Archmage: Square One

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Chapter 5 – All things in time

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Turns out the spa trip wasn’t as torturous as I’d imagined. Shortly after the mud bath and moderately debilitating shower, Lotus showed me into a dimly-lit room where relaxing music and alluring scents mingled into a heavenly atmosphere of quiet tranquility and peacefulness. There was a large, puffy sort of…

Well it was a blob, for lack of a better word. Lotus directed me up onto it, where I promptly closed my eyes and zoned out for a good half an hour. When my escort retrieved me, I was beyond relaxed. We followed up with an hour-long deep muscle massage (Let me tell you, masseuse unicorns are few and far between, and holy fuck can they get some knots out.)

After that was a long, luxurious soak in an oil-scented bath, followed by facials, a hooficure, a much-needed horn grinding, and the very last and most-needed bit… A trip to the salon. Lotus was a grade-A mane stylist, and proclaimed to the stars above she was now my designated go-to pony for trims. Free of charge, of course. I was actually excited at the prospect of having somepony to keep my mane and tail reigned in. I’d tripped over them more often than usual in the past few weeks, much to Twilight’s delight.

But after I stepped out of the salon that evening, I felt clean, relaxed, and dare I say, a little… Sexy. Lotus led me to the front desk, where we chatted for a few.

“Thank you so much, Lotus, but… I can’t accept all that for free. Please, let me pay you back. If not in bits, then at least let me buy you dinner.”

“Darling!” Lotus chuckled, covering her mouth with a hoof. “I’m married.”

Like the world had just crashed down on me. And here I thought Lotus had been coming on to me earlier. The teasing, the gracious offer of a free deluxe spa treatment… Granted, she hadn’t taken as many liberties with the goo-pony I’d become underneath her skilled hooves and magic, but I wouldn’t have been upset if she had.

I was, of course, completely devastated at the loss. Lotus may have been a few years older than me, but she was such a beautiful mare. Part of her reminded me of Mint, in that she was calm and poised, never flustered and always careful, precise, and calculated. The other half was her luscious body. By the stars, she was a delight to look at. Even now, I found it difficult to maintain eye contact with her. Still… She was off-limits now.

“I-I’m sorry.” I stuttered, blushing furiously. “The free spa trip, and… and… You know, the… The showerhead and all that. I assumed.”

“Trust me, Star,” Lotus was fighting laughter now. “You’re not the first.” Her giggles eventually escaped, and I found them infectious. We both laughed together, and the awkwardness seemed to pass. She waved a hoof at me nonchalantly. “No, my dear, Twilight had spoken of you on her last trip here, albeit briefly. I’ve gotten her to open up just a little about her life over the past few years, but… I don’t know, she seems a little reserved, that one. I can only imagine why.” Lotus rolled her eyes before leaning across the counter with a warm smile.

“She told me how stressed you seemed, and that should you make an appointment, she’d appreciate it if I gave you one of the free visits I always give her. So I did, and here we are. Don’t get me wrong, darling.” Lotus winked. “I expect you to pay for the next one. And I certainly enjoyed chatting with you.”

We did talk about quite a few things; though Lotus had me talking about myself more than she shared anything important. I guessed it was either because it helped the recipient of the massage stay relaxed and distracted while the magic did its work deep in the muscle tissue, or because Lotus was genuinely interested in me. I decided to stick with the latter, considering Lotus was taken.

“So,” I mused, pulling my freshly-braided, shorter mane through my hooves. “Who’s the lucky colt?”

“I think you mean filly,” Lotus chuckled once more. “I’m married to a pegasus on the local weather team. Her name’s Fair Breeze, though she prefers just Breeze. Breezie if I’m feeling bold.”

“Oh I see.” I smiled at Lotus. At least I wasn’t alone in my appreciation for the fairer sex. “That’s very good. Though I hear pegasi can be awfully… Flighty. You’re young; how did you manage to get her to commit at such an age?”

