Memoirs and Memories
"The measure of a man is what he does with power."
-Plato
"This way my lord and... lady," the castle servant ventured with some hesitance, likely worried about offending his master's guests by using improper titles. He was probably still reeling from his first meeting with a flesh and blood unicorn. Morenth, however, didn't care in the slightest for titles and let the matter drop. "The Archduke will receive you in his personal study. He apologizes for the unprofessional setting and hopes that you will forgive him if he continues his work during your audience."
"Oh, that's fine. I'm sure he's a very busy man," Twilight chimed in before Morenth could answer. "I'm just glad to be seeing him so soon. It's usually really hard to get an audience with the ruler of a country."
The paladin reasoned Twilight had a greater understanding of courtly proceedings than he would have guessed when they first met. Being the personal student of a her people's ruler probably granted her a unique position to observe the inner workings of stately matters and politics.
They walked at a brisk pace down the marble hallways adjacent to the throne room, their steps muffled by a plush red carpet with delicate gold embroidery that spanned the length of the long passageway. The ceiling above them soared to an impressive height and boasted countless candelabras to provide light. There were no visible windows on the lower levels, but Morenth assumed the architect had simply taken the spire's defenses into account when designing them. In the event of a siege the lower levels would be subjected to catapult and ballista fire, and windows would only become a structural liability.
Servants could be seen regularly, tending to the everyday maintenance of such a large keep. But as they made their way to the northern wing servants became fewer in number, thinning to the point of non-existence by the time they'd made it to the spiral staircase at the base of the north tower.
The servant leading them noticed Morenth's passing interest and guessed his thoughts. "His Eminence doesn't like to be disturbed in his study."
"As you say," the paladin said dismissively, not liking his thoughts read so easily.
As they ascended the spiral stairs Morenth noticed Twilight began to fall behind, her steps becoming more reluctant the higher they went.
Slowing down to match her pace, Morenth leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Are you well?"
Her horn lit up in response.
"I'm just a little nervous... What's the Archduke like? You mentioned before that you knew each other."
Morenth glanced at the servant leading them, making sure their conversation went unnoticed. It wasn't as if what they spoke of was any great secret, but the silence of the tower seemed almost sacred. Even the servant's footsteps appeared to lose their sound as they made their way higher.
"You have nothing to be worried about. Daius may be of noble blood, but he is blessed with a level head and a good heart. In fact, he may join us in our search if it piques his interest. You may find he is possessed of a curiosity that rivals your own."
This seemed to mollify her as she settled into a more steady pace, looking more thoughtful than nervous.
A minute passed before he heard her voice in his head again. "Are there any rules of decorum specific to humans I should know about before we meet him?"
Morenth thought for a moment before answering. "We're meeting in his study so there shouldn't be any pomp or ceremony to worry about. Just let me introduce you before you talk his ear off."
Twilight gave Morenth an offended look but saw him holding back a grin at her expense. She rolled her eyes dismissively and pointedly ignored him until they found themselves in front of a massive set of double doors made of darkly stained wood. The servant who had been leading them stood off to the side, awaiting their presence before opening the door to the Archduke's study.
"Sire," he called out, "Your guests have arrived."
Morenth strode through the threshold only to stop a moment later after realizing Twilight was still standing in the hallway, her eyes locked wide as she peered through the doorway.
"Twilight?" he asked, concerned by her sudden case of paralysis.
"Look..." she began, trailing off before a wide smile took the place of her gaping, "Look at all the books! So many novels I haven't even seen before, let alone read!" At this point she was literally bouncing with joy, and Morenth didn't know whether to be happy for her, or be worried at how she resembled an addict who'd discovered a mountain of her favored drug. "It's like walking into the Canterlot library for the first time all over again!"
The collection of tomes held within the study was indeed large; larger than the paladin could have expected given that the room was called a 'study'. Every inch of wall space in the open air, three story parlor was dedicated to bookshelves. There were even extra shelving units taking up floor space on either side of the room's center, forming separate aisles for browsing. But if it was enough to warrant the kind of reaction Morenth was witnessing, he wondered just what Twilight would do when she saw the Archives of the Scholia Libraryium.
