Preparing For The Disaster
Preparing For The Disaster
Crystic, a supposed dead sub-race of unicorns with crystal horns, have lived in the caverns of Ayemelek for years. Their history is shrouded even to their own scholars, which is lacking in number. The legends say though, that five millennium ago a dark spirit was unleashed upon the land from the Ebony Cascade. Its reign brought death, destruction, decay and fear. It lasted until one day a Crystic gave his own life to call upon the spirit of the Sun to combat the dark spirit. The name of the Sun spirit was Sol Invictus, while the Dark spirit was named the Ebony Soul. The fighting lasted a week until the Ebony Soul was locked away with the power of the Crystics and Sol Invictus.
The legends also tell that the Crystics tried to betray the Sun spirit after the fighting, in order to take his power for themselves. Sol Invictus cursed the whole race by turning their horns to crystal and had them live in the caverns for the rest of their days. This is myth though, the Crystics have no problems with using magic and many of their tribe has gone beyond their caverns to see the world above but never travel to far. They fear the outside world, yet use small golems to collect information about the events that unfold above. They do this in order to keep out of the way and prevent the tribe from getting involved. They have no soldiers and only a few peacekeepers, in fact most are simply mineral farmers. Due to their extended stay underground, they have discovered a method in which they use their magic and the earth to cultivate crystal farms along with vegetation. None of this would be possible with out the help of the Day Gem, the light in the darkness for the pony tribe. This was said to be the parting gift of the Sun spirit, in memory of the Crystic that gave his life so that the world may live in peace. To give them light in the day and protection in the night, but once more this is all myth. Today it is told that it was given by the mother of the Princesses, Celestia and Luna, as a gift for the ponies to see clearly in the tunnels and caverns.
The home of the Crystics is Corenest, also known to the residents as the core of the world. It gained this nickname because it has reached the deepest depth that can be dug. Years ago while on an expansion project, a team of workers discovered a layer of rock that seemed unbreakable. They dubbed it bedrock because that is where they placed most of the homes and storage spaces. Corenest is separated into seven sections spread along three layers of stone that surround it. The Housing and Park districts are on the bottom level. The Schooling and Merchant districts are on the second level of the caverns. The Scholar, with its subsection of information, and the Chief district are on the top level. The Day Gem lays resting on the top of the huge canopy of the sub-terrain city with a circular colonnade and architrave providing light to all the districts. As the city expanded, the residents placed torches and the best crystals they had as reflectors into areas that aren't exposed to the Day Gem.
From over the rail of the Great-gap, everyone can look down to see the fields of plants and crystals along with the homes of friends and family. The days were peaceful and joyous, especially this week. This was the time of the Gem-Rebirth, a celebration going back for generations. This celebration is for fun and happy times as the Sun Gem glows its brightest all yearlong. It was also a time that a young stallion was waiting so anxiously for.
Keenan Tannim was the adopted son of Chief Clatter Tannim. He was taken in as a newborn when Keenan's mother died giving birth and no one claimed to be his father. In his stone bed in the Tannim home, one of the largest as a right to the Chief, he stared out his window. He saw the purple glow came off of both the largest and smallest of the harvest, as well as the natural gems and stones that grew from the walls of his beautiful home. The blue dirt and green sand from which the crops grew from and the wonderful spring water that flowed throughout the arrogation vents from the Sapphire pound just a few minutes trip from the merchants stalls on the upper section. He turns away from his window to look back into his grey stone room with a smile. The whole area clashed with his orange coat and his unattended to black mane. Right across the foot of his bed was a dark wood desk with clean stone legs. On top of his desk was a stack of books from both the cities library and a few he himself received from the surface. On occasion, Keenan would use a disguised and travel through the Old Road. The Old Road was the first ever tunnel from Corenest and the surface of Ayemelek. He would take to the surface and look around. One day he found a traveling merchant who happened to be selling some old spell books. Keenan took a liking to the books and talked to the merchant. He said that he used to lived in a town that was about a days journey to the north.
After about half an hour of talking, Keenan convinced the merchant to come by once a week and Keenan would buy items from him. Keenan used a few simple crystals he had as payment and the merchant held onto them like they were a dream that could come to life. After a few months, Keenan had made a promising collection of tomes and the merchant soon became rich. That was almost a year ago now and Keenan had found a spell he'd love to experiment with on a large scale. He had come across a book from the surface and a book in the library that he hypothesized, if used in tandem could increase the size of the food crops and decrease the time it takes to grow crystals. On smaller scale trials it worked fine, but he never tried it out on all of the crops at the same time. He had waited for the Gem-Rebirth celebration to try it out, which seems as though it will. Days he had spent calculating the angles and the required reflective crystals to both amplify and enclose the targeted area.
