• Published 28th Apr 2013
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Motivations: Relics of Antiquity - Tolerance



Spike tries to discover what happened to some artifacts that Starswirl mentions in his journal: Dragon Eggs

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Chapter Two: Bonded

The train car rocked slowly back and forth as it sped through the encroaching darkness towards its destination. The swaying motion was almost enough to put Spike to sleep, his sheer excitement was the only thing keeping him awake. Even though this wasn't his first solo trip to Canterlot, it was certainly the first time he making the trip for personal reasons.

Celestia had agreed to take time out of her schedule in order to talk with Spike personally. Even if he had yet to tell her exactly what it was he wanted to ask, her attitude towards this meeting filled him with hope. Important questions, especially with regards as to the origins of one's own egg, was something that should be done face-to-face, after all. Spike was certain that the princess would tell him if she knew.

Holding a private meeting with Princess Celestia wasn't the sole cause of Spike's excitement, however. There was his firm belief that, if one of the dragon eggs mentioned in Starswirl's journal and his egg were one in the same, then Spike might have siblings somewhere. While Spike had never really considered anyone outside of Twilight to be his family, and the fact that he considered this sort of thing to be too 'mushy' for his tastes, the thought that there might be other dragons like him out there somewhere left Spike with many things to think about.

Would they like him? Are they like him? Questions, as important as 'who they would be,' or even something as mundane as 'what they did with their free time,' were now constantly running through his mind.

'Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.' Spike thought to himself, 'I don't even know that my egg was a part of StarSwirl's collection...'

Spike turned away from the veil of darkness that had finished obscuring his view of the passing countryside. Knowing that the Canterlot station was still nearly an hour away, Spike found himself looking around the cabin for any activity that might be suspicious, and after he had decided that the train car was safe enough, he pulled out the journal he had previously secreted away in his bag.

Even though he had promised not to tell anypony about it, Spike still had his reasons for holding on to the book. Namely, he had yet to finish reading it. He could almost hear Twilight scolding him for not learning how to read faster, but the books she generally picked usually turned out to be some of the driest literature ever bestowed upon ponykind.

Letting out a short sigh, Spike acknowledge the fact that Twilight would be proud that he was actually reading something, even if she didn't know that he had brought the journal with him. Opening the tome, Spike began to delve into Starswirl's chronological recordings once more.

~@~

I think Surprise is starting to wise up to my actions. In trying to study her predictive behaviors, I've tried to hide my intentions as best as I could, for it wouldn't help my observations if the Pegasus was aware of them. At least, that was my intent. I now find myself hesitant to declare that she knew nothing of my studies, and, after the considerable amount of time I've spent on the subject, I suspect that she may have known all along.

As for my actual observations, I have been able to determine some of limits to Surprise's abilities. Mainly predictive in nature, these powers only seem to activate within a very narrow window of time. I've not been able to determine an exact timing for such an event, but I am confident that most of the predictions I've witnessed have not predated their associated events by more than an hour.

In order to test Surprises behavior, while still maintaining a healthy distance, I've enchanted the egg bowl in the kitchen to fall off the shelf at predetermined intervals. Surprise's reaction to why the bowl seems to have a mind of it's own notwithstanding, the results of this test were clear. The prediction only triggers by either physical proximity to Surprise or by association to something that can be tied to her directly, such an important item, or even myself, getting in harm's way.

Many eggs were sacrificed in order to complete this endeavor.

Trying to summarize the results into a coherent theory has proven difficult. At first I suspected that her abilities might share some connection to her innate Pegasus magics (probably something akin to incredible agility). Her brother, however, had never displayed anything remotely resembling predictive behavior. I've even tried to view Surprise through the Gradestone to verify whether or not her abilities are magical in nature, but to no avail.

The most unusual aspect I’ve witnessed, is that something seems to impede my every attempt to study her abilities discretely. I’m not sure if this is also a part of the ability, but the distractions happen with such frequency as to not be mere coincidence. Short of asking Surprise directly about her abilities, I'm not sure what else I can do on this front.

Another reason I suspect that Surprise's 'sense' (for lack of a proper term) may be a form of magic is the fact that her predictive behavior only seems to activate when Surprise herself in close proximity. Although there might be some evidence suggesting that distance is of no consequence when the subject of a particular prediction is important to her, I’ve no way to track these special cases with certainty. Regardless, my reasoning is based on my recent studies involving the effects of emotion on magical ability. Granted, there are only so many combinations of emotions and spells that I can try out personally, but I know that basically every spell can be altered via emotions.

All of this speculation is for naught if this 'Sense' is Pegasi in nature, since even basic emulation of the race's magic has left me almost entirely drained of power. Short of attempting that again, I shall endeavor to think of additional explanations for Surprise's abilities.

~~~~~

We had some visitors today. Surprise, of course, was first to the door, and while not an event that's completely unheard of around here, as Celestia likes to check on my work occasionally, my guest today was a pony that I haven't seen in ages. Penny. I haven't seen hide nor hair from her since that day on the mountain. I'd originally thought that her reluctance in seeing me was part of some political ploy or whatever it is they do in the higher circles of the Capital these days. It wasn't until later that I'd learned of her marriage to the Tribunal's son, and since then I've stopped all attempts of communicating with the mare.

While I stood there, dumbfounded as to the reason for her appearance, Penny answered my present question by stepping aside. She wasn't alone. Hiding behind the mare as best as it could was a small filly, her child, Clover, whom I was apparently meeting for the first time.

I let them both inside, and sent Surprise into the kitchen for refreshments with the little one in tow. I attempted to ask about Penny's sudden interest in my little tower. Instead of answering my question, she starts to tell me about how Clover's been asking to meet me. It turns out that my 'adventures' have been the child's bedtime stories for some time now.

As Amusing as the thought of my life-and-death experiences in life are being used to put children to sleep is, I knew there had to be more than that for Penny to visit me herself. Being associated with somepony of my status notwithstanding, I'm sure more than a few nobles up there are capable of coming to the conclusion that we had feelings for one another once upon a time. While I don’t rightly care what the noble families think of me, Penny does have a reputation to care for.

Penny was asking if I could take on Clover as some sort of student when both Surprise and the child in question returned from the kitchen, snacks in tow. No longer the frightened child hiding behind her mother I can see now that Clover is trying earnestly to take in every detail of my home. I notice something else about her as well, something familiar. The truth is, I have been thinking of taking in anypony that was willing to risk the taboos of magical study. Deciding I need some more time to think about the issue, I suggest that Clover be tested for her magical aptitude.

Clover readily accepted, excitedly stating that she's ready for any challenge. The filly even declared that she had been practicing, a statement that elicited a concerned look from her mother. I offered the child the tome of magical spells that I've been working on, with instructions that she is to protect the book with her life while it is in her possession. It is, after all, the only copy. I promised her that, in one week, we will see if she's ready for my tutelage.

As the two began their ascent back up the Capital’s steps, I whispered to Penny that, upon the filly's return, I wanted to know the real reason that she would allow her child to be thrown in with the likes of me, possibly forfeiting any political career she may have as a member of a Tribunal's family. Penny only nodded her head in response as she turned to chase an overly-excited Clover up the steps.

