Akasa's Taleby ValinyeChaptersSummonsIn Her Majesty's Imperial GuardSome Assembly RequiredAkasaSummons Aurora sighs quietly and shifts a bit on the large velvet cushion that makes up her seat of office. It is quite old, and somewhat lumpy – and although she’s worn an Aurora-shaped indentation into it over the years, it is still just uncomfortable enough to make her desire to be elsewhere. At the foot of her throne two ponies bicker back and forth over some point that, honestly, she’d stopped paying much attention to some time ago. They are dressed in the best of business attire and look very stately; though she finds the current fashion trends a bit over-stated and lacking in subtlety – but she is also decidedly old-fashioned. The argument before her has something to do with ‘intellectual property’; a relatively new term that was still being bandied about in the royal council - and one that she honestly did not follow completely. But before she drifted off into thoughts of acquiring a new pillow for the throne, she did manage to pick up a bit of the immediate problem... Apparently the pony on her left has a collection of pistons and gears that is entirely too similar to collection of pistons and gears belonging to the pony on her right. And while this seems to be a real problem for them, the problem for her is, as near as she can tell, neither set of pistons and gears actually do anything. The mechanisms in both cases are simple demonstrations of vague ideas and suppositions of what might be - but these two seem to be quite intent on arguing, loudly, about who the ideas and suppositions rightfully belonged to. And, frankly, it made her head hurt… Fortunately, her function here today is one of simple window dressing. As the monarch of Roanoak her reasons for taking the throne tended to center around larger problems; issues of international scale or of sweeping scope that impacted everypony. She had appointed a council of ponies who rather seemed to enjoy endless deliberations over ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, and they tended to these smaller cases for her. In fact, she rarely attends low court except when her ‘royal councilor of legal affairs’ requests it – much like today. He is quietly conferring with the lovely mare who makes detailed notes for him during these law-making sessions. The mare, for her part, is looking though her reading glasses at a genuinely enormous pile of ‘prior art’. She shuffles through layers of parchment as she ticks off sets of numbers and the councilor nods. Aurora trusts his judgment in these matters… He was a good pony – hoof picked by her specifically for precedent-setting situations like this one; he would ensure the outcome was just and that all of the parties involved were happy… She was just here to make it official. It was not long ago that a heated discussion like the one going on at the foot of her throne would have been over property lines for two farms, or perhaps a trade issue between a few merchants. But these are different times indeed… She looks across the throne room and lets her thoughts wander; the tall stained glass windows that line the hall cast a multitude of slanting shafts of light into the room and ignite motes of dust into slow motion whirls of firework hues, and she thinks back to the early days of Roanoak, when all was but settlers and small farms. In general back then most of Roanoak was comprised of hearty Earth ponies from the northern badlands looking for a greener future. Now, granted, there were the occasional scholarly Unicorns looking for new discoveries to write about, and in turn garner the praise of other scholarly Unicorns. And there were a few Pegasus ponies as well – but they tended to be loners looking for challenge and adventure, as is their way. A hoof touches her shoulder, “Empress?” a voice whispers. “Yes chamberlain?” The pony next to her bows, “Your highness, there is an urgent request from one of the Equestrian emissaries, a ‘Twilight Sparkle’. It is regarding a student at the school in Trotsdale, a student who seems to have developed a bit of a 'magical issue' as she termed it.” Aurora turns her head and looks at the chamberlain, “Unicorn foals often have bouts of uncontrolled magic – this is why they attend classes, to learn control. Why would this regard me?” He shakes his head, “No ma'am, not a Unicorn – an Alicorn. Miss Sparkle would not go into details, but has requested your presence at the library in town as soon as you are able.” She blinks a few times. While Alicorns were indeed rare, they are simply another possible but highly unlikely outcome of any foaling. One thing they did do though is present unique challenges for schooling and often required one-on-on tutoring, for they possess the abilities of all three of the pony tribes: Earth pony size and earth magics, Pegasus pony wings and air magics, and Unicorn pony horns and elemental magics. But they also tend to be weaker in each aspect – their greater size making them rather clumsy flyers, and their lightness of frame for flight making them fragile for farm work. And while they can eventually be quite competent with magic, they simply are not as versatile as a Unicorn Pony. They can also be ‘called to the crown’, a term used to denote an irresistible pull to distant lands where the they will assume the mantle of royalty, and with it gain immense responsibility, a measure of immortality, and considerable magical power. Mayhap this is Twlight’s concern? A 'magical issue'? It would be unprecedented for one to be called so young… Regardless, she sees a chance to escape the dreadful bore of court and takes advantage of it. “I see. Since their arrival I have never seen the Equestrian emissaries to be overly demonstrative, so I will infer that there is a good reason for this request…” She turns to her legal councilor, “Phoenix, I will leave the righting of this situation in your capable hooves for I am needed elsewhere,” and then nods to the bickering ponies before her as she rises from the cushion. One of the two ponies looks shocked, “But, your highness, our grievance here today is not a matter to be settled by anyone other than your illustrious self. We simply will not take the ruling of the councilor as the final word on this iss..” Aurora is very large as far as pony-folk go, the average pony coming only to her chest height-wise, and she uses her imposing stature as she turns to face the pony, wings slightly unfurled, to silence him. “Phoenix was appointed by me specifically for his expertise in matters such as these. It would be wise of you to find his ruling to your liking - despite your feelings otherwise.” Even in these modern times of steam and electricity, the Voice of the Empress has the desired effect; instantly quelling the argument with bent knee and bowed head. Aurora carefully settles her wings back along her sides, “Now, chamberlain, I shall respond to this urgent summons from Miss Sparkle. I will depart within the hour, please see to it that she is informed.” “Of course milady Aurora.” In Her Majesty's Imperial Guard A sharp bang echoes through the castle courtyard. I stagger, dazed, and take a step backwards – and my blade slips from my slackened jaws. The heavy barding I wear suddenly seeming to feel ten times heavier as the world explodes into rainbow colors from another blow to my crested helmet. In front of me the image of Imperious, the imperial guard captain, blurs in and out of focus. He is rearing slightly, and a grim look of determination is upon his white muzzle as the halberd he wields whistles in a complicated arc. The weapon glows translucently in the color of his spellcraft and flits about as if possessed of a will of its own – all but impossible to follow. I manage to get my hooves under me in the split-second it takes for him to reset his stance, and I concentrate. I can feel the polished stonework beneath my hooves; solid, timeless – as immovable as the very foundations of this castle and I draw strength from them. My awareness reaches outwards; trees and grasses along the hills around the castle slumber under winter's snow… Another thunderous bang resonates through the courtyard as the captain’s glowing halberd finds its mark. The impact upon my armor is deafening, yet I am unmoved… The spell-crafted halberd explodes in a shower of flashing motes of energy as I redirect the force into the stone under my hooves, where it is harmlessly dissipated with a slight tremor felt throughout the castle’s courtyard. In the space between one heartbeat and the next I rock backwards onto my hindquarters and with an explosive leap, launch myself at my now disarmed captain. My only hope is to use my greater Earth pony size and mass to drive his smaller Unicorn frame and either wind him or bear him to the ground. And then everything goes wrong… The insult to the injury of my mistake is seeing the smirk on his muzzle as I approach at a full gallop, and at that instant I know I am done for. I feel only the faintest impact of armor as he uses my mass and momentum to delicately pirouette to the side, avoiding my charge all together. I catch a glimmer of something ensnared in his telekinetic grip streak towards me from out of the corner of my eye… The Unicorn breed are, in general, fragile in armored combat and are not possessed of great strength – but they are wickedly precise. The hit I receive is not terribly powerful, but as the pommel of my own sword connects with my side, right in the chainmail that separates the solid slats of metal along my sides with the ridged croupier over my hindquarters, my near hind leg immediately goes numb. The combination of armor weight, momentum, numbness, and slight off-balance from the sword’s impact send me sprawling over the flagstone of the courtyard. And as I slide to a stop the captain trots over to the disheveled pile of armor and appraises my state with a field surgeon’s eye. He nods once, and my sword clatters to the ground before my muzzle. He chuckles as he offers me a hoof up, “Your practice is coming along nicely. I had hoped to keep you too busy being bell-rung to channel a protection. Excellent work.” And once I have re-armed and secured my weapon he leads me back over to the other assembled guards where I take my place in the line. I move with a bit of a limp, but feeling is returning to my hind leg – and with it a pins and needles sensation that sets my teeth on edge… I will have to ask how he did that. The captain paces back to a position where he can address the group. “Alright… Analysis. Sergeant Spark?” A white Unicorn mare of blazing red mane and tail, wearing light armor snaps to attention, “Sir. The corporal should have taken advantage of your disarmed state to re-arm himself. This would have put him at a tactical advantage over an unarmed yet more agile foe.” The captain nods, “Indeed.” He turns back to face us and continues, “In any combat situation there are many unknowns. Your best weapon, always, is to control as many of the known elements as possible – terrain, weapons, supplies, and even simple information. Keep your wits about you, always, they are your greatest ally.” He paces the line as he speaks, “In this scenario it eventually came down to two combatants and one weapon. Against a telekinetic foe, leaving a loose weapon lying about is a quick ticket to the infirmary. Otherwise the corporal did admirably with being able to snap-cast a protection even under assault. You all saw the effectiveness of such a protection, especially against spellcrafted weapons. This is a very effective tactic against magical constructs as it takes time and preparation to conjure another. Time and preparation your opponent will not have if you control the known elements of the situation...” As the captain speaks another pony in castle livery trots up and interrupts him. “Captain Imperious! I have been looking all over for you!” Imperious turns, “Chamberlain – it is Saturday, we drill on Saturdays, we drill in the courtyard, therefore I would be in the courtyard would I not?” “Well – yes, but…” Imperious cuts him off, “Speak quickly and succinctly Chamberlain, to do otherwise belies a lack of purpose to your interruption.” The chamberlain blinks a few times before clearing his throat and continuing. “The lady Aurora will be departing Morgan castle within the hour for a trip to Trotsdale. The purpose for the visit has something to do with one of the Equestrian emissaries, a Miss Twilight Sparkle, and protocol requires the Empress travel with a guard.” “Indeed.” Imperious turns tail to the chamberlain and looks at me, “Corporal. Get yourself cleaned up. The uniform of the day will be winter dress - report to me at the Empress’ study in thirty. Dismissed.” -=- - I wind my way through the subterranean tunnels in Morgan towards the barracks for a quick shower and into my dress uniform. Fortunately our duty roster makes allowances for such events, as we are resident at the castle on two-week rotations – so my dress uniform is here, and not in my wardrobe at home. I manage to get cleaned up, get my mess of a mane and tail into some semblance of order, and into uniform with a few minutes to spare. And five minutes later I trot up to Imperious who is waiting outside of the heavy oaken door to the Empress’ study. I salute and then stand at attention as he looks me over critically, stopping to telekinetically adjust the rank insignia on my collar, before pronouncing “It will have to do. At ease corporal.” I relax a bit. “So, have you ever met the Empress corporal?” “No sir – not in any official capacity sir.” He chuckles, “The first thing to know is she is not big on genuflection. End sentences with ‘ma’am’, but do not be moon-eyed about the whole thing. Other than that, treat her with the same respect you would with your superior officer, for she is.” “Yes sir.” He turns and raps upon the door with a hoof, and from within is heard “Enter.” The door opens and I follow the captain into the room and take a position at attention to his right. I cannot help but look around the room. Pretty much everything in here is older than my grandsire and it has an … old sort of smell. Not a bad smell really, but like that of an ancient forest. The various shelves are covered in odd knickknacks that must have a hundred interesting tales, and a few ancient paintings hang here and there – probably worth a fortune – but they all feature the Empress in various historical settings. I glance from a painting to the Empress to see if the rumors are true; that she is indeed unchanging from generations past, and am met with her intense emerald gaze and a slight smile. I can feel a blush rising, tinting the thin fur of my muzzle rose as I snap my gaze straight ahead and back to attention – and I hear her giggle a bit. “Good morning Imperious, a pleasure to see you once again. To what do I owe the honor of your presence – and that of the corporal here?” “Ma’am.” Imperious nods a bit of an officious bow, “I was informed you would be travelling today – corporal Dale here is assigned to you for this outing.” The Empress arches an eyebrow, “A guard for a trip to Trotsdale?” “Indeed ma’am, as you know it is protocol that the regent abroad be accompanied by at least one guard.” “But, Trotsdale?” She looks incredulous; “Trotsdale is but an hour from the castle and well within the bounds of Roanoak my dear captain. What could possibly happen there?” Imperious stands firm, “Nothing, your majesty, but appearances are what they are and certain images must be upheld. Lieutenant Dale here lives within a short distance of Trotsdale, and may be of use in your dealings there. This is also training for the corporal, for legitimate needs when the Empress is truly abroad.” She sighs, “Very well.” And looks over to where I am standing – I can literally feel her gaze as the sizes me up… I feel a bit like a bug under a microscope. “So, corporal Dale is it? Hast thou ever travelled by portal? It is quite the experience I gather, and I will be keen to hear your impressions when we arrive in Trotsdale.” I can just barely make out the captain’s snicker at her words, and wonder what I have gotten I myself into. Some Assembly Required It is winter in Roanoak, and the world seems to slumber under a fluffy white blanket of snow. It is a time of ice-skating and well tended fireplaces, hot cocoa and holidays. But now, with Hearth’s Warming recently behind them, the ponies of Trotsdale are slowly getting back to the business of the year ahead. Trotsdale itself is a town just like any other, for the most part; ponies in scarves and hats come and go, merchants and shoppers haggle over prices in the crisp air, and foals romp around in the snow of the town square. The town square is a large area, about a city block in size, and just inside of its borders of sidewalk and decorative wrought iron fencing is a park-like expanse dotted with a few large oak trees. The square serves as the public meeting spot for the in-town ponies, and it also makes for a right nice place to rest one’s hooves on a shopping day. Currently the square hosts a large fire pit containing an equally large fire, and some twenty ponies are gathered about it in groups, warming up as they discuss the day. To the north of the square sits the town hall, a large and official looking building topped with the big clock that merrily chimes out the hours for the busy ponies below. To the east and west of the square are rows of shops, each painted colorfully according to the owner’s tastes – and ideas as to what color combination will attract business. The buildings themselves are a sort-of fancy Manehattan style; most are two stories tall for the shop below and home for the shopkeepers above, and they all have big bay windows full of wondrous items that look out over the cobblestones of the busy square. The shops themselves are as varied as the ponies who live here – clothiers, jewelers, the bank, and other fancier establishments on one end of town, a farmer’s market, blacksmith, and other such trades on the other. Pretty much anything a pony could be looking for can be found in Trotsdale, and that is where the differences between Trotsdale and any other prosperous pony town start to become apparent. Many of the signs in front of the stores have several languages, some of the items in the shop windows are truly foreign in both make and purpose, and if one watches long enough they will soon see that there is more to Trotsdale than just ponies. This is the town I grew up in. I have galloped along every meandering cobblestone path that lies amongst the forested hills and valleys of the surrounding countryside. And many times I have travelled the wide central road that runs east to west, tying the far ends of Roanoak together. Even the sight of castle Morgan’s spires, several hours away by hoof to the north, is familiar enough to me I no longer really notice. But, right now none of that matters. Right now my only real thought centers around not looking like a foal in front of the Empress, and that entails keeping my breakfast where it belongs… -=- - The Empress turns her gaze back to the captain, “I shall gather what I require and be on my way to Trotsdale – with the corporal as you require. Is there aught else captain?” “Nay milady.” He shakes his head and returns once more to rigid attention. “Then you are dismissed captain,” She slightly nods her horn at me, “I am certain the corporal will keep you abreast of what develops in his report.” My captain salutes, turns smartly, and departs – closing the heavy door silently behind him, and leaving me alone with the Empress of Roanoak. She eyes me curiously for a moment before rising fluidly from the large pillow on her side of the desk. “Be at ease corporal.” I suddenly realize I had been holding my breath since she had addressed me, and I will myself to relax a bit - lowering my muzzle and settling back to a position of parade rest. She fairly glides around the desk to stand before it, and she is tall… Really tall… I mean, am a bit bigger than most in my battalion being farm stock and all, but the Empress looks down at me from at least a head’s height above me – maybe even a bit more. “Corporal Dale,” as she speaks, several items sitting on a nearby bookshelf are surrounded in the lavender of her telekinetic magic and float into an open satchel that is similarly held aloft. “As I am certain Imperious has mentioned, I am not one to stand on an overabundance of protocol. Therefore, when we are in public you will address me by my title. You will not bow in my presence for that takes your eyes off of those around us – a simple nod will suffice. And in private I am to be addressed by my name - after a few