Finding Artemis

Her face stares up at me, head twisted around at an impossible angle; those dead, vacant eyes seeming to taunt me. Again, the scene shifts, and the bodies crushed beneath the rubble fill my vision, the stench of blood and death stinging my nostrils. Finally it's Celestia, her head just about paste beneath my hooves, blood, bits of bone and brain matter staining my armor. I really do hate this dream, but nothing I do changes it. Night after night it still haunts me. So much for getting better, right?

"As if such guilt could be so easily swept aside." I know that voice. Why is she in my dream? She's never been in it before. "I am here because you need to move past this, Artemis. It serves no purpose to dwell upon it but to cause you pain." I look up from Celestia's mangled body, a much changed Luna standing nearby, her coat and mane having darkened even more than mine. Also, is she taller? It's kind of hard to tell, considering as the Nightmare we were about as tall as Celestia.

"And how do I do that?" I ask glumly, the scene shifting yet again, this time to the moon's cold, dead surface. Ash stains my black coat as I stand in the middle of the dark remnants left behind by the shadows I butchered. "If I hadn't had some weird crisis of conscience—"

"But you had it nonetheless," Luna reminds me. "That does not speak of a twisted, evil being intent only on causing pain. It speaks of a stallion who, despite the things that were done to him, still strives to be better than what the monster that sought to use him for her benefit made him to be." I sigh wearily.

"Yeah, I'm not a monster, you were, blah blah blah," I intone dryly. "We've been over this. Several times. But, like you said, it doesn't change how I feel." I shake my head, trying to will the images away, only for the scene to turn into Ponyville, the residents strewn about its streets, dead or dying I don't know. "Oh come on, brain, I didn't even hurt anyone there!" Then it is swept away, turning into meadow at night, the stars twinkling softly overhead. "Huh. Well, that's better." I hear Luna giggle. "What's so funny?"

"That was my doing, brother," she informs me, my eyes widening a touch. "As princess of the night, the dreams of all are mine to safeguard." She grimaces. "Until now you've proven...difficult to reach. I do not know what changed, perhaps Pinkamena's party, perhaps not, but it was not so difficult to enter your dreamscape this time."

"That seems an extreme invasion of privacy," I remark glibly, glad to not be reliving my past anymore at least. "What happens if you walk into something intimate?"

"I have not made such a mistake since I first began entering the dreams of others," Luna replies, waving one hoof dismissively. "Back then I had to actually enter the dream to get an idea of its contents. Now nightmares are foal's play to distinguish from more...pleasant things."

"Right," I drawl, shuffling my wings and shifting my weight as I try not to think too hard about any of that. "So...what now?"

"Now you wake up and get ready to receive Dame Twilight."

"Wait, wha—"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

And I'm awake, feeling more exhausted than when I went to bed in the first place. And Luna can pop into people's dreams. Neat. Christ, it's still dark. What time is it?

"Too fucking early, that's what," I grumble as I sit up, the bed sheets falling away as I yawn and stretch languidly. "I hope the kitchens have some coffee ready. I'm gonna need a lot to deal with today." Honestly, I'm not sure what to even expect. I barely know Twilight Sparkle, after all. Apparently she's not only talented with magic, but also an expert in all sorts of different subjects that said talent applies to. Purple Smart is definitely a good nickname if that's indeed the case. So, from what I recall about today's schedule, I have my morning appointment with my therapist, then Twilight is going to arrive roughly around 10 am and from there… well, we'll see I suppose. Still not sure this is a good idea. I mean, what can a unicorn really know about pegasus magic? Guess I'll find out. First objective, though, is to find some coffee. Maybe some breakfast once I've had my first cup.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Turns out that it's five forty three in the morning, just before Luna and Celestia switch places for the day at six. Like I said, way too damn early. Still, I've managed to learn something interesting. Celestia makes breakfast in the morning. Stacks of pancakes with cutesy little designs on them, a plate of which I'm staring at with strawberries for eyes, a whipped cream nose and a smile made of blueberries.

"Do you not like pancakes?" Celestia asks hesitantly, causing me to look up and blink at her blearily. "I could make you something else if you wish." I open my mouth, close it, then take a sip of my heavily doctored coffee, needing to be more awake if I'm going to deal with this strange scene.

"I..." I trail off, having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. "Am I still dreaming or is this actually happening?" This causes her to giggle and I'm left wondering what sort of strange world I've woken up to.

"I can understand your confusion," she says, smiling brightly. "You're used to seeing me in my official capacity, after all. You've never been awake early enough to see me outside of my role as princess." Okay, that's true I suppose. I usually wake up around when Twilight will be arriving today and Celestia's already well into her work day by that point. "But please, no need to stand on ceremony here. Like I said, I can always whip up something else if you like, since we still have time before Luna and I trade shifts."

"I like pancakes just fine," I tell her groggily, frowning at the oddly cute breakfast she'd obviously put quite some effort into making. "I'm just… still waking up." I catch her nodding her understanding in my peripheral vision.

"Take your time," she says, her own stack already half finished. "There's no rush, after all." I then notice a third plate causing me to blink at it curiously.

"Oh, that's Luna's," Celestia pipes up, noticing my gaze. Is that hesitation I hear again or am I imagining it due to my brain not firing on all cylinders yet? "I like to have it ready for her so she can eat before she heads to bed for the day."

"Speaking of which," I begin while picking up a fork so I can try Celestia's cooking. "How did you know I'd be awake early enough to eat this?"

