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Prologue2,886 words
Broken3,914 words
Ties That Bind3,255 words
Schism4,027 words
Beneath the Surface5,002 words
Past and Future4,269 words
Wants and Needs4,901 words
Happy Birthday4,361 words
Cry Havoc4,257 words
Failure3,882 words
Affliction of Self4,437 words

Ties That Bind

Once Beyond the Gates

~Quill Scribe~

Chapter 2 – Ties That Bind

The last three years had been kind to me. I had Clair-Anette, my foster mother, who doted on me constantly, Arpeggio, my foster father, who spent nearly every spare moment tutoring me in magical theory, and I had my dear sweet sister Lyra.

Lyra and I were constant companions. We had tea parties, played pranks, and went shopping. She even snuck me her school textbooks and old tests, with the answers removed of course.

Not every day was a good day, however. Each year on my birthday I would sneak away from Canterlot and travel the road to Ponyville. I only ever had one destination.

This day was my eleventh birthday and, just like any of my past birthdays, I sat alone in front of a memorial stone just off of the road underneath a willow tree.

Shivering, I pulled my cloak tighter around myself. It wasn't just that it was unseasonably cold for late spring. I was trying to remember her. I could try to move on, I had a wonderful new family, but I would never let myself forget. Her smiling face, the softness of her mane, the way she held me when I was sad or hurt, it was like rubbing salt in an open wound but I cherished all of those memories just the same.

The road to Ponyville was rarely traveled, from my understanding it wasn't exactly a crossroads of culture or commerce. I didn't mind crying openly here. I took off my goggles and sobbed openly in the shade.

"I miss you mom. I thought you'd always be there. Even when dad passed you were so strong just for me. I don't want you to worry though, I've got a good life here. Clair and Arpeggio take good care of me and Lyra is the best big sister I could ask for."

I smiled as I shared the memories of the birthdays she had missed and all of the milestones of my life that I had wished she was there for.

"Best of all mom, I've been getting better at magic. Arpeggio and Lyra have been tutoring me. I can do all of the work Lyra does at Celestia's school and she's on her third year already. On top of all that I'm up to a two on the Starswirl Scale now. I know it's still way below average for a unicorn but I'll be able to cast some spells at least. I'm going to take the entrance exam for the school in a few months. I'll be sure to come and let you know how I did."

I sighed and muttered to myself, "I should really get home. I love you mom, I'll see you again soon after my exam."

I dried my eyes and put my goggles back on. I started back on the path to Canterlot. It was getting late and my family would be worried if I wasn't back soon.

The sun was already resting near the horizon when I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. Claire smiled as she put the first wrapped box down in front of me.

I tore through the packaging mercilessly and held up my prize. It was a grey book with a three leaf clover on the cover titled: 'Magical Theorems of Clover the Clever'. My jaw hung open limply. To say this book was expensive or rare wouldn't do it justice. There were a grand total of fifty copies in Equestria.

I clutched my prize to my chest, feeling like if I put it down it would disappear. I levitated the card and read:

"We never knew what was missing in our lives until you came into it. For the child who gives us everything and asks for nothing in return. Thank you for making our family whole and warm. Love, Arpeggio, Clair-Anette, and Lyra"

Tears were streaming down my face before I had even finished reading the card. I looked up at my family, dropped the book, and latched onto my sister like she was the last pony in Equestria. I drew strength from the warmth of their embrace when they stepped around the table to sit by us.

My voice was muffled from having buried my face in Lyra's chest. I felt whole again. For the first time I said, "Mom, dad, Lyra... I love you too."

It had taken me most of the summer, but I finally finished the book I had been given. I even understood most of it thanks to some professional tutoring. I decided it was time for me to move on to more practical studies.

Lyra had been practically begging me for days to come out with her for some research project she was involved in. Of course I agreed. I figured I could at least get some time in the school's library if I helped out. Maybe she could help me work out a way to impress the examiners.

We arrived at the school's library early in the morning. As we settled in to wait for her partner Amethyst Star, she explained her research project to me.

"Alright Siggy," Lyra said in hushed tones, "I need you to look for any books on ancient Equestria. Specifically pre-Equestrian civilizations."

I groaned and rolled off to gather some books for her.

I hummed to myself as I browsed. "Let's see here. 'Ancient Humans' by Giorgio A. Coltsoukalos? That's ridiculous, I'm sure she'll get a kick out of that."

I grabbed a few more boring books on Gryphon and Minotaur culture and one about the old Hearth's Warming Eve story.

That should keep her busy. I should really grab something for myself in case I get bored, I thought, alright, more bored than now.

I wandered to the magical theory section and sat there for several minutes, debating what book to take out. I decided on two books, one on spell modulation and the other on ley lines. I pulled it off of the shelf and held it in front of me to read the chapter listing.

As I was reading I noticed a pair of purple eyes staring at me from just beyond the book I was reading.

