Twilight Fulcrum
Chapter 34:
Twilight Fulcrum
Libram lowered the shining gem in his clutch and raised his gaze to study the heavy wagon in front of him. More metal than wood, it had to be heavier than the siege engines he’d seen.
The padlock was made of solid steel and was threaded through a steel hoop as thick as the thickest digit on Libram’s body’s upper limbs. Magic had been liberally spent during the many phases of its construction: enchantments had been woven into the still molten metal as its parts cooled in their molds. Further hexes had been etched into the springs. Libram guessed the key fitting the lock was also highly magical, likely requiring a certain state of mind in its bearer to even have the right shape. That such a padlock hung from the door of the most heavily reinforced wagon Libram had ever seen spoke volumes about how precious its contents had to be.
He swayed slightly as he contemplated the vehicle. Perhaps whoever had chosen the lock had been too busy to arrange similar protection for the door or the rest of the cart. Or perhaps they didn’t expect anypony to actually be in a position to break it open. The small army of soldiers guarding it might have instilled a false sense of security in the owners of the wagon. Too bad for them said soldiers had turned tail and ran at the sight of a little reanimated flesh.
He shook his mane – or intended to. This body didn’t really have the kind of mane that tossed about properly when shaken. Just a short growth of hair on top of the skull. Libram half-suspected the creature whose body he possessed actually cut it that way on purpose. He drew upon his magic.
The steel loop that held the padlock bubbled as if alive, blooms of rust appearing on its surface. The rust quickly spread to cover all of the metal. Flakes the colour of blood fell off the loop, then it bent under the weight of the padlock before snapping. A muted clunk sounded as the padlock landed on the frozen ground.
Libram flexed the digits of his right upper limb and let his magic play along them, opening the door until he had a wide enough gap for his head. Then he looked inside. For a moment he merely stared, his eyes roaming over the interior. He looked at the barding that lay in a pile against the back wall. Then he focused on the pony suspended by chains from the ceiling.
“Looks like I caught you at a bad time, Twilight Sparkle.”
The wagon interior was too low for his body to stand upright, so he used his upper limbs to pull himself inside, enabling him to sit against one of the side walls, one leg hanging out of the door and the other resting on the floor. He took care not to disturb any of the bowls positioned directly beneath Twilight.
He studied the sight in front of him carefully. Only his necromancer’s training told him Twilight was still alive. Anypony else would have dismissed her as a days-old corpse. Her body was beyond emaciated, eyelids half-closed and eyes dull and lifeless. She was gagged by a steel bit. Dark streaks on Twilight’s legs led up to shining jewels seemingly embedded in the coat on her barrel. The jewels seemed clear, but pulsed with a deep red colour. There were also gems stuck to her horn. There they were enveloped by a constant stream of blue-black fire and they pulsed as they absorbed it. Finally, one very large gem was embedded in the fur on her forehead. Libram studied all of this with fascination.
“No wonder you were less than talkative through the gem. Looks like they’re draining you of everything you have. Well, that’s nothing a little blood magic can’t partially fix.”
The dark liquid in the bowls sloshed about, disturbed by dark golden magic. The surface in each bowl extended upwards until it seemed the liquid was flowing against gravity, up Twilight’s legs. Soon the liquid had pooled around the gems and was disappearing behind them. Once Twilight’s blood was back where it belonged her body was enveloped in a gray-gold aura, freeing her from the chains and laying her carefully down on the cart’s floor, among the now empty bowls. Libram also pulled away the bit from Twilight’s mouth. Then he plucked the shining jewels away one at a time. He left the jewel on Twilight’s forehead for last and when he reached out with his magic to grasp it he hesitated and let the aura die. Then he took a deep breath, gripped the gem and pulled.
Twilight’s eyelids fluttered as soon as the jewel left her forehead. After a few heartbeats she gasped and her eyes became focused. Her head rose with a start and she looked around wildly before focusing all of her confusion and terror on the form sitting in front of her. Libram grinned back, his golden eyes flashing.
“I will admit to being a very unlikely knight in shining armor, but maybe if you squint real hard I could pass for one?”
