There are things nopony talks about whenever they come back from a visit to the Princesses. Yes, they talk about the beauty of the throne room and the palace, and they talk about the majesty and breath-taking sight of Celestia and Luna respectively. What they don’t tell you is they don’t notice the beauty and grander of the architecture until after they leave their audience. And they certainly don’t tell anyone that the breath that was stolen from their lungs wasn’t out of awe, but rather out of fearful anticipation.
Oh, they know full well they would never be harmed unless they did something truly heinous, something so evil and deplorable that there was no other alternative. But there is a difference between knowing something in your head, and feeling it in your instinctual core. Regardless as to whether they knew it or not, Celestia and Luna always did inspire a certain fear in those who were not as powerful as them. It was only natural, really. After all, who in their right mind would even remotely consider pissing off two beings that had the power to move the celestial bodies themselves?
These were the thoughts and feelings that were going through Zecora’s mind as she began to finish relaying the events that led up to Twilight being sucked into the array she had made.
In truth, if it wasn’t for Applejack telling Spike to take a letter detailing a short briefing of the event and send it to Princess Celestia herself, she wasn’t entirely sure that she would have had the guts to be standing here.
Maybe she wasn’t giving herself enough credit. After all, if there was one thing she learned when she was a filly it was that if you waited too long to admit to a wrongdoing, or an accident that you had a part in, you would only end up making it far harder on yourself than necessary.
At any rate, she had just finished her recollection of the events and was now waiting for Celestia’s verdict, be it good or ill.
“I see, thank you for coming to me with this Zecora. Tell me, do you still have the coordinates the charm provided?”
Interesting. Zecora had fully expected the mask Celestia had molded for herself to be impregnable, but her serene tone still threw her for a loop. Wasn’t she livid at the loss of her student, who was almost like a daughter to her? Maybe she was just maintaining it for the sake of everyone gathered in the throne room (which consisted of Spike, herself, Celestia, and the rest of the element bearers), or maybe it was for her own sake.
Still, it was Spike who answered.
“Yes, the coordinates are right here. But how does that help us?” inquired the young dragon as he handed over a roll of parchment.
Celestia explained as she accepted the offered item.
“Based on what Zecora has told me, both of the event that transpired and how the array was constructed, I have reason to believe that Twilight more than likely ended up at the same place as the charm when it was thrown through.”
It was here that Rainbow Dash interjected.
“So you can just teleport her back? Or we can go out and save her?”
There was a pause as Celestia took the time needed to look over the coordinates. After which, she responded.
“My student is not in any danger, as far as I can tell. And while I certainly could teleport her back, that is not possible in this instance. These coordinates only show me the longitude and latitude of where she ended up at. I don’t know her elevation, and I haven’t visited the place these coordinates show enough to get a fix on the location.”
“What about an airship?” Asked Pinkie.
“An excellent idea. But one that is sadly out of the question. For one, the location is too remote for an airship to be resupplied as needed, and if we were to load all of the supplies that would be needed for such an operation, it would be too slow to navigate or maneuver properly.”
“Then what do we do? And how do you know that Twilight isn’t in any danger?” Asked Fluttershy as well as her naturally soft voice would allow.
“For one, I Know Twilight isn’t in any danger because I placed an enchantment on her that would allow me to monitor her overall wellbeing should she ever find herself sufficiently displaced from Equestria. And as for what we do? That’s quite simple really: we do nothing.”
It is said, that to this day, if you listen closely enough in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, you can still hear the faint echoes of a zebra, a dragon, two Pegasi and Earth ponies, and one white unicorn voicing their disbelief at that proclamation.
And after the faint ringing in her ears had subsided, Celestia gave a response.
“Don’t worry my subjects! This ties in with what I stated previously! Or did you ignore me when I said I’ve traveled there before?”
There was a brief pause as what the Solar Princess stated was allowed to sink in.
“So, you’ve been there before?” Inquired Rarity for confirmation.
“Well, Luna and I have both been there a few times. And I can say that with complete certainty that Twilight will be back in Ponyville in no more than two weeks.”