"Eep!" I squeaked in surprise and dropped the books I carried. Then I backed up my wheelchair into a bookcase behind me.

The young lavender filly continued to state at me, a look of wonder on her face. I hid my face behind my mane, blushing furiously at the attention. Aside from Lyra I didn't interact with many ponies my own age.

"Um, what are you...?" I said, barely above a whisper.

She interrupted me rather abruptly and blurted out, "Wow! I've never seen a pony with eyes like yours. How did they get like that? Does it make it hard to see?."

My eyes widened in shock and I immediately pulled my goggles down over them. I stammered for a few seconds and protectively hugged my forelegs to my chest.

"Twilight that wasn't very nice, look at how you frightened the poor thing. You should apologize," a pink unicorn said as she rounded the corner of a bookshelf.

"Sorry Cadence," Twilight looked at me sheepishly, hoofed the ground for a moment, and said "I'm really sorry for that. I just thought your eyes were really interesting. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. My name is Twilight, what's yours?"

"S-Sigil," I stammered, "y-you really aren't going to make fun of me?" I pulled my goggles onto my forehead and wiped my eyes with a foreleg.

She shook her head negatively. I watched her look around awkwardly for a moment until her attention was caught by something on the floor. She levitated the books I had picked out in front of her.

Cadence was the first to break the silence. "So, what are you doing here? Are you planning on going to school here too?"

"Yes ma'am, my sister goes here so I'm going to be taking the entrance exam next month," I replied, "do you go to school here?"

"Oh no, please just call me Cadence." Her wings fluttered nervously. "Calling me ma'am makes me sound like an old bag. Little Twiley here will be taking the exam soon though!"

Wait... Wings? I thought there was only one alicorn. I stared at her quizzically.

Cadence must have taken my confusion for nervousness because she decided to break the ice again.

"Idea!" She said in a sing song voice. "Why don't you and Twilight study together!"

"We'll I guess we could. I have lots of research to..." Twilight began to say.

"Research! Oh ponyfeathers, Lyra is going to be so worried about me!" I interrupted. I gathered my books and turned to roll back to Lyra when I felt a pair of hooves on my wheelchair.

"Why don't we go with you?" Cadence half asked, half informed me. I nodded in assent.

I could see Lyra watching us approach her table with a smirk on her face and a raised eyebrow.

"Well well Siggy. I send you for books and you come back with these pretty mares? Aren't you the little player?" She said as she winked at Cadence.

I simply rolled my eyes at her and set the books down on the table. I noticed Cadence's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink.

"Twilight, you be good and play with Sigil. I'll be nearby if you need me." She patted Twilight on the head and trotted off. Twilight nodded in response, already absorbed in the book on ley lines I had found.

"Stop staring at her flank Lyra, it's not polite." A grape colored mare said, and sat down next to Lura. Amethyst had apparently shown up while Lyra was distracted by Cadence.

Lyra stopped biting her lip and looked away from Cadence, whistling innocently. She picked up the first book from the pile I had gathered. It was 'Ancient Humans'.

I smiled at her, fully expecting her to be laughing in tears moments after reading the first chapter. I had never been so wrong.

Lyra sat, mouth agape, reading the book with an intensity I'd never seen from her.

Oh sweet Celestia what can of worms did I just open.

I quickly distracted myself by rolling over next to Twilight and reading over her shoulder.

We read and discussed the subject matter of the book for hours. Twilight was very bright, I have happy to have found a pony I could actually talk to.

I quickly realized that while I could memorize the book after one read through, Twilight actually understood what she was reading. She explained the different concepts and theories to me in a way I could grasp, something that would take me weeks of study to do on my own.

We studied well into the evening, completely absorbed in the second book I had grabbed, when Cadence approached our table. Amethyst narrowed her eyes at her, while Lyra did her best to look distracted elsewhere.

"Alright Twilight, I think it's time I got you home to your patents," she said.

Twilight yawned and nodded. As she got up out of her chair I looked at her and Cadence.

"So um, Twilight? I was thinking, it'd be really cool if we could hang out again. To study!" I barely managed to get the words out of my mouth.

Twilight looked up at Cadence hopefully. Cadence smiled and said, " I'm sure we could find some time for Twilight to come see her study buddy next weekend."

I smiled back at them as they waved goodbye.

Twilight and I met up several more times as the exam date approached. Each meeting brought me a little greater understanding of my own magic, and more frustration. I couldn't seem to find an answer as to how I could impress the examiners.

Our final study session, merely a week before the exam, brought me the inspiration I needed.

From our previous meetings I had grasped the intricacies of magic in Equestria. How earth ponies gathered and used their magic from the ley lines in the land. I was especially interested in how pegasi manipulated sky magic to fly, walk on clouds, and control the weather.

