Price of Power

She woke up feeling like her head was about to explode and on top of that her body was all covered in bandages. Next to the bed she was lying on was a wooden commode and on it her tail-coat, weapons, and ribbon she always tied her hair with. She looked around, she was in a small, brick room without windows. There was a bookstand with few books left on it, round table, not much more.

She tied her hair so it wouldn’t fall into her green eyes and stood up. At first, she couldn’t get her balance, but finally, she leaned against the wall, wiped her face and left the room. She didn’t even take her daggers or musket, anyone who brought her there rather didn’t want to hurt her. After a few steps, she realized she feels a thing, a small part of something she forgot about a long time ago. She tried to remind herself what it can be but headache only increased and she fell on the ground. After a moment, a thing she felt stabilized and someone came to help her stand up.

"You shouldn’t leave bed yet, but you never could stay in it for long."

She knew that voice, that feeling, she didn’t even said anything, just let her old mentor carry her.

She seated her old pupil on a wooden chair next to the table in a small kitchen. It for a change was full of everything, mostly old furniture, papers and junk of unknown origin. She herself set a kettle for tea. Lariska looked at her, she changed, not only that she got older, she turned gray, literally. In the past violet and purple were her dominant colors, now just white and gray. Although she was smiling a little, her eyes were tired and face was faint. Finally, she sat in front of her.

"What has happened to you?" Lariska couldn’t believe her eyes.

"Time and lots of pain …but more important is what happened to you. Do you remember what has happened that night?"

"That... so for how long I was unconscious?"

"Whole day."

"And how did you found me?"

"Our connection stayed even after my retirement."

"And what? Am I supposed to believe you were just passing by?"

Lariska wasn’t believing in such coincidences.

"So will you tell me what happened?" Asked her mentor changing the subject.

Lariska tried to remind herself. Many times she was on missions but usually, her job was to just pull the trigger and she wasn’t going into details. She asked herself what possibly could she remember.

"I knew that target allegedly stayed in hostel, I was only securing from the roof on the opposite side of the road, 'partner' had to get inside and finish the job. Instead, he jumped out of the window chased by guards. After I remember only that I went down back on the street and tried to catch him up, but he was way faster than me. When I finally made it I saw him fighting with someone over something, and after a moment ...white, bright light."

And then she remembered.

"Where is the casket?" She said these words involuntarily, for answer she got only silence. "That was it, he had to retrieve it."

"Do you have any suspicions about what could be inside?"

"You already know it, don’t you?"

These words sounded like and were nothing but an accusation.

"Listen…" Mentor’s voice lost on certainty. "I know that I won’t be able and I don’t want to either drag it or lie to you. Yes, I took the casket, but not for me, it is safe."

"So you did not sent it to one of the districts and you don’t have it here, I will ask one more time, where is it?"

"I’ve sent it to the Sister."

Lariska stood up.

"I know what you’re thinking, but let me explain."

"How do you want to explain this?!"

"Do you know your codex?"

"Too well, and you broke it."

"I mean the first, original rules, not the made-up additional ones." She said with disgust.

"So you want me to kill you? I do not understand."

"You kill for rules you don’t understand."

"For a purpose."

"You don’t understand."

"How can you know what I understand and what I do not, you left me when I was a kid!"

"Your anger speaks for itself, will you let me tell why?"

"That is why you brought me here? To tell stories?"

"You also were seriously injured, can I?"

Despite all her tantrums, her mentor stayed calm, realizing this Lariska sat down and wagged as a sign that she can start.

"There is a lot of versions of what I want to tell you, every changed in a way to be favorable to a given district. Each will tell you than Sevan was a teacher, but not a single one will mention that he was a teacher here in capital, the Canterlot. So yes, he had relations with Sister. He was teaching advanced magic but was also fascinated in back then not so long ago discovered electricity, he started combining these two things, magic, and technology. After a while, it was his obsession.