“How?” questioned Applejack.
Celestia made to respond, but hesitated before closing her mouth and giving a slight, but noticeable smirk.
“You know, I think I’ll keep that to myself. It will give you all something to look forward too, and before you voice any complaints, you should know that if it was something that truly posed a threat to Twilight or any of my subjects, I would not stay silent on it. Nor would I do nothing about it myself.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“To answer your question Spike, you all should go back to your normal lives. You may stay here in the castle for the remainder of today and a chariot will take you all back tomorrow, or you can catch the train. Now I don’t mean to be rude, but if there isn’t anything else to discuss, I really should be getting back to day court.”
Taking the hint, Zecora, Spike, and five of the Element Bearers turned and proceeded to take their leave. And then Celestia spoke up again.
“Actually, Zecora, if you don’t mind I would like to have a short word with you before you leave.”
And there went the zebra shaman’s hopes for getting as far away from Celestia as possible. Nevertheless, she trotted up to the throne as everyone else took their leave. And when the doors closed, to her ears and overactive imagination, they sounded like the Gates of Armageddon sealing someone’s fate.
“Zecora, I wanted you to know that I’m not going to hold you responsible for what is in essence a freak accident. I’ve been around long enough to have learned that mistakes do happen. And in all honesty, you’ve put enough punishment on yourself as it is.”
Zecora wasn’t rendered speechless so much as she didn’t have anything to say in response. But at least one huge burden was lifted off of her withers. Nodding to show that she understood and appreciated Celestia’s understanding, the zebra herbalist proceeded to take her leave.
And as the doors closed behind her, Celestia allowed herself to relax and look out one of the many windows. And the last thing that went through her mind was that if she played her cards right, she and Luna would be able to meet and catch up with an old friend.
Author's Note
Apologies for the cliffhanger, if one would call it that. This is probably the only time that I will be splitting a chapter into two parts as far as this story is concerned.
Two likes and two dislikes? Huh... not sure what the net worth is there.
“So, Twilight, what exactly is this array supposed to do again?” Inquired Spike.
“I told you yesterday! Then again, seeing as how we are going to be running trials today, I suppose a refresher wouldn’t hurt. What the array is designed to do is reconstruct the inner mechanics of a unicorn’s horn and amplify them far beyond what is capable for anypony who is not an alicorn to do.”
Twilight gestured to the middle of the basement, where three rings were laid down, one of silver, one of copper, and one of iron. The silver was the largest, followed by the iron, and then the copper. The innermost copper ring was large enough to transport at least two or three average sized ponies, and all three were engraved with runes that were currently dormant and inactive.
“The silver ring is there to provide the much needed boost in power, the copper ring is to direct the current, and the iron ring is to prevent the magic that will be utilized from leaking and destabilizing. And then there is-”
“Sorry to cut you off Twilight, but what are you attempting to do with the array? As in, what is your goal with it?” Spike interjected as politely as he could to stop his sister figure from picking up anymore steam.
When she realized that she was going to go off on another tangent before Spike interrupted her, Twilight blushed and rubbed the back of her head while looking at him with an apologetic smile.
“Right, sorry. My end goal with this array is to make a long distance teleporter. That way, ponies can visit anyone anywhere in the blink of an eye! Just imagine the possibilities Spike! You could wake up, have breakfast in a fine Prance restaurant, lunch in Manehatten, and spend the rest of the day relaxing on the Baltimare shoreline!”
For once, Spike was actually excited by the thought of one of Twilight’s experiments. And it showed in his voice and on his face as he beamed.
“That sounds great, Twi! But, wouldn’t you also need a second array to actually go anywhere?”
It was an intelligent question, to be sure. And Twilight had an intelligent answer for her number one assistant, as was befitting a mare of her status.
“Well, yes you would. But seeing as to how nothing like this has been attempted by anypony before, I made this small-scale array as a proof of concept. When I power it up, I’ll throw in the charm that I had Zecora help me with, and it should give us the coordinates of where it ended up.”