hundred years of ‘your highness’ one seeks the familiarity of one’s own name.” She flares her wings for a moment; the satchel, an under-wing model with straps that perfectly match her coat color and buckles of what appear to be gold, fastens itself about her barrel and she carefully folds her wings once more. She smiles at me, “Is this acceptable corporal?” “Yes ma’am … I mean, yes – Empress …” “Aurora – my name is Aurora.” “Yes, Aurora.” “Very good.” She chuckles as she turns to a full-length mirror and lifts a silver tiara from a shelf on the other side of the study. She places it upon her head, just behind her long horn, and then telekinetically picks up a brush and adjusts her mane as she speaks. “Now, what is thy name young corporal? If thou art to address me as a Friend, I would ask of thee the same boon in recompense.” Her change of language to the archaic mode often associated with the Royals takes me off guard. “Ma’am?” I wince, “I – I mean Aurora…” She grins and looks at me sidelong with one brilliant green eye, “That would be my name young corporal – I asked for yours.” I tilt my head in confusion – was the immortal Alicorn regent of Castle Morgan, the right royal Empress of Roanoak herself, having a bit of fun at my expense? This was certainly not what I had expected an audience with the Empress to be like. I stammer, “Clyde. My, my name is Clyde.” “Clyde” she turns from the mirror and dips her head graciously to me. “It is a pleasure to meet you Clyde, and I thank you for the familiarity.” The brush settles on the shelf near the mirror as she paces slowly back to the center of the room. “In a position such as mine, one is rarely afforded the chance to actually know anypony. Any encounter tends to be one of the crown, and met with bended knee and supplication – it is difficult to maintain one’s sense of self in such an environment, so I prefer to be myself around my guardians.” I nod, “I am honored Aurora.” She smiles, “Excellent. We are awaiting one more member for this particular outing,” She turns her head and looks out at the forest beyond the leaded windows of her study. “And he should be along at any moment.” As if on cue, a shaft of sunlight slants though the window and brightly illuminates an area just to the left of the Empress’ desk. Small motes of dust flash and sparkle as they slowly float through the brightly lit air for a moment, and then suddenly move about with purpose as if being arranged into patterns. The shaft of sunlight fades just as quickly, and leaves a deep blue ambiance behind that coalesces into the shape of an enormous wolf. The flashing motes quickly settle into the appearance of a starry sky within the bounds of the wolf-shaped void, and with a bright flash a single star upon the wolf’s brow ignites brightly as it turns to face the Empress, and … bows. “My liege.” It rumbles deeply. She nods to the beast graciously, “My dear Painless – it is good to see thee once more, my friend.” She then motions towards me with a forehoof. “Allow me to introduce Clyde, he shall be my appointed Imperial guard for this trip.” The wolf turns its huge manned head in my direction and its eyes are like bright stars as it looks at me. A moment passes and then it nods and rumbles, “Well met corporal.” It turns back to the Empress, “Shall I await thee in the courtyard, my liege?” She nods, and with a flicker of her horn the door to the study opens for the ghostly blue wolf as it pads silently out of the room. I hear a light giggle and realize I am staring at the now closed door with my mouth agape, and forgetting protocol entirely I blurt out. “What – what was that?” Aurora chuckles, “That was a Celestial Beast... Specifically a Canis Major – though I prefer to use the name he was given by Star Swirl of, ‘Painless’.” She nods at my eyes going wide with the mention of the name, “He is a … gift to the princesses Royal of Equestria from days long past.” She gathers one more scroll and tucks it away in her satchel as she continues, “In days long ago there were but two Royals, the Princesses of Equestria, and Painless’ geas is to serve those worthy of the Oath Bond. Apparently old Star Swirl never foresaw me, and I seem to fit the criteria for the Oath Bond too – so Painless attends to me on occasion as well. He comes and goes as he pleases, but his presence is always an omen and I have come to value his presence when he deems he is needed.” As she moves towards the study door she stops and smiles at me. “He is ancient – far, far older than even Celestia and he is very wise. But his defeat at the hooves of Star Swirl diminished him greatly. He contains a great power, but it is not his own to control anymore – and this makes him a great ally to us.” She looks back to the door as it opens, “Are you ready?” I nod. She motions towards the door with a tilt of her head, “Then by all means corporal – deliver me unto the courtyard so that we may be underway.” -=- - I lead the Empress to the courtyard and, as it had said, the wolf is sitting there staring off at something only it could see. I enter the open space first and then behind me a few paces the Empress also enters. The instant one of her royally shod hooves touches the flagstone of the courtyard the wolf rises from its sitting position and turns to bow once more. This ‘Celestial Whatsit’ is just downright creepy and I vow to keep a close eye on it. The Empress looks up at the brilliant blue sky for a moment, and then closes her eyes and inhales deeply. She holds that breath for a moment before exhaling a plume of steam into the cold winter air and smiling. “It shall snow this evening.” She announces matter-of-factly and then nods. “It is good then that we will be travelling magically.” She looks to the wolf and I, “Normally I would just fly to Trotsdale is it is a mere hour as the Pegasus fly and the trip is quite relaxing. But as time is of the essence and the trip by hoof is several hours… Well, you should find this interesting at the very least.” There is no real fanfare or preparation, she merely closes her eyes and lifts her head, her horn ignites with purple light, and the ground for a few meters around her bursts into a series of faintly glowing mystic symbols and oddly patterned circles. Before her, at about her eye-level and some five or so meters distant, a small point of light forms. Around the light the world suddenly twists and appears to spiral inwards. I have to look away; something about the effect makes be feel as if I am looking down an impossibly deep hole. And it is not the hole so much that upsets as it is the strange sensation where what I am seeing just does not make sense – a sort of odd fuzziness in my head brought about by part of me trying to figure out what I am seeing, and the rest steadfastly refusing to believe it. Interesting. She did say ‘interesting’ – this was not interesting, this was disconcerting. I hear her voice next to me, “Go ahead corporal – it is safe.” Go ahead? What does she mean ‘go ahead’? I look around and note that the wolf is gone. Rationally I assume he walked into that gaping hole in reality, but the little colt in the back of my mind assumes he is around here somewhere and I just can’t see him. This has to be some sort of mistake – I mean, why don’t we just walk to Trotsdale? I do it all the time; it is only a few hours, tops. This swirling … thing just was not normal and there was no way it could be safe. Nope, not safe in the slightest… A light laughter breaks into my thoughts, like tiny silver bells, and I am brought back to the empty courtyard and the spell the Empress was casting. She looks down at me with – understanding? That smile, that is the same as a mare coaxing her foal to take their first steps – I have seen it many times… “It is perfectly safe Clyde – you can trust me on that – the first time is always the worst, but I assure you nothing but maybe a little vertigo awaits you.” I nod, and feel a bit ashamed at my reaction to this spell. I live in a world of magic, the strange and unusual is a part of the very air I breathe, then why is this so different? “You mistrust this because it is not commonplace. Only very skilled Unicorns can teleport themselves, and only the most powerful of them can move another across space. You know this happens, you have heard tales of it – but here it is, right in front of you, and it is no mere tale.” She smiles again and nods at my internal questions, “Yes, it happens to everypony – this is why there is none but you and I here. Your fears are safe with me young Clyde. But if you are to be my protector, then this is something you shall have to get used to.” She nods towards the spell. I nod again. Her protector. Yes. That is why I am here after all. I cannot let a little thing like a spell get in the way of that. I steel myself, take a deep breath, and step into the vortex. It feels a bit like falling – but by the time you notice, you get the sensation your middle is falling towards your front and away from your behind. But the worst part is that split second where your hind hooves are where you were, and your front hooves are where you are going… And in a heartbeat I am weaving slightly in front of the Trotsdale Library building and feeling decidedly green. The wolf, who has probably been sitting here for a few minutes now, simply watches me, expressionless as I struggle to look as if nothing just happened. There is a slight fluttering of large feathers and the Empress trots to a stop next to me. I look up and am rewarded with a subtle smile and a quick wink before she looks to the wolf, “Are they here?” It nods once, “Below, in the storage rooms of this building my liege – Miss Sparkle and a filly await.” Akasa With all of us present, the Empress turns and moves with purpose towards the large double doors of the library. Her long strides force me to trot to keep up, and as she approaches the entry for the building there is a flicker of magic, and the oaken doors open before us. The Trotsdale library is a two-story building, with the upper floor being an open gallery that looks down upon the bookshelves, tables, and pillows below. The dark wood paneled walls and gas lamps give the large open room a more intimate, peaceful feeling, and the rows upon rows of books muffle all stray sounds. Above the central gallery is a roof made entirely curved glass and iron supporting