Chapter 13 - The Broken Tower
A Heart of Change - Chapter 13: The Broken Tower
By: SilentBelle
Scootaloo’s wings twitched at her sides, but she kept them from extending. “Why does this tunnel have to be so darn small?”
“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle added from right in front of her. “Bloom, I told you I should have been in front to light the way.”
“Well, there’s no point in complaining about it now,” the earth pony shot back. “Unless ya want to backpedal down the whole tunnel so we can reorder ourselves. Besides, it’s workin’ fine as is.”
Sweetie Belle grumbled slightly. “You’re not the one who has to maintain a light spell and a levitation spell at the same time. You know, using a gem as a lamp isn’t quite as easy as my own horn. If I have to keep this up I’ll end up with a headache.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes at the complaint. “Oh, come on Sweetie, I’ve seen you use a light spell for hours before, just pony-up.”
There was a deep chuckle from behind. Scootaloo turned to see Byron’s shadowy figure. The diamond centered at his neck caught a stray beam of Sweetie Belle’s light spell and reflected it in an eerie manner.
“What’s so funny?”
“This sort of conversation,” Byron began pleasantly, “it is not something that we dogs are entirely used to. I find it to be quite intriguing.”
“You would, wouldn’t you?” Scootaloo frowned, and not for the first time, wished she had entered the tunnel last. She trained her eyes back to the ground before her, squinting against the darkness. “So how long is this tunnel, anyway? Whoever dug it out didn’t do a very good job.”
“Oh, its just a few more minutes,” the dog replied with a chuckle. “As I had mentioned before, the tunnel is something of a ‘work in progress’.”
He’s starting to get on my nerves. Scootaloo shook her head. “Hey Sweetie, I just noticed... you aren’t wearing that brooch anymore. It’s not because of what I said earlier, was it?”
“Huh?” Sweetie tried to turn her head around, but her horn stubbed against the top of the tunnel. “Ow,” she muttered. “No, it’s in my bag, Scoots. Why would you think I’d wear a brooch when we are heading through such a small tunnel? It’d have been pulled off way back there and I’d have lost it. I spent some good gems on it, you know?”
A likely story, Scootaloo thought to herself. You didn’t even know that we were going to be heading through a tunnel this small until we saw it.
“Plus, it’s a work in progress,” Apple Bloom called back. “Without any gems in it, it’s just simple silver clip. Plus she wouldn’t want ta get the etchings all scraped up after spendin’ most of last night makin’ ‘em.”
“Huh... so what’s it gonna do after you’re done with it?”
“Oh, I managed to add a bit more after Bloom went to bed,” Sweetie Belle replied in her usual saccharine tone. “But you’ll both have to wait and see what it does.
“It’s always a waiting game with you, isn’t it?” Scootaloo muttered quietly enough that nopony else heard her.
“Patience is a virtue, as I’ve oft heard ponies say,” Byron’s own whispered voice made it up to her ears.
She lapsed into silence for a while, and kept her focus on the uneven ground. She heard Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom arguing various ideas for whatever contraption they were trying to create. She heard something about wings of metal, and proportions, but she didn’t follow their conversation, and instead sank into her own reverie.
That dream last night… A snake and that voice. What does it mean? She shook her head. Maybe it’s just these caves getting to me. It was just a dream.
“Aha! Ah see it!” Apple Bloom’s voice jarred her back to reality.
“It’s about time,” Sweetie Belle said with a tired sigh. She pulled the gem that she had been using for the light spell back to her side, and slipped it into her saddlebag.
Scootaloo peered around her friends and saw a bright light, indicating the tunnel’s end. She stumbled after her friends and broke free of the confining space.
As soon as she passed the rocky threshold, Scootaloo leaped into the air and spread her wings. She breathed in the fresh mountain air and couldn’t help but let a small smile form on her lips. The wind carried the distant scent of pine and chill crispness.
She turned her gaze downward and took in the scene. They were above the treeline, but not by much. The distant, small pines cascaded down the side of the mountain, pooling into a thick, albeit small forest at its base.
Past the forest, Scootaloo noted the churning mass of dark clouds. They seemed to touch down before the horizon, blotting out both the sky and the ground. “So the Empire’s over there, huh?” Numerous flashes of lightning lit the cloudy mass every few seconds, and thunder echoed along the mountain cliffs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a storm that big before.”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom agreed, “and we have ta get past it somehow...”
Scootaloo landed beside her friends on the bald, rocky outcropping. “Say, Bloom, if they don’t have either pegasi or unicorns in their city, then how do they normally control the weather?”
“Well, from what Ah’ve heard, the crystal ponies have their own type of magic. Ah think it was called ‘atmospheric magic’ or somethin’. It’s supposed ta be very effective when the ponies are feelin’ positive emotions. The book Ah read didn’t really explain it.” Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly. “But Ah bet Sweetie could figure out how they work.”
Sweetie Belle looked to the skies, her face growing pensive. “Yeah, they probably just cast a spell more passively. Kind of like pegasi walking on and interacting with clouds.”
“Well, do you know how they do it, Byron?” Apple Bloom asked. “You’ve spent quite a bit o’ time in the Crystal Empire, haven’t ya?”
“So I have,” the dog agreed. “I don’t know quite how it works. However, I have seen them once before. They did something they called a ‘raindance’. It was a sight to behold.” Byron smiled nostalgically.
The three ponies looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. “So… what was it like?” Apple Bloom asked after a moment.
