//------------------------------// // Twilight: Vigilance // Story: Game of Worlds // by DualThrone //------------------------------// “Very large seems like an understatement,” Twilight said as they stood, staring up at the side of the immense vessel. “I’ve never seen anything this large, or read about it.” “It’s even bigger than the old quarry barges,” Dawn said. “I’ll bet a hulk like this maneuvers like a nauseated beached whale.” “I wonder what she’s doing up there,” Rarity said. “For all her talking, she doesn’t actually say anything about her intentions. She’s here to get a ‘Crystal Heart’ from a vanished empire, but doesn’t say what it’s for. She says she’s on a hero’s journey to correct mismanagement, but not how. She talks about ponies she’s failed to help as if she had killed them herself instead…” “She really believes that,” Pinkamena said. “Yup,” Applejack said. “When she said she’d killed a whole lot, she was bein’ totally honest.” “She is hurting,” Pinkie said. “I think she has been for a very, very long time. I don’t think her Father was really talking about himself and her when he played those three chess games. A great sacrifice for victory. Killing the strongest piece with the weakest. Making the first move and asking if you saw what you expected to see, then chiding you for risking a pawn to save your king.” “He was telling us about the plan,” Dawn said. “Dunno what the first part’s about, but killing the strongest piece with the weakest? Betcha that’s Canceros going after Mom. She said he’d be hard for her to fight, and it sounded like she put a backup in place to kill him in case Mom couldn’t.” “And he as much as said that she’s responding to someone else making the first move,” Twilight said. “Which is likely the players of the Game doing something, and her responding to them. Zambet is her ‘minister’ in that scenario and Mother is the princess, but who is the king?” “The ‘king’ is Celestia’s little ponies.” Penumbra said, looking down at them from the very tall railing of the barge-like vessel, nonchalantly balancing on it. “I would think that was obvious.” “So the chess game was about you?” “In a way,” Penumbra said. “Father doesn’t waste his time doing only one thing at once. He was telling you about himself, about me, about my plans, about my past, about Zambet, about yourselves, and giving you a warning. He is always at my side, but I’m given to understand that he is so thoroughly entwined with my existence that he is able to travel anywhere he pleases, although he only has power over the mortal world if he is in close physical proximity to me. “Now then, I would invite you up but the Constance is only carrying ballast so there’s relatively little to see. Besides, it’s not as if it’ll be sunk by the return of the Empire so in your future, you can walk her decks at your will and pleasure.” “Is she abandoned?” “For the time being.” Penumbra smirked down at her. “I apologize, Princess, but there’s nothing here to indulge macabre curiosity. The nature of the magic that hid the Empire took its citizens along with it so you won’t even find bones on these ships.” Twilight frowned up at her. “That’s not why I asked, but never mind. Did this one turn out to be special like you thought she would?” “Yes.” Penumbra stepped off the railing, plummeted most of the way down, then landed as light as if she’d simply stepped off a stair. “Constance is at the rear of the column, as it was meant to be, so I now know where to find Vigilance and Dawnbreaker.” “Another VLCC and escort, I take it.” Penumbra gave her a single nod. “Yes. Perhaps Vigilance will be more interesting to you because she would have carried more than ballast. At least, according to her manifest.” “An’ how’d ya know that?” “At some point in the history of Equestria, it was knowledge that somepony had.” She looked over them. “I know that the ambassador told you about my archive.” “Her archive?” Munin said. “Your archive?” Twilight repeated, carefully avoiding looking at the hallucination lest the almost comically-aghast expression (“Is that really what I look like when surprised?” she thought) make her giggle. “Yes, my archive,” Penumbra said. “The one that those gloriously paranoid Du Dunes caught up to when I left it in place too long while doing some research. They might have brushed aside the spell matrix meant to capture the overly curious and gotten to the center if I didn’t know how they work and rebuilt the defenses. It was a close call, and taught me greater