."

"Yes, proceed with your work, my Warden."

"It will be done." He paused briefly. "Though, I must inform you that the ritual has some rather strict requirements in order for it to succeed. These Elements are so suffused with Light magic that merely interacting with them in such a capacity may prove impossible for me, so I must take precautions to ensure that nothing befalls the ritual's success."

"Oh? Explain."

He smiled lightly. "If I am being frank, my lady, it is your connection with me that will likely cause our ritual to fail. Your Darkness within my essence will prevent me from establishing a proper connection with the Element Bearers. But fear not, for I have devised a method with which I may temporarily sever our connection, long enough that I can ensure that there is no resistance."

She paused at that. "My Warden, if your words be true, and our connection becomes even temporarily severed, I will be incapable of communicating with you. How long will this severance last?"

"Hours at most. I will proceed with the process immediately, such that it will be complete before the Chronomancer arrives to fall into our trap, for I will be unable to properly perform that portion of the process once I begin the ritual, lest I arouse suspicion. However, as soon as the ritual is completed and I have established the connection with the Bearers, you will know it."

"Hmm… good. Very good. Then I look forward to our next contact, my Warden, for it shall be when we are on the cusp of our victory. Proceed with the ritual as intended. I eagerly anticipate the results."

"Of course, my lady. I believe we are both looking forward to seeing our plans come to fruition at last."

With that, her essence left him, though as always he could still feel her in the very deepest recesses of his mind, where she often lurked such that she could pore over his surface thoughts and emotions at her leisure, as was her right with him as her Warden. It was invasive, but it came with the territory of being the personal avatar of a goddess of evil and misery.

He did not tarry. He opened the container that he had brought into the room with him and lifted from it a simple can that was about the size of his head; seven more such cans rested within the container, each of them sealed up tight. He set this one onto the dresser across from his bed, and gazed in the mirror there for a moment, studying his visage. He started growing accustomed to his new eye by now, to tell the truth.

Next, he stripped off his dress clothes and set them aside. He then pried the lid off of the can using his magic so as not to accidentally spill anything, revealing the contents: a strange blue paint that faintly glowed in the dim room, flecked with sparkling dust that caught what little light came in through the window.

Utilizing his magic rather than a brush, he scooped some of the paint from the can and drew it across his neck in a precise, deliberate manner such that it was perfectly shaped and portioned, such that none of it dripped onto the floor or elsewhere on his body, and such that it molded to the contours of his skin beneath his coat. The process had to be exact; there was absolutely no room for error, or it wouldn't work properly.

He did the same with his ears, his forehead, his legs and chest, his torso, his back; not every inch of his body was coated, but once he was done, he appeared more zebra than pony, which was not entirely inappropriate. The zebras had developed this paint long, long ago and rarely used it in modern days, from his understanding. This particular batch had been kept in Pandora Tower's vault for hundreds of years; nopony from the north traded with the zebras, so it was otherwise impossible to obtain.

And once the paint had been applied in full, Silvertongue was left with a sensation that he had not felt in a very long, long time: isolation. There was no familiar, lingering tingle in the recesses of his mind; his entire body seemed to feel a little lighter, as though a great weight had been lifted from the pit of his gut. As expected, the magical paints fulfilled their purpose exactly as advertised: they cut off his connection to the Darkness that permeated his body as the Warden of Nihila.

To test its effectiveness, however, Silvertongue allowed his essence to flow out around him, to call to Nihila as he had done just moments before.

There was no answer.

He did more than that, and added his own thoughts to his call. "My lady, can you hear me?"

There was no answer.

There was not even the slightest inkling of an answer.

Their connection had truly been severed.

Silvertongue allowed a small smile to creep across his face. With this, the ritual could indeed be completed, and his ingenious plan would finally come to fruition, as intended. There were only a scant few additional concerns left to address, but they wouldn't take long.

He sealed the can of paint that he'd used—less than half of the paint had been needed for a pony of his size—and placed it back within the container, which he then resealed as well. Then, with a flash of his horn, the crate disappeared; it would now be on the roof of Pandora Tower, where the Beacon was exposed, and where he would need to perform the rest of the ritual.