That explained why the Zebra herbalist had been staying at the library for the last week and a half. Looking back, Spike could not help but feel somewhat silly that he didn’t pay the same amount of attention to his surroundings as he normally would have. To be fair though, a day before Zecora showed up, the backorders of books that had been slated for delivery finally showed up. And the end result was that Spike had to do some major rearranging, which left him with little time for other activities. Still, he was actually rather glad to have the shaman over as a guest. He had wanted to get to know her better as a friend, but considering that she lived in the Everfree Forest, he could not just go and visit her whenever he wished.
And she was pleasant company to be around once you had adjusted to her tendency to rhyme more often than not. When Spike had inquired about it to her, Zecora informed him that it was actually a mental exercise, one that was meant to allow one to keep alert and help them to think on their hooves in a dangerous situation.
But she didn’t always rhyme; in fact she had refrained from doing so during her stay. Now that he stopped to think about it, whenever Zecora wasn’t helping Twilight with what he now knew was rune smithing, she had been looking over the many books that the library offered and had generally just been taking it easy.
At any rate, Spike figured he should be getting back to work. Thankfully, his diligence to his chores was not wasted, as he only had half a box of books to go before the rearranging was over and done with. And then, he had the next week off. When Twilight told him that, he felt both relieved and somewhat skeptical. But she had noticed his expression and unasked question, and informed him that due to the size of the backorder, she felt that he had earned it.
Stretching his back and legs, the baby dragon proceeded to stand up from where he had unceremoniously dropped down on the floor and used the basement wall as a makeshift backrest.
“Well, if you need me for anything Twi, just feel free to holler for me. I’m getting back to work.”
“Alright Spike. Oh, actually, could you check on Zecora and tell her that I’m almost ready for the trial runs? She wanted to be here to see the fruits of our combined efforts, and I’d feel guilty if I had let her miss out due to my excitement.”
“No prob, I’ll let her know.”
And with that, he excused himself from the basement, so that he may return to his work, and pass along a message from one friend to another.
As Spike stepped out of the basement, he saw Zecora hunched over a book. That wasn’t usually something to bat an eye about. But this time it was different. Zecora’s posture was neither relaxed nor tense, but it was very much focused. And it was focused to the point where she was probably blocking out all background noise to maximize her reading ability. While Spike could have gone the mischievous route by shouting at her and watching her jump out of her skin, he was not in such a mood today. Instead he plodded up to her and gently shook her withers while speaking softly.
“Hey, Zecora, Twilight is ready to start with the tests on the array the two of you cooked up.”
At the dragon’s voice and touch, the herbalist gave a start before relaxing again when she recognized that she wasn’t about to be harmed by a timberwolf or some other predator that the Everfree was infamous for.
Noticing this, Spike couldn’t help but ask the older mare what she was reading that would have had her so engrossed. Zecora responded by placing a bookmark where she had left off on, and then closed the book so that Spike could read the cover. Which he did so out loud.
“The Mentor of the Pegasi and Other Folkloric Tales from the Three Pony Tribes, Fifth Edition. Huh, if you were so enthralled by it, then I’m going to have to take a look at it myself.”
“I would certainly encourage you to, there are some rather amazing stories contained within.” Responded Zecora with the enthusiasm of an excided filly.
“Yeah, I’ll probably get to it when I’m done with the last of the book sorting. Are there any you would recommend?”
To that, the herbalist just had to smile.
“The first one, most definitely, after reading it I can say with no reservations that it has earned itself as one of my favorite folkloric stories.”
Spike soon found himself smiling as widely as his current conversation partner. He couldn’t help it; it was just too infectious not to.
“Alright then. But you should go to Twilight. She’s probably waiting for you as we speak. And don’t worry; I’ll keep the book out so you don’t have to look around for it again.”
To this, Zecora wrapped him in a hug, nuzzled the side of his head for a short bit and thanked him before she descended the stares to join Twilight in the basement.
Spike looked after her with a bit of surprise before shaking his head and chuckling. Mares, in all honesty the doubted he could ever understand them. Turning away from the basement stairs, he focused back on the task at hand. And in a little over an hour, all of the remaining books were shelved. This called for a small celebration. Maybe he would take a few gems from the cupboard, or pilfer the freezer to see what flavors of ice cream they currently had stocked. Or maybe he would combine the two.