Keenan got off his bed and walked over to a closet on the other side of the room. He opened it and saw a wide selection of clothing Chief Clatter Tannim gave him to wear at important events and the like. Behind them, was a false wall which Kennan opened. The room behind the wall was filled with both modern and old artifacts from the surface and on the far wall was a long cloak and a mask that was flat and smooth to hide any facial features. On the floor fiddling with the items Keenan had bought, was his assistant and best friend. Apex was a golem that Keenan himself brought to life, he was made of floating grey cobblestones that were connected together by a yellow magic bond that resided in his core. He had small hands made of smaller stones and he hovered a few inches off the ground via magic field.
Keenan smirked at the sight of his assistant fiddling with the alien artifacts. Keenan called out to Apex with a voice that sounded slightly childish and relaxed. "Hey Apex, what are you doing there? How many times have I told you not to mess with that stuff?"
The golem glared at his creator, but mostly friend, with his purple crystal eyes and spoke back to him in a voice of an elderly pony. "I lost count and stopped caring at the same time. You know this stuff is not allowed here and yet you harbor it like a smuggler."
"It is not smuggling if you keep it for yourself. Plus it does not do any harm to the others, so everything is alright." Keenan gave Apex a rebuttal. "That doesn't matter right now though. We need to meet up with Jade for the final preparations for tomorrow." Keenan walked past Apex to gather his cloak and mask.
"Do you really need all that just to go out?" Apex said, remembering every time Keenan left to go somewhere he wasn't suppose to go like the Old Road or to the merchants on the upper level without an escort. The most numerous times though, were his trips to see Jade. Jade was a mare that lived in the lower section of the housing district where most of the workers lived that made crafts or ran any of the instruments that kept the city running. She and Keenan are about the same ago and they met in school, where no matter what status your family was you went to the same classes.
After Keenan had dawned the cloak and featureless black and white mask, he turned to Apex with his expression hidden be the mask. "Well I'm sure my father wouldn't like others seeing his son run around the city. If I have a disguise on than no one will know that I am who I am. Does that make sense at all to your tiny stone brain?"
Apex growled at the insult. "Hey, don't be an ass now."
Keenan sighed and began to leave his closet, followed by Apex. "Sorry, but this project will show the others that we can expand even further and maybe even upward."
Apex gave off a noise that sounded like a sigh but not really, considering you need a mouth to sigh. "Well, I can tell you are stressed with this whole deal. I have some news though, about the surface all the way from Equestria even." Apex closed the false closet and then closed the real closet door. "Turns out that the Princesses have taken back control from the Discord character. Now they are trying to reconstruct their capital and are looking to make peace with the surrounding countries."
Keenan stepped in front of his mirror to adjust his mask and hair. He took it off and looked into his own yellow eyes with his tribal marking under his right eye. "That is good news, he was quite the asshole if the reports were correct. Glad they got their nation back, their mother was a blessed Alicorn. We will always be in their debt."
"Yes you will." Apex pulsed magic to the floor and spun his three stone legs like rotors to lift him up into the air. "They even say Princess Luna will be visiting other nations in an attempt to build stronger bonds."
Keenan smiled into the mirror. "That is good for them, I hope they succeed. But for now," He once more dawned the black and white mask. "It's time to go see Jade." He threw the hood of his cloak over his head and jumped out of his window and onto the awning.
Apex followed Keenan outside and scanned over the area, there was no one outside yet. "No one seems to be outside yet, Keenan. Might I ask, why do you jump out the window? We have a back door you know, we can take that." Keenan suggested.
"Pft, going through the back makes it easier to be spotted."
"And so a stallion jumping out a window and standing on the awning isn't?" Apex logically presented his friend with a rebuttal. Keenan dismissed Apex comment and jumped down to the ground five feet below and began to dash through an alleyway. Apex tried to stay as close as possible, but the sharp turns forced him to stop for a moment while moving at higher speeds with his magic propulsion. "You won't listen will you?" He called forward to his friend.
Keenan stopped for a moment to allow Apex to catch up to him. "Not till it matters. The most that will came as a punishment is a firm talking to from Clatter, then I'm off once more." Keenan loved his father yes, who didn't? It was just that he wanted to go about without escorts and do what he wished to. Apex was now by his side and had jumped up onto his back. "You comfy back there?" Keenan said sarcastically.
Apex halted his magic lift and dropped onto Keenan's back. "As a matter of fact I am. But I do think you forgot your bags this time." Apex then tapped Kennan's bare back.