“W – Welder? How are you— no. Libram. If you’ve harmed—”
A hand was gently laid on her mouth.
“Shut up. If you’re going to demand explanations we’ll be here all day and there’s better things for both of us to do. Just let me say what needs to be said and if we’re lucky we’ll have time for explanations afterwards.”
A boom sounded from outside but both ignored the sound. Twilight nodded silently to Libram.
“All right then. First and foremost I trust you’ve read through those books you took from me, including the treatises on the magic of phoenixes.”
“Yes, but—”
“It’s too chaotic to predict the results, I know. Nature magic is unpredictable, ditto fire magic. Use it anyway. You won’t find a better alternative in the time left. It’s better than what will happen if you don’t.”
Twilight snorted weakly and cast an incredulous glance at Libram who narrowed his eyes in return.
“I know, Twilight. I know what’s coming sounds like a necromancer’s playground. Thousands dead and dying, poison in the air and water, oh my what fun to be had. And I’m a necromancer, no, scratch that, I’m the necromancer. Bear in mind that if I actually wanted that then all I had to do was stand back and watch you die. Splat goes Equestria and I have enough corpses to last through two centuries of insane depravity. But, you know, it was never about the power for me. I tried to save my sister and failed. Then I just lashed out at the world. After that I was a book set to guard a library.”
Libram lowered his gaze and studied his hands.
“Now I want to rest. I want to do something else for a change. But I’d rather do that in a nice little world with carefree ponies in it than in a dead, poisonous cesspit that warps flesh. So I want you to go out there, kick the queen of the ashen where it hurts and use the phoenix magic!”
Twilight sighed and her head slumped down to rest on the floor again.
“I feel too weak to even rise from here. I can’t oppose the queen like this.”
“That’s certainly true, the way they’ve drained your magic by having you cast endlessly. I’m not sure where they found out that you could perform massive ashen conversion spells because you certainly wouldn’t be stupid enough to demonstrate it to them would you. I’m sure Luna and Celestia will be sad to hear that you’re unable to help but they will doubtless understand. You can tell them as soon as Diamond Dust has defeated them. It won’t be long now.”
He took a deep breath and tilted his head, regarding the devastating effects his words had had on Twilight for a moment before continuing.
“Or... are the rumours true that you’ve become a windigo?”
Libram grinned as Twilight nodded.
“In that case, cheer up. We’ll have you up and about in no time at all.”
~~~~~
A third blow struck the door to the princesses’ personal chambers. The force behind the blow was magically augmented, and blue-black fire played on the surface of the ancient wood before it blackened and twisted. The noise of the impact was past ear-splitting and into territories of physical pain. It echoed. The magic reinforcing the door flickered and failed, causing what was left of it to fall to pieces.
Shining Armor looked up at the ponies rushing into the room and moved so he was standing between them and the two princesses. He growled and his horn lit, producing a translucent barrier in front of him.
“Luna, Celestia, flee!”
The royal sisters glanced at each other and ran for the windows, using their magic to smash the glass panes before leaping out into the air. Shining Armor silently wished them good luck while warily eyeing the ponies in the room, four of which were particularly familiar.
~~~~~
“Sister, where shall we go?”
Celestia looked back at her younger sister, face sad and tired.
“Luna, I have no idea. We just need to get away for now.”
The spires of Canterlot Castle receded behind the two sisters, and Celestia looked back at the structure with longing. She spotted the approaching pegasi as soon as they rounded the main keep.
“We need to fly faster, sister!”
Luna strained to accelerate, but the larger and heavier alicorns had a clear disadvantage when it came to flight speed and agility. Especially considering the particular pegasus chasing them: a rainbow streak flashed past Luna and she found one of her wings tangled by a net. Rainbow Dash curved around with a triumphant look, only to see the Princess of Night momentarily dissolve into a blue mist, making the net fall.
Spitfire had tried the same tactic with the Princess of Day only to see Celestia become a beam of light and reappear a short distance away, untangled by her net. For a moment the wonderbolt captain wondered why Celestia hadn’t escaped entirely, but the desperate look the regent aimed at Luna immediately offered an explanation.