He blinked in surprise. “Oh? I’m sorry. I’m used to the other dogs just ignoring my moments of nostalgia. Yes, let’s see… How would I describe it?” Byron scratched his head in thought. “It all starts with the crystal ponies arranging themselves in a large group, evenly spaced, like when we run pups through their training drills. The dancers were very well-disciplined. They danced, and began to glow as crystal ponies often do. As I watched them dance, it was almost as if they formed a myriad of pictures before my eyes. Before I knew it, the clouds rolled in overhead, the scent of rain filled the air, and the city was graced with a light shower.” He nodded to himself. “Yes, it was a sight to behold.”
“Wow, so they can actually control the weather with a dance. Ah’d never have thought.” Apple Bloom shook her head in wonder. “When we get back to Ponyville, Ah really need ta talk ta Twilight about gettin’ some more informative books ‘bout the Crystal Empire. That’s somethin’ they should’ve taught us ‘bout back in school.”
“You do realise that the Crystal Empire only reappeared right after we got our cutie marks… right?” Scootaloo asked sarcastically.
“Oh, be quiet Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom muttered back. “We should go and check out the library when we visit the Empire.”
“Oh great! Now I’m going to be pulled into a dingy library for hours while you two choke on dust and books. Why can’t we do something fun and relaxing instead? Maybe Byron has some good ideas.”
Byron smiled at the two sadly. “Your antics are most entertaining, and I would like nothing more than to accompany you to the Crystal Empire. However, I am afraid that I must depart now.”
“Aw, yer goin’ already?” Apple Bloom pouted slightly. “Yer one of the best folk Ah’ve ever had a conversation with.”
“Duty waits for no dog,” he replied while shrugging his shoulders.
“Well, it was certainly a pleasure.” Apple Bloom nodded. “Ah hope we can keep in touch once everythin’ settles down.
A small smile crept onto his face. “I’d like that. Perhaps I shall be reassigned as an ambassador to the Crystal Empire, and from there I could send you letters. I suppose this is something you ponies call ‘friendship’.” He scratched idly at one of his ears. “I’ve had many acquaintances before, but it has always been strictly clan-related, but this is a welcome change, I think.”
“Wait, Byron,” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “Where are you going?”
“I have been told to investigate a certain matter of interest to the clan.”
Scootaloo snorted and rolled her eyes. “What, is this some sort of secret mission?”
Byron let out a slight chuckle. “Oh, nothing of the sort, I assure you. I’m merely going to check up on the state of the train tracks that run to the Crystal Empire.”
“Why the hay would you do that?” Scootaloo wondered aloud. “Isn’t your clan preparing for conflict? Why would Granette send you out for that? It sounds like a waste of time to me.”
“Hmm…” Apple Bloom considered the situation for a moment. “Nah, Ah can see why she’d send ‘im. They need ta know what’s happenin’, and they sure don’t have too many leads. But they do know that the train got derailed. One could assume that some ponies from Equestria have come ta fix it by now. Ah imagine that contact with Equestria would be in the best interest of the clan,” she reasoned. “Well, it certainly couldn’t hurt ta check.”
“How amusing.” Byron laughed once again and turned from the group. “May the stone hold you strong, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. Until we meet again.”
“We will fer sure.”
Scootaloo watched as the dog bounded away at a fair pace and made his way down the side of the mountain. “Well, I won’t be visiting…”
Apple Bloom shot her a frown. “Ya shouldn’t talk behind other’s backs like that.”
“Girls,” Sweetie Belle’s voice interrupted them.
Scootaloo turned to see the unicorn was squinting off into the distance, in the direction of the storm, and the Crystal Empire. The frown she wore troubled Scootaloo. “What is it, Sweetie?”
“I think I see another fragment…” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I mean I see a pattern, it looks like Scoddri’s.”
“And it’s comin’ from the direction of the storm?” Apple Bloom asked. “O’ course it is. Whoever it is that’s usin’ these shards and this weather spell. He sure doesn’t like makin’ this easy fer us.”
“We should go check it out. We need to save Scoddri.”
“And get deeper into this than we already are?” Scootaloo scoffed. “Why should we? Why don’t we go and see if we can make it to the Empire instead? The voice nearly got us killed twice already. We should avoid it if we can.”
Sweetie Belle put on a smug grin. “What? Don’t tell me you’re scared of some dumb voice.”
“Of course I’m not.” Scootaloo flared her wings. “But there’s no point in chasing after him only to get blasted by magic. He’s probably waiting for the right moment to attack us.” Like a snake in the grass…
“Regardless of what he’s doin’, speculatin’ about it is pointless.” Apple Bloom shook her head. “We should go and check out the storm around the Empire, see if there’s any way to get into it.”
“Oh, come on girls! It’s not like we’d be going away from the Crystal Empire. See? Look at this.” She flared her horn for a second and a shimmering beam of emerald light issued forth from her necklace, in the general direction of the storm.
“Sure, it sort of leads toward the city,” Scootaloo said, with a roll of her eyes, “but it’s also still on the mountain, and above the treeline. It’s gonna take you both forever to get over there. I don’t see any paths or the like…”
“Then, we’ll just have to make our way there without a path.” Sweetie Belle grinned. “Hey Bloom, do you have rope?”
“O’ ‘course Ah do… but Ah hope you have a better idea this time than when Scootaloo got her cutie mark.
“Oh, you’ll see…”
Scootaloo couldn’t suppress her groan as Apple Bloom began to fish a length of rope out of her bag. This isn’t going to end well, is it?
* * *
How did I let myself get roped into this? Apple Bloom wondered as she hung alongside Sweetie Belle in a makeshift harness of rope while Scootaloo pulled them. At least she’s good at tying knots.