"Damn it. Well I can just use magic to get them. I placed a gem inside them for this very occasion." Keenan's crystal horn glowed with magic as he focused on the gem he placed inside his bags and then the bags themselves. In a split-second Keenan's saddle bags were on the ground to his side. He shook Apex off and placed the bags on his back, they were brown with a simple black and iron buckle. "Come on you slow poke we need to get to the park district before Jade beats me again." Keenan levitated Apex back onto his back and ran off for the parks a few miles away
Inside the Tannim home, the Chief had awoken. He had bathed, combed his grey mane and dried his indigo coat. He looked into a mirror and stared deep into his violet eye. He placed his patch over the other blind eye and prepared to dawn his tribal vest of status. The red silk and green trim looked good on him. Once he was done grooming, he went downstairs to eat a meal of eggs, potatoes and bread. As he ate, he listened to his golem relay news to him about the surface and other events from Corenest. The Sisters regained their throne, the Griffin civil war was over with a number of victims. The excitement for the Gem-Rebirth tomorrow, but the crops aren't growing as fast as the framers would like. Reports also say that in scattered towns and cities, a number of murders have been accruing. The murderer or murderers have drained the bodies of blood and magic. The flip side to this coin was that the numbers of victims have dropped about 50% in the last month due to the actions of someone.
The Chief finished his breakfast and ascended to his son's room. He knocked on the door. "Keenan, are you up yet? I know its a day early," He slow opens the door. "but I wanted to say happy..." He sees the empty bed and open window. "..birthday. That stallion, ever since he was a colt. The funny part is that he thinks I don't know where he goes with Apex." Clatter called to his wife in the room across the hall. "Keda, do you know when Keenan left today?"
The door opened and relieved a mare with a purple mane and brown coat. Her eyes green and wise even for her age, just like her and her husband. "He ran off again did he? He is probably with Apex doing young stallion things. You were like that once remember?"
"Yes, but I don't want him to be like me and he is doing a pretty good job at it. I just want him safe, that is all."
"And that is why I love you. You care for your tribe and make the tough choices." Keda walked up to her husbands ear and whispered, "Speaking of choices, you don't have to meet with anyone for four hours." She pulled back with a smirk and motioned to the bed beyond the door frame.
Clatter took the hint and smiled. "So, Miss Tannim, shall we proceed?"
Keda giggled. "Oh yes Mister Tannim, we shall." The two began kissing and rushed into the bedroom, locked inside for two and a half hours.
--
Once they reached the parks, Keenan and Apex had to search for a specific tree. This tree had a cross carved into its base and a broken branch. The sad part was that he always went to the same park, the same tree and Keenan never remembered the exact location of the tree. It took him a few minutes to look around but he found it at the wall of Corenest. Behind the tree was a bush that Keenan pushed aside and a hole was revealed. Keenan looked around to make sure the coast was clear before heading inside the short tunnel. "Okay Apex, I-"
Apex stopped Keenan before he continued. "Keenan, we have be over this many times. I'll stand guard, while you and your little marefriend talk. Why do you even use this place anymore?"
Kennan gave a low growl and glared at Apex with his yellow eyes. "She is not my marefriend! She is a friend that happens to be a mare. We still use this place because its where we first met officially, it has sentimental value. Other than that I have no damn clue, but stand watch. That is all you can do for me here." Keenan gave Apex his orders and then began to crawl through the tunnel. Apex gave his master a mocking salute and turn to attention.
The tunnel was only about five feet long and took a right turn two more feet. Keenan came out inside a small poorly dugout room with natural crystals providing a faint light along with some torches that Keenan had to light. He stood and looked to a table with a stone painted white on the bottom and black on the top. "So I'm first for once? Dear Sol I'm getting good." Keenan smirked.
He began to light the torches one by one, lighting up the room slowly. After lighting the third, he turned and thought he hear the light hoof steps of someone. He turned and saw no one in sight so he turned back around to shrug. He lit the five torch and thought he hear another noise, this time stone cracking. This time he looked all around the room, no one. This time Keenan was on guard as he approached the table. He opened the saddle bags and pulled out a map of Cornest that had marks on six points in a circle around the fields of crops. He went over the locations for about two minutes before he hear the cracking of stone once more echoed in his ears. Keenan slammed his hooves onto the table and turned around annoyance. "Show yourself, foul demon!" Nothing. "What the hell?" Keenan shook his head trying to figure out what was going on in vain. He stopped his vain attempts and went back to work. He bent his neck done to pick up a compass from his bags along with an inkwell in a magic field. He brought his back up and saw a pair of blue eyes look back at him from just about three inches away. He panicked and yell like a little filly, before running under the table. "Sol help me, Sol help me." He chanted as he rocked back and forth.
A thud hit the table and the same pair of eyes looked down at him upside down. Now in with a moment of space, Keenan was able to see the figure the eye belonged to. The blue eyes went with a neon green Crystic mare with a blue mane that flopped down to the floor due to gravity. "Hey there Keenan." She said in a gleeful and almost childish voice.
