Archmage

Archmage Chapter 26 - “Protection and Proceedings”

Her mane is so beautiful… The beautiful colors remind me of a fresh spring rain and flowers. Rainbows and sunlight. She’s so joyous to merely look at, let alone converse with. All around me, I see the depression and anxiety of other ponies, too caught up in their own daily lives to even stop and look at the beautiful things. Their presence has hardened me to my reality, but she… She is the relief I seek. I want to be with her always. I will spend my life pursuing her if I must.

Joy. Happiness. A little bit of melancholy, but for the most part, this entry was warm and fuzzy. It made her smile as she read it, and feel happy just as the writer felt.

She alludes to a platonic friendship, but I can see it in her eyes… Cadance feels for me. The way she smiles at me is unlike any other colt. She feels the same way I do. When I confessed my love to her, she laughed. Not derisively or coldly… No, this was something more. It was warm and light-hearted. She enjoyed it. Though she told me she was not interested, she felt the same thing I did.

She loves me too.

Pure bliss. This passage made Twilight nearly cry with the sweet sensation of acceptance and happiness.

Bolt. What a fucking douche. There I was, sitting at the café with the princess, and here he comes, bothering her with official business. I swear, some ponies just don’t understand professional courtesy. Alas, I was about to propose to her when he interjected. I will try again on the morrow. Cadance will be mine, and I will be hers. I swear.

Anger and annoyance. Twilight recognized the name Bolt in her own mind, but under the influence of the spell, she only recognized it with contempt and anger. Whoever this Bolt was, he was clearly discourteous to Cadance, whom she loved very much… No. Whom the writer loved. Not her. She loved Cadance…

I don’t believe it. She denied me… She wants to remain friends. And then… Then Bolt comes from nowhere. I swear, he just walks up to her, and the way she smiled at him… That’s my smile. The smile I deserve. I want him out of the picture. I want him gone. I challenge him tomorrow.

Pure, seething hatred. This passage made Twilight shake with anger and rage. She wanted Bolt dead. She wanted to inflict pain so sanguine that nothing the likes of which had ever been seen before. Her horn crackled with the desire. The energy. She wanted him dead. Gone. Cadance was hers. She owned Cadance. And Cadance owned her. Bolt would die. The next passage…

Burn it all.

“Twilight!”

”BURN!” Twilight glared at Bolt with anger in her eyes. Her horn lit up with deadly energy, leaping forth in the blink of an eye. She screamed with lethal intent, even as the vicious fire screamed across the room towards the object of her hatred.

“Twilight, stop this!” Bolt pleaded with her. He would burn. Cadance was hers, and nothing would stop her.

”DIE, BOLT!”

“I AM NOT BOLT!” The feminine voice screamed out loud, wracked with tears and pain. Feminine? Bolt was male. Who was this female before her? She hesitated, and in a flash, Luna emerged from where Bolt stood. Amongst the waves of magic radiating from her horn, Luna dove forth, her own horn glowing with powerful energy.

All Twilight saw was black.

“Twilight, wake up.” The soft, gentle voice roused her from her slumber. She had been out cold, not even a dream marring the surface of her perfect sleep. With a soft moan, she stirred amidst the warmth around her. A soft pair of lips pressed to her neck, gingerly rousing her further.

“Hmm… Wha…”

“Wake up, love.” Luna’s voice whispered over her ear, accompanied by another soft kiss. Twilight’s eyes fluttered open.

“What happened?” She groaned, wincing against the sudden headache that ripped through her head.

“Shh. Relax, Twilight. It’s okay. You’re okay now.” Luna’s soothing voice washed over her, and she felt the tender sensation of magic running through her head. The pain from her throbbing headache melted away, leaving only soft and serene relaxation in it’s wake. Twilight struggled through the pain, and with the help of Luna’s magic, finally roused herself.

“What… Was that?” Twilight asked, finally able to think properly. The last thing she remembered was opening the book. After that, there was nothing.

“I don’t know.” Luna said gently, shaking her head. “But I didn’t like it. You called me Bolt, Twilight. You tried to kill me. I only just saved the book and defended myself. It’s thanks to your hesitation that I was able to subdue you.” Luna kissed Twilight’s neck once more, nuzzling into her coat after the tender motion. Twilight shuddered a little, but not from the kiss.

