-2- Thieves, Sorcerers, Dragons, and Balance

Maple huffed as he walked down the chilly Canterlot street, his hoofsteps oddly muted on the cobble steps.  His eyes darted to every shadow he passed, and on several occasions he whirled about in place, certain that somewhere, somehow, he was being observed by beings with less than benevolent intentions at heart.  He cast his gaze upwards for a moment, and spied the sign of the shop he was bound for.  The little curio shop was less than renowned for its merchandise, but the offerings were fairly diverse, appealing to a large audience.

For a heartbeat, Maple tried to talk himself out of his course of action, but after a second beat of his heart, he steeled himself, and made for the alley adjacent to the store.  He’d been scouting the place for the past few days, now, and he knew the owner’s routine well enough to know that he was asleep, by now, and that it was the best time to go about his less than honest deed.  Once he reached the small side door, he took several deep breaths to steady his shaking hooves before he brought up his small lockpick.

He fumbled with it for several agonizing minutes before a satisfying click seemed to shatter the silence, seemingly loud enough to wake even the dead from their slumber.  The stallion froze in place as he counted off several dozen seconds before he gently turned the knob, opening the door.  He knew that it squeaked when opened to a certain point, so he forced himself to squeeze through before the door could get to that point.  Once inside the shop, the stallion slipped a small bracelet about his hoof, the enchantment within granting him superior night vision, but only for a short while.

Knowing that he only had so much time before the spell ran out, and he was plunged into total darkness, the stallion hurried to find the treasure within the room.  His first minute was futile, as he turned up nothing but worthless trinkets and baubles.  However, just into his second minute of searching he found his prize.  The piece of perfectly refined tin sat just beneath a blown crystal cover.  The metal was cast in the shape of a rearing pegasus, wings spread, and Maple admired it for a moment before he gently lifted the crystal covering, gently easing it off to the side.  With as much care as he could muster, he put it atop a different display, and then he turned back to the piece of metal, his eyes wide.

He lifted the metal, admiring it’s relative lightness, and then he slipped it into the magical bag he’d been given just for this purpose.  As he did so, there was a sound from behind him, and Maple whirled in place to find himself staring down the shop owner.

“I don’t take kindly to thieves, stranger.  How about you just put that back, turn around, leave, and I won’t call the royal guard.”  The owner took a step forward, his large frame rather imposing.  “This here’s Canterlot, and the guard are never more than a couple minutes away, and I’m certain that I can take you for as long as it takes to let them arrive.”

Swallowing nervously, Maple turned to face directly towards the owner, knowing that if it came down to it, he’d be forced to rely upon some of the teachings he’d been given from his trainer.  He said not a word as he relaxed his shoulders, properly entering the martial form.  The owner let out a snort, and charged the short distance, throwing most of his weight into the attack.  Maple was ready, and easily turned the charge into an uncontrolled flip, forcing the owner onto his back with a sickening thud.  Maple looked to the owner wide eyed, and for a moment feared that he had killed the stallion.  When a shuddering breath escaped the prone form, though, Maple let out an immense sigh, and then he bolted from the store, all thoughts of stealth gone from his mind.

/\***/\

Granite cocked his head to the side as he admired the newest addition to his studio.  The carving bore a striking likeness to someone that the stallion knew, but he just couldn’t quite place where he’d seen her before.  “It suits my tastes, Ledger.  I much like the female form, but this carving is truly magnificent.”

“You can’t bloody afford it, Granite.”  The three legged unicorn hobbled up beside the proud earth pony.  “I know that you feel you must be the most grand and opulent of the masters within the city, but you simply do not have the funds to do this.”

Granite frowned for a moment, and then turned to look at his longest standing friend within the city.  “Have all the students paid for the month?”

“Come with me.”  Ledger turned, and headed for the back of the room, and into the corridors beyond.  Granite followed, his mood quickly souring as he thought about his finances.  He was well aware that he was in dire straits for funds, but the stark reminder was less than pleasant.  “Now, we might be able to scrape by, again, but I insist that you either cut back on this spending of yours, raise your prices, or sell off some of the superfluous knick knacks and garbage you insist on keeping.”

Granite scoffed as he took a seat in the chair Ledger offered, opposite the unicorn as he pulled out his various books.  “I can no more afford to sell off my things than you can afford to lose another leg.”  Ledger shot the pony opposite himself an irritated glare, and the master shrank just the tiniest bit.  “My apologies.  That was uncalled for.”