“We go back a long, long time.” Lotus sighed wistfully. “Our families have known each other for a very, very long time… Back to the Elements of Harmony once more. My great-great… You get the idea. Rarity was my long-lost relative, and Rainbow Dash hers. We grew up together in Trottingham, but when I expressed my wishes to open a spa in Canterlot, she followed without a second thought. Shortly after moving out here and opening the spa, she proposed to me. We’ve been married four years now.”

“That’s amazing.” I breathed. “You’re descendants of the Elements of Harmony… I’m surprised I haven’t heard more about you two.”

“Truth be told,” Lotus sighed, albeit with a little more exasperation than previously. “We don’t care much for it. The elements are lost to us, so why should they matter? We’re just two mares against the world. Our ancestors shouldn’t have any bearing on that.”

“You make a good point.” I mused, blushing a little. “I’m sorry, I just… I really liked those old stories. The elements and what they did… What I would give to see them in Equestria today.”

“Why don’t you go and seek them out?” Lotus quipped. “You seem passionate enough, and Twilight has faith in you.”

“That’d sure be lovely.” I dropped my chin in my hooves with a warm sigh of desire. I shook myself out of it promptly. “And would never happen. Just two months ago, I could hardly bring a book to its place on a shelf without wrecking something valuable; I doubt I’m cut out to go on some epic journey like that.”

“Well if you keep up your studies, I’m sure you’ll get there.” Lotus winked at me. “All things in time.”

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I had stars in my eyes as I made my way home. Lotus and Fair Breeze, two descendants of the Elements of Harmony. Twilight was still alive, meaning half of the elements were in Canterlot. As I made my way home through the lamp-lit Canterlot streets, I entertained the idea of running into another descendant of the Elements.

Yeah right. I’d sooner be struck by lightning than find another Element.

My home was quiet when I arrived… Then again, it had no reason to be noisy… Not unless my vibrator mysteriously turned on in the drawer again. Still, it was a warm feeling to come home to a quiet den. The muted moonlight poured in through the kitchen window, painting a solid square on the floor, which I stepped into on my way to the fridge. I retrieved a bottle of cider and popped it open, looking out of the window to appreciate the beautiful night sky and delicious apple cider.

It had been a good day. Tomorrow, I’d get back on track. The night had just conversed with me, and I wanted to get to know it better. I wanted our relationship to be strong, so I could allow her to help other ponies through me. But right now, I needed sleep. Finishing the cold cider, I slipped into bed and nodded off, dreaming peacefully of my studies.

My mood was not exactly mirrored by the early-morning ponies of Canterlot. As soon as I made my way from the suburban edges of the city and into the heart of Canterlot, just a few blocks from the palace, I was surprised to find everypony grim and dour. My jaunty step and bright expression actually earned me a few glares. I wasn’t unused to the upper-crust ponies looking down their nose at me, but everypony seemed to be meaner than usual today. I quickly slowed my pace and painted my face in a frown to match everypony else.

I found out why they were in such a foul mood at the first news stand I came across. The headline for the ‘Canterlot Observer’ nearly made my heart stop.

’Mysterious magic strikes again! Timberwolves showing organization and planning!’

“Give me one of those.” I nearly threw my bit at the pony tending the stand as I swiped a copy off of the stack, hastily reading it.

’Reports from Northern Trottingham say a large-scale attack by unusually-organized Timberwolves assaulted the castle keep late last night. Thankfully, no lives were taken, but over two dozen ponies were injured in the initial fighting. The guards reacted quickly and drove the attackers back into their territory, but not before two houses were very nearly destroyed. Four ponies are in critical condition in the aftermath of the attack.

“It’s the largest attack on Trottingham by any force in any amount of history.” General Fireflare comments from the Trottingham command post. “Timberwolves normally aren’t very organized outside of some large packs, but this was larger and more coordinated than any pack the guard has ever encountered. Furthermore, the few timberwolves we managed to subdue show traces of some strange magic our mages haven’t been able to place. We’ve requested the Archmage’s assistance on this matter, so we can hopefully nip the problem in the bud, so to speak.”

As of midnight last night, all ponies involved in the attack had been stabilized, and their homes and businesses are already under repair. While it’s no doubt that Trottingham will recover from this attack, speculative ponies say the timberwolves will return; in larger numbers and with more force.