frameworks, and it allows sunlight to slant down and illuminate the low desks in the center of the room. Just inside the main doors sits a curved desk, one that is intended for information and returns. The mare that tends the desk barely even gets in a bow between the moment she notices the doors opening, and when the Empress has already swept past her. She glances up at me from her bow with a curious expression, and I give her my best ‘I have no idea’ look as I trot past, desperate to keep up. The Empress sails through the library like one of the Imperial airships at full steam, and I have a hard time keeping her in sight as she navigates her way to a back corner of the room. As I round a corner she has just passed, I slide a bit on the polished wood floor as I try to stop quickly and avoid running into her. She is standing before a dark stairwell that leads down below the building; the door is already open. She looks over her shoulder at me, and with a smile motions with her head for me to head down the stairs and into the basement. The stairwell is quite dark; thick wooden slats line the narrow staircase and the boards of the stairs creak a bit as I settle each hoof. I take a moment to acclimate to the gloom as I come to a landing below floor level, and making the turn for the next set of stairs I can see the wavering light of lamps coming from below. I carefully make my way down the last flight of stairs and enter a large stone room that I assume to be only slightly smaller than the library above. To my right are several alcoves that use floor to ceiling bookshelves as walls. The light in the room comes from hanging oil lamps suspended over a few chaotic workbenches, all of which are covered in scraps of parchment and old books. Ahead of me are the thick iron bars of what appears to be a dungeon cell, though the contents of the cell are simply – more books. In the center of the room are two ponies; a mare and a filly. These two must be the ponies the Empress was here to see. One, the filly, is dark of coat and has a deep burgundy mane, and also has a decidedly frightened expression as she looks down at her hooves. The other is a young Unicorn mare of lavender coat and blue mane, with unusual purple stripes, and she is standing near the filly with a look of concern. In the far corner of the room, hidden in shadow, I can just barely make out the large form of … the celestial wolf? But... How? It was outside and I know it did not pass us in the library above… I nod and mutter to myself, “Creepy,” and I swear I hear a chuckle come from the far corner. Satisfied that the room is safe I step a few paces forward as to vacate the stairwell and to have an unobstructed view of the room, and I come to attention as is proper. I clear my throat and announce, “Attend! The right royal Empress of Roanoak, her highness Aurora.” The lavender mare smiles, and the filly seems to shrink a bit as the Empress enters the lamplight from the darkened stairwell. She nods to the mare, “Good afternoon, Miss Sparkle. I take it this is the filly you spoke of?” She turns and looks at the cowering filly. “Empress. Yes – this is Akasa, the filly I have been tutoring.” The lavender mare motions to the filly next to her, “She has been experiencing some highly unusual magical problems, and as she is one of your subjects, I felt it best you be informed.” The Empress turns to face the filly, “Akasa is it?” The filly, still looking down at her hooves and with her long forelock covering her eyes, takes an involuntary step back and in a quiet voice, “Y-yes, your highness.” Aurora looks back to Twilight, who merely motions with a forehoof for the Empress to continue. “Dear – there is nothing to be afraid of. I am here to help.” She folds her long legs under her to lie upon the flagstone floor before the frightened filly, to be less intimidating, and reaches out with the tip of a wing to gently move the filly’s mane aside. “Come now little one, be calm – no harm will come to you here.” “I-I don’t want to be sent away…” The Empress looks back to Twilight, who looks just as confused, and then back to the filly, “Why would anyone send you away dear?” “B-because my magic is dangerous… I was just practicing a shield spell and – and things caught on fire… Nopony wants somepony dangerous around. The others at school said so.” Akasa sniffles a bit. Aurora uses the tip of her outstretched wing to gently lift the filly’s chin, and smiles at her a moment before speaking, “I do not see a dangerous pony here. A dangerous pony would not be worried about harming others, even accidentally.” She locks the filly’s gaze with her own, “And that is why I am here little one, to see if perhaps I can shed a little light on your situation. After all, we are very similar, you and I.” The filly sniffles and nods, “Why is this happening to me?” “That is something we will have to discover together – if you will trust me to help that is.” Akasa nods, “I – I do your highness.” Aurora nods and smiles again, “Very good. Now, let us see this shield spell of yours.” “Are – are you sure? I mean, last time… With the fire and all…” “Dear, Miss Sparkle here is the most accomplished Unicorn mage in recent times, hence why it is such a privilege for her to be your tutor. If she cannot counter a foal’s spell gone wrong, then I think we have larger things to worry about…” Aurora laughs as the filly smiles a bit. But beside them both Twilight looks a bit nervous. The Empress gets back to her hooves and takes a few steps away before turning and nodding to Twilight. “Alright Akasa, just like we practiced okay?” the lavender Unicorn coaches. “Just clear your mind and think of that soap bubble like we did the other day.” From my vantage near the entry I can see that both the Empress’ and Twilight’s horns are glowing softly – spells are prepared, waiting. Twilight looks nervous, the Empress wears a passive expression – no doubt a poker face born of generations of practice. The little filly on the other hoof stands between them with her head lowered, squinting in concentration as a few fitful sparks of magic pop from her horn and fade out. Twilight takes a step forward and lowers her head, “Just clear your mind Akasa, feel the magic and just shape a soap …” The next few seconds pass in a blur; before me multihued lights of violet and blue dance in geometric patterns as the sound of an ocean fills my ears and I lay them flat against my skull. I can just slightly smell the odor of singed wood in the air as I wince at the lights and sound. My eyes tear from it all, but I can just make out the little filly suspended above the stone floor in a scintillating sphere of bright light. She makes a stifled little scream and I get the distinct impression something very bad is going on. “Twilight! Bring your shield in just around hers, cancel her magic – I shall take care of the others! When I say, close it off – completely. Not even air!” The Empress shouts above the roaring sound and slowly moves towards the filly, “Akasa! Akasa – can you hear me? You must gain control of the spell!” The Empress takes each step deliberately, head down and ears flat, as if moving against a hurricane wind. Her mane and tail whip around behind her as she approaches the sobbing filly. “Akasa! Focus on my voice! Please! I need to you take a deep breath, the deepest you can and hold it! Do it for me dear! Now!” The sobbing stops for a moment and Aurora yells, “Twilight! NOW!” There is a subtle pop as the flames around the filly are snuffed out, and a heartbeat later the bright purple barrier of the Unicorn vanishes as the floating blue and purple lights that separated me from the inferno also wink out, and Aurora catches the filly in her telekinetic magic. The Empress kneels once more, “Sergeant, your cloak please.” I step forward and unhook the clasp with my mouth as I feel the wool lifted from me. She folds it and lays it on the flagstone floor, and then gently lays Akasa upon it, before draping the rest over her like a blanket. “Breathe…” There is a small gasp, and then quiet sobs between “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” “Shh, quiet now dear. All is well.” Aurora nuzzles the filly’s forelock, “Rest now. You will awaken at home with your dam and sire shortly.” A few moments pass before Aurora stands, “Clyde, make sure she stays sleeping. If she starts to stir, let me know immediately.” I nod, and she motions for Twilight to follow her over to where the Celestial has been sitting this whole time. They confer for some few minutes out of my earshot as I look down upon the sleeping filly. She is truly one of the rare Alicorns, with fledgling wings and a short little horn. I wondered if all Alicorns were like this… This display of raw magical ability frightened me a bit, truth be told. “She should be magically exhausted for several days after that…” The Empress, Twilight, and the wolf approach. “If you would return her home Twilight, I feel she will be safe. In fact, it will probably be difficult to get her to cast anything for a while out of base fear… I would suggest working on her control – give her plenty of reading assignments for now, and save the practical work for when we have a better handle on this.” Twilight nods, “I agree, a workable plan. I will send a letter to Canterlot with our observations here and see if the Princesses have ever seen the like.” Twilight gently lifts the blanketed filly in her magic and proceeds up the stairs. The Empress turns to the wolf, “You have been conspicuously silent my Friend – even for you. What are your thoughts?” The wolf stares straight at me while he speaks. “The filly stirs memories from long ago my Liege, before even the time of ponies… Ill memories. I shall speak no more of it until more is known, lest I alter the course of events unfavorably.” She looks at him quizzically for a moment before determining that was obviously all she was going to get. “Very well. Miss Sparkle will report to the regents of Equestria and learn what they may know. I will peruse the library at Roanoak for anything that may link into this puzzle as well.” She looks to me, “Are you ready for a return trip Clyde? I have research to attend, and you have a report to deliver – and we should both be about our tasks before the night grows too long…” I steel my resolve and nod, once, “I am ready Aurora.” She smiles at me, “Quick learner – I like that…”