Keenan looked at his friend in anger and stopped rocking. "Jade, why you little! You scared me half to death! What are you doing and which part of hell did you come from?" He slowly got out from below the table to see the full body of Jade on the table. On her legs were sharply cut blue crystals attached to a metal frame. "What the hell are those?" Keenan added.
"Well I was sitting in my room thinking about ways to get here faster. Then I came up with the idea of these bad boys, the Stone-Picks. I was testing them out in here when you came inside, the I got the impulse to scare you. So I've been up there for about ten minutes? Now help me take these off." Jade extended one leg out and Keenan unstrapped them one by one. Jade hopped down from the table and looked over the map Keenan placed out. "What is this?"
"That my dear Jade, is where you will be placing the reflection crystals I have gathered. Tomorrow I shall reveal a new way to grow the crops in less time." Keenan said victoriously.
"Oh."
"Okay then, let me go over the plan once more before we go get started." Keenan took the map and started to explain the whole plan before realizing something. "Wait, where is Pax?"
"Oh, he was in a tree last time I checked."
--
In a tree Pax, Jade's golem, was sleeping. All his stone pieces were clinging together like magnets as he napped on the branch of the marked tree. Keenan had just walked into the hideaway and Apex was left to hoover there till he came out. Apex waited till Keenan was no longer in sight before he hoovered up to the branch in which Pax was sleeping on. He saw his golem brethren and kicked him awake. "Wake up!"
Pax was shocked awake and his stone body scattered apart, held together by an orange magic bond. He looked exactly like Apex except for his garnet body. "What the fuck man?" Pax said in a younger voice then Apex's own, along with arrogant as well. "I was trying to sleep!"
Apex hoovered away. "Too bad, now you have to stay awake here with me while they are in there."
"What ever, I'm just glad those other two aren't around."
"Oh yeah, that is true. Hey."
"Yeah?"
"You ever wonder why we're here?"
Pax made a noise that sounded like he was inhaling. "That is one of life's great mysterious isn't it? Why are we here? I mean, are we the product of some cosmic coincidence or is there really a God watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. I don't know man, but it keeps me up at night."
"..."
"..."
"What? I mean, why are we out here in this tree?" Apex looked at his friend confused.
Pax felt slightly embarrassed. "Oh um... yeah."
"What was all that stuff about God?"
"Uhh, hm? Nothing."
Apex slowly turned away from his friend. He then quickly turned back and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Pax said in an embarrassed peep. "No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Seriously though, why are we out here? We could be in there with Jade and Keenan."
Pax got over his short and brief embarrassing moment and bluntly said, "Maybe their having sex?"
Apex floated over and smacked Pax in his tiny head. "Don't be stupid. Keenan would never go for Jade."
"What the hell you say boy?" Pax said with confusion and in deference of his creator. "Jade could have Keenan wrapped around her hoof, along with anyone she wants."
"Please tell me your kidding, Keenan is the son of the Chief. He as resources, he his creative and is a good stallion. He could get any mare in this place."
Pax crossed his arms and looked at his friend in amusement. "Than why doesn't he?"
"I don't really know. Lets change the subject."
20 years away in another tree, two other golems sat. One had a glass bottle and looked through it like a telescope and his magic bond was blue while the other was teal. As he watched the two golems talk on the tree branch before his comrade spoke. "What are they doing?"
"What?" He puts down the bottle.
"I said, what are they doing now?" This time with more boredom.
"God damn, I am getting sick and tired of answering that question."
"You can see, while I can't see shit. Don't bitch at me because I'm not going to just sit up here and play with my-"
"Okay look, they are just standing there. Talking okay, that all they are doing. That's all they are ever doing, that's what they were doing last week, that's what they were doing five minutes ago. So five minutes from now when you ask me again, I'm going to say, they're talking."
"Well what are they talking about?"
"I fucking hate you. Go home to Master Keda and tell her Keenan and Apex are still here in the park."
--
Back over to Apex and Pax, Apex was just finishing, "Talk about wasting resources. The Tannim home has a huge room just dedicated to planning and no one even uses it."
"Who doesn't use what?" Keenan's voice can be hear from the ground as he climbed out of the hideaway. "What are you two up to?"
"We are just sitting here, waiting." Pax said in annoyance.
"Well your waiting is over. We are leaving to place the crystals for tomorrow."
"So it's really going to happen?" Pax jumped down to the ground with excitement. "I've seen your smaller works and I can tell this is going to be good."
"You're damn right it is." Jade called from the tunnel. She was using her magic to levitate her Stone-Picks in front of her as she crawled out of the hole and pushed the bush back in place. "Shall we begin?"
Keenan nodded as he began to walk towards the housing district. "Yup, now we just need to get to my house to get the crystals and then the merchants to get the frames for the crystals."