Behind a large maple desk at the end of the center aisle sat a young man writing franticly on a piece of parchment. His auburn hair was wild, and his robes were in disarray from a long night's work, but Morenth recognized him immediately.
"The robes of office suit you, Your Eminence," Morenth said with the hint of a smile, and though he'd meant to say it under his breath, the paladin's voice carried through the empty parlor, causing the young man to look up from his work.
The Archduke's mouth quirked into a smile as he saw his guests. His eyes, an unnatural shade of amber, took in the sight of them, though his gaze lingered longest on Twilight. Taking a moment to dip his quill in a nearby inkwell, he blew a slow breath through pursed lips over his work and began rolling it neatly to be set aside. Finally, he spoke.
"Paladin Morenth! To what do I owe the honor of your presence after so many long years?" he asked, the very picture of formality, if one ignored the playfully mocking tone in his question, "Off on some epic quest no doubt, seeing as you've returned with a rather interesting companion... and dressed in rags no less."
Morenth tried to ignore his road worn appearance. He was well aware how it must look to visit the Archduke of all people in such a state. "I apologize for my choice of clothes, but I am fresh from the road." With a slight bow the paladin motioned to Twilight, who was waiting patiently for her chance to speak. "This is Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn mage from Equestria, and the primary reason for my visit. She seeks admittance into the Scholia Libraryium."
Twilight took her queue and gave a bow of her own. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Eminence. It's as Morenth says. I need access to the resources in the Archives in order to find a way to send myself home."
If the forwardness of Twilight's request bothered the Archduke, he didn't show it. In fact, his grin only grew wider.
"She speaks..." he commented without surprise, but his eyes reflected a hungry curiosity, "If access to the Archives is what you seek, then this meeting is an unnecessary but fortunate happening. It would give me great pleasure, however, if you would speak in a less formal manner. Academic talks are not the propriety of politics after all."
"Unnecessary?"
"Of course. If Morenth had taken the time to visit he would be aware that the Scholia Librarium is now open to the public. My father's restrictions were lifted years ago."
The revelation took Morenth by surprise. "So you've realized your dream? That didn't take long. What about the Assembly's hardliners? I thought they would rather die than give up their exclusive control of magical learning."
Something flashed behind the Archduke's eyes. Remorse?
"And some were true to their word..." He trailed off for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Though I despised my father, some of his old contacts were more than willing to help the new Archduke... for a price."
"But enough about politics, I have a few questions," Daius said firmly, his gaze fixed on Twilight. "Would you care to elaborate why you require arcane knowledge to return 'home'? I assume it is because you can not simply go back through conventional means."
Twilight looked uncomfortable for a moment, but straightened as she returned the Archduke's gaze. "I came to be in Soulis after traveling through what you humans call 'The Void'. Morenth described it as the space between planes of existence, and that leads us to believe I wasn't just transported to a far away land but to another world entirely. The Alu'thaide also mentioned something similar."
Daius had looked surprised when she revealed her journey through The Void, but at the mention of the Alu'thaide he went stock still, his now intense eyes boring holes into the lavender unicorn.
"You've met The Watcher?" His voice was little more than a whisper.
Morenth cocked an eyebrow. "You know of this elf pretender?"
The Archduke continued in hushed tones, as if he were afraid someone was listening. "I know precious little, and that's more than most can claim. The Alu'thaide is a being seldom mentioned in the annuls of history, but the few times he's had recorded contact with mortals has been just before great disasters and conflicts. The elves worship him even though he is not among their pantheon of gods, and always out of fear. According to them he is the herald of upheaval and calamity."
And Morenth had allowed such a being so close to his charge? the mere thought was enough to make him sick with self loathing.
"No matter the enemies you face or the trials you endure, know this; if you fail in your vigilance, or you forsake your charge, the tithe on her blood will be paid by all."
The Alu'thaide's words of warning echoed through his mind and the paladin found himself looking at Twilight with concern. If the Alu'thaide was a herald of calamity, what did he want with Twilight? Was he using her to some unknown purpose? Suddenly the prospect of following up on any leads he'd given them was less than appealing.
