Chapter 3: En Passant

"In all things we declare, the rule of three votes stands over all. It shall be the foundation for even the most basic of things within the government of the ponies."

-Constitution of Equestria, First Draft

The alleyways that Altas led them down were indeed rather dim, and obviously were not used particularly often. Even the occasional flicker of candlelight that illuminated most street corners was not to be found here. After a few minutes of scrambling through the murky twilight, Celeste was thoroughly disoriented.

The yellow Pegasus, though, seemed confident of his directions. Every so often, he would pause for a moment to gaze around, making sure of their position before continuing. It took Celeste a little while to realize it, but soon she became sure that he was actively avoiding other ponies in the streets, choosing only the dimmest, dustiest paths that none other than them used. She found this to be a strange choice of action, and decided to question him about it once he stopped again.

"Why are we taking the loneliest, darkest roads, Altas? What harm is there in us being seen?" she asked warily.

Altas whipped his head around and put a hoof up to his lips. "Keep your voice down!" he replied in a terse whisper. "It's for our own safety that we must remain hidden. The resistance must remain a secret!"

"But why?" whispered Claire quizzically. "You are fighting the good fight. Why not let every pony know of your cause?"

Altas chuckled to himself ever so softly. Peering around a street corner, he waved them forward. As they came around into a somewhat wider thoroughfare, the two sisters were able to glance back up the mountainside and pick out the profile of Discord's castle as it cut into the twilight. Walking quickly now, Altas spoke to them over his shoulder. "So young you are, and so inexperienced. Even the righteous cannot hold to unlimited trust. For Discord is a crafty king. Even as sits in his castle and lets the country rot, his spies travel the countryside for him; taking back everything they see and hear. That is why our operations must remain a well-kept secret."

But Claire was unconvinced by the explanation. Coming to a quick trot beside him, she continued, "But surely any creature twisted enough to work for him would stick out in Equestria like a sore hoof! Your secrets must be safe among ponies."

In response, Altas simply gave her a long stare. As the implication hit her, Claire had to stop for a moment. The realization even made Celeste stop and think. So that must have been the reason Altas didn't recruit them directly. Slowly, the pieces of tonight's puzzle were clicking into place in her mind, but there was still a lot of work to be done figuring it out. Claire, meanwhile, was wrapping her thoughts around Altas' latest revelation.

"But that's impossible!" she finally managed to sputter. "What kind of pony could possibly be loyal to Discord? He stands in the way of our prosperity, destroying everything Equestria ever could be! What could move any pony to such treachery?"

Altas had reached the end of the street in the intervening time. Patiently, he waited by another corner for the two of them to catch up. As they came together, he looked up at the sky to answer Claire's question. "Tragedy, they say, is a spectator sport," he began with a sullen tone. "Discord has ruled over this land for four hundred years now. At first, there was hope; memories of a better time. Ponies held on to the past, waiting for the day when the peace of old would return. But the years ground on, and generations passed. Soon enough, the memory of peace and freedom had become just a legend."

Slowly, he brought his eyes down to the horizon, at the jagged towers of the castle. From this vantage point, the trio had a reasonable view of the castle courtyard, which at the moment was twinkled with light. It was difficult to be sure, but it looked as though the square was filled with ponies dressed in various fineries, almost like a royal gala. But Discord was not the kind of king that liked to throw parties.

Interested, Celeste turned to Altas once again. The light from an open window across the street created a twinkling reflection in the lenses of his spectacles. "We call it the sham court," he continued, motioning to the gathering at the castle. "Courtiers of the king, gathered to try and win his favour, and in so doing improve their miserable existences as much as possible. Most of them are there out of fear, but there are some that are dangerous." Altas shook his head, before looking Celeste right in the eyes as he continued.

"For there are some among us that actually do support Discord, simply because they have never known anything else, and it is these ponies that we must watch out for."

Turning back to the street, he waved them onward. "Come, it's getting late," he stated in a low voice. And so Celeste and Claire commenced following him as he again hurried through the labyrinthine alleyways that made up Eridian. Claire had fallen silent, apparently understanding now the need for caution. Celeste, meanwhile, was still assimilating these new pieces of information.