“No, Granite, it’s fine.  It’s a part of who you are.  If you didn’t make comments like that, I’d be worried.”  The unicorn mumbled to himself for several moments before he came to the page he was searching for, quickly showing it to the earth pony.  “Two months.  That’s what you’ve got before the Canterlot Business Bureau will step in, auction off your assets, settle your debt, and send you off with a firm scolding.”

“Well, that doesn’t really sound that bad.”

“Of course, if your possessions aren’t enough to settle your debt, you’ll be forced into labor long enough to settle what you owe.  And by my calculations, you’d be in servitude for about a decade.”

“That is bad.”  Granite looked over the page, and let out a sigh.  “I’d like to go over the payments, again, for the students.”

Ledger allowed the tiniest smile to flicker over his lips.  “Very well.”  He pulled out the relevant pages, and started listing off the names of various students, and their records for payments.  “And, lastly, we have Maple Leaf.  He’s behind by...”  Ledger made a strange sound, and checked several pages.  “He’s behind by two months.”

“Oust him, then.  I’ll not have some poor vagabond taking my time and money.”  Ledger levitated over a quill before dipping it into an inkwell, starting to write out some lines that would make official Granite’s orders.  “Well...”  Ledger paused, and looked up at the master.  “No, give him another month.  He is a promising pupil, after all.”

“I knew it.”  Granite raised an eyebrow, and Ledger chuckled.  “You favor him.  Of all the students you have, it’s him that you like the most.”

“He’s a promising artist of the hoof.  None take so keenly to what I teach than him.”  Granite gave the unicorn a smile.  “He’s got a promising future ahead of him.  I’d wager that he’s like to become a master himself.”

/\***/\

Maple staggered a bit as he finally reached his destination, his breath coming in ragged gasps.  The pony before him glared down at him, but stepped to the side, allowing Maple to pass into the catacombs.  The descent into the mountain was a slow and monotonous trek.  The once pristine passage was now slick with age, and the only illumination offered was an eternal torch every five body lengths, the sickly green flames letting off just enough light to see by.  Maple was growing less certain with each step, but he knew for a certainty that if he could pull this off, and not say something to incriminate himself, he’d be all the closer to learning the full depth of the plot.

Finally, after more torches than Maple could remember, he entered into the large chamber, and was set upon by several other initiates, none of whom were successful in their own efforts.  Maple felt proud for a moment, before a voice cut above the din.

“Maple Leaf.  How good of you to return to the fold.  My, how long it has been since you departed.  I was almost certain that you’d failed, or had been captured.  Or, worse still, slain.”  The figure, cloaked in a robe, cut an easy path through the novices, allowing him to come directly to Maple.  “You success does much for your standing.”  He was silent for a moment, and then he looked over his shoulder, an almost imperceptible nod following.  “Yes, this will do wonderfully.”  A glow came from beneath his hood, and the tin figure rose from Maple’s bag.  It floated there, for a moment, and then it shattered into a million pieces, revealing a seemingly innocuous stone shape.  “Centuries, and centuries.  All for this.”

“My lord?”

“Yes, Maple, you are most satisfactory.  You, and one of my other trusted companions, shall accompany me.”  Without pause, the figure turned in place, and walked from the room, leaving no chance for Maple to gather his wits before he was forced to play catch up.  The twists and turns taken in the halls were enough to thoroughly confuse Maple, and by the time they stopped before a door, the earth pony had no idea which way he would have to go in order to return to where he was, let alone the surface.  “You are confused, are you not, Maple?”  The named pony froze for a moment, praying to whatever deity might listen that his mind was still secure.  “I have not given you anything to call me, and you know not of our purpose.”  The robed figure dropped away his hood, and gave the pony a smile.  “You may call me Nova.  And our purpose is to finally usher in the new era of Equestria.”

Maple didn’t know how to respond, and so he remained silent.  Apparently it was the right call to make, as Nova nodded.  “Excellent.  Our traveling companion will be here in a mome--  Right on time, Cobble.”  The other stranger approached swiftly, his own robe swirling behind him.  “Cobble, this is Maple.  He secured the tin idol.  With it, we have gained the stone.”  Cobble only nodded, and then muttered something so softly under his breath Maple had no hope to hear it.  “Yes, I am aware.  Still, time is, now, of the essence.  We must be quick, lest our purpose become clouded, and the vagaries of magic weave into my plot.”