“Use your wisp form to escape! I’ll find you later!”
Luna heard her sister and let herself dissolve again. When Celestia saw that she’d been heard she turned into a beam of light and shot up into the clouds... only to bounce away and smack into the roofs of Canterlot Castle, where she rematerialised in a state of confusion. She lay stunned among the cracked roof tiles, for the moment unchallenged, and could only search for her sister with her gaze. Soon she spotted the tell-tale blue smoke, but Luna was having troubles of her own.
The wind had picked up around the gaseous princess, and her wisp form had trouble moving forward. Celestia saw how a tendril of the ashen clouds reached out for her sister and how Luna still struggled to push against the ever strengthening wind, but with decreasing effect. She and the ash cloud mixed. Then, out of the cloud wall, flew an alicorn Celestia had never seen before. Light pink coat and mane, black and twisted horn... and large wings of ash. Those wings beat powerfully, sending ever stronger winds pummelling Celestia’s little sister and curling her wisp cloud into a tumultuous ball of gas mixed with alien ash.
Diamond Dust’s wings crackled with electricity. Then a searingly bright arc of lightning flew out and struck Luna’s form. An echoing wail sounded as the ash mixed in with her form glowed and erupted into chaos magic, only to be cut short when Luna no longer had the focus to maintain her incorporeality, causing her to rematerialise in a massive burst of blue-black fire. Celestia felt her sister turn enemy and saw her fall, and let out a cry of anguish of her own.
Fighting back tears she called upon her sun. The clouds above her became painfully bright to behold, but since they weren’t made from water vapor they didn’t dissipate. Instead, the heat excited the ashen particles, making lightning flash in the clouds. Celestia realised she was cut off from escaping. She took a deep breath and became a beam of light again, this time launching herself straight at Diamond Dust.
The Queen of Ash didn’t have time to react, even though she’d been looking at Celestia, and was bowled over by the Princess of Day’s rematerialised and burning hoof connecting with her jaw. There was a crunch as bone broke and a sizzle as fur burnt. Diamond Dust’s wings beat once, causing their feathers to dissolve into a thick mess of ash and smoke that enveloped Celestia, choking her and making her eyes sting. The Day Princess flew backwards, beating her flame-wreathed wings and searching for clearer air. Lightning shot out from the cloud in front of her but bounced harmlessly against a bubble of magic. A net was thrown at her from behind, but it burned to nothing before even making contact.
A shape in the clouds ahead turned out to be Diamond Dust with reformed wings. Celestia charged, intending to pierce the queen with her horn, but Diamond Dust’s form dissolved into flakes of ash and let her pass through without causing harm before reforming. Behind Diamond Dust the air was choked with particles of ash and they clung to Celestia’s body like tar, smothering her flames and making it painful to breathe. She shut her mouth and cast a spell to keep her lungs filled with fresh air, but was alarmed by how emptied her reserves of magic were. Taking her attention off Diamond Dust had been a bad move and she was informed of that fact by a hoof kicking her wing out of joint.
Celestia screamed past her clenched teeth and tried to stop her fall with her telekinesis, but the ash clinging to her horn immediately sent aura feedback into her pain centers, increasing her agony. She still worked past the pain, stabilising her disabled wing with her magic and managing a somewhat controlled plummet – until Diamond Dust slammed both of her hooves into Celestia’s head.
~~~~~
When the Princess of Day regained consciousness she was looking up at the crown of a pine. Most of the branches above Celestia had been broken and her returning sense of touch told her that it was probably herself who’d done that. A hundred pains and aches queued up and presented themselves to her, each one enough to make her wince and together enough to make her moan feebly. Past that she felt something around her horn. Looking up as far as she could was useless, so she tried shifting a leg in order to feel her horn with a hoof. That produced better results, and she felt cold stone resting on her forehead and around her horn. It also meant that the manacle around her leg came into her field of vision just before something tugged on it.
She followed the chain attached to her leg until she stared into Applejack’s eyes. The farm pony looked back apologetically.