caution.” “So you…” Twilight gaped at her. “How? How could you have possibly created an entire magical library that can simply… have all knowledge ever?” “Any magic is possible when you have the right ingredients,” Penumbra said. “And I didn’t create it--at least not entirely--I stole it.” “Stole it?” Dawn furrowed her brow. “From who? Who had the kind of juice to build an omniscient artifact-library that floats around the aethir? And how the buck did no one know they had? Pretty sure if Mum or Aunt Luna knew this thing was around, they’d be obsessed with finding it.” “Its existence precedes their birth, and the migration of ponykind to Equestria,” Penumbra said. “As a point of fact, had ponykind migrated before its creation, they would have fallen into the clutches of its creators and would have a history of enslavement. Not that I was motivated by altruism at that time, but I accidentally did good by stealing this particular work.” “An’ how’d them creatin’ the thing take them out of our way?” “You really don’t want to know that,” Penumbra said. “Jus’ checked with mah brain ‘bout a second ago and it told me Ah really do want to know.” Penumbra looked at Applejack’s level look for several seconds before she nodded. “Because the creation was exceedingly violent but more than that, it required a truly staggering amount of the proper metaphysical medium.” She looked passed Applejack at Twilight. “Tens of thousands of units, as a point of fact.” “Proper metaphysical medium?” Twilight said to Munin as she furrowed her brow at Penumbra. “Lives,” Munin said. “Mortal life can be used to empower certain spells although…” Twilight tuned out the rest of what her mind had to say as she felt a touch of nausea and then a surge of it that hit her hard enough to make her stumble. “You killed tens of thousands of people?” “Yes, but also no,” Penumbra said. “It is true that stealing the construct at the time I did in the way I did caused it to kill those who were creating it, and kill them in unimaginable numbers. But I merely redirected the portion that swallowed up the breath of life from their intended fuel for the project onto the creators themselves. There was no way to prevent a staggering number of deaths at the stage the project was at, so I don’t consider myself…” “Horseapples,” Applejack said. “Ah don’t know magic in detail but I know that if you’re gonna step in and take somethin’ someone else’s almost done making, ya gotta be watching and waiting for it to get to that point. So ya allowed it to get to the point of killing so you could swipe it.” “I did no such thing,” Penumbra said heatedly. “There were two ways to fuel the process and until the choice was made, there was no way to know which choice it would be. After the choice was made, there was no way to stop the deaths. I am not all-knowing, Applejack, and until I completed my Archive I couldn’t simply learn information at will.” Applejack narrowed her eyes at Penumbra but didn’t contradict her. “So the way you cleared a bunch of whatever people out of our way was lethal dramatic irony,” Dawn said. “Yes, although the process was not a smooth one,” Penumbra said. “They failed to be cautious enough so it’s possible that their attempt would have backlashed upon them anyway. As it was, I was able to deflect the backlash along the main trunk of the Imperial lei line.” “How big of a backlash are you talking about?” “Blasted most of a mountain into the sky, where it remains floating as if it was sat atop solid ground.” Penumbra gave Dawn a small smile. “I hear Amaryss chose it as the site of the royal palace, so I’m glad to have made that contribution as well.” “Who were they?” Twilight said. “A people that the world would not mourn, and their fall displeased no one but themselves,” Penumbra said. “They were hung on their own gallows, and have since plagued the world because I have and have always had better things to do than exterminate them.” “Why not just tell us?” Dawn said. “Because I don’t want it to become a further discussion,” Penumbra said, sounding slightly annoyed. “They’re not a people you have friendly feelings towards, so it hardly matters that their idiocy, and my exploitation of that idiocy, so obliterated their empire that they no longer have the power to endanger the world. At least,” she added a moment later, looking slightly pensive, “they didn’t have that power.” “That’s changed?” “It has,” Penumbra said. “Or more precisely, it will. Perhaps sometime I’ll explain the danger in