Note: This takes place after the Week From Hell arc, and before Suited For Success
It had taken a lot of work, preparation, and frustrations, but eventually, Marjoram had finally whittled Twilight’s resistance down to nothing. She had finally agreed to bring Spike with them.
After the details were ironed out and finalized, Twilight finally allowed herself to be excited. Marjoram and herself were going to be going to the edge of Equestria’s explored lands to the West, toward the ancient site of an old unicorn civilization that had fallen more than a thousand years before.
While history wasn’t one of Twilight’s main areas of study, she still found it fascinating, especially when she could see pieces of it herself. Now she was going to see Marjoram geek out over the remains of the civilization, which excited her almost as much as the thought of being able to touch history did itself.
Despite her worries about removing Spike from society for several months, Twilight also knew that Spike needed to be able to be trusted. Twilight knew that Spike deserved to be given an opportunity to prove himself, especially in Marjoram’s and Twilight’s presence.
Marjoram could barely contain his excitement. Despite his poor health, and general hatred of long-distance travel, he was more excited about the trip than Twilight had seen him be excited by anything for a long time. He had repacked his bags four times in less than a week, packed enough of his tea to last him almost a year, and had reread the book Luna had given him nearly five times. Marjoram had planned the trip down to the last minute, overriding Twilight’s usual expertise in the matter.
Spike was excited as well, as the trip would be the longest trip he’d been on and would take him the farthest away from home that he’d been. He had read the book twice that Twilight knew of, and with each passing day, Marjoram and Spike would grow even more antsy.
As the deadline for their departure grew closer, the more Marjoram became stressed. If they were going to get back to Ponyville in time for the Grand Galloping Gala, they would need to leave soon. There was only one thing keeping them from leaving; they needed another hoof.
Twilight was a scholar, unused to physical labour. Marjoram was also a scholar, hindered further by his illness. Neither of them had the time or ability to be able to pull a heavy supply wagon all the way out to the Heartspire and back. Not if they wanted to get back in time for the Grand Galloping Gala.
So, Twilight and her friends had spread the word. So far, there had been no reply to their request for aid: everypony was too busy, or had others relying on them. The journey would be a long one, almost a month on hoof. Pegasi could cut the travel time in half, and Earth ponies would likely take a little longer while their magic fed off of the earth around them. They needed somepony strong, somepony who could pull a wagon and help in any ways needed-
Twilight’s thoughts were shattered when the door to the library opened, and Kafir walked in. Twilight hadn’t seen Kafir since she’d met Marjoram’s older brother, and hadn’t expected to see him again for some time. Kafir was a mercenary, and the last Twilight had heard, had been out in the Badlands providing relief to some of Celestia’s soldiers on the front lines.
“Guess who decided to show up,” Marjoram snarked from behind Kafir, “Cutting it a bit close, aren’t you?”
“I just got your letter a while ago,” Kafir retorted, “while I was on my way over here anyway. Besides, didn’t you miss your big brother!?”
“Not for at least a decade,” Marjoram replied, stepping around Kafir so Twilight could see him, “I take it you’re here to tell us you’re too busy to help? Even though we offered to pay you?”
A crooked grin, the same one that spread so easily across Marjoram’s face, bloomed on Kafir’s own muzzle, “I’m here to tell you the opposite. You pay me three-hundred bits, and I’ll help you three out. Not only will I help you get to the Heartspire, I’ll provide the wagon you two need.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The next days were hectic; making sure everything was ready, double-checking lists, equipment, and each others’ resolve. Nopony wanted to go into the expedition half-heartedly, and no dragon either.
However, after the hectic days after Kafir’s arrival, the trip launched smoothly. They left Ponyville before dawn, with Spike still sleeping in his basket tucked away in the back of the covered wagon. Twilight sat up front, her head peering out of the canvas covering. Kafir pulled the cart along the smooth dirt road, his armour glinting in the early morning light. Marjoram, while not fully awake, was unlikely to drift back off to sleep. He stared dreamily at the elegant book Princess Luna had given him, allowing his mind to wander at what wonders he would discover in the ancient unicorn city.
It was one massive tower, everypony who had been there could agree, built largely by magic, but with clear aid of earth ponies. Nopony knew what happened to the proposed millions of earth ponies who had helped build, as the only surviving records from that time period reported no ponies beyond unicorns living under the Heartspire’s influence.
Marjoram wanted to leave Ponyville for a while, explore a ruin and try to piece together what happened. If, at the end of the expedition, Marjoram didn’t know what had happened; he’d ask Celestia and Luna. He hoped he wouldn’t need to, because the hints and clues in the book, if they were accurate, pointed to a very specific event occurring. It was only the exact details that were missing.
Finally, Twilight finished waving goodbye to her friends while Marjoram and Kafir waited. Kafir had just finished getting himself as comfortable as he was going to get while harnessed, when Twilight came back.
“Are we ready to go back there?!” Kafir called.
“I’m good! Marjoram, you alright?”
“Yes.”
“Spike still asleep?”
“Of course.”
“Yes, Kafir. We’re ready to go.”
Kafir nodded, and began to pull his wagon. He pulled it smoothly, thanks to his own strength, and the aid of an enchantment. The enchantment nullified the majority of the weight that would be pulled, and increased the space inside the wagon without it looking any larger than an average wagon. It made travelling much easier, and it helped Twilight add a few extra necessities without needing to worry about the weight.
Marjoram was tired, having been too high strung to sleep the night before, but surprisingly content. It felt weird, being in his brother’s presence again, but refreshing. Nestled in a corner, resting on his bedroll and several pillows, Marjoram fell asleep before the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres were completely behind them.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
In a little less than two weeks, the group had reached the last town before the seemingly endless desert that the Heartspire could be located in. It was a small town, maybe a quarter of the population of Ponyville. It was hot, and arid on the edge of the desert, but ponies made a living. How, Marjoram wasn’t sure, but the little town seemed to be moderately prosperous.
“Are you getting excited about the Gala?” Twilight asked him suddenly, from the shaded seat in front of the wagon.
Marjoram tried not to let his real thoughts of the Gala show, “Not really, though I’ve already been to one before. It won’t be very exciting for me.”
“Oh c’mon. What do you want to happen while we’re there?”