"Well if this needs to be done in one day," Apex jumped on Keenan's back and Pax did the same to Jade. "Then we should race, no?"
Keenan and Jade looked at their tiny golems and then back to each other with a smirk. Apex called out. "Get ready...Get Set-Keenan go!" The golem and his creator then dashed off, leaving Jade and Pax to catch up from the dust pile Keenan left her in. Amazingly, she had caught up in almost no time. As they ran, the two friends laughed at the good times they were having.
Unaware of the tragedy to come.
Day Breaker
As Keenan panted after he finished the race with Jade, Apex and Pax brought out the last of the crystals needed for tomorrow from his closet. Keenan sat on his bed with his sweat dripped cloak off and lying next to him as Jade went to grab his wagon from the side of his house and brought it into the street. Apex and Pax had placed the six clean cut prisms into the wagon in a pyramid shape, after which they hopped in to keep them from falling over and catch another free ride. Jade unhooked the harness of the wagon after the two golems filled it with the crystals and her own Stone-Picks. She went inside the house and looked around for Keenan, it was her first time inside his house so she didn't have much of an idea where to look.
Keenan hears Jade's hoof steps coming up the stairs and starts to place his cloak back on along with his mask. Just before he finished putting on his mask, Jade looked into his room. "Take that off Keenan."
"What?" Keenan looked to Jade with confused eyes. "All the times we go to the merchants, you don't mind me in my disguise. What is the sudden change?"
"Well you know what tomorrow is."
Keenan slowly placed the mask in his bed. "Yes, the Gem-Rebirth. Just like every other year, but that isn't different."
Jade shook her head as she walked through the door. "No, well yes. What else is tomorrow, that just so happens to be on the same day this year?"
"Wednesday?"
"Keenan really now." Jade sighed. "I know you don't like it, but do you hate your birthday?"
Hearing Jade, Keenan sat down on his bed with a sad expression looked at the floor. A tear ran down his eye. "I didn't even get to meet her. My mother died giving birth to me, how can I celebrate that? Plus the bastard that impregnated her didn't even step up to claim me." Another tear dropped to the floor as Keenan's head was racing with thoughts. "Do you think she hated me? You know, when it was all done with."
Jade slowly walked over to Keenan and sat next to him. She sat there for a minute next to him in silence before she placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Keenan," She started low and uneven. "I doubt that is what happened. Yes, that stallion who is your father is a bastard for not stepping up and claiming you. Your mother though, she didn't curse you. No mare would ever damn their child, even if her last breathes are to give you yours first. Hell that is even less of a reason! I think the last thing she felt was happy sadness."
Keenan looked over to her with watery eyes. "Happy sadness, what the hell is that?"
"She must have be happy to know you were alive, but sad not to see you grow up and be there for you. I'm sure she is looking down at you from above with a smile though. Plus Chief Clatter and Keda are here for you. Not once do I think either of them thought less of you or not as their child. You have a great life Keenan and I'm sure your mother would be happy to see you live it out. As for that stallion who left you, don't worry about it. Clatter may not be blood, but he is your real father in all ways except that, blood. He will always be there for you."
Keenan looked at her with a weak smile, comforted by his friends sweet words. "Is that all?"
"Well that and you would never have met me. The best mare out there." Jade said with a smile.
Keenan now gave a full smile. "Yeah, I'll stick with former."
"That's the spirit." Jade patted Keenan on the back. "Come on we have stuff to do right?"
"Yup, sorry for that little moment there." Keenan said as he wiped his eyes. He stood and grabbed his mask before having smacked out of his hand. "What the hell Jade?"
"I said leave it off. You always wear that and tomorrow is your 18th birthday. Let the tribe see that pretty face of the next Chief."
"You know what?" Keenan dropped the mask onto his bed, he then turned to look out his window. "You're right, Jade. I shouldn't be wearing this getup. I'll walk into the merchant district with my face for all to see and held up high. I shall no longer be afraid of the eyes of the ponies. I will no longer hold myself back with this cloak and mask. I shall walk anywhere I wish, with or without permission!" He turned to see Jade was no longer in sight. "Jade? Jade did you hear me?"
"We can hear you!" Apex and Pax called from the wagon down on the street. "What is the hold up, are you two having sex?" Pax yelled up to Keenan. Keenan blushed and looked at Apex in embarrassment, then left the window. Apex placed his stone thumb and index fingers together. Apex then flicked Pax in the head with enough force to launch his head back along with the rest of his stone body. Pax hit his head on the wooden wagon and slouched back. "Why would you do that?"
"Because you're an idiot." Jade had made it down the stairs and out the door in time to hear Pax's crude remark. "I have told you, we don't have sex. We are foalhood friends, nothing more. Now wait till Kennan comes out."