Summons Aurora sighs quietly and shifts a bit on the large velvet cushion that makes up her seat of office. It is quite old, and somewhat lumpy – and although she’s worn an Aurora-shaped indentation into it over the years, it is still just uncomfortable enough to make her desire to be elsewhere. At the foot of her throne two ponies bicker back and forth over some point that, honestly, she’d stopped paying much attention to some time ago. They are dressed in the best of business attire and look very stately; though she finds the current fashion trends a bit over-stated and lacking in subtlety – but she is also decidedly old-fashioned. The argument before her has something to do with ‘intellectual property’; a relatively new term that was still being bandied about in the royal council - and one that she honestly did not follow completely. But before she drifted off into thoughts of acquiring a new pillow for the throne, she did manage to pick up a bit of the immediate problem... Apparently the pony on her left has a collection of pistons and gears that is entirely too similar to collection of pistons and gears belonging to the pony on her right. And while this seems to be a real problem for them, the problem for her is, as near as she can tell, neither set of pistons and gears actually do anything. The mechanisms in both cases are simple demonstrations of vague ideas and suppositions of what might be - but these two seem to be quite intent on arguing, loudly, about who the ideas and suppositions rightfully belonged to. And, frankly, it made her head hurt… Fortunately, her function here today is one of simple window dressing. As the monarch of Roanoak her reasons for taking the throne tended to center around larger problems; issues of international scale or of sweeping scope that impacted everypony. She had appointed a council of ponies who rather seemed to enjoy endless deliberations over ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, and they tended to these smaller cases for her. In fact, she rarely attends low court except when her ‘royal councilor of legal affairs’ requests it – much like today. He is quietly conferring with the lovely mare who makes detailed notes for him during these law-making sessions. The mare, for her part, is looking though her reading glasses at a genuinely enormous pile of ‘prior art’. She shuffles through layers of parchment as she ticks off sets of numbers and the councilor nods. Aurora trusts his judgment in these matters… He was a good pony – hoof picked by her specifically for precedent-setting situations like this one; he would ensure the outcome was just and that all of the parties involved were happy… She was just here to make it official. It was not long ago that a heated discussion like the one going on at the foot of her throne would have been over property lines for two farms, or perhaps a trade issue between a few merchants. But these are different times indeed… She looks across the throne room and lets her thoughts wander; the tall stained glass windows that line the hall cast a multitude of slanting shafts of light into the room and ignite motes of dust into slow motion whirls of firework hues, and she thinks back to the early days of Roanoak, when all was but settlers and small farms. In general back then most of Roanoak was comprised of hearty Earth ponies from the northern badlands looking for a greener future. Now, granted, there were the occasional scholarly Unicorns looking for new discoveries to write about, and in turn garner the praise of other scholarly Unicorns. And there were a few Pegasus ponies as well – but they tended to be loners looking for challenge and adventure, as is their way. A hoof touches her shoulder, “Empress?” a voice whispers. “Yes chamberlain?” The pony next to her bows, “Your highness, there is an urgent request from one of the Equestrian emissaries, a ‘Twilight Sparkle’. It is regarding a student at the school in Trotsdale, a student who seems to have developed a bit of a 'magical issue' as she termed it.” Aurora turns her head and looks at the chamberlain, “Unicorn foals often have bouts of uncontrolled magic – this is why they attend classes, to learn control. Why would this regard me?” He shakes his head, “No ma'am, not a Unicorn – an Alicorn. Miss Sparkle would not go into details, but has requested your presence at the library in town as soon as you are able.” She blinks a few times. While Alicorns were indeed rare, they are simply another possible but highly unlikely outcome of any foaling. One thing they did do though is present unique challenges for schooling and often required one-on-on tutoring, for they possess the abilities of all three of the pony tribes: Earth pony size and earth magics, Pegasus pony wings and air magics, and Unicorn pony horns and elemental magics. But they also tend to be weaker in each aspect – their greater size making them rather clumsy flyers, and their lightness of frame for flight making them fragile for farm work. And while they can eventually be quite competent with magic, they simply are not as versatile as a Unicorn Pony. They can also be ‘called to the crown’, a term used to denote an irresistible pull to distant lands where the they will assume the mantle of royalty, and with it gain immense responsibility, a measure of immortality, and considerable magical power. Mayhap this is Twlight’s concern? A 'magical issue'? It would be unprecedented for one to be called so young… Regardless, she sees a chance to escape the dreadful bore of court and takes advantage of it. “I see. Since their arrival I have never seen the Equestrian emissaries to be overly demonstrative, so I will infer that there is a good reason for this request…” She turns to her legal councilor, “Phoenix, I will leave the righting of this situation in your capable hooves for I am needed elsewhere,” and then nods to the bickering ponies before her as she rises from the cushion. One of the two ponies looks shocked, “But, your highness, our grievance here today is not a matter to be settled by anyone other than your illustrious self. We simply will not take the ruling of the councilor as the final word on this iss..” Aurora is very large as far as pony-folk go, the average pony coming only to her chest height-wise, and she uses her imposing stature as she turns to face the pony, wings slightly unfurled, to silence him. “Phoenix was appointed by me specifically for his expertise in matters such as these. It would be wise of you to find his ruling to your liking - despite your feelings otherwise.” Even in these modern times of steam and electricity, the Voice of the Empress has the desired effect; instantly quelling the argument with bent knee and bowed head. Aurora carefully settles her wings back along her sides, “Now, chamberlain, I shall respond to this urgent summons from Miss Sparkle. I will depart within the hour, please see to it that she is informed.” “Of course milady Aurora.”
In Her Majesty's Imperial Guard A sharp bang echoes through the castle courtyard. I stagger, dazed, and take a step backwards – and my blade slips from my slackened jaws. The heavy barding I wear suddenly seeming to feel ten times heavier as the world explodes into rainbow colors from another blow to my crested helmet. In front of me the image of Imperious, the imperial guard captain, blurs in and out of focus. He is rearing slightly, and a grim look of determination is upon his white muzzle as the halberd he wields whistles in a complicated arc. The weapon glows translucently in the color of his spellcraft and flits about as if possessed of a will of its own – all but impossible to follow. I manage to get my hooves under me in the split-second it takes for him to reset his stance, and I concentrate. I can feel the polished stonework beneath my hooves; solid, timeless – as immovable as the very foundations of this castle and I draw strength from them. My awareness reaches outwards; trees and grasses along the hills around the castle slumber under winter's snow… Another thunderous bang resonates through the courtyard as the captain’s glowing halberd finds its mark. The impact upon my armor is deafening, yet I am unmoved… The spell-crafted halberd explodes in a shower of flashing motes of energy as I redirect the force into the stone under my hooves, where it is harmlessly dissipated with a slight tremor felt throughout the castle’s courtyard. In the space between one heartbeat and the next I rock backwards onto my hindquarters and with an explosive leap, launch myself at my now disarmed captain. My only hope is to use my greater Earth pony size and mass to drive his smaller Unicorn frame and either wind him or bear him to the ground. And then everything goes wrong… The insult to the injury of my mistake is seeing the smirk on his muzzle as I approach at a full gallop, and at that instant I know I am done for. I feel only the faintest impact of armor as he uses my mass and momentum to delicately pirouette to the side, avoiding my charge all together. I catch a glimmer of something ensnared in his telekinetic grip streak towards me from out of the corner of my eye… The Unicorn breed are, in general, fragile in armored combat and are not possessed of great strength – but they are wickedly precise. The hit I receive is not terribly powerful, but as the pommel of my own sword connects with my side, right in the chainmail that separates the solid slats of metal along my sides with the ridged croupier over my hindquarters, my near hind leg immediately goes numb. The combination of armor weight, momentum, numbness, and slight off-balance from the sword’s impact send me sprawling over the flagstone of the courtyard. And as I slide to a stop the captain trots over to the disheveled pile of armor and appraises my state with a field surgeon’s eye. He nods once, and my sword clatters to the ground before my muzzle. He chuckles as he offers me a hoof up, “Your practice is coming along nicely. I had hoped to keep you too busy being bell-rung to channel a protection. Excellent work.” And once I have re-armed and secured my weapon he leads me back over to the other assembled guards where I take my place in the line. I move with a bit of a limp, but feeling is returning to my hind leg – and with it a pins and needles sensation that