Heresy

Heresy-Careful Consideration

Time on the run had hardened Twilight's body in a way that she wasn't exactly displeased with. It was a little odd really. She was running from the law, that were after her for a reason she herself didn't fully understand. Regardless, she was becoming stronger and smarter, in a way she didn't really consider before. Book smarts had always been her forte, if anything was truly considered to be mastered by her.

Then again, what reason would she have needed for this? The guards were always there to protect them from normal day to day incidents and from any odd animals that may come out of the Everfree Forest. Equestria was a safe place in which nopony really had to worry about bad things happening, save that they were careful before venturing beyond the borders of their land.

Twilight had always heard about other countries that were more barbaric than Equestria, which is why they maintained a military, but overall, peace reigned over all that she knew. Celestia was powerful and kind, if strong willed. She didn't need to do much, as the world around them seemed to govern itself.

Until she had gone off as a tyrant. It wasn't like they were at war. War hadn't been heard of for centuries, even if there was the odd conflict here and there, but it was always terrorists. Those who thought Equestria was too perfect and needed to be brought down a notch, but the evil always seemed to disappear as quick as it came. Soldiers died sometimes due to this, but they were also the reason that ponies like herself were safe.

Life was good and knowledge was there for the taking. The world was at peace in her eyes so she felt no need to do more than study and learn, to satisfy her hunger. It was a beautiful thing, learning.

At least, she thought so before...Celestia's change in character. She started to read the writ of Starswirl and was horrified as she learned more about the truth. Celestia was powerful, but brooding. She was always experimenting with her body in odd ways, attempting to contain great amounts of sunlight and other such things. Starswirl had become concerned with his friend's changing ways, but when it all became apparent...

Twilight's eyes were no longer her own as the memories of the scroll that Starswirl had sealed, became her own reality. She was seeing Celestia crying, her long pink mane had yet to become more of an allotted rainbow of colours and it was darker than normal. She was so old, yet so young.

His own mind had touched hers.

He saw it all. Her inner darkness. Her biting hatred for those that would take away the sparks of life she cherished and that power she held.

It was vast and unfathomable to one even as Starswirl, who understood all things in a way that even the goddess herself didn't.

It wasn't mutually exclusive though. She had knowledge of spirituality that he didn't understand. Greater beings existed that he couldn't being to realize the significance of.

Their consciousness' met, and all changed. Starswirl quickly drew away, as he felt her reach out towards him. She was beautiful and horrifying...her hoof reaching out to touch him...

Twilight snapped back into consciousness and looked at her hooves. She was inside her of her tent again, the magical bubble shield around it. That's right...she'd been thinking after admiring her newly toned muscles. When she was a librarian, she never really thought about getting fit, though she was never really lazy. She was inside a lot and didn't eat the healthiest things while studying at times. Okay yes, maybe she did have a little pudge and a bit of fat on her rump too. Not anymore though. She was much more sleek and could feel herself move with a new found energy.

It was about time she got up and started moving. She'd be on the border of Equestria soon and would from there pass to the next land over. It would be different, but it should be close enough to Equestria, right?

Twilight wasn't racist by any means, but right now, this was really putting her nerves to the test. She had exited the Equestrian border some time ago, but now she was stuck in a tavern looking for somepony to rent her a room. The problem seemed to be that...well, she was small compared to the rest of the patrons, and by Starswirl's beard, were they diverse. Camels, griffons, elk, even a boar. They were loud, rowdy, and at least half of them drunk. It was really a disconcerting situation.

At least, so she thought. It all went downhill when the fight started. A holler and a broken bottle later, a griffon had laid out a camel, leaving a stinking mess of alcohol and blood on the floor, as well as a bit of a tussle going on. An elk pulling the griffon back, and another camel tending to his bleeding friend. It didn't take long for a guard to rush in, led by another patron who quickly exited the tavern, attempting to find help.

Choice words were said and a punch thrown at the armored colt, leading to the arrest of a certain rowdy feather-brain.

Twilight sighed internally as the guard left. She hadn't been noticed, nor did she really have to worry about it anymore. She was relatively safe, considering how large this town was. With the amount of guards here, she wouldn't be found out as long as she didn't do anything too unruly. There were just too many passing through, on top of those that already resided within the border.