He then waited for the paint to fully dry then dressed himself again, but not in his dress clothes. He opened his wardrobe and drew out his old armor, which he had not worn for a great many years, simply out of a lack of necessity. It resembled his dress clothes greatly—black with a red trim—only the material was that of frostwolf leather, something only found in the far south, in zebra territories, where the hulking wolf-like creatures roamed free. Their hides were incredibly durable, requiring substantial effort to carve through.

Once he'd dressed, he ensured that his mane was straight and tidy and that his teeth were clean and white, and then he walked to the intercom and pressed the button. "Shroud."

"Yes, sir?" came his secretary's voice.

"I am expecting a visitor tonight. They will not arrive via our usual channels, and will likely attempt to breach the perimeter by force. Put security on high alert, but instruct them that I do not want my guest to be harmed."

"And the description of your guest, sir?"

"Female unicorn, icy blue coat, snow white mane, shorter than average height."

"Got it. Shall I contact you immediately when your guest arrives, or shall I go through proper outsider protocols?"

"Contact me immediately and have her taken to my office. Detain any other intruders otherwise, but keep me informed."

He didn't know if the Chronomancer would be reckless enough to try and bring all of the Element Bearers with her before making contact, and it was better not to risk it.

"Very well, sir. Will there be anything else?"

"No, Shroud, that will be all for now. Until my guest has arrived, however, I wish not to be disturbed."

"Of course, sir."

With that, Silvertongue shut off the intercom with a smile and made his way out of his bedchambers and into the hall. Instead of taking a right to head towards the main elevator, he took a left until he reached the end of the hall, where there was nothing more than a window that looked out upon the city. He lit up his horn and made a right turn directly into the wall, whereupon he passed straight through it; a simple spell, really, to create a tangible illusion.

The hallway beyond the illusion was not decorated as the hallway outside, nothing more than bare metal. It was short and ended at a shaft that led straight down, a rail on one side attached to a platform so that one may descend safely. Silvertongue boarded the platform, pulled a lever attached to it, and it sank down along the rail and descended into the tower.

Before long, the bare metal wall before him opened up, revealing an incredibly tall chamber that was otherwise fairly nondescript and empty, save for the single, large, obelisk-like structure that was barely contained within. The tower within a tower—the Beacon—was made of a gleaming black metal that was utterly smooth from top to bottom, emanating a dull orange glow that would filter up into the top of the tower and spread across the sky above until it covered the entire hemisphere.

The distance between the Beacon tower and the lift was only a scant few feet; he could easily leap between the two if he wanted. After all, Pandora Tower had been built expressly to contain the Beacon within it, and did so without frivolous waste of space and material.

When Silvertongue reached the bottom, he hopped off the lift and circled around the Beacon to the opposite side. Here, there was a panel that was easily spotted without much effort, which he then removed with even less effort.

The numerous instruments inside were incredibly complex technomagic apertures and apparatuses that were designed to configure the Beacon when it had first been built. All of their functions were appropriately locked in place; without a very particular tool—one that was unobtainable now—nopony could alter them, and the power needed to otherwise affect the tower was far beyond his scope.

There was, however, a secret panel located just below the set of instruments, one that only he knew about; not a single soul, living or dead or in between, was aware of its existence, including the architects of the Beacon itself. It had been a complicated process, but he'd managed it, and it held a very crucial purpose:

It held a small apparatus within it, which reacted instantly when his horn's magic—and only his magic—interfaced with it.

A layer of metal on the ground slid aside, revealing a small staircase that led beneath the Beacon. Silvertongue descended the staircase and came to a door, upon which were a number of technomagic apparatuses that resembled some pieces of modern technology that these days functioned entirely without magical energy; these still did, for they were from an era long gone, and yet they were still perfectly functional.

The one on the left of the door was used to scan his eyes utilizing some very basic identification magics, precise enough that it would only recognize his eyes; obviously certain types of magic could circumvent this measure, but that was why he had multiple devices. The device confirmed his identity, and the first of three locks opened.

The one on the right required that he provide but a single drop of blood, easy enough to do with a simple prick from a needle. A harder security measure to bypass, though still entirely possible with the right kinds of magic. The device confirmed his identity, and the second lock opened.