~~~~~

To be honest, I've spent the entire week just trying to find the perfect test to measure the filly's abilities. I could simply just have her try to cast any spell in the book, but I think that would get me mixed results. Either I could pick an easy spell, where the act of passing such an easy test would do little in the way of preparing a student for the proper use of magic, or I could pick a spell that Clover would have no chance of mastering in such a short time. Both of these are less than ideal, I think. Not to mention how dangerous it would be for an untrained Unicorn to attempt to cast such advanced spells.

In the end, I believe that the test I did choose is the best for not only Clover but any other applicant that may want to apply.

When the mother and child pair arrived, I told Penny to wait with Surprise inside the tower while I conducted the examination around back. When Penny attempted to protest, I warned her that magic, by nature, was resistant to control. The more ponies that were present while attempting to determine Clover's abilities, the more ponies that would be in danger if something went wrong. Probably not the best thing I could have said to alleviate the worried mother, but it would be better for me to have only two to protect rather than four. Clover piped up with the surprisingly deep insight about how her mother wouldn't always be there to protect her, and that she should try to learn how to help herself.

There may be hope for this child after all.

With those not involved with the test safely out of the danger zone, and more importantly earshot, I pulled Clover around to building to the area I had prepared for her arrival. I could only imagine what must be going through the filly's mind as I took her to a rather unassuming table on which sat an even less-interesting box. Instructing Clover to sit down in front of the box, I asked her one final time if she felt she was ready to test her skills.

An agonizing moment passed before she finally shook her head. Yes. I opened the box and watched as recognition crossed her face when she glimpsed the object inside. Proving that her bedtime stories were at least partially accurate, she immediately pointed out that it was, indeed, the egg of a dragon. I told her that it was her job to hatch the egg using her magic. A slight panic took her over before she steeled herself for her task. There was no possible way that she could have studied for this, and yet here she was, given a task that even I was unable to do. Clover didn't know that of course, and began to pour every last ounce of her concentration into solving my puzzle.

There was no possible way that she would be able to hatch that egg. Even if Clover knew how to perfectly mimic the magic of a mother dragon, she could never have had the energy needed to perform such a spell at that age, and after a desperate hour of throwing every spark of magic she possessed at the egg, I think she knew it too. Tears in her eyes, Clover finally admitted that she had failed my test. And she would have, had that been the true goal of the exam.

By giving the child an impossible task I could easily learn not only of their exact level of magical ability and power, but I could guarantee that I would learn how the pony would act under pressure. In my eyes, Clover admitting that she knew nothing about how to solve a problem was the first step in the right direction. If one doesn't know there is a problem, how can they possibly go about fixing it?

Returning to the mares inside, I made the exhausted, and admittingly addled, filly promise to never forget what she had learned today. I also made her promise that she was never to speak of the exact details or purpose of the exam. It would only work if the hopeful student didn't know of the test's true nature, and if Clover was going to be an apprentice of mine, she may very well have to give such a test her own students one day.

Still a bit confused by the details of her new situation, Clover still managed to recognize that she was now officially my student, and she seemed very excited to tell her mother of her accomplishment. I gestured for Surprise to take the filly to get some refreshment after such an arduous exam. This was so that I could talk to her mother, who still owed me an explanation as to why it was so important for me to mentor her daughter in the first place.

I never actually got to ask my question. When Clover was safely inside of the tower, Penny started the conversation by immediately apologizing for her actions that day on the mountain. Her family, at the time, had already offered her up as a means to a political relationship between the Platinum family and the current Unicorn Tribunal. When she had heard of my plight, she thought that, if she could run away from her problems, she might be better off. What better way to do that then by joining a lost soul like mine out on the borders of civilization?

Everything changed when she visited, for both of us, it would seem. Seeing me in the wretched state I was in had left it's mark on her. For the first time in her life, she was able to see that nopony was perfect, not even me. Penny recognized in that moment that our destinies had parted somewhere along the way, and that it was time to return to her reality. She says that she has always regretted leaving me the way she did, with no explanation for her actions, hoping I would understand. Hoping that someday I'd forgive her.

The truth is, as much as I hated the situation, I've never held anything against her, and deep down I think that I’ve always known that she would choose her familial obligations over an outcast like me.

Penny went on to the topic of Clover's apprenticeship. Unbeknownst to those of my station, things have been getting rather lively in the politics of the capital. The empty threats that were once tossed around as if part of some national pastime are starting to become less and less 'empty'. Penny's connections to both the Platinum Family and the increasingly unpopular Tribunal have made her position rather uncomfortable, the situation being something that she would like to keep her daughter as far away from as possible. When I attempted to question her about specifics, the mare only reached a disturbing level of quiet, saying far more about the situation than she probably would like to admit.

I offered to help, but Penny refused. It's not like I'm allowed at a tribunal meeting anyway, so I propose to take Clover in as soon as possible. I tell my old friend that, if the filly isn't planning on bringing any personal effects with her, she could probably stay in Surprise's room until a more permanent solution can be found.