"I'm already here." Keenan appeared behind Jade, with his cloak and a pouch money. "And Pax, say stuff like that again and you are going to be disenchanted."
"Come on that is harsh." Pax wined.
"No it's not." Keenan hitched the harness on his back and threw the pouch of money into the wagon for Apex to hold. Keenan began to walk down the road to the nearest ramp up to the second level. As he and Jade walked, they were greeted by many of the other Crystics that lived nearby. "Hello. Good mourning to you too!" Keenan smiled all the way down the road and up the ramp into the next level. And when the entered the market place, even more greeted him. "Wow, why did I ever leave with my mask on again?"
"You were trying to get on over on daddy I think it was." Jade answered.
"Well I was dumb then."
"Then was about ten minutes ago."
"Shut up Jade."
Half an hour later, Keenan found the merchant he needed in an open air shop. She was selling the right frame but for the wrong angles. "I'm sorry Keenan, I really am. These are the only frames I have in stock right now. If you come back at a different time though, I have a new order coming in three days."
Keenan shook his head in disagreement. "No no no. I need these 'for' tomorrow, not in four days."
"Keenan, I don't know what to tell you." The salesmare pleaded.
"Fine, I'll take the ones you have. They'll have to do, the plan may have to change." Keenan levitated his pouch over to the mare. "How much?"
"For six bi-quarters, that would be 200 rupees." Keenan opened the pouch and took two red gems out and placed them in the hoof of the merchant. "Thank you. I'll be right back with the frames." The mare walked to the back of her shop to retrieve the order.
"Damn it, I'll have to calibrate all over again."
Jade place a hoof on Keenan's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure you won't be that hard."
Apex climbed out of the wagon and jumped onto Keenan's back. "She's right you know. Most of the calibrations don't even involve the frames, plus I did that bit."
Keenan sighed. "Yeah what ever." The salesmare walked out the back with six iron frames levitated behind her. She placed them in front of Keenan and he took them in his magic. "Thank you ma'am."
"No problem Keenan." The mare then left Keenan and Jade to their own business.
Keenan and company left the market and traveled back down the long spiral ramp to the first level. Keenan already started to try and determine what needed to be changed. He needed to make adjustments to the frames, the height of the crystals and the amount of power he must focus into each one. It was all very confusing work that he had to ponder for a few hours. At what was just about 3 o'clock, Keenan thought he had the right proportions and calculations. He took Jade to the first level and around to the columns that extended all the way up to the Sun Gem. He instructed and demonstrated her on how to place the frames into the stone columns but she didn't understand it. Keenan then had to put on the Stone-Picks and climb up and place the frames in himself with his magic. The process to place just one was about thirty minutes, it took him about three hours to complete his task.
Keenan and Jade returned to the Tannim household after finishing the task. All the frames had been adjusted and all the crystals were in place. "Oh my Sol! That took forever!" Pax exclaimed from inside the wagon. As Jade went around to assist Keena in unhitching it, she leaned into the back and slapped Pax upside his tiny stone head. "Ouch! I my be stone but i have feelings you know."
"Well you need to hide those feelings and shut the hell up!" Jade roared. "You didn't do anything today, you have no right to speak."
Apex looked over to Pax. "She is right you know. Keenan did all the work here. I mean I wanted to help, but he was so fidgety." Apex looked over to Keenan. "Ain't that right, Keenan?"
Keenan looked straight into a wall, tired and mumbled, "Yeah what ever. I just want to go to bed Apex, we were up early and I think I hurt my head figuring out those calculations." He then unhitched the wagon himself and started inside. "I'll see you tomorrow Jade, Pax. Come on Apex." Apex turned to Jade and Pax, gave them a salute and hovered after Keenan.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow Keenan." Jade waved Keenan and Apex good-bye. Keenan turned around and gave Jade a smile before walking in and closing the door. Jade and Pax turned and started down the street. As they walked, Jade suddenly said, "Damn it."
"What is wrong Jade? Are you mad you could give Keenan his birt-" Pex was suddenly engulfed in Jade's magic and brought to her face. She had what seemed to be fury in her eyes at the golem and Pax peeped out, "Mommy."
Jade inhaled. "Pax, I am not mad I couldn't give him his present. I am mad you kept hinting at it all day!" Jade roared into his stone face.
"I did not hint at it all day."
"Really?"
Flash Backs
"Their probably having sex."
"What is the hold up, are you two having sex?"
Keenan sat on the floor trying to adjust the frames when Pax hovers over to him."Keenan I think I can help you with that frame there. You just put your peg into her hole."
Keenan is starting to climb up the columns for the first time. "Yeah! Stick it in there. Stick it in there hard!"