The first two locks were designed to give a potential intruder, if they somehow managed to get this far, a glimmer of hope, but their hopes would be dashed when they arrived at the third lock, which was little more than a keypad. It required a password to bypass, one complicated enough that few could hope to memorize it and would require that it be written down, which would be all for naught as it had never been written down or notarized in any capacity.

The technomagic within the device itself was also impervious to modern hacking protocols, which typically relied on attempting every possible combination available in sequence until the correct code was entered; this would fail, as an incorrect attempt would send a lethal shock of electricity through the area with a range that covered hundreds of feet.

Silvertongue had memorized the sequence and kept it locked away in the recesses of his mind so that it would be inaccessible to anypony but himself, and he had done so for a long, long time. But he still knew it by heart, and he entered it now:

One seven three four six seven three two one four seven six three two seven eight nine seven seven seven six four three seven three two seven three one one seven eight eight eight seven three two four seven six seven eight nine seven six four three seven six. Enter.

The device confirmed his identity, and the third and final lock opened, and the door along with it.

The chamber beyond the door was small, only large enough for a single pony to enter comfortably. A tall pedestal sat in the center, upon which was a glowing purple crystal with a golden spark in its center. The crystal was in turn protected by a small orb of magic, only large enough to keep the crystal enclosed within; it was a simple barrier spell, but one that Silvertongue himself had infused with such a complex and potent enchantment that it was unbreakable so long as he drew breath, even by beings as powerful as Nihila and Harmonia.

He stepped into the chamber—the door closed behind him—and circled around to the other side of the pedestal, where there was enough room that he could place his chin upon the edge and be at eye level with the crystal atop it.

"It has been… too long…" he said to the crystal, his voice mellow but quiet, his expression calm but somber. "Far too long. But I am close, now. I am so close… and I felt if anypony deserved to know it, it was you." He set his hoof upon the barrier spell—it wouldn't let him through unless he dismissed it, which he dare not do—and sighed. "Soon. Soon… it will all be over."

As his hoof touched the barrier, it sent a jolt through his body, and he felt a sensation flow through him that he hadn't felt since—

*****

Silvertongue woke from his sleep early, as he always did, and rose from the small bedroll within his tent. He went about his morning routine, grooming himself to perfection because even in the middle of nowhere, he had his standards. He dressed in his traveling clothes and grabbed his new sword—his proper one was far, far from here now, and deserved to be—and set about packing up his camp.

The fiery orange glow of the Beacon loomed overhead, though it had not yet finished permeating the sky entirely; he could still just barely see the light of the sun peeking through the veil of magic, like a light obscured by a bedsheet. In a few short months, the rest of the northern sky would be changed forever, and never again would he gaze upon the sun, the moon, or the stars.

Even now, the Darkness above was affecting the health of the land. The trees nearby were slowly dying, their leaves turning black rather than orange, and here in the middle of what should be the northern spring. The dirt beneath his hooves felt less soft and fertile, already growing hard and barren. He could barely hear the sounds of wildlife, not even so much as a buzzing insect or a distant bird.

But he was listening, so he heard the sound of crumbling rock nearby; someone—pony, gryphon, zebra, it didn't matter—was watching him.

"There is no need to hide," he called out, his horn aglow with its field gripped around his sword's hilt. "Save us both the time and effort."

He looked towards the source of the noise and waited.

A moment later, a unicorn mare emerged, her rich, golden brown coat contrasting with the light blue of her traveling cloak. She wore her long, cream-colored mane such that it curled at the sides to frame her face. She carried no weapons, and didn't need to; but that was not important. She was still the most beautiful mare he had ever known.

"Golden Heart…" he breathed, legitimately surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I think that a better question would be, what are you doing here?" she asked him, taking a step forward. "Are you aware of what they told me when I returned south to assist with the raising of the southern Beacon?"

He did not answer; she didn't let him.

"They told me that you were dead," she said, glaring at him. "They told me that infection had set in, and that those injuries you had sustained in battle had killed you." She glanced at his side, which was perfectly uninjured. "It would seem as though the tales were greatly exaggerated."

"You shouldn't be here," he said simply, keeping his voice calm. "I asked that you and all those most loyal to our mission depart from the north, to ensure that our mission succeeded. The Beacons are now lit; you should be in the south, beyond the Clashing Storm," he added, referring to the deadly storm that was forming along the equator once the Beacons had ignited and their energies clashed.