"I couldn't be sure, of course, but I figured you'd wake up earlier given your appointment this morning, followed by meeting with Twilight," Celestia replies, tone turning softer, warmer, at the mention of the young mare. "I'm confident that, whatever is causing you issues mastering your pegasus magic, she will be able to help you find the answer." I cut a section of pancake stack and take a bite, eyes widening as my mouth explodes with flavor. Jesus, what did she put in here, edible bliss? Everything I've had since I stopped being a raving lunatic has been good, thus far at least, but this is something else. "I take it you like my cooking, then~?" Her tone is playfully teasing and I shoot her a dirty look, which she responds to with another smile. "I'm glad. From what the chefs have told me, your usual breakfast is a little on the bland side, if you don't mind me saying so." I finish the first bite and barely refrain from just wholesale devouring the rest, but only through herculean levels of effort.

"That's because I'm usually too tired to care about what I eat," I say, my usual breakfast being some variety of cereal and three cups of coffee. If I could get this every morning… hngn, damn, what do I do? Sleep in or enjoy the cooking of a mare who's had literal centuries to perfect her craft? "And are you seriously keeping tabs on me to the point where you know what I usually have for breakfast?"

"Of course," she replies in a chipper tone, completely ignoring how the fact she does so is extremely creepy. "What sort of older sibling would I be if I wasn't making sure that you eat properly?" I raise an eyebrow at this, as we both know full well that we aren't actually related. "I know, I know, it's none of my business." And now I'm having the strangest feeling of deja vu. Weird. "But, despite what you, understandably, believe, I do care about your well being, Artemis." How do I respond to that? She's been both my opponent and jailer, yet now here she is acting like… like we're actually family. What the actual fuck is going on right now?

"I don't understand you," I say to her, feeling quite confused at the moment. "I don't… what even is this?" Is this really happening right now? Roughly two months ago we were beating each other half to death, now here I am eating pancakes at the same table with the very mare I have nightmares about murdering with my own hooves.

"This is my fault," Celestia says, fork paused halfway between her plate and her mouth as she frowns severely. "I started off our relationship in the worst way; by treating you like a threat." Which I can understand. This, though? Not so much. "I know it is unlikely to help, but I am sorry." She offers me a small, apologetic, smile. "Can we start over, perhaps put aside the past?"

What do I say? I mean, I hated her for so long. But then she's not asking me to forget what went on between us, just to try and look beyond it. Should I? Can I? Well, whether I can or not, I'd like to try. If I'm going to continue living with her, we need to not be enemies. Besides, this breakfast is to die for. How can I hate someone who cooks like this?

"I'm willing to try," I say begrudgingly, taking another bite of the heavenly cake of pan. Cake of pan? Christ, I need more coffee. "Keep cooking like this and I might even keep waking up earlier." Maybe. No promises. Still, it makes her smile widen, so I guess that's a good thing? I hope it is, anyway.

"Thank you, by the way. For breakfast." Wow, okay, I didn't know a simple thank you could make someone's eyes light up like that.

"You're very welcome," she replies happily and I even manage a tiny smile. Maybe this won't be so bad. Better than walking on eggshells around each other, right? "Now, eat up before it gets cold."

"Yes, mother," I quip dryly, though I do get back to my meal. It's still an awkward affair, but it's also not so bad. Maybe, just maybe, this is a first step to something better? I won't hold my breath, mind you, but it's a possibility.

“Oh, good morning, sister.” The sound of Celestia’s voice draws my attention from my breakfast, the doors to the dining room having opened to admit a rather… tired looking Luna. And when I say tired, I mean she looks like death warmed over. Luna, reminding me of myself, creepily enough, lets out a soft grunt of acknowledgement in response, almost stumbling over to the table and blearily looking over its contents.

“Uh… you alright there?” I ask, pausing to take a swig of my coffee. “I don’t want to sound rude, or whatever, but you don’t look so good.” She hardly even seems to hear me, eyes flicking in my direction only briefly as she selects an orange from the small array of fruit in the center of the table, seemingly oblivious to the stack of pancakes just about under her nose. “You know, you might want to-” And she just took a bite out of the orange like it’s an apple, rind and all. Yuck. “Ooookay then.”

“Going to bed,” she mutters around her mouthful of fruit, again seeming rather out of it. “Good day.” And she sort of just stumbles off, munching on the orange as she goes.

“Jesus,” I remark as she departs, finding myself feeling strangely worried by this display. “Is that normal for her or what?”

“Luna’s been like that every morning since she started taking up her nightly duties again,” Celestia replies, taking a moment to dispose of the perfectly good plate of breakfast she’d prepared for her sister. Do ponies not have refrigerators or something? What a waste of food. “I’ve tried asking her about it, but… well, you saw what she’s like. I either get no response at all or one that makes absolutely no sense.”

“Have you tried talking to her before you switch over in the evening?” I ask, pausing to take another bite of my food. “I mean, she’s bound to be coherent then, right?”

“The idea has crossed my mind,” Celestia admits, going back to her own breakfast. “But by then I’m usually too worn out from my own duties to do anything other than lower the sun and fall into bed.” She sighs softly. “A thousand years later and still we have somehow managed to fall into the same patterns, the same routines. I worry that, despite the fact I have her back, that I am missing time that should be spent getting to know her again.”

“Have you ever considered, oh, I don’t know, taking a day off?” I ask, frowning across the table at her. “You’re one of the most powerful ponies in the nation, for fuck’s sake. Even the goddamn president gets to go on retreats.”