being power-hungry and inept, and keeping a subordinate who is exceedingly competent whom you have lied to.” “I think that lesson is a fairly well-taught one,” Rarity said. “One can never have too many poignant examples of a vital truth,” Penumbra said. “Now then, I can see the mast of Vigilance ahead of us so any of you who want to poke around an icy ghost ship, I’ll drop the gangplank for you while I attend my business.” “An’ what is that?” “My business,” Penumbra said. “Knock on the door to the captain’s quarters if you need something. I won’t be responding immediately, but I’ll hear the knock and do what I may.” The VLCC Vigilance was exactly what Twilight had observed of the Constance:the cargo carrier could have easily fit a pair of quarry barges, five hundred by three hundred meter flatboats designed to remain buoyant while carrying thousands of tons of quarried stone, with room to spare. But where the quarry barges were oar craft (since they typically traveled along river currents), the VLCCs didn’t have the slots for oars. Instead, Twilight found herself standing alongside the two most immense shaft alleys she’d ever seen, making no attempt to contain her reaction. “Screw propulsion,” she said to Dawn, who was openly gaping at the two shafts that seemed to run the entire length of the massive vessel. “Pony-driven screw propulsion.” “Yup,” Dawn said. “I count two hundred treadwheels to a side. Two screw shafts per wheel, going to gears, going to gear boxes, going to quad-pulleys, going to secondary drive shafts, going to the primaries.” “Not so much complex as applying simple mechanical principles on a massive scale,” Twilight said. “They couldn’t have been fast but…” “...that kind of torque, they could haul anything and probably tow a small fleet of quarry barges behind them.” “But how did they get a crew to walk the treadwheel for the entire journey?” Twilight looked around. “I don’t see any rest stations for ponies to take shifts. But I also don’t see any loops to… um…” “...hook a chain ta?” Applejack stepped passed them both and up onto the nearest treadwheel. “Cuz there ain’t, and no need for it. We use treadmills like this for cranes and you can operate one for hours on end without tiring out. Th’ trick is, ya have lots of wheels in the holder so it remains stable, an’ lay material on top with just the right amount of give. Stable such that yer knees don’t hurt from having ta adjust your footing all the time, yet each step is soft so you don’t get hoofsore.” “So what you’re saying is, their shaft crews were in fantastic shape from constant walking.” Dawn grinned widely. “I know where I’m spending time after all this is over.” “Jus’ as long as you’re not after me anymore,” Applejack said dryly. “Anyhow, if this was a live ship, you could see that they built these so th’ crew could walk for hours at a time without wearing out. Bet they pulled shifts: one shift walks while the other grabs grub and sleep, then the resting shift walks it while the previous one grabs grub and sack.” “It’s incredible to me that in an era over a thousand years ago, if Penumbra’s account is correct, ships were constructed with such modern propulsion,” Twilight said. “Not driven by a combustion engine to be sure, but still amazing.” “Not nearly as amazing as their gems!” Rarity said, leaning over one of the trunks lining the walls of the massive lowest hull. “Some of these are the size of cantaloupes and exquisitely cut.” “Sure they’re not crystals, Rares?” Dawn said, joining Twilight in trotting over to see what Rarity was looking at. Rarity gave her a level look and gestured to the trio of gemstones on her flank. “Ahem?” “Point taken--also, thanks for the excuse--but ya gotta admit that legit gemstones as big as a cantaloupe are sorta… impossibly rare.” “Don’t be a lout darling, and I’m vividly aware that gemstones this size have never been seen before.” Rarity levitated one of them out of the trunk and Twilight stopped mid-step to stare at the exquisitely-cut emerald being held aloft in the faintly blue-tinged field. “Now they have.” “That is quite…” “Make her put it down now.” Munin was suddenly visible and looking genuinely terrified, gesticulating wildly at the levitated emerald. “Why?” “Because your subconscious is screaming at you that it’s a terrible idea to touch it with any magic whatsoever and the subconscious is part of your mind.” “OK.” She squinted at the gemstone, trying to figure out what her subconscious, in the form of Munin, was trying