“Not get swamped with well-wishes, ‘get better soons’, and marriage proposals,” Marjoram returned dryly.
Twilight blinked, “Seriously?”
Marjoram shrugged, “I’m close to Celestia, and Luna now. It’s an in that many nobles want.”
“You guys chatting about the Gala again?” Kafir called back, slowing to a stop in a public square.
“Yes,” Marjoram stated.
Kafir shook his head, and removed his helmet. His curly mane sprung forth, now free of its confines, “Is it too late for me to get an invite?”
Marjoram shrugged, “You could always be my plus one.”
“We can bring a plus one?!” Twilight cried.
“Of course. Did the letter that Celestia sent with the tickets not say so?”
“No.”
“Well...shit. That would have been helpful, wouldn’t it?” Marjoram rolled his eyes, “Good grief, mare. You could have asked for just one extra ticket, not seven more. Do you think Shores planned for me to bring a date?”
“I hope not,” Twilight replied smugly, “I’ve never seen you look at a mare, or stallion, in that way before much less go on a date.”
Marjoram shrugged, looking away, “I’m not interested in anypony really, not physically anyway. I guess I could see myself in a relationship of sorts, but...no. That’s not the point, I can’t believe none of you asked!”
Twilight ignored Marjoram’s change of topic, “Not interested huh? What about Rarity?”
“She’s younger than me by a significant amount of time, she’s one of your close friends, and while I can admit she is a very pretty mare I am still not interested.”
“Seriously?” Kafir said, halfway out of the harness, “She’s drop-dead gorgeous. You’ve gotta be insane not to feel something,”
“And if she didn’t have standards, you’d have wooed her already,” Marjoram shot back.
Kafir rolled his eyes, fully out of the harness, “Whatever. I’m going to go refill our supplies. You three want to go wandering? Meet back here in an hour or so?”
“Sounds good. Want to wander, Spike?” Twilight asked, poking her head into the dark confines of the wagon.
“Sure, let’s go!”
Soon enough, the two ponies and one dragon were wondering the streets of the small town, wandering from shop to shop.
“I’m going to ask Rarity to fix a button for me. One of the buttons for the dress I’m wearing to the Gala broke off.”
“What dress?”
“It’s not the ugly one is it? The orange and red one with all the ruffles and ugliness?”
“Hey! I wore that dress to my cutcinera!”
“You can still fit into a dress that you wore ten years ago? I wish I could fit into something I had ten years ago.”
“You have your-”
“Don’t say my cloak. Carnation bought it large.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Fine. I’ll chat with Rarity when we get back.”
Marjoram and Spike sighed in relief, “Thank goodness,” Spike said aloud, “I was worried I’d have to try to convince her otherwise on my own.”
Marjoram stifled a chuckle, earning a glare from Twilight. Marjoram straightened, “Oh! Look, books!”
Twilight perked, “Where!?”
Marjoram pointed, and followed after Twilight. Yes it was a distraction, but books were books, and it wasn’t like they were likely to find intact volumes in the Heartspire.
Spike sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, “You two and books!”
“They have comics!”
Spike sighed, slumping briefly before joining them, “Dammit,” he murmured.
“I heard that!”
Spike cringed, but entered the shop anyway. Hopefully we won’t be too long.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Soon enough, the group had restocked on supplies, and a few books, and were standing on the dirt road, looking over the endless horizon.
“This is the last town?” Twilight double-checked.
“Yes,” Kafir replied.
“That’s the last road?”
“Yup.”
“The last tree is in this plain somewhere?”
“Yes, Twilight!” Spike interrupted, “Let’s go! We should travel at night, so poor Kafir doesn’t cook in his own armour.”
Twilight looked sheepish, “Okay. Double checking; do we have everything?”
“Yes,” Marjoram replied, “Now let’s go before you can chicken out.”
“I will not-” Twilight was cut off by the wagon lurching forward, causing her to almost lose her balance at the sudden movement.
Spike giggled, and he could see Kafir’s shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Marjoram rolled his eyes, and laid on his makeshift bed.
“Call me if you need anything.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Kafir pulled the wagon until the sun began to rise, and the horrible heat of the day began to set in. He climbed into the wagon, and took off his armour. He curled up on his bedroll, and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
Marjoram, who had cast a few spells of his own on the wagon, peered out into the bright, and already heating up, world outside the dark and cool wagon. To his amazement, the sands were stained the pale pastel colours of a rainbow, faded to the point where Marjoram could only pick it out in the light.
Fetching seven glass vials, Marjoram found each colour, as faded as they were, and filled the vials with sand. Stained with magic, maybe? Was the weather controlled by unicorns before they were driven out and/or slaughtered? Did the magic of the area just die all of a sudden?
Marjoram shook himself, and climbed back into the wagon. He didn’t need to wake everyone by coughing up a lung because he was outside in the heat too long. He had been awake most of the night, trying to help Kafir navigate after the road had ended, but Marjoram still wasn’t quite tired.
Marjoram lay on his bedroll, listening to Kafir’s obnoxious snores, Spike’s restless sleep, and Twilight’s breathing. The sound of Kafir reminded Marjoram of simpler days, of when he’d shared a bed with his two other siblings because of nightmares.
Closing his eyes, Marjoram could imagine Carnation pressed against him, her soft snores in his ears. That lead to a stream of happy memories. Before he knew it, Marjoram was just as asleep as everypony else.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The next weeks were difficult. It was hard to navigate a featureless desert. It was painful for them to suddenly be mostly nocturnal. It was arduous to imagine an end to the desert. It was harder still to imagine they would have any supplies left before they reached the Heartspire.
Somehow, the journey that had seemed to take forever was over before anypony thought possible.
A sheer wall of cliffs, stretching on for kilometers, was unbroken except for in one spot; where the Heartspire sat. Kafir knew they were kilometers away, but its enormity was still clearly visible, even at night. It was good to finally have a marker, being able to visually see where they were going. When they had first spotted it, the spire on top had been its only visible part. As the group drew nearer, they began to see the tower’s base and middle.
“So...can I get a souvenir?” Spike asked suddenly, approximately one night away from the entrance to the tower itself.
Marjoram choked on his tea, and Twilight looked appalled. They ignored Spike completely for a moment, staring at each other with wide eyes.