“I… Attacked you?”

“That book is dangerous, Twilight.” Luna muttered quietly.

“I called you Bolt?”

“I don’t want you reading it anymore.”

“Luna, I…”

“Shh.”

“No, listen to me.” Twilight shrugged out of Luna’s embrace, slowly getting to her hooves. Her headache was gone and she felt lucid, if a little shaken.

“Twilight,” Luna stood as well, reaching a hoof out. Twilight fixed her with a pleading expression, begging her to listen. Worried, Luna nodded and pulled away. Twilight, however, went back to the table with the book. Luna followed.

“I know what this is.” She said, staring intently at the blank cover. “It’s Blaze’s journal. From when he was in love with Cadance.”

“This book is over a thousand years old, then.” Luna said quietly, standing next to Twilight.

“He… He was insane.” Twilight remembered parts of what she had just read. “He… He loved Cadance. Obsessed over her, even…” The more she talked, the more she remembered. Staring intently at the cover, Twilight continued to talk. The memories flowed fast and free, coming with more and more clarity. “But Bolt interjected. Blaze was happy until he came into the picture. But Bolt ruined that for him. He challenged him…” Twilight pieced what Luna had told her of Blaze and Bolt along with the journal. After wounding Bolt and being thwarted by Cadance, Blaze had tried to destroy everything Bolt stood for. Synthesis magic.

“Twilight. Your jaw.” Luna’s soft words made Twilight blink. She had her jaw clenched so hard, the muscles in her neck were bulging. Her teeth were sore with being clenched too hard. Shaking her head, Twilight looked away from the book.

“Sorry.” She muttered, raising a hoof to her forehead.

“No more reading this book.” Luna said, lifting the journal with her magic. Twilight nodded, for fear that she might attack somepony again. “Not until we analyze it more. Learn to protect the reader. I’ll take it to my sister. She will know what to do. Together, we will learn to protect whoever reads this.” As Luna turned to leave, Twilight spotted something slip out of the covers and fall to the floor.

“Luna,” She said, stopping the princess. “Look.” Both of them stared at the paper. It appeared to be several sheets folded neatly. With a careful touch, Luna set the book back down and lifted the paper instead.

“It’s safe.” She said gently. “No enchantments. Here.” Luna handed the paper off to Twilight, who slowly opened it’s pages. She frowned at the contents, flipping the first page over, then the second.

“It’s a list… With plans.” She muttered. The first and foremost was the Canterlot Preservation Society. Written in bold letters at the top of the page, it had a smaller list of bulletins beneath it. “Make a name, associate with higher society, become prominent figure in politics… Luna, this is Regal’s plan to take over the preservation society. Or more accurately, his goals…” Twilight flipped the page again, though what she saw made her swallow. “The Homefront Committee. He plans on taking that over next.”

“What? Why?” Luna asked, standing beside Twilight. She muttered the next list of bulletins. “Agitate outside threat. Draw guard away from Canterlot. Weakened presence in city. Get closer to royalty? What does he want with that?”

“It sounds like he wants to lessen the guard’s presence in the city… And he’s going to do so by creating an external threat.” Next to that bulletin were several suggestions. In his handwriting, Regal had written ‘Dragons? Gryphons? Saddle Arabia?’ Twilight turned the page once more, frowning at the next and last passage. “The Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Twilight.” Luna breathed. “He’s…” Twilight read down the list rapidly.

-Obtain invitation

-Socialize, mingle, act drunk

-Request private audience with Celestia

Twilight’s heart nearly stopped. Her eyes went wide at what she saw next.

Do it then.

“He’s planning to kill Celestia.”

“How, though?” Luna asked, staring wide-eyed at the paper before them. “How can he kill Celestia? That doesn’t make sense… There’s…” She paused, shooting Twilight a furtive glance before blushing a little. It seemed like she was about to say something but had caught herself. Twilight opened her mouth to address the near slip, but Luna continued. “It’d take powerful magic the likes of which I haven’t seen in ages… And even then, it may not be enough. Celestia is powerful beyond reason. She couldn’t be killed very easily. Not by anypony that lives today…” Luna pulled away from the disconcerting sheet with Regal’s plans on it and began pacing back and forth.