to tell her. “Rarity, I think you should put the gemstone down.” Rarity lowered it to the deck. “Why? “I don’t know yet.” Twilight reached out to roll the gem with her hoof and stopped just before she made contact, feeling the buzzing tension of magic encompassing it. “Alright, that’s not good.” “Told you so.” “It’s strange enough to be literally talking to my own mind,” Twilight thought at Munin, trying to ‘sound’ slightly cross. “Don’t make it stranger by being smug.” “I’m literally you,” Munin said. “I can’t not be smug in circumstances where you’d be smug.” “It’s still unsettling.” Munin grimaced. “I know.” “So, gem buzzing with magic just from being lifted and moved by the simplest unicorn spell. Engineered crystal focus?” “Yes, and a pretty enormous one.” Munin grimaced again. “And Rarity says there’s multiple of them.” “In what appear to be trunks apportioned to each member of the menial labor crew.” “On a vessel that has every appearance of being just what Penumbra says: a massive cargo ship.” “Just what kind of place was this Crystal Empire?” Twilight looked up from the gem at Dawn and her two friends. “I believe it’s a crystalline magic focus,” she said. “A gemstone cut and carefully engineered so it’ll do something when magic is used on it. This one’s buzzing with power after Rarity just levitated it, so it’s either extremely efficient or was already storing a lot of magical energy.” “And all the trunks Ah opened so far’ve got the same bunch of gems this one does,” Applejack said from several boxes away. “Looks like all of them do,” Pinkie said from inside of the one right next to the trunk Rarity had opened. The lid then popped open and the pink mare climbed out, her mane hanging limply as it had been for a couple days now, now that Twilight thought about it. “Also, Penumbra isn’t suppressing me anymore, thought you’d like to know.” “It’s a relief,” Twilight said. “Are you okay, Pinkie? You’re looking a little… straight.” “Surprisingly, yes.” Pinkamena smiled slightly. “I’ve never really tried a normal pace that was not also depressing and dull. It’s… nice.” “And you can jus’ climb out of boxes you can’t fit into without needing to be funny,” Applejack said. “Maybe that’s always been how it is and I never tried a different way because… you know…” “Constant hyperactivity?” “I would have said lots of energy but yes.” Pinkie shrugged. “So what’s up with the gems?” “Foci,” Dawn said. “Boxes full of foci made with really big gems.” “And that’s… bad.” “Yes,” Twilight said. “Especially since, if indications are right, they were being kept as standard equipment by menial-labor ponies.” “The sorts that don’t have horn magic,” Applejack said. “An’ so wouldn’t be able ta use them. Can ya tell what they do, Twi?” “Yes, but also no,” Twilight said. “I have the ability to do it but if the magical examination overloads it..” “Crater,” Dawn said. “One the size of an acorn can demolish a room, walls included. Scale that up and you can probably say ‘bye-bye’ to the entire ship, when chain reactions kick in.” There was a long pause. “Put the one we have back an’ go get Penumbra, do ya reckon?” Applejack said visibly nervously. “That would be best,” Twilight said. “And it would probably be best if you did it rather than me, Dawn.” “Sure.” Dawn tucked the giant gem against her chest and three-legged her way over to the chest, setting it inside. “So, do you really think ol’ Numbra didn’t know about this kind of magic just lying around inside the hold?” “There’s no question of that,” Twilight said. “She told us that she read the manifest.” “And she was cool with us getting our hooves on it?” “I don’t think she believes it matters,” Rarity said. “I and Twilight are the only two who can do anything with the gems, and they appear to be so volatile that we don’t know what they’re even for, much less how to use them.” “It doesn’t matter,” Dawn said. “Like, no one’s gonna hand out big volatile weapons to every pony in a crew doing heavy labor. It’s gotta be some kinda assist or something else that it’s no big deal if the crew just kinda has and keeps on hoof for regular use. Still, we should prolly tell the cute stripey that there’s a bunch of those things just laying around charged up and volatile.” “Did she actually tell us where the captain’s cabin is?” “Top deck about two holds back from the bow,” Pinkie said. “Only place I can’t go, even with Laughter helping.” “Without a desme to work with?” Munin said. “Apparently so.” “So, just like in the Dragon