"Then you should blame your messenger for arriving too quickly," she retorted. "I alone knew that his message was a falsehood. If you were dead, Silver, I would have felt it in my very soul. So I came as soon as I could, to find you, and to find out why you were lying to everypony, to me." She stepped forward again. "What are you doing here?"

He looked upon her, still maintaining his calm demeanor. "That is not for you to know, my Heart—"

"Don't. Don't you lie to me," she said between clenched teeth. "You swore to me, Silver, that you would never lie to me. That you would always be honest and true with me, and that no matter what happened, we would never hide anything from one another. I will ask you again: what are you doing here?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, then turned towards the Beacon's light; it was impossible to see the Beacon itself beyond the horizon, but its light source was easy to see far beyond that. He gestured to it with a gran sweeping of his hoof.

"The Beacons we have built are intended to enshroud our world with the powers of Light and Darkness in equal measure," he said, keeping his back straight and tall. "The world will be in perfect balance. No action, no army, no single individual, will ever shift the scales. There will never again be a war that threatens our world's well-being."

"I have heard this all before, Silver," she said, stepping forward again. "That is why we built the Beacons in the first place. But why are you here? Why are you not in the south, with your friends? Your family? With me? Why are you here in the north?"

"Do you know what fuels the Beacons, Heart?" he asked, still looking off into the distance.

She paused, and shook her head. "No. You never told us the details, only that they would work. We placed our trust in you, as we always have."

"They are powered by the goddesses themselves," he continued. He looked to her now, at the confusion on her face. "I asked Harmonia to lend her power to the southern Beacon, and she agreed. It is her power that permeates through it now, fuels it with energy and keeps it alight. A simple process, though quite permanent now that it is done. Thus, the northern Beacon…"

She took a step forward, following along, but her face showed her disbelief. "No, that's impossible. What you suggest is impossible. How could Nihila have supplied her power to the northern Beacon? She would never agree to such a thing. She craves imbalance, she seeks only death and destruction. How could she possibly—"

She froze, then looked at him, eyes wide. "You didn't…"

"It was the only way," he said, looking back towards the Beacon's orange light. "I made a pact with her to become her Warden, and as part of that pact, she supplied the northern Beacon with her own essence so that it would ignite as well. The world is now perfectly balanced, as it should be. And it always will be."

"You… you betrayed Harmonia?" she whispered.

"Yes and no," he said, shaking his head. "I have betrayed the letter of her ideals, certainly, and must do so in order for Nihila to trust my intentions; but I have never betrayed the spirit of those ideals. I only seek one thing, Heart: balance. Balance between good and evil; life and death; Light and Dark.

"A true betrayal would suggest that I am working against Harmonia, and that is simply not the case. In fact it is impossible. Or at least, it will be. Within a few short weeks, the Clashing Storm will be impenetrable to all, and the south will know nothing but peace and prosperity. Harmonia's lands will be untouchable by Nihila's evil."

She seemed to chew that over in her mind a moment, then looked at him again with hard eyes. "You are avoiding my question, Silver. Why are you here? If you are to be the Warden of Nihila now, what task would she ask of you to prove your loyalty?"

He turned his gaze south, towards the golden mountains in the distance. "Nihila blames the gryphons for the defeat of Blood Beryl's armies. Though they did not take to the field themselves, the supplies and sanctuary they provided us in the war gave us the edge we needed to win." He turned to her again. "She wants revenge now that the southern armies have mostly returned home."

"What are you going to do?" she asked cautiously.

"She tasked me to develop a magical plague of her design. 'Red Death', she calls it. It will kill every living soul in Aeropolis within an hour and shred them down to dust. There will be nothing left of the gryphon empire but dust and echoes. Now that that is done, I am tasked with releasing it."

Her eyes widened. "What? No! Silver, you can't!"

"I must. If I do not, then Nihila will simply kill me and find some other loyal servant to do it, and then what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "The north will rise up, as it has done before, and though it may take a century, two centuries, a thousand years, they will rise up again, and there will be nopony to stop it. I must maintain the balance."

"They are our allies, Silver! You would betray—"

"I will do what I must," he said, his voice calm and low. "For the sake of the future, I must be prepared to do unspeakable things."

"There has to be some other way."