Sweetie Belle giggled to herself. “Isn’t it great? The feather spell has so many good, practical uses. And the best part is that it should only use one gem over the whole day.”
“No,” Apple Bloom objected while she stared down at the chasm they were flying over. “The best part is that if we fall, we ain’t gonna go splat. Hurry up and land on the other side, Scootaloo!”
“I’m going, darn it! Stop squirming back there!” Scootaloo looked back over her wings. “You know, the worst part is that I have to fly you two around. We should have just gone down the darn mountain.”
“Well, no use complaining now, you two!” Sweetie Belle shouted jovially. “Let’s just enjoy the ride!”
Scootaloo shook her head as she pumped her wings. “When I fly normally I enjoy it! Not this reverse kite-flying thing we have going on here!”
Apple Bloom was relieved to see Scootaloo had begun her descent back to the ground. The tug of gravity, no matter how reduced it was from the feather spell, was getting on her nerves. She breathed a sigh of relief as her hooves finally touched down on the ground.
Scootaloo landed beside the other two a moment later. “But seriously, this mountain has a lot of cracks and crevices. Those dogs ought to build a big staircase or something. There’s no way the crystal ponies would be able to make it up to that tunnel.”
Apple Bloom felt the tingle of Sweetie Belle’s magic wash over her, and felt her body become as heavy as it was supposed to be. “Say, Sweetie. This spell is mighty useful, Ah imagine it would make runnin’ a whole lot easier. Why don’t ya cast it more often?”
“Well,” Sweetie Belle glanced at Scootaloo, “you’d think because it’s easier for us to get Scootaloo to carry us around, we’d do it all the time instead of walking.”
“No, but that just makes Scootaloo do all the work, we’d never do that fer a long period o’ time. It wouldn’t be fair ta her.”
“Darn straight you wouldn’t, or I’d just untie the rope as we were all flying.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “And I wouldn’t cast this spell all the time because that wouldn’t be fair to me. With the amount of effort that you think you’d save, twice as much goes into the actual act of spell-casting. If magic were more efficient than a lot of other actions, you’d see me using it that much more often. I’m not about to waste any more crystals than I have to.”
“Ah see.” Apple Bloom nodded and sat down on the rocky outcropping. “Why don’t we take a break? We’ve been jumping these crevices fer a couple hours now.”
“Sounds good,” Sweetie Belle responded, plopping herself down and rolled onto her backside, pulling the rope into a tangled knot around her. “Wow, this isn’t too terribly comfortable.”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shared a laugh at their friend’s expense while Sweetie Belle untangled herself with a deft touch of magic. Once she was free from her bonds, she lay down again.
“Bloom, what have you got for lunch? Or heck, supper?” She squinted toward the setting sun and let out a yawn. “Darn, we really messed up our sleep-schedule when we went underground.”
“Well, if the two o’ you had stayed outta my stash of apples, we’d have a lot more ta eat.” Apple Bloom poked through her bags with a hoof, looking for the sack of dried apple slices. She eventually found them and pulled them out. “Ah, know it’s not much, but it should be enough fer now. Once we get to the Empire, we’ll get something good ta eat.”
Scootaloo grabbed an apple slice and sat down as well, not bothering to take the impromptu rope harness off. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to have to eat raw grass. That stuff is awful.”
“Say Sweetie, Ah’ve been wonderin’...” Apple Bloom began hesitantly, as she nibbled on an apple slice. “It’s about yer gems that yer always usin’.”
“Hmm?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head and idle pulled a topaz out from her saddlebag. “Yeah? What about ‘em?”
“It’s just yer the only other pony Ah’ve ever seen use ‘em like that. Fer spell-castin’, Ah mean. With all you’ve explained ‘bout magic, it still doesn’t add up. Shouldn’t there be other unicorns that use gems like you do?” Apple Bloom ran a hoof through her mane.
“Oh, it’s simply a matter of not knowing,” Sweetie Belle explained. “They don’t know what the magic in a crystal looks like, so they don’t know how easy it is to unravel and use as their own magic. Though, some have figured out their uses, no doubt. Take that mysterious guy behind that storm for example.” She pointed a hoof at the churning storm clouds. “He’s using gems for his spells, and he’s even using clouds by arranging them in the same patterns as sigils. It’s pretty ingenious actually.”
“So knowin’ is most of the battle when it come ta magic, huh?” Apple Bloom frowned at her friend. “Though Ah still have ta wonder… Why do ya always use crystals instead o’ yer own magic? It must get expensive dustin’ so many crystals all the time.”
“That’s…” Sweetie Belle began, but fell silent, she looked away and her eyes darted around, as if the words she was searching for were hidden somewhere in the soft breeze around them. “It’s more effective. If I use the crystals, then I don’t have to worry about burning out my own magic and collapsing in exhaustion.”
“Yeah, Ah suppose Ah can see that, fer big spells in tough situations,” Apple Bloom admitted. “But why not cast the feather spell with yer own magic instead of a crystal?”
“Because…” Sweetie Belle winced as she chose her words, “I’d probably be drenched in sweat and nearly collapse after casting it twice. I have a really small magic pool, one of the smallest I’ve ever seen. It’s like being a pegasus that can’t get more than a few feet of air, no matter how you strain yourself,” she said bitterly.
Apple Bloom noticed Scootaloo’s wings twitch at the words, and the earth pony frowned. “Ah’m not sure Ah get it. So, a ‘magic pool’ is how much magic a unicorn has right? Can’t ya just strengthen it by usin’ it a lot?” Apple Bloom reasoned. “Just run through training every day or somethin’?
