A trial of the heart, a tribulation of the mind
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A trial of the heart, a tribulation of the mind
Cool mountain air permeated her lungs, cold morning dew drenched her hooves and the vast blue expanse of the sky loomed over her in the dim early light. Slowly but surely she made the trek from her small camp at the base of the mountain in the Everfree forest. Camping in the wilderness had proven to be a trying but overall refreshing experience for Twilight, not one to be done frequently but every once in a while when the time for a break from society was called for. She made her way up to the face of a cliff her back laden with the instruments of her trade, magic. Pulling a small metal device from the bag she held it up and fed a small magical current through it. The metal needle began to spin in small circles quickly, their was no doubt in her mind, this was the spot of the magical fluctuation she had detected. Originally she came into the mountains to take a break from her daily routine, but after picking up a strange signal from within the mountains she quickly hastened back to her home to retrieve her equipment. Ever the vigilant explorer she set out to locate the source of her magical phenomenon.
But now it seemed her search had come to an end, perhaps it was simply an uncharted lay line or a spell set up by a long dead magician whose purpose would never be discerned. Letting out an unsatisfied sigh she put the instrument away and looked around, staring up at the cliff face she noticed an inconspicuous ledge, nearly unnoticeable but still there, throwing caution to the wind she summoned her magical power and teleported herself to the small outcropping. Touching down on the cool stone the outcrop revealed itself to be the entrance to a cave. Bringing out the instrument again she noticed the needle was spinning at a now dizzying speed. "Incredible, the power given off by this thing rivals being within a few feet of a lay line. I haven't seen a spell of this magnitude before." And with that she entered the cave.
Normally she would have been apprehensive about entering a cave in the mountains but magic of this power tended to drive creatures away. Entering the cave Twilight quickly was hit with a wave of nausea as wave after wave of repulsion magic hit her, managing to throw up a defensive spell she quickly brought out a set of small strangely shaped objects, the magical equivalent of lock-picks and quickly set to work dismantling the spell matrices. Each line of the ethereal runes came apart under her work, like threads being unraveled. Soon the magical wards dissipated no longer linked to their spot. She did this several times but each time she did she made sure to carefully inscribe a replica of the spell in her notebook. After a few hours she had managed to disarm all the spell matrices in the cave that she deemed harmful. Satisfied with her work she ventured farther into the cave, at the end of the cave she came across a small rune inscribed into the very rock itself, its nature was benign and seemed to be inactive, above the small rune sat an inscription, it read as so. "What see's through the darkness, is fragile to light, is treasured by all yet cannot be held?"
Twilight was taken aback at this, all those defensive charms and spells to guard a riddle? Well she would be damned if she didn't figure this riddle out. Thoughts raced across her mind every variable being taken into equation, after a good half an hour she found that she was stumped. She could think of nothing that fit the bill, upset she began to pack up her bags. "I wonder if my friends have any ideas?"
Then like a freight train it hit her, "The heart!" She squealed in delight at having figured out the ancient riddle. Suddenly the small rune burst into life flooding the chamber with an array of lights, each part of the rune came to life spinning and contorting as magic coursed through it. Startled Twilight fell back quickly bringing up a defensive barrier as a bright flash of light blinded her. Suddenly as quickly as it came the light vanished, stunned Twilight opened her eyes. As she regained her vision she saw a small white mare come into focus. On her flank rest the red cross of a medical pony, and she carried in her arms a blood soaked rag. Wait blood! Twilight jumped to her hooves and ran to the mare as she fell to the side.
Catching her she quickly looked her over finding a large stab wound on her neck. The mare looked up with pleading eyes, "Please, keep him safe." She said in a near whisper before her head went limp, her eyes loosing focus and glazing over. Twilight stood there shocked, a pony had just died in her arms. A living being had just died right in font of her.
Her thoughts were shattered as a small cry pierced the cave, looking to the source of the noise she found herself looking at the rags in the dead mares arms, wrapped carefully in the rags was a small black foal. Her eyes widened as she took in the situation. Then her cold hard logical mind kicked into action, she quickly removed the foal from his bloody prison taking great care not to injure his wings she wrapped him in her spare blanket and tucked him under her arm. The mare was obviously dead and no good could be done for her so Twilight teleported her underneath the stone and erected a small grave marker overhead, it read nothing as she knew nothing about the mare and served only to mark her grave. And while no good could be done for her the small foal in her arms was a very immediate concern.
Quickly she exited the cave and made her way down the mountain, the foal quieted down and looked up at her with wide red eyes. It regarded her with a strange complexion that made the mare stop for a moment before resuming the journey down the mountain. Loading her gear and equipment onto her back she quickly exited the mountains and made haste for Ponyville. After an hour or two of walking she finally made it to the outskirts of town, however this was exactly where she wanted to be, dumping her equipment and camping gear on the ground she made her way up to a small cottage made in a tree. Knocking three times she waited at the door until a yellow pegasus answered the door. "H-hello Twilight how can I.." she said before Twilight interrupted.
Holding the foal forward she said, "Help." Upon seeing the blood covered foal Fluttershy gained a completely different attitude.
"Come in." she not so much said as ordered, taking the foal from Twilight she quickly walked into the kitchen. She pointed to a box on the wall with a red cross on the front, "Bring that here." she said as she quickly turned on the facet and began to clean the foal. A few minutes later she let out a sigh and wrapped the baby up in a towel. The foal began to cry almost immediately and Fluttershy was unable to calm him down. "I-I don't know whats wrong. Twilight hold him for a second." she said handing the foal to twilight who held the small child. Instantly the child stopped crying and began cooing at Twilight. Fluttershy stopped in her tracks and smiled, "Well I think he likes you."