"There is no other way."

She approached him, getting close enough to put her hoof on his chest. "It's not too late. It's not too late, Silver. If we flee south, before the Clashing Storm forms, Harmonia can help put an end to this forever. We… we can reform the army, and ensure that Nihila never raises an army of her own again. The Beacon is up already, right? She can't do anything about that. You said so."

He shook his head. "The power that she sends through it now is merely a demonstration of trust within me. If I do not do this task she has demanded of me to prove my loyalty, she will withdraw her energy from the Beacon, and all will be lost."

She stepped back from him, disbelief all over her features, but she said nothing.

He approached her now, calmly. "Go back south, my Heart. Go home. Be with our friends and your family. Forget about me. Forget about the north. There is still time before the Storm becomes impossible to cross."

"Silver, please… you don't have to do this…" she said, tears in her eyes. "We were… we were supposed to—"

"I know…" he said, stepping forward again and embracing her. "If there were any other way, I would have taken it."

She shook her head, and gently pushed away from him before stepping back. "I know what I have to do, then…"

He paused. "Heart…"

She glared at him. "If this is what you must do to ensure your place by Nihila's side, then I will do what I must do as a servant of Harmonia to protect from harm those that Nihila wishes to destroy. I swore an oath, just as you once did."

He clenched his teeth. "Heart, I cannot let you interfere with this. This is too important. This is bigger than me, bigger than you."

She turned to him, standing tall. "Then you know what must be done."

He closed his eyes. "Do not make me do this, my Heart. Please."

"I will do what I must," she replied, taking a step towards him. "We both have our principles. I will stand by mine. Will you stand by yours?"

He hesitated for a brief moment, looking into her eyes after reopening his own.

Then, in a flash, his sword pierced straight into her heart, held aloft with his magic.

As he withdrew the blade, she collapsed forward, right into Silvertongue's hooves. He embraced her, holding her as closely as he possibly could, running his hoof softly through her mane. His horn was aglow, its light covering the wound; he could easily heal it, but he fought the desperate urge to do so and simply focused on dulling her pain.

She reached up to put her hoof on his cheek. "Now… nothing will hold you back…" she breathed.

"No. Nothing will." With his magic, he took from his satchel a large purple gemstone, which he then pressed gently against her chest. "I am sorry…"

She glanced down briefly at the gem, then back to him. "What…?"

"A soulstone. The only one left in all the north," he said, a weak smile on his face. "It was meant for myself, should I fail in my mission. But I will not let Nihila have you, my Heart. I promise."

She put her hoof over his, pressing the gem closer into his chest; her blood caked his hooves now. "Stay true… to your ideals… my beloved. Promise…" Her eyes lit up briefly, and her lips moved only just, but no further sound issued forth.

As her eyes dimmed, Silvertongue clutched her closer to himself. "I promise you, Golden Heart. My Heart."

Within the little purple gemstone, a golden light flickered into existence.

*****

Silvertongue gazed upon the soulstone as it sat there within the shield, a weak smile on his face.

"It will be over soon, my Heart. Everything that I have worked for, everything that I have sacrificed for, will all be realized. I have never forgotten my promise to you." He sighed. "I have done many unspeakable things over these great many years. But I have never looked back. The only thing I wish had been different… is what happened to you.

"You should have been able to lead a long, fulfilling life. A life of peace and happiness, surrounded by friends and loved ones." He smirked as old, vague memories came to him. "I remember a time when you and I had wanted to start a family together, even after Harmonia made me her Warden.

"In the end, I did adopt six wonderful mares that are now my daughters." He shook his head and laughed. "I know you would love them. You would love them as though they were your own flesh and blood, because you always had a big heart, with room enough for every creature.

"The youngest, Golden Dawn, she reminds me of you. She looks exactly like you, actually. Perhaps some part of my memory influenced that, knowing that there was a new light in the darkness. She's very intelligent, even if she can be a bit full of herself at times." He chuckled and stroked the barrier lovingly. "She brought a box of donuts to share with me the other morning, claiming they were the greatest thing in the entire—"

The intercom on the ceiling clicked, drawing his attention. "Sir, your guest has arrived."

Silvertongue rose up and straightened his armor, his face becoming hard again. "Very good, Shroud. Have her sent to my office; I will be there shortly."