Despite the darkening mood of the conversation, Twilight pressed on. "During our discussion with the Alu'thaide, he mentioned a text that may give me a hint about getting home. That's the reason we need the Archives."
"And for this you traveled all the way to Kaldoon with a group of refugees?" The Archduke didn't sound suspicious, but his tone suggested he knew there was more to the story than they were telling him.
"That," Morenth answered, "Is the second reason for our visit." He paused to allow his words the proper weight. "Hollodrum has fallen... lost to a horde of undead. Those refugees are what's left of it's people."
Daius recoiled as if struck. "What?! How?"
"I have my suspicions, but no evidence to support them as of yet." Morenth shifted uncomfortably, still unsure of what part he played in the attack. "They came in force from the east, and they were lead by a Dremorath of all things."
"You were there." It wasn't a question. The Archduke curled his hand into a fist in an attempt to keep himself calm. "How long do you think we have?"
The paladin was relieved to at least have some good news for his old acquaintance on that front. "Kaldoon itself is in little danger of an attack due to the Grey Flats, but the threat is very real for any nations further south. The free city of Midrassis is the most likely target if the hoard begins to move. We should send a warning by way of courier pigeon just as a precaution. I can also have the Order's forces begin preparations to muster there if necessary."
"The courier pigeon will be unnecessary," Daius replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have more efficient means of communicating with the Academy. They can relay the message to the Guild Council within the day."
Morenth breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Your Eminence. I will consult with the Deacon on sending our forces south in hopes of intercepting the horde before it reaches any settlements."
"Please do. And worry not for the refugees, any aid I can offer will be given freely."
Morenth nodded in appreciation, making a mental note to check with the local church officials about requisitioning rooms and supplies as well.
"Sire..." their escort interrupted with a gesture the Archduke seemed to understand.
With a tired sigh Daius picked up his quill, dipping the tip into a nearby ink well, and looked at them with an apologetic smile. "Though it pains me to say, our meeting is to be cut short. I'll contact the Academy this afternoon and send you a message detailing their planned response. I assume you'll be staying at the temple proper?"
"Yes, and thank you again for your assistance in this matter," Morenth replied, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. He turned to leave when Daius spoke again.
"Oh, and Twilight, I would be most delighted to discuss the details of your research when I have more free time."
"Of course!" Twilight replied cheerily, before hastily adding, "-Your Eminence." She blushed at her breach in protocol. "I would welcome all the help I can get."
Daius just smiled warmly and returned to his work, leaving his servant to show them out.
"You were right," Twilight said once they were past the outer gates and on their own again, "That went a lot smoother than I thought it would."
"I told you there was nothing to worry about," the paladin replied with a helpless shrug.
The lavender mare giggled and looked out over the coastal city, there vantage from the keep's bridge giving an almost complete view of its vast network of multi-leveled districts.
"So," she said with a smile that showed her renewed confidence, "Where to next? The Archives, maybe?"
She may have thought the offhand nature of her question would disguise her intent, but the hopeful gleam in her eyes betrayed her lack of patience.
"Before that, we should visit the church and see to it we have quarters made ready for us." Morenth looked down at himself for a moment and could practically feel the stench rising off of him. "And maybe a bath... and a change of clothes too..."
"Fine..." Her disappointment was palpable. "But we have to go sometime later today."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of keeping you in such a state of anticipation," the paladin replied with a rare smile.
By the time they rounded the first corner on their way to the residental district there were already countless eyes following them, or more specifically Twilight. So many in fact that neither of them noticed the piercing stare of a lone, pale woman driving a wagon with a cloak wrapped tightly around her form. Unlike the curious and disbelieving glances of the crowded streets, hers was filled with hate and a terrible will.
'I'll never get used to this,' Twilight thought to herself as she shied away from the unwanted attention of almost every person she passed. Like Hollodrum, several even got on their knees and prayed. At least they weren't crowding around her, mostly due to the fact that Morenth was walking with her. Somehow, even though his expression remained the same, when one of the crowd got too close, a single look from him sent them scurrying back.