“It’s not that easy… at least not for me.” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “But what does it matter right now, anyway? I’ll just use the gems, it gives me more magic than most unicorns can boast. It should be enough. It’s worked so far.”
And is that good enough for you? Are ya really content with that? Apple Bloom had to wonder. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” But what if it does break?
“Yeah,” Sweetie replied with a nervous smile, “something like that. This isn’t really the best time or place to worry about that anyway. We have a fragment to go after!” To emphasize her own enthusiasm, she lifted the last three slices of apple and popped them into her mouth.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be sharing those!” Apple Bloom scowled at her, but the unapologetic smile she got in return did little assuage her annoyance.
“Come on,” Sweetie Belle said, bounding onto her hooves. “The sun’s setting, and we’re drawing closer to the fragment. Let’s get there before it gets too dark.”
“I still think it would have been better to go to the city first,” Scootaloo muttered as she waited for the two to rework the rope into their makeshift harnesses.
“And we aren’t goin’ just ta find these fragments. Ya said you could get a better view and insight on how this storm’s workin’, remember?” Apple Bloom finished tightening the rope around her. It was terribly uncomfortable against her fur, and already there were signs of chafing. She’d have that criss-cross pattern etched into her fur for at least a week or two. But we do what we have ta. She tossed a scrutinizing eye over her companions. And Ah bet my mane looks just as awful as either of theirs…
“And Ah only agreed with yer plan, instead of Scootaloo’s, because Ah don’t think we’d be able ta force our way through, even if we had ta,” she reminded the unicorn. “Findin’ out how the weather’s workin’ is our best option.”
“Yeah, but I’m still going to keep my eye out for that fragment.” Sweetie Belle lifted the topaz from earlier out of her bag, and quickly cast the small spell on the two of them.
Apple Bloom felt the familiar tingle of the magic, and she couldn’t stop a shiver from traveling up her spine. After that, she felt the effects of the spell upon her and she idly wondered how far she could jump while under the influence of such a spell.
“Alright, Scoots, get a-pulling!” Sweetie Belle called out.
Scootaloo snorted at her words, but took to the air, and Apple Bloom once again felt the familiar sense vertigo overtake her. Her hooves left the ground and she was pulled upward alongside Sweetie Belle.
The unicorn let out a great holler and began laughing as they sped off, while Apple Bloom cast one last look of longing back toward rocky perch they had rested upon. Earth ponies are not meant to fly!
* * *
Scootaloo was out of breath by the time she finally landed on a conspicuously flat surface of the mountain. Before them was the first structure she had seen since they had left the diamond dog’s city. A decrepit tower, built several storeys tall. Or, it might have been tall at one point, but it had long since fallen apart. Its old stones had slipped free from the mortar that had once held, and fierce mountain winds had weathered the once-perfect rectangles into a precarious pile of ovaloid rocks.
The structure caught the last lick of sunlight and regular flashes of lightning added an ominous sheen to the stones, which only seemed to deepen shadows within its doorway.
Scootaloo tossed a quick glance at her friends. “It’s in there, huh?”
“Yup, that’s where the fragment is.” Sweetie Belle unknotted the rope with her magic, freeing both herself and Apple Bloom. She moved forward to examine the structure while the earth pony stored the rope away in one of her packs.
“And you think it’s a good idea to go in there?” Scootaloo asked. “It looks ready to collapse at any moment.”
“But it hasn’t yet,” Apple Bloom speculated. “And from the looks of it, it can probably last another five minutes.”
“It better,” Scootaloo muttered. “What’s a dumb tower doing up here anyway?”
“Ah imagine it was built by the crystal ponies, way back before their empire up and vanished.” Apple Bloom pointed toward the structure. “See, with the way it catches the lightnin’? Even after over a millenium, ya can still make out a bit of the crystal shine that the stones used ta have. It must’ve been outside o’ whatever caused the Empire ta disappear in the first place.”
“Sombra’s Curse,” Sweetie Belle offered. “That’s what the crystal ponies call the event. The first time Sombra was defeated, he cast one final spell that pulled the whole city into a temporal and dimensional stasis.”
“I’m sure he did,” Scootaloo said with a roll of her eyes.
Apple Bloom gave her a sympathetic smile. “Regardless of how it happened, the Crystal Empire did disappear overnight. It will be mighty fascinatin’ ta actually get ta talk ta some o’ the crystal ponies about what actually happened. There aren’t too many history books that mention anythin’ ‘bout these things. But that can wait.” She turned to Sweetie Belle. “So, see anything intrestin’ ‘bout this here storm?”
“Hmm…” Sweetie Belle turned away from the structure, and looked upon the mass of black and gray clouds, which engulfed the base of the mountain. Scootaloo followed her gaze and frowned at the sight.
The dark clouds churned amongst themselves, like a pot of boiling tar, while the lightning and thunder pulsed through its depths as a heartbeat. The entirety of it loomed before them, as though it were a mountain itself. And below it all, they knew the Empire was there, hidden from their sight, but not from their minds.
Apple Bloom let out a small whistle at the sight. “Ain’t that somethin’?”
“It’s pretty big,” Scootaloo said.
“Oh? You don’t sound impressed.” Sweetie Belle gave her a smile. “I bet you’ve never seen a bigger storm than that one.”
“It’s just a bunch of storm clouds.”
“With a pattern running through them,” Sweetie Belle added. “It’s certainly not something I had ever thought of doing. There’s an external magical source powering it, creating the clouds. A spell creating the base pattern for another spell...” she mused to herself, “just think of the possibilities.”
