It had been twenty minutes since Celestia and Zecora had had their encounter, and now Twilight stood shaking in her kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.

She couldn't believe it, Princess Celestia, her mentor, the one who had revealed to her the secretes of alchemy, had committed the horrible sin of human transmutation. What was more, Zecora, a woman who Twilight had considered a trusted fried, was secretly an alchemist who had also committed the sin of human transmutation.

Part of her couldn't accept it, but another part of her knew this wasn't just something an alchemist claimed off hand, after all, it was a taboo for a reason.

As thoughts of the encounter raced through her head, one moment struck her as the most peculiar, for it was the moment that Zecora had first addressed Celestia.

“So....it's been a long time, hasn't it my stupid pupil.”

Pupil, Zecora had addressed Celestia as pupil, something which didn't fit in Twilight's head. From what Celestia had told her, the Divine had been taught alchemy nearly 1500 years ago, and as far as she knew, Zecora was at most in her late 30's, maybe early 40's. There was no way Zecora could have taught Celestia, not unless Zecora was immortal, and Twilight highly doubted that Zecora could be, for she had felt no magic inside which would make her such.

“I need to know what connection she has to Celestia...especially if it has anything to do with those monsters.”

The water finally boiled, Twilight pulling the pot off the stove and placed it on the tray with the cups and saucers, picking up the tray and then heading toward the main living area, for she figured that's where Celestia and Zecora would be.

When she reached the door, she saw that it was open a crack, and upon hearing voices inside, decided that she would listen in.

“...possessed you to try and bring back Faust, you know she would not have forgiven you for it if you had succeeded.”

“Because Luna missed her so much,” Twilight heard Celestia say, hearing a strain in the womans voice she had never heard before, one that troubled her greatly. “And because I was so overwhelmed by everything that happened. I....I needed her, we both did....so I tried to bring her back, I...I thought I could succeed where you failed.”

Twilight, deciding she had heard enough, entered the room, looking to see both Zecora and Celestia looking in her direction as she set the tray down on the table they were sitting at, before taking a seat herself and looking to Zecora with a determined glare.

“Ok, I have heard and seen a lot today, and I have many questions, but this one I think takes president.”

Zecora smiled at her, “You want to know why I called pupil, aren't you?”

Twilight nodded, causing the woman to laugh. “I will admit, it was a slip of the tongue on my part, for I have not had reason to call her that for a very very long time. So tell me Twilight Sparkle, did Celestia happen to mention when she learned the science of Alchemy?”

Twilight nodded at that, though her confusion was evident. “Yes she did, she said she learned Alchemy nearly 1500 years ago.

Zecora nodded at that, smiling as she got a far away look in her eyes. “Yes...that sounds about right, for if my memory serves me correctly, it was around that time I first met her.”

Twilight's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she turned from Zecora to her mentor, waiting with batted breath as Celestia took a slow sip of her tea before setting the cup back in its saucer.

“You did not miss hear my student, I met Zecora 1500 years ago, looking about the same as she does today, however...”

Celestia looked to Zecora, pointing to her arm and legs before speaking. “I see you have fitted yourself with Automail, how long did that take?”

Zecora laughed, “Well not to long, after all I did try out the prototypes before they worked out all the kinks, but luckily no permanent damage was done, and my current arm and legs are working out just fine.”

“You have Automail?” asked Twilight.

Zecora nodded, pulling off the glove on her left hand and then pulling up her sleeve, showing off her metal arm before speaking. “You remember what we said earlier, about The Truth taking a toll from those who preform human transmutation?”

Twilight nodded, “From me, The Truth took my arm, my legs, and some of my internal organs.”

Again Twilight's eyes widened, “Internal organs, how...how did you survive.”

“That I cant tell you, lets just say I...had some help from beyond the gate, but that is something that should be saved for another time. As for how I could have known Celestia so long ago, I have been immortal since the day the great capital city of Zebrica was destroyed.”