"Of course, sir."

Silvertongue walked back around the pedestal and opened the door, but gave one glance back at the crystal therein. "Soon, my Heart. Soon, it will all be worth it."

For a brief moment, he was certain that he saw the golden light within the crystal flicker in acknowledgement.

*****

Silvertongue only had to wait in his office for a few minutes before the Chronomancer was shown in by one of the Tower's armed security guards. She looked exactly as he expected based on all of the information he'd been given thus far: a little on the short side, all the proper colorations, etc. The expression on her face told him all he needed to know otherwise: she wasn't exactly happy to be shoved around by a guard.

"Watch where you're puttin' those hooves, or I'll shove that gun right up your ass, mate!" she spat at the guard as the door closed.

Okay, so her language indicated that too. Everything he'd heard about her so far indicated that she was a feisty one, but it was still amusing in a way.

She turned to look at him behind his desk, where he sat calmly and watched her behind steepled hooves. "Alright, so, you must be the big boss of this here tower, eh?" she said as she straightened her turtleneck.

"That I am," he replied. He gestured towards the chair opposite him. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." She took the seat easily. He was impressed to see that she wasn't even remotely nervous, or at least that she was hiding it exceedingly well.

"My security team caught you snooping around outside the Tower. May I ask why?" he asked, probing to see her reaction.

"I'm lookin' for somepony," she said simply, meeting his eyes with her own. "I don't suppose you'd know 'em?"

"That depends entirely on who you're looking for, Miss… I don't believe I caught your name."

"Winter Glow," she said with a nod. "And you are?"

"Lord Silvertongue," he said with a nod of his own.

"'Lord', eh? Like this place is some kind of fuckin' castle?"

He smirked; he could appreciate a candid attitude, and admired her lack of being intimidated by him. It was so rare to speak with anypony that didn't immediately fear how he'd react to anything and everything they said. Even psychopaths like Shadowstep were—or had been—careful with their tones and choices of words. But not this one.

"Isn't it?" he replied, leaning back in his seat a little. "Apart from the modern technology that proliferates the building, I would say that Pandora Tower meets practically every definition of what a castle is."

She leaned back in her seat as well. "Fair point, my lord," she said with a cocky smile. "What's with all that paint all over your face? That part of bein' a lord or somethin'?"

"Not exactly. At the moment it is of no importance to you. What is important is why you're here, however." He got up from his seat and walked over to look out the window. "So, you say that you're looking for somepony? Who, exactly, might you be looking for?"

"The Warden of Nihila," she said without a hint of hesitation. Again, he found that to be an admirable trait; she was straightforward and didn't mince her words or hide her opinions or intentions.

"Ah, interesting. And you thought you could find this 'Warden of Nihila' here at Pandora Tower, I take it? Why is that?"

"I'll spare you the details—"

He grinned, wanting to test her knowledge. "No no, I'd rather like to hear the details, actually."

She paused, then shrugged. "Alright. I'm sure ya know that this Tower is built around somethin' called a Beacon, and that the Beacon generates the magical aura that covers the whole northern hemisphere, eh? Well, the goddess known as Nihila—who's real, by the way—is the source of that power. With me so far?"

He smiled so that she could see it in the reflection on the glass. "I believe so."

"Well, anyway, Nihila employs some mortal pony called a 'Warden' that serves as her avatar of sorts. I have it in good authority that this Warden possesses some of the same energy that Nihila does, so I tracked that energy here. There was enough of a discrepancy in energy readings that it was the only place the Warden could be."

"A perfectly logical conclusion." Silvertongue turned, his smile still on his face. "Well, I believe congratulations are in order, Miss Glow—you've located the Warden of Nihila. Quite the job well done, if I might say."

She smirked. "Yeah, I sort of figured that. You just look like the kind of guy I'd expect to be a Warden of Nihila, actually. Is that getup like a uniform or somethin'?"

"I suppose it is, in a way. Nihila expects certain things from her Wardens, and it is of utmost importance that I remain in her good graces." He retook his seat and steepled his hooves before him again. "So, Miss Glow, now that you've found me, what exactly can I do for you? You're the first pony in hundreds of years to speak with a Warden of Nihila directly and acknowledge them as such. Quite an accomplishment."