Lands?” “No, it tastes different.” “‘Tastes’?” Pinkie shrugged. “I experience the difference as flavors. Penny does it like whipped cream, this is more like ice cream pie.” “So a… harder defense.” “That’s what it tastes like, yup.” Twilight looked to Dawn who shrugged. “I guess we just go up and pound her door down just like she said.” “Pretty sure she didn’t say it that way.” Twilight looked to Pinkie. “Where is it?” Pinkie gave her the typical Pinkie grin--impossibly large, just short of being unsettling--and trotted up the nearest flight of stairs with a distinct bounce in her step that made her look like she was taking short hops up the stairs instead of walking up them, and the rest of them followed. The cabin turned out to more resemble a tower, with two long decks protruding out from either side of the top. In addition to visibly robust construction, extremely thick anchor ropes flowed from it, going from thick iron loops in the deck up to the top of the tower to further stabilize it. Unlike all the other doors they’d seen on the ship, the one leading to the captain’s cabin was made of iron with rivets that suggested that it was heavily reinforced. Unprompted, Applejack trotted over to the door and knocked hard enough that the door frame shook slightly at the impact. “Miz Penumbra, something we need ta discuss with you.” They waited in silence for several seconds before Applejack turned and used a back hoof to ‘knock’ again. “Miz Penumbra, we…” The door swung open, revealing a spiral staircase leading up to a second level, and light coming down it from what appeared, from its flickering nature, to be a lit lamp. “Ah guess she heard us.” Applejack stepped forward into the tower. “Don’t see anything special here.” Twilight squinted and extended her magical senses forward. The tower was intensely magical, although the effect felt passive--no doubt the defense keeping Pinkie out--but she could also feel the buzzing sensation of an active and quite powerful spell running somewhere above. “I can feel the magic keeping you from just popping in Pinkie, but it’s not hostile, just akin to a magical wall.” “Makes sense.” “Also, Penumbra’s doing something pretty powerful somewhere above. I guess she must not be bothered about us approaching if she opened the door and gave us a clear route up.” “Seems rude not to take her up on it.” Applejack trotted forward and up the spiraling stairs without hesitation, followed closely by the rest. The next floor up seemed to be some kind of combination clothes closet and armory. Ponyquins were lined up with various suits on them, ranging from elaborate military dress uniforms to the heavier practical wear of a sailor up to finely-wrought iron chain. Weapons included a set of crossbows with windlasses, a saber that somehow still looked new, and a weapon that looked like a long leather strap. The gear was clearly meant for an alicorn (or, more likely, a changeling) with the clothing containing accommodation for wings and a horn but interestingly, a small stand beside the chain armor with pegs meant for a combat sheath for the horn and military shoes was empty. “Looks like this captain fella was ready for anything,” Applejack said. “And was moderately wealthy,” Rarity added as she peered at the practical clothes. “The stitching is artisanal rather than merely professional, and it was fitted rather than standardized.” “All interesting girls, but Penumbra is still above,” Twilight said. “And she did sort of invite us.” This time, Twilight took the stairs first and this time, they emerged into what was clearly the sleeping area of the captain. Twilight didn’t spare more than a glance, and started up the next staircase. She had next to no warning; one moment she was taking the first steps up the stairs and the next, a tingling sensation washed over her face and the world exploded into the sounds of two ponies conversing just above, and one of the voices was extremely familiar. “So Thalia was right about that,” Luna said. “Yes.” Penumbra’s voice sounded older, tinged with an accent that sounded faintly Stalliongradi. “I stole one of the interloper’s pawns, played at using it well, then cast it into the fire. With my competition dealt with, I move to finish my antagonists.” “We weren’t your enemies before…” “Nor are you my enemies now,” Penumbra said. Twilight felt a hoof tap her leg and looked down to see Applejack below, looking concerned. Twilight quietly took a few steps upwards and knew immediately when Applejack