Keenan came down from the last column and Pax started to jump on his back when Keenan asked for him to stop. "Me? I don't give a fuck. If you want one, go ask Jade."
Pax recalled the days events and stared into his creators eyes. "Oh, I guess I did. Hehe."
"Listen and listen good. I have been waiting for this chance to be more than just Keenan's friend. Unfortunately for me though, he just sees me as a friend. I can't give it to him now, so I have to wait till tomorrow after he gets home. There I will wait and pleasure him with myself."
Pax looked at Jade shocked and slightly disturbed. "Wow, it not like you my mom or anything. You know you are very devious for a 17 year old virgin?"
"Shut up! It's not like I am trying to get anything out of it. I just want him to see me in that way, I've loved him for a long time and now is my chance to fully show it."
"Than get him some nice flowers and treats. Not 'your' flower or 'your' treats!"
Jade huffed in Pax's face and started march off. "It is my body, I spend it how I choose to."
Pax made a sighing noise and thought to himself, "This is not going to turn out well.
--
That night, Keenan had a dream. It was clam and relatively peaceful. He had become the Chief of the tribe and was on the way to advancing his people. He had achieved this goal and expanded throughout new tunnels and bigger caverns. One day, Corenest had going so huge, it broke through to the surface. Corenest was now just the deepest dwelling, it was now the most advanced. Strange and new machines, devices and the like. They expanded so much in fact, the Crystic's needed not a Chief anymore, but a King. Keenan was the first King and he had many off spring to inherit his thorn. Life was good to him, but something was wrong. In the back of his mind he grew fearful of the other countries. He started to build armies and attacked others before they had a chance. His golden era turn to a bloody and crimson one with him seated at the top of a pile bloody bodies. He would laugh madly and manically as he saw his troops off.
Keena started to toss and turn in his sleep. He was now a witness to innocent deaths and pillaging. His troops acted barbaric by killing and taking advantage of all those they conquered. He now stood as he was, in front of his dream version. Keenan was both angry and scared of this demon he had become. He just sat and watched as hell fired burned and the earth ripped open. From the earth, an ebony mist flowed forth and morphed. It changed into a form he was not familiar with. It would stand over 6 feet high and stood in an upright position. That was all the details Keenan could gather before a pair of red and green eyes appeared right before his face, only a few inches away. A black and poisonous fog encompassed Keenan, it swirled around him and started to enter every opening in his body. He felt it burn and freeze him inside, it he was filled to the brim with this fog. It then entered his mind and the red eyes stayed there, watching him.
Keenan then woke up with a jolt and jerked up into an upright position. He sat in his cold sweat, wheezing, collecting himself after the traumatic nightmare. He held his throbbing head and said out loud in a hurt voice, "What the hell was that?"
Apex slept in a magnetized state at the foot of the bed. He woke once he heard Keenan's distressed mumbling and panic. "Keenan, whats wrong?"
Keenan quivered. "I-I saw-myself. I advanced the tribe to far and to quickly. We reached the surface and all life was good for only a short while as I became a King. Then I turn evil and I killed so many ponies and other races. I rested my throne on top of a mound of bodies and laughed manically. And then...and then..." Keenan couldn't finish. The dream stained his mind like ink to white wool, but that last part was too fuzzy to make out.
"I think I get it." Apex started. "You are just worried that once your Chief, you'll let all that responsibility get to your head and you won't handle it. Don't worry though, I will always be here to help you. Plus Clatter will still be around when you come into power and he with assist you. You can't forget the council that already assists him now. You don't have anything to fear Keenan, now go back to sleep. It is almost mourning and we have a big day." Apex magnetized and fell back into his slumbering state. Keenan let his head go and agreed with Apex, he had nothing to fear. It was all in his head...all of it.
--
Mourning came, and Keenan still remembered his dream. As he went through the motions of the mourning, the images replayed in his mind over and over again. The blood, the corpses, the burning world around him and the unknowing fear. He took a cold bath just to try and stop his cold sweating. He had to place on two layers of his clothing just to feel warm as his body shook from the cold that traveled through out his body. He ate very little even though he was cooked a huge breakfast for his birthday. Keda urged him to eat more. "Come on Keenan, eat up. This is your big day, you can eat as much as you want."
Keena looked over to Keda, tired. "No thanks mother. I am not feeling all that well today. I think I'll just hold off on eating too much today."
"Okay, if you say so." Keda's golem came from across the room and tapped her leg. "Oh, hi Burch. What is it?"
"Sorry to interrupt Master Keda. It is 9:30, the celebrations will begin in about an hour. You might want to leave soon, Master Clatter has already left."
"Oh yes, I knew all that Burch. Thank you though, will you be coming with us?"
"Of course Master Keda."
"Alright then." Keda turned back to Keenan, picking at his food. "Come on Keenan, we should get going."
