The Master Alchemist

Starry night.

Mumbled voice.

"APPLEJACK!"

Gone.

Scampering, jumping.

Lantern, flickering.

Gone.

zzzzzzzzzzzTTTT

"Stabilizied. Heart rate normal. Breathing normal. Adrenaline, 10 ccs."

Gasp.

Gone.

*****************

With a shudder, Applebloom awoke.

The lights of the hospital greeted her with blinding ferocity, friendly but aggressive all the same. Sterility battled in the air with the smell of burned plastic and rubber. Applebloom had wafted in that scent before; it was far more pungent than she remembered. Maybe that was because alchemy was a weaker magic; it didn't have the same smell as unicorns dueling it out. Though Applebloom had seen that happen with Twilight and the Ursa Minor.

Even so, the fuming stench of magic discharge was starting to burn her throat. The apprentice tried to swallow, found that she couldn't, and cast her head to the left.

Hey, a voice cast weakly through her mind. Twilight Sparkle, in the bed just next to her, projected her thoughts. Sorry, but I can't speak very well. This will have to do. So... how are you feeling? The unicorn's thoughts echoed her expressions.

"TWILI--" Applebloom was cut off from shrieking out by a soft, invisible hand on her mouth.

Twilight, horn faintly aglow, held her quiet and squirming. Sorry about that, but you'll wake up Applejack and Big Mac. For now, I want to just talk to you, and you alone. You can answer by thinking. At her slightly dismayed and blushing expression, Twilight went on. Just so you know, I don't normally read minds. Sort of illegal without consent... okay, let's start over here. How are you feeling?

...Fine... So long as I don't move too much. Applebloom responded.

Twilight nodded weakly, grinning grimly. You got hit pretty hard. How'd that happen?

Memories of her sneaking onto the island resurfaced. The massive pain in her side, the running, the sirens... It overwhelmed her for a minute, and she felt Twilight withdraw slightly, like a worm pulling back out of its tunnel.

Oh... was all the unicorn could manage. Well, there's something I need to tell you. A lot, actually... I pulled you from the burning wreck of the Equestrian Navy's flagship, the Midnight Watch. You may or may not remember that. But it may be better to start from the beginning...

*************

1 month earlier

Canterlot Palace

Royal Chambers

"What do you suggest we do, Luna?" Celestia said, attempting to seek help from her sibling.

The wise and meditative alicorn pondered for a moment before replying sagely, "Well, we must consider their side before anything else. We are here on Equus to serve, after all." Luna. Always 'by the people' this, 'for the people' that. Celestia's nerves started to fray with that.

"Luna, we've ruled for millenia without dissent. Why give up this peace now? Why give in to what will certainly be a violent and bloody rebellion?"

Blue mane wavering in the air, eyes lazy but aware, the Princess of the Night almost shook her head in what might have been disagreement. Celestia hated that. The only thing she didn't like about her sister: how she argued. How constantly, time after time, she was given that look.

"What the people want should be our foremost concern, Tia," the dark alicorn replied indignantly. "Without them, we are nothing. If they want us off the throne, and if they want to corrupt themselves with power--as mortals have been proven to do--then they may and shall do it. It is their will which overrides ours, though wise council against them we may provide."

Celestia groaned. "But these splinter zebras do not represent our entire population, Luna! I'm fairly sure our charges would much prefer less war to more."

Luna nodded. "Then the only option I see aside from giving them the throne is attempting a peaceful, diplomatic solution to their problems. Or we could kill them all."

Gawking in disbelief, Celestia almost fell off her throne. "And here you were discussing their rights just a moment ago!"

"Well...."

"Well, what? I will summon a peace meeting. Perhaps then this whole ordeal over the 'book of Velnishar' shall finally come to an end." Celestia sank into her cushion, trying to relax. A soft, broken light came through the massive stained glass, casting glowing strips of color over the floor and the Princesses. A curtain fluttered as a breeze slipped through a window. Guards patrolled cautiously but nonchalantly, embracing the quiet of the room as the Princesses quieted down.

Celestia's mind still raced, however. Ideas on the situation at hoof were speeding around like magically-enchanted bullet trains. Apparently, her expression displayed this to Luna.

"Tia, maybe you should take a break."

Eyes red from lack of sleep and skin wrinkling under her eyes, Celestia was the poster pony of "overworked." Still, she refused.

"It's fine, Luna. I can handle myself."

Her younger sister sighed and looked ahead to the massive, bronze throne room doors. "I could have Shining Armor come down to help me for a while, and you could take a nap. Or hibernate for a few days. Frankly, either would assist your current state a great deal. Perhaps you should just breathe. That was a luxury I was not afforded on the moon."

Taking the advice to heart after a moment, she did breathe. For once in the past one thousand-and-two years, Celestia rested. No sickness racked her, no cough clogged her sinuses. She could breathe. Breathing was a spectacular thing for her. Being immortal, she didn't really need to do it all the often. Actually, she could probably hold her breath for something like half a century. If Celestia sat down and did nothing, maybe even two centuries. Luna had done it for a thousand years in her prison of Nightmare Moon.

Still, it was quite an exquisite feeling. In and out, air flowing in a natural cycle of--

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room burst open, along with Celestia's drowsy eyes. A flustered Twilight Sparkle appeared before her, babbling over some nonsensically small issue that she was having in Canterlot.

Gathering her senses, Celestia let her babble on for a few minutes, something about not being friends with some noble pony and that being a problem.

