Haste
“My little ponies.” Celestia projected her voice across the assembled crowd. The main courtyard of the castle was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Several camera flashes, most of them towards the front of the crowd, filled the princess's vision with multiple hues of spots. A straight, horizontal line of gold cut off any further advancement of the furor below. The guards spouted off loud, curt orders to those more riled up to stay back from Celestia's podium.
The bright dot that was the early morning sun was barely peeking beyond the thick, black cover overhead. Given the day's weather and the audience count, half of the city was likely to be sick with a cold in the coming week. Nestled upon a mountainside, with various small rivers and canals in abundance, Canterlot had managed to fall behind in its regular summer quota of rainfall. The makeup storm from last night had continued into the dawn, and was set to persist throughout the rest of the day as well. Though shrunken into themselves and shivering, the ponies below Celestia braved the cold with only the occasional visible cloud of breath from their snouts warming their clammy hooves. They stared hungrily at the princess, and she knew she was entirely unprepared to satisfy their desire for answers.
“As you are all no doubt aware by now, a break-in has occurred in the Canterlot castle grounds,” Celestia continued. Some ponies towards the back of the crowd, those not associated with the press hounding the front rows, began to whisper frantically amongst themselves. Any of their lingering suspicions of a hoax was immediately put to rest.
“Now,” Celestia increased her volume to hush the whispers and focus the crowd on her again. “I will have you know that my guard is already acting in full upon this event. I must also, sadly, have to impose a restriction upon travel to and from the city.” Celestia paused and braced herself, anticipating the coming wave with a deep inhale. “Nopony is to leave Canterlot until this matter is resolved.”
After a collective gasp, nopony in the crowd moved for a few seconds. While the expected uproar did eventually occur, the entire audience was first stunned into silence. The precise moment that the princess's words sunk in could have been documented. The ponies in the front scribbled frantically upon suddenly visible notepads before lifting their heads in tandem to face Celestia again. Those ponies without notes to write whirled upon each other, neighbour upon neighbour asking the same question. Then their voices reached Celestia.
“Why?”
“How come?”
“What for?”
One question stood out from the din of the others. “What was stolen?” Celestia's breath caught. She had feared this question would come. Already Luna and several of her staff knew about the missing statue, and it was difficult enough for her to tolerate them asking questions about it.
“As of this time, I cannot disclose what has been taken.” Celestia spoke curtly, trying to stem any persistence. She remembered Luna during the previous night's dinner, and thought herself a fool. Despite being lost in the crowd, the same voice piped up again with another question.
“But don't you know?”
Celestia scanned the soaked mass of ponies before her. She couldn't pick out who had spoken up, but decided she would have trouble looking them in the eyes anyway. Hundreds stared back at her, and to face one set was to face them all. She settled her vision on the far archway leading out of the courtyard, and spoke up in a tight voice.
“Yes, but until the culprit comes to light—”
“We have on record here from one of your guards that two culprits fled the castle grounds through the gardens last night. Is that correct?” A different pony from before had interrupted her, and this time Celestia was able to look down and spot them. It was not difficult. The pony had attracted every eye in the courtyard. Given he was at the very front, he may have been starting to regret the attention. A guard directly in front of the stallion took a single menacing step forward. No further rebuke for the interruption was necessary.
Celestia's panic threatened to choke her. The whole matter of two ponies apparently having been in the garden was becoming difficult for her to handle. Did she not just take a statue, but also... No. Nopony can break the spell, not even Twilight. Celestia felt weak. She couldn’t even convince herself. She smiled placidly at the press pony, hoping her staring silence hadn't lasted longer than she'd thought. “I'm afraid you may be mistaken, just as that guard was. Only a single perpetrator is to be accounted for in this case.”
Celestia's doubt lingered and she fought to bury it. She fervently hoped that her last statement was right. It was hard enough to imagine Twilight being involved, but if she had actually managed to...
No. Think about her later. Move on.
“As for the previous questions, Canterlot is the first and most obvious home for the pony responsible for this incident. When they have been identified and dealt with, the travel restriction upon Canterlot shall be lifted.”
A cream-coloured mare with a wine-red mane raised her hoof. She was at the far back, obviously unaffiliated with the horde at the front. Upon realising she'd garnered the princess's attention she uncertainly projected her voice, clearly quite timid. “What if they've already left the city?”
Celestia's smile tried its best to make her look untroubled, but the grim prospect eventually dragged her lips down. “That is an unfortunate possibility, but I assure you that it is something I have prepared for accordingly.”
That's enough. You have a pony to speak to.
Celestia began to step down. “Unfortunately, I must end this conference here. I apologise, but please try and understand my own stress in this situation. Please return to your homes or your places of work and carry on with your day. I have much to do if I am to see this ban of travel lifted as soon as possible.”
Doing her best to look at no one, Celestia walked away from the podium back to the castle's side entrance. Noise, of course, followed after her, but she ignored it. Luna was in view, and she made way for her younger sister to walk alongside her as she retreated further down the hallway.
After a short walk, Celestia excused herself from even Luna's company to take a ten minute break alone. She had a second letter to write.
~\\***\***/***//~
“Y'know,” Spike said, sounding rather annoyed. “You oughta' treat those things with more respect. They are library property, after all.”
Twilight ignored him, and continued reading. She didn't trust herself to look Spike, or anypony else for that matter, in the eyes. She wasn't strong enough yet. Her bran muffin floated over the rim of the book's cover and up to her mouth. She chewed it mechanically, her eyes doing a rescan of the page she had finished moments before. She heard Spike groan. He had never liked her habit of reading while eating, despite her insistence that she was always careful. He always complained about it leaving him more to clean up during his chores. 'Un-librarian' like, he'd once called it. Twilight remembered shoving a dictionary in his face after that.
Her current read, Spell Guidance, Vol. I: A Glossary of All Things Magic, shut itself and slid sideways to be automatically replaced by the next book in the left-hoof stack. The closed textbook floated over to join the stack on the right, shuffling into automatic alphabetical alignment like a card in a deck. Twilight's face hid itself behind a fan of new pages.
Out of all of her chosen books, this one was most likely the furthest outside her current fare. The header sat bold in the page corners: The Magical Land of Equestria: A Complete Geography. Near the beginning of the book was a two-page spread of a map encompassing her entire homeland. Twilight's hoof couldn't help but poke at familiar locales, as if her touch would send her to them instantly.
Appleloosa, Cloudsdale... the Everfree Forest.
Twilight pulled her hoof away sharply, looking behind her at the basement door. She had an idea.
“Twilight?” Spike asked nervously. “What are you doing?”
“Oh! Um... Nothing, Spike.” She began to perspire, and she glanced across the room at the burning hearth. “It's sweltering in here, Spike. Can't you put that out?”
“Personally, I think it's rather cozy,” Spike said, glancing up slightly. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, fine.” Spike made for the kitchen and returned a minute later, heaving a metal bucket full of water.
“Well, uh, I just remembered I forgot something down in the basement.” Twilight walked over to the door.