Thanking me for my hospitality, Penny turns to head inside, the conversation obviously wearing on her nerves. Before she can fully disengage, I ask her one final question. Does her husband know that his child isn't his? I never got an answer, but her hesitation before heading inside was enough.

~~~~~

Clover is doing her best to help around the tower when she isn't practicing her basics. I think Surprise enjoys having somepony to converse with who isn't only interested in magical studies. It’s not my fault that my studies consume so much of my time, but what am I to do?

Normally, I make it a priority to neglect acquiring knowledge of a certain political climate, but with Penny going out of her way to ensure Clover's safety got me to thinking. Save the Alicorn, I've received no news whatsoever about the whole Crystal Empire situation, and even Celestia has been quiet on that front as of late.

I decided to investigate. A quick Scrying Spell later, and I was almost back where I started. Celestia's apparently been trying to increase the Alicorn influence among the three tribes, but in trying to mediate between the factions her investigations into the Crystal Empire have been put on hold. I can't say as I blame her. If what she told me is true, and with Penny's recent actions (As if I need a reason to believe otherwise), saying that conditions among the Tribunal are 'Volatile' is a massive understatement. To think that there are unscrupulous individuals willing to attempt an assassination in this day and age!

Still, even with the political climate here, managing to calm things down will mean nothing if Enseble's predictions come true. With Celestia otherwise occupied I'm afraid I have no choice but to venture to the Crystal Empire myself. A trip that is almost twice as long as the journey to Prance.

Before I go, and since I suspect that it will be too dangerous to take her, I need to make sure that Clover is set in her studies while I'm gone. While she may be one the best natural conjurers that I've ever met, save myself, I’d sooner step into Tartarus than see her skip the basics of handling her magic. At least Surprise will still be here if she needs anything.

~~~~~

I passed through Strotland's gates earlier today. Tunewise informs me that there was a group of Pegasi that had headed out that way some time ago, but that nopony else has been through here since. At least somepony has taken interest in this matter, although it is a bit worrying that they've neglected to keep contact with Capital. I was sure to make it clear that The Dark Brother's magic was not to be trifled with when I briefed the authorities. For the most part, I seem to have been largely ignored by the Tribunal, so I can only wonder who else might have taken an interest in the Crystal Empire.

I sure hope that nothing has happened to them.

~~~~~

The weather around here has taken a turn for the worst. Worrying in its own right, the terrain around here does nothing to alleviate the storm's ferocity. I just hope that the snow dies down when I leave this outcropping tomorrow.

~~~~~

It's been days. I'm fairly sure I should have at least seen some evidence of the Crystal Empire by now, but all I can see is snow. If I don't start rationing my supplies, I'm not sure how much longer I'll last out here. Thankfully I've still got my cloak with me. It's almost as if I can't feel the cold anymore.

~~~~~

I'm such a fool. One of the most powerful magi of the age, and I almost fell to the very elements over which I call myself ‘Master’. Were it not for my rescuer, I would probably be dead under some snowdrift spawned from this seemingly ever-present storm. My savior is an Earth Pony mare with a gray-ish brown coat and a dark-brown mane who goes by the name of Enigma. How she managed to find me or drag me back to her cottage amid all of that snow is beyond me.

When she found me, Enigma(She hasn’t given me her full name) rushed me to her home in hopes that I might be saved. When I did come through, dazed and confused, awakening to an unfamiliar room while sharing a cot with some stranger, it gave me quite the shock. So completely out of my wits, I quickly made a complete fool of myself in mistaking her intentions of trying to warm me back up as something else entirely. I don't believe I'll ever live down the awkwardness of that conversation. At least she seems to be good-natured about it.

I am immensely grateful to her for rescuing me. How idiotic of me to not have fully prepared for this trip in the first place. From what Enigma tells me, storms such as this were not always a common occurrence, but have been happening with fairly predictable frequency lately. I'm told that it may take a few more days before I can continue my journey.

Not that I'm complaining about staying here for a while. I feel miserable, and if Enigma is content with not kicking me back out into the cold, I would appreciate her hospitality all the more.

~~~~~

For an Earth Pony, that I first thought of as a simple mare, trying to scrounge up a decent living in this frozen wasteland, Enigma really knows how to hold a conversation. After I was done writing down my last entry, she asked me what I was doing so far from civilization. Seeing no reason to deny my rescuer anything, after all, it's not likely that she'd have received many visitors as of late, I started by telling her that I was trying to investigate the Crystal Empire.

Nearly the entire day had passed before I had realized that I had just about divulged my entire life's story to the poor mare. I'm not entirely sure why, but I feel as though she understood quite a bit of my rambling tangents of dialogue regarding the laws of magic. There’s almost no chance that anypony out here might study the things I do, let alone a non-Unicorn, but it was a curious feeling.

Speaking of curious things, another thing that mystifies me is that, when Enigma goes to prepare our meals, she goes outside to visit her shed. While it's not impossible that the tiny structure is quite suitable for housing ingredients for long periods of time, I believe that I have never seen stored vegetables that seemed so fresh. I’m pretty sure that the carrots she brought in still had clumps of dirt defiantly sticking to them. It was almost as if they had just been pulled from the ground only moments before she carried them inside. Maybe it's my imagination, or I'm still partly delusional from my being almost frozen, but I'm fairly certain that there is no way crops so fresh would be available during winter, much less during a blizzard such as this.