My breakthrough came as we were reading a dusty old medical tome I had found in a secluded corner of the library. A spell caught my eye, one meant to absorb ambient magical energy, store it in a vessel, and restore power to a dangerously exhausted pony.

I pulled out a notebook and smiled as we worked. I copied the spell word for word while Twilight explained the theory behind it.

With a few tweaks this will be exactly what I need. I smiled contentedly.

I had cast the modified spell the next day. It was a difficult spell, having multiple stages for its different aspects, but fortunately it didn't require much in the way of raw power. Over the course of the week the stone I had chosen grew warmer and warmer.

I felt it hum quietly with energy in the pocket of my cloak as Clair, Arpeggio, and Lyra walked alongside me towards the tower of the castle that housed Celestia's school.

A solar guard held the door for us and gestured for us to follow him. He led us through the passages to just outside a lecture room. We were greeted warmly by Twilight and her parents.

"Are you ready Twiley?" I asked.

She looked nervous, her eyes darting around the room and her mane curling at the ends. She gazed at me pleadingly.

I pulled her in for a hug, nuzzled her cheek, and whispered in her ear. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll wait right here for you."

I pulled away and saw Lyra smirking at me, and my and Twilight's parents staring at me and the blushing filly with raised eyebrows.

Before I could shy away from the attention, the door to the testing room opened and a mare called out.

"Sigil Silverlight?"

I rolled slowly to her. As the door closed behind me I heard Lyra's final words of encouragement.

"Go get 'em Casanova!"

The exam proctors sat me down at a Thaumameter, a device that measures magical output, and hooked my horn up to it.

"Alright now Sigil, I want you to concentrate and cast a few basic spells for us. If you complete those we can move on to the next test."

I strained to cast one or two of the simple spells but in the end I was successful. The proctor nodded and scribbled something in his notepad.

"Now for something more intermediate. I want you to create a barrier around this ball." He held up a small ball.

I concentrated, reached deep down into my magical center, and touched my magic. I pushed myself as hard as I could. Sweat pouring down my face as my horn sputtered and finally stopped glowing.

Frowning, the proctor made some more notes. Finally he said, "Alright Sigil, for the last portion of the test we need to see what makes you different from the other students."

I nodded. "I need you to hook me back up to the Thaumameter for this."

The proctor hooked me back up to the machine and I began to release my magic. It was a trickle at first but the needle eventually stagnated just below two and a half on the Starswirl Scale.

Now or never Sigil.

I placed the stone in front of me and concentrated on the spell I had placed on it. I activated the modified part of the spell that drew the energies into a patient.

Rather than a trickle of magic flowing into me, it was a torrent. I grimaced in a small amount of pain as the needle of the Thaumameter began to rise again. The needle stabilized at almost seven.

I could feel the magic coursing through my ley lines. I concentrated on the most difficult spell I had found in Clover the Clever's book.

My horn glowed a brilliant silver, sparks flying in every direction. I thought of Twilight and Lyra. A heart shaped flame rose above me, banishing all shadow and chill from the room.

I collapsed back into my chair, my magic spent. The proctor stood slack-jawed and said one word as I rolled out of the room.

"Congratulations."

I made my way back into the lobby, smiling wearily. I was greeted by the crushing embrace of my family.

"Twilight Sparkle?" The proctors voice called.

Twilight looked nervously at me. I winked at her and said, "go show off."

She had been in there for several minutes already, while I looked out the window in the hallway. The sky burst into rainbow light and I heard a loud cracking sound.

That was beautiful. What was-

I felt a massive surge of magic from the exam room. It felt familiar, but it was far too strong. I rushed into the room and saw Twilight, floating in midair, mane and tail whipping about wildly in a burning purple aura.

In a ear splitting, magnified voice, Twilight spoke:

"Sins of the father birth the False Day,

Gates of Eternity open the way.

"The King of Shadows claims power eternal,

Harmony cast aside by darkness infernal.

"Divine Sisters and King refuse to bend,

Immortal trinity rises to challenge the end.

"On the high sun of Harmony's return,

In the heat of the light, Canterlot will burn."

With the final words, her magic pulsed outward, throwing everypony nearby into the walls of the room and turning her parents into potted plants.

As I flew backwards on a wave of purple energy I felt something give behind me. Glass shattered and I continued past the walls of the tower and fell towards oblivion.

I fell through the air, watching the walls of the tower fly by. I looked up at the top f the tower in time to see a pegasus guard leaping down after me.

"Hang on kid, I got you!" He yelled.

I shook my head. There was no way he'd reach me in time. The ground rushed up towards me.

A familiar whiteness began to encroach on the edges of my vision. It quickly overtook the world around me, turning it into a featureless white void. Below me an archway of black stone rose up.

I fell towards the gateway. It's rusted doors swung open to greet me. The runes etched into its stones glowed with a silvery light and I plunged into the inky blackness beyond.

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Once Beyond the Gates - Quill Scribe

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