Meanwhile, an order for all logging and farming operations outside of the keep’s limits has been put into place for the safety of outlying ponies. Nearby Stalliongrad and the crystal kingdom’s outlying villages have been placed on high alert, and told to prepare for future attacks.’

“Thank the stars.” I breathed as I finished the article. My parents lived on the southern edge of the city, right up against the keep’s wall. They hadn’t been effected, but I did know a few ponies near the north edge of town. I prayed they were okay as I made for the castle, renewed vigor in my step.

Much to my surprise, there were five guards this morning. As I approached the front door, four of them lowered their spears at me while the fifth pulled a list from his saddlebags.

“Name?”

“S-star Caster. I’m here to see Princess Twilight…” I whimpered.

“Princess Twilight is in Trottingham,” the guard responded, even as he waved the other four off. They raised their spears and went back to watching the drive leading up to the stairs. “But I’ve orders you’re to report to Princess Luna this morning. Good thing you came, I was about to dispatch an escort to your home.”

“Pr-Princess Luna?” I stumbled on my way towards the door. “Okay…”

“You’ll find her office in the South wing, second floor.” The guard pointed me on my way, even as he stopped the next pony behind me. Security was much tighter, and I found myself wondering why as I made my way to the far end of the hall, where the South wing’s staircase sat guarded by another two ponies. These two looked at me as I passed, but didn’t stop me.

’Seven guards thus far, where I’d normally only see two… Is this because of the report from Trottingham about the timberwolves, or something else? And why am I supposed to go see Luna?’ My dark thoughts followed me up the shadowed staircase and into the South wing, where I soon found Luna’s office, indicated by her moon cutie mark on a placard next to a banded wooden door. I timidly knocked and waited for the door to open.

“Hello Star,” Luna waved me in with a surprisingly warm smile. “I’m glad you made it here so soon. Did the escort fly you here?”

“Eer, no, I… I woke up early and made it here ahead of my usual time.” I slipped inside, and found this office was yet another library. Twilight’s was always warmly-lit and smelled of old paper and knowledge. Luna’s library was just one floor, with a few more tables and less furniture, and no fireplace. It was still lit by candles, though maybe only half of what Twilight’s was. This library struck me as dark and mysterious, not unlike the princess of the night herself.

“That’s good.” Luna trotted to a nearby table and swept it free of materials. “I assume you’ve read the headlines this morning?” She nodded to the paper sticking out of my saddlebags, and I nodded.

“Yeah, I did… Is Trottingham okay?”

“It is indeed. Twilight left very early this morning to go investigate. If anypony knows what’s happening, it’ll be her.” Luna smiled warmly at me. “The extra security is just a precaution. Twilight’s orders.”

“Oh, okay.” I nodded, some of my fears put to rest. Twilight would figure out what happened. She was the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. She had to figure it out. Still, a thought nagged at me. “Is… Is there a list? Of ponies who were injured?”

“Not publicly, no.” Luna chuckled, as if she understood the reason I was asking. “But I have one here. You’re welcome to see if anypony you know is there.” She hovered a small sheet of paper over to me, and I hastily scanned the dozen or so names there. Thankfully, neither of my parents nor anypony I recognized was there.

“Thank you.” I sighed, handing the list back to her. “I’m glad nopony died.” ’And I’m glad mom and dad are okay.’ I added as an afterthought.

“Well, I suppose we ought to get down to business.” Luna clopped her hooves together and smiled at me. “Twilight asked me to oversee your education while she’s away. It could be anywhere from a day to a month before she gets returns, so you’re squarely in my hooves, as it were.” She grinned at me, though not in a wicked or evil way. It was more of a ‘what sort of neat things can I teach this young filly?’ sort of way. I rather liked it, and returned with a smile of my own.

“What do you think?” She arched an eyebrow at me.

“Huh?”

“Not you, Star.” Luna purred, gesturing with a hoof. I spun around…

And found myself face-to-face with eternity.