"Yes," Twilight said, "But who is he?"
Fluttershy shrugged and smiled, "He's a lost foal, all I can say for sure at this point is that he needs you."
For the third time that night the foal cried waking a grumpy Twilight Sparkle from her sleep. "I swear it's like this kid doesn't want me to get any sleep." Sighing she forced herself out of bed and down the stairs. The small black foal was flailing his tiny hooves in his crib reaching toward some unseen object in the sky. Twilight trotted over to his crib and picked him up. Immanently he ceased his crying and looked at her incredulously. Confused Twilight set him back down, as soon as she did he immediately began to cry again. "Really? she said picking him up again. Once again he ceased his crying and began to snuggle into her mane.
"Celestia damn it, if you weren't so cute I wouldn't put up with this." She said pulling the foal in close, carefully she walked back up the stairs and soon found herself snuggled up in bed with a small alicorn foal next to her. It had come as a shock to her when Fluttershy asked what she was doing with an alicorn foal. In her haste to make sure that the child was alright she had completely overlooked a major aspect of the child. She had eventually decided on sending a letter to Celestia about it, and, in the meantime, taking care of the foal until something was done about him. And in the mean time she would have to deal with having an adorable foal around to take up her time.
Morning came, to the disdain of a certain purple mare, quickly. Tiredly Twilight rose from her bed and noticed a small black fuzzball beneath the covers. As she moved the small foal stirred from his sleep and looked up at her with wide red eyes and sneezed violently shaking his entire body. As he did a small bolt of magic raced from his horn, past Twilight's startled head, and hit the wall leaving a scorch mark in the wood. Surprised Twilight starred at the foal who starred back and began to coo.
"Well, good morning to you as well." she said. as she picked up the gurgling foal who proceeded to grab a strand of her mane and chew on it with his gums.
"Hea stop that!" she said trying to pull her head away, but the foal continued none the less despite her constant pleading. "Well, I guess it is time for breakfast anyhow."
Carefully making her way downstairs she placed the foal in a high chair (also provided by Fluttershy) and moved to the fridge, taking out some eggs and hay bacon she tuned on the stove and set a pan on it along with a few strips of hay bacon. Then setting the eggs on the counter she took out the bottle given to her by Fluttershy and mixed the formula inside it, then put it in the microwave for a few seconds before giving it to the small foal playing happily in the high chair. Noticing the bottle he eyed it suspiciously and poked at it with a hoof causing it to fall off the chair. Confused Twilight returned the bottle and put it to his lips. The child sniffed and tentatively took a sip of the formula. Apparently enjoying it he began to happily suckle at the bottle quickly draining it as Twilight prepared her own breakfast.
After breakfast the small foal began to cry once again, squirming in his chair. Twilight smelled something awful and quickly realized what was going on. "Oh no no no no no no no, please Celestia no." she said drawing ever nearer to the child. As she drew closer the increasing potency of the acrid smell confirmed her suspicions as she raised him from his seat, taking him to the table she carefully removed the diaper and gagged. It smelled so bad that she had to put a hoof across her mouth as she used her telekinesis to remove the dirty diaper and another spell to vaporize it. Soon the smell faded and she managed to replace the diaper without puking.
"You are so not worth the smell." she said looking at the foal who had rolled over onto his front and had began crawling across the table. "But you are cute." and with that she took him from the table and placed him on her back. As she walked into the living room the door bust open and Celestia charged into the room, using her magic to grab the child she pinned him to the floor as he cried.
"Twilight, stand back! I shall remove the pest." She said beginning to charge up a bolt of solar energy. Stunned Twilight watched as her mentor prepared to kill the foal. Suddenly filled with rage at her she cast a spell of her own at Celestia that knocked her head slightly to the left sending her blast of lethal magic past the child grazing his right eye causing him to cry even louder.
"CELESTIA!!! WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU DOING!" Twilight said enraged.
"Twilight you don't understand.." Celestia tried to explain.
"That you just tried to kill an innocent foal?! I think I understand enough to act." she said
"Twilight, you have no idea where he comes from, do you find i odd that he's an alicorn?" she said.
"Yes but.."
"That is because they are all dead, and he should be as well. Especially him."
"Why." Twilight said giving the sun goddess no ground.
"Let me tell you a story Twilight," she said visibly frustrated. "During the time of Alicorns there was one more powerful than even the wielders of harmony, his name was Distrance. He was a tyrannical king who relished in the suffering of others. He was so evil that he once served his own wife as a dish to a group of cannibalistic cultists in order to gain their favor. But not before she gave him a son, prince Nocturne. Eventually a rebellion headed by Luna and my owns mother and father, along with nearly every Alicorn known to pony-kind. They were decimated, but they managed to kill him in the end, his castle was burned to the ground and all of his relics of malicious power destroyed. However the child was never found, a single nurse managed to escape the castle taking a mortal wound as she did and fled to a system of caves and was lost."
"This does not warrant the death of a foal, he did nothing wrong. The sins of a father do not pass to his son." Twilight said adamantly.
Celestia sighed, "There is more, there was a prophecy. 'The son shall inherit the power of his father and once again plunge the world in darkness. He shall sit as king over all for all eternity.' Now do you understand?" She said.
"No," "Twilight said. "I don't. I cannot believe that somepony is born inherently evil. I will not let you harm this foal."
Celestia's face hardened. "Then his fate is now your responsibility Twilight Sparkle. And any action he makes will be your responsibility. I hope you are right." And with that she promptly left the room closing the door firmly behind her.
Twilight looked down at her new charge who was whimpering teas in his eyes. "I hope i made the tight choice"