“Do you need any—?”
“No!” Twilight heard Spike jump and spill a bit of the water he was carrying. She turned back apologetically. “I mean, no, Spike. Sorry, it’s just—”
“Whatever. I get the feeling I don't want to know.”
The words hurt Twilight, but she couldn't help but be grateful for the dangled lifeline. You have no idea how right you are, Spike.
“Just knock if you need me,” she said uncertainly.
“Mm-hmm.” Spike poked a bit at the doused tinder and steaming ashes in the hearth.
Twilight clicked open the lock with her magic and stepped through the door. She eased it shut and locked it again before starting down the stairs.
Knowledge sat below, and even from her distance Twilight could see the heavy bags underneath her eyes. She clearly hadn't slept, though apparently not from a lack of trying. Off in one corner of the basement sat what looked like a bird's nest made of white sheets, and directly next to this was a stack of large crates which Twilight previously remembered being covered.
My polygraph equipment? Twilight realised. This idea of hers could work even better than she thought.
She cleared her throat. Knowledge turned around wearily. She'd either heard Twilight enter and ignored her or was simply too tired to be surprised anymore. She still hadn't cleaned herself off, and she now looked even worse than she had before. The bagged skin under her now doubly-red eyes swelled like bruises. Her sagged skin stretched for purchase across her cheekbones as she gave a weak smile.
“Hello.”
“You should get some sleep.”
Knowledge shook her head. “I've tried.” She glanced towards the dusty white sheets. “I haven't been able to lie down for more than a minute.”
Twilight frowned. “No sleep at all? Dreams?” Her second question was an admittedly odd one, and Twilight was afraid of aggravating Knowledge into shouting again, but she did still wonder how well exactly the mare's mind was faring. If she couldn’t even remember her true name then heavy memory loss was almost certainly present.
Knowledge merely shook her head. “Nothing.”
Twilight suddenly thought of something else, and spoke up. “How did you sleep in the garden? When you were... y'know?”
Am I really asking this of her? Twilight thought, shocked at herself. Months ago, after gazing into the eyes of a cockatrice in the Everfree Forest, she had been lucky enough to never find out firsthoof how deep the effects of petrification could go. Now here she was, asking the potentially traumatic question to a clearly broken mare. She was torn between sensitivity and science. The irony of the situation infuriated her, especially since her research into cockatrice-bound ponies had come up dry in her other books. Either none had come forward about their experience, or nopony else had lived to tell the tale.
So... me and her? Are we the only ones? We can't be. The spell...
Twilight saw Knowledge shake briefly, then open her mouth. It hung slack for a moment as she struggled to speak. “I-I didn't.” Twilight shivered, imagining a practical eternity of awareness. There were few outcomes other than madness. Despite her memory, or lack thereof, Knowledge was lucky. Knowledge slouched, and Twilight somehow knew exhaustion played no part. “Or maybe I did, I don't know. I just...”
Twilight walked up and put a hoof on Knowledge's shoulder. “What?”
“What if I'm dreaming now?” she asked.
Twilight cocked her head to the side. “What?”
“If I fall asleep now, I'm afraid I'll wake up back in the garden. What if all this time, I've been dreaming?”
“I could pinch you, if you'd like.”
Despite herself, Knowledge giggled along with Twilight. “No, no, that's quite alright.”
Twilight's good humour died quickly in her throat. “I'd give anything to be dreaming right now, actually. For this to all be—”
“A nightmare?” Knowledge finished for her.
“Y-yes. Sorry,” Twilight said sheepishly.
“It's fine.”
“Okay. Listen,” Twilight started over. “I might have some ideas.” She saw a momentary glint in Knowledge's eyes, and continued quickly. “Sleep first, or at least try. I'll tell you when you wake up.”
“If,” Knowledge stated dryly, shifting into the centre of the doughnut of sheets.
“When,” Twilight insisted, smiling hopefully.
Knowledge curled herself into a tight ball. Her nose pressed itself slightly into the makeshift bedding, not caring about the dust or the occasional discoloured patch in the fabric. Her head faced the far wall, and her left eye held onto Twilight as it eased slowly shut.
“You have her smile,” Knowledge said, her stare beginning to glaze over as sleep claimed her.
“Whose?” Twilight asked.
Knowledge's eye closed entirely. Her voice was faint. “The white pony's.”
“Knowledge...” Twilight slipped up before she sat speechless. The pony below her gave no acknowledgement. Already Knowledge's breath had fallen into a slumber's rhythm. She was like a very young foal. One that could only sleep in the company of a parent.
Twilight walked over to the crates and fumbled around inside. She hoped to herself that Knowledge was a heavy sleeper.
~\\***\***/***//~
Knowledge.
Her legs felt as though they were treading water as they fought for an equal footing. Not one of her hooves could sit at level with any of her others. It wasn't so much that the terrain was uneven, it was more that there was no terrain at all. The air felt cold, but she saw no puff of breath in front of her snout.
Knowledge.
Whatever the voice was, it made her angry. She thought it could at least call her by her proper name of... of...
Canterlot.
She faltered. That wasn't her name either, but it was a name. But not one for her, although this one was at least familiar to her.
Her hometown.
She was lucky that she had no balance to lose, for it surely would have been lost as a floor came rushing up to meet her. She momentarily feared breaking her legs upon landing. But she hadn't fallen, the surface had simply come to rest below. A summer’s warmth now tingled across her coat, broken only by the cold tile underhoof. Stunned, she looked around the room that had miraculously folded around her.
~\\***\***/***//~
“Canterlot,” Twilight whispered softly in the sleeping pony's ear. Knowledge's eye twitched, and she briefly feared her waking up.
When her breathing stayed even, Twilight turned back to the graphed chart. In the otherwise regular pattern of jagged lines there was a brief spike, followed by the lines now beginning to repeat a different, wider arc. Looking at the contraption atop Knowledge's head, which resembled a salad strainer affixed with Hearth's Warming lights, Twilight saw the multicoloured bulbs brighten slightly before returning to their regular, dull glow.
Twilight frowned in realisation. She had already gotten far more response out of the polygraph than when she had tried to discover the root of the infamous “Pinkie Sense”. She thought sourly of the failed experiment, and went back to Knowledge's side.
Her best chance of stirring something within Knowledge's mind rested with this test. Knowledge had already shown a bit of response to voice stimuli. Maybe there was a larger trigger word somewhere. Twilight only hoped that she wouldn't have to set up any more equipment besides the polygraph to find it. A sound-bubble spell had been easy enough to cast around the equipment whilst she had assembled it, but only her finesse had allowed her to slip the sensor on top of Knowledge’s head without her coming to. Besides the risk of Knowledge waking up, Twilight feared knocking even more screws loose in the mare's head. It was only a calculated risk-versus-reward assessment—and maybe an inkling of desperation—that had brought her attempts this far to begin with.