For all of the mysteries surrounding the aptly named Enigma, her cooking is possibly better than Surprise's, although I'd hate to think of what the Pegasus would do to me if she ever heard me mention that aloud.

~~~~~

Finally! the clouds over the cottage have started to break. I should be able to return to my trip's original intent again by early tomorrow.

Seeing as I can actually catch a glimpse of the Crystal Empire's fabled spires today, I asked my host what she thought of the situation. Surely being so close to both, an empire that is supposed to have been almost completely enslaved its populace, and a town with the madpony Ensemble trying to control its citizens, things must surely have had an affect on the mare.

Her story pretty much mirrored Ensemble's. One day almost out of the blue, Sombre just took control of the Empire's capital. The Empress nowhere to be found, and some important relic of theirs held hostage by the usurper. There was little that the anypony could do. When I asked if she knew anything about Sombre's magic, Enigma said that most of his magic involved the manipulation of crystals.

I knew that something was still missing, and I knew that Enigma was at least smart enough to recognize that moving a crystal here and there wouldn't be enough to suppress an entire population, but she was hesitant to go into any further detail. Maybe there is something about being situated between these two mad Unicorn that has her stressed out.

When I told her of my intentions to head out the next morning, Enigma was nearly pleading with me to stay. I can only assume that she means well, and I have found myself enjoying her company. In fact, she's one of the most intriguing mares I have ever known, but as much as I would like to stay for a while longer, I still have a job to do.

~~~~~

Enigma has volunteered to take me to where the Pegasi have set up camp outside of the city. I hope I can repay her kindness once this is all over. She says that we should reach their camp before noon tomorrow provided that the weather holds.

~~~~~

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I'm quite sure that Tunewise had said that far more Pegasi had traveled through the pass than what I had seen today. Little did I know, I would run into not one, but two familiar faces here. The first was none other than Luna herself. Apparently, after I had discussed the matter with her sister, Luna had taken it upon herself to assist me. Had I not stumbled into camp today, she had worried that I might have been lost to the storm. Without my presence in this operation, Luna says that she would have a fairly difficult explanation ahead of her, trying to give her sister a reason as to why she had left the confines of their home without an escort.

I always thought that Celestia had a bit of an over-protective streak in her.

The other of my acquaintances was none other than the pony who had kept me from burning alive after I had slain the dragon. Private Hurricane. Although he's now Captain Hurricane, the Squall Squadron I left him with disbanded shortly after the incident. So now Hurricane is working for the Pegasopolis Regulars, and he's in charge of this operation, or what's left of it anyway.

Not long after they were able to question Ensemble following his apprehension, the Pegasi military had sent a small group along for confirmation of Ensemble's confession. Flying all the way here, they first set up camp and Hurricane ordered that the group split up into reconnaissance groups for some initial intelligence gathering. Standard procedure, I'm told, until one of the groups got too close. Hurricane assumes that they have fallen under whatever magic that Sombre is using, and not any of his crystal manipulation stuff.

Hurricane informs me that Sombre's magic is similar to my reports on his brother's Sway Sonata, only it doesn't need a song to take hold. A quick glance toward a suddenly shy Enigma, who had yet to return home, proves that she indeed knew more about what was going on than what she told me earlier.

Anyway, when Hurricane's forces attempted to rescue their comrades, they lost a few more, but not before they were able to forcibly bring back one of their own. The pony they tried to rescue only wanted to return to his slave labor, the poor soul fully under Sombre's influence.

When I asked to observe the converted Pegasi, Hurricane made it clear that me throwing my orders around would not be tolerated. If it weren't for my previous pursuits with Squall Squadron and the fact that he isn't receiving official reinforcements anytime soon, the Captain would probably have thrown me out of camp right there. Not that I think that throwing me anywhere in front of one of the Alicorn would do Hurricane any favors. I know for a fact that Luna has plenty of powerful political connections through her sister, even if she doesn't realize it. Either way, Hurricane needs whatever help he can get.

Hurricane led us to the tent where they were keeping the poor Pegasi they had managed to recapture. With so few troops, the only method they had make sure their comrade didn't try and rejoin Sombre's thrall again was to tie him up. Even bound, the soldier under the spell was eerily similar to that of Strotland’s inhabitants during the incident. The look that crossed my face probably matched the one on Enigma. I could tell that the Earth Pony had seen this magic before.

I pulled the Gradestone out of my cloak in an attempt to study the magics being used on the soldiers, but to no avail. None of the settings on the tool were able to tell me anything definite on the afflicted Pegasis. After no small amount of frustration spent on trying to get even a small reading on Sombre's magic, Enigma decided to chime in and tell me that it wouldn't be of any use. When asked why she knew my device wouldn't work, she agreed to tell us. Only, not in front of the recaptured soldier.

Intrigued as to why she would choose delay such information, we moved back to the Captain's tent so that Enigma could divulge what she knew. Once she had our full attention, she started her tale at the beginning.

-----

Weather directly outside of the Crystal Empire had been notoriously cold for centuries. It’s outer reaches constantly under the cover of snow and ice, rumors had started to grow that there were things of value that had been hidden beneath, treasures from civilizations long forgotten. Whether true or not, these rumors had drawn the attention of a young couple and their two children. The family of Unicorn had traveled to the wastes in hopes that they might claim whatever riches that lay beneath the ice.

Initially excited by the thrill of discovery, continuous failure and bad weather had started to have adverse effects on the father's health. Until, one day, the older stallion never returned from his ice-mine. After that, the mother did the best she could to provide for her family. She made her living selling chunks of ice to the inhabitants of warmer climates. Things were decent for a time.

The recent family of three weren't the only ones looking for treasure in places far removed from the close scrutiny of civilized societies, and it wasn't too long before the family had a run-in with less than desirable company. The small family never stood a fighting chance against the thugs and were quickly overrun. Finding that the family had nothing of value for them to steal, the bandits found another way to sate their desires.

Another foal was the result of a mother desperately trying to keep her family alive. She never fully recovering from her ordeal, and months after she had given birth, the mother succumbed to her sorrows.

The elder brothers did their best trying to provide for their youngest sibling. They tried to get help from the locals, but were turned away from most. Soon they found themselves angry at those who rejected them, then angry at their father for bringing them out there in the first place. They were angry at the bandits for hurting their mother too, but most of all, they were angry at themselves for not being able to prevent any of it.

They were just about to give up hope, until the day that destiny smiled upon them. The day that the Stranger came to their door. The Stranger spoke of ancient things, secret things, and the brothers listened. Soon they found that they were no longer turned away when they begged for help. They had their first taste of power, and they'd relished its flavor.

The only thing that the locals seemed to notice was that a group of bandits that had plagued the wastes for years had suddenly disappeared. Never to be heard from again. It didn’t take long for the once no-name beggars from the wastes to suddenly find themselves in small positions of authority. Things were finally starting to look up for what seemed like the first time in their lives.

The eldest brother, who was the only of the two colts to fully master the stranger's magic, decided that the power he had was not enough. The result: the Crystal Empire suddenly found itself without its empress, and only Sombre was left to take her place. He declared himself King. Those who questioned his authority soon found themselves under the direct influence of his magic.

The younger brother didn't like what his elder brother was doing, taking the empire for himself, and not for the both of them. Ensemble had never truly managed the Stranger's magic, but he had managed to emulate it. With his knowledge he left for distant lands, not to fetch help for the Crystal Empire, but to one day overthrow his own brother.

That left the youngest of the family, a poor Earth Pony who had no magic of her own. She was given the name of Enigma, for none knew who sired her. She too knew of the Stranger's words and how they affected her brothers. The dark magic that was gifted to them was special, but with no magic to call her own, she was largely ignored. Even so, she managed to understand portions of the Stranger’s teachings.

The forces of the world, when altered by magic, are again altered by the emotions of the casters themselves. To maintain harmony with the elements, one must master the emotions within. Love, anger, lust, there are many feelings present in our world, but the Stranger's dark magic focused on one emotion in particular. Control. Imposing one's will on another with such force that they can do nothing but comply.

This was the key to the brothers’ abilities. This was their secret.

-----

Following Enigma's revelations about her past, everypony gathered decided that it was time to head outside for some air. Cold, brisk, air.

I would never have thought that control was an emotion, but upon hearing the truth, it all makes sense. My Gradestone was set to find any trace of the normal types and classifications of magic. But to recognize pure force of will as a form of magic spell? No wonder that the magic was dark by nature. That kind of power has no place in the hooves of anypony!

Luna shared my sentiments, but she was unwilling to trust Enigma completely. If this Stranger's words were enough to poison the thoughts of two young ponies, why not three?

Captain Hurricane did not care about the reasoning Enigma and why she was telling us everything. He was content as long as he was able to recover his Pegasi and finish his mission.

Enigma herself only wanted it all to end. The mother she never knew had already been avenged. She didn't think that it was right to force another to do her bidding. I believe that she speaks the truth when she says that she only wants her brothers to return home one day, only without the influence of the Stranger.

While I can't say that Ensemble will be going anywhere anytime soon, if there's a way to bring Sombre back to the light, then I have to find it. For Enigma's sake as well as those of the empire.