“Luna,” Twilight said gently, stopping her love by gently laying a hoof on her shoulder. “I won’t let him get the first glance at Celestia. We’re going to stop him at the Greater Canterlot Council.”

“Well that goes without saying. But how?” Luna said quietly, still frowning as she sat opposite Twilight. “This paper gives him deniability. He could say we planted it there. Especially since the book has been removed from it’s place in his desk. How can we corner him?”

“With this.” Twilight said, offering Blaze’s journal. “The spell has a signature, right? We can cross-check the book with Regal, to see if he’s read it.” She grimaced at the cover of the book, and the dark things held inside.

“That’s an idea. But we need to be thorough… And I don’t want you reading another word of that thing.” Luna said, glaring at the book as if it were something sentient and evil. “I’ll read it.”

“No. I don’t want to risk it.” Twilight cut her off immediately. “I know you’re a princess, but there are things in this book that… That I just don’t want you to read.” Twilight shuddered, walking forward to press her face into Luna’s mane. “It’s not that I’m afraid… I just don’t want you to see them.”

“If only you knew, Twilight.” Luna said, gingerly stroking Twilight’s own mane. “But, since you insist, I won’t read it. I promise. There is another way, though…”

“Another way?” Twilight pulled back, frowning up at Luna inquisitively. “What other way?”

“Well, I didn’t propose it before because of the… Side-effects.” Luna frowned, nodding towards the book. “But I can shield your mind from the spell’s influence.”

“What? Why didn’t you do that before?” Twilight asked, her eyes narrowing at Luna.

“Because. Here, just let me show you.” Luna nodded to Twilight as her horn began to glow. Twilight was unfamiliar with the spell, but portions of it she recognized. Whatever it was, Luna was targeting her mind. Naturally, Twilight trusted her. She closed her eyes and opened herself. The first thing she noticed was the hum. It permeated the air, making her entire head vibrate with it’s intensity. When she opened her eyes again, everything was fuzzy. She felt like she was on some theme park ride, but she wasn’t moving. The entire effect made her feel rather wobbly. She swayed a little, blinking several times to try and clear the fuzziness. A muffled voice came to her, but the words were undistinguishable.

The effect finally left her. Everything snapped back into perfect clarity, which in and of itself was disorienting. Twilight blinked a few more times and shook her head.

“What was that?” She muttered, fighting the urge to vomit.

“That’s what the spell does. It’s meant to protect the mind, meaning it muddles all of the other things your brain does for you. Like vision, hearing and such. Some things it shuts off completely. Like taste.” Luna explained, stepping forward to lay a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, steadying her. “You see why I didn’t propose it before.”

“Well,” Twilight grimaced, smacking her lips; her tongue felt a little dry. “We don’t really have a choice, do we?” With a serious look, she turned to the journal. “We need to find out what’s in this book that Regal needs to keep secret.”

“Twilight, I-“ Luna began to say something, but one look from Twilight cut her off.

“We need this, Luna.” Twilight said seriously. “Shield me.”

“Twilight…” Luna’s pleading expression almost made Twilight rescind her decision. There were other ways to decipher what the book held, but they were short on time. The council meeting was in four days. Twilight didn’t change her expression. Luna bowed her head at last. “Very well.”

Luna’s horn glowed once more, enveloping Twilight in the numbing feeling of sensory deprivation. She focused as best she could, opened the journal, and took the dive once again…

“I hereby call the Greater Canterlot Council to order. Princesses Celestia and Luna presiding. Gentlecolts and mares, welcome. We have many pressing topics to discuss over the next few days. Chiefly that of the re-discovery of Synthesis magic. Regal, of the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot, has something to share with you all.” Bastion sat high on a pedestal above the largest gathering of ponies Canterlot hosted, aside from maybe the Summer Sun festival. Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies alike filled the largest council chamber Canterlot had to offer, and were packed in as tight as they could be. All of them were open to voice their opinions, offer advice, and present problems for the council’s deliberation.