Twilight gave a peek to Knowledge's exposed rear leg. She couldn't believe she had taken this long to actually look at the other pony's cutie mark. Having avoided the mud boots still caked across her legs, a marking of a sundial sat across Knowledge's flank. The unblinking eye of a pony sat as the centrepiece, its indicator drawing a straight stone tear of a line to the south edge. The lack of a visible shadow set the time at a permanent midnight.
Twilight leaned down to whisper again. “Cutie mark.”
~\\***\***/***//~
She should just ignore the voice. It wasn't making any sense. Starting down the long, white chamber, she found she wasn't certain of the time of day. The hall had many windows, but all of them had their curtains drawn, and she didn't feel brave enough to try peeking outside. She remembered being frightened of the outdoors.
Everfree?
The voice again. It now sounded... questioning? She was beginning to believe she was being played for a foal, and she wished whomever this pony was would simply show themselves. She turned around, noticing for the first time the stallion standing dressed in full armour at the very end of the hall. He nodded at her as they made eye contact. She turned around, disappointed. The voice belonged to a mare. She began to wonder what she was even doing here. She thought she must be in a castle, so this must have been Canterlot, right? That would explain the guard, and the high-ceilings above carpeted floors.
A curtain suddenly flew open next to her, making her yelp. It took several moments for her to loosen from the scare, and she reluctantly peered out the pane. A long, evenly cut lawn continued for roughly thirty feet before the grass suddenly got thick, long, and scraggly like a tangled mane. Beyond this sat a thick line of trees about forty feet wide, broken only on its left side by a cobblestone path and continuing unseen around the castle perimeter to the right. She could see daylight, but the trees of this small forest didn't so much reach for the sky as stick from the ground like an outcrop fit for a cave. Darkness pervaded beneath the canopy; a throat of a mouth, leafy jaws above threatening to slam shut. Unnerved, she turned away from the window to continue down the hall. The voice spoke again.
She made it only a few steps before she suddenly found herself forced into a standing position on two hooves. Her lips curled themselves into a light grin in mockery of her terror, and her front legs clutched a long since familiar, but not at all missed weight between them. Her scroll. It grew dark again, the world malleable once more. Her body continued to fail her, standing stock still.
Her vision began to return slowly, blearily. She was in a different room, a featureless mess of colours; green, red, and yellow, a large white splotch just barely visible from behind the wall. She desperately picked for a few faint sounds that tried to force their way through the silence. The voice repeated itself.
Celestia.
~\\***\***/***//~
Twilight squirmed and looked back and forth between Knowledge and the polygraph. Why did she ever think this was a good idea?
She could no longer directly examine the sensor atop Knowledge's head. The lights upon it had grown far too bright, their individual colours lost in a white hot glow. The graph behind Twilight scratched in silent fury, and she was beginning to wish the monotonous pattern from before would return. She thought she could see the paper beneath the needles starting to tear. The evidence of the physical data sat writhing before Twilight.
Knowledge's eyelids were so tightly shut as to look like her eyes had been devoured, only black voids wreathed with the white of bone waiting on the insides. Beneath these her mouth showed a gritted wall of teeth. Air whistled out from between the gaps, her throat and lungs trying desperately to scream. Her teal coat stunk of perspiration.
Twilight lowered the bubble spell around the polygraph machine’s central control box. She grabbed at the wires affixed to the front with her teeth and yanked. The soft whirring of the components and slightly louder drag of the needles stopped immediately. The room dimmed as the lights atop Knowledge's head blinked out. Twilight thought she smelt smoke coming from the blackened ends of the tens of little bulbs.
Knowledge continued to fuss and drew her legs up to her chest, seizing madly. Twilight moved closer to her face just as her eyes shot open. She drew a large breath, and in the same moment Twilight recalled an old spell and cast it. A muffled scream reverberated inside Knowledge's zippered mouth. She then took deep inhales through her nose, barely registering the bind on her lips. Twilight released her spell's hold and trotted closer again.
“A-Are you alright?” she asked hesitantly.
Knowledge turned to look at Twilight, her chest doubling and shrinking in size with her breaths. She didn't speak immediately, and her eyes drifted to the now-fried apparatus that had been occupying her cranium. She brought a hoof up to ruffle her mane, gone whiter from her shock, and stared at Twilight, seething. Twilight looked away.
“Whatever you were doing,” Knowledge snarled, “never do it again.”
Twilight nodded frantically, staring at the floor.
Knowledge winced, stuck out her tongue, and dragged the bottom of a hoof across it. She held it up to her face, a thick red stain on the underside. Twilight looked to her and flinched. “You bit your tongue!” Twilight said, alarmed.
“I-I—”
“I'll be right back!” Twilight leapt up the stairs, barely remembering to keep quiet. After locking the door again, she looked over at the centre table. Owlowiscious sat at the nearest end. His back was to Twilight and he ignored her, pecking at something. Spike was nowhere to be seen, but he must have been in the kitchen, for she soon heard a belch come from the doorway.
Twilight looked out the window above the front door to see the blue of the early afternoon sky. She didn't like this new habit of Owlowiscious's, being awake during the day. The owl's behaviour had potential to become rather unhealthy.
Speak for yourself.
Twilight walked over to the kitchen, passing Spike on his way out. He was holding a feather duster, obviously carrying out his chores. Twilight opened the medicine cabinet and took out cotton balls and bandages.
“Hoo?”
Twilight turned and looked back through the kitchen door to the foyer. Spike was moving scraps of paper around on the table, brushing the feather duster beneath them with his other claw. He had disturbed Owlowiscious's makeshift seat upon a thick tome, and the owl fluttered off to perch at the table's other end. Twilight could now see that Owlowiscious had been pecking at the half-eaten bran muffin she had left behind.
Twilight nearly smacked herself. She hasn't eaten.
Twilight opened the pantry. She had no idea what Knowledge liked, and settled for shuffling the entire box of muffins from Sugarcube Corner off of a shelf. She also began to fill a large pitcher of water in the sink. It was simple food fare, but she doubted Knowledge would be so picky as to refuse.
“Twilight?”
Twilight looked behind her. Spike had walked back into the kitchen. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Uh...” Twilight quickly floated the kitchen sponge beside the sink over to her and sat it next to the items she'd gathered on the counter. “I just need to clean something downstairs, Spike.” She suddenly heard crackling come from the foyer. “Why did you light the fireplace again?”
“I was chilly.” Twilight's eyes slackened. “Hey, it's the truth! The cold blood does it to me, or something like that.” Spike’s eyes narrowed to match Twilight’s. “So, why do you have all that food with you? And why aren't you holding the water in a bucket? And why the hay aren't you asking for my help with the cleaning?” Hole upon hole was being poked in Twilight's shoddy cover. She needed to get the conversation off of her, seeing her chance with the last question.
“Basement, Spike.” Twilight tried to sound chiding. “Remember what happened the last time you came looking for me in the basement? I'm sure Pinkie Pie does.”