“So then, even if we shot Scootaloo at it, she wouldn’t be able ta stop it?”
The unicorn nodded. “Unfortunately, even if she managed to bust all the clouds, they’d just reform in mere minutes. But hay, with that much lightning, even with that bracelet, Scootaloo would get fried before she got past the first cloud.”
“You know, I’m standing right here…” Scootaloo interjected.
“So you are.” Sweetie Belle nodded pleasantly.
“Huh. So then, how are we goin’ ta get past it?” Apple Bloom asked.
“By stopping the source, of course. Even if it’s a spell, in a spell, in a spell, there’ll eventually be a source for that magic, somewhere.”
“And you think that Discord’s fragment, or whatever, is its source?” Scootaloo reasoned.
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. “No, of course not, Scoots. Scoddri’s fragments don’t have that kind of power. They only seem to release any magic of their own when they reform with the larger piece, or when they draw close enough to each other.” She tapped her necklace for emphasis. “Scoddri’s fragment couldn’t be the source of it, but it is connected to the storm, branching off of it. Whoever he is, he’s using the fragments primarily for scrying spells and remotely monitoring the storm. Or at least that’s what it seems like.”
“But if he’s using the fragments to make sure his storm stays... stormy, then why is it inside a tower instead of, oh I don’t know, flying about in these clouds and checking on the actual storm?” Scootaloo swung her hoof up toward the blanket of clouds that hung above them like a thick bank of fog. “It’s a much better hiding place.”
“Oh, what does he have to hide from?” Sweetie asked. “I mean, come on, you heard him back in the meeting room. He thought of us as little more than ants. He doesn’t seem to think we’re any sort of threat.”
“And perhaps with good reason.” Apple Bloom looked toward the dark structure, and then her two friends. “If we aren’t careful, he could very well crush us like ants. Ah don’t like this very much. Scootaloo’s right, somethin’ doesn’t add up here.”
“So, what? Are you both saying we shouldn’t go inside and check it out?”
“Yes,” Scootaloo affirmed with a nod of her head. “Is there a good reason why we should go in there?”
Apple Bloom sighed. “We’ll go in. Ah know it’s dangerous and stupid, tryin’ ta interfere with somepony who views us like insects, and probably has the power ta backup his disposition. But if we don’t go in there, we might not get another chance ta learn more ‘bout these shards o’ Discord.”
“And why is learning about the shards so important?” Scootaloo asked as she peered at the shadowy entrance of the tower. For a moment, she thought she saw the glint of two snake-like eyes, of a sickly green colour staring back out at her. I’ll be one step away, ready to strike… She shook her head and forced the thought from her mind.
“Because you and Ah both know that Sweetie ain’t a pony ta just ignore these shards when she sees ‘em.” Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a sympathetic smile. “Ya know, she’d go on without us in a heartbeat.”
Scootaloo gave the unicorn a measuring gaze. Would you really, Sweetie?
Sweetie, for her part, just stared back, then tilted her head quizzically. “Well, if we’re done arguing about how bad an idea this is, then why don’t we go and check it out?” With that she turned and headed into the entrance of the old tower, her friends following in behind her.
Once inside the dubious structure, Scootaloo blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the shadows. The tower showed signs of decay just as evidently inside as out. There was large chamber with decayed wooden remnants that spoke of a once-sparsely furnished chamber half-buried beneath a cumulation of old weathered stones. A wooden table, as well as some stools? Scootaloo guessed.
Along the circumference of the chamber, large segments of dusty, fallen stone made Scootaloo wonder if there must have been a spiral staircase that lead all the way to the top of the tower. Looking up, she noted that if there had been a roof, it had long-since disappeared, most likely by slowly raining down into the room they were standing in.
Well, at least there’s enough openings in this place that I won’t be trapped. Scootaloo spread her wings slightly.
“Over a thousand years, and look at this place,” Apple Bloom whispered. “Makes ya wonder what Ponyville will be like a thousand years from now.”
Scootaloo shrugged with her wings. “Who knows?” Or cares?
Sweetie Belle moved on ahead, toward the far side of the chamber, igniting her horn, and working her way through the debris. With every step, the ground seemed to shift slightly beneath her, and she stumbled a few times as an unseen crevice caught a stray hoof, or her weight caused a precarious pile to rearrange itself beneath her.
“It’s such a big tower, it’s almost like one of the keeps in Canterlot. Ah wonder why they’d build a place like this.” Apple Bloom gazed about as she slowly plodded after Sweetie Belle.
“Uh, Bloom, we’ve been to Canterlot. That place is nice and shiny and white,” Scootaloo pointed out, as she hovered alongside her friend. “This place is a dump.”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, but bit off whatever retort she was about to give when Sweetie Belle let out an excited exclamation.
“Aha! There it is!” Sweetie Belle had made it across the chamber and shone her horn’s light in cylindrical beam up the side of the tower wall. About ten feet up, an emerald sparkle glistened back. “I knew there was one in here! Scoots, do you think you can grab it?”
“And I knew you would come, if I put one here.” The deep voice echoed from the fragment as it floated away from the wall and above the three mares. “Half-heart girl, leave Discord’s stone here and I’ll let you go. It would be a shame to waste more resources than necessary.”
“And if I refuse? What, are you gonna throw some hokey lightning bolt at me?” Sweetie Belle said mockingly as she procured a gem from one of her bags. “I’ll just be grabbing that fragment, thank you.”