Yes, that did sound rather heavenly, as Rarity would put it. But as he started for the kitchen, he suddenly remembered what Zecora was reading before she accompanied Twilight, and how enthralled she was by the book. Granted, he got to know Zecora a little better over the course of the week and a half. And during that time he had learned one thing about her: she was almost always perceptive and vigilant, and that was the first time he had seen her so absorbed to the point where she blocked everything else out. It made sense, the Everfree Forest was not known for its safety after all. The little dragon’s curiosity was now in full swing, and it demanded to be satisfied.
The ice cream and gems can wait until later, it’s not like they’re going anywhere, and besides, I did tell Zecora that I would give the book a read. He thought to himself.
Waddling over to the copy of The Mentor of the Pegasi and Other Folkloric Tales from the Three Pony Tribes, Spike proceeded to pick it up and make himself comfortable on the sofa.
Opening the book, he then began to read. And he knew just which story to start with. It was the one that Zecora had recommended.
***
The Mentor of the Pegasi
Tens of thousands of years ago: the Pegasi were not the masters of the air, the sky, and the weather that they are now. While they were no less intelligent than any other sapient creature, they were timid and easy prey for the great multitude of predators that flocked the sky in those times. The worst of all were now extinct Kirin, whom where the viscous offspring of the Dragons and their lesser kin, the Wyvern. The Kirin possessed the brute strength of the Dragons, and the insatiable appetite of the Wyvern. And they were at the time, the true terrors of the skies. But there was one thing they feared above all else: storms. A storm of any size would send them running in terror, while the Pegasi would rush upon the weather phenomenon with hope in their eyes and light in their hearts. For in those olden days, storms were one of, if not the, only sanctuary that they had. Despite this, their numbers continued to dwindle steadily, until only three thousand remained. These three thousand banded together and settled on the peak of what is now known as modern-day Mt. Canter. It was in fear that they banded together, and it was hoped that the peak of the mountain was at an altitude too high for any Kirin to survive. But in their fear-fueled haste, they had inadvertently doomed themselves to be a living banquet. For while the Kirin had previously needed to travel many miles to find their preferred meal, they were now concentrated and easy to smell upon the wind. Therefore, as a result, were easy to find.
As day broke one morning, the survivors looked toward the horizon and what they bore witness to cause the hearts of the old to stop beating, the knees of the adults to shake, and the parents of the foals to attempt to comfort their children, even if it was all for naught. For upon the horizon was a grand and terrible flock of Kirin, unaffected by the high altitude and freezing winds, and crying out in anticipation for their soon to be feast. And what a feast it would have indeed been for them, for those Pegasi who remained were tired, worn, and had lost every last ounce of hope.
But it was not to be. Before the first Kirin could swoop down and begun the feast of flesh and blood, a howling, screaming roar pierced the sky. Legend says that the dreadful cry was so loud and powerful; that it made the Royal Canterlot Voice sound as if it was nothing but a pathetic, friend squeak in comparison. And in that roar was a message that, when looked back on, needed no translation: You have suffered enough!
The roar had barely faded before the skies became engulfed in a vicious and powerful tycoon. So sudden was the appearance of the storm that the flock of Kirin was unable to turn tail and flee from their greatest fear. The furious winds plucked the predators turned prey from the sky and dashed them upon the jagged mountainside with no mercy. The rain was so thick and heavy it was a near solid sheet of water, and was so cold that the wings of the Kirin were soon covered in ice, robbing them of the ability to fly. Thunder and lightning soon rained down form the heavens in a terrible orchestra with the other elements.
And through it all, the Pegasi cowered in fear, curled up into little balls of quivering fur and feathers. The Pegasi were no strangers to storms, as stated earlier they were the only sanctuary from the many sky bound predators they found themselves subjected to. But they did not at that point in time have the ability to control and harness the weather. All they could have done was fly about in a storm and pray that it did not end soon. But this typhoon was not like any of the other storms they had experience with. No. This storm was, in every sense of the word, perfect.