“Pinkie's not here now, is she?” Spike asked, doing an involuntary double-take. That mare could be seemingly anywhere if she felt like it. By the time he had turned back around, Twilight was already making her way back to the main room. He rolled his eyes. “So now she's eating while she's cleaning. Great.”
Back in the main room, Twilight stamped out the small flames in the hearth. As an afterthought, she floated the scrap paper out and set it beside her books on the table. Spike wasn't supposed to be burning old papers without checking with her first anyway, no matter any chill he apparently felt. She supposed she could check them over while she worked with Knowledge. Any distraction was welcome by this point.
Twilight looked left and saw Owlowiscious had begun to stare at her. His eyes then moved to the basement door. She gulped, and quickly floated her books and the scrap paper off of the table to carry down with her. The burn of the owl's eyes continued past the threshold even after the door was closed.
~\\***\***/***//~
The majority of the water in the pitcher ended up being used to clean Knowledge's coat. Twilight dug out an old bucket from the basement corner, and left a little less than half in the pitcher for drinking. Taking the kitchen sponge, she wiped mud off of Knowledge, the dirt having gone slick again from her severe perspiration. Knowledge fussed as Twilight cleaned her off, protesting as quietly as she could about being mare-handled. As Twilight finished, she moved to pick up a few cotton balls and wipe up a thin trail of blood that had started down Knowledge's chin.
“She was there,” Knowledge said suddenly. She was struggling to not flub her words, her mouth filled with blood and saliva. A translucent red bead spilled out of her mouth. Twilight's face scrunched up in disgust. But as she wiped Knowledge's chin again, stuffing a couple of cotton balls in the mare's mouth for good measure, she remembered her test from earlier.
“Celestia?” Twilight breathed fearfully. It was pointless to ask. Who else could she have meant? But she saw Knowledge turn to face her, looking puzzled.
“I've heard that name before,” she said. “Is that what the white pony's name is?”
“Y-Yes.”
Knowledge grew leery. “How do you know her?”
“I-I'm… I am... I was her student.” Twilight had hoped to avoid having to tell Knowledge about her association with Celestia altogether, but if she withheld anything now she risked the mare distrusting her and leaving.
“How has she lived for so long?”
“Nopony can say but her and Luna. Alicorns like them are not exactly commonplace.”
“Luna?”
“Her sister.”
“Hmm...”
“Up until now I guess I'd hoped I was wrong about her somehow. Celestia, I mean. Are you sure it was her? Did you actually see her?” Twilight knew she was grasping at straws, but some part of her still refused to buy Discord's little accusation towards Celestia. He didn't exactly have a reputation in Equestria for being trustworthy.
Knowledge kneaded her hooves together, her discomfort clear. “I-I think I did. It was—”
“Think? Think?!” Twilight could barely hold together while uncertain of Celestia by herself, but somehow Knowledge being unsure as well made it a whole lot worse. She took a step forward, becoming angry. “You either saw her or you didn't! So, which was it?”
“I could barely see.” Knowledge's voice lowered to an indignant hiss. “It was so blurry. But I saw somepony. They were tall and white. I suppose it couldn't be anypony else.”
Twilight's eyes grew downcast. She would have begun to cry if Knowledge hadn't spoken up again.
“You're putting a whole lot of stock in just a dream of mine, aren't you?”
“Well, what about you?” Twilight accused. “Aren't you just the slightest bit curious?” Knowledge’s hard stare made Twilight crumple, and she checked her harsh tone. “Sorry. I just hate not knowing things, and this is the worst.”
“Hey, it's just a dream,” Knowledge tried, her voice softening.
Twilight nipped her own hoof. Her bruised fetlock throbbed. “No, it isn't.”
“I don't think she was alone,” Knowledge said quickly, Twilight's despair seemingly frightening her.
“What?”
“I think there was somepony else there. I know I saw something else. I think I heard crying too. Somepony was crying.”
“And?”
“And?”
“What else?”
“That's it.” Knowledge turned away. “I'm sorry.”
Twilight looked to her books and floated them over. She began to flip through one she'd chosen at random. She sat on her rump, and absentmindedly kicked the box of muffins over to Knowledge with a rear hoof.
“Let's just talk.”
“Talk?” Knowledge sounded confused.
“Yes. About anything else, but the dream.”
To Twilight's surprise, Knowledge visibly perked up. “Gladly. I think I actually have a few questions.”
~\\***\***/***//~
Somepony crying. Twilight didn't think for a second that the thought would leave her mind just by changing the subject. She was correct for not expecting so. It hung over the many questions she found herself answering for Knowledge, just barely checking herself on the few times she nearly asked it.
Who was crying?
The question was useless. If Knowledge barely remembered who Celestia was, what could Twilight possibly hope she could tell her about somepony else? Ultimately, she would be left disappointed.
Besides, she was finding that she enjoyed answering questions herself for a change. Knowledge seemed very interested in the books Twilight had brought down, and she was particularly eager to nose her way through The Magical Land of Equestria: A Complete Geography. She propped it up with one hoof alongside the globe she had been fussing over before. With her other hoof, she directed Twilight with a point.
“Yes, see? I think there is something wrong with your book. Not to mention your globe,” she said excitedly. Her mouth spewed bran crumbs on Twilight's face. She was on her third muffin.
Twilight sat blank and uncomprehending. “What are you talking about?”
Knowledge's eyes lidded and she pointed again, first at the middle of Equestria on the globe, then to the nation's centre on the folded out map in the book. “Here! See?” Her hoof idled over the colour printing of the Everfree Forest. “That can't be right. And why is Canterlot up on a mountain top? That's wrong too!”
Twilight was unimpressed. “The Everfree Forest is one of the most dangerous places in all of Equestria. Of course there's nothing right with it! And for that matter, I'm pretty sure I know the name of the town I grew up in.”
“But the forest is so big! Wouldn't the ponies in Canterlot do something about it?”
“Big? It's always been that way, as far as I can tell.”
“Nonsense! Nopony would ever let something like that grow right on their doorstep!”
“Look, what are you talking about?”
“This! This Everfree Forest you're talking about doesn't exist. It just can't! The most trees I've seen around Canterlot is that troublesome patch of shrubbery next to the castle.”
Twilight paused. “Wait, castle?” She brought her hoof forward, hesitated, and then put it down on top of another familiar locale. “Here?” Her hoof poked at a grey smudge in the midst of the Everfree's green; the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.
“Yes!” Knowledge exclaimed. “Right in the valley. Just like I...” she trailed off. “But weren't we just in Canterlot?”
“That's what I'm trying to tell you.” Twilight was becoming annoyed.
“But Canterlot... mountain... forest...”
“Hold on a minute.”
Twilight walked away to snatch up one of her history books. She glanced over the title: A History of Equestria: The Millennium Era. The book was a very recent print, barely a year old. Twilight had the edition more for posterity than anything else, given her responsibilities as the Golden Oak's librarian.
She wasn't against history books, far from it, but the most time she had ever spent with them was during any of her magic studies, and even then she mostly stuck to the Pre-Classical Era. Star Swirl the Bearded and those he commonly associated with were generations away from the first years of this book's coverage.