“I assume you are speaking of your home world,” Celestia says, to which I nod. “While I do not know how your world’s government functions, here I have many things that require my attention on a day to day basis.”

“And there’s really no one you can delegate these tasks to?” I shake my head at her. “Not even for a single day?”

“Well, perhaps Cadance, but—” She stops and stares at me in silence, head tilting to the side slightly as her gaze seems to burn a hole straight through my head.

“What?” I ask, fighting the urge to squirm under her intense staring. “You’ve thought of something and that worries me.”

“Tell me, Artemis,” she begins, that certain twinkle in her eyes that makes me want to dig a hole and hide myself in it. “You’ve been learning our laws as part of your curriculum, correct?” I give the barest of nods. “And how would you say you’re doing on that subject?”

“I know enough not to get myself arrested,” I reply, not liking where this is going. “Why?” And she smiles, causing the lightbulb to turn on in my head. “No. No, no way in hell am I dealing with bureaucracy!”

“You’d do fine,” she assures me, finishing her meal and rising from her seat. “The night court is, from all accounts, hardly busy at all and, since you cannot use the magic Luna does to monitor dreams, you wouldn’t have to worry about that.”

“Yeah, great, but what about that?” I scramble for something to get me out of this. “I mean, you can’t just—”

“Oh, please. Our ponies dealt with their bad dreams on their own for a thousand years,” Celestia says dismissively, cutting me off as she walks around the table, likely heading to the kitchens to dispose of her plate. “One night won’t kill them.”

“You can’t make me do this, Celestia,” I point out, breakfast quite forgotten as I follow her path out of the dining room with my gaze. “Hey! I said no! Don’t you fucking ignore me, Sun Butt!” She just smiles that infuriating smile and opens the door, leaving the room. “This has to be against some sort of law! I know you can hear me, damn it!” My protests are answered by the door swinging shut behind her. “Fuck me, what have I done?”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“...and that’s why I’m rather confused about how I should feel,” I finish explaining to my therapist, going over how odd my morning had been, including that last little evil exchange Celestia and I had before she left me to contemplate my mistake. “Do I hate her? Do I respect her? Do I think she’s evil incarnate?” I snort softly. “Okay, that last one is kinda ridiculous, but still! Bureaucracy, Miss Emerald! Cunting bureaucracy!” I shudder, folding my forelegs in against my chest and wishing I still had arms to hug myself with.

“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, but nooooo! I had to let them infect me with their stupid compassion!” I feel my ears folding against my mane as I huff in annoyance. “Am I crazy? I mean, I know I was before they blasted me with the rainbow doom laser, but did they miss something? I sometimes find myself wondering if that’s the case.”

“You’re not crazy, Prince Artemis,” Emerald Gleam, my therapist, assures me patiently. “Troubled? Yes. Emotionally scarred? With your past, who wouldn’t be? But you are most definitely not crazy.” I look over to see her gazing at me over the rim of her clipboard. “You have made good progress, your highness. Don’t let yourself fall back on bad habits, not when you’re doing so well.” I guess she has a point. I mean, I wouldn’t even talk to her when we first started doing this and now here I am, laying back on the comfy couch and just talking to her with no trouble whatsoever.

“Now, remember, it’s okay to doubt yourself now and then, but don’t dwell on these feelings, your highness. It won’t help you to fall into a funk over your mistakes, right?” I nod slightly, sighing as I sit up, our session a short one today given my scheduled meeting with one lavender colored young mare. “Have you given any thought to my suggestion, by the way?”

“What, keeping a journal?” I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Look, I get what you trying to do with that, but no thanks.” I hop off the couch and stretch, grimacing as something in my back cracks. “Last thing I need is for someone to find and read my innermost thoughts put down on paper. Like Shining Armor.”

“Now do you really think he’d invade your privacy like that?” Emerald asks, and her tone points out how silly my worry is. “Captain Armor is a good stallion, by all accounts, and Princess Cadenza certainly seems to agree.” I roll my eyes again, to which she clucks her tongue. “Which reminds me of something. How is Nymphadora doing?” Oh great, here we go.

“She’s fine,” I reply, ready to head this nonsense off at the pass. “And no, it wasn’t a date! I don’t care what you silly ponies think. It was just a friendly little outing and that’s all.”

“If you say so,” Emerald says in a tone suggesting she doesn’t believe me. “Alright, that’s all for today, I’m afraid. Good luck with your meeting with Celestia’s student.” Something about how she said that bothers me, though I’m not sure why. “Now, shoo; I have other ponies that require my attention.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It’s not even an hour later that I’m sitting in front of a full length mirror, wincing as Cadance pulls a brush through my mane, trying to make me look “presentable”. Good luck, pinks. You’re gonna need it.

“What’s the big deal?” I ask, grimacing as the brush tugs out a particularly thick knot of hair. “I don’t think Twilight Sparkle is going to care about my mane.” Then again, what do I really know about her? Next to nothing, but still, this is stupid. What does helping me learn what my issue regarding controlling my pegasus magic has to do with whether or not my mane is properly brushed?

“You want to make a good impression, don’t you?” Not really, but I doubt you actually care about my opinion at this point. “You’re a prince, Artemis. You need to look your best.”

“She’s seen me lying in a bloody, broken heap,” I remind her dryly. “Looking my best isn’t going to wipe that memory from her mind, nor will it make her forget the time I came this close,” I hold my forehooves a centimeter apart, “to murdering her teacher and friends.”