“Sorry, Princess, but the queen wants your conversion to be as public as possible. That’s alien rock around your horn, so I’d recommend not using your magic right now.”
Celestia slowly raised her head, more out of weariness and the constant hammering of pain in her muscles than out of caution. All the remaining Element Bearers stood around her and were each except for Fluttershy holding a chain attached to her limbs.
“How... how can you do this? How can you follow that tyrant?”
Nervous glances darted around the circle of friends before Rainbow Dash coughed and shrugged.
“She’s the queen of the ashen for the moment, Princess. That means we’ve gotta at least pretend to follow her orders.”
Celestia moved her lips silently while allowing herself to be pulled upright. A cart was waiting in the snow nearby and she gasped as she saw Luna’s unconscious form on it. The Night Princess’ body was badly marred by the ash, but Celestia could tell her little sister was alive and recovering. The Element Bearers herded her towards the cart and she climbed up on it with thoughts racing and eyes fixed on Luna. The chains around Celestia’s legs were bound to the cart before Applejack hitched herself to it and began pulling. Rarity and Pinkie Pie walked behind while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew above and to each side of it. The trees of Canter Forest passed slowly by as the cart made its way towards the road up to Canterlot.
Celestia stroked her sister’s back gently, gazing sadly at the patches of black that spotted the dark blue coat under her hoof. She spoke without lifting her head.
“Pretending to, Rainbow Dash?”
Dash scratched the back of her head and chuckled a bit.
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’ve got all the details straight since it’s all so new to me, but when we got down here the ashen weren’t celebrating their victory like up in the city. It seems there’s this other ashen prophet that’s recently appeared, by name of Fulcrum, and the ponies down here think she’s the one that should be queen, instead of Diamond Dust, but nopony is sure where Fulcrum is or if she’s even still alive. There are all kinds of rumours flying around, but it looks like the ashen nation is about to split down the middle. I think the queen knows it too. I think she wants your conversion to be public so the ashen will think she’s awesome and be more likely to follow her.”
Celestia mulled this over.
“What else have you heard about this Fulcrum?”
Rarity hopped up onto the cart, drawing half-hearted protests from Applejack, and sat down next to the Princess.
“Her full title is something like Honoured Fulcrum, Second Prophet and Angel of Mercy. The ash-sisters and priests seem to be exceptionally fond of her, as are most of the soldiers. Apparently she was seen just now, single-hoofedly routing an army of the undead that was attacking a field hospital near the road to Canterlot! We passed by that place on our way here and will return the same route, and they were still cleaning up some of the traces of battle, but I didn’t see this Fulcrum anywhere. Also, rumours have it that Diamond Dust tried to kill her but failed. The queen hates this Fulcrum for some reason.”
Rarity chuckled and grinned at the princess. She was the center of attention now, all of her friends paying attention to her discussion.
“Oh, and they say she’s a windigo! Can you believe such tales, Princess Celestia? A windigo from the old legends? How preposterous!”
A voice, sounding like the wind howling through metal pipes, or like the crack and groan of lake ice, answered Rarity.
“The rumours are not so greatly exaggerated this time, Rarity.”
The Element Bearers gaped at the armor-clad windigo descending towards the cart. Icy blue fire billowed from every crack in the armor and left a trail of black smoke. Where the back parts of a pony would be there was only more blue-black smoke. All in all it was a terrifying sight. Other ponies were running out of the woods and cheering. As the windigo descended to hover in front of the cart a chant formed among the newcomers.
Fulcrum! Fulcrum! Fulcrum...
A blue unicorn with icy mane ran up to Fulcrum and bowed low. Even though the windigo’s appearance had paralysed Rarity she managed to gasp when she recognised the pony clad in ash sister’s vestments. Fulcrum turned to Trixie and spoke to her before the unicorn reared up and conjured up a salvo of fireworks.
“Honoured Fulcrum thanks you all for your enthusiasm, but asks you to quiet down so she may speak!”
The crowd gradually fell silent, though shouts and cheers heralding Fulcrum’s appearance were still heard in the distance, and additional ponies kept appearing. The windigo levitated up to face Princess Celestia.