He waited a long time before he decided to show his notes and projects. Not only because he was a perfectionist, wasn’t the banishment of the younger Sister caused by this she wanted to make a small change? Well, he in case of objection wouldn’t try to take the throne for himself. However as he suspected all his ideas and hard work were denied under the pretext of it was too dangerous, unstable. That the kingdom was not yet ready for such move. He was asked to hand over his notes and projects, he listened and walked away. From one side he respected her and her choices, he knew that she herself has to give up many things and sacrifice them. From another, he didn’t wanted to just leave everything he worked so hard for.

His students knew that he was working on something but when they were asking he was silent. Finally, he decided to gather more trusted ones and tell them what happened. He didn’t want to complain to them about it, he wanted to show them what he has accomplished and share his knowledge. The majority of them responded with enthusiasm, some with doubt. He asked them to don’t tell anybody and keep it a secret and everyone kept their promise

At the start, there was only a handful of them, but later more students from his class came. He was delighted, he could finally share his passion with others, but he remembered that it could not see the daylight. There was a reason why it has been rejected and he was constantly reminding them about it, but not to spread hate or distrust towards Sister. He was just careful and wanted them to be as well.

After some time some got bored, they had their own families, lives. He understood that and wasn’t worried that someone could break given word. However, the majority decided to stay and in time new students were coming. He sure wasn’t expecting such popularity, but then it came to the first murder. Not talking too much, someone finally decided to tell Sister what’s happening right under her nose. Sevan was too afraid to lose all he has built ...built together. When some of his older students, told him what they want to do he thought it was necessary and agreed. After this he and his not just students, but those who could teach themselves were more careful.

There were no more incidents during his life, but after Sister found out he was forced to leave the academy and live in secret. For a long time, she was looking for him, but unsuccessfully, his students were hiding him till his death. A lot happened when he died, a lot of new schools were created in all of Equestria. Although, they started to stray away from each other more and more.

Sevan himself wasn’t writing down his thoughts and reflections, only research. After years they began to differently interpret his words, and rules he created that meant to remind about indulgence are now used to spread hate. Not everywhere is like that, there are still districts in which progress is the main goal, but there are also those that conspire in secret even against the others…"

She was interrupted by whistling kettle, she stood up and brew tea for her and her old pupil. Lariska broke the moment of silence:

"I see I think, but how does this tell why have you done this?

"From the same reason I once joined, I wanted to change something for better, and why I even left? I’m sorry for that, but I fell in love, I wanted to live a normal life. I craved my own pupil so much but after not even three years... When I talk about this now I feel awful. Know that I regret, but if I can know, who later took care after you?

"My father."

"And was it your choice to be a Cleric?"

"Yes, I am just good at it." She said without conviction, although maybe not good, just effective. "How can I know your version is true?"

"I heard it from Sister, and she knew him."

"What if she is lying?"

"She does not lie."

"So what do you expect from me now?"

"After all, I’ve told you, A choice."

"To just abandon all of this? My duty?"

"No, of course not, but what happened gave her a sign that she cannot turn a blind eye anymore. Building with civilians inside collapsed, she expects worse things to come."

"It was just an accident."

"And how much more accidents can happen through playing with something you shouldn’t?"

"All of this would not happen if nobody would steal the casket, what was inside of it anyway?"

"Notes explaining the structure and operating of a small reactor that’s not really useful anymore."

"But at least we don’t have it, right?" The longer this conversation lasted the more she was irritated.

"And no one will use it as a weapon."

"Weapon is just a tool, that can be used in a good cause."

"Depends on how you define good and evil, I told you what is happening outside capital."

"Yes, you are talking a lot, but can you show anything? Because I have seen what her soldiers can do when she finds a district."

There was a moment of silence.

"I can ask for an audience…" She said hesitantly, in response Lariska looked at her with an odd mix of anger and fear. "Don’t worry, I promise that no matter what, no harm will come to you. Also, you won’t have to answer questions you wouldn’t like to."

Seeing that she looked down, she added:

"You don’t have to decide about it right now, but seriously tho, you should go back to bed."