“How could we have raised him so wrong?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know how he could think defiling important historical sites is a good idea-”
Spike facepalmed, grimacing at the panic in his friends’ voices. Kafir began to laugh loudly, earning ire from Marjoram and Twilight.
“This isn’t a laughing matter!”
“I’m not asking if we can take stuff back from the tower!” Spike stated before the conversation could move forward, “I just want to get a figurine or something from the town!”
“Oh,” Twilight deadpanned, blushing from her overreaction, “Sorry Spike.”
Marjoram had the decency to look apologetic as well, though he said nothing. Spike rolled his eyes, and did his best to look forward, toward the tower. He’d read the descriptions of the tower himself and even that hadn’t prepared him for the life-sized proportions in front of him.
From where they were, the tower reached towards the heavens; past cloud cover that was impossible to see through. Even in the dim light of the full moon, Spike could see wild clouds breaking against the sides of the tower, parting for the only obstacle they could face this far away from pony civilization. The towers smooth walls were interrupted by three grooves that spiraled up the tower, and would have helped give the tower some feel of nature if it weren’t for its unnatural size, and the desert.
Even from far away, Spike could see the gaping entrances into the spire. All three were obscenely large, looking like the mouths of some horrible monsters waiting for them to enter their waiting maws in order to eat them. Looking at the base, Spike could guess that Celestia’s castle would fit within its walls.
Spike hated to admit it, but he felt...off this far away from civilization. The clouds behaved erratically, the cliffs weren’t like any he’d seen, and even the air tasted funny. It wasn’t because of the dry heat, a heat that Spike had learned he liked. Spike strove to describe the difference in the air, but he lacked the words to do so; either because he didn’t know the proper words, or because the proper words eluded him. It was unsettling, and different, and very exciting in comparison to life in Ponyville.
What really got Spike to realize the size of the tower, however, wasn’t the size of the base or the three gaps that signified the entrance; it was the fact that the tower didn’t seem to have a noticeable taper in width until the clouds began to get caught on the towers sides.
Spike was excited about the coming adventure, but he was also worried they would discover what would bring such an obviously powerful civilization to an end.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Marjoram sat on the edge of the wagon, craning his neck up to see the tower that loomed above him, so high that Marjoram was unsure if he could ever completely understand its true scope. Only a few more minutes until they reached the entrance of the tower, and they would be inside the Heartspire. Inside a portion of mostly lost unicorn history.
As excited as Marjoram was, he forced himself to sit mostly still. He didn’t want to burn through his energy reserves too quickly when exploring the first room, no matter how fascinating it was. Marjoram had to keep himself cool, calm, collected.
For the first time in weeks, the wheels of the wagon hit smooth stone. It was a gentle incline, flanked by stairs, that allowed entry into one of the largest buildings standing on Equestria’s surface.
In spite of himself, Marjoram hopped off of the wagon, and landed on the hard stone beneath him, “We’ll explore the inside tonight, and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we’ll look at the outside, and continue on. It shouldn’t get too hot, not with all the stone.”
Kafir nodded, “Might get a bit warm if we’re near the outside walls, or if any sunlight can get into the tower, but I don’t think we’ll need to worry about the heat like we have been.”
“Look at the flagstones for the stairs, Twilight. They’re massive. Bigger than the ones outside the palace. Do you think any of the other lands know about this?”
Twilight shrugged from her place on the wagon, “I have no idea. We can write to Orchidée*. See if she or her father knows anything.”
“Or her court,” Marjoram replied, “The Prench courts have many unicorns, and they might be fascinated to see how we’ve evolved since this was all built. We’ll have to see if magic was used in the construction, or if the earth ponies did it all themselves, and the enchantments were put on after the blocks were placed.”
“How can you tell it’s not just one stone, carved to be like this?” Spike asked.
“Well, the foundation was probably carved out of the cliff, and I have no doubt the cliffsides were raided for stone. I’m sure if we kept going past the tower, over that way, we’d find massive evidence of quarrying, since we didn’t see any on the way here. But, the cliffs aren’t tall enough for that, and wouldn’t be even before the thousand plus years of degradation because of the sea.”
“Okay, okay,” Spike cut Marjoram off, realizing Marjoram would go into full lecture-mode if not interrupted, “I get it.”
“Good idea, though,” Twilight beamed, taking in the sight of the three arches that loomed ahead, “How long did this take, did you think?”
“Too long. The ponies that lived here were probably corrupt before the final blocks were put in place,” Marjoram replied, “It would have been years, even if large amounts of magic were used in its creation.”
“If the earth ponies were tasked with the building, it wouldn’t be surprising that after a few decades the unicorns would think themselves superior. Not if the earth ponies were doing all of the hard work,” Twilight speculated.
“Not counting the fact that rumours say something else was at work, too,” Marjoram said, walking alongside the wagon.
“We don’t know if those are anything but rumours!”
Marjoram shrugged, “Could be, but a lot of rumour is based in some form of fact-Oh! Are those jewels inlaid into the arch there!?”
Twilight sighed, and hopped off the wagon, bringing Spike with her, “Do you think we’ve lost him already?”
“We lost him the minute we first saw the spire on top of this thing,” Spike returned, “I want to see the jewels, let’s go!”
Twilight sighed, trailing after Spike. The second she saw what Marjoram was pointing out, however, her jaw unhinged. Spike reached up to gently close it, apparently not realizing his own muzzle was hanging open.
A multitude of jewels shone in the light of the moon. Twilight couldn’t tell what kinds they were, not with how far away they were, but many of them must have been ponymade (or dragonmade, Twilight’s mind suggested), because of their size.
“They’re huge!” Twilight breathed.
“They must be worth a fortune,” Kafir stated, startling Twilight with his sudden appearance. The wagon was just inside the entrance.
“They’re beautiful,” Marjoram whispered.
“They look delicious!” Spike said, his mouth watering at the sight, “I’ve never seen jewels like these.”
“On our way out, we’ll see if we can’t get a few out of the inlay. A few small ones. One for Spike to try, to see if he can identify it, and one or two to take back,” Marjoram said, still mesmerized, “Remind me to get the camera in the morning. I want to document everything before we start to tamper.”
“Will do,” Twilight replied, “I promise.”
