The Fool of Hearts

Chapter 1
The Void

Arcane Arts sat at the round table that the Canterlot Royal Research Facility used for its meetings. Arcane Arts currently occupied the chair reserved for the head of the spell research branch of the facility. The other eight chairs were for the heads of Agriculture, Transportation, Weather, Alchemy, Biology, History, Runes, and the final chair was reserved to the adviser of the princesses. Each chair was occupied by the foremost researcher of their categories, and they were then overseen by the adviser, they were mostly unicorns, with the exception of the pegasus in charge of weather, and the earth pony in charge of Transportation. Both were famous for their recent breakthroughs, the pegasus single hoofedly created a new method of utilizing the ponies in a town to create a tornado to collect the water from a source to be made into snow for winter. The earth pony himself had drawn up the plans for locomotives and had overseen their engineering.

Arcane Arts looked around the faces of her colleagues. She had plans of a new spell that could revolutionize the way Equestria enacted their everyday life. She was going to need the help of a couple of the other research branches, to team up so she could accomplish her goal.

"So, Arcane Arts. I understand you wished to call this meeting to propose a research team with a few of the other branches." Spell Shield the adviser, a retired military commander said addressing Arcane Arts.

"Yes, I have drawn up plans to create a new spell that could revolutionize Equestrian life. It won't be easy, and the work will not be able to be shoved off onto interns. The research will be carried out by the heads of the branches I am requesting and their most trusted ponies that work under them." Arcane Arts said with a smile as she looked at the faces of the other research branches. All of them wondering if they would be needed.

"And who will you be calling on for the support of your project, and what does the project entail?" Spell Shield asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am working on a spell that if calculated correctly, and bound into the correct runes, could open a portal in which ponies could step inside and be instantaneously transported to where the other end of the portal has been set up. I have already worked out the theory, but any attempts to prolong the portal will need to be rooted into runes. I will need the transportation team as well to calculate distances of the spell and have it fine tuned to be safe for pony use." Arcane arts said with a smile as she looked at the heads of the two branches she requested.

"Hmm, that is indeed interesting. It would also seem that you have already addressed the issue of pony safety, and have a theory to deal with it. Very well, if the other branch heads will cooperate you have permission to begin your research. What do you say Ambrosia, Sigel?" Spell Shield asked.

"It would be an honor to apply my theories of runic usage in spells for Arcane." Sigel, a large bearded stallion with a runic cutie mark said. Sigel's beard and mane were blond, and his coat was a stark white, many of the other research team heads often asked why the large stallion was not in the Equestrian military.

"As much as I would hate to see my trains become obsolete, I would be mad not to jump on the project that puts them out of commission." Ambrosia, a light yellow mare with a white mane who had an sliced apple as a cutie mark.

"Wonderful, I would like to hold the research team in my facility though if that is not too much of a burden however. I have already gathered the needed materials there to begin research and hopefully we can begin as soon as possible." Arcane Arts said with glee as she clapped her hooves together in excitement.

"Alright, now that the last matter of business for the day has been dealt with, I dismiss you all. And have a happy Hearths Warming Eve everypony!" Spell Shield said with a smile as he picked himself up and departed.

The other ponies then all left, except the three that were to work on project portal. Sigel and Ambrosia trotted over to Arcane Arts and shook hooves, this was the first time any of them had actually worked with each other. Sigel was the only one to ever be in a research team before, and it was with the previous head researcher of spells.

"So how far into this theory have you tested, I can tell from the look you had in your eyes that you attempted the spell at least once already." Sigel said eagerly.

"Well I didn't manage a complete transportation with the spell, but I was able to move my mind across a great distance, I was able to see and hear everything until I ended the spell. I just need a few tweaks and I should be able to move a body along with a mind. Then We need to calculate distances to get it exact, figure of there are any forces acting on the pony when they travel, and then root the spell into the correct runes." Arcane said eagerly.

"So did you only try it once then?" Ambrosia asked out of curiosity.

"No, I attempted it about five times, and all but one attempt was successful in moving my mind to another location on Equestria." Arcane Arts said.

"Wait, on Equestria... Where did the failed attempt send your mind?" Sigel asked cautiously.

"I don't know. It was a dark place, and when I was there I lost all feeling in my body, as if I was cut off. I heard a few voices whispering, but it was completely dark. I admit I was a little scared, but I was able to end the spell and come back no problem." Arcane said drawing circles bashfully on the ground.

"Hey, perhaps before we get our underlings involved we can do a quick test run, maybe observe how the spell works now before we start calculating things later." Ambrosia said with a smile.

"Sure, if that is okay with you Sigel. We can all go to my house where I have a my notes ready. After maybe a few attempts we will come up with some ideas on stabilization and full body transportation.

"Fine by me." Sigel said with an eager smile.