”Hmm, she has an eager mind… And determination. I like that.” The night stood before me in all of her shadowy, mysterious glory. I looked straight into her eyes, and saw the galaxy there. Stars swirled and pooled in her eyes, and the longer I watched, the more of them were laid bare to me. Her mane was much the same way, looking not unlike the night sky in a portal through to the evening. Her coat was dusky-black, almost like smoke in that she wasn’t entirely there, but not completely gone either.

”And she’s certainly reverent. Look at her, she can hardly speak.” The night chuckled, pulling back a little. I had to remind myself to close my jaw in shock. My knees felt weak. This was a god right in front of my eyes! If I could have died, it’d have been a release. Luna was dark and mysterious, but she was a mare. This figure, this… thing. It was there, that much was certain. But it wasn’t, either. It seemed to shift and fade in and out of existence. One moment, I might as well have just been looking at a shadowy corner underneath a stairwell, and the next she was defined and clear in front of me.

”Desperate times call for desperate measures, young one.” The night whispered to me. ”Twilight’s told me of your devotion to your studies, and how quick you are to advance. I admire a studious pony, one who’s eager to explore their power, and learn more. Your name carries weight in the words of prophecy, Star Caster.”

“It does?”

“Wait, it does?” Luna and I both asked at the same time. We shared a look before Luna stood from the table, her brow suddenly drawn in curiosity.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of Star mentioned in prophecy. Please, tell me… What is she destined to do?”

”You shall see, my love.” The night cooed to Luna, even as she turned her gaze back to me. ”Both of you shall see…” She melted away, dwindling until almost nothing remained of her shadowy, ephemeral form.

”All things in time.”

She was gone, only to be replaced by a very insistent pounding at the door.

“Honestly.” Luna growled, tromping towards the door with an indignant scowl on her lips. “I hate it when she does that.”

“Sh-she?” I inquired, watching as Luna threw the door open, squaring off with the pony there.

“What? I’m busy.”

“Sorry, Princess, but an urgent missive from the Farseer’s tower.” Whoever was at the door meekly offered Luna something in their hooves. Luna took it and shut the door, scoffing in impatience.

“What do those dottering old fools want now?” She turned back my way, carrying a scroll. “Yes, she… While many ponies believe the night is an incorporeal being, and as such has no definable sex, Twilight and I both believe she is a mare, more often than not.”

“Oh.” I frowned. I could see where they got that impression. The night’s voice was low, but husky. Certainly not masculine, though it couldn’t exactly be called feminine either. Her form was too transient for me to tell much, but I could identify with the speculation. “What’s this missive?”

“Well,” Luna sighed, unraveling the scroll slowly. “We normally keep our communication with the Farseer’s tower a secret, considering it almost always applies to one prophecy or another… But considering that bomb that was just dropped, I’m sure it’s something to do with you…” She held the scroll up and began scanning it.

I saw it the moment her eyes froze, glued to the page. Her whole body seemed to go rigid.

“No.” She whispered softly. “Not this. Anything but this.”

“What?” I asked, cautiously creeping forwards. “What’s wrong?”

“Star.” Luna rolled up the scroll, looking to me with a serious expression. “I… I cannot show you this.”

“What? Why?” I drew back, frowning at her. “It’s about me, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed.” Luna’s horn sparked, and I watched with horror as the scroll began to burn. “And that’s why I cannot show you.”

“Hey!” I lunged for the scroll, but Luna swung it out of my reach, even as the last bits of parchment crumpled into ash. “Princess! Please!”

“QUIET.” Luna’s voice stopped me short, washing over me with such force that I skidded across the carpet a few inches. I looked up at her with wide eyes, even as she towered over me. Her voice thrummed with power as she spoke. ”Prophecy is not to be trifled with. Showing you what’s on that scroll could have ended disastrously. For you to have foreknowledge of your actions may very well have impacted them, and the prophecy would have failed. I cannot risk anypony or anything around you by allowing such an imbalance to occur.” When she had said her piece, I had nearly wet myself. What she said made sense, but damn it all, I didn’t have to like it. Twilight had explained to me about balance, and how it had to have been observed.