Despite its little amounts of usage, Twilight still spied a dog-eared page poking out from the flat uniform of the rest of the book. She folded open the section. The page was towards the back, and Twilight smiled, suddenly remembering the few times she had looked through the book. A picture of a crowd bowing at Princess Luna in the town square of Ponyville sat beneath the top page header. Celestia stood at her little sister's side. Twilight shut the book quickly, and closed her eyes.
“Twilight?”
Hearing Knowledge use her name was enough to snap Twilight out of her stupor. She walked back over to sit by Knowledge's side once again and began to flip through the book's index. “Everfree, Everfree, E, E, E... Elements, no... Ah! Here!” She scanned the entry on page three hundred and ninety-four.
Everfree Forest
Lying within almost the exact middle of the nation, the Everfree Forest is a constant enigma in Equestria's history. Only...
Twilight began to skip pages, skimming the various sub-passages before her eyes came to rest on one in particular.
Creation
Perhaps the greatest mystery surrounding the Everfree Forest is the date of its initial inception. No exact date exists, and only the best of estimates from various historians, botanists, and geologists have solidified the beginnings of the forest to be sometime in the early Millennium Era, hence its placement within this volume of Equestria's history.
Because of the obvious danger posed, few attempts have been made to enter the Everfree to discover the potential cause for its unnatural functionality and, by extension, its entire existence in the first place. Due to this, much of the Everfree Forest remains entirely unmapped on all maps of Equestria with only the surrounding borders of the forest acting as guidelines. Only a scant few features, such as the long-since abandoned Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, act as any sort of landmark for cartographers.
Twilight nosed the book over to Knowledge. Knowledge eyed her in concern before turning her eyes to the pages. She stared at the indicated passage for a good five minutes before finally closing the volume to look at its title.
“The Millennium Era?” she asked.
“Detailing the one thousand years of Princess Celestia's singular rule before the return of Princess Luna,” Twilight stated in concise formality.
Knowledge looked like she'd been bucked in the gut. “O-One thousand...”
“What?”
Knowledge shook her head. “In my dream, I was back in that castle.” She once again pointed a hoof at the middle of the Everfree Forest upon the globe. She ignored Twilight skeptically raising her eyebrow. “I know I was there! I saw a forest too. But no bigger than a grove. But... oh, it was so dark. Even in the light of day!”
Twilight grew fidgety, looking anywhere but at the pony in front of her. A dark forest. What else could Knowledge have seen but the Everfree? “The book said the best guesses put the beginning of the forest towards the start of the era. So, that means you're...”
“Nearly one thousand years old.” Knowledge finished for her.
Neither of them moved for a full minute. Knowledge stared dumbly at the closed book in her hooves. She began to tremble.
“Hey,” Twilight tried to soothe Knowledge, but an uncomfortable sting began to creep across her neck, the hairs of it on end. Denial was fast becoming a regular, physical pain. “Maybe it's nothing. Maybe—”
“SHUT UP!” Knowledge whirled and threw the book at Twilight's face. Twilight barely managed to catch it with her magic before it struck her. Its pages hung open in an accordion as it came to rest on top of the pile of scrap paper Twilight had rescued from the fireplace. “You know what it is to me? It's everything! And it's gone! All of it, gone!” Twilight winced. Knowledge began to pace in fury.
Twilight picked the book up off the floor, something poking her hoof as she did so. A scroll, its trim bronzed from the hearth's heat, was hidden underneath. She frowned. The library's scrap paper never consisted of old letters from the princess. But as she looked at the scroll, her nerves turned to ice and she shook.
With the exception of its toasted edges, the scroll was pristine, obviously sent only a short time ago. She knew she hadn't sent any letters to Celestia recently, and Spike had said nothing of letters in return. A red seal hung limply around the paper's outer borders. She floated it up to her face and read the message stamped around the sun and moon border.
For the eyes of Spike the Dragon
She folded open the letter and began to read.
Spike,
As a friend I do not want to ask this of you, but as a ruler I must.
I have not given up the hope that Twilight can be talked to. I am currently busy with an incident here in Canterlot and I must attend to matters here for the time being. That being said, I have sent a few of my guards to collect Twilight and bring her to me. You can expect their arrival within a few hours.
Until they arrive, I need you to keep an eye on Twilight and keep her indoors. Do not ask her questions. That will only risk stirring her up further. The last thing anypony needs is Twilight running off again. Just keep her inside until she is collected. I do this only in the hope that Twilight's behaviour can be dealt with peacefully and accordingly.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
Twilight's blood melted into fire. Knowledge had stopped pacing, her previous rage cooled off, and the two ponies now found their positions swapped. Twilight's eyes went white with gathered magic, and she shook wildly. The unicorn's pupils were shrouded from view, but Knowledge still somehow felt them lock onto her own. She cowered, caught in the glare of two miniature suns.
“Stay. Here.” Twilight told her tightly.
Knowledge could only nod. Twilight promptly vanished.
~\\***\***/***//~
Their forces were stretched thinly today, occupied with a sizable chunk of Canterlot's population that refused to dissipate from the courtyard. The hallway the two sisters walked was guarded sparingly. A single golden-armoured stallion stood at attention as they passed.
When she was certain nopony was in earshot, Luna spoke up. “You lied to them, Tia.” It was said matter-of-factly, entirely without anger.
“Yes,” Celestia said. “I did. But I'm sure you can agree that the rest of Equestria didn't need to know. This whole thing will likely be over before it can matter what specifically was stolen. And the last thing we need is somepony deciding they would like to fetch a pretty bit off of stolen castle property. The item could get stolen twice.”
Luna frowned. “I did not mean what was stolen, sister.” She turned to face Celestia. “What is this about matters outside of the city? Canterlot's entire force is focused on searching their own city for the culprit, correct?”
Celestia hesitated before answering. “Yes.”
“And you have made it explicitly clear with what you said before that you wish for this not to be an Equestria-wide search. With—”
“With as little public knowledge as possible, yes. You and I would both rather not deal with a larger headache than necessary, and the public asking questions and otherwise trying to get involved will needlessly make a mess of things.”
“Why then did you give that one pony's theory any merit? Do you not believe that the criminal is still here in Canterlot? And if you do, why bother indulging the doubts of skeptical ponies? Doing such a thing can only stir up the city even further!”
Celestia looked away and was silent for a few steps. She nodded and faced back again. “I don't believe the culprit is in Canterlot, Luna. I believe that she is in Ponyville.” Luna began to open her mouth, but Celestia was continuing. “And for that matter, I was telling the truth. I have indeed made plans to retrieve her.”
Luna stared, looking completely lost. “Ponyville?”
“Yes. I fear that my student has been making some unannounced visits.”
“Twilight Sparkle?” Luna whispered, afraid the hall's echo would gossip her words to others.
Celestia nodded. “I should explain.” She proceeded to tell Luna of how she had received a letter from Spike, and how she could not shake her fear that it fit suspiciously well with recent events.