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Back at her house Arcane Arts led her colleagues into her study where she had her butler prepare a small fire in the fireplace, and had a few snacks set out for them as they researched. Arcane Arts looked down at the silver tray and caught her reflection in the mirrored surface. She was starting to look tired, bags were beginning to form under her eyes, easy to see on her light blue coat. Her red eyes seemed redder and puffy from lack of sleep. And her dark blue mane was unkempt and messy.

"Sorry again if I look like a mess, but I have been working pretty hard to get this project to a presentable point." Arcane Arts said with a bashful smile.

"No worries, by the way I heard that your niece appeared in the news again." Sigel said with a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, my favorite little niece sure has been busy." Arcane Arts laughed fondly thinking of her niece.

"Hey yeah, I heard about that. Her and One of my cousins went up north to save the Crystal Empire didn't they?" Ambrosia said with a smile.

"That's right, though I hear my nieces assistant took most of the glory by retrieving the crystal heart." Arcane Arts said with a chuckle.

Arcane Arts levitated her notebook over to herself as she thought fondly of her niece. She then flipped open the notebook and flipped to her most recent entry on the spell she was working on.

"Ahh, here it is. Okay, I am going to attempt this spell, if you two could make any observations you notice and tell me anything I miss that could actually cause this to progress quite quickly." Arcane said as she set the notes in front of her and proofread them quickly.

"Sure thing, have at it." Ambrosia said.

Arcane Arts activated the spell and forced her mind to think of her niece. The spell then threw her mind into the room of her niece, and she was able to watch over as the young Twilight Sparkle read a book in her bed. Twilight's eyes began to droop and slowly she fell asleep, book held in her hooves firmly against her chest. Arcane then undid the spell and returned her mind to her body.

"So, did you manage to notice anything?" Arcane asked.

"Well, I can't tell anything from my end. Magic is a bit of a null spot for my eyes. Give me the questions and set me to calculating when we can get the physical part of it and I'll me ready." Ambrosia laughed.

"And you Sigel?" Arcane asked the stallion who was deep in thought.

"Try doing that spell, but do not just visualize the place you think of, visualize yourself being there. And try it while standing in this runic array." The stallion said with a businesslike tone as he took a sheet of paper out of his satchel and showed the runic array.

"This is a simple runic array to increase the ponies magical intake and channeling while inside. Do you have a place where we can inscribe this onto the floor?" Sigel asked.

"Actually, we can take that chalkboard down and place it on the floor here." Arcane said.

"Wonderful!" Sigel said as he levitated the chalkboard to the ground and in a matter of minutes drew the runes on the board perfectly around where Arcane sat on it.

"Okay, here goes something..." Arcane said as she activated the spell once more. This time she started with visualizing herself, but then she thought of where to send herself. It would have to be far away to make sure she did not just simply cast a minor teleportation.

Something tugged in the back of Arcane's mind, and she thought of the dark area she had thrown her mind before. Arcane did not know why she thought of the place, but she couldn't stop. Her mind acted as if drawn or compelled and she finished the spell.

Surrounding her was nothing but darkness. The entirety of what could be perceived was void of light or even the sense of existing. Though she felt cold, Arcane Arts could not feel anything else. She attempted to raise a hoof in front of her face, but she could not tell if anything actually happened, not even the feeling of weight shifting on a numb limb. The Unicorn wondered briefly if she had accidentally thrown her conscious mind into an empty plane of existence when attempting to travel to the place she was before.

The sound of giggling from a high pitched, but male voice started around the unicorn. Arcane Arts cast her eyes around the absolute darkness, but to no avail as the location of the laughter was as impossible to perceive as the limbs on her body. Nothing seemed to fill this void, but at the same time the laughter seemed to be everything, driving on from a giggle into a cackle, one that was reserved for only the most demented and broken of minds. The cackling racked against Arcane's mind, slowly the unicorn mare felt her mind begin to warp, the madness of the voice seeping into herself. She strained desperately to free herself form her own spell, to return her mind to Equestria where it belonged.

The voice began to say things in between its cackling, 'The laughter is all I have here, but I would trade it all...' Arcane Arts strained her ears against the deranged laughter, waiting for the next coherent word, hoping that the voice could do her no harm. 'To hear your voice...' The laughter stopped as the last part was said, madness dripped off every syllable as the voice lost the high pitch of a raving lunatic, and adopted a deeper hoarse sound as one would use to frighten a child.

Silence continued after the laughter ceased, Arcane Arts shivered in fear as she drifted along in the nothingness of the void. The silence became deafening to the mare, and though she could not feel it, she knew. Tears dripped down her cheeks as a sense of infinite suffering and sorrow rushed into her from the void. Though it was still silent it was as if a million voices told her of their sadness and death.