“I wonder what they look like in daylight,” Spike wondered, licking his lips, “They must be amazing.”
“Probably. We’ll see them in the morning. C’mon, let’s get camp set up, and we’ll go to bed.”
“I think I’m too hungry to go to bed now.”
“Well then, we’ll eat something, too.”
“Think we’ll have to pry him loose with a crowbar?” Kafir cut in, staring over Twilight’s withers at his brother.
“Probably,” Marjoram mumbled, squinting up at the jeweled archway, “I’m going to come inside and look around a little, alright. By all accounts there shouldn’t be anything more than the lights above us and the ramp.”
“I’ll get the bedrolls and stuff laid out. I’m so happy we don’t have to stay in the wagon anymore,” Twilight smiled.
“Me too.”
“Twilight! Spike, come look at the lights! They look just like stars!”
Twilight chuckled, and made her way into the tower proper, past the parked wagon. She had been expecting a large, circular room with a high ceiling, with lights overhead. That description wasn’t entirely false, but it didn’t do the entrance room any justice.
There were paths of stone, wide enough for two wagons with room on either side. Taking up the majority of the empty space was fields. Nothing but patches of sand, a few weak looking plants, and uneven stonework was left of the fields, however. The rest of it would have been worn away by time and lack of upkeep.
What caught the majority of Twilight’s attention wasn’t the fields, the paths, or their varying states of neglect. What caught her attention was the ceiling. It was dark in the room, lit by a few torches Kafir had attached to his wagon, and by a golden orb of light hovering near the entrance. Once the light vanished, it was impossible to see the full scope of the room.
What could be seen, however, were the stars that shone distantly above. They were all faint, and some were flickering. From her vantage point, Twilight saw them only as pinpricks, but she knew them to be much larger.
Marjoram stood away from the lights, barely visible in the gloom. His head was craned back, so he could peer at the lights far above him. As Twilight watched, a layer of golden magic appeared under Marjoram’s feet and began to lift him into the air.
Marjoram ignored the calls of Twilight, focusing hard on the magic that kept him aloft. Slowly, then gaining speed through confidence, Marjoram raced toward the growing lights, being careful of the dark shapes that began to zoom past him.
Soon, Marjoram found what he was looking for: a dormant ‘star’. Marjoram made a point to not look down, because he honestly didn’t trust his chances if he lost focus on the magical field that felt firm underhoof.
The dormant globe, now that Marjoram could see under the light of the still active globes he could tell what shape they were, was a little more than one meter across across. It was made of some type of glass or crystal, as opaque as any metal. Even now, dark and still, Marjoram could feel the magic coming off of it in waves.
They must have been so powerful when they were just created. Probably could still fry me if I came too close to them now. Anything organic coming within a few meters of these probably would have incinerated at once. Creators, what could have made these?
Marjoram’s horn throbbed warning him of the magic overuse that was imminent. Content with his investigations for now, Marjoram left the dormant globe alone, and began to return to the ground. Once his hooves touched the ground, Marjoram let the barrier go.
“What were you thinking?” Twilight demanded, “That was so stupid-”
“It’s okay,” Marjoram soothed, “I’m fine, and now I know I have to go photograph one. I’ll see if I can’t scan it for magic. These things must be ancient, and there’s so many of them. There must be something keeping them all up, and even a few are still active. This is so exciting, a chance to study ancient magic that’s still working-”
“Slow down and sit down,” Twilight nudged Marjoram toward the camp she had set up, “C’mon, you can rest and talk at the same time.”
Marjoram rolled his eyes, but allowed Twilight to push him toward the wagon, “I know, but it’s just so exciting!”
“It’ll be here when we wake up!”
“I know! That’s why I didn’t get the camera before I got up there. You should come with me tomorrow, Twilight. I can teach you the spell I used-”
“Tomorrow,” Twilight said firmly, “Sweet Celestia, is this what I’m like when I’m studying?”
“Yes,” Marjoram and Spike replied in unison, earning a chuckle from Kafir and a glare from Twilight.
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Then take it from me, you don’t want to be trying to explore this without getting some sleep.”
Marjoram grimaced, but acquiesced, “Fine. I’ll get some sleep, if I can. No promises.”
Twilight nodded, “Even if you just pretend to sleep for a few hours, it’ll help.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m going to like it, though.”
“Never said you had to enjoy sleeping in one of the most magically interesting sites known to Equestria. I’m just saying that you have to get some rest. Otherwise you’ll burn out, and we’ll have to leave before we really get started-”
“I know, Twilight,” Marjoram said softly, “I know.”
Twilight offered a reassuring smile, “I promise tomorrow will be awesome. Though it’s probably going to be a long day. We won’t be able to make camp on an incline, not with the wagon.”
Marjoram nodded, “Yeah. We’ll have to spend a day or two in some of the residences anyway. You know, explore, document, and stuff. It’ll be fun.”
“I wonder what’s left of the everyday items,” Twilight said, sitting on her bedroll, “Like pots, pans, combs. Stuff like that.”
“Depending on what exactly happened here, there could be quite a bit preserved. The outside seems almost completely intact, so it stands to reason that the unicorns poured as much power into their objects as they did the main building.”
Twilight shrugged, “Maybe, but they could have just left everything to rot. Look at these fields.”
Marjoram shook his head, “Apparently these weren’t your normal gardens. The book says that each individual field was supposed to house it’s own environment. Tundra, desert, plain, jungle. All within a few meters of each other. Tons of magic would have been used to keep everything alive, so the second that magic stopped, the fields began to deteriorate. This isn’t surprising.”
Twilight nodded slowly, “Let’s hope there are some things left.”
“There will be something, even if it’s nothing more than whispers of the past. I promise.”
“Do you think there are ghosts here?” Spike asked suddenly, peering frightfully past the circle of light that kept them from being totally blind in the oppressive darkness of the tower.
“Not like what you’re thinking of, Spike. There’s no proof of those existing. Are we likely to find hints at what happened here? Of what happened to the ponies who were once proud to call this place their home? Yes. But those are the only ghosts we’ll find; I promise. Just tales of the past.”
Spike nodded, sucking on a ruby Twilight had saved for when they reached the Heartspire. He curled into his basket, and turned away from the looming blackness.