Scootaloo sprang into action and shot toward the emerald shard. But as she flew toward it, it flashed brilliantly, as bright as the sun at midday. With a wince, Scootaloo turned her gaze and stopped her charge, lest she fly straight into the tower wall.
“I suppose killing you and taking his stone would be the next logical step,” the voice said, almost sounding disappointed.
Scootaloo blinked the blinding effect from her eyes just as she heard a loud crash from above. It wasn’t a peal of thunder or the crack of magic. It was something far more material, and living.
She turned her eyes upward to see a dragon. The winged reptile opened up its maw and let out a piercing cry which shot shivers up her spine. Scootaloo saw it’s eyes, and it had a poisonous green glow about them. Like the snake’s.
She didn’t have time to contemplate the creature any further as it shot down from the top of the tower, knocking out a section of the wall. Scootaloo had to dart away to the center of the tower, above Apple Bloom, to avoid the falling debris.
Just fly away, a voice in Scootaloo's mind spoke. Just leave them. They can’t escape, but you can. You knew it was a bad idea, coming here. Why not leave now before it’s too late?
She eyed the open sky above her for a second, then turned her gaze back to the dragon. “Sweetie!” Scootaloo shouted her warning as she saw the reptile descend upon the filly. I can’t run! she told herself. Not while she’s in danger!
Scootaloo flew forward and watched as Sweetie Belle turned in surprise. She let out a scream, and fear filled her eyes. I have to reach her! But she knew she wouldn’t make it in time.
Sweetie Belle’s amulet sparked to life as the dragon’s mouth closed down upon her. Or where she had been. At the last second, Sweetie Belle disappeared in a spark of teleportation, and the dragon’s bite clamped down on naught but air.
Scootaloo pulled out of her crash course with dragon, and looked down frantically, searching for a sign of Sweetie Belle.
With a terrible roar that shook the entire structure, the beast howled after its lost prey. It swung its tail furiously against the wall of the tower, causing segments of it to crack and split.
In the next moment, Sweetie Belle reappeared in a brilliant flash of light, right where she had been only moments before.
“Discord? You would use teleportation to try and save the girl? I wonder, what is this girl to you? How amusing.” The voice let out a lengthy laugh, and the fragment soared upward to the top of the tower, as if looking down to watch the scene unfold.
Sweetie Belle opened her eyes in surprise to see the dragon staring at her dumbly for a second. It took a quick snap at her with its jaws.
“Oh damn!” Sweetie shouted. With a quick bound of agility, she kited around the beast’s attack, spinning as if across a dance floor, and landed at its side, while the dragon got a mouthful of rock instead of the prize it was looking for.
“Sweetie!” both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shouted out in unison, as they rushed toward her.
Sweetie Belle didn’t have time to respond to them, she dodged deftly as one of the creature’s hind legs tried to catch her with its claws. She backpedaled quickly across the uneven terrain, and ended the move by striking a pose. As if it were part of the dance, she shot a whip of flame from her horn, striking the beast’s other hind leg.
The giant lizard let out another bone-chilling screech as it moved to face its assailant.
“Scootaloo! What the hay is this thing?!” Sweetie Belle managed to shout as she leapt over the dragon’s tail, and tossed her mane to the side with one of her hooves.
End of Chapter 13
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Amazing as always, I can't wait for more.
For some reason, that last bit just screamed The Sweetie Chronicles.
3135951 Funny that you should mention that...
3135826 Thanks for reading. It was a ton of fun to write.
Speaking as someone who was at the live... writing? Word... streaming? Whatever the fancy Web 2.71828 term is appropriate. Speaking as someone who was there, I know one detail about what is happening next, and I am very intrigued as to how the next chapter going to play out.
But yeah, the meet ups were fun. I kind of wish I'd saved a copy of the original just after it was written so I compare and see what changed.
3136118 Hmm, not too much was changed. I changed and got rid of a few superfluous words. There were some tense issues that I fixed, and I think I changed the opening line. But other than that, It was pretty much the same.
3136057
Oh yeah. This is going to be good. I shall have my popcorn ready when the next chapter is posted.
3136057
I remember you mentioned that in the first writing session, I'm not sure how the others will react to Sweetie's body being "barrowed".
3136224
Psst. You need a closing slash in your spoiler tag there.
3136224 Hmm, if you're gonna spoiler it put the closing in
Well, how will Scoots and AB react I wonder? That's far more important.
Great story... cannot wait to see more
GUESS WHAT... SECRET MESSAGE WHAT SECRET MESSAGE
well that worked
3136599 Heh. Thanks for reading. I've got the next chapter being edited and fixed up as we speak
A fun and nice cmc story. Its nice to see them being themselves, without the more, irking parts of their, personalities that shined through so often.
Oh yes this will be good :)
3136224
3139403 Well, I'll be making a blog post pretty soon to clear up any confusion before the next chapter. I'm just waiting for a certain 'cue' to do so
I'm certain it's not too hard to figure out what just happened though.
3144681 Heh. Yeah, at least the next chapter should come relatively soon
3144770 If what I read today in another story is any indication, it will get really interesting. I also wonder about Discord's teleport. Seems a bit weird that one would appear a few seconds after a teleport.
3150405 Ah, the mysteries of Discord. Now to get back to reading TIG chapter...
I hope the next chapter is well received
And now I need to read through this story.. since TSC will be crossing over... oh my free time, it hurts.
3150457
yep same boat here, except there are 2 stories before even this one.
One of the reasons i love TSC is it points me in the direction of other great fics
let the crossover....COMMENCE!