She retired to her room after finishing a quick meal of hay and boiled water. She didn't want to stay in the public confines of a barroom any longer than she had to. Her books needed tending to, and taverns were generally nicer than sleeping on the trail.

A quick spell to lock and protect her door and window, and she was set. The room was small, a bed, some open space for gear, a trunk, and a nightstand with a few candles. It wasn't much, but it was still more than enough.

She began by moving the candles about, breaking out a few of here own to have a grand total of seven. She allayed them in what seemed to be a rather sporadic manner, but there was purpose to it. Once the candles were set, she took a small pouch from her pack. She was still new at this, but with help from her friend Zecora, she'd been able to become somewhat more accustomed to tribal magics. They did work, albeit in less direct ways than she herself was used to.

Within the pouch, was a bunch of silvery dust. She took a tiny amount and spread it across the room evenly with her innate unicorn magic, and a little lung power. Many motes of the dust stopped in midair, only a few dared touching the wooden floor. Slowly, an energy began to build up in the room. It was barely tangible, but it was still felt. She could feel her own gorge slightly rising, but was able to keep it down. She had thrown up the first time she attempted this particular piece of magic. She was so glad she'd taken the advice listed in the notes of Starswirl's book. Scrying was difficult.

As the light began to take form, the candles started to snuff out, one by one. A smell of ozone began to strike the unicorn's nostrils, intensifying as seconds passed. She closed her eyes in a blink that felt like an eternity. A bright light met her retinas, images flashing before her...black.

Nothing but black. Plain. Simple. Nothing to it. Just darkness. Somewhere in Twilight's mind, she started to become aware of something else near her. She wasn't sure if it was physical or mental, perhaps both. A vast entity was there, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Seconds later, she felt alone again. Was it there? Did it even exist?

Fear gripped her. She couldn't see. Couldn't feel. This wasn't how this spell normally worked. She was looking through time. Scrying backwards, if you will. This was different. This was wrong.

What seemed to be no more than thirty seconds passed before she could feel herself again. She was in some sort of suspended stasis. Nothing moved. Absolute silence reigned, making the pitch black void seem trivial in its effects. A scratching sound filled her thoughts, skittering and writhing. It filled her ears, surrounding her. She couldn't tell if it was real. There was nothing but the sound now. No smell, no sight, no taste, nor touch. She could feel her heart beating hard within its cage of bone.

Something lightly touched her opened eye, and she tried to recoil, to blink, to scream.

She was unable to react at all.

A soundless scream echoed within her. Her blood began to boil. A mind brushed hers and all came to be still again. Something was sifting through her memories. The moment her eyes opened after her birth. Her first time attempting magic. Meeting Celestia. The first page of a forbidden book. All of it in seconds, brought forth before her, and whatever it was looking at them. They flowed forth, and then back from whence they came, at the behest of the giant entity.

Her eyes opened again, but she was back in the physical world it seemed. The motes of dust glowed with their own inner light, suspended as before. The candles slowly relit themselves, of their own volition. This was normal for the spell, but Twilight shuddered as she slowly stood. She had encountered...something.

It was vast. That's all she was certain of. Mountains were dwarfed by...it. Whatever 'it' was. She wasn't scrying that time. Looking for mirrors of other places. No. This was wrong. Her legs became shaky all of a sudden, and she felt the urge to lay down. She extinguished the candles and collected her dust in one quick shock of magic. She needed rest. A lot of it. Her goal was still far off, and probably unattainable in her state.

In the moments before she slipped off, a clap of thunder resounded.

In the great open space of her throne room in Canterlot, the Queen curled up on a large cushion residing on her throne. Her days were long and boring. She may be a regent, but she had to be fair to all. Overseeing all sorts of problems and managing her newly forming Empire. She had many advisers and staff members, but she allowed herself to be swayed by none. The only one who truly had council with her, was her darling little sister. Some days, when Cadenza was present, she always held some slight sway, but it had been some time since the Crystal Empire's regent had come to visit.

They had their own troubles to deal with. Shining Armour was heading a mixed regiment that was making its way to the Gryphus Range to assist her own sizable forces. She knew that as soon as the range was taken, she'd need a fresh force to push through the passes, while the remainder licked their wounds and recovered before moving on. In this case, it was a mixture of professional crystal soldiers, mixed with some newer units of her Equestrian Guard, and a pair of Sun Guards to oversee the major operations.