Twilight's eyes couldn't get any wider, but her shock grew ever still. “The capital city of Zebrica, but that was destroyed 3000 thousand years ago, it was said they tried to create a Philosopher Stone and were punished for their transgression.”

Zecora nodded, “You are correct Twilight, both as to the time it was destroyed...and the reason why it was destroyed. I was there when they made their attempt, and for some reason I was it's only survivor. As to why I don't age, I honestly cant tell you.”

While Twilight nodded her head, she could tell something was off with what Zecora had just told her. She was no Applejack, but it seemed like Zecora knew more then she was letting on, at least in regards to her immortality. But, she knew she wouldn't get anywhere accusing her of lying, so she decided to leave it. “Ok then, what about the monsters, you said you knew what they were?”

Zecora nodded, “I did indeed, and those monsters were Homunculi.”

Celestia spit out her drink as Twilight's eyes widened again, “Homunculi, but their only a myth, no alchemist has ever been able to create a living homunculus.”

“True, but only because those trying never new how to truly create a homunculus, for a homunculus is created when someone fails a human transmutation.”

Twilight's hands leaped to her mouth, and when she looked at her mentor, she saw that Celestia was looking away in shame, the older woman rubbing her shoulder with her right hand as she kept her gaze averted.

“You...you mean that when you....you tried to transmute.....”

“When someone tries to bring back the dead, a homunculus is left in place of the person they tried to transmute, though....these creatures were a lot more...whole then what is usually left behind.”

“What do you mean?”

Zecora hesitated, but was saved the trouble by Celestia, who spoke for her. “When......when I tried to transmute my mother, The Truth took my left eye, and my right leg. However, when I returned from the gate....my mother was...deformed, a twisted abomination of a thing, and I...I...”

She couldn't go on anymore, but Zecora saved her the trouble. “The point is, those were not like the ones Celestia and I saw, they were more whole, and I have no idea how that could be.”

“But what did they want, did any of them say?” asked Twilight.

Zecora nodded, “One of them, the big one, mention that they had smelled Philosopher Stones here, but I have no idea what it could have meant.”

“Philosopher Stones, as in more then one?”

“I would assume so,” said Zecora.

“Strange,” said Twilight, “no one in Equestria has ever tried to create a Philosopher Stone, save for the attempt made by King Sombra of the Crystal Empire, and he failed because he could never discover the final ingredient.”

“Thank gods for that,” said Zecora.

Both Celestia and Twilight looked up at that, which caused Zecora to sigh before she spoke. “The final ingredient the Philosopher Stone, the ingredient that gives the stone it's ability to defy the laws of Equivalent Exchange set by Alchemy, is one that has escaped many alchemist's for ages. Only us alchemist's of the old Zebrican Empire ever found it out...and to this day I regret ever discovering the secret.”

She went silent after that, the silence holding for a long while before Twilight finally spoke up. “Zecora...what's the final ingredient?”

“......human lives...thousands upon thousands of human lives...”

Twilight froze for a moment, then ran over to a nearby waste bin and threw up, her body and her mind not being able to handle what she had just been told.

Being born a All Seer, Twilight had access to all knowledge prettying to such subjects as human life energy, and according to the greatest All Seer Scholar, Starswirl the Bearded, human life energy was the most powerful form of energy in the known world. However, it was forbidden for any person who could harness that energy to use energy other then their own, so to hear that the necessary ingredient in a Philosopher Stone was thousands upon thousands of human lives, it went against everything Twilight had been taught as a All Seer.

“You......you cant be serious,” said Celestia as Twilight continued to retch, the woman looking at her old teacher like the woman had just told her she had committed a murder.

“I am afraid I am, and I was as appalled as your student is when I discovered this alchemic secret. I had been doing research for King Aleneis Zaltune on how to give him eternal life, and this lead to my researching of the Philosophers Stone. When I found the secret, I chose not to tell him, but one of my apprentices at the time ratted me out. Aleneis had been a kind and just king in his day, but by the time I came into his service, he had become consumed by his quest for eternal life, so consumed that anyone who stood in his way...was punished.”