The whole process took four days, with issues being discussed for no less than fourteen hours out of each day. They were allowed eight hours for rest, two separate hour-long breaks. It was a taxing experience for everypony involved, but it was thanks to the Greater Canterlot Council that many of Equestria’s major problems were solved. Above Bastion sat Celestia and Luna, to help officiate and discuss issues further. But all around them on the ground, in the risers at the edge of the room, and even up in the rafters, were the ponies who had gathered from all across Equestria. It was the single largest political congregation, and only took place once every six years.

“Regal. If you’d please.” Bastion gestured to the proud Saddle-Arabian unicorn, offering him an audience. In the middle of the floor was the only open space the entire chamber offered, and was host to the pony who currently needed to speak. Regal strode forward with his head held high, smiling up at Bastion, Celestia, and Luna.

“Princesses. I have a story to share with you. As many of the gathered ponies know, there was once a great library in the desert between Saddle Arabia and the Gryphon territories. Long, long ago, before Nightmare Moon, the library was lost to us. A powerful spell protected it’s contents from ever being studied again, and thus, it’s knowledge was lost.” Ponies all around nodded at Regal’s story. Some of them were familiar with it, most of them were not. Regal continued. “My family has been interested in the library and it’s contents for a long, long time. Finally, we managed to get the resources to lead an expedition into the maelstrom, in an attempt to recover the lost knowledge.”

“You didn’t.” Celestia cut him off, frowning intensely. “That storm is dangerous. I have lost many, many good ponies; unicorns every bit as skilled as yourself, trying to reach that library.”

“So have we, Princess.” Regal hung his head. “Hundreds.” Celestia grew still, letting Regal go on. “But. We finally managed to lead an expedition of eighty-four ponies into the storm.” When Regal rose his head once more, tears shone in his eyes. “We were attacked. By monstrous, terrible creatures. Constructions of bone and magic that were every bit as vile as the most horrific nightmare you can imagine. They set upon us throughout the blinding sandstorm. I watched many of my colleagues die before my eyes… When there were only four of us left, I ran. I ran straight into the heart of the storm.” Regal closed his eyes, and two tears dripped from either of his eyes, falling to the tile below. He shook visibly, but continued to speak.

“I could hear the terrors setting on my friends, my co-workers.” He whispered the next. “My family.”

“Regal… If this is too much for you,” Bastion offered, but Regal raised a hoof to cut him off.

“I’m fine.” He took a deep breath before pressing on. “When I stopped running… I was there. On the front steps to the library. In the eye of the maelstrom, it sits, every bit as pristine and mysterious as it had been long, long ago. Out in the sands, I could see the terrors, shifting and pacing about. They howled and screamed and roared at me, furious I had slipped past them… None of them, it seemed, could enter the eye. But I could. And I did. I entered the library… There, I found so many wonders. So many books of knowledge and records of past events. There are traditions lost to time, books of spells and enchantments that I can never hope to comprehend or learn. Not in a hundred lifetimes. There is just… So much there…” He shook his head, smiling softly.

“I stayed there for days. Reading, exploring, archiving. The lost knowledge of this place is beyond comprehension. The books there are all in good condition, only very slightly worn. They would be so easy to study. There is so much we can learn from that place…” Regal’s expression turned foul then. Nearby, Gable stood on the floor, and it was he whom Regal glared at. “Were it not for… Current events… We might have recovered the knowledge long ago.”

“What are you implying?” Bastion spoke out loud, silencing the soft murmurs that had begun to spread through the chamber.

“Hang on.” Celestia said after him. “Regal has not yet finished his story.” Silence followed her, and every eye in the chamber was then directed to Regal. He cleared his throat once.

“Alas, despite my best efforts, I only managed to recover one book. That book was only recently stolen from me, by none other than your Archmage, whom I would like to note is not present.” Everypony looked around the chamber at his statement, and sure enough, Twilight was nowhere to be found. A more observant pony would see Celestia and Luna share a quick glance. Murmurs broke out once more, likely commenting on the Archmage’s mysterious absence. Regal spoke over them all. “I was in the middle of a lesson, doing my duty as a loyal liaison to Equestria, when the Archmage teleported from my council chambers with the book in her possession. At first, I was infuriated. I had gone through much to retrieve that book. But then I realized what she was going to do with it. Your Archmage has taken the book and duplicated it several times over, so the copies are now free for anypony to study.” He stepped forward, speaking louder and more fervently.