Naturally, there was a strong part of her mind that detested the idea of a pony serving Discord, even if they knew no other option. It went against the very nature of right and wrong. But there was another section of her mind, a section that she would never reveal to her sister, which understood the motives that would lead to that kind of action. If she forced herself to be honest, she had to admit that it almost sounded like a good idea. After all, one had to do whatever it took to get ahead in this world. If she and Claire were willing to con a few ponies to make ends meet, why not go all the way for a little luxury?

About thirty minutes later, as the group came underneath the crumbling archway that marked the entrance to the city, Celeste was still wrestling with these concerns. However, it seemed that Altas had finally led them to their proper destination, and he ushered them quickly towards a tattered old tent that had been erected several yards off the cart path. Woven from faded fabric, the tent looked as though it had weathered the tempest of the desert winds, although that was probably more a sign of age than anything more. It looked about large enough to comfortably accommodate two ponies, so Celeste naturally assumed that neither she nor Claire would be staying the night in the vicinity.

Leaving them outside, Altas disappeared inside to converse with the occupant, presumably the "friend" that he had mentioned earlier. The friend that would answer their questions. Celeste certainly had a couple on her mind.

---

Inside the tent it was only marginally warmer than it was outside. At least the chill breeze didn't get in, although Altas always felt a little bit more at home in the wide open spaces of Equestria than he did inside. Such things were just encoded in the Pegasus blood, he supposed. Nonetheless, it was of the utmost importance that this ensuing conversation be conducted in private. The tent's other occupant was seated on the ground, wearing only a tattered robe that was drawn round her neck with a corded rope. Her face was turned away from Altas, but he could still admire the flowing curls of her groomed mane as it cascaded over her delicate skeleton. She was mediating now, he could tell, as the faintest of glimmers shone out from her pearl-white horn.

Straightening his spectacles a final time, he stood to one side behind her. "I have returned," he began simply.

The mare did not acknowledge him, instead remaining completely motionless. Altas did note, however, that the glow from her horn vanished. With confidence, he continued, "I have found two more."

"I know," she replied immediately, with a voice powerful and direct. "I sense them outside. These two are special, are they not?"

"Yes, indeed they are." Boldly, Altas stepped forward and laid a hoof on his companion's right shoulder. Her skin felt very cold beneath the robe. "They are alicorns, my dear. The sign we have waited for."

Calmly, she drew in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Yes, their magical auras are stronger than any I have sensed thus far, Altas. But magic alone will not make them into what we require."

"They are still young, and there is much that we could teach them, before their destiny must be decided."

She was silent for a full minute then. Altas withdrew his hoof and stood behind her, reflecting on the possible ramifications of this moment. The night's breeze rustled the fabric of the tent around them, sounding much more menacing in here than it had in the streets of Eridian.

Finally, the mare slowly stood up, continuing to face away from Altas. As she turned her face toward him, he could see the decades of worry creasing her brow. It made no sense to think of tonight as the end of their journey, but he would prefer anything than to see her spend any more time like this. Their collective fate had taken a lot from both of them, but his friend had sacrificed more than he could ever hope to.

Sighing, she let all the stresses fall away, hardening her expression to one of cold determination. "What must we do?" she asked him.

"I brought them here on the promise of information. The elder one has questions, and we shall have to answer them. She is a pony with a strong mind, indeed."

"Caution, my dear Altas. Remember always the 2nd Line."

Of course Altas remembered the 2nd Line. It had driven their search for all the long years that they had travelled the countryside. "Mind and Spirit in Harmony," he recited quietly.

"Indeed," she agreed. "A strong mind is a good start, but we require more than that. The spirit and the mind must stand united for the light of order to shine free."

"And Chaos' end will find thee," Altas finished. Stepping back, he grabbed hold of the tent flap, hoisting it aside to allow his fellow Master to face the outside world. The world where tonight, he hoped, their destinies would finally find them.

---

Outside, the world was still dry and dreary as ever. Celeste and Claire stood together off to the side as they waited. The wind, barely a whisper inside the protected streets of the city, was far more noticeable out here in the open. The biting breeze seemed capable of cutting to Celeste's very heart, and she shivered, trying to use the tent for shelter from the cold. But the brisk weather, she could tell, was doing nothing to dampen the excitement in her sister's thoughts. She knew that the issue needed to be addressed right now, or else there would be no stopping this thing, whatever her own choices turned out to be.