But then something peculiar happened. One Pegasus mare, barely into her adulthood stood against the dashing rain and tearing wind.
She was beautiful, and one of the kindest souls to have ever graced her kind. Her eyes were striking cobalt, her mane and tail colored in a shade of vermilion and were wind chopped and unkempt, her coat was the color of the clear sky itself, and her mark was that of a warm blanket.
Her name was Gentle Breeze, and did she not stand against the wind and rain with courage. No, rather it was fear. For the events of that morning had transpired so quickly that she was no longer capable of rational thought, and was running off of pure, undiluted instinct. And in her fear, she spread her wings and flew into the very storm clouds themselves. And while the rain and gale was still laying waste to the Kirin flock, she found herself relatively unhindered in her mad, instinctual dash toward perceived sanctuary.
By that point, all but one of the Kirin had made victim of the storm’s onslaught, one single individual who had enough strength and reflexes to keep itself safe thus far. But it was not to last. And so, whether out of defiance, or simply to indulge itself one last time, it took off with all of its remaining strength and stamina to savor one last meal. And that meal was in its own mind and eyes to be Gentle Breeze, who was too busy to notice the predator that was nearly upon her.
And yet, the Kirin would be denied even that. For when it was naught but three pony lengths away from her, the very clouds were torn asunder. And from the epicenter shot forth a torrent of water so powerful and precise that the last Kirin was reduced to nothing more than a fine blood-red vapor which then dissipated itself into the breeze.
That last act was the crescendo from the being who had controlled the storm, and willed it into existence in the first place. Therefore, the storm dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared. And as that happened, all of the survivors slowly stopped trembling, and even more slowly, looked to the heavens. And what they saw at once both stunned them and reignited their fear.
For there were two beings suspended in the sky. One was Gentle Breeze. And the other was a dragon, but not any dragon that was known of up to that point. This dragon was unique, and while not the largest by any means, it was still massive. The head alone was large enough to devour a pony in a single bite, with them still alive. Mere words could not do the dragon justice, for he was one of a kind. Instead, an artist has provided his rendering of the creature below, based off of the account that was given to him from an elderly Pegasus widow.
The two figures just hovered there, about 50 feet apart from one another. The dragon: calm and patient. Gentle Breeze: afraid to the point where it was a miracle that her wings did not lock up, and turned her into little more than a plummeting rock. And upon the peak, all others waited and prayed with bated breath that their sister would not be slain this day. Then the dragon approached, and continued to do so until its forehead was only a single pony length away from the mare.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, from the dragons gut came a rumbling that soon gave way to a booming, mirthful laugh. The confusion of the survivors and Gentle Breeze was palpable. Here was a dragon. One who had summoned the storm and killed the Kirin flock. Why was he now laughing? Did he not do so to bring harm upon them? To claim them as his own larder? To taste their flesh and drink their blood?
Their questions were answered as all who were upon the mountain peak suddenly heard a powerful, and yet unmistakably kind voice in their heads. And in an instant, they knew it was the voice of dragon before them. But they were not the ones he was addressing. No, while they could hear him echoing in their minds, his attention at that time was turned to Gentle Breeze and Gentle Breeze alone.
“Tell me child: why do you fear me so? If I wished you and your kin slain and dead, I would not have denied the Kirin their banquet. And yet I did just that. So tell me, why I would kill you after I have saved you?”
The dragon’s tone was not that of a tyrant, or a predator. It was the tone of a brother, and a guardian. And upon hearing its voice, all of the Pegasi could not help but begin to relax. Even the sweet, kind and timid Gentle Breeze let loose a breath that she had not been aware she was holding. Gentle Breeze looked stared at the dragon for several moments before a mirthful chuckle sounded from its lips.
“If you want to speak to me, you will have to do so verbally. All I can do is project my thoughts, not receive the thoughts of others. Truth be told, I am rather thankful for that. The minds of others are scary places to be.”
