Strange Alchemy

The great doors swung apart slowly, their metallic material pushed by magic as they moved with absolute silence. The slight jingle of a distant bell sounded, producing a crystalline note to indicate the presence of visitors and to signal for them to enter. Upon hearing that sound, the procession of ponies entered.

The Great Hall was, as always, darkened, lit only by the glowing crystalline lights that were suspended high in the walls, their blue light shimmering as though they were filled with water instead of eternal magical energy. The Hall itself was truly a sight to behold, a room of almost incomprehensible measurement. Even then, it was far from the largest in the Citadel- -but it was by far the highest, perched in the clouds over Equestria, built to a high by ancient claws and hooves with forgotten secrets that even the greatest unicorn architects could not begin to conceive.

Through the center ran a long, perfect path constructed from perfectly groomed sand, its grains in shades of red and gold that shimmered strangely in the blue-green light. The sand itself was enchanted, and the ponies that walked through it left no hoofprints.

Standing on either side were rows of perfectly spaced unicorn guardians, each dressed in identical golden armor. Each was masked, and each wore a hood of beautiful and indestructible centipede silk. Only their horns were visible, a sign that each of them was an unparalleled soldier, the descendants of warriors from as far back as the Choggoth War, and that their magic would be capable of rending apart any pony without hesitation in defense of their king.

The trio of ponies passed between the rows of guardians. One stood in the front, and two behind, their magic levitating a long, cloth covered table. The two unicorn mares who held the table were castle servants, and as such were dressed in identical robes. Despite their role, however, the pony who walked before them knew that they were higher born than any noblepony through the land. Only the most perfect and beautiful unicorn mares were allowed to serve the king directly, and to see that his guests were properly accommodated.

The pony that led them was far older, a stallion of expansive age dressed in voluminous brown robes that, though drab, marked his position of power and the mystery that surrounded him. Even in this place, he crossed the sand path with his head held high, taking each slightly limping step with absolute confidence. This was not merely a tribute to his position, but a calculated effort. To show demure nervousness in the presence of royalty would be a sign of profound weakness for one of his role.

The Great Hall was long, but in time, the elderly mage reached the end. There, beneath the highest part of the Hall where the ceiling and walls bulged outward into a nearly spherical shape, sat the throne of the king of all ponies, the monohorn Third Horn.

The throne itself was tall, lifting its occupant high above the Hall and the nobleponies who had assembled at the base of his pyramidal seat of power. Unlike the throne of a lesser being, however, that of Third Horn was not simply a chair. It encased his entire body in gold and precious metal, carved into an almost abstract system that made him appear to be growing from the floor itself, where rivers of luminescent magic flowed like water flowed into the base of the throne from the powerful golden-robed mages who were positioned on the arcane symbols behind it.

From the top, the face of an impossibly ancient pony looked down upon his visitor, his gray eyes sharp even after three thousand years of life. From the platform that contained the section where his body was entombed stepped a second pony who stood to his right: an unusually tall, green-coated unicorn, his silver armor- -though beautiful and glimmering with countless enchantments- -marking him as the only pony in the room aside from the brown-cloaked visitor whose veins contained not a single drop of noble blood.

One of the servants positioned near the rear of the throne stepped forward. She took a breath, and her clear and perfect but absolutely emotionless voice filled the hall.

“Announcing: the Magus of Equestria, Doctor Dee.”

Having his presence officially recognized, Dee lowered his head into a deep bow so low that his long beard nearly scraped the sand below. “Your majesty,” he said.

“Rise, Magus,” said Third Horn. As always, he sounded immensely, impossibly tired- -but also intrigued. “What is this you have brought with you?”

With a simple motion, Dee commanded the servants to step forward. They obeyed absolutely, pulling the table in front of him and standing at either side of it, still holding its rather substantial weight effortlessly.

“Your majesty, King Third Horn, I present to you these gifts!” With a dramatic embellishment but without moving his body more than a few inches, Dee grasped the cloth covering the table with his citrine magic and pulled it back with a single swift motion.

Beneath glimmered a number of bizarre and peculiar objects, each organized into perfect piles. Their diversity was significant, but from thousands of useless and dingy objects these were by far the most beautiful and mysterious. Among them was a large selection of unusual jewels and crystals, many of types that had never before been seen in Equestria. Beside them sat piles of coins, some of them oversized and marked with the ornate engravings of the trihorn, or with the barcode symbols of the ancient cerorians- -and some far smaller, their backs marked with a curious national symbol consisting of a pair of narrow-limbed unicorns that somehow appeared to bear bird-like wings, eternally circling tiny depictions of the Red and White spheres.

Far more interesting than gems and coins- -in Doctor Dee’s opinion, at least- -were the relics he had collected. One of them was the metal, skeletal head of what he hypothesized had once been a living statue. Although it had been severed by some unknown explosion, its large, glassy blue-green eyes still stared upward as if it might come to life and speak at that very moment. Beside the strange head stood a gilded cage, the sort that might be used to contain a canary- -but in this case, it held a single tetrahedral crystal that ran and jumped spastically under its own volition.

“These trinkets and valuables,” explained Doctor Dee, “have been pulled across time itself, from both the past as well as the future.”

Third Horn looked down at them, and then at Dee. “I cannot help but wonder, Magus. Though you have brought these great treasures, has your journey through time perhaps produced something of even greater value?”

“You mean knowledge of the future, my king?”

“Indeed I do.”