~~~~~

There were still a few things that I needed to know in order to pull a plan together. I needed to know about Sombre's other magic, the crystal manipulation, including the maximum range for both it and his dark magic. Some of other things that I still needed to know, were the number of forces at his disposal, and how much ‘motivation’ it would take to get Sombre himself to leave the palace and fight. The final piece of information I needed, was knowledge on just how deep the ice is that surrounds the city.

Each piece of information, when pulled together, should play its part in removing the tyrant from power. That is, if I can convince Captain Hurricane to help support my plan. He still holds me partly responsible for the losses sustained when we fought the dragon. Luna claims to be a competent mage and, thankfully, can be of some use. As for Enigma, once I get the rest of the details of Sombre's magic from her, I think it would be best if she returned to the relative safety of her cottage until things calm down.

Under the cover of a storm created by whatever clouds Hurricane can round together, I need to go out and set up my trap using the ice. When activated by none other than Sombre himself, the trap should keep him isolated enough so as to prevent him from easily using his magic against us. At least that's the plan, I'm still unsure exactly how I'm supposed to lure Sombre from out of the city and into the trap.

~~~~~

The answer to our Sombre problem lies in a wall. Or rather the appearance of one. With so few ponies to assist, the task of building an actual wall of that scale will be quite impossible, I’m afraid. Captain Hurricane will divide his troops into two groups. One to help 'construct' our wall, and the other to make sure that nopony from the city ever gets close enough to the see through our ruse. Most of the wall will be made of an illusion spell that's designed to be as showy as possible, so that it looks as though it's being conjured by a number of mages, and not just Luna and myself casting it. The key part of this wall is the only part that will actually be built.

Hurricane's troops will help gather as much ice as they can manage from the area just before our construction site. With a little help from myself, this bit of wall will look just as real as the fake wall. After some time has passed, and if Sombre hasn't tried to attack us, we sabotage our actual wall to look like a breach that will take all of our might to fix. If that chance at 'escape' doesn't lure Sombre out, I'm not sure what will. At least not without an awful lot more troops showing up to threaten him with.

The good news is that, should Sombre attempt to attack one of our fake walls, his attacks should pass harmlessly through, and with any luck it will look as though the wall itself can absorb his magic. If he decides to attack our actual wall, he'll be in for a surprise even if we aren't entirely ready for him.

As for the bad news, If Sombre's crystalline forces started attacking anywhere along the wall in force, even my plan may not be able hold them off.

~~~~~

With the preparations completed under the cover of a small Pegasi-controlled flurry, Luna and I have started our illusion spell. We're splitting shifts at the moment, but I don't think we'll have to wait long. As unimpressive as our wall is from the outside, what should be visible from the inside is enough to cause the day-to-day operations within the city to change drastically.

Concerning the construction of our physical decoy, the materials have already been gathered from my ice-cave beneath it, so it takes nearly no effort to add to the wall's height. Provided Sombre doesn't have any additional surprises in store for us, we will probably see the successful end of this operation within the week. Either way, Sombre should be gracing us with his presence before too long.

~~~~~

The first attacks to probe our growing constructions were poor groups of Crystal Empire inhabitants sent to do their master's spying. Seemingly random and mostly uncoordinated, these groups were easily routed by Hurricane's forces.

Then Sombre started sending in members of his fake army, his Equinculi, who appear to be even less capable than the city's living residents. What they lack in brain, they more than make up for in brawn. The Pegasi aren't equipped to fight these creatures for extended periods of time, so Luna and I have been assisting with the defenses as best we can in our down time. Thankfully, Sombre's crystal forces do not appear too numerous. I should hate to have to face more of these things than I have too.

There is something that is unequivocally disturbing about them. Their cold, lifeless faces notwithstanding, I believe it is the way they move about that seems the most unnatural. It is almost as if they were some poor attempt at copying the internal mechanisms that allow the living to operate, by somepony who had only had such things described to them in the broadest of terms.

At least Sombre's random magical attacks against the wall have passed harmlessly through them, as predicted, but if any of the forces under his control are able to reach the wall themselves, then our ruse will fall.

Tomorrow we shall enact the final part of our plan to draw out Sombre from his crystalline tower. The illusion spell, and our forces, need only to hold out until then.