Zecora's hands began to shake, causing her coup of tea to clink against it's saucer as she tried to fight back tears. “He...he demand that I tell him the secret, but when I refused him...he....he had my children executed, as punishment for my disobedience.”

Celestia looked like she wanted to through up, and as for Twilight, who had been close to stopping, began throwing up again, though it was more dry heaving then anything.

“N...no,” was all Celestia could say, the woman reaching out a hand to Zecora, who let it grasp her trembling hands as she got a hold of herself.

“Af....after that, I...I tried to bring them back, but I failed, so in the end I gave him what he wanted, telling my traitor of an apprentice what was needed. I was just leaving the city when they engaged in the ritual, but something must have gone wrong, for when I woke up, everyone was dead, including the king and the alchemist's who preformed the ritual.”

As Twilight recovered, she again couldn't help but not that Zecora was once again hiding something, though she could tell the story about her children being killed was true. It was the rest of it that sounded...off. Again however, she ignored it, for she had a feeling it would only lead to an argument, so instead she decided to focus on something else, “So, why then would these homunculi want such vile artifacts?”

Zecora cupped her chin in her hand, thinking hard before giving her answer. “Well, if I were to wager a guess, and this is one based on very old legends about homunculi, the reason they may be searching for Philosopher Stones is because they want to become human.”

At Twilight's quizzical look, Zecora explained. “From what the old legend said, when a homunculus is born, they are born with the memories of the person who created them. This instills within them a want to belong, for while they may look like us, they do not feel like we do, and have no true sense of self. This becomes the focal point of their entire being, to the point where they would pay any price to attain their desired goal.”

Twilight pondered this, “So they thought they smelled Philosopher Stones in Ponyville, and attacked to try and find them....there's just one problem with that line of thinking though.”

“And what is that?” asked Zecora.

“Homunculus are unable to preform Alchemy, so the stone would be useless to them without an alchemist to preform the transmutation.”

Zecora was silent for a moment, then smiled, nodding her head as she spoke. “Yes, I suppose you are right, though maybe they plan to go searching for an alchemist after they secure a stone.”

“...She's hiding something...again,” thought Twilight, “what the hell do you know Zecora, and why do you want to hide it.”

Zecora then took one last sip of her tea, setting down the cup gently before getting up. “Now, with all that out of the way, I must be going, I have to go track down those Homunculi down and make sure they don't cause any more trouble.”

She made to leave, only to have Twilight clear her throat to stay her. “Zecora, while I am thankful to you for your help with those Homunculi, I am afraid this is now a matter for my guard, you would just get in the way.”

Zecora hesitated a moment, then sighed, before reaching into her jacket as she began to speak. “While I understand your reason, I am afraid you don't understand the gravity of my authority when it comes to this matter Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

She then pulled her hand from her jacket, holding it out and letting a silver-watch on a gold chain dangle from it, a watch that bore the crest of the Zebrican State Alchemist's.

“As a state alchemist, I hold authority over all maters pertaining to alchemy, an authority that reaches well beyond your own in this mater. As such, you are not to send any guards after the Homunculi, for they will only get in my way.”

With that said, she left, leaving a shell shocked Twilight and a saddened Celestia behind, the former shaking with fury before finally storming off to find Spike, leaving Celestia alone with her tea, the woman sighing as she watched the door close behind Zecora with a soft click, the ancient woman asking a question which she knew her teacher would not hear.

“Teacher....what happened to you...to make become a dog of the state.”

Author's Note

Few, thank god that's done, anyway, next chapter will Zecora will begin her search for the Homunculi, and we will be getting a visit from several other State Alchemist's so stay tuned, and I hope you guys enjoyed.

Term Explanation:
All Seer: The Human Version of Unicorn's in this Universe, called such due to them possessing an All Seeing Eye in the center of their forehead, which is the source of their magic.