Luna remembered yesterday's dinner and pressed further. “And this behaviour that Spike is referring to. You believe it to be the same as what Captain Armor had mentioned?”
“Yes. I would have gone to Twilight already, but I had to see to things here.”
“But, the travel ban...”
“Merely a precaution in case I am wrong about her.” Celestia's eyes shone like window-glass. “But I know I'm right.”
“So, Twilight Sparkle is...” Luna prompted.
“I have ensured that she shall be back here soon. A few hours from now, in fact. When she is within the city again, and if she is involved, we can lift the ban on travel. We can say that the perpetrator has been apprehended and nopony will be the wiser.”
“If it is her, you will have to tell everypony eventually.”
“Yes. But just the thought of...” Celestia wilted. “Ponies love a scandal, Luna. This could ruin her.”
“That does not make what she did, if she did it, right, Tia,” Luna reminded firmly.
“I know.” Celestia grew tearful. “Oh, Twilight, what did you do? Why?”
Luna outstretched a wing. She could not drape her wing over the taller pony, so her deep blue feathers instead crisscrossed with the folded white ones in an attempted embrace. Celestia didn't notice at first, but eventually she faced Luna and the younger spoke. “As much as she is your student, I am your sister. You can speak to me, can't you?”
Celestia looked her over. Her fleeting memories of Nightmare Moon evaporated as she stared into Luna's eyes. She couldn't imagine trusting anypony more, the shadow over the two of them a moon's distance away. “Yes. Yes, I can.”
“Then you can speak to her, and I will be there alongside you. We will figure this out together.”
Celestia nodded gratefully, and the two stopped to find their bearings. The straight path of the hall had become a three-way fork. Celestia turned her head left then right, uncertain. “I believe you are the leader here, Luna. So, where are you taking me?”
“Well, as long as we are waiting for Twilight, I have decided to take the liberty of bringing you to the garden, and showing you which statue was stolen myself. I must admit I have spoken to Privates Vigil and Wind, and they are as confused as I am.”
“Are you certain their words are trustworthy, Luna?” said Celestia, reminding her sister of the Canterlot Daily article from earlier that morning. “Remember that one of them made the mistake that caused this whole 'two ponies' fiasco.” It was like some child's game. The more she said something out loud, the truer it became. Or so she thought. Her doubt was certainly a cheater.
“That is simply it,” said Luna. She again began to lead the way down the right-side passage in the hallway. “I can only imagine two ponies being able to accomplish this theft, let alone manage to escape from Canterlot with their prize.” She looked to Celestia expectantly. “And what is a 'fiasco'?”
“What are you—”
“Caw!”
Celestia jumped and turned her head. A bundle of golden and red feathers descended from above and settled upon her back. Philomena did not return the two princess’ looks, instead leaning slightly sideways to peer past Celestia's head. She fixated upon the end of the hall and the gardens beyond.
“Oh! Philomena!” Luna exclaimed, though in truth she was only mildly surprised. “I imagine she wishes to show you as well, sister.” Luna gave a small grin, but Celestia did not return the gesture as she expected. She stared back, hopelessly confused. Luna realised she was likely getting ahead of herself.
“I should tell you, Celestia, t'was not I who first discovered the statue was missing last night. Philomena was in the gardens, and she showed me herself. A most puzzling theft.” Luna's face tightened into a squint, her head tilted. “Even now I wonder: How could Twilight Sparkle and her friend ever take the train out of Canterlot with something like that?”
“Luna...” Celestia breathed.
Luna thought she sensed reproach in her sister's tone. She quickly spoke up again. “I did not mean to imply certainty in Twilight Sparkle's involvement, Celestia.” She turned to face the older pony. “It is merely that you yourself seem so certain of her...” Luna trailed off. Celestia had only seemed confused before, but now something else was melded with the incomprehension.
Celestia's tone came in ragged. “Luna, tell me. Which one was it? Which statue, I mean?”
Celestia was not afraid. Not yet. Neither she nor Luna believed in fear. It was something wielded and harboured only by their enemies, a product of their own black souls. Something to be exposed rather than instilled.
And only good reason dictated the rare times the sisters felt it themselves.
“Well,” Luna began again. “I believe it was one of the ones nearest to Discord. Knowledge, was it? I think—” She never finished. Celestia took off at a gallop down the remainder of the hallway. The sudden fast pace jolted Philomena off of her white-coated perch, and she caught up with Celestia in flight before deciding to pull ahead entirely. The phoenix disappeared around the right edge of the archway, taking the lead for her master.
“Celestia, wait!” Luna hurried after her. “What's wrong?”
Celestia didn't answer and soon vanished around the corner herself. Luna caught a glimpse of Philomena contrasting harshly against the sky above as she circled. Luna knew precisely where the two were headed. She closed her eyes.
When she reopened them she was standing facing the pedestal from last night. The continued rainfall created a shallow puddle which spread out to flow over all of the prism's edges in tiny rivulets. Luna heard heavy hoofsteps drawing nearer and looked to her left to see Celestia galloping with her neck upturned to the sky. Philomena began to circle lower and Celestia tracked the movement, only acknowledging Luna with the briefest of glances. The phoenix settled into the puddle and the water boiled into steam from her contact. She cawed loudly.
Luna made ready to speak, but chose instead to study Celestia. The older pony's eyes looked up into the air above the stone base then back down again in quick, panicked swivels. “No. Not that one, not that one.”
“C-Celestia?” In her lifetime, Luna had only ever been afraid of her sister twice before: the moment of her banishment, and her return one thousand years later. But this was different. When Luna had been at her most vulnerable that past year, Celestia had not struck her down for good as she'd feared, but instead offered her friendship. The fear had gone, and Luna had since learned to once again take pride from her sister's strength as much as her own. Now, Luna felt no pride, Celestia's sudden frailty contagious.
Celestia now barely looked like she was breathing and Luna thought she heard a whisper pass her lips. She leaned forward straining to hear it.
“Celestia, what is it? Speak to me, please!”
Celestia turned. Her intense eyes froze Luna. “Twilight.”
For her troubles, Luna was blinded by a bright flash of white light. Moments later, she blinked away the intrusive dots in her vision and folded her shielding wing back down.
Celestia was gone.
~\\***\***/***//~
Up until that afternoon, Spike had managed not to panic. Every bit of the situation had called for him to, but he had remained calm in spite of it all. When he had first read the letter from Princess Celestia, he had been determined to see the task through as strongly as he could. For a while he had succeeded, even if he couldn’t resist asking Twilight just a few questions. Twilight had practically done his job for him, what with the basement and all. And even when he grew nervous, a quick thought of the letter calmed his tiny heart. It was as though Celestia herself was right there talking to him.