sets my teeth on edge… I will have to ask how he did that. The captain paces back to a position where he can address the group. “Alright… Analysis. Sergeant Spark?” A white Unicorn mare of blazing red mane and tail, wearing light armor snaps to attention, “Sir. The corporal should have taken advantage of your disarmed state to re-arm himself. This would have put him at a tactical advantage over an unarmed yet more agile foe.” The captain nods, “Indeed.” He turns back to face us and continues, “In any combat situation there are many unknowns. Your best weapon, always, is to control as many of the known elements as possible – terrain, weapons, supplies, and even simple information. Keep your wits about you, always, they are your greatest ally.” He paces the line as he speaks, “In this scenario it eventually came down to two combatants and one weapon. Against a telekinetic foe, leaving a loose weapon lying about is a quick ticket to the infirmary. Otherwise the corporal did admirably with being able to snap-cast a protection even under assault. You all saw the effectiveness of such a protection, especially against spellcrafted weapons. This is a very effective tactic against magical constructs as it takes time and preparation to conjure another. Time and preparation your opponent will not have if you control the known elements of the situation...” As the captain speaks another pony in castle livery trots up and interrupts him. “Captain Imperious! I have been looking all over for you!” Imperious turns, “Chamberlain – it is Saturday, we drill on Saturdays, we drill in the courtyard, therefore I would be in the courtyard would I not?” “Well – yes, but…” Imperious cuts him off, “Speak quickly and succinctly Chamberlain, to do otherwise belies a lack of purpose to your interruption.” The chamberlain blinks a few times before clearing his throat and continuing. “The lady Aurora will be departing Morgan castle within the hour for a trip to Trotsdale. The purpose for the visit has something to do with one of the Equestrian emissaries, a Miss Twilight Sparkle, and protocol requires the Empress travel with a guard.” “Indeed.” Imperious turns tail to the chamberlain and looks at me, “Corporal. Get yourself cleaned up. The uniform of the day will be winter dress - report to me at the Empress’ study in thirty. Dismissed.” -=- - I wind my way through the subterranean tunnels in Morgan towards the barracks for a quick shower and into my dress uniform. Fortunately our duty roster makes allowances for such events, as we are resident at the castle on two-week rotations – so my dress uniform is here, and not in my wardrobe at home. I manage to get cleaned up, get my mess of a mane and tail into some semblance of order, and into uniform with a few minutes to spare. And five minutes later I trot up to Imperious who is waiting outside of the heavy oaken door to the Empress’ study. I salute and then stand at attention as he looks me over critically, stopping to telekinetically adjust the rank insignia on my collar, before pronouncing “It will have to do. At ease corporal.” I relax a bit. “So, have you ever met the Empress corporal?” “No sir – not in any official capacity sir.” He chuckles, “The first thing to know is she is not big on genuflection. End sentences with ‘ma’am’, but do not be moon-eyed about the whole thing. Other than that, treat her with the same respect you would with your superior officer, for she is.” “Yes sir.” He turns and raps upon the door with a hoof, and from within is heard “Enter.” The door opens and I follow the captain into the room and take a position at attention to his right. I cannot help but look around the room. Pretty much everything in here is older than my grandsire and it has an … old sort of smell. Not a bad smell really, but like that of an ancient forest. The various shelves are covered in odd knickknacks that must have a hundred interesting tales, and a few ancient paintings hang here and there – probably worth a fortune – but they all feature the Empress in various historical settings. I glance from a painting to the Empress to see if the rumors are true; that she is indeed unchanging from generations past, and am met with her intense emerald gaze and a slight smile. I can feel a blush rising, tinting the thin fur of my muzzle rose as I snap my gaze straight ahead and back to attention – and I hear her giggle a bit. “Good morning Imperious, a pleasure to see you once again. To what do I owe the honor of your presence – and that of the corporal here?” “Ma’am.” Imperious nods a bit of an officious bow, “I was informed you would be travelling today – corporal Dale here is assigned to you for this outing.” The Empress arches an eyebrow, “A guard for a trip to Trotsdale?” “Indeed ma’am, as you know it is protocol that the regent abroad be accompanied by at least one guard.” “But, Trotsdale?” She looks incredulous; “Trotsdale is but an hour from the castle and well within the bounds of Roanoak my dear captain. What could possibly happen there?” Imperious stands firm, “Nothing, your majesty, but appearances are what they are and certain images must be upheld. Lieutenant Dale here lives within a short distance of Trotsdale, and may be of use in your dealings there. This is also training for the corporal, for legitimate needs when the Empress is truly abroad.” She sighs, “Very well.” And looks over to where I am standing – I can literally feel her gaze as the sizes me up… I feel a bit like a bug under a microscope. “So, corporal Dale is it? Hast thou ever travelled by portal? It is quite the experience I gather, and I will be keen to hear your impressions when we arrive in Trotsdale.” I can just barely make out the captain’s snicker at her words, and wonder what I have gotten I myself into.
Some Assembly Required It is winter in Roanoak, and the world seems to slumber under a fluffy white blanket of snow. It is a time of ice-skating and well tended fireplaces, hot cocoa and holidays. But now, with Hearth’s Warming recently behind them, the ponies of Trotsdale are slowly getting back to the business of the year ahead. Trotsdale itself is a town just like any other, for the most part; ponies in scarves and hats come and go, merchants and shoppers haggle over prices in the crisp air, and foals romp around in the snow of the town square. The town square is a large area, about a city block in size, and just inside of its borders of sidewalk and decorative wrought iron fencing is a park-like expanse dotted with a few large oak trees. The square serves as the public meeting spot for the in-town ponies, and it also makes for a right nice place to rest one’s hooves on a shopping day. Currently the square hosts a large fire pit containing an equally large fire, and some twenty ponies are gathered about it in groups, warming up as they discuss the day. To the north of the square sits the town hall, a large and official looking building topped with the big clock that merrily chimes out the hours for the busy ponies below. To the east and west of the square are rows of shops, each painted colorfully according to the owner’s tastes – and ideas as to what color combination will attract business. The buildings themselves are a sort-of fancy Manehattan style; most are two stories tall for the shop below and home for the shopkeepers above, and they all have big bay windows full of wondrous items that look out over the cobblestones of the busy square. The shops themselves are as varied as the ponies who live here – clothiers, jewelers, the bank, and other fancier establishments on one end of town, a farmer’s market, blacksmith, and other such trades on the other. Pretty much anything a pony could be looking for can be found in Trotsdale, and that is where the differences between Trotsdale and any other prosperous pony town start to become apparent. Many of the signs in front of the stores have several languages, some of the items in the shop windows are truly foreign in both make and purpose, and if one watches long enough they will soon see that there is more to Trotsdale than just ponies. This is the town I grew up in. I have galloped along every meandering cobblestone path that lies amongst the forested hills and valleys of the surrounding countryside. And many times I have travelled the wide central road that runs east to west, tying the far ends of Roanoak together. Even the sight of castle Morgan’s spires, several hours away by hoof to the north, is familiar enough to me I no longer really notice. But, right now none of that matters. Right now my only real thought centers around not looking like a foal in front of the Empress, and that entails keeping my breakfast where it belongs… -=- - The Empress turns her gaze back to the captain, “I shall gather what I require and be on my way to Trotsdale – with the corporal as you require. Is there aught else captain?” “Nay milady.” He shakes his head and returns once more to rigid attention. “Then you are dismissed captain,” She slightly nods her horn at me, “I am certain the corporal will keep you abreast of what develops in his report.” My captain salutes, turns smartly, and departs – closing the heavy door silently behind him, and leaving me alone with the Empress of Roanoak. She eyes me curiously for a moment before rising fluidly from the large pillow on her side of the desk. “Be at ease corporal.” I suddenly realize I had been holding my breath since she had addressed me, and I will myself to relax a bit - lowering my muzzle and settling back to a position of parade rest. She fairly glides around the desk to stand before it, and she is tall… Really tall… I mean, am a bit bigger than most in my battalion being farm stock and all, but the Empress looks down at me from at least a head’s height above me – maybe even a bit more. “Corporal Dale,” as she speaks, several items sitting on a nearby bookshelf are surrounded in the lavender of her telekinetic magic and float into an open satchel that is similarly held aloft. “As I am certain Imperious has mentioned, I am not one to stand on an overabundance of protocol. Therefore, when we are in public you will address me by my title. You will not bow in my presence for that takes your eyes off of those around us – a simple nod will suffice. And in private I am to be addressed by my name - after a few hundred years of ‘your highness’ one seeks the