“No, but it just might help give you both a chance at a fresh start,” Cadance says as she finishes fussing over my mane, putting it into a simple braid instead of the pony tail I usually tie it in. “Hmmmm.” She looks me over with a critical eye. “Just one last thing.” Her horn flashes with power and an aura of her magic appears around my peytral and leg guards, leaving them shining as if freshly buffed and polished once it passes.

“There.” I take a moment to look at myself and, honestly, I hardly recognize the pony standing in the mirror. I seem to have grown a little in the past few months, my body having filled out a bit, as if I’m going through puberty or something. My coat color is darker, as is that of my mane and tail. The changes, by themselves, are hardly anywhere near what someone would call extreme, but all together it’s rather striking to see them nonetheless. “Something wrong?”

“No,” I reply immediately, not wanting her to worry over nothing. “I was just thinking.” I press a hoof to my peytral, the supposed measure the council had wanted taken to ensure my freedom, and take a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Now, remember to be patient with her,” Cadance instructs me as we near the library after our little jaunt through the palace halls. “She can be a little… excitable.” I’ll have to take her word on that, as I’ve only met the young mare twice. We reach the doors and Cadance pushes them open, smiling brightly as she spots Twilight, who beams happily.

“Cadance!” The younger mare greets her happily, the two of them beginning what I can only describe as a silly little dance number accompanied by a short rhyme.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” I can only stare as they giggle before hugging, jaw hanging open slightly in shock. Did they just wiggle their asses at each other or was I seeing things? “Oh, Prince Artemis!” The lavender unicorn grins at the sight of me, an odd reaction given our past encounters but whatever. “I’m so happy Princess Celestia chose me to help you with your magical problem. There were so many questions I never got to ask you before and I’d love the chance to interview you once we’re finished.”

“There will be time enough for that later, Twilight,” Cadance assures her, the look I shoot her caught between incredulous and betrayed. Excitable? She’s bordering on Pinkie Pie levels with how her eyes are shining with her interest in me. The hell have I gotten myself into now? “Now, much as I’d love to stick around, Auntie Celestia wants to brief me on something that she said was rather important.” Gee, I wonder what that could be? “I promise we’ll have time to catch up once you’re finished here, though, Twilight.” They exchange another hug before the pink alicorn moves to depart. “Play nice,” she whispers to me as she passes.

“Traitor,” I mutter back, able to catch her eyes rolling at my comment. Once the door closes behind her, I turn my attention back to Twilight; only to see her holding a stack of paper and a quill, a giddy smile on her face. “So… where should we start, Miss Expert?”

“I was hoping we could start with your planet of origin,” she replies, having seemingly completely forgotten why we’re here. “I only know a little from what Princess Celestia’s been willing to tell me, so having the opportunity to speak with an actual being from another world is so exciting!” I wince, her voice having increased in pitch from her obvious excitement towards the end there.

“Uh… right.” I shake my head, ears flicking as they ring a little from the pitch of her squeal just now. “Actually I meant where should we start in regards to my problem? Namely how whenever I touch a cloud to do more than stand on it, I somehow cause them to explode.” I see her blush, the mare’s ears folding back as she gives an awkward sounding laugh, likely embarrassed by how she’d just been geeking out.

“Sorry,” she says, stashing the papers and quill away… somewhere. Seriously, where did they go? Do ponies have access to hammer space or what? “It’s just that, despite multiple theories regarding other worlds and extraterrestrial life, nopony has ever had the opportunity to actually prove that we’re not alone in the universe.” She takes a moment to clear her throat, levitating a set of bulging saddlebags from an overburdened, ominously groaning, table, setting them down nearby with an audible thunk. What does she have in those things? Bricks? “Now, I’ve brought along everything I could find on the subject of pegasus, and alicorn, magic in general.” From one side she levitates out a dozen… wait, how did they all fit in there? Is it a bag of holding? Another dimension stuffed into a bag? Why do ponies have to defy logic so fucking much?! “Are you okay? Your, um, cheek is twitching.”

“Eh?” She’s right. I can feel the muscle spasming involuntarily even as I try to stop it. “Oh, um… nevermind.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Please, Miss Sparkle, continue.”

“Just Twilight is fine,” she says, setting the books out into three different piles, the third much smaller than the other two. “Sadly documents on alicorn magic are rare, but fortunately pegasus magic has been well documented over the years. Not only that, I happen to know a fairly skilled flier who also happens to be the weather manager of Ponyville and she was more than happy to tell me everything she knew on the subject.” A small binder is added to the pile, looking like it’s filled to the brim with hand-hoof-horn… fuck it. She took notes. Lots of ‘em. “So, let’s start with a few questions. First, can you describe what it was like the first time you experienced an accidental electrostatic discharge?”

“Like I stuck a fork in a wall socket,” I reply, tone as dry as dry can be. To my surprise, she doesn’t question what a wall socket is. I guess ponies have electricity? Honestly it’s hard to tell in the palace. Actually, now that I think about it, where in God’s name does the light in the palace come from? I don’t remember ever seeing any light fixtures, but then again I’m not usually studying the walls or ceiling. I decide to look up, frowning as I don’t notice any fixtures that could be pointed to as obvious sources of light. A spell, maybe? I mean, the place is really, really old, so I suppose it’s possible. Wait, in the restaurant! There were hanging lights! Ha, problem solved. Ponies have electricity.

“...hello? Prince Artemis?” Oh, great, I was spacing out. “Is something wrong? You were kind of staring up into space for a bit there.”