Now, as the letter he'd thought long burned sat almost right upon his face, Spike could feel himself shaking terribly. But as bad as it was to see it, it was still a much easier sight to bear than Twilight. Facing away from her white hot eyes, Spike tried to calm down again. He'd been in this situation before, hadn't he? He tried to count on one claw all the times he had seen Twilight this furious at him. He held up a single digit and shivered. The slightly bronzed paper pushed towards him again.
“I said what is this, Spike?” Twilight roared. “What is it?!”
Spike's tongue was in knots. He considered running for only a second before chucking the idea away. Even if he could outrun Twilight—and he knew he couldn't—the two of them were currently standing in the second story bedroom, Twilight directly in his path for the door. Just his luck he'd saved this room's cleaning for last. His throat clogged as he tried to breathe, and no amount of coughing could clear it. “I-It's... Well... I wasn't supposed t-to tell you—”
“Why would Celestia send this to you? Why?”
“You tell me!” Spike cried.
“What?” A sliver of unsureness leaked through Twilight's spitting fury.
“I've been worried about you, Twilight.” There was no point hiding it anymore. “Everypony has. You've not been yourself since you came back from Canterlot yesterday. You can't deny it anymore than I can. I...”
“What, Spike?” Twilight at least didn't sound angry anymore, but her stare was still cutting.
“I saw you leaving last night.” He barely whispered it. “For Canterlot. Owlowiscious did too. And I... sent a letter to Celestia.”
Twilight took a step back in shock. “Y-You, what?!” She promptly regained her lost step and took two more forward. Her eyes began to tinge white around their edges again.
“I thought you were going to see her!” Spike said quickly, taking his own steps further away. His back hit the wall. “I just asked her to tell us what was going on with you if you went to her.” The baby dragon slid to his bottom, and drew his knees up to his chest. His eyes stung. “I miss you being... you.”
Twilight pulled completely out of her aggressive stance. She backpedalled towards the bedroom door. “You don't know, do you?”
Spike stared at her and blinked. “I don't know what?”
Whatever he had done instantly relaxed Twilight. He saw a glimpse of her familiar tenderness return to her eyes. Her voice became a plead. “Listen to me, Spike. Celestia, she—”
A muffled knock cut Twilight off. She whipped her head towards the source of the sound, then back to Spike again. She then raised the letter still wrapped in her magic up to her eyes and skimmed the text. As her eyes settled, Spike saw them widen. He stood up, and even dared to step closer to her. He spoke softly. “Twilight, listen. Whatever you've done, whatever you think of Celestia, I know she just wants to—”
A bright burst cut him off as Twilight vanished. Spike finally allowed himself to panic.
Gone... Gone, gone, gone. No, she can't be gone!
Spike seemed to lose control of his already frayed nerves and instinct took over. Entirely removed, he watched his claws fling the bedroom door open and his feet nearly trip as they hurried him down the stairs. His view switched from left to right in quick, nauseating blurs.
A second set of knocks followed. This time a voice accompanied them, cool and collected, but all the same commanding. “Hello? Who is there? We must ask you to open this door!”
Spike charged the front entrance and yanked it open so fast he nearly toppled over backwards. He hung on the open door and beheld two royal guards, both of them pegasi, one with his hoof raised as if about to knock again.
Spike's gasped. “S-She...”
The two walked past him, catching his unease. “Something wrong?” one asked without turning around. He held a hoof up and called. “Miss Sparkle?”
“D-Don't!” Spike hissed frantically. “She found Celestia's letter.”
The two guards were very still. One stiffly pointed to the other, clearly the superior officer. “Search the house. Keep quiet.” The second gave a curt nod, and started up the stairs.
“She won't be up there.” Spike croaked. “Listen, she—”
The floor vibrated, and the muted creak of moving furniture was heard beneath Spike's feet. He rushed to the basement door. He knew it to be locked, but desperately pulled anyways. It held.
“Downstairs!” Spike yelled. The two guards regrouped in front of the door.
“Miss Sparkle,” the lead guard called. “We know you're down there! Open this door, immediately!”
“No!” Twilight's voice was hoarse, and its dim quality through the door made her sound far away.
“Twilight, please!” Spike cried, ignoring the stern stares of the two guards. “Listen to them!” He heard nothing but the sound of frantic hoofsteps. They overlapped into each other like a crowd's.
The higher-ranking of the guards sighed before calling out to Twilight again. “You've left us no choice.” The two ponies backed up to stand side by side and charged the door in a simultaneous ram. It budged slightly. They backed up again, and their second run broke the lock. The metal chimed as it tumbled down the stairs. The echo sustained itself in the empty chamber.
Two long shadows, a smaller third one in-between, were suddenly cast down the stairs. Spike turned to face the centre of the library. When the blinding white light dimmed, Spike was facing Princess Celestia. She was immediately upon the three of them.
“Where is she?” she exclaimed, her eyes bewildering to behold. Angry or fearful, Spike had no idea which.
“S-she,” he stammered, but Celestia was looking past him. The guards had since run down the stairs and begun to search. “She's—”
“Gone,” the second guard immediately called up. He growled like a dog, and walked back up the stairs, his hoofsteps heavy as lead. His eyes narrowed on Spike's. “What happened?” he demanded.
The question caught Spike off guard. “I... don't know what—”
“Spike,” Celestia said calmly, her face anything but. “What happened?”
“S-She... Twilight found the letter.”
“Did Princess Celestia not make it explicitly clear that—”
“Lieutenant,” Celestia hissed, low and cold. The lieutenant backed off, but levelled Spike with an acidic stare. “How, Spike?”
“I wanted to burn the letter, but I needed to keep an eye on Twilight like you said, and I couldn't burn it right in front of her. So I thought I could get rid of it in the fireplace. Inconspicuous. Heh.” The eyes of the guard pony narrowed further. “She must have dug it out when I wasn't looking.”
Celestia sighed. “I see. Lieutenant,” she looked down at the two guards. “You two will remain here in Ponyville. Watch for any sign of Twilight's return. Have Spike notify me immediately if anything is found.” The two saluted and promptly brushed past Spike and filed out the library's front door. Celestia turned to him. “I must ask you to co-operate with them, Spike.
“Princess, Twilight tried to tell me something.”
“Oh?”
“About you. She said I didn't know—”
“Shhh,” Celestia hushed, but her gentle gesture was tinged with a nervous crack in her voice. “Know this, Spike. Everything will be fine.”
Minutes ago, the letter would have been more than sufficient for Spike, but now even Celestia herself standing before the baby dragon couldn't calm him. Spike's terror privileged him even further and he began to cry against the princess's leg. A single, huge wing wrapped him tight.
“Everything will be fine.”
~\\***\***/***//~
“You cannot be serious, Princess.”
Celestia had no difficulty accepting Shining Armor's blunt tone. He had every right to be disbelieving. The most recent events had yet to culminate fully in her own mind as well.
“I apologise, Captain. But everything I have told you is the truth.” She turned to look down the hallway. The front courtyard and rainfall teased her sense of déjà vu. “I am fully prepared to make the announcement myself if you so desire.”