Some laughed at that last part. Not out of humor, but rather because they were still coming out of their fear. Gentle Breeze was not one of them. While she was less fearful than before, she was still frozen and hovering in place. The dragon noticed this and, with concern it slowly, gently, placed its head underneath the mare before lifting it, allowing her a solid perch on its forehead. Breeze’s wings gave out at that, as did her legs. And she soon curled herself up into a ball, weeping uncontrollably.
The dragon spoke to her once more, and this time its voice was no longer powerful. Instead, it was calm, soft, slow, and gentle. It was a tone of a caring, empathetic loved one, and of one who understood pain, and fear.
“Listen to me, child. I am not going to kill you. You are not going to die. You and your brothers and sisters are safe now. And I am not going to abandon you in a time of true need.”
Still she wept. But while she did so, she asked one question.
“Who are you, and why did you save us?”
The dragon sighed, and with careful, controlled movements, he glided back to the peak of the mountain before settling his head upon it and allowing the other Pegasi to guide her off and comfort her. He then backed up so that he could look upon the survivors equally before addressing them directly for the first time.
“I am Amatsumagatsuchi, and you will never find another one of my species. I am not like the other dragons. For I and I alone am the physical embodiment of the rain and wind. And I saved you because I do not believe that those who are sapient should live their lives in fear, and always on the run.”
At this, one Pegasus elder stepped forward. His name has been lost to the sands of time; but his words have not.
“Then on the behalf of everyone here, I thank you for what you have done. We are in your debt.”
“I do not believe that a debt is owed, but if you say otherwise then I have only one request for you.”
“Name it then.”
“I would ask to become the mentor to your race. If you accept, you will have mastery over the weather. No longer would you have to run, hide and cower in fear. You will be strong enough to ensure that you would survive, and in time, thrive. But know this. When you have eliminated all airborne predators that would eat you, you must then use your powers to bring weather to those who need it. Knowing this, will you accept?”
The Pegasi did not even have to think twice before they gave their answer. And in unison, they shouted as loud as their lungs could allow.
“YES!”
Amatsumagatsuchi was slightly taken aback by quickness and volume of their response. But he recovered quickly and addressed them once more.
“Then I shall impart a small amount of power to each of you, and it shall be passed down through the ages to all of your children, until the last of your kind is no more. May that day never come. Now, close your eyes and take a deep breath.”
As one, the Pegasi, even Gentle Breeze did as was asked of them, and Amatsumagatsuchi let breathed in before letting out an almighty roar. And in that roar a great surge of power emanated from him. Suddenly, the Pegasi felt a great, fundamental change wash over them. And it lasted.
For one hundred years, Amatsumagatsuchi taught the Pegasi everything they now know to this day, and when they had recovered and became populous, the dragon that was their mentor left. He was no longer needed, and all parents must let those whom they consider their children go at some point.
So know that if it was not for that single action of one dragon, or his subsequent gift, no Pegasi would be free to roam the skies as they do now.
Canterlot Printing Association Publishers note: the image of Amatsumagatsuchi is not fully representative of what it was supposed to look like. It was not supposed to have solid red eyes, but rather eyes that are normal on any dragon. With the exception that the iris were a bright, vibrant golden shade.
***
When Spike finished reading, two things were going through his mind. One: that if Amatsumagatsuchi was still alive, he would kill for the chance to talk to him. And two: he was very relieved to see that he was not the only nice dragon in existence.
But before his excitement could build any further, the front door swung open, and Applejack soon trotted in, closing it behind her. Once she saw the little dragon, she greeted him as she would any of her other friends.
“Howdy, Spike! Sorry for barging in like this; but something ain’t right with the soil where we grow our saplings on over at the farm. Ya got anything on agriculture that might help?”
Spike technically could have said no, seeing how he had the following week off. But, for a friend, he was always willing to lend a helping claw. And as for her request: a few titles came to mind. Closing the book he had been reading, he set it upon one of the library’s tables, and proceeded to walk over to the necessary section while acknowledging the farm mare.
“I’d be surprised if we didn’t have something that has what you need. Especially considering the backorder that came through one and a half weeks ago.”