“That is the same I wish to do, not just for one book, but a million! I wish to unearth the secrets of that lost library and make them publicly available, so that anypony can read them freely! Their knowledge should be free for the world to enjoy, not just to sit in the dark, never being read!”

“He lies.”

Every head in the council chamber snapped to the entrance. There, silhouetted against the early-morning sun, was Twilight. Her sole voice rang out above all others, invoking a silence the likes of which would make a pony wonder if they had gone deaf. She slowly walked forwards, and despite the tight quarters, everypony jostled and moved to give her a wide berth. She carried her saddlebags with her, and despite their apparent weight, she walked straight and tall.

“Do you have any proof?” Bastion said after a while, his voice both hesitant and inquisitive.

“Before I am done, Bastion,” Twilight entered the open space next to Regal, gingerly setting her bags down. “You will see many, many things about Regal that you wish you hadn’t.”

“What are you doing?” Regal growled underneath his breath, glaring at Twilight.

“Stopping you.” Twilight returned. “For good this time.” The two stared at one another for a few long, heated moments before Twilight flipped open the flap to her saddlebags. She spoke loud and clear for everypony to ear. “Regal recovered this book from the library in the desert.” She withdrew the original copy of Synthetic Elements and held it up for all to see. “It is a basic manual for the use of Synthesis magic, and has been integral in the return of synthesis magic. Why Regal did this need not be questioned. Any pony who knew Equestria lacked synthesis magic would have done so in the same situation. But instead of returning the book directly to the care of those who would have done the right thing with it, Regal did the opposite.

“He used this book to gain influence. He kept it secret for the few years he has been in Canterlot, and used it’s knowledge to gain followers. Why, you ask? Here.” Twilight lifted the draft of the charter from her saddlebags next, holding it up as well. “Regal was under the impression that the Canterlot Preservation Society has been corrupted since it’s creation long, long ago. The preservation society originally functioned to preserve magic across all of Equestria. New spells and enchantments are supposed to be documented and filed away so they will not be lost. But, over the years, the charter has been changed time and again, until the Canterlot Preservation Society functioned in the capacity that it does today.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Gable interjected, stepping into the circle. Twilight sighed and set down the two articles she had before drawing a thick stack of papers from the other side of her saddlebags.

“These are all of the revisions and amended copies of the Canterlot Preservation Society’s charter. From the very first, the original, all the way to the charter in effect today. It’s all very technical, and for time’s sake, I’ll save the council the effort of reading through it. Effectively, the first charter tasked the preservation society with protecting all things against the test of time. That means everything. Spells, traditions, plants, animals, buildings, roads, towns, cities… Anything that can and will be lost to time, it was this society’s job to make sure that it wasn’t. Today’s charter…” Twilight shuffled the papers around until she withdrew the one on the bottom.

“States that the ‘Canterlot Preservation Society shall only be concerned with the well-being of all plant life in and around the city of Canterlot.’” She quoted the text directly before handing all of the charters off to Gable, whose face had paled considerably.

“Is this why Regal has been doing all this? The movement, the hostility…?” Gable asked shakily.

“No.” Twilight sighed. She picked up Synthetic Elements again, turning to Regal with a serious expression. “I will get to Regal’s motives later. But for now, I will say this.” She lifted the book high, speaking loudly. “This book was not the only one that Regal retrieved from the library.” At her words, Regal’s expression turned down. Twilight grinned. “He recovered something else. Something very important, something dangerous…”

Twilight withdrew the journal from her saddlebags. Everypony leaned in, trying to get a good look at it. Regal’s face was a mixture of rage and shock. Twilight triumphantly held the book high.