“Sorry, it’s nothing.” God damn it, great impression you’re making, “Prince”. “Please, continue.”

“Uh, well, as I was saying, it’s not unusual for somepony to have trouble controlling their magic.” She looks off to the side, as if uncomfortable. “Of course they’re usually foals, but in your case it might be attributed to the fact you’re not in a familiar body.” She frowns slightly as she goes over some notes. “Of course according to Cadance you’ve proven to be adept at controlling the other aspects of your magic.” She chews the inside of one cheek, tapping the feathered end of a quill against her chin thoughtfully. “Strange.”

“Yeah, I’ll admit, it’s kinda weird,” I agree, shuffling my hooves a bit as I remember how that rain cloud just about exploded on me. “I can levitate an egg without crushing it or throw a tree across the yard, even control my speed and strength with ease, but the second I try to do anything related to manipulating the weather, it blows up in my face. Literally. It’s like…” I trail off, trying to come up with the words to describe how it had felt before the cloud had discharged for seemingly no reason. “Like I’d tapped into something. Something greater than what lay within the cloud itself.” I frown, wondering where that had come from. “Sorry, that sounds dumb. I don’t know how to explain it, really, so don’t listen to me.” I hear the scratch of quill on paper, Twilight having been taking down what I’d been saying verbatim, apparently. “What are you doing?”

“Taking notes?” Twilight answers uncertainly as she looks up from the paper. No shit, ,Sherlock. No, be nice. She’s just some smart kid that Cadance thinks can help. No need to be a dick when all she’s doing is offering her assistance. And waiting for the chance to pick my brain. Can’t forget that. “It helps me to have a detailed set of them on hoof, in case I need to reference something about it later and can’t recall all the details off the top of my head.” She’s chewing the inside of her cheek again. How cute, she has a tell for when she’s puzzling over something.

“Now, from what Cadance has told me, and by your own testimony, you’ve drawn more energy out of the clouds than was initially stored in them. Is that about right?” I nod, prompting her to continue, several of the books levitating from their piles to hover open in front of her. I watch as her eyes scan their contents, the pages turning rapidly. Talk about speed reading. “There’s just about no reference to such a phenomenon in these.” She sounds rather distressed by this fact.

“So not only am I unique as a body snatching alien from beyond the stars, but I’m also the first case of spontaneous cloud combustion.” I let out a weary sigh. “Wonderful.”

“Isn’t it?” Oh, lovely, she sounds excited again. “This could lead to some new breakthrough in how we view pegasus and alicorn magic!” I grit my teeth as she hits that note again. Damn, why do girls do that whenever they’re super into something? It’s like it’s just designed to set your teeth on edge. “Sorry, sorry, got carried away again.” She visibly has to put effort into restraining her enthusiasm over this. It’s almost adorable, really, but I’d like us to stay on track as much as possible. “Now, I could spend weeks poring through the Canterlot Archives looking for some other instance of somepony having the same problem you’ve been experiencing, but I have a much better idea.” From the second saddlebag she levitates a bunch of what look to be spare parts. The junk, as it turns out, is actually pieces of some sort of machine that looks, to be honest, homemade. “I suggest we conduct an experiment.”

“That doesn’t seem very safe,” I point out, eying the machine warily, wondering how sane my supposed helper is now that I’ve seen it.

“Oh, psh, it’s perfectly safe,” she assures me, making sure the… whatever it is, is all hooked up and solidly constructed before she beams at me. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing~”

“...I need an adult.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

I eventually somehow end up with an upside down strainer on my head, about a dozen light bulbs and wires attached to it, along with far too many diodes attached to me for my sense of comfort, while Twilight adjusts dials and levers on her now humming and beeping mad science experiment. What in the actual fuck have I let Cadance talk me into?

“You really ought to relax,” the psycho in mare’s clothing says as she works. “It’ll affect the readings if you’re stressed out like this.” Oh, will it really? I wonder how in the world I could possibly be stressed! “Once I’ve drawn the containment circle and brought in some clouds to test with we can begin the experiment.” She smiles at me in what is likely meant to be a reassuring manner, but it only serves to increase the tension thrumming through my body at the moment. “It’ll be fine, Prince Artemis. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m really starting to doubt that,” I mutter to myself, considering the option of simply legging it as she starts to draw the most complex containment array I’ve ever seen around me and the machine. No, just give her a chance. Cadance wouldn’t have brought her if she didn’t think the young mare could be of help. “Are you sure about this?” I ask more loudly, watching her work.

“Absolutely,” she replies, her rump waving in the air as she concentrates on sketching out the arcane formulae. It’s really advanced looking stuff, too. Strangely, though, I’m finding it hard to concentrate as I watch her butt moving back and forth. No… no way. I can’t possibly be going native. Can I? I decide to smack myself across the muzzle, just in case, though the pain and the stars that float around my noggin as a result are a rather unfortunate side effect of keeping my sanity intact. “The most efficient way to ascertain the true nature of this spontaneous combustion phenomenon is to conduct a study of how your magic interacts with the weather. This machine,” I glance at the rickety thing once I can see straight again, “will record every detail of our experiment. Hopefully that will allow us to come to a solid conclusion regarding your unique problem and give me enough data to find a solution.”

“And what happens if I manage to blow it up in the process?” I ask, the thing not exactly looking very well constructed after all.