She sighed and stretched out, flaring out her wings. She was tired and sore. It'd been quite some time since she'd gone and worked so much in such a short amount of time. At any rate, she was tired of the day and was glad the throne room was finally empty. The day was waning and only her guards kept her company now.

After a few more minutes of reposing on her grand throne, she stretched again, and stepped down. Her guards instantly snapped to attention, and she made her way towards the door towards the back of the room, just around the side of her seat. She would take an early supper in her quarters tonight.

Passing through the threshold, she came to a small hallway, and found herself flanked on either side by the guards on the inside of it. Two older guards they were. They wore less armour than some, showing parts of their faces, as well as smaller plates allowing for more mobility. One of them was covered with numerous scars on his face from when he'd been tortured many campaigns ago. Celestia remembered him well, as one of her most trustworthy.

They instantly fell into step behind her as she made her way towards her elevator. Once she'd reached it, she tapped a series of numbers in on a small wooden panel and watched as the runes lit up, allowing her to enter. She left the guards at their posts outside as she entered.

She was going to have a lonely night, sadly. It hurt, honestly. Waiting for her beloved soldier to finish his mission. She had great goals for him. He was the most central part of her plans in expanding her empire and placing all of those within its bounds under her care and protection, for prosperity. He had to be tested on the anvils of war though, yes. It didn't make her time away from him any less agonizing. He was her creation, her perfection, and she loved him for so many reasons.

"He'll be back with me soon..." she cooed to herself as the small box rose swiftly to her chambers. It was going to be even more tiring here soon. After supper she had to...do...that.

Bleeding off excess magic was difficult. She had created a vessel for it, but harnessing the Sun's power daily took a lot out of her. Physically draining didn't even begin to cover it. Even immortals had limits. At least, she'd been able to find a container for the raw energy. Relics were hard to come across, but her reach seemed limitless...to imagine back on it...

The cold air bit deep into her fur. Celestia had never been to Vaporia before, but it was a beautiful sight to behold. A collection of clouds and cities the size of a country...it was amazing. The vaulted towers and perfectly shaped wisps were breathtaking. None of it mattered right now though. She could admire this another day. Her eyes were farther west. They were nearing the edge of the known world, and it was the closest lead she had on an old relic that she would require. In fact, she was very confident in this lead, otherwise she wouldn't gone halfway across the mapped world.

She quickly pulled her large scarf closer to her face and slid the visor down over her eyes. A guard to her left moved forward and pointed to their incoming transportation. Soon they could move down below, to warmer air currents. They were still well over one hundred kilometers from the beaches leading to the Echo, and it would take some time still to make their way to the small settlements near the shores.

It was incredible, the scale of the world known to her. So much had been lost, so many maps and so much knowledge. It nearly brought a tear to her eye. She, among a few others, was truly able to understand just how much had been destroyed, how much taken. The world was a much less known place now, and it would take thousands of years yet to finish exploring it again and finding the old ruins of the previous inhabitants. "Damn Discord..." she muttered, as the large coach arrived.

Her guards gave her sidelong glances, but they quickly boarded the carriage, and began their swift descent. It was going to be a long trip, but she was prepared for every step. So she hoped. It was to be a perilous journey and not one to be taken lightly.

Time seemed to flow quickly at any rate as the coach made its journey through the sky. The Princess slept much of the way, her guards at a constant alert in the foreign airspace. The enchanted coach was elegant and quick, but it lacked much armour. Normally, the Princess wouldn't have to worry about such things, but here in such a faraway land, any manner of pirate or rogue could attempt to assault the carriage.

Over the Antlertic ocean they flew, nothing but cloud checkpoints and small communities above them, with the endless expanse of water below. It continued like this for days, always staying above major storms or flying through the quiet sunlit sky.

Land was spotted on the fourth day, and within hours they had made a landing on the beach. They were a ways off course, it was determined, as they couldn't see the nearest settlement, but allowances were made. The Princess was tired, and the entourage and guards quickly put together a small defensive position so that they might rest a few days. Scouts were sent out to determine their exact location and to find the settlement of Echo's Edge. They would need as much information from the locals before moving further inland.