That settled, Marjoram made himself as comfortable as he was going to get while sleeping on the stone floor. In spite of his excitement, Marjoram found himself suddenly very weary. Closing his eyes, Marjoram rolled over to face the darkness so the light wouldn’t bother him. Snuggling the stuffed dog Spike had given him, that Twilight had forced Marjoram to pack, Marjoram found himself drifting off to sleep.
Just a few meters away, Marjoram could hear Spike whispering to himself, over and over like a mantra:
“There’s no such thing as ghosts, there’s no such thing as ghosts, there’s no such thing as ghosts…”
Author's Note
* Orchidée is the Prench ambassador, that was previously mentioned in Marjoram.
So yeah. This is the end of Part 1, because the document is massive, and I felt like dividing it up a bit might make it easier to read. The second part is still being written, and it should be done soon.
Thank you to Ffatblack and Elsaack, and of course, Cold in Gardez.
The next morning, Marjoram awoke to find himself bathed in the early morning light that streamed through the entrance. Since he was in the path of the archways, Marjoram could easily see the rising sun in the East, back the way they came. Marjoram’s heart felt oddly heavy with the knowledge that the sunlight he was annoyed by was the only natural light to grace the halls of the Heartspire.
Need to ask Spike if he’ll send Celestia a note saying we made it okay.
Marjoram stood up on aching limbs, stiff and sore. He rummaged in the wagon and pulled out the camera Celestia had loaned them for the trip. It was a new type of camera, unlike the ones mostly used in the daily life of Equestrians. This camera didn’t require powder to create a flash, nor did it have a thirty second exposure period. It was new, exciting, and Marjoram couldn’t wait to try it out on the very thing he’d been sent to document: the tower and the expedition.
Marjoram knew how to work the camera, since everypony had taken turns taking pictures of the tower as they neared its base. Working silently, and quickly, Marjoram captured a few shots of the wagon and its position related to the door. Then pictures of the arches, the fields inside, the flagstones, and anything else that caught his eye.
Once Marjoram was relatively awake, he levitated himself up to the lowest of the globes and took several pictures. Then he took pictures-from almost three meters away-of an active one. Even that far away, Marjoram could feel the heat radiating off of the ancient ball of light.
By the time Marjoram made it back down, Twilight and Kafir were already awake and making breakfast over a magical fire that left no residue. Which was a spell that Twilight had learned, a fire that used no fuel, and thus left nothing behind.
“Spike thinking about waking up soon?” Marjoram asked.
“Maybe. He’s pretty knocked out though. Should we wait for him to get up before moving on?”
“We should wake him,” Kafir said, stirring the hearty oatmeal, “He’ll need to eat something.”
Marjoram nodded in agreement, “We should wake him. He should be as awake as the rest of us when we reach the next level. We don’t want him to miss out.”
“Fair enough,” Twilight moved to where Spike snored, beginning the ritual of waking the baby dragon up.
Marjoram stared into the pot of oatmeal, “What do we have left for meals?”
“Oatmeal, hay, grain, some alfalfa, dried flowers, some different jewels and rocks for Spike. We still have plenty of water, and there should be water inside so I think we’ll be okay for supplies.”
“That’s good. When Spike gets up, we need a plan. We can’t stop in every residence we see, not if this tower is as large as it seems to be.”
“No. We shouldn’t. We should definitely check out the highest residences, and probably the lowest too. We should at least check out the main hall of anywhere else we stay the night. After that, I have no idea.”
Marjoram smirked as Spike burrowed deeper into his basket, “I don’t know if it’s because he’s a dragon, or if it’s because he’s young, or what, but he sleeps a lot. He hates to be woken up, it’s kinda funny sometimes. Watching Twilight try to get him up.”
“Does he do that with you?”
“Oh Creators, no. I enjoy watching Twilight struggle, it never takes me this long to get him up at all.”
“What do you do?” Kafir’s curiosity was clearly peaked.
Marjoram smiled his crooked smile, then cleared his throat, “Oh Spike, isn’t it a shame that I have to throw out these gem scraps from my experiments!?”
Spike shot out of his basket quicker than Kafir had ever thought possible. Spike was wide-eyes, almost in a panic. When his green eyes surveyed the scene, Spike let out a growling whine in the back of his throat.
“Again?”
“You weren’t getting up. Sorry, Spike. There’s oatmeal if you want it. We can add turquoise or granite or something into yours if you want.”
Spike sighed, staring longingly at his basket, “I’m doomed to be awake now, aren’t I?”
“Pretty much,” Marjoram said, moving to the wagon so he could find some instant coffee.
Spike sat near the still steaming pot of oatmeal, “Is it almost done?”
“They’re done. Just need the bowls. Want to set them near me so I can serve?”
Spike slid the wooden bowls over to Kafir, who lined them up and filled them with the oatmeal. Marjoram came back with a few cups filled with coffee, drinking one already, “Not the best coffee, but better than nothing.”
Spike refused a cup, no matter how tired he still felt. Breakfast was soon over, the dishes cleaned, and everything else put away. Kafir hooked himself back into the harness, while Twilight, Marjoram, and Spike made themselves comfortable on the wagon.
They made their way to the ramp that spiraled up and around the ruined gardens, slowly leading them to the greater ruins above them.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
They reached the lowest residences before nighttime would have reached the desert sands outside the tower. The group could have made the trip in better time, but they had to take Marjoram's physical limitations (and Spike’s; he was just a baby dragon after all), as well as the fact that Kafir was an Earth Pony. The Heartspire had been designed for those strong in magic; teleportation, gravity reversing spells, and the like were how many occupants crossed long distances. In fact, it had been a game among generations of fillies and colts to see how far they could travel up (or down) the spire before becoming physically exhausted. The ancient journals of the few unicorns who had decided to leave the Heartspire had told that. The houses spread before the group weren’t going to be the largest residences they were bound to see, they were certainly more lavish than what anypony was used to.
There was a central round plaza that held a beautiful fountain in its center. What would have likely been a flood of water was slowed to a little more than a trickle: the fountain still worked, but barely. From the plaza, somepony could peer into the different residences’ courtyards through the archways that marked their entrance. Each abode and their grounds were cordoned off by stone walls,archways marked the entrance into the courtyards, the houses offered the first doors they had seen, marking the entrance into private dwellings. There were no jewels this time, the tops of the arches were gilded patterns of gold.