~~~~~

We decided to 'break' our wall about midway into Luna's shift so that she would still have some energy left, and I would at least be half rested, should things get out of hoof. The plan was to let the wall fall partially through the ice, creating an opening. If Sombre still believed that the wall was solid it would mean that this would be his only possible chance of escape.

Just as I was getting ready to destroy the icy structure holding our wall above ground, Sombre decided to make his move first, sending out waves of his dark crystals to test almost every sector of our illusion. One of them managed to clip Luna, and it's a testament to her species that her spell did not falter in the slightest. I almost went immediately to her aid, until she reminded me that getting Sombre trapped would be better than prolonging this standoff any longer.

I went to the small ice cave near our real wall and began to pour my magic into the enchanting glyphs I had carved earlier. I could still hear Sombre's attacks coursing through the ice overhead. Waiting until I could hear another one pass closely, by I finished the spell. Strategically placed pillars were the only things supporting the wall, and when the glyphs activated, the supports melted away in a flash of magical steam. My work done for the moment, I made my ascent towards the surface.

For the next few events I could only observe. While the Pegasi troops doing their part in trying to keep the wall from toppling over too soon, Sombre spotted his chance at breaking free from the wall. Exactly as expected. As the king and his Equinculi started moving into position, I began to head back down into the ice to begin the next phase of the plan. It was then that I was interrupted by the most unusual noise. Starting as a dull rumble, but quickly increasing in volume, at first I thought that Sombre had unleashed some new attack. It didn’t take me long to realize that the sound was coming not from beyond the wall, but from above my position. Far above.

I managed to look towards the sky in time to see an object bathed in a luminous veil. Once the object stopped, and with its sudden deceleration, a burst of excruciating sound, I was able to see that our mysterious visitor from the sky was none other that Celestia herself. She surveyed the area until, I suspect, she sighted Luna. Judging by Celestia's actions after that, Luna's injuries may have looked far worse from the air.

Everypony was frozen in place, Sombre included. Judging who had attacked her sister, Celestia quickly moved to a position directly above his army. By the time anypony realized that they might be in danger, it was already too late, Celestia had already charged an attack backed by some untold power. Power aside, I recognized the fundamentals of my own Solar Flare spell. The only thing I could do was shield my eyes, it was beyond my abilities to convince her to stop. The Alicorn unleashed every ounce of stored energy directly towards Sombre's position.

I doubt that even I would survive a direct assault comparable to the one I had just witnessed. The heat, combined with the attack's shockwave, was enough to create a giant, audible crack in the Ice Wall next to me. Before the effects of the attack had settled the wall had started its descent into the very crater that Sombre's army, if any of it still existed, now occupied. The force and velocity with which the uppermost of the wall's ice blocks carried with them when they collided with the Earth was enough to ensure that there would be no survivors. The ice we had harvested from the caves below, had been returned to them in a slurried mixture of ice, water, and crystal.

Her attack complete, Celestia descended to Luna’s position. Whether I had been struck deaf from the noise or not, I was able to observe the two sister exchange glances in silence before Luna dropped the illusion spell and turned her head towards the ground. Celestia then turned her angry gaze towards me before covering her sister with her wing, following her movements by brilliant flash of light. I look again, and the two Alicorn had vanished from my sight. The soot and steam that lingered in the air following the destruction of Sombre's forces was the only indication that they had been here at all.

I left Hurricane and his troops to do whatever it was that they had set out to do, while I headed out towards the city. I still needed to recover the magic focus that Sombre had been using to build his army. Enigma had claimed not to know of any such artifact, but I believed that there was a reason that Sombre did not wish to leave the confines of his castle, and I don't believe that it had anything to do with safety or fortification. It had to do with his magic.

As I made my way through the city, I noticed that all of the inhabitants were soundly asleep. Not unlike the events of Strotland, it will take some time for the ponies here to regain their energy. Seeing as how Sombre's magic was a more powerful and direct form of Ensemble's I estimated that the Crystal Empire would quite possibly sleep well into the next week.

The artifact I was looking for happened to be located at the very base of Sombre's incredibly tall, and ominously black, crystalline tower. Only, The Artifact wasn’t the only thing that I found. Enigma happened to be nearby, anxiously looking for something. Startled, when she noticed my presence, she asked me accusingly why I was there. As if she didn't know.

I pointed to the artifact, that just happened to be floating in the air behind her, and told her that it must be secured away from those who would use it for evil purposes. She said that she wouldn't let me, saying that she knew that a simple touch was all it took to corrupt a Unicorn's magic. I tried reasoning with her, telling her that her brothers were probably already under the influence of the Stranger that had visited them. She would have none of it, Enigma told me that, if I wanted to take what she was calling the "Icon," I would have to fight her for it. Besides, she said, who knows what will happen to the city if it's magical power source was simply disrupted.

Enigma explained that the housing beneath the tower was only a conduit. Without the original focus, something called the "Crystal Heart," to replace the Icon, it would only be a matter of time before the city's protective magics wore out. The only problem was that Sombre had hidden the Crystal Heart away, and now there was nopony alive who knew where he had placed it.

Before I could decide what to do next, Enigma made my decision for me. Apologizing for what she was about to do, she leapt towards the Icon, forcing it from the magical conduit that held it in place. She was forcing me to choose between trying to save the Crystal Empire and chasing her for the stone she now carried. I made my choice. Luna was right not to trust the mare, but I let my feelings get in the way of rational thought, and as consequence of that, I had no reasonable choice but to rush into the tower to look for the Crystal Heart. Even before I had entered the castle, the ground began to shake beneath the city.