From their positions on the vast beach though, they could see it wasn't far to a tropical inland rain-forest...beyond that though, was the greatest mountain range in the known world. The Echo. A wall of towering titans, the teeth of the world it seemed, jutting up from the ground. It was a sight to behold from afar, their tops reaching past the deep, dark thunderheads that capped them. The range spanned as far as the eye could see. It was here that Celestia was to start her trek inland, through this monstrous range...

Celestia snapped back from her memory. She could think more back on that later. It was a rather defining moment of the last few decades for her, but it'd been some time since she'd gone back and seen the memories first hand. An interesting thing about her magic she supposed. The ability to view memories with perfect clarity, any time she wished. Well, save for the fact it was just like scrying in many ways.

She quickly dismissed the thought for the time being, and exited the small box as it made its stop. The elevator itself connected directly into her rather large living chambers, and the moment she entered, she promptly jumped onto her large bed, sprawling out. It was rather...unladylike, but she was tired. It'd been quite a long time since she'd been able to act like a bit of her...older self. Running her kingdom was never easy, but now, it was that much harder. Ponies committing crimes and in some cases attempting open revolt, the war in the north against the Griffons, the conflicts and difficulties in reasoning with the camels of the eastern deserts. It'd been a long time since Celestia had dealt with so much conflict at one time...nearly a millenia, in fact.

A heavy sign and a few stretches later, Celestia's stomach reminded her that she may be immortal, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to stop eating any time soon. She stood up and admired some of the trophies around her room. Banners made in her likeness, sculptures of old friends, paintings of all sorts of things...a suit of her own elegant ceremonial armour. It was all beautiful. Her closet nearby hadn't been used in some time...but she decided that she'd soon open it again, donning a proper dress. Yes, that would be nice. Flowing back into a more steady routine would help.

She quickly moved from one end of the room to the other, coming to a small wooden panel next to a dumbwaiter. She typed in a few numbers, and left a small message in the miniature elevator before sending it down. She'd eat simple tonight before bleeding off her excess magic. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she did, as she'd learned the effects of keeping it pent up for too long...it'd take quite some time for her to clean up the ashes. Not making THAT mistake again...

"Huh," she stated. Alone here in her quarters...she missed him. He was so...perfect. She'd made him that way...but even before. He was just like Phoenix. She ached for him. He had so much to do still, but soon...very soon. He'd finish his mission in the Gryphus mountains...and he'd be able to come back to her.

The very thought that followed gave her great pain...she'd have to send him away again.

While pondering the fate of Macintosh, her dumbwaiter returned, a plate of food in its maw, along with a decanter of spring water. She quickly ate her meal of apples, carrots, and mashed tubers. It was simple and filling, a refreshing change of pace. After placing the plate back on the dumbwaiter and sending it down, she made her way over towards a relic sitting on the desk near the elevator. It was a huge piece of blueish wood, cut from an elder crystalline tree over three centuries prior. On it rested a small ivory colored carving of the sun. It didn't seem like much, but it had a warmth and glow to it that betrayed its power.

She touched her horn to the object, no bigger than a teacup...and closed her eyes.

The little carving began to glow brightly, the contact with her horn creating a bridge to the power stored within. Celestia began to let energy flow forth into the relic. It was a quick process, but it still drew heavily upon her. She would recover within minutes of it, but during this time...she was weak. Vulnerable. She was glad for her castle. Her impenetrable home.

Her eyes opened, and she could feel the light bleeding from them. The world appeared as it was before her, with a yellowish tinge. It faded within a few seconds, and she felt the last of the energy drain from her. At least, that which she had harvested earlier in her collection room. It was truly amazing what the application of science and magic could do for her.

As she slumped her way back towards the huge bed, she noticed something...out of place. A note, tied up and wrapped like those she used to send and receive from...

"Twilight."

She breathed the unicorn's name as she quickly lifted the scroll and opened it with magic. Scanning the note, she began to understand what this was. It was from one of her spies...

They'd seen her. Celestia quickly closed the note and sat down. She had a lead. Good. She needed to find her former student. Tomorrow...no. She had a better idea. She quickly acquired a feather, an inkwell, and some parchment. Her own note was quickly jotted down and teleported to her spymaster. He'd follow up on the lead. She had a beautiful idea.

Her newly born Phoenix could find the deserter.