“I know it looks rather hodgepodge in design, but I assure you that it will survive whatever happens inside the circle,” Twilight informs me as she finishes up said circle. “I’ve layered it with multiple fortification and magical resistance charms that will allow it to take even a fully charged concussive blast from a mature alicorn. In theory, anyway.” Great. “I’ve of course never had the chance to test the limits of its durability, but I’m fairly certain that it can handle whatever you can dish out.”

“If you’re sure,” I mutter, not liking this idea in the slightest. But Cadance trusts her and she seems like a smart cookie, so I guess I’ll let her try this idea of hers. I’m already hooked up to her shoddy looking doohickey anyway.

“I had Rainbow Dash collect different samples for me before leaving Ponyville,” Twilight tells me as she digs into her saddlebags, again. “In case I couldn’t find any references in my books.” She levitates a set of three jars, bits of cloud in each one, from a white, puffy one to an almost black one that crackles with energy. “This,” she says, holding up the first one, “will be our baseline sample. Rainbow assured me that even a foal could safely manipulate this.” Which means I’m likely to cause it to explode just by looking at it. Yay. “Just let me place these within the circle, activate it and then we can begin.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Now, remember, don’t use your magic to open the jars,” Twilight reminds me from where she stands outside the now active containment circle. I have to say, the kid knows her stuff. I can practically feel the power of this thing thrumming over my coat. Maybe she isn’t quite as crazy as I first thought. “The machine is already recording, so whenever you’re ready.”

“Right.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, walking carefully over to the first jar, having to use my hooves to pick it up, something I don’t have very much practice with. It’s a difficult concept to grasp, no pun intended, using appendages not meant for fine manipulation in ways they’re not designed to be. So, you can imagine how difficult that makes opening a mason jar. I have to hold the jar in the bend of one leg, then press down on the top and twist, the whole affair extremely awkward to pull off, but somehow I manage it. I have to bring my teeth into it to get the stupid sealing cap off, but with a pop it comes free, all while Twilight Sparkle monitors and records every move I make.

Still, there it is, sitting in there, waiting for me to take it out. Except I’ve run into another problem; my hoof won’t fit into the jar. I’m left staring at it, until I hear Twilight clear her throat, the young mare indicating I should tip the jar so the cloud falls out. I give her a flat look, then sigh and tip the jar, giving it a shake to get the cloud out. Her wince tells me she didn’t mean for me to shake it, but oh well, the cloud is now free of the jar. It just floats there innocently, but I’m onto its game. It just wants me to think that it’s harmless, but that’s just a trick to lure me into… what am I doing?

“Get it together,” I tell myself, knowing I’m just trying to stall, not wanting to make a mess of the library, of all places. I have a feeling the powers that be would frown on that, not to mention the bibliophile that’s probably wondering what’s taking me so long. Suck it up, Artemis, and just do it already! I grit my teeth and reach out with one hoof, the cloud feeling spongy and soft, and not at all threatening. But I can feel something, just under the surface. Not energy in the cloud, not really, but more like… I don’t know how to explain it. Like the energy it has the potential to hold? But that doesn’t make any sense. Of course nothing about this place has ever made sense, so why would this?

“It’s already recording a reaction,” Twilight comments, an undercurrent of excitement in her tone as the machine seems to be doing… something. “Focus on the experiment!” Right, right. I manage to move it this time at least, brow furrowing in concentration as I try not to somehow unleash this strange potential I feel in the cloud. What even is this? I bring my other forehoof into play, lightly squishing it, even passing it from hoof to hoof, all while feeling this strange, inexplicable sensation. The cloud sparks, causing me to tense, feeling the energy through my hooves. I kind of want to drop it, but somehow I doubt Twilight would take kindly to me abruptly cutting her little experiment short.

It sparks a few more times, but it doesn’t project a bolt of lightning like the larger one Cadance and Shining had me first practice on did. Maybe the size has something to do with it? Hell if I know, honestly. I eventually put it back in the jar and push it off to the side, feeling a tension I hadn’t realized was in me slowly melting away now that I’m no longer playing with the proverbial gas can and packet of matches. Then I look at the other jars and the tension is back. The second cloud is a bit of rain cloud, according to the label, and I can immediately feel the difference even as I open the jar. More than potential energy, I can somehow feel the rain stored inside it. Is that normal? It’s not like I know much about this sort of thing beyond the bare bones stuff.

“Here we go,” I say as I once again tip a jar to let out a cloud, making sure not to shake this one. It makes a rumbling sound as it tumbles out, causing me to flinch. Damn, I am way too jumpy right now. Gotta relax. Easy now, Artemis. It won’t bite. It might explode, of course, but at least it won’t sprout teeth or do something equally ridiculous, like turn into cotton candy. So, with that in mind, I sit my flanks down and pick it up. I immediately regret doing so, the cloud giving an angry buzzing noise and discharging several lightning bolts, one hitting my peytral, the other two bouncing off the barrier created by the containment circle. The next thing I know I’m flat on my back, my ears ringing and the smell of burnt hair tickling my nostrils.

“Are you okay?” I hear Twilight ask, though she sounds very far away at the moment, likely because of the whole ears ringing thing. I open my mouth to say something and only groan, even as I roll over and get unsteadily to my hooves. “Prince Artemis?”

“Y-yeah,” I cough finally, waving one leg at her to ward off her concern. “Just got hit by a little lightning, no big deal.” Yeah, as the ache in my chest and the scorch mark on my peytral can attest. “At least tell me the machine got something useful from it.”

“I won’t know for sure until I study the data, but it went crazy just before the rain cloud discharged,” Twilight replies, sounding both puzzled and elated by this fact. “Though according to Rainbow Dash the cloud shouldn’t have been able to do that, at least not without you wanting it to.”