"We may want to consider traveling at night to avoid the crowds," he suggested quietly, his eyes scanning the townspeople gathering around them. "When word starts to spread it will be almost impossible to move around during the day."
Twilight cringed at the thought of having to deal with crowds of people treating her like some sort of goddess everyday. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that..."
To keep her mind off the growing crowd of spectators she focused her thoughts on the city itself.
Built into the sea cliffs themselves, Kaldoon's architecture was predominantly white as the shale it was carved from, but instead of being colorless there appeared to be a cultural tradition of decorating buildings with colorful silk ribbons and flags. They hung from window sills, roof tops, even from clothes lines strung between houses, and danced unceasingly on the coastal breeze.
The curious thing though, was the shape of the city itself. Terraces carved from the cliffs of the cuspate formed multiple levels of sprawling districts into a what looked like a tilted bowl. The levels were connected by regular intervals of carved stairs and wide ramps for carriage traffic. Combined with the impressive Sea Spire standing sentinel across the bay, it was a marvel of engineering in both form and function.
As they traveled into the higher levels of the city Twilight found her respect for the Archduke growing, and conversely, her curiosity as well.
"You know, Morenth," she said after a while of trotting in silence, "You never did explain how you knew the Archduke."
Her companion looked back at her like she'd just snapped him out of some deep thought.
"He and I have a somewhat complicated history," he answered with a slight wince, seeming to consider what to tell her before he continued, "Several years back he asked me for a rather unorthodox favor. One he still feels he owes me for, if I read him correctly during our meeting. Nevertheless, It's not something I should discuss in public, so please be patient until we have a bit more privacy."
Sighing, Twilight chose not to push the issue. She knew that Morenth was more than willing to humor her curiosity but also noticed he would avoid questions about himself and his past. It didn't bother her that he kept a few secrets, but it did concern her that he would always do so with such a painful look in his eyes.
Pushing past the throng of townspeople, a large complex of walled off buildings came into view. At their center stood a beautiful cathedral with an immense stained glass mosaic. To say that what the colored glass depicted surprised her would have been an understatement. It painted a picture of a delicately slender, white unicorn, its face looking gracefully toward the sky.
"What in Celestia's name...?" Twilight couldn't find the words to complete her question as she stared blankly at the familiar features of her own race.
It took a few moments to hear Morenth's voice as he tried to get her attention. "Twilight? Twilight, what's wrong?"
Her voice came back amid the confusion whirling around in her head. "What is- why is there a depiction of a unicorn in a place like this!?"
"What do you mean, 'why'?" Her companion looked as bewildered as she was, until a spark of understanding flashed across his features. "Oh! By the Goddess, I've been a fool! Since you hadn't asked about it, I didn't even bother explaining why everyone has been reacting to you as they have."
Twilight barely registered what he had said, her thoughts already racing to the only conclusion to be drawn from a portrayal of a unicorn placed in such a central point in a place of worship.
"I... I think I need to lay down..."
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When there is no more room in hell SAGE QUILL WILL WALK THE EARTH!!!!!
But seriously, I just came off a ridiculously long hiatus mostly due to reading Fallout: Project Horizons and realizing my writing feels like a third grade paper in comparison. But now my funk is gone, so look forward to more regular updates.
4425938 You... you're not dead and you updated. This pleases me greatly and I shall read this as soon as I get home from work.
4425938 thank you for this
4425938 Heh no worries I felt the same when I read Fallout Equestria. It's nice to have you back, and I do hope to see more of your story... I need to see more
Also Project Horizons is darned silly... that last chapter... poor Blackjack...
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God, the last chapter I had to take it in chunks with thirty minute breaks to vent my emotions. Hasn't Blackjack suffered enough?!
Somber makes the Crucifixion look like a Sunday morning cartoon show. I mean, I've read some gruesome stuff, but the kicker is the emotion tied to the horrible stuff that really gets to me.