and then Rarity had stepped passed the sound barrier Penumbra had constructed around the conversation “You may esteem me your enemy, but I see the lot of you as mere obstacles to overcome, not adversaries to grind under my hoof. You would oppose me even if I didn’t take certain actions to secure my path before walking it; I just regret that I was forced to do this now instead of during the reign of Chidinida and Shining Armor’s grandchild.” Luna sounded as taken-aback by the comment as Twilight felt. “Their… grandchild.” “Yes.” There was a slight tingle of magic in the air and the sound of someone taking a sip of something. “Had I been permitted to wait, I could have simply walked into the reborn Empire with a disguised Zambet at my side, strolled up to the Crystal Heart, and implemented the final phase of my plan. Everything would have been perfect, few if any people hurt, but alas.” “I don’t suppose you’re going to reveal your master plan in a villainous monologue.” Twilight heard an aborted snort of laughter followed by a coughing sneeze; Penumbra had clearly inhaled whatever she was drinking at Luna’s laconic comment. “That would be so gloriously cliche that it’s very tempting,” she said, “but that would endanger many ponies I wish to keep from harm.” “I didn’t expect that you would reveal your full intent.” Luna paused for a moment. “So is this your message? Explaining your motives and engaging in small talk?” “No, this was me indulging in a desire to speak with a mare whom I’ve admired for some time.” Twilight heard the clank of metal shoes against the wooden decking. “The message I wished to deliver is this: I intend to shatter the wheel of destiny to which all ponykind is yoked. I do not wish to harm you, or your sister, or any other pony; having chosen to regard this entire world as specifically mine, I prefer to protect you all. But I will not accept defeat; please do not compel me to harm anyone by putting them in my way.” Luna sighed.“You know I can’t just leave this be.” “You wouldn’t be a portion of the perfect monarch if you knew of a danger to your people, and did nothing,” Penumbra’s voice sounded slightly warm, but distinctly regretful. “But I had to ask, nonetheless. Fare well, Luna; until we meet again.” “Why the Heart?” Luna said, her voice sounding very slightly tinny as if the spell conveying it had begun to break up. “It’s the only one I have any right to use.” Penumbra’s voice sounded genuinely happy for the first time Twilight could remember. “It’s an artifact of love, after all, and the love of home resonates as surely as the love of another.” There was a long pause. “I appreciate you not interrupting, Twilight, but there’s no point in hiding. I heard you knocking so I’ve known you were in here ever since you entered.” Twilight took the rest of the stairs up and found herself in a brightly-lit chamber containing a table with a large decanter of liquid in it, a small tray of ice, a bag of small leaves, and a fine-looking glass. Any further details of the chamber, however, fell away as Twilight saw Penumbra. She was older now, a young adult mare, looking extremely fit and clad in the horn sheath and military shoes Twilight had noticed missing from the closet. She also had various bits of tribal ornamentation woven into a lovely black mane, and all the various bandoleers, pouches, loops and belts typical to a seasoned battlemagi that were filled with the foci and tools that would greatly improve the speed and precision of spellcasting on a battlefield. “You look rather flabbergasted, Princess,” Penumbra said with a smile. “Honestly, did you think I was trapped in the shape of a child?” Twilight just gaped at her. “This can’t be right, it’s only been a couple of hours!” “And yet it’s not an illusion,” Munin said, trotting over and peering more closely at Penumbra. “Nor was it an illusion when she was just a filly. But that’s not what’s interesting.” “A filly becomes a grown mare in a couple of hours and that’s not the interesting part?” “Not at all,” Munin said, reaching up and giving Penumbra’s horn a phantom tap. “What’s interesting is that this sheath fits. Fits like it was made for this specific horn.” Twilight’s eyes widened a little. “So those pieces missing from that cabin…” “...are hers,” Munin said. “So she either visited before and left them or they have been here ever since this ship was crewed.” She quirked an eyebrow at Twilight. “And now you know why her assuming an adult form is not the interesting part.”