“And why, pray tell, would anyone want to cause a cloud to discharge like that?” I ask while dusting myself off. “Aside from psychotic idiots, that is.”

“Normally nopony,” Twilight replies, not surprising me in the least. “There are records of the EUP utilizing them in the past, though.”

“The what?” I ask, though the term does sound familiar.

“It’s the acronym for Equestria’s military,” Twilight explains. “Namely because of the ponies that make up its ranks. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi.” Now I remember. One of Cadance’s little history lessons mentioned them.

“Weaponized rain clouds,” I mutter with a shake of my head. “Why am I not surprised?” Humans would certainly do the same if they could. Maybe they can now, given how much time has passed, if they even still exist. Could be they bombed themselves into oblivion, or maybe they’re now living in some fairy tale utopian future ala Star Trek. Stranger things have happened, like a man getting himself stuffed into the body of a power crazed alicorn. “So what’s that one then?” I ask, pointing to the rather angry looking puff of cloud in the third jar.

“I’m not sure we should continue the experiment after that last reaction,” Twilight says, surprising me with this new sense of caution. “That’s a cloud sample from the weather over the Everfree. It’s practically wild magic and I don’t want you getting hurt because of it.” Ah, that explains it.

“I’m a big, tough alicorn, Twilight,” I assure her, trying to instill some confidence in the young mare. “I won’t be hurt—” too much “—by a little lightning.” She seems to consider it, torn between her curiosity and concern for my safety. “Look, I’m okay, really. That didn’t so much as tickle.” I am such a bald faced liar. “So hold onto your flanks, because we’re doing it live.” I grab up the third jar before she can protest, opening it and letting the puff of sparking wild cloud out of its confines. It doesn’t just float there stationary like the other two, growling as if angry as it hovers along, sounding like the grumpy old man of clouds.

“Please be careful,” Twilight says as I reach out to it and I offer her what I hope is an encouraging smile. Honestly, though, this one makes me even more nervous than the last two did. The jar must have had some sort of ward on it, because I hadn’t felt the energy from the wild cloud like I had with the “normal” rain cloud until it was free. Now, though, it’s like this prickling sensation along my coat, the smell of ozone evident even with so small a cloud as this. My hoof hovers just above it, little sparks from the wild cloud striking along my hoof, causing me to wince and draw back. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” I assure her hurriedly, the sparks not really painful, having startled me more than anything else. “Okay, take two.” I ignore the sparking energy this time, pressing my hoof down on the cloud’s surface. Even in a tactile sense the cloud is different, like sticking my hoof into thick, sucking mud instead of the cottony consistency from the others. The potential energy, meanwhile, is much higher, and I feel it growing even as I try to think of how to stop it from exploding. My efforts, as it turns out, are completely laughable, like a child trying to hold back an avalanche. Whatever effect my magic has on the weather, the wild cloud seems to feed on it, growing in size and strength as lightning strikes out around the circle, thunder rumbling within its now black, billowy depths. “Well fuck me sideways.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Twilight watches, horrified, as the inside of the containment circle is consumed by the growing mass of wild cloud, flashes of energy able to be seen from within. The circle holds even as it crackles from the repeated lightning strikes, but she knows that, at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before this chain reaction Artemis’ magic triggered breaks free. Torn between trying to aid the trapped alicorn and going to find help, Twilight hesitates. In this moment of inaction, the containment circle shatters. This is beyond anything Twilight had anticipated, the young mare ducking and giving a frightened scream as lightning arcs over her head. For a few seconds the cloud expands, rumbling ominously as it sweeps outward, only to suddenly stop. Twilight looks up to see the rumbling mass quiver, rather unusual behavior for even a wild cloud of the Everfree, then begin to shrink inwards, swirling rapidly around where the containment circle used to be.

“What in Equestria?” She wonders aloud, only to flinch as twin pinpoints of light appear within the dark mass. “Sweet Celestia!” She exclaims as she recognizes them as eyes, shining a brilliant white as the cloud quivers again, only for another scream to escape her, this one startled, as the light explodes in a blinding corona, robbing her of her vision for several tense, oddly silent moments. When she can see again the cloud is gone, in its place the floating form of Artemis, wings spread wide. His eyes still shine with power, while his mane and tail spark and flash with energy, as if made from strands of lightning rather than hair. “P-Prince Artemis?” She calls to him, tone uncertain, but the alicorn doesn’t react to her words.

All at once the energy seems to leave him, eyes rolling up, the light in them gone, as his body falls to the floor, limp as a ragdoll. Twilight trots forward, unsure if she should even get close, but still her concern overrides her caution. He seems almost normal laying there, a soft groan escaping his unconscious form, Twilight’s eyes scanning him for injuries. None seem apparent, but there is one startling difference she cannot help but notice. His mane and tail have turned stark white, as if entirely leached of color. A side effect of his strange reaction to the wild magic? She couldn’t be certain, not without more data and her testing machine is only so much slag at the moment. So much for her claims of it withstanding anything he can dish out. The young mare grunts as she rolls him onto his side, trying to make him more comfortable, only to freeze when she hears the library doors open behind her. She turns her head, eyes widening, hopeful, as she sees who it is. “Princess Celestia!”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Celestia has seen many things in her life, both during her reign and before she ever ascended, when times had been simpler and the regal alicorn had been exceedingly sheltered and naive. Yet despite having lived so long and seen so much, some things always seem to end up surprising her. Take, for instance, her sister’s return to Equestria. She never imagined some alien entity would be somehow sucked from his home and into her sister’s corrupted body, then turned into a weapon, forged with the express purpose of killing her. That she would come to care about the alien’s wellbeing or that her sister would grow so attached to him. And now, as her student rushes to her, positive that her mentor can make things right, she can say with certainty that she hadn’t expected her lunch break to be interrupted by an explosion of wild magic from the library, of all places.