It wouldn't be long before the magical conduit on which the tower was built would start wreaking permanent havoc on the area. Precisely what it would do was a mystery to me, but the former slaves of Sombre deserved, at the very least, a chance to enjoy their newly won freedom. I tried to search as many rooms as possible, but to no avail. Just as I got the idea to try the Gem Family's gem finding magic, but before I could act on the idea, I found myself suddenly falling through the air.

The Crystal Tower and had vanished, and along with it every building within the empire. Suddenly losing firm ground beneath my hooves, it took all of my strength to ensure I didn't fall into a solid sheet of ice on my way down. After I crawled out of a newly formed lake of water, I lay on the ice. Completely exhausted, the events of the day had finally caught up with me and I lost consciousness.

When I awoke, I found myself within Hurricane's camp once again. While better than freezing on the ice, the Captain was not pleased with my actions at all. I learned that, when the city disappeared, The denizens of the Crystal Empire vanished along with it, this happened to include the Pegasi troops that had fallen to Sombre's spell. Hurricane, of course, blamed me for his losses. As soon as I am rested I am to be ejected from his camp.

I could tell him of Enigma's involvement, and how it was her actions and not mine that had ultimately doomed the Empire, but I withheld the information for some reason. As it stood, as much as I tried to help, I still failed to find the Crystal Heart. I failed to help all of those ponies who were counting on me. And for what? History would probably forget about the Empire's existence before too long and I don't think that there is a thing I can do about it. At least not yet.

My next course of action is to locate Enigma and take the Icon from her. Maybe then I can set things right.

~~~~~

When I arrived at Enigma's home it was of no real surprise that I found it abandoned. Even though there were still some mementos here and there, It was clear that the mare would not be coming back to the hut. I didn't find anything of importance anywhere in the house, but then I remembered the little shack that Enigma had been using for storage.

Only it wasn't ‘just a shack’ at all. Just beyond the door, there laid a path that descended into the ground below. The narrow path opened up into an icy cavern that housed all manner of flora. The ice ceiling was carved in such a way so as to let in the light needed for the plants to grow. Simply amazing, and certainly not what I was expecting. Off to the side along the wall, I found a desk strewn with all manner of documents concerning the growth and caretaking methods of various plants.

I almost believed that Enigma might have left some important information in her haste to leave, but when I found a letter addressed to me, I knew that she had planned everything out with as much care as I would have. Seeing the letter forced me to realize just how small of a chance it was that she had forgotten some piece of information, some clue, that I might be able to follow in order to find her again. Enigma had ensured that she would be able to disappear as thoroughly as the Empire itself had done, and that it would be nearly impossible to find her unless she wanted me to.

The letter was full of apologies for her actions. Whether they were written before she took the Icon, or after, I couldn't tell. Enigma truly believed that mere possession of the Icon was enough to sway the hearts of most magical creatures, including myself, but while her actions were supposedly to keep me from turning to darkness, she had another reason for taking the artifact. Even though the mare had enjoyed our time together, she claimed that she knew that it would be impossible for us to continue the way we were. She believed that I would eventually abandon her just like everyone else had. Her mother and her brothers had left her, betrayed her. Long ago she had invented a plan to solve her problems. She knew how to manipulate all sorts of plants. Enigma could get them to grow exactly how she wanted them to. What she lacked was the power to create something new. But with the Icon that would change. The mare claimed that she could create a new life. One that would never abandon her.

I almost felt pity. To think that I was defeated by a mare who is insane enough to attempt to alter the natural order of the world, just so that she can feel needed. But then again, maybe I am not so different. Looking around the greenhouse, I can see many types of fruits and flowers that I've never seen before. It is possible that some of them might not exist anywhere else at all. Enigma was clearly a scholar where plants are concerned and everything she has in the cave is neatly labeled. One of the plots lays empty, however, and its title reads 'Echo Seed.'

~~~~~

As I make my way back home, this time infinitely more aware of the weather’s changes, I'm left with only time to think about the things that have occurred. I've never been one to follow such archaic things as destiny, after all, I was once supposed to follow the path dictated by my family, but now I'm not so sure. I think that there was a reason that I was introduced to Enigma, and whether good or bad, I’m sure I'll find out the answer to that question soon enough.

For now though, I'll wonder about other things, like the Empire's vanishing act. Not some mere magician's sideshow, the city simply slipped out of existence and I've got no real answer as to why, or how. Was everything destroyed? Moved? If it still exists then where did it go? If this is the case, then I can only think of two places it could have gone. Either it was moved to a different location or a different time. The how and why of any such answer escapes me for now, but I think I might have a good idea where to start my inquiry.

~@~

Spike paced nervously back and forth outside of Celestia's royal study. Some issues had arisen earlier in the day and the sun Princess was only now finishing up. Spike only hoped that she still wanted to meet with him when she was done, and he doubted that he'd be able to go on much longer without an answer to his questions. After what seemed to be an eternity of waiting, the doors to the study opened, revealing both Celestia and her visitor.

Prince Blueblood nearly blew right over Spike as he forced himself into the passageway, his mood even more unpleasant than normal. Even as Spike moved out of his way, the prince haughtily thrust his nose into the air as though it was the dragon's fault that his meeting with Celestia seemed to have failed to accomplish whatever it was he wanted.

The princess held her smile until the Blueblood was out of sight. Following a heavy sigh, Celestia greeted her guest, "I'm sorry for the delay Spike, I know that you have been waiting patiently for an audience."

"Don't mention it Princess, I know how Blueblood can be. If you don't mind my asking, what did you tell him he couldn't do this time?"

"Ah, Spike, proving once again why you are my student's number one assistant. Paying attention to detail is a skill that few seem develop to a satisfactory level these days."

"True, but Twilight's not your student anymore. She studying under Luna now, remember?"