“Celestia, you are the last remaining unconverted ruler of Equestria. If Diamond Dust performs the conversion she will immediately be able to strip you and your sister of your nobility and assume sole rulership. I assure you that is not in the best interest of anypony but herself. She’s just another King Sombra, but worse, waiting to happen. I, on the other hoof, wish to see Equestria saved and her lies defeated. I also wish to prevent this, or something like this, from happening ever again.”
“How will you do this? Do you intend to go to war?”
“No. I intend to challenge Diamond Dust to a duel for the throne of the ashen while my followers spread the news of her lies.”
Celestia tilted her head.
“That Diamond Dust is lying about many things is unsurprising. But you aren’t being entirely honest yourself, are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your armor. Have you ever revealed your face to your little ponies?”
Fulcrum hung her head but didn’t answer. The flames from her eyes flickered as if the windigo was blinking.
“No... I haven’t, Princess.”
“Well then, another question: what do you want from me?”
“Legitimacy. In order to successfully challenge Queen Diamond Dust I need something to back my claim. The more ashen who swear fealty to me the better. But in order to really force the queen’s hoof I would need royal backing... I ask that you recognise me as queen of the ashen and surrender to me. In order to prove my good will I shall do you a service.”
Sparks of gold flew from Fulcrum’s horn and impacted against Luna, curing the Night Princess’ ash poisoning. Celestia felt a lump in her throat as she realised how relieved she was when her younger sister stirred. She bowed her head.
“If nothing else, you’ve proven yourself to be the lesser evil, Fulcrum. I do not fully trust you yet, but...”
Celestia raised her voice and tried to adopt the official tone she used in court without it wavering too much as she spoke.
“...I formally surrender to you, Fulcrum, and support your claim for the title of queen.”
The following cheer was loud enough to echo back from the nearby mountainside. More ponies ran out to spread the news, while still more appeared to join the burgeoning crowd around the cart. Fireworks again went up from Trixie’s horn and she reared exultantly to address the gathered ponies.
“Fulcrum will challenge the false queen! Will we support her, ladies and gentlecolts? Will we swear her allegiance?”
More cheering, prompting another burst of pyrotechnics from the showmare turned nun.
“Then repeat after me: I, Trixie Lulamoon, hereby swear upon the ash and the rebirth to follow Honoured Fulcrum...”
While the crowd droned on, Luna blinked owlishly and turned to her older sister.
“We see that they got you as well, but... what is going on, Tia?”
Celestia was about to explain, but her voice died in her throat when she realised Luna was no longer enemy. In fact, none of the ponies around her were. Her eyes grew and she turned to Fulcrum.
“Was... was surrendering enough? Am I ashen now?”
Fulcrum nodded.
“Tia? Who’s this?”
Celestia managed to gather her wits and quickly explain to Luna the general outline of what was happening while the improvised oath droned on around them. She bent her head close to her sister and spoke directly into Luna’s ear as the oath reached its end and more cheering erupted. Luna kept her gaze fixed on Fulcrum, noting how the magic fire licking the windigo’s features were intensifying. She narrowed her eyes and addressed Fulcrum with her Canterlot official once she’d considered Celestia’s words for a moment.
“Honoured Fulcrum? A word, please.”
Fulcrum turned away from Trixie and the crowd to regard the princess of the night.
“Yes, Princess Luna?”
“Would you like my endorsement as well?”
“It would certainly help, Princess. Diamond Dust has it by default since she was the one to defeat you.”
“I will give it to you... on one condition.”
“What condition is that?”
“That you here and now remove your helmet so we may look upon your face.”
The windigo swayed as if Luna’s words had pushed her backwards. She turned briefly to look at Trixie, who was leading the crowd of ponies through some kind of hymn, before looking at the five Element Bearers and back at Luna. Applejack had listened intently on the conversation and now she spoke.
“Hay, if you get both princesses’ endorsement then you’ve got mine as well. You look mighty terrible, but the queen looks quite beautiful and she’s as rotten to the core as any worm-eaten apple I’ve seen. Maybe there’s something to all this ugly on the outside, pretty on the inside mumbo jumbo after all. You go on and take off that there helmet and you got yourself some mighty strong hooves to help you buck that queen in the ol’ posterior.”