Arcane arts raised a hoof and wiped the tears off of her face, she was back in her study. The mare just sat there, staring at the magical circle around her, and shivered at what she had done. She had gone in search of knowledge, only to be trapped by the void she ventured into, released only by the mercy of the void's lord.

Arcane looked up into the faces of her colleagues as she shivered. The mare just sat there as the tears continued to fall and she slowly began to calm herself. The other two researchers shared a glance as they waiting, mouths open and eyes wide.

"What... What happened?" Sigel asked with a concerned tone.

"Are you alright?" Ambrosia asked.

"I messed up the spell... I went back to the dark place form before, but it was worse. I was unable to undo the spell at first. And there was this... Laughter... some crazy pony was there and he was laughing. But I could see and feel nothing." Arcane said, a shiver running down her spine.

"You disappeared from the circle, when you came back, the lights all went out and it was completely dark..." Ambrosia said.

"The fireplace... The fire is still out..." Sigel said.

Arcane Arts then noticed that the room was actually fairly dark. the only light came from the dimly glowing crystals on the walls that were once very bright, but now seemed to be drained of their power. Arcane Arts moved to the fireplace and magically lit the logs once more, to cast light around the dim room.

As the light flooded into the room from the fire it cast shadows about. The three ponies all felt a sense of unease, as if they were being watched. They cast their eyes around the dancing shadows at the edge of the room. Arcane Arts felt the air stir behind her, and she slowly turned to face the dark corner where the fireplace's light could not touch.

A pale face leaned out of the darkness and came into view, inches from Arcane Art's nose. The bottom of the face was obscured as an appendage came up from the darkness and a single digit from what looked like a hand came over the faces lips, in a hushing motion. The faces golden yellow eyes playfully stared into Arcane Art's red ones.

"Please do not scream, there was plenty of that in the void that Cicero tried to cover up their silent racket with his laughter. But please do not be silent... Cicero was once tormented by the silence..." The face said, madness playing in its eyes.

The face moved forward and its body came into view, twice as tall as a pony, only meeting Arcane's face because it was hunched over. As it moved forward Arcane backed up, keeping the distance of a few inches as the figure came into view, wearing strange clothing, It wore a shirt that had black and red vertical stripes. The pants the bipedal thing wore were the same cirmson red as the shirt's stripes. A mantle lay on top of the shirt that seemed to be of a strange material and was a dark black with a gold trimming around the edge. the front of the mantle was laced together with the same strange material. The creature had pointed boots on its bipedal feet, and black gloves covering its hands, both had gold trimmings. The face now in the light Arcane could see had a hat, a jesters hat if she was not mistaken.

"The silence... Was maddening." Cicero said in a deep, warning voice that cracked at the end.

Arcane and her colleagues stared in horror, not uttering a sound. Cicero stared intently at Arcane, eyes boring into hers. As the silence dragged on, Cicero's eyes began to tremble, soon followed by his hands balling up into fists that then trembled as well. Arcane then registered what he had said and fear doubled inside of her.

"H-hello..." Arcane choked out, afraid of what might happen if she stayed silent.

Cicero stopped trembling the moment Arcane's voice was heard. He slowly crept his face the few inches closer until his pointed nose touched her snout. Arcane began to tremble as Cicero's face touched hers.

"You brought me here, from the void..." Cicero said in a moment of clarity, for once talking as if he was not completely mad.

"I-I guess so?" Arcane asked more than confirmed Cicero's question.

"Hmm..." Cicero said as he backed off slightly and rubbed his hand on his chin in thought.

Arcane looked back to her colleagues who were still frozen in fear of the thing that had followed their fellow researcher back from wherever she had gone.

"Cicero lives to serve his mother, but she chose another to speak to. Cicero was not the listener... The dread lord sent me with you, and he always works in mysterious ways..." Cicero said as he began to pace back and forth talking to himself.

Arcane turned her attention back to the bipedal figure in her study as it paced back and forth on the edge of the darkness.

"Perhaps the dark lord sent me with a purpose. He did at least keep Cicero separate form the other ones..." Cicero continued.

"The dread lord?" Arcane asked with a trembling voice.

Cicero stopped his pacing and seemed to register that he was not alone, as if he had forgotten they were there in the first place. Cicero considered what was said and a smile broke onto his face and mad glee was in his golden eyes.

"Of course! The dread lord Sithis must have investigated your presence! You were powerful enough to enter into the void, so he must have seen use in you. Perhaps you are to be his new matron in this world!" Cicero said as he began to clap his hands together and caper merrily.

"Sithis?" Arcane asked.

"Why yes, he is my lord, no... Our lord. He must have chosen you if he allowed you to be released, and he even sent poor, sweet Cicero to be your guide and servant." Cicero said as he got down on his knees to be at eye level with Arcane as he put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to sit down.

"Together we will spread the word of the dark lord, all will kneel to the might, of the new Night Mother!"