Maple could only follow as the pair led him deeper into the mountain, and beyond all hope of solitary escape.  Were he to be honest with himself, though, the stallion knew that he had to stay with the pair, and learn as much as he could.  His true purpose couldn’t be lost because he was a coward, and so he swallowed down his fear as he followed the pair, his hopes fading with each echoing step of his hooves.

After what seemed an eternity, there was, finally, a light at the end of the tunnel.  Not a bright light, but more than the eerie green torches.  When they emerged, it seemed as though a trick of some sort had been played upon Maple, as he was all but certain that they were within the walls of Canterlot’s Royal Palace.  He had no time to wonder, though, as the other two never even paused, and Maple was forced to run after them for a moment.  He just caught up to them when a gasp sounded from behind, and he turned to see a maid looking at them with horror on her face.

Before she could let out a scream, a wave of the deepest darkness imaginable swept past Maple, colliding with the mare in a splash of shadows.  There was no sound, after that, as her entire form seemed to fade into blackness, and then out of sight.  The tiniest of whispers reached Maple’s ears as the shadows vanished, but before he could pay attention to the sound, he felt a hoof on his shoulder.  “Those are sounds you shouldn’t hear, Maple.  Not if you value your place in the future.”

“What...  What was that?”

“A nuisance that’s been dealt with.  Now, come, Maple.  There is much to discuss with a certain friend.”  The hoof fell away from his shoulder, and Maple turned to follow, mechanically, as his mind tried to come to terms with what his eyes were telling him.  The connection never truly came, but the stallion knew, in every part of his being, that this pony he was following was evil.  Not even Sombra used the kinds of magics that he had just borne witness to.  There wasn’t even a body.  Not even a shadow of a trace left of that mare.

And Maple had just watched.

A sudden urge to scream, and run, flashed through the stallion’s mind, but by the time he realized the urge, he was in a new chamber, looking to a massive sheet covered object that Nova seemed all too happy to see.

“Fourteen hundred years, my friend.  Our last conversation was so brief, but I kept my word.”  The stone levitated before Nova for a moment, and then he magicked away the sheet, revealing a dragon skull.  “And, now, we may see eye to eye once again.”  The stone floated into a small recession in the skull, and nothing happened for several long moments.  Then, with a shuddering sigh, the air in the room seemed to shift, and the skull grew pits of glowing red in the sockets.  “My dearest friend.  At long last, we may speak again.”

“Sorcerer.  How long has it been, now?”

“Fourteen hundred and thirty seven years.”

“You’re late.”

The robed pony allowed his vestments to drop away, giving Maple enough time to recognize the pony, and then his flesh seemed to age faster than Maple thought possible.  “My grasp on it seems to come and go, friend.  Now, where is the rest of your body, so that I might make you whole once again?”

/\***/\

Nike frowned for a moment, her ears flicking back and forth as though a sound were just out of range.  An irate huff escaped her, and she made for the campfire, prodding at it with a stick several times.  Tyr was looking out to the countryside around them, and for a moment she wanted to go sit beside him, and merely talk.  She squashed the notion aside, though, and returned to her tent, still bothered by a sound she couldn’t quite hear.

/\***/\

“And, so, the books are all balanced, now?”

“Yes, they’re all good.  With what we’ve squeezed, another month will be all we can do.”  Ledger closed his tome, and he leveled his gaze with the stallion opposite him.  “No frivolous expenses, Granite.  I know that you’re normally one for impulse purchases, but for your business’s sake, don’t.”

Granite nodded, and leaned back in his seat for a moment.  “Of course, Ledger.”  He stood, and stretched for a moment, and then made for the door.  “Now, you get home to your beautiful wife, and make sure that you treat her as a mare loves to be treated.”  The unicorn hobbled to the door, and paused for just a moment next to Granite.  “I promise, Ledger.”

“You damn well better.”  The unicorn didn’t look back as he made his way out of the studio that doubled as Granite’s home.  A minute later, and there was the echoing sound of the door closing as Ledger left.  Moments later and there was a bit of rustling as some of the other lodgers likely heard their exchange, and were settling back in for sleep.  Granite, though, was still too wound up from his day, and knew that he needed to let out some of that energy, or he’d never get some sleep.