The other Element Bearers quickly voiced their agreement with Applejack, except for Rarity who was still as a statue. The crowd had gotten wind of this development and now an expectant silence was spreading, broken by occasional calls for Fulcrum to doff her headgear. The windigo kept staring at Luna and though the Princess of Night couldn’t actually see Fulcrum’s eyes she got the expression of somepony well and truly trapped by circumstances. She decided to push her luck.
“You see, Fulcrum, I’ve been wondering a bit. A very powerful acquaintance of mine disappeared recently and mighty creatures such as you or she don’t just vanish into thin air, or appear out of it for that matter. So I have one vanished pony and one appeared windigo and I wonder... could they be related?”
“I... This armor is one solid piece. The head parts don’t come off.”
A sudden bout of nervous laughter made everypony look at Rarity. The fashionista’s eyes were watering and her entire frame was shivering, but she was pointing a hoof at Fulcrum.
“Ahaha, ahah, aheh, I – I – I think you’ll find there are a pair of hidden buckles on the inside of the criniere, where it meets the peytral. Just... press gently and you should be able to easily lift both criniere and champron away.”
The windigo looked at Rarity, and for some reason seemed ashamed.
“I’m sorry, Rarity.”
A sudden burst of magic coursed through Fulcrum, so bright that it left spots in ponies’ vision. When the magic faded Fulcrum’s flames burned a deep purple instead of blue and black.
“I guess I don’t need to conceal my identity anyway, now that I’m officially part of the ashen and on course to become queen.”
The fire around her horn flared, and a series of metallic clicks sounded from around the base of her neck. Then a purple aura gripped the head and neck parts of the armor and Twilight Sparkle pulled it up and away... accompanied by a very large collection of incredulous gasps from the nearest spectators. There was a thud as Trixie literally flipped, having been so overwhelmingly surprised that she reared and landed on her back.
Trixie was used to fireworks bursting from her horn, but now there were fireworks inside her brain and it was too much. She did the only sensible thing she could think of and fainted.
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iamridiculous.com/wp-content/themes/videozoom/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.iamridiculous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IAR_ExpectTheUnexpected.jpg&h=160&w=228&zc=1
*dramatically faints* oh my~!
*Trixie glares at me*
So are Celestia and Luna evil? They know about the false harmony, right? Or do they really believe the ultimate force of good, that they know of, is so cruel and vile that it discards those who get too close to it, yet don't make the connection that it might not be as good as they think it is?
1926344
As far we know, False Harmony is for the moment the only thing keeping ponies playing nice with each other and with their magical power at safe levels. Without it, imagine Equestria like this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--pnr3OUFMKc/Teiiyl95BQI/AAAAAAAAFZg/oFVMog2VM8Q/s1600/Equestria+Battle3.png
I LIKE IT! But I kinda like the idea that, until she took off the helmet, her identity was a mystery to all except Rarity when she saw the armor.
1926344
Twilight herself has said she's not trying to destroy the False Harmony. Because it's the one thing that's holding the world together. Getting rid of it would end up with civil wars like nobody' business.
I'm not entirely sure what her long term plan is, but it seems like she's trying to take control of it, and return things to a sense of normality. If they can get things to normal, then they can start working out the kinks.
They don't have a choice in the matter. They're just as affected by False Harmony as everyone else.
Applejack should be capitalized.
1929041
What is this??? I already caught and corrected another place where I'd failed to capitalize Applejack. Subconscious background ponyism?
On a more serious note, thanks!
I don't like it! The story is comming to an end!
But I like... Oh, screw it! I just want to read chapters as good as this one (or the previous one)!
1927691
I wonder in Twilight/Fulcrum will have a dialogue with her once mentor about Harmony. After all it´s sad after all her letters and lessons about the "Magic of Friendship", one can be come friend or foe, ruler or servant simply with some "adjustment" to the Harmony mind control wavelenght.