"I've come to ask you a favor, on that only you and Nihila can help with."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Do you know what a Chronomancer is, by any chance?"

He did, naturally, but needed to play the role of being relatively uninformed. "I am familiar with the title, but please," he said with a gesture of his hoof, "enlighten me. It does not crop up often."

"Well, the short version is, we're agents deployed on multiple worlds that protect those worlds from destruction by an outside force called 'Void'," she explained; he appreciated her humoring him while also keeping her explanations brief, since it led him to assume that she assumed that he was smart enough to follow along.

"Other worlds, you say?"

"Yeah, and that's all I can say on the matter, because it's supposed to be a secret. The fact that I'm speakin' with ya is due to a serious emergency situation, and I'm required to bend protocol to fix the problem."

"And what is this 'problem'?"

"Six mares from another world accidentally ended up travelin' to this one, and it's my job as Chronomancer to send them back. Normally, I would wait for a natural means of doin' so, but these mares are important to their world for reasons I'm not at liberty to explain, and I have to have them back home… soon. Within the next few days, ideally."

"I see. And where do Nihila and I come into the picture?"

"Nihila and Harmonia are the only creatures on this world powerful enough to create an artificial means of sendin' these mares home. I did not have the time or the confidence that I could safely get them to Harmonia in the time frame I was given, so I've spent the last couple of weeks tryin' to find you so that we could ask Nihila instead."

"And what makes you think Nihila, a goddess with dominion over disparity, evil, and suffering, would deign to help you?"

She smirked; she'd clearly awaited this question and had a practiced response. "Because if she doesn't and these mares stay in this world, then this world's balance is set to shift in Harmonia's favor, and in fact it already has. It's in Nihila's best interests to see to it that these mares are sent home."

"That is certainly a fair point." He leaned back in his chair, making a show of considering her words. "I think we might be able to help each other, Miss Glow."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just like that?"

"Oh, no, not 'just like that', not at all," he said with a smile. "You make a good point that it is Nihila's interest to help, and I agree with it, and Nihila will as well, I assure you. However, Nihila is not Harmonia; she is not generous or kind, and cares not for the well-being of others. She will agree to help you, yes." He then leaned forward in his seat. "But she will want something in return."

Comments

[hamster wizard]

Concern

I like this version of Silvertongue, he feels much more understandable.

[RoboRed]

Okay...that backstory...that's something that's definitely new. I approve of this new layer of characterization for Silvertongue.

"Oh, no, not 'just like that', not at all," he said with a smile. "You make a good point that it is Nihila's interest to help, and I agree with it, and Nihila will as well, I assure you. However, Nihila is not Harmonia; she is not generous or kind, and cares not for the well-being of others. She will agree to help you, yes." He then leaned forward in his seat. "But she will want something in return."

Hooooooooboy.

[Teraunce]

10620953
Absolutely agreed.

[My name is R]

"If I am being frank, my lady, it is your connection with me that will likely cause our ritual to fail. Your Darkness within my essence will prevent me from establishing a proper connection with the Element Bearers. But fear not, for I have devised a method with which I may temporarily sever our connection, long enough that I can ensure that there is no resistance."

Clever little blighter, ain't 'e?

"Of course, my lady. I believe we are both looking forward to seeing our plans come to fruition at last."

Quite a fan of tha subtle wordplay too.

"I have betrayed the letter of her ideals, certainly, and must do so in order for Nihila to trust my intentions; but I have never betrayed the spirit of those ideals. I only seek one thing, Heart: balance. Balance between good and evil; life and death; Light and Dark.
"A true betrayal would suggest that I am working against Harmonia, and that is simply not the case. In fact it is impossible. Or at least, it will be. Within a few short weeks, the Clashing Storm will be impenetrable to all, and the south will know nothing but peace and prosperity. Harmonia's lands will be untouchable by Nihila's evil."

That he is. But balance is not tha highest ideal.
Well, it was impenetrable by ponies for a couple centuries. But no wall made by people shall last evermore. One day, every barrier falls, in one way or another.

So, I don't know if I forgot, if I just missed it, or if we were never told. What is the favor they'll ask? I'm assumin' it's a smokescreen fer gettin' a brainwashing spell in place, but that can't be what they're gonna say.