“I knew ya’ had more books, judging by the way the shelves were creaking. Oh, what was that one ya’ll were reading when I came in just now?”
While he was looking through and picking out books that hopefully contained what Applejack needed, Spike felt his excitement starting to come back, and it was all he could do to stop himself from springing in place; although he couldn’t stop himself from vibrating.
“It’s a collection of folkloric tales from the three pony tribes. I’ve only read one story so far, but it’s a really good one.”
“Oh, what’s it about?”
“It’s about how the Pegasi gained their weather manipulation powers. And here’s the thing, Applejack, it was given to them by a dragon; a dragon that could control storms!”
Spike was now springing in place, and he practically bounced over to the center table in a manner somewhat reminiscent of pinkie pie after a long, hard day’s work. Naturally, Applejack was skeptical. If her encounters with dragons meant anything (Spike notwithstanding, for obvious reasons) it left her with a lesson that they were not to be trusted. And as much as she hated to do it, she thought it was best if she gave him some advice about letting ones imagination run wild on one story. But before she could open her mouth the distinctive sound of hooves clopping on wooden boards filled the room, causing both Spike and Applejack to turn and face their new arrival.
Twilight had returned from the basement, and upon seeing the duo, exchanged pleasantries.
“Oh, hi Applejack. I didn’t hear you come in. Is there anything I can help you with, or are you just here for a social call? N-not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just I’m rather busy to day, and can’t chat for long.”
“Don’t ya worry none sugarcube, I’m just here for some books on agriculture, and Spike already did a fine job of helpin’ me.”
“Oh, alright then. Hey Spike, are you done with reorganizing the library?”
The baby dragon was still absorbed in his excitement over what he had just read, and Twilight soon picked up on it.
“I guess you are, but I didn’t think you would be this wound up for your week off.”
“Huh? Oh, that’s not what I’m excited about, Twi. I just got done with this amazing story about the dragon who granted the Pegasi the power to control the weather.”
It actually took Twilight a few moments to properly digest that statement. But when she did, to say that she was skeptical was like saying that Nightmare Moon’s favorite pastime was sunbathing.
“Where did you read this from?”
“It’s in The Mentor of the Pegasi and Other Folkloric Tales from the Three Pony Tribes, Fifth Edition. I set it down over on the table on the far wall.”
In short order, said book was enveloped in a lavender glow, and was opened to the table of contents, and then to the story that Spike had read. Thankful for the fact that she had taken up speedreading about a year ago, Twilight finished the story in a little over a minute. After which, she set it back down to where it was and proceeded to give a long sigh. When she turned back to Spike, her tone was gentle, yet firm.
“Spike, I can understand where you are coming from, but the thing about folk tales is that you never know if they are true or not. Yes, the tale of the Mare in the Moon turned out to be true. But that’s the only time that to my knowledge that has happened. I’m willing to bet that this story was made up to entertain, and is not historically accurate, or was meant to be. Not to say that there isn’t any value in it, but it is probably a good idea to keep yourself from getting too worked up over it.”
Her small lecture took out some of the wind in Spike’s sails, but by no means did he misinterpret it as hurtful. Still, he was stubborn and while he did apply what his sister figure just told him, there was a piece of him that would not give up the fantasy of being able to meet the folkloric figure.
“You’re right, Twi. But you didn’t come up here just to check on my progress. Was there anything else you needed?”
“Well, yes. Zecora and I are done with all of the preliminary tests, and we’re about to live test the array. I just need you to write down the coordinates of where the charm will end up. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, and once it’s done, you can enjoy your week off to your heart’s content.”
Spike knew that he wasn’t being asked much. And in all honesty: a few minutes wasn’t something to cry over.
Applejack had moved over to the center desk and was scanning the books Spike had picked out when she overheard that last bit.
“Zecora’s here? Huh, I just might have to talk with her if I can’t find what I’m lookin for in here.” She spoke, though more to herself than to anybody else in the room.
“Ok, Twi.” Spike submitted, though not reluctantly. “Let me grab a quill and some parchment and I’ll be down shortly.”