familiarity of one’s own name.” She flares her wings for a moment; the satchel, an under-wing model with straps that perfectly match her coat color and buckles of what appear to be gold, fastens itself about her barrel and she carefully folds her wings once more. She smiles at me, “Is this acceptable corporal?” “Yes ma’am … I mean, yes – Empress …” “Aurora – my name is Aurora.” “Yes, Aurora.” “Very good.” She chuckles as she turns to a full-length mirror and lifts a silver tiara from a shelf on the other side of the study. She places it upon her head, just behind her long horn, and then telekinetically picks up a brush and adjusts her mane as she speaks. “Now, what is thy name young corporal? If thou art to address me as a Friend, I would ask of thee the same boon in recompense.” Her change of language to the archaic mode often associated with the Royals takes me off guard. “Ma’am?” I wince, “I – I mean Aurora…” She grins and looks at me sidelong with one brilliant green eye, “That would be my name young corporal – I asked for yours.” I tilt my head in confusion – was the immortal Alicorn regent of Castle Morgan, the right royal Empress of Roanoak herself, having a bit of fun at my expense? This was certainly not what I had expected an audience with the Empress to be like. I stammer, “Clyde. My, my name is Clyde.” “Clyde” she turns from the mirror and dips her head graciously to me. “It is a pleasure to meet you Clyde, and I thank you for the familiarity.” The brush settles on the shelf near the mirror as she paces slowly back to the center of the room. “In a position such as mine, one is rarely afforded the chance to actually know anypony. Any encounter tends to be one of the crown, and met with bended knee and supplication – it is difficult to maintain one’s sense of self in such an environment, so I prefer to be myself around my guardians.” I nod, “I am honored Aurora.” She smiles, “Excellent. We are awaiting one more member for this particular outing,” She turns her head and looks out at the forest beyond the leaded windows of her study. “And he should be along at any moment.” As if on cue, a shaft of sunlight slants though the window and brightly illuminates an area just to the left of the Empress’ desk. Small motes of dust flash and sparkle as they slowly float through the brightly lit air for a moment, and then suddenly move about with purpose as if being arranged into patterns. The shaft of sunlight fades just as quickly, and leaves a deep blue ambiance behind that coalesces into the shape of an enormous wolf. The flashing motes quickly settle into the appearance of a starry sky within the bounds of the wolf-shaped void, and with a bright flash a single star upon the wolf’s brow ignites brightly as it turns to face the Empress, and … bows. “My liege.” It rumbles deeply. She nods to the beast graciously, “My dear Painless – it is good to see thee once more, my friend.” She then motions towards me with a forehoof. “Allow me to introduce Clyde, he shall be my appointed Imperial guard for this trip.” The wolf turns its huge manned head in my direction and its eyes are like bright stars as it looks at me. A moment passes and then it nods and rumbles, “Well met corporal.” It turns back to the Empress, “Shall I await thee in the courtyard, my liege?” She nods, and with a flicker of her horn the door to the study opens for the ghostly blue wolf as it pads silently out of the room. I hear a light giggle and realize I am staring at the now closed door with my mouth agape, and forgetting protocol entirely I blurt out. “What – what was that?” Aurora chuckles, “That was a Celestial Beast... Specifically a Canis Major – though I prefer to use the name he was given by Star Swirl of, ‘Painless’.” She nods at my eyes going wide with the mention of the name, “He is a … gift to the princesses Royal of Equestria from days long past.” She gathers one more scroll and tucks it away in her satchel as she continues, “In days long ago there were but two Royals, the Princesses of Equestria, and Painless’ geas is to serve those worthy of the Oath Bond. Apparently old Star Swirl never foresaw me, and I seem to fit the criteria for the Oath Bond too – so Painless attends to me on occasion as well. He comes and goes as he pleases, but his presence is always an omen and I have come to value his presence when he deems he is needed.” As she moves towards the study door she stops and smiles at me. “He is ancient – far, far older than even Celestia and he is very wise. But his defeat at the hooves of Star Swirl diminished him greatly. He contains a great power, but it is not his own to control anymore – and this makes him a great ally to us.” She looks back to the door as it opens, “Are you ready?” I nod. She motions towards the door with a tilt of her head, “Then by all means corporal – deliver me unto the courtyard so that we may be underway.” -=- - I lead the Empress to the courtyard and, as it had said, the wolf is sitting there staring off at something only it could see. I enter the open space first and then behind me a few paces the Empress also enters. The instant one of her royally shod hooves touches the flagstone of the courtyard the wolf rises from its sitting position and turns to bow once more. This ‘Celestial Whatsit’ is just downright creepy and I vow to keep a close eye on it. The Empress looks up at the brilliant blue sky for a moment, and then closes her eyes and inhales deeply. She holds that breath for a moment before exhaling a plume of steam into the cold winter air and smiling. “It shall snow this evening.” She announces matter-of-factly and then nods. “It is good then that we will be travelling magically.” She looks to the wolf and I, “Normally I would just fly to Trotsdale is it is a mere hour as the Pegasus fly and the trip is quite relaxing. But as time is of the essence and the trip by hoof is several hours… Well, you should find this interesting at the very least.” There is no real fanfare or preparation, she merely closes her eyes and lifts her head, her horn ignites with purple light, and the ground for a few meters around her bursts into a series of faintly glowing mystic symbols and oddly patterned circles. Before her, at about her eye-level and some five or so meters distant, a small point of light forms. Around the light the world suddenly twists and appears to spiral inwards. I have to look away; something about the effect makes be feel as if I am looking down an impossibly deep hole. And it is not the hole so much that upsets as it is the strange sensation where what I am seeing just does not make sense – a sort of odd fuzziness in my head brought about by part of me trying to figure out what I am seeing, and the rest steadfastly refusing to believe it. Interesting. She did say ‘interesting’ – this was not interesting, this was disconcerting. I hear her voice next to me, “Go ahead corporal – it is safe.” Go ahead? What does she mean ‘go ahead’? I look around and note that the wolf is gone. Rationally I assume he walked into that gaping hole in reality, but the little colt in the back of my mind assumes he is around here somewhere and I just can’t see him. This has to be some sort of mistake – I mean, why don’t we just walk to Trotsdale? I do it all the time; it is only a few hours, tops. This swirling … thing just was not normal and there was no way it could be safe. Nope, not safe in the slightest… A light laughter breaks into my thoughts, like tiny silver bells, and I am brought back to the empty courtyard and the spell the Empress was casting. She looks down at me with – understanding? That smile, that is the same as a mare coaxing her foal to take their first steps – I have seen it many times… “It is perfectly safe Clyde – you can trust me on that – the first time is always the worst, but I assure you nothing but maybe a little vertigo awaits you.” I nod, and feel a bit ashamed at my reaction to this spell. I live in a world of magic, the strange and unusual is a part of the very air I breathe, then why is this so different? “You mistrust this because it is not commonplace. Only very skilled Unicorns can teleport themselves, and only the most powerful of them can move another across space. You know this happens, you have heard tales of it – but here it is, right in front of you, and it is no mere tale.” She smiles again and nods at my internal questions, “Yes, it happens to everypony – this is why there is none but you and I here. Your fears are safe with me young Clyde. But if you are to be my protector, then this is something you shall have to get used to.” She nods towards the spell. I nod again. Her protector. Yes. That is why I am here after all. I cannot let a little thing like a spell get in the way of that. I steel myself, take a deep breath, and step into the vortex. It feels a bit like falling – but by the time you notice, you get the sensation your middle is falling towards your front and away from your behind. But the worst part is that split second where your hind hooves are where you were, and your front hooves are where you are going… And in a heartbeat I am weaving slightly in front of the Trotsdale Library building and feeling decidedly green. The wolf, who has probably been sitting here for a few minutes now, simply watches me, expressionless as I struggle to look as if nothing just happened. There is a slight fluttering of large feathers and the Empress trots to a stop next to me. I look up and am rewarded with a subtle smile and a quick wink before she looks to the wolf, “Are they here?” It nods once, “Below, in the storage rooms of this building my liege – Miss Sparkle and a filly await.”