“How many do you see?” Spike asked, trying to peer through the gloom outside of their magical lights.
“Ten, I think,” Marjoram replied, squinting at the darkness, “Scratch that, make it twelve. It’s hard to see.”
“How do we pick one to explore?” Twilight said, not really noticing she’d voiced her thoughts aloud.
“Roll a twelve sided die?” Kafir suggested, “Coins aren’t going to work.”
“We don’t have any dice,” Twilight returned irritably, “Maybe we should have brought some.”
“Pick a number between one and twelve,” Marjoram said.
“Five,” Said Spike.
“Twelve,” Said Kafir.
“Two,” Said Twilight.
Marjoram sighed, “I was talking to one of you.”
“Well. Is there only residences here? Or other buildings? Like public ones?” Kafir asked, “That would help. I’d suggest public locations, like libraries and temples, first. Then we can explore a house or two.”
“Um. I think most of these are residences,” Marjoram replied, “Obviously I could be wrong. It would help infinitely if we could see.”
“Too bad we can’t bring one of those globe things with us,” Kafir agreed.
“Well, according to the book, the only ponies who have come here found just residences. Maybe they had different views of personal space and privacy. Like, your libraries and stuff are open to your neighbours or something.”
“Maybe. So what, pick a direction and go for it?”
“Sounds good to me,” Kafir began to unhook himself from the wagon, “I’ll leave this here. We can bring it to the one we’re going to sleep in...”
“What?” Marjoram asked, turning around to see where Kafir’s gaze was drawn.
Kafir was staring at what would be considered a large mansion in Canterlot. The archway was the same as the others, but the same thing that drew Kafir’s eye drew Marjoram’s: the lack of a front door. This residence, or potentially not a residence, just had an archway built into the wall of the home, not just an archway into courtyard.
“Well. That looks promising.”
“Indeed.”
“So, what are we bringing with us,” Twilight asked, climbing into the back of the wagon.
“Lanterns, saddlebags, canteens. Maybe a snack.”
“We’re not going to be in there for that long, are we?”
“Can’t hurt. Just in case we get lost or something.”
“The place is big enough that’s certainly a possibility,” Twilight acquiesced, “And we don’t know if these places are interconnected behind these outer walls. Why do you think they built them if they were never worried about invasions? I haven’t seen any type of door mechanisms or anything similar near the main entrance. No magical means of creating doors either, and you’d need magical foci to tie that much mana into doing one thing.”
Marjoram shrugged, “Maybe a mockery of other civilizations: a statement. They didn’t need the walls for necessity or security. They wanted to build them, for the happiness and joy such things would bring them and their descendants.”
Twilight nodded, “I guess so.”
“You done with the saddle bags yet?” Kafir asked, yanking the back covering of the wagon open with his teeth, “We’re on a schedule, remember?”
“I know! I just want to make sure we have everything,” Twilight said as she floated the bags over to everypony, “Here.”
Spike took his own bag, slinging the straps over his shoulders. He stared up at the gold-topped archway, eyes shining with excitement, “Can we go in?”
“Yes. Remember, everypony stick together. We don’t want to get lost, and we certainly don’t want to run into anything that might have taken up residence here. By all accounts, nothing should be here, but we should err on the side of caution.”
“No kidding,” Kafir muttered dryly, making sure his sword was strapped on tightly.
“Keep an eye out for scrolls, weapons, books, and jewelry. We know a lot about their pottery and pot making, but we should keep an eye out for things that we don’t have much on yet. And furniture, I’m sure there’ll be somepony in Canterlot who wants pictures of the chairs.”
Twilight nodded sharply, hopping off the back of the wagon, “Are we ready to go?”
Three nods of affirmation answered Twilight’s question. In near perfect synchronization, the four stepped past the archway, and began to cross the courtyard. It was made of stone, and was bereft of any benches or personal touches that could have identified the building.
The archway that was the doorway into the large building was gilded in silver rather than gold. Marjoram’s ball of light flew through the archway first, and waited for everypony to enter, hovering at the highest point in the ceiling. They were met with a circular room, with three doors. Actual doors, rather than archways. The doors were still intact, but they were clearly almost rotting off their hinges. Thankfully, they were all open so nopony had to touch them. One door was straight ahead, and the other two on either side.
“So, where to?”
“Straight ahead first?”
“It looks like it would be the central chamber. We should look at everything else first.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t know what this building was for. It could have been a library, but it also could have been a lab or something,” Kafir reasoned.
Twilight rolled her eyes. She pointed a hoof at a symbol above the doorframe at the first piece of iconography that they had seen, “That is an ancient symbol that we still use today in the Canterlot palace. It is the symbol we use for ‘library’.”
“We don’t know if they used the same symbol-Spike, what are you doing?!”
Spike, while Marjoram was examining the door and Twilight and Kafir had been arguing, had crept up to the doorway, and entered the room. He stood frozen in the doorway, staring up at something that lay in the shadows of the doorway.
Marjoram directed the light inside, so it hovered just over Spike, and entered just behind, squeezing past a still motionless Spike. Marjoram stopped in his tracks for a brief moment, then rushed forward. Twilight followed after, gasping at what she saw.
“This was a library!” Twilight shouted in triumph.
“Look at it, it’s massive!”
“Where are all the books?” Kafir asked, breaking the mood.
“Don’t know,” Marjoram peered over a crystal railing, casting another spell to bring forth another ball of light. The first ball of light was sent to the highest point in the room, and was able to dimly light up the room.
The library was similar to the Canterlot library; sprawling, multiple floors high, and very confusing looking at first glance. Staircases of crystal connected the floors together, joining seamlessly with the intricate stone tiles of the floor.
“Maybe they took them with them, or Celestia removed them.”
“If she removed them, wouldn’t we know more about the Heartspire?”
“Not if whatever happened here could be duplicated relatively easily. Or if it hurt the Harmony Movement. ‘The victors create history’ and all that.”
“Well. We’ll look around, and go from there. Sound good?”
“Yeah. Be within sight of somepony at all times, and shout if you have to.”