With quick steps, the stallion made his way to his chambers, and he grabbed his prized cloak, and threw it about his shoulders.  After securing it firmly, he made his way over to his window, and threw it open, allowing the chill air to penetrate into the room, and his body.  Several deep breaths later, and Granite threw himself from the window, his years of training allowing him to exert himself while allowing a blank mind.  His last coherent thought of the day was on the true benefits of thoughtless meditation.

/\***/\

Maple was unable to think straight as he walked down a familiar hallway once again.  His robes, newly acquired, didn’t quite seem to fit, and he felt the need to constantly adjust them.  It was all in his mind, he knew, but it didn’t quite stop the urges that plagued him every few steps.  Since he’d endured his time with the Sorcerer, he’d been growing closer and closer to a breakdown.  He was going to do it today.  Tonight.  It’d been three days since the last time he’d been here, and since then he’d met with the Sorcerer once, and it was during that meeting that he’d been given the robe he currently wore.

The robe was of the finest materials, and, when he’d first gotten it, he’d marveled at how much it must’ve been worth.  That had faded quickly, though, when he learned just how it had been made.  He refused to accept that it was made from...  No.  He refused.  Instead, he adjusted the robe once again, and focused on where he was going, and what he was going to do when he got there.  As he kept his pace in the hall, he heard the rhythmic chanting that had been going nonstop for the past day.  The stallion knew better than to head to the central chamber, so he made quick steps to take him to the Sorcerer’s private chamber.

After giving Maple his robe, he’d departed for parts unknown, searching for parts of the drake he made to rebuild, supposedly.  All that mattered was that he was gone, and that Maple could go to his study, and find what he needed.  When, at last, he reached the door, he pushed it open with trembling hooves, wondering if there would be any traps present to stop him from searching, or even entering the room.  When the door was fully open, and the stallion still drew breath, he figured that, perhaps, the sorcerer relied solely upon the fervent devotion of his followers to keep them at bay.  And, for the most part, it worked.  Maple’s fear was already nearly enough to keep him out.

Grimacing, the stallion walked into the room, gasping when he saw that the walls were covered in more tomes than he’d seen in some libraries.  He had no idea where to start, until he spotted a section that was organized differently.  And, prominently displayed, was a tome that the stallion knew all too well, having been told about at length.  The Arcanum Infinium was an infamous tome, covering many topics and periods that the Royalty wished not to be so widely spread.  While of note, it was not quite the find he’d hoped for.  Still, he took the leather bound book, and slipped it into his bag.

After that, though, the pony spent several minutes searching the room, desperate for a prize, before he finally found something better than a signed confession.  It was a large journal, filled with countless pages of information, penned by the Sorcerer’s own hoof.  Written on the cover, in elegant and flowing script, was a series of messages, in a language the stallion didn’t know, yet at the bottom was a phrase that the stallion had heard uttered a few times around the catacombs.  Taking it, and gently sticking it in his saddle bag, Maple felt a thrill of success pass through his body.

“Maple?  What in Equs are you doing?”  Maple looked up to see Pot staring at him, his eyes wide with horror.  “Maple?”

“Go away, Pot!  I was sent here by Swarm!”

“No!  No, you’re lying!”  Maple couldn’t help but roll his eyes.  “You’re a spy.  And I’m going to stop you.”

Maple leapt over the desk, his nerves vanishing, suddenly, as he realized that he knew how to deal with this situation.  Settling into the stance he’d grown so comfortable in, he lunged at the turning stallion, knocking him down, and using the momentum to put himself between the prone stallion and the door.  “If you want to report me, Pot, you’re going to have to go through me.  And we both know I’m the better fighter.”

“I could call for aid.”

“But you won’t.  Because if you do, I’ll have no motivation to spare you.”  Pot imitated a fish for a moment, and then he let out a huff.  “Smart pony.”

“Guards!  Guards, ther--”  His voice was cut off as Maple delivered a harsh jab to his throat.  A faint gurgle escaped Pot, and then he let out a cough, nothing but blood bubbling out of his mouth.

“I fucking warned you, Pot!”  Maple wasted not another moment as he sprinted from the room, making for the surface.  He had only been going for a minute before he heard shouting voices coming from behind him.  Putting all his energy into it, the stallion kept up his sprint until, finally, he burst back onto the streets of Canterlot.