“This is Blaze’s journal. The Archmage at the time the library was lost. This book is enchanted with an empathy spell, so that the reader will feel what the writer was feeling when he penned the words onto the pages.” Worried murmurs broke out through the room, but Twilight continued to talk over them. “The journal goes on to talk about Blaze’s journey. It begins from the point where he had fallen in love with Princess Cadance, over one thousand years ago. It goes on to describe how Cadance left him for Bolt, another unicorn. Blaze nearly killed Bolt in a magical duel, but was thwarted by Cadance herself. Mad with jealousy and rage, Blaze vowed to destroy everything that Bolt stood for. That included not only Bolt, but the magic of synthesis in it’s entirety.” The whispers had died down by then, and everypony, even Regal, was listening to Twilight.

“Blaze very nearly succeeded in destroying every book on synthesis magic in existence. He destroyed all that Canterlot’s library had, but there were still more in this desert library. So he traveled there next. An exile from Equestria. When he arrived, he nearly managed to destroy them as well. But somepony stopped him.” Twilight looked up at Celestia, smiling faintly. “Bolt. Despite his injuries, Bolt had pursued Blaze to the library. He was out-matched, overpowered, and injured. But he would not be beaten. His love for Cadance and magic fueled one last spell, and he gave his life to it.” A hushed silence fell on the room. Twilight lowered both books, gingerly setting them back in her saddlebags.

“He gave his life to defend the library, so the library remains defended in the best way it can be. Those monsters and the sandstorm are products of Bolt’s life-giving spell. They have stayed there for over a thousand years, standing watch over the knowledge, protecting it from Blaze. Blaze was trapped inside the library. He couldn’t destroy the books, and he couldn’t escape. His madness intensified to all new levels. Madness that he poured into his journal, helping fuel the spell. He managed to find a way to escape in the end. But he left his journal behind. In it, he promised to destroy the last thing Bolt held dear. He vowed to kill Princess Cadance. How did Bolt escape, Regal? Hmm?” Twilight turned to the obviously-enraged Regal, whose chest was heaving with each heated breath he took.

“There is a tunnel. Deep in the basement of the library, it leads out into the storm.” He growled, obviously none too pleased with having his secret exposed. “It’s the same way I escaped.”

“There you have it.” Twilight turned to look up at Celestia, though she spoke for everypony in the room. “Blaze escaped through the tunnel, and came to Canterlot with the intent of murdering Princess Cadance. But along the way, thanks to his insanity, he targeted Celestia instead. He killed hundreds of ponies, guards and otherwise, in an attempt to reach the princess. But after he was killed in return, he left a portion of his madness behind. Here, in this book.” She pulled the journal out again, turning to Regal with an accusatory glare. “The same book that Regal has read, day in, and day out. The same book that fueled his own insanity. Which is why Regal did not return Synthetic Elements immediately upon coming to Canterlot. It’s why he’s founded the movement. He wishes to disband the Canterlot Preservation Society, and then re-form it, so that he controls it. Why? So he can be seen in a positive light by Celestia.” She pulled the last bit of intellectual weaponry from her saddlebags, brandishing it for all to see.

“These plans detail it all, for everyone to see plain as day!” Twilight’s voice rose as she stepped forward. Regal’s face was twisted into an expression of pure hatred. “Regal plans on heading the Canterlot Preservation Society, and then the Homefront Committee next! He plans on creating an external threat against Equestria so that the guard will be drawn away from their homes! Then, with Canterlot weaker than it’s been in ages, he strikes.” Twilight slammed the journal and Regal’s plans down on the ground vehemently.

“He’s going to kill Celestia.”

His plans were laid bare. The proof lay open on the ground, ready for anyone to read. To see his ugly machinations, and what he intended to do with them. Regal’s eyes were beady, and sweat broke out on his hide. Twilight could see his muscles bulge along his neck, evidence of how hard he was grinding his teeth. If looks could kill, Twilight would have died.

Then it happened. His eyes darted up and to the side just once. Twilight followed, and saw what he intended to do.

Only Regal beat her to it. With a primal scream of maddened rage, Regal turned to Celestia and cast a spell. It was unlike any Twilight had ever seen before. The sound of thunderous energy filled the air, even as Regal aimed the lethal spell at Celestia, sitting above everypony else.

Then, all Twilight saw was white.