Marjoram wandered through a section of the library, eyes swiveling from shelf to shelf, trying to find some sign that there was any books left. Even if nopony could read them (which was likely since Marjoram hadn’t studied much in the way of dead languages beyond Tribal Unicorn and Tribal Pegasus), they could be invaluable discoveries to those who could read them.
“Anything?!” Spike called.
Negative replies all around. Marjoram sighed, finally hitting a wall. A mural had been painted there once, but was so faded that Marjoram couldn’t make anything out beyond little smudges of colour. Staring at it, Marjoram could swear there was something familiar in the swirling, opulent patterns that had been added to the wall, near the bottom of the mural.
Marjoram turned around, making his way back to the central room. Spike was already there, in sight of Twilight who was making her way back. Kafir came to stand beside Marjoram, peering around at the vast, empty library.
“This is so sad,” Twilight whispered into the silence, staring around.
“Why?” Spike whispered back. Somehow it felt right not to break the silence.
“There’s no books. There’s nothing sadder than a room that is emptied of its purpose.”
“I could think of a few things sadder than that,” Kafir and Marjoram whispered in unison, an aside to each other.
There was a shocked silence for a split second, as the words sunk in.
They left the library, feeling disquiet for an entire empire that was left bereft of everything.
Author's Note
I'm sorry this took so long, but here is the next chapter! Hopefully, the Heartspire will be done in no more than two more chapters. So please, let me know what you think!
Thank you to Elsaack for their invaluable help in being my beta-reader.
“Why aren’t there any lights?” Spike asked suddenly, as the group left the empty public building and made for one of the residences, “There isn’t even any of the globes or anything.”
“Each household was likely supposed to light their own residences. That would be why they’re all walled off like they are. They probably enchanted a ‘sky’ to look like whatever they wanted it to. The central plazas were probably a communal effort, same with the library if nopony lived there.”
Spike nodded, then yawned, “Sorry. Long day.”
“Long month. It’s the traveling, it’s tiring.”
“I suppose so.”
“Our circadian rhythms are probably all messed up too. Because of the sudden switch to being nocturnal, and the fact we haven’t seen natural light in over a day.”
“So, we’ll explore here, then camp in the courtyard for the night?”
“Sounds good to me. Oh, look. The door is shut. Any bets on if it’ll fall of the hinges the second one of us touches the door?”
Twilight brought a hoof to the tip of her muzzle, Marjoram and Spike quickly copying the action. Kafir stared at them for a moment, before recognition sparked in his eyes.
“Oh for Faust’s sake! You’re really going to let that child’s game-”
“Don’t be a sore loser,” Marjoram smirked, “C’mon. You were last. Go open the door.”
Kafir grasped the metal handle gently with his teeth, and pulled. The door opened with an ominus creak and several pieces of the door fell off, but the door was intact. Kafir breathed a sigh or relief. He gestured grandiosely for the others to enter.
Marjoram stepped through the doorway first, bringing his globe of light with him. He entered a spacious entryway, with the remains of a bench, and other furniture scattered around. It was plain, but still elegant.
Marjoram was grateful to see no more doorways, noting that there weren’t even doorframes: simply spaces that would allow two average sized ponies clearance to walk side by side through them.
“Want to split up?”
“That sounds like a plan featured in some sort of b-rated horror movie.”
Spike rolled his eyes, “Fine. Down the hallway together, then?”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The group had made their way through the majority of the main house, and had found little more than rotting furniture. Spike was intrigued with the stone that had been used in the construction, while Marjoram took pictures of the stonework. After several hours of exploration, wherein they had found a ceramic plate, Marjoram had to call a halt. As much as he wanted to keep going the damp, humid air was making it difficult to exercise and breathe.
Kafir was a little unsure of himself as Marjoram slumped down onto the floor, breathing hard. Marjoram used his magic to retie his mane out his his face. Kafir paced at the edge of the light, full of jittery energy and had no outlet for his nerves.
Marjoram smiled weakly, his breathing sounding more horrible as the minutes stretched on. He looked to Twilight, clearly trying to keep himself calm, “Tea?”
Twilight’s face blanched, “I-I didn’t think to pack any. Sweet Celestia, I’ll go get some-”
“Calm,” Marjoram interrupted, “You panicking doesn’t...help.
Twilight stared at Marjoram, “How are you so calm?!-”
“Twilight...take Spike to...wagon. Bring tea. I’ll drink...then head to wagon-”
“I’ll carry you,” Kafir said, cutting Marjoram off, “No point taking unnecessary trips.”
Marjoram stared up at his older brother, clearly struggling to breathe. There was a pause, then a nod, “Okay...let’s go. Twilight...help me.”
Twilight gently lifted Marjoram off the ground, as the ball of light they were relying on flickered. Twilight cast a spell at the ball, and it remained firm. Satisfied the light would remain steady, she helped Marjoram get settled across Kafir’s back, after making Kafir take of a large portion of his armour. Twilight carried Kafir’s armour, and it was Kafir’s job to get Marjoram back to the camp in one piece.
Getting Marjoram back to came was more difficult than Twilight had assumed it would be. While Kafir was strong, Marjoram was tall with lanky limbs. This made it hard to keep Marjoram balanced correctly, which was only compounded by the fact that Marjoram continued to cough.
Once they made it back to camp, Twilight set about lighting a fire while Spike fetched some tea, water, and the pot. While the librarian and her assistant were busy. Kafir went about trying to get Marjoram off his back and onto a bedroll.
It took a lot of maneuvering, some sweat, and some choked laughter from Marjoram, but Marjoram was laid out on his bedroll, sipping quietly on a steaming mug of his tea.
Spike had dragged Twilight to the edge of the circle of light, pointing out the different types of stone in the blocks that made up the walls. Marjoram was watching them, a small smile gracing his features.
“Is it always like this?” Kafir asked suddenly, gesturing vaguely to Marjoram himself.
“My illness?” Marjoram clarified. After he received a nod, he continued, “Not always. Sometimes it’s like I’m drowning in cobwebs. It’s like they gum up in my lungs, and air can’t even get past them. Usually it’s just a persistent ache in my chest, and feeling like somepony is draining my energy over time,” Marjoram took a sip of his tea again, and Kafir waited unsure if Marjoram was done his explanation.