Woahhhh. Gotta follow thish ta get the full story naow. Tricky Tricky tricky.
This, now THIS, is a good crossover.
I'm guessing that TSC Sweetie blipped in lieu of the original Sweetie? Talk about arriving at the best/worst possible time...
Poor antagonist... One almost begins to feel sorry for him upon having Sweetie suddenly going Super Mode on him.
Let the !FUN! commence!
So, chaos mage Sweetie with barely any magic of her own is temporarily replaced with ultra badass Sweetie who has near-Twilight levels of magic. This is gonna be good. This is also the first story to do a two-way cross over with TSC. Which is pretty awesome.
3172015
Not true, in fact. The first to do a two-way crossover is This Platinum Crown, the sequel to The Best Night Ever.
3173087 Oh? I haven't actually read The Platinum Crown - I've heard of it (featured on Equestria Daily) but hadn't realised that it was a sequel to The Best Night Ever. Good to know. However, I assume that TPC takes place after the events of the time loop, making it more of a re-cross than a proper simultaneous two-way crossover (as this is). Amrite?
3173142
That you are. Sweetie from some point in her future that we have not gotten to yet in TSC comes back to the world of TBNE. It foreshadows some of the stuff that Sweetie will be doing in the chapters we don't know about yet. I would definitely give TPC a look though, its one of the best on the site IMO.
I really hope that TSC!Sweetie did not replace the Sweetie from this fic. Seeing the two versions of them interact with their differing views on magic would be awesome.
I really enjoy your story, but I'm sad to say that I'm not particularly looking forward to the crossover. Your story has strong intrigue and a powerful overarching storyline already, and adding a sudden "jaunt to the left" for a Twilight fragment could throw the whole thing out of kilter. I have read TSC, and I find it to be a good story, but it is not your story. They are amazing on their own, like two completely different, but entirely delicious foods. To change what is already a well-driven narrative to accommodate TSC seems like covering spaghetti in chocolate. I trust you to write well, but adding a second story into the mix, especially one that would be so invasive as to change the motivation of the main character for a time, has the potential of derailing (or at least distracting) from the overall fantastic story you've written so far. Of course, it's all up to you, and I will still read in the hopes that the damage is minimal. Good luck.
3184687 To be fair, I have considered that it might come across as jostling, and it certainly is a very valid concern. Indeed, I have never seen anyone do a crossover quite like this, so I am treading on unknown ground. I won't be certain how well it will be received until we publish it though. But I also feel that way with just about any chapter. At the very least, it will all make sense in terms of universe mechanics, if I didn't think I could get it to work, then I wouldn't be publishing it. I hope the themes don't clash too heavily, but there certainly will be a noticeable difference. TSC Sweetie carries quite an amount of baggage with her.
Though I'm glad that you do enjoy my story, and I hope people find the crossover as enjoyable as I did when writing it. Now I'm curious as to how good chocolate-covered spaghetti tastes.Guess we'll find out soon enough
3184732
Well, considering that Spaghetti is just a type of noodle, as long as the chocolate sauce is made right, spaghetti covered in chocolate could very well be delicious.
And now I want spaghetti...
So that's the TSC Sweetie, obviously. I do have a question about this, though it's okay if you're not allowed to answer.
Will there be a chapter of the actual The Sweetie Chronicles fic based on A Heart of Change too? Or is the entire crossover going to be uploaded to A Heart of Change?
3192487 The crossover works as a chapter for both fics. It's my chapter 14 and his chapter... nine? I think I'd have to double-check (I think I'm world nine). The goal was to make a chapter that works for both our fics. And all you lovely readers get shout at us if we messed up
3192518 Ah, the event was a head-canon of mine pertaining to his past. I expect it might be brought up again or explored in future chapters. But no, it doesn't involve the Crystal Empire.
3192709
So it'll be posted on both stories, then?
I'll just have to read it twice and call out any discrepancies!
Annnnnnd catched up! Also, after who knows how much I logged back in with this account because otherwise I don't have a way of tracking this story. (on an unrelated note, another story I was reading uploaded like 25 chapters while I wasn't looking... whoops!
)
But back to the topic at hand... hoof... paw... tentacle?... You understand! I'm one of the (I'll guess) many who shamelessly passed through here after Wanderer pointed us at this direction and told us "Go! Read this! It's awesome and contains Sweetie Belle!".
So please bear with me while I put thoughts of the three stories on this saga you are making within a single post. :V
First of all, Scion of Chaos, admittedly since I come from the TSC readerbase I entered this story expecting alternate universes and the like and I'm glad that I did it because, TBH, your Sweetie felt a little off to me. A bit too snappy and a little too sarcasm-friendly from time to time, you'd think a time with Scoddri might have been enough to shape the filly like that (and I'd agree) but she's been behaving like that from the beginning of the story (also a little bit on the stubborn side, like the way she decided that running away from town was the only possible choice). The other issue I had with this story (and I guess the same could be said about the other ones) is that you use italics to represent everything going inside a pony's head, that isn't really the problem (it's pretty much a standard practice) but since we have more than one pony talking inside a head things can get a little messy, at times it was a bit annoying to determine if the one talking to us through the italics was Scoddri or Sweetie, at times I was wondering if this is intentional, as if you want to express the mess going on inside the filly's head...