"Of course, but once my student, always my student." Celestia replied, her face turning serious for the briefest of moments before returning to her normal, regal, posture. "Regardless, I have had a busy day. Instead of having our discussion here in the study, how would you like to accompany me to the dining hall."

That is exactly what Spike wanted to hear. In his excitement he'd forgotten to eat anything all morning. "Lead the way! Do you guys still have any gems laying around?"

"Oh, we still have a few, if only to keep young dragons such as yourself from trying to eat the decor." Celestia said as she jokingly gestured to the various jewel encrusted pieces of decor that were placed along the walls.

~~~~~

"Mmmmm. Mmm, Mmm. That hit the spot! What did you say these were again?" Spike asked just before he tossed another one of the multicolored gems into the air so that he could catch in his mouth.

"Those gems are called Opal. This particular variety comes all the way from Saddle Arabia."

"Oh! I've had Fire Opal before, but they were nothing like this!"

After watching the dragon eat a few more gems, each in a different way, Celestia decided to get down to business. "Well Spike, I know that you didn't come all of this way just to discuss the varieties of edible stones that we keep here at the castle. Do you care to explain what brought you here today?"

Spike nearly choked on his last gem, "Right, that." Spike looked down towards the tablecloth as though it would help him phrase his question properly. When nothing turned up, Spike decided that he couldn't hold this off any longer, proper phrasing or not. "What I wanted to ask was, well, when Twilight was trying to enter your school she had to hatch an egg. My egg, I mean. Well, I what I mean is-"

"Calm down Spike. There's no reason to hurry." Celestia said in a calming tone.

Spike hesitated for a moment before continuing, "It's just that, I came from an egg that was used to test a Unicorn's magical skill, right? I just wanted to know if there were any other dragons out there that were like me."

"Well Spike, I can tell you that there are no other dragons that were hatched by any pony. Just between you and me, as it's not supposed to be known outside of the administration of the School for Gifted Unicorn, but the entrance exams are supposed to be impossible to complete. That is why we were so surprised when Twilight had managed to actually pass it."

"So then I'm really the only one?"

"I did say that you are the only one that had hatched..." Celestia rose from her cushion and motioned for Spike to follow her. "I believe that now is the time for me to show you something."

Celestia led the young dragon to a vault that was hidden within the various depths of the castle. Curious, Spike asked where it was that the Sun princess was taking him.

"I'm showing you to a storage room." The princess replied. "Artifacts that need to be kept isolated are usually brought here before they can be made safe. Or destroyed." Celestia used her magic to unlocked the vaulted, but otherwise unassuming, stone door that sealed the vault. Once the doors had ceased movement, she turned to the dragon. "What I'm about to show you must remain a secret."

"You don't have to worry about me princess, I keep secrets all the time for Twi-" Spike stopped himself in time to see Celestia raise an eyebrow, "I mean, I promise not to tell anyone anything, ever."

"You would be wise to do so. Come this way."

The room was lined with wooden crates that hid their contents from Spike. Every so often he thought he recognized the faint hum of magic emanating from the boxes. When Celestia found the item she was looking for, she carefully moved it off of the shelf and onto the floor, without using her magic, Spike noted.

After blowing years worth of dust off of the top Celestia removed the lid from the crate. Before the lid had been fully removed, Spike was sure that he knew what was kept inside.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"It most certainly is. Your egg was not the only one we were using for the School's entrance exams. When Twilight succeeded in hatching you I thought it necessary to remove this one from being used, even if it meant that I would have to discover a new method to test promising students."

The was similar to his own egg with exception to its color, both the spots and the shell were a darker shade of purple than his had been. "Can I?" Spike asked if he could hold the egg. With Celestia's permission, he pulled the egg out from the straw packing. It wasn't as fragile as he had suspected, no, the egg was as hard as granite. It was also warm to the touch. "It's alive!" he exclaimed.

"Indeed it is, Spike. Dragon eggs were once thought to survive forever, waiting for another dragon's flame to hatch. Since you were hatched by Twilight's magic, I dare not use my own magic around one."

Spike found himself thinking about the life he held in his hands. "What kind of dragon will you turn out to be little guy?"

"That will be up to him. Or her, whatever the case may be."

Looking at the egg, Spike realized that he had forgotten to ask one very important question, a question he still needed to figure out how to ask without revealing Twilight's secret. Finally, as he formed the words he thought he needed, Spike turned pleading eyes towards the Sun Princess. "Where did our eggs come from? Are there any others?"

"I'm afraid I cannot be entirely certain. What I do know, is that these eggs are quite old by pony standards. They were gifted to the royal house sometime after Discord's reign, and most information before then was lost."

Spike's focus faltered. There was no way that this egg and his own could be part of the same brood, or even part of Starswirl's collection. Could they?

Celestia noticed Spike's reaction to the news. "Those are the things that I can confirm, but I suspect that both this egg and your own are related."

"What about the others? Are there any more?" Spike felt hopeful once more. Until he realized what he had just let slip. When Celestia hesitated to answer his question, Spike quietly prepared himself for a trip to the moon.

But instead, the Alicorn decided to let it pass. "I do not know if the others might still exist, hatched or otherwise. In place of this information, I will offer you a deal. I will leave the decision, on whether or not this dragon will be brought into this world, up to you."

At first, Spike thought that such a choice was almost too easy, but the more he thought about it the harder his decision came. He put the egg back in it's crate.

"Is that the choice you've made?"

"No. I don't plan on leaving this guy here forever. But I know that I'm not ready to handle that type responsibility. Every other dragon I've met was a jerk, and if I'm going to try to get this one to be nice to everyone, then I'm going to need to give it everything I've got. And right now, I don't think I have enough to give."

"Wise words, my young dragon. I will keep the egg here for when you change your mind. A word of advice: If you wait until everything is perfect, it never will be."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." Spike said as he placed the crate back on the shelf.

"Before you go, I have one other thing to say." Spike looked at the princess with a questioning look. "Please, tell Twilight that everything will be all right."

Author's Note:

Aha! My longest chapter yet. Is it just me or are back-stories awfully dark around here?