As she rattled off a list of reasons and support with arrow-like efficiency, Celestia cut her off. "Twilight."

"Yes?" the unicorn stopped and perked up expectantly.

"There's something I would have you do. A mission, if you would." Seeing the ears of the lavender pony flare out and forward, she continued. "I need you to be a bit of a diplomat. As you know, your friends Zecora and Applebloom are already in the Zebra country, organizing trade regulations. I wish for you to find them, link up, and organize a summit of leaders for a meeting of sorts. I will give you a full breifing in writing, if you accept."

Twilight was all too eager to agree and go along with the assignment. She loved that, and Celestia was more than happy to please one of her favorite students with a task she needed. Mutual benefit. Always a good thing.

***************

What about Spike? Applebloom asked incredulously. Where was he when you started chasing after us?

Twilight responded almost too quickly, as if she anticipated the question. He stayed back and managed the library. He might even... She closed her eyes, and her horn glowed brighter. There he is.

Slowly, a strange sensation grappled with Applebloom's mind. It showed her a blurry image, almost in front of her eyes, but at the same time in her head. Presque vu. Until...

A picture of a quietly sleeping Spike found her. He was almost cute in the reclining hospital chair, a worried look plastered on his face. Twilight Sparkle adjusted her magical fishing rod line and the picture scattered and refocused on Applejack and Big Mac in a similar state to Spike.

It's about eleven right now. I couldn't sleep, so I did my best to gather strength and try to wake you. The unicorn gave her a good sense of timing that counter-balanced Applebloom's recent disorientation. Anyways, back to the story...

***************

Twilight Sparkle was beginning to feel claustrophobic, a feeling that was unaided by a mounting emotion of intimidation.

The musty smell of the home and the overall clutter did not help, especially with the filtered light and significant air of sickness.

A cough broke the silence, disturbing a fly that took off, buzzing around incessantly. "Who's there?" a thick accent of Zebraskan tribal origin sounded out, hoarse from disuse and damage.

Gathering her breath, Twilight made her way out of the cramped entry to the left, through the only path around a wall covered in faded yellow wallpaper with white stripes. Rarity would have found it incredibly tacky.

"This is Twilight Sparkle, Ambassador of Equestria and Assistant Mistress of Magic to the Equestrian Royal Court!" She called out her full title, a meek attempt to impress one of the most powerful alchemists in the world. The lavender mare had only had the pleasure of knowing the daughter, who she now was searching for.

"And I'm a dying old zebra!" the answer came with a chortle of laughter.

Taking that as an invitation, Twilight slid past the multitude of papers pinned to the walls. At a glance, they seemed to be alchemical formulas. Books and scrap sheets lay all around, cluttering a carpet that seemed far too worn with age.

The living room came into full view, and Twilight witnessed firsthand the power of a trap rune. Her hooves were entirely locked into place. She attempted to break the spell with magic of her own, but found her horn and powers seemingly blocked off. With--literally--no where else to turn, Twilight found herself staring into the eyes of a female zebra, splayed across an old couch with a worn comforter atop her. Zecora's mother.

Occasionally called "The Master Alchemist."

Well, not occasionally. That was her pen name for her numerous scripts and texts on alchemy, chemistry, and science. She was actually remarkably famous, and Twilight had even read a few of her books.

The decrepit thing before her was not what she had pictured.

Her mane was overgrown and frazzled, as if nothing had touched it in months; for some reason, that seemed very likely. The zebra was wrinkled of face and skin, coat bumpy with slight tumorous growths. The eyes were just like Zecora's; strikingly similar, in fact. The same sharp angles, and blue tint. The amazing closeness startled Twilight for a moment. But as her surprise cooled, she found one major difference: The zebra's name was Ranasha.

"Uh... would you mind releasing me? Please?" Twilight begged and whimpered a little. It was nothing near Rarity's dramatics, but it would have to do.

The zebra countered, raising a faded grey brow and saying, "Not until I find your purpose here. Those with the Black Cancer don't get many visitors."

OH.

***************

Now speaking in a low whisper, Applebloom interrupted. "Wait wait wait. What? You met Zecora's mom?!?"

Leaning as far as she could out from her bed, Twilight replied, "Yes. I just said that, didn't I? I thought she might have information on Zecora's whereabouts. I figured that she would know, since you visited her. Right?"

Applebloom's countenance drooped slightly. She rolled her eyes and her mouth pulled into a line. "Well..." she hissed through clenched teeth. "Not exactleh. Kinda got caught up in an lil' assassination attempt. So. Yeah." Her accent started to creep into her speech again.

Now strengthened, Twilight ran a hoof through her mane, attempting to smooth the frazzled ends. "I imagine that put a damper on the plans. You were framed for it, right? And then you ran and somehow found out about Yorlug..."

"Wait, how in hay did you find out abou' Yorlug Island, Twilight?" Applebloom inquired again.

"It was simply the meeting place I arranged with--" Hoof beats clopped through the halls, resonating. In a harsh, low hiss, Twilight said, "Preted you're asleep!"

Applebloom immediately did so as a nurse came through, doing his rounds and checking on the patients. He hummed tunelessly. Soon, she felt Twilight in her mind again, a worm seeping in. I'm sorry, but what I'm about to tell you is information that could bring down the entire Equestrian nation, maybe the entire world. I would give you a little more lead up, but I get the feeling I'm running out of time... Twilight spoke in her thoughts.

Applebloom? Princess Celestia is dead.