To his credit, Shining Armor didn't try to hide his consideration. He never broke his mile-long glare down the hall, but his eyes shone unsurely. His squint receded and he shook his head. “No, I'll do it. I owe it to myself. And to Twilight.”
Celestia nodded. She followed him down the hall, willing to at least accompany him. The day's second press conference swam before the both of them. Golden armor gleamed its straight guard line across the entire front side of the twice soaked crowd of ponies.
Shining stepped up to the podium on the raised platform. It had not even been disassembled from earlier that morning. Celestia walked up behind and stood on his left. Luna was at the right and she kept flicking her eyes back and forth between the crowd and Celestia. Celestia ignored the burn of her eyes.
Shining hesitated, and Celestia almost stepped in before he finally spoke. “Thank you for your attendance.” He was shaking already. “I cannot stay for long as I have much to see to in the coming hours and days. I am merely here to inform you all of an update in the Royal Guard's recent investigation.
“First and foremost, I will tell all of you that the ban on Canterlot travel has been lifted. You are free to come and go as you please once more.” The audience seemed at once tranquilized, a few even daring to crack small smiles of relief. Celestia cringed. Luna squinted at her.
“This is not to say that the guard will not be continuing its investigation. Quite the contrary; however, you will see their involvement, as well as your own, change. This leads me to my central point.” Shining's hooves dragged lower across the podium, as though he were about to step down from it and walk off. He hoisted himself back up to level and continued. “With all of what I have said in mind, I am here to announce an amendment. Specifically, to the previously issued arrest warrant. It is calling... the guard is now calling for the arrest of one Twilight Sparkle.”
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Huh. Not really much to say beyond that, but certainly getting interesting.
Whoa. Awesome.
It won't be long until Luna discovers them in their dreams.
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I think Twilight has the ability to shield herself from Luna with regard to dreams even if it means she doesn't dream at all when she sleeps.
I find it amazing how many scenarios can lead to a shift from total trust to massive distrust of Celly from Twi and vice-versa.
o_0 celestia.... you have some splaining to do
Oh fuk...
Condemned by her own brother.
This is getting good...
~Skeeter The Lurker
The faster you kill Celestia, Twilight, the safer Knowledge will be.
"not HER"
hmm. Why is Knowledge so much worse than the others...?
This story is really awesome! Keep up the great work
(caught the HP reference ;p)
Man, this is getting good. Please don't stop
Oh my! I'm fully intrigued!
Fugitive Twilight! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE GIRL!
Great story. Also, it does make me wish to venture guesses.
From the cutiemark and Celestia's fear of her, I'm guessing that knowledge is not, in fact, some long lost villain whose memories will return and suddenly turn her into the big scary. I call incarnation of death, but somehow, only the one for alicorns.
How did you live so long Celestia?
Imprisoned death in a statue.
Oh shit, Twilight's on the lamb
I have no idea what's going on, this is... MADNESS! I need... MOAAAR, seems like Celestia is evil or there's more to Knowledge than it seems, I MUST KNOW!
Whatever Knowledge got turned into stone for, it was something important. Twilight could herself end up a permanent resident of the statue garden if she is not careful.
Tyrantlestia Watch, Chapter Four.
Spirits remain high, although a growing unease has set in. Many are veterans of past encounters with the Abomination and most of those encounters began with a conflict between it and Twilight--like the very one that is setting in here. There is still much to hope for, but until our scouts return from Chapter Five with information on Knowledge, and whether or not she poses as big of a threat as we hope, that unease will remain.
I really do hope that after this entire shitstorm is over everything will turn out okay!
I do hope the ending will not be tragic
After all nobody will like an ending of Twilight joining the marble decorations of the statue garden! 
Oh boy... This is in no way good. Except for the reader, who revels in it all!
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Depends upon what knowledge she represents, or has. It could be something as simple as an idea, or as terrible as a guaranteed way to destroy Equestria. Exactly what will determine whether Celestia acted in the best interests of Equestria in petrifying Knowledge, or in her own.
Curious that it's something from after Luna's banishment, though.
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Or perhaps she was one of the only real ponies in the garden.
Celestia specifically stated,
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she was thinking about someone breaking the enchantment before she knew it was knowledge, and she'd already partially assumed that was what had happened. If that was the only real pony, she wouldn't have been surprised to learn it was knowledge because of that assumption.
...
I wonder if Knowledge is just so subversive and tricky? I mean, we've seen things IMPLYING that she actually doesn't have her memories, but nothing that tells us for sure that she doesn't know what she was imprisoned for. It's a possibility that shouldn't be overlooked, I think.
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There's also Celestia's comment that Twilight shouldn't have been able to break the enchantment on Knowledge. Celestia has shown to have a fine grasp of Twilight's capabilities in the past (better than Twilight herself, actually), so either the spell had (been?) weakened somehow, Twilight found a loophole in it by accident, or there are other forces at work—not excluding Knowledge.
typo
Awkward phrasing, hard to follow
Awkward phrasing, hard to follow
Also, "Thank you" doesn't require a hyphen.
Other than these minor nitpicks, great chapter. Looking forward to the next one
Everything about this story has been making me incredibly uncomfortable. Not to say its a bad story, its quite good on the contrary. It's just that the lack of...knowledge, is driving me about as crazed as Twilight. I'm hoping that we can start to get some information soon, as Celestia's mood swaps, Knowledge's amnesia, along with everything else is leaving me annoyingly curious.
I put off reading this Wilt Chamberlain-sized chapter, but am glad I read it. Let the Festival of Intrigue begin!
Can't wait for the next chapter
Also, just refreshed the page... 666 likes
stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/2416926/rainbow-dash-cowers-o.gif
Just read the latest chapter, and I love where this is going! I saw the thing with the Castle of the Sisters coming the first time the pony touched that globe.
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I think that it's because "Knowledge" knows something that makes her the one pony that would be the most dangerous if it were to get out, probably something that would really turn Twilight against Celestia.
Very very nice, I like subtle insinuations.
One thing though, if she is from a thousand years ago, shouldn't she be speaking that
phony1 Elizabethan English like Luna did? Or is it just a Luna thing?1: Okay, its grammar is actually quite accurate in most accounts. It's just, er, out of nowhere.
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I thought about doing that, but scrapped the idea for a few reasons:
1. It would be distracting if it kept popping up in every conversation between Knowledge and Twilight.
2. The fact that Luna refers to it as "The Royal Canterlot Voice" gets me to thinking that it's something reserved for royalty. Besides, we've seen during the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant that ponies from over one thousand years ago talked pretty much normally.
3. It would be too time-consuming to both keep the dialogue grammatically correct as well as natural for the story's various conversations.
Ultimately, it was just too much effort for too little reward.
Can't wait to see what exactly is going on here.
Though, I can't help but shake the feeling it's one of these "everything would be solved in a single chapter if we just talked" type of affairs. Then again, it could be that Celestia is evil and desperate to hide her sins. I'm eagerly awaiting more exposition.
Mooaaarrr....
Professor Snape would be very proud