Akasa With all of us present, the Empress turns and moves with purpose towards the large double doors of the library. Her long strides force me to trot to keep up, and as she approaches the entry for the building there is a flicker of magic, and the oaken doors open before us. The Trotsdale library is a two-story building, with the upper floor being an open gallery that looks down upon the bookshelves, tables, and pillows below. The dark wood paneled walls and gas lamps give the large open room a more intimate, peaceful feeling, and the rows upon rows of books muffle all stray sounds. Above the central gallery is a roof made entirely curved glass and iron supporting frameworks, and it allows sunlight to slant down and illuminate the low desks in the center of the room. Just inside the main doors sits a curved desk, one that is intended for information and returns. The mare that tends the desk barely even gets in a bow between the moment she notices the doors opening, and when the Empress has already swept past her. She glances up at me from her bow with a curious expression, and I give her my best ‘I have no idea’ look as I trot past, desperate to keep up. The Empress sails through the library like one of the Imperial airships at full steam, and I have a hard time keeping her in sight as she navigates her way to a back corner of the room. As I round a corner she has just passed, I slide a bit on the polished wood floor as I try to stop quickly and avoid running into her. She is standing before a dark stairwell that leads down below the building; the door is already open. She looks over her shoulder at me, and with a smile motions with her head for me to head down the stairs and into the basement. The stairwell is quite dark; thick wooden slats line the narrow staircase and the boards of the stairs creak a bit as I settle each hoof. I take a moment to acclimate to the gloom as I come to a landing below floor level, and making the turn for the next set of stairs I can see the wavering light of lamps coming from below. I carefully make my way down the last flight of stairs and enter a large stone room that I assume to be only slightly smaller than the library above. To my right are several alcoves that use floor to ceiling bookshelves as walls. The light in the room comes from hanging oil lamps suspended over a few chaotic workbenches, all of which are covered in scraps of parchment and old books. Ahead of me are the thick iron bars of what appears to be a dungeon cell, though the contents of the cell are simply – more books. In the center of the room are two ponies; a mare and a filly. These two must be the ponies the Empress was here to see. One, the filly, is dark of coat and has a deep burgundy mane, and also has a decidedly frightened expression as she looks down at her hooves. The other is a young Unicorn mare of lavender coat and blue mane, with unusual purple stripes, and she is standing near the filly with a look of concern. In the far corner of the room, hidden in shadow, I can just barely make out the large form of … the celestial wolf? But... How? It was outside and I know it did not pass us in the library above… I nod and mutter to myself, “Creepy,” and I swear I hear a chuckle come from the far corner. Satisfied that the room is safe I step a few paces forward as to vacate the stairwell and to have an unobstructed view of the room, and I come to attention as is proper. I clear my throat and announce, “Attend! The right royal Empress of Roanoak, her highness Aurora.” The lavender mare smiles, and the filly seems to shrink a bit as the Empress enters the lamplight from the darkened stairwell. She nods to the mare, “Good afternoon, Miss Sparkle. I take it this is the filly you spoke of?” She turns and looks at the cowering filly. “Empress. Yes – this is Akasa, the filly I have been tutoring.” The lavender mare motions to the filly next to her, “She has been experiencing some highly unusual magical problems, and as she is one of your subjects, I felt it best you be informed.” The Empress turns to face the filly, “Akasa is it?” The filly, still looking down at her hooves and with her long forelock covering her eyes, takes an involuntary step back and in a quiet voice, “Y-yes, your highness.” Aurora looks back to Twilight, who merely motions with a forehoof for the Empress to continue. “Dear – there is nothing to be afraid of. I am here to help.” She folds her long legs under her to lie upon the flagstone floor before the frightened filly, to be less intimidating, and reaches out with the tip of a wing to gently move the filly’s mane aside. “Come now little one, be calm – no harm will come to you here.” “I-I don’t want to be sent away…” The Empress looks back to Twilight, who looks just as confused, and then back to the filly, “Why would anyone send you away dear?” “B-because my magic is dangerous… I was just practicing a shield spell and – and things caught on fire… Nopony wants somepony dangerous around. The others at school said so.” Akasa sniffles a bit. Aurora uses the tip of her outstretched wing to gently lift the filly’s chin, and smiles at her a moment before speaking, “I do not see a dangerous pony here. A dangerous pony would not be worried about harming others, even accidentally.” She locks the filly’s gaze with her own, “And that is why I am here little one, to see if perhaps I can shed a little light on your situation. After all, we are very similar, you and I.” The filly sniffles and nods, “Why is this happening to me?” “That is something we will have to discover together – if you will trust me to help that is.” Akasa nods, “I – I do your highness.” Aurora nods and smiles again, “Very good. Now, let us see this shield spell of yours.” “Are – are you sure? I mean, last time… With the fire and all…” “Dear, Miss Sparkle here is the most accomplished Unicorn mage in recent times, hence why it is such a privilege for her to be your tutor. If she cannot counter a foal’s spell gone wrong, then I think we have larger things to worry about…” Aurora laughs as the filly smiles a bit. But beside them both Twilight looks a bit nervous. The Empress gets back to her hooves and takes a few steps away before turning and nodding to Twilight. “Alright Akasa, just like we practiced okay?” the lavender Unicorn coaches. “Just clear your mind and think of that soap bubble like we did the other day.” From my vantage near the entry I can see that both the Empress’ and Twilight’s horns are glowing softly – spells are prepared, waiting. Twilight looks nervous, the Empress wears a passive expression – no doubt a poker face born of generations of practice. The little filly on the other hoof stands between them with her head lowered, squinting in concentration as a few fitful sparks of magic pop from her horn and fade out. Twilight takes a step forward and lowers her head, “Just clear your mind Akasa, feel the magic and just shape a soap …” The next few seconds pass in a blur; before me multihued lights of violet and blue dance in geometric patterns as the sound of an ocean fills my ears and I lay them flat against my skull. I can just slightly smell the odor of singed wood in the air as I wince at the lights and sound. My eyes tear from it all, but I can just make out the little filly suspended above the stone floor in a scintillating sphere of bright light. She makes a stifled little scream and I get the distinct impression something very bad is going on. “Twilight! Bring your shield in just around hers, cancel her magic – I shall take care of the others! When I say, close it off – completely. Not even air!” The Empress shouts above the roaring sound and slowly moves towards the filly, “Akasa! Akasa – can you hear me? You must gain control of the spell!” The Empress takes each step deliberately, head down and ears flat, as if moving against a hurricane wind. Her mane and tail whip around behind her as she approaches the sobbing filly. “Akasa! Focus on my voice! Please! I need to you take a deep breath, the deepest you can and hold it! Do it for me dear! Now!” The sobbing stops for a moment and Aurora yells, “Twilight! NOW!” There is a subtle pop as the flames around the filly are snuffed out, and a heartbeat later the bright purple barrier of the Unicorn vanishes as the floating blue and purple lights that separated me from the inferno also wink out, and Aurora catches the filly in her telekinetic magic. The Empress kneels once more, “Sergeant, your cloak please.” I step forward and unhook the clasp with my mouth as I feel the wool lifted from me. She folds it and lays it on the flagstone floor, and then gently lays Akasa upon it, before draping the rest over her like a blanket. “Breathe…” There is a small gasp, and then quiet sobs between “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” “Shh, quiet now dear. All is well.” Aurora nuzzles the filly’s forelock, “Rest now. You will awaken at home with your dam and sire shortly.” A few moments pass before Aurora stands, “Clyde, make sure she stays sleeping. If she starts to stir, let me know immediately.” I nod, and she motions for Twilight to follow her over to where the Celestial has been sitting this whole time. They confer for some few minutes out of my earshot as I look down upon the sleeping filly. She is truly one of the rare Alicorns, with fledgling wings and a short little horn. I wondered if all Alicorns were like this… This display of raw magical ability frightened me a bit, truth be told. “She should be magically exhausted for several days after that…” The Empress, Twilight, and the wolf approach. “If you would return her home Twilight, I feel she will be safe. In fact, it will probably be difficult to get her to cast anything for a while out of base fear… I would suggest working on her control – give her plenty of reading assignments for now, and save the practical work for when we have a better handle on this.” Twilight nods, “I agree, a workable plan. I will send a letter to Canterlot with our observations here and see if the Princesses have ever seen the like.” Twilight gently lifts the blanketed filly in her magic and proceeds up the stairs. The Empress turns to the wolf, “You have been conspicuously silent my Friend – even for you. What are your thoughts?” The wolf stares straight at me while he speaks. “The filly stirs memories from long ago my Liege, before even the time of ponies… Ill memories. I shall speak no more of it until more is known, lest I alter the course of events unfavorably.” She looks at him quizzically for a moment before determining that was obviously all she was going to get. “Very well. Miss Sparkle will report to the regents of Equestria and learn what they may know. I will peruse the library at Roanoak for anything that may link into this puzzle as well.” She looks to me, “Are you ready for a return trip Clyde? I have research to attend, and you have a report to deliver – and we should both be about our tasks before the night grows too long…” I steel my resolve and nod, once, “I am ready Aurora.” She smiles at me, “Quick learner – I like that…”