"Claire," she began with a firm glance in her younger sister's direction. The dark alicorn was standing still just off to her right, the only other thing on the landscape besides the tent. The rest of the country seemed to spread forever into a brown nothingness. The sky was still clouded by Discord's eternal shroud, muting out all colours into a blank greyscale. It was a very foreboding sight, but Claire's eyes were still drinking it in with vigour. It was only now that she turned to examine Celeste once again.

Seeing her sister's face so full of hope and youth, Celeste almost stopped herself from speaking up. But someone had to be the voice of reason, so she swallowed once and continued. "I would advise caution, Claire. We still can't be sure of exactly what we are into." Her words came out sounding forced, lacking the conviction and levelness she had hoped for.

For an instant, Claire simply appeared confused. She took a step in toward Celeste, cocking her head to one side. "But we know precisely why we are here," she began in a slow voice. "Altas told us everything … oh!" she exclaimed as she finally figured out her sister's trepidation. "You're getting cold hooves, aren't you Celeste? Worrying again, just like always! You promised me, remember?"

"I promised … that I would accept a legitimate offer," Celeste countered. "What we have seen so far has not been enough to convince me of Altas' legitimacy. After all Claire, WE make our living off lying to the ignorant. The least we should do is to be aware that it could happen to us as well."

It was probably the worst thing that she could have said, as least as far as bringing Claire over to her side was concerned. Claire looked away from her, and back toward the soiled city of Eridian, grey and lifeless under its shroud. "Lying to the ignorant, Celeste? If our life has been a lie up to now, perhaps it is time we stop cooperating with Discord and start doing our part to restoring some honesty to our country, hmm?"

Celeste felt the words hit their marks, and she knew that it was time to be conciliatory, at least to save their relationship. "That's not what I meant Claire. Look, I just don't want us to run into this without knowing what we're doing first, okay? If this is in fact what it appears to be, then I will be right here behind you for the rest of the way."

Claire softened her expression, coming back to offer her sister a hug. The two of them held the embrace for several seconds, just enjoying the peace of the countryside. With a voice barely above a whisper, Claire spoke to her sister. "Thank you, Celeste. Together, we shall be the change that our country needs."

They were interrupted then by a rustle of cloth from the tent flap, which had just been pulled aside to allow Altas and another pony to exit into the twilight. The Pegasus was once again wearing his usual warm smile, but the mare beside him projected none of the same friendliness. She was a tall unicorn, appearing to be in about her mid-fifties, although it was clear that a stressful life had taken its toll on a once youthful complexion. Beneath her gleaming white horn rested a pair of wide-set light blue eyes, the depths of which spoke to ancient wisdom, and a sharp intellect unclouded by age. Framing her crystalline face was a very finely groomed dark mane, which cascaded over her neck in delicate curls. The rest of her body was obscured by her tattered cloak, but from the way she carried herself, it seemed likely that the fine delicacy of her features extended to the rest of her as well.

Celeste and Claire stood apart from each other then, and waited for the silence to be broken. The newcomer simply looked upon them for a long time, measuring, calculating. Beside her, Altas too appeared taciturn. Finally, the unicorn spoke. "Altas, you didn't tell me we had a mother and her daughter here." She was just about to turn back to the Pegasus, when Celeste spoke up, to clear the misconception for the second time that evening.

"Sorry, but we're sisters, actually. I'm Celeste Albright, and this is my younger sister Claire. Altas told us that you would answer our questions concerning your cause?"

"Hmm. He did, did he?" was the unicorn's cryptic response. Her voice was very calm and direct, confident without coming across with arrogance. "And did you believe him?"

Celeste was taken aback by the question. Certainly this was nothing like what she had expected. In the end, it was Claire that responded first, stepping forward with her chin held high. "We believed him to the extent that he wished to do what was right, and save Equestria from the mires of Discord's tyranny. To that end, we followed him here, that we may do whatever we can to aid you."