“I’m not hungry most of the time. That’s why I don’t eat much at meals, it’s a struggle to even choke down a few mouthfuls at a time. I get night sweats sometimes, though not often anymore…” Marjoram trailed off, his mouth pursed in thought, “Fevers, too. I’ve had respiratory failure a couple of times. I don’t recommend that; it’s not as fun as the medical dramas imply. The bacteria usually just chill out in my lungs, but sometimes the lesions break open. If the lesions hemorrhage, it can be really nasty.”
Kafir didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected Marjoram to be so frank with him.
Marjoram chuckled (at least that was what Kafir figured, Marjoram could have just been clearing his throat), “I’ve been to too many doctors to not be able to say what’s wrong with me concisely.”
“Fair enough,” Kafir ventured. He stared at the smooth, stone tiles for a moment, “What about Carnation? Did she?-”
“Suffer? Yes she did. More than my worst days by a long shot, especially near the end.”
Kafir’s ears flew backward and down, “I’m sorry.”
Marjoram’s golden eyes met Kafir’s brown ones, “I know. It doesn’t change the fact you abandoned us. We were what, barely turned seven? You were fourteen? Fifteen?”
Kafir nodded slowly, “I-I told myself I’d send bits to you two. That putting myself out there in the mercenary trade early would be good. It just never got around to happening, not even when I was in populated areas like Ponyville.”
“I figured that out for myself,” Marjoram returned dryly. There was an awkward pause, and Marjoram sighed, “She wasn’t lucid for the last few weeks, y’know. She kept asking for you, and mother and father. It was so weird, they had died when we were so young, and they were all she could think about.”
“Did...did she ask for you at all?”
“She didn’t have to. I was always there, even when she was still herself. I don’t think I left that room for almost two months.”
“The Princess let you?”
“She didn’t just let me. She tried to get me out all the time, with different tactics each time. When she tried, I’d just get so worked up I’d make myself worse, or wake Carnation up. Usually it was both. Shores tried too, for hours and hours. She’d try to get me to go into the hallway.”
“You were there when Carnation died, then?”
Marjoram nodded, squeezing his eyes shut, “Of course I was. I was there when her lungs finally gave out and the doctors couldn’t resuscitate her no matter what they did. I don’t...remember much after that. I’m told I went catatonic for a few months after that. It took everything at Celestia’s disposal to make sure I didn’t waste away into nothing of my own accord.”
Kafir was struck dumb, staring down at his younger brother and not knowing what to say.
Marjoram offered a wry smile, “I’ve come to realize it was better for her, in the end. She’d long since died, it was just her body following her soul. I just wish I’d known that at the time, I would have coped better.”
Kafir sat down, “Did she get the chance to join the guard?”
“No. Celestia made her an honorary guard posthumously though. A couple more months, and she’d have been able to apply for a junior position. Nothing combat intensive, but going through the basics and history-”
“I know about the junior positions. I tried to apply there before I left.”
“Took one look at you and decide the Cutie Mark was clearly for mercenary work only?”
“Pretty much. Didn’t even take the time to contemplate anything else.”
“Figures. You have no idea how many ponies take one look at me and decide I specialize in something related to timekeeping or clocks. Then they take a closer look, see the runes and backtrack wildly. Always annoying.”
Kafir snorted, “Yeah, that could be a pain.”
“It’s ridiculous sometimes. At least yours is relatively straightforward. Whether you get paid or not, you’re basically a certified warrior.”
“There’s no tests for sword wielding.”
“Yet so many for certain jobs involving magic. How stupid is that? One idiot with a sword can cause almost as much chaos as the average unicorn,” Marjoram’s voice was unusually hard.
Kafir looked almost taken aback, “I guess it would depend on-”
“The spells an individual unicorn possesses,” Twilight interrupted smoothly, “It really does depend. Some unicorns can cause much more destruction than somepony with a sword.”
Marjoram rolled his eyes, “If you or I did something wrong, then we would likely cause a lot of harm. However, the average unicorn is usually restricted to their special talent. Most ponies can’t teleport like you can, or spin the cantrips like I do. Most ponies have only a hoofful of spells they can draw upon-”
“And what about Shining Armour? He can cast a wide array of spells-”
“And very few of them at their full power. He excels at shielding spells, and some offensive spells. The other ones don’t really count since they do almost nothing.”
Twilight looked faintly insulted, before nodding slowly. Spike took advantage of the momentary lapse of conversation.
“Can we please not have this argument again?”
“They’ve argued about this before?”
“We argue about a lot.”
“We do not!”
“We did when you were younger. Almost every other day, I swear.”
“That’s why you two figured out the rules.”
“What are the rules?!” Kafir looked hopelessly lost.
“Rule one: mess with my lab and you’ll be the next pony I autopsy,” Marjoram replied automatically.
“Rule two: no double-dipping,” Twilight stated.
“Rule three: ruin a book and face our wrath.”
“How many rules are there?” Kafir asked tentatively.
“Over one-hundred,” Spike replied.
“Wow.”
“They’re both really peculiar,” Spike said dryly, “And they’re not very good with other ponies.”
Twilight looked offended, Marjoram nodded in agreement.
“I’m getting better!”
Spike rolled his eyes, “With your friends! You’re still not very good with anypony else yet.”
Twilight looked hurt, but nodded slowly, “I guess so.”
Marjoram sighed, “Small steps, Twilight. You’ll get better the more you try.”
“What about you?” Twilight demanded, “You’ve been actively not trying!”
“That’s been my entire point this whole time. I’m not like you, Twilight. I’ve never had the best interactions with others, and I’ve accepted that.”
“Really? You were still trying when I left.”
“Yes, well the realization that my own brother wanted nothing to do with me was a buck to the face,” Marjoram snarled.
Kafir started, wincing, “That’s not-”
“It’s what it felt like!” Marjoram stood, knocking his cup over, “It’s what everypony said all the time, not always to our faces but it was always there!”
Kafir’s head sank down to the floor, his ears drooping. Marjoram whipped away, stalking away from Kafir. Spike noticed, but he didn’t think Kafir did.
Tears were trailing down Marjoram’s face.
Author's Note
Sorry this took a long time, but I am now employed and am just busy with life in general. Sorry this isn't as long as the others, but I just wanted to crank something out.
So yeah, please review! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this.