Spike did just that, and true to his word, he was soon standing in front of the array with Twilight on one side, and Zecora on the other.
“Okay, I’m going to power the array. Spike, you ready to take notes?”
“Wait, how am I going to record anything if I don’t have a way to know where the charm ends up?”
Zecora took this opportunity to explain.
“When I carved the runes into this charm, Twilight cast a minor enchantment that would allow her to know where it ended up.”
“Right, so all you have to do Spike is to write down what I tell you. Anymore questions?”
“No, I think I’m good, Twi. Whenever you’re ready, then.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She proceeded to light up her horn and touch the outermost ring, which set off a reaction in the other two, causing the runes to glow bright blue. Soon the entire basement was filled with a pleasant hum, and a slight shimmering of air around the array in the shape of a dome. Considering all of the crazy shit Spike had seen over the past few years ever since he and Twilight first came to live in Ponyville, he had to admit to himself that he was somewhat disappointed (yet strangely relived) that the array didn’t look nearly as cool or dramatic as he thought it would.
“Good, the array is holding itself stable. Okay, Zecora, throw the charm in.” commented Twilight.
Zecora took the necklace that was the charm in her mouth and proceeded to toss it in, where it simply vanished like a drop of oil in water. There was quiet for a minute before Twilight’s eyes glossed over, and yet she still retained the presence of being in the here and now.
“Okay, Spike the coordinates that the charm ended up at are as follows: 40.09201° N and 22.36047° E. Have you written that down?”
The scratching of the quill on parchment did not last long until it stopped, and Spike confirmed that he had the location recorded. At this, Twilight took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they had lost their glossy quality.
“Yes, the prototype is a success! Those coordinates are tens of thousands of miles away!”
Exclaimed Twilight, who was using all of her discipline to not bounce around in the near overwhelming excitement she was feeling. Taking several deep breaths, she calmed down enough to refocus on the array.
“I need to write this to the Princesses as fast as possible! But I should power down the array first, no sense in keeping it running while I’m not here to monitor it.”
And with that, her horn shone once more and she touched the rings.
Now, nopony who had ever meet Twilight Sparkle would call her stupid. She was meticulous and always practiced the necessary safety protocols when it came to working with arrays. But one of the facts of life and the world is that sometimes, you make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are big ones. And sometimes you are too excited at the prospect of a big breakthrough to even realize that you’ve neglected something important. Everypony, no, every sapient being will have their moments of stupidity and oversight, no matter how intelligent and perceptive they are.
Twilight Sparkle, the personal student of Princess Celestia, and the Bearer of the Element of Magic, just had one such moment. Because when she powered down the array, she forgot to cast a spell that would have given everyone in the room immunity to magic surges. And when she touched her horn against the outermost ring, she felt a strong tug, and while she had enough time to realize the sensation, she did not have enough time to call out a warning or a plea for help before she was sucked through the very array before it deactivated. And the last that Spike and Zecora saw of her was the expression on her face and in her eyes. It was the expression that one got when they realized that they screwed up, big time, and that there was no guarantee that they would live to see what had transpired. And it was that look of sheer, overwhelming terror, panic and a desperate if unobtainable silent plea for help that would haunt the dreams and nightmares of Zecora and Spike for decades to come as Twilight vanished like oil in water, bound for parts unknown.
But to say that the blame fell entirely on Twilight’s withers was not true. An investigation would later reveal that one, single rune was slightly out of alignment with all of the others, and it was that rune that caused the array to act up when it was in the process of powering down.
And as history has so often shown those who study it, it’s the small things that have the largest and the most far-reaching of consequences.
Author's Note
Here it is. My first fic on this site, and also my first multi-chapter fic on this site as well. Leave a comment, constructive criticism is welcome. Even if i am just doing this for fun. Because as a wise man once said: "You can't improve if people don't call you out on your BS."
Oh, and if you find any typos, let me know so I can fix them.
P.S. Those coordinates are a reference to a real-world location. Extra brownie points for anyone who guess where it is correctly.