"Yeah we should." Keenan answered. Keda and Keenan left the dinning room and approached the front door. "Come on Apex! We are leaving now!" Keenan called up to the second floor and down came Apex, with a polish. "Hey now, you're looking better than me today." he joked.
Apex jumped on top of Keenan's blue ceremonial robe that he wore to all the big occasions. "What do you mean, today? I am always looking better than you."
--
About 34 minutes later, they arrived at the ceremonial sight in the middle of the crop. They stood directly underneath the Sun Gem, the whole tribe had arrived to witness the annual rebirth. Chief Clatter started to give a speech at about 10:30 and it lasted for about 30 minutes. As the time passed, the Sun Gem slowly got brighter and it was clearly visible. The strange thing that not all the Crystic's knew was that the Sun Gem was smaller than they thought. It was really a gem the size of a hoof. It is placed among the dozens of reflectors as Corenest grew between the time it was founded and now.
Chief Clatter was just finishing up his speech when Keenan decided to pay attention. "...and now, I'd like to bring attention to my son. Keenan Tannim, who has an announcement he'd like to give. Keenan?"
Keenan slowly made his way to a small stage that had been set up for the Chief. As he made his way to the stage, the other Crystics cheered and called out his name. He walked up the stage and gestured for the crowed to calm down. "Okay everyone!" He yelled out. "I have a surprise I have been working on for a while now. You will love it!" Chatter started among the crowds and Keenan pointed to the Sun Gem, just about to reach its height for the year. "I have developed a method in which we can increase the rate in which our crops can grow using the power from the Sun Gem itself."
A random stallion step forth form the crowd and questioned Keenan. "Um, Keenan. Not to be disrespectful but are you sure that is safe?"
"Of course. I have planned this whole thing out. Nothing I don't want to happen, won't happen." The stallion then stepped back to the crowd. "Now for the moment of truth. Witness a new beginning for Corenest." Keenan turned away from the crowd and faced the now almost blinding Gem stuck in the canopy. 'Did I just say new beginning? Hmm, must have been in the moment.' Keenan's crystal horn started to glow as he charged magic into it. He stored a larger amount of magic in it than usual, due to the size of this spell and the amount of magic he'd have to manipulate. Taking aim at the ceiling, Keenan fired six short bursts of energy into the Sun Gem. The crowd gasped and started to worry when Keenan fired six more shots at all of the crystals he had placed on the columns the day before.
Keenan waited and watched as the magic in the crystals was magnified with his horn still glowing. Keenan then released the magic from inside the crystal prisms, releasing focused energy from the crystal. The energy took the form of beams that collided as they shot out into the center of their circumference. Soon the magic from the crystal radiated and formed to look like a dome over the first level. Keenan then forced the magic he fired into the Sun Gem to release and make contact with each of the six reflector crystals. The energy released from the Sun Gem was a bright yellow glow that tainted Keenan's own purple glow inside the reflectors and the dome. The other questioned still the legitimacy of Keenan's method until a few started to notice the crops. All the vegetation that was begin grown was getting richer in colors and seemed to be ripening quickly. The crystals that were being grown were slowly increasing in size and clearer. The crowds started to applaud at Keenan's work with approval.
Keenan smiled as the results of his hard work were showing. "It is working, yes! Now I just need to slowly bring the levels down a bit.' Keenan tried to halt the flow of magic he was giving off but it was not working. He began to panic. 'What the hell? Why can't I stop?'
Keenan's mind suddenly went black and his vision faded. He was standing in a dark sea when a saw a figure that stood out from the darkness slammed into his head. He didn't know what it was, but he knew it had a claw that was sticking into his head and blocking his view. It quickly flooded into his mind and took control of him."Keenan Tannim, 18 years old and yet you have not had that much fear in your life. Oh how hard it was to break into your mind. To bad for you once I was in, you can be broken easily." The figure said in a masuline, calm and soothing voice. "Just give me a second." The figure removed it's claw from the trebling staple of Keenan and reviled red and green eyes.
Keenan shook and his normal vision returned, his magic still working but changed. He felt a new energy pass through him and he shot out a new, longer burst of magic into the dome. The dome turned black and vanished, the magic fed back into the crystals and corrupted them. From the crystals, magic collected and turned to the Sun Gem. The combined force from all that magic at one time, collected and caused an explosion. The explosion caused fractals of the Sun Gem and the overall canopy to come crashing down to the grown, plunging the whole of Corenest into almost complete darkness.
As the crowds ran for there life, avoiding the debris that was falling. Keenan stood frozen at the epicenter of the chaos, he could only stare in disbelief as a pair of peacekeepers ran up to him and tied him in rope. "I am sorry sir. But you are under arrest for the destruction of the Sun Gem."