But anyways, those are the only negative points I could think of your story (the first being something that rarely puts me off from a fic and the later one is something so minor that I'm not surprised anyone else ever had a problem with it
). The rest of the story was pretty cool, it showed us a side of Discord that is... Surprisingly canon friendly (as in, mischievous and insanely powerful being who was actually pretty lonely all along) but that's not the only reason it shines, it manages to present us a shade of him that wouldn't be too easy to spot in any other circumstances since the only thing he could do here was to talk, and he did so resulting in many great shared experiences with Sweetie, the bond that was being formed between these 2 characters was something pretty cool to read about. And if we are talking about characters, Twi is also a very interesting one to read here since you manage to present her as an opposition despite the fact that she did nothing wrong during the story. She was doing what she thought it was the right think and that's something I loved to read.
But yeah, it was a pretty good read, I also liked Emmerald Treasure but it feels like something that should have been an episode inside Scion of Chaos (right before the epilogue) instead of a little side story of it's own.
Another great thing you introduced was the concept of chaos magic and how it works, how magic flows through everything and how someone could take ample benefits from it, you also gets extra points for making a very powerful form of magic yet at the same time not making it feel like a god mode since the only user of thisn kind of power happens to have a filly sized magic pool. So Sweetie has a very very big arsenal at her disposal, just not much ammo.
But yeah, that's more related to this story, a bit of a timeskip and we have some pretty interesting versions of the crusaders, A Scoots who keeps chasing after Dash but then it ends up learning that it might be time to be her own pony, and a Sweetie that took a lot of Scoddr's teachings... Applebloom stands more or less in a familiar territory but the fact she has to keep an eye on the other two makes for some good reading.
... Actually, both Sweetie and Scoots looks like villains in the making, Scootaloo is already half taken by an evil force so that's kind of understandable, but Sweetie is maybe going a bit too Scoddri, she is curious, impulsive and more often than not doesn't really think on the consequences of her acts, she hates being held down. She seems like she's heading on a mad
scientistwizard road (you know, the guys who don't care about morals and do stuff FOR SICENCE MAGIC!). Mmmaybe I'm overthinking things a little but then again, Discord seems to have started as a simple magician who wanted to be the very best, like no one ever was. (which BTW, makes me think you like the Discord was Star Swirl fanon)Of course, I'm not saying this as a negative point, I'm actually quite curious to see how far this mares can go.
But yeah, I'm liking this story so far, maybe the only negative point I see is how quickly the mane 6 got wiped out of the story (and I guess the explanation for it will be that only Sweetie's very special talent is the only way to defeat the big bad on this tale, but it's not something I feel too pleased with) but I don't mind it that much, I love what you did with the crusaders and I'm very intrigued to see where it goes.
And man! This crossover move you are pulling right now is quite unique as far as ponyfics are concerned, I don't remember reading a story where a character from another tale (both unfinished) comes and has such a direct interference on the main story.
It's also a bit risky considering there could be people who don't like TSC (for whatever reason) and might be affected by this episode unless it's arranged in a way that can be skipped (but the fact Wanderer's Sweetie came right in the middle of a very important and not at all repeatable scene makes it seem unlikely)... I happen to like both stories so I'm okay with this but it makes me wonder how others could take it.
(Also, nice touch on TSC Sweetie using "Scootaloo" instead of "Scoots", so happy to see that detail being addressed
)
3201427 Wow, this is an awesome comment to wake up to
I'm glad that overall you like the story. As for a few of the points:
I'll readily agree that the most forced part of Scion of Chaos was getting Sweetie out of Ponyville in the first place. Now I probably could have found a way to give her more incentive to leave and not have it feel forced. But at the time, I really wasn't that strong of a writer, and I ended up with that forced premise.
And in AHoC, the mane 6 were wiped out quickly. Yeah, that happened, and probably comes across as a bit forced. And of course I needed the mane 6 to not be the stars of the show. But it's also a reflection of the Big Bad's own character. He's cunning, and when he sees a threat that can legitimately stop him, he pulls out all the stops and gets rid of the opposition, quickly and decisively.
I hope the crossover is well received, and I'm sure you'll say something if we totally messed something up. I think it looks pretty darn good, but I'm a little biased towards it because I've been looking at it for over 3 months and I've seen it grown into the end product. If the worst happens and we messed up... Well, it's all a learning experience, and that's how we learn.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate the investment of your time as well as your insightful comment.
i remember this chapter a bit cause of the social thing you did. it turned out awesome. the dragon was cool. sweetie and scoots interactions are funny but i think scoots is kinda mean at times. great work.
crossover next.
!! now am i excited to read that 
.
I was wondering what just happened when she just suddenly started using il Quattro elementi now I see that this is now a crossover to a crossover. Interesting.
*Grins* As son as they mentioned she moved like a dancer and the whip of fire seemed to fit I immediately wondered...
Nicely done.
I Quattro Elementi! It's Chronicles Sweetie!
spendin'
Oh! That changes the whole last part! Now I see why her fighting style was so familiar, and why she suddenly knows how to fight. That story is why I started reading this actually.
And then good old Sweetie Belle goes all Kung Fu Chappa on the big scary weather dragon. Ok then, that certainly happened.
And this dragon was not wise enough to make Scootaloo ditch her friends. He is unworthy to use the power of lies.
Let's see, how exactly would someone make another be driven insane?
First off, make them trust you.
Then make them believe something so crazy that they can't trust their own mind, doubting every decision they make because they think some outside force influenced it.
Wait.
And bingo! Slow insanity!
Needs end " marks.
______________
ya
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I just recently finished TSC (Well where it is currently at anyways), and I was psyched to see the cross over chapter to this.
..... Wut? *gasp* DISSY!! YOU SAVED YOUR PUPIL?! YAY YAY YAY YAY!!