Dee shook his head, exaggerating his sadness. “Unfortunately, at present, no spell exists that can pull a pony through time itself- -or let alone even allow for simple divination. Though I can draw artifacts from distant eras, I cannot see more than a distant blur. Though I do believe that it may be possible. I simply need to elucidate a better understanding of the True Nature of the universe itself. With that, truly anything will be possible.”

Third Horn paused for a long moment. “I suppose it is for the better, perhaps,” he said, softly. “Perhaps no pony is meant to know such things. Not even myself. But in such trying times, I truly wish our future could be more transparent.”

“What troubles you, my king?” asked Dee, motioning for the servants to remove the table. They did so efficiently and silently, and Dee stepped forward to where it had been. There was no a direct line of sight between him and the third ruler of Equestria. He was well aware of the significance, and the honor of it- -and though Dee was terrified by being in this position, he felt truly alive and exhilarated by it.

“Times have grown difficult,” said Third Horn, his voice heavy with sadness. “With each passing hour, the Centaur Empire to the east grows stronger. They have already begun pushing against are borders, and I fear that war may be on the horizon.”

“Centaurs?” said Dee, stroking his beard. “They are indeed powerful warriors- -but they wield no magic.”

“That was what was once thought,” said Third Horn. “But intelligence indicates that their leaders have acquired an artifact, a Black Stone, and that Lord Secarac has gained horrible powers through its use.” He sighed. “But the centaurs are but one problem that plagues our land. The barbarian griffons gather in the frontier, and the raids on border towns have increased drastically. They are growing more bold. Sirens in the sea are destroying our ships as they try to sail outward. Our advancement into the swamps to the south has born nothing but plague, and our scouts to the north…”

The runes on the floor glowed, and an orb floated from a stand beside the throne. Dee peered into the crystal, and saw a recorded transmission from Hyperborea, a vision through the eyes of a unicorn explorer. It showed a bleak, empty world of ice, devoid of all live.

Then, suddenly, the image shifted. A pure white figure appeared from nowhere, and suddenly the image shifted, showing the rear of a unicorn’s coat as his head was twisted around. He twitched, and then fell, the transmission fading to black. Dee turned away- -he abhorred violence- -but was still intrigued. For one brief moment, he had seen the assailant: an extremely fluffy pony.

“Your power is great, your majesty,” said Dee as the sphere returned to its resting place. “And Equestria is the strongest nation in all of Panbios. With our magic and our strength, surely the Equestrian Empire will prevail.”

There was a murmur from the crowd of nobles. Nopony before had referred to Equestria as an empire. Dee was the first, and he had been waiting for an opportunity like this to display the term he had coined.

“Indeed, we shall,” said Third Horn, instantly silencing the nobles below. “But I fear the cost. Military expansion will require further taxing our subjects. Especially the earth ponies.”

“I see,” said Dee. Even he was aware that relations toward the lesser of the two pony races had been for decades in a state of decay, and that misguided revolutionaries had occasionally- -and inevitably futilely- -attempted to turn the population against their unicorn rulers. “But they are merely farmers. They are taxed with food. They can simply grow more.”

“The situation is more complex than that, I am afraid. Which is why I have summoned you.”

“Your majesty, I am not sure how I can help. I am no soldier. Just a humble sorcerer.”

“Which is what now is most needed. Magus, you are the most powerful among us, the greatest of unicorns. By my command, you shall perform a feat. I know not what; of that, you are free to choose- -but one that will show the power of unicorns, both to our enemies and to our own people, to rally them behind my power.”

The Magus smiled. “Indeed,” he said, almost overjoyed. “This is something I can do. And I may know just the thing. But, if I may be so bold, I am no more powerful than any other unicorn. It is my firm belief that no unicorn is born any more powerful than any other, that we are born equals. What is perceived as ‘power’ is simply the product of knowledge, dedication, and hard work.”

A collective gasp came from the nobles. What Dee had just said was, to them, the equivalent of heresy. Each of them assumed that it was because of their power that they were the ones chosen by the gods to rule Equestria- -even though most of them barely knew the simplest of philosophy. The move was a calculated measure, though. The unicorn nobles that gasped the most deeply were those who knew of the curse that had dogged the Horn Dynasty for two generations, and because of that knowledge, they were Dee’s rivals.

Of course, Dee knew the king’s opinions far more well than any of them. He watched as, for the first time since the start of the conversation, Third Horn smiled.

“Indeed, a noble sentiment,” he said, “and one I share as well. I only wish more your kind could be inspired by that fundamental truth.” He turned his eyes toward the green, silver-clad pony beside him. “Amddiffynnwr shall attend the event. With him shall be Fyr’mond.”

“My king?” said Doctor Dee, confused.

“If your chosen feat is truly worthy, Magus, then you shall be granted permission to court the youngest of my daughters.”

Amddiffynnwr’s eyes shifted, and his expression narrowed in the slightest hint of disgust- -but it quickly faded. “I shall ensure she is safe, my king,” he said in his heavily accented voice.

Dee was momentarily rendered speechless. Being granted permission for a grand feat alone was a major victory, a chance to further elevate himself over all other wizards- -but permission to court one of the princesses was a virtual guarantee of a marriage into the royal family. That came with its own set of political connections and a lifetime guarantee of patronage, as well as almost unfathomable status even greater than having been declared Magus. It took a considerable effort for Dee to remain composed.

“I thank you for your unmatched generosity, my king,” he said, bowing deeply once again. “And knowing that the young princess shall be in attendance, I shall strive to make my feat of power as beautiful as it is awe-inspiring.”

“She deserves no less,” said Third Horn. “But, a warning, Magus. Do not fail Equestria.”

“I never shall,” said Dee, smiling- -even through his gut-wrenching terror.