Celeste noted the slightest of nods pass between their two hosts then. All at once, the unicorn let the stony façade fall from her features. Now sharing in Altas' warm smile, she regarded each of them coolly. "Excellent. Then our desires are in accord. You've already met Altas of course, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Aquos, Master of the Order of Water, and I shall be one of your teachers for your time with us.

"You both are alicorns," Aquos continued, "gifted in many ways, with the magical powers of the unicorns and the unmatched spirit of the Pegasi. Within such a potent mixture rests power unmatched throughout Equestria. We shall teach you to unlock this potential, and become the true heroes you were meant to be, as we take this country back for the ponies that created it."

Altas interjected then for a moment, hoping to clarify. "By the way, when she says 'we', Aquos means the two of us. She will teach you the beauty of the ways of magic, enhancing your minds, and I shall focus on the development of your spirits and wills. In combination, these facets of training will create an ideal fusion of power within you."

"The power to take down Discord?" Claire interrupted eagerly, earning a disapproving glance from Celeste. Aquos, though, looked at Claire with an expression very much like a mother admiring her child's accomplishment.

"The power to do away with oppression rests inside each and every one of us, Claire, no matter the circumstances of our birth or the responsibilities of our life. If you do your part to understand your own place in this world, that power will come to you of its own accord." With a satisfied smile, Aquos looked at both of the sisters one last time. "Now, is there anything else either of you would like to know before we begin?"

Celeste's mind raced through the possibilities available to her. Without a doubt, this was the moment of truth. If she didn't say anything now, her future would be decided forever. But what was there to say? That she wanted things to stay the way they were? That she was content living week by week off what she and Claire could scrape off their fellow citizens? That she was, in the end, happy with Equestria under Discord?

She looked over each of the other ponies around her. Altas and Aquos radiated confidence and surety. Each of them seemed to indeed be the Master of their own chosen element, and Celeste sensed a great deal of wisdom behind their complexions. That they could teach her a great deal, Celeste had no doubt. With their resources and skill, and the power that she and Claire could possibly represent, it was perhaps even possible that they would succeed in their goal of restoring freedom to the land. When she considered the possibility of such a victory, she had to admit that it sounded infinitely better than another night of shell games in the streets of Eridian.

So Celeste elected to keep quiet, standing at attention as Aquos and Altas gave them a final inspection. After a moment, the white unicorn nodded once to her companion, then flashed out of existence with a single spark from her horn. Shocked, both Celeste and Claire pulled back from the spot where she had been standing. But Altas merely laughed, and came forward to address them.

"Sorry about her. Aquos can be a bit direct sometimes, and lacking in the department of social graces. But the fact of the matter is that there was nothing more to discuss, so she has gone to prepare for you. When you are ready, we can be off as well."

Noting that both of their expressions remained mystified, the Pegasus stallion turned to look for a moment into the endless void of the country. Where his gaze was falling, neither Celeste nor Claire could be sure. Regarding them again, he continued, "That flash of light was a simple teleportation spell, one of many such things that Aquos will be teaching you. Have either of you experimented with your natural magic before?"

Celeste shared a sheepish glance with Claire. Out of all the free time they had had together in the past, magic had unfortunately not been one of their pastimes, although each one felt it every now and then, bubbling up through their minds in times of emotional intensity. Seeing their hesitance, Altas laughed again. It was a jovial chuckle, this laugh of his, somehow evoking images of simpler times, even in such a barren wasteland as Equestria. More than ever, Celeste found herself drawn by this curious Pegasus.

"Not to worry. We have other ways of getting around," Altas said, before extending his wings and leaping up into the gloomy sky. "At least you have some experience in flight, right?" he called down to both of them. "The way is long!"

Finally, Celeste and Claire had a chance to do something that was a bit more in their element. While neither one of them was a flight enthusiast, the basic knowledge of the practice was the birthright that came with their Pegasus genes, and so each of the sisters shared a nod before joining Altas in the sky with powerful beats from their own wings. As the three ponies climbed upward into the swirling mists, Equestria spread out beneath them, miles of brown and grey. But Altas kept his gaze straight ahead, working through the wind with stoic determination, although Celeste could see that the joy of flight was clear on his features. Realizing that she too was free, for once, she allowed some hope to percolate through her own heart. For the first time in a very long while, Celeste allowed a genuine smile to reach her face.