Nice to see this again, the Arch Duke seems to be coming off as a rather alright guy and Twilights reaction to his mini-library was amusing... can't wait to see how much she freaks out at the real one. As for her reaction to the church... hasn't Morenth and the others already explained to her their views on Yuleth?
4425938 This pleases me greatly. I had almost forgotten it and it was shear luck that it survived the clean up in my fav list even after being so long without updates. I can hardly contain my elation for seeing this update. Great work.
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He did, but he left out that Yuelith is believed to have been a unicorn... Wynn almost got to say it but was cut off before she could explain to Twilight why a paladin would defiantly protect a unicorn like her. To her knowledge, Twilight only knew unicorns were long thought to be gone from the world, not that they held any religious significance, though there were a lot of instances where that tid-bit was alluded to. Like if she had just had the where-withal to glace at the pendant Morenth gave her, this revelation would have been explored far earlier.
Ah, dammit...
You never sent this to me for proofreading! Bloody 'ell, m8.
ill fokkin rekk u sware on me mum
wait, is this a Human in Equestria, or a Pony in a Human World fanfic?
4426268
pony in DnD type world
4426100 You took breaks... I read the damned fic start to finish in the span of 5 days... My feels are still acting up from that last scene... and it's been two weeks since I finished it
Yay, its back. Also, funny enough, after I finished reading the chapter, I actually had the idea that Yuleth had taken on a Unicorn form before reading your comment.
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I've played around with the idea. I mean, she has turned a frog into an orange, but those are two pre-established objects that ponies already knew about. Who's to say how hard it would be to magically change your own biology into an alien form that you know nothing about (I'm guessing it would be several orders of magnitude greater in difficulty). So for now, Twilight will remain pony. Unless, of course, it just writes itself in, because let's be honest, I just make this up as I go...
yay you're back now I'm looking forward to some real Twilight badassery.
4427737 Hopefully you'll keep her as a pony. To many good fics like this had gone the way of changing the ponies into humans to try an make them 'fit' in better. Better to just let her stay a pony in my honest opinion.
piques not peaks.
due to the
Nevertheless, it's not
Good story.
Glad to have you back! And next we'll hopefully get to see Twilight properly react to having been created in someone else's god's image.
That's right Twi, people think you're a god.
Overjoyed to see this update. All of the other Human-Medeival-Fantasy ponyfics seem to be on hiatus...
Have some unsolicited editing: Misted capitalizing the word "slowing"; "do to the" instead of "due".
Now as for comparing your work to PH, well when someone focuses their whole life's energy on doing one thing, like PH's author seems to, that is to be expected. I, for one, couldn't care less. I enjoy your writing. For fanfiction or amateur fiction in general it is far beyond competent and compelling. And I would rather read a story about believable characters on a "culture shock" adventure in a dark world than shovel in the effort it would take to stomach FO:E's premise for even a chapter.
For some reason, this story reminds me of the Diablo series.
Regardless, excellent story.
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SPOILERS!
the tension is building once again my friend, i can feel it.
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This may be a bit late for a response, but I don't think "Blackjack gets fucked over" is much of a spoiler at this point in the story.
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What if I was only on the second chapter, hm? I'm actually not. I finished the one where they met RD couple months back, and haven't continued after that. Pure laziness.
4431561 elder crollls cross over
4609941
Ah cool. Haven't played those games.
4580202 hi been waiting a while... Good job for making elderscrolls online. When's the next chapter
4883816 lol bey this i mean good job for making this story similar to elder scrolls online befor it was made
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Actually, I got the idea of using the name "Epona" from the story "The End of Ponies". That story really made an impression on me, and while I can't say if the author used the name because of Legend of Zelda or not, she is the headcannon goddess I think of for MLP (besides Faust).
On an off note, this is the first comment I've responded to in what feels like forever. I just started writing again after getting out of the army and the next chapter's almost done.
Should i keep an active eye on updates from this story or should I simply shelf it now that I reached the recent chapter?
I love this story. I can't seem to find the words to explain why but I just do.
Once again my body is missing from the morgue!
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I LIVE AGAIN!!!!
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But seriously, let me know if you spot any discrepancies. Been a while since a put a metaphorical pen to paper.