“Please, Princess, you have to help him,” Twilight pleads, her gaze drawn from Artemis’ prone, motionless form to the worried face of her dear student. “W-we were conducting an experiment a-and—”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” she interrupts her student gently, brushing a wing gently across the young mare’s mane, seeking to soothe her. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to help, but first you need to calm down.” She watches as Twilight takes several deep breaths, her panic subsiding gradually. “That’s it. Now, tell me, what happened?” And so Twilight did, going over her meeting with Artemis, the experiment and the moment when everything went horribly wrong.

“And then he just dropped to the floor and hasn’t moved since,” Twilight finishes, starting to grow frantic again. “Can you help him?” Celestia, if she were to be honest, wasn’t sure. He is still breathing, at the very least, and seems for all the world to be simply asleep.

“I’ll do my best, Twilight,” she replies, moving Twilight gently to the side and striding over to him, horn glowing with soft golden light as she casts a diagnoses spell on the stallion. His body glows with her magic briefly and, though she is no doctor, she learns a fair bit about his physical condition. He is, indeed, unconscious, his heart beating steadily, breaths coming slow and evenly. His wellspring, the seat of his magic, is intact, if depleted, perhaps the reason he is not yet awake. Magical exhaustion, perhaps? What happened during the time the experiment went out of control… it sounds almost like an ascension, yet where is his cutie mark? Luna, Cadance, herself; they had all experienced a surge of magical power unlike any other, discovering their respective talents and earning their mantles of power. Day, Night, Love, they all underwent similar transformations, though Cadance still has yet to fully mature. So what had happened in this case?

“Physically he is fine,” Celestia assures Twilight as she ponders what this could all mean. “He’s suffering from a mild case of magical exhaustion, but otherwise I cannot detect any ailments or injuries.” She gives her student a warm smile. “He should be just fine.”

“Thank goodness,” Twilight says, shoulders sagging in relief. “I should have stopped the experiment. I knew it was a bad idea for him to interact with that wild cloud, but I let my curiosity override my good sense!” It is no surprise that her student blames herself, having always held a great sense of responsibility, something Celestia had been sure to nurture during their time as teacher and student. “W-what if he had been badly hurt? What if I’d destroyed part of the palace?” And then she sometimes takes it a tad too far, something Celestia had sadly been unable to rid the young mare of as of yet. “What if—”

“Boop,” Celestia says as she lightly pokes Twilight’s nose with one hoof, causing the unicorn to go cross-eyed and interrupting her tangent before it can get up a good head of steam. “Enough of that, my dear student. It is good you recognize and accept your part in this unfortunate accident, but it does no good to worry over what might have transpired. Instead, were I in your horseshoes, I would be grateful the damage was minor and that nopony was badly hurt.” She takes a moment to carefully levitate Artemis off of the floor, mindful to not jostle him overly much as she settles him across her back. “Learn from this experience, Twilight, and endeavor not to repeat it.”

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight says, smiling awkwardly, likely still feeling guilty. At least she isn’t on the verge of freaking out. “I’ll, um, start cleaning this up.” The library is indeed quite the sight, books strewn about all over the place, the floor, ceiling and walls scorched from lightning strikes.

“It is a frightful mess,” Celestia observes. “But for now, I want you to take some time and rest.” She raises a hoof as Twilight opens her mouth to protest. “No arguments, Twilight. I can tell you’re still stressed and worried about Artemis, and I can’t blame you for that, but right now you need to rest, eat something and destress. Others can deal with this and I have Artemis well in hoof.”

“Alright, Princess,” Twilight murmurs, clearly not happy but not about to argue with her, either. Another thing she’ll need to get past if her plans for the young mare come to fruition. But that is a matter for another time. She waits until Twilight leaves, making sure the unicorn is truly gone, before she turns her attention to the room. She concentrates her power, forming the spell matrix in her mind, and works her magic. The damage is repaired, the mess of Twilight’s machine consumed for the matter required to replace what was lost in the chaos, and the books returned to their shelves. Once satisfied that everything is back in order, Celestia departs, intent on returning Artemis to his room, with a monitoring ward placed on his room so she is notified when he eventually awakens.

“I can see why Luna is so attached to you,” she says quietly, even though Artemis cannot hear her. “You’re starting to remind me of him, too, with how much trouble you keep making for me.” She lets out an undignified sounding snort. “Just what I need. Two troublesome younger siblings instead of one.” She sighs wearily. “I’m liable to get wrinkles before I turn two thousand at this rate.” She eventually drops him off in his bed, tucking him in and glancing over his mane, frowning slightly. Her memories turn back the clock and she sees not a grown stallion, but a young colt, only for a shake of her head to dispel the illusion. No matter what strange magic may exist in this world, she doesn’t believe in reincarnation, especially not in this case.

“Just wishful thinking,” she whispers, turning away from the bed and walking out of the room, the door shutting softly behind her. “And I’m far too old and jaded to be believing in miracles.” Harmony or no Harmony, the dead stay dead, no matter how much you might wish it otherwise.