Prophetic balance was one of the trickier branches of magic, in that actions and events could cause prophecy to fail. She gave me an example of her own prophecy, revolving around her ascendance to Princess-hood. If she had chosen instead to die and join the night and day, her prophecy would have failed, and the magical imbalance would have been catastrophic. It wasn’t unlike a spell equation, which I knew from experience were just as prone to explosions and… Jelly.

I didn’t have to bloody like it, though. I frowned up at Luna, feeling my anger rising.

“Fine. You can’t tell me, or rather you won’t. Who can I see that will?”

“Nopony with half a brain in their head would tell you this prophecy, Star.” Luna frowned down at me. “Thankfully, the only ponies who know about it are myself and the Farseers. They know how to keep their mouths shut, and so do I. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go ask a certain bearded old cripple why it is you’re suddenly the focal point of the largest prophecy in almost three thousand years.” She turned away from me, her tail brushing the ashes aside in her wake. I watched them flutter across the carpet, even as Luna stopped at the door.

“Star, I am sorry… Please, understand that if I had a choice, I’d tell you in a heartbeat. Once I know more about this prophecy, I’ll hopefully be able to tell you more.”

“Hey.” A thought crossed my mind as I looked up to Luna, just before she slipped out of the door. I frowned at her, indignation heavy in my voice. “Twilight told you that I’m in your hooves before she left, right?”

“… Right…” Luna slid back into the room, casting me one of those ‘and just where do you think you’re going with this argument’ looks.

“Well, I’m in your hooves then.” I surmised, sitting calmly beside the ashes of my destiny. “You’re just going to leave me here, uneducated and unoccupied, against your wife’s orders?”

I could see the twitch in her eye from twenty feet.

“Very well, Star.” Luna gave me a teasing, devious grin. “You’re so eager to learn, I’ll leave you in the capable hooves of my aide. Spearhead, she’s yours.”

“Thank you, milady.”

“GAH!” I gasped as another voice came from just behind me, making me jump nearly out of my coat. I whirled around to find myself face-to-face with a tall, slender stallion. My heart hammered loud enough in my ears, mostly from shock.

Yup, definitely from shock. Voices behind me I could stand, to an extent.

Cute stallions are another matter.

“Sorry to startle you, Star Caster.” Spearhead bowed gracefully, righting himself with a warm smile. “My name is Spearhead. I’m Princess Luna’s personal aide, and I’ll be instructing you until she deems fit.”

“O-okay.” Despite my anger and the very obvious danger this prophecy posed, I couldn’t help but blush. ’Focus, you dumbass. There’s something important happening here. Don’t get distracted by some piece of pony-flesh. Remember, you’re Twilight’s student. This hunky colt can’t keep you distracted. Yeah. Fuck him and his amber eyes… And that beautiful mane…’

“Star.” Spearhead snapped me out of my reverie with a grin. “You’re staring.”

“No I’m not.” I puffed up, even as my eyes followed the point of his horn down to his face. He wasn’t just cute, by the heavens he was gorgeous. Spearhead’s mane framed his face perfectly, hanging in highlighted black-and-grey strands down a sleek neck. His coat was milky-white, not entirely unlike Lotus’, save the different mane color… And, you know, extra baggage underneath.

“Uh huh.” He chuckled, turning towards a nearby book case. I glimpsed his cutie mark, finding it to be his namesake. The very tip of a spear pointed upwards on his flanks, framed by two olive branches. Why someone who was clearly cut out to be a guardpony wanted to be Luna’s aide escaped me. And you know what else escaped me? My own stars-damned decency. I forced a frown onto my face as I called out to him.

“Look, Spear, I’m not terribly keen on being dumped off like this.”

“And I’m not that keen on my invisibility practice being interrupted either, yet here we are.” Spear didn’t even turn to face me as he started scanning the books. “Let’s just make the best of our time, alright? I’m certain Princess Luna had a perfectly good reason to leave you in my hooves, and she usually keeps her promises. If she discovers anything important, she’ll tell you about it.”

“Well.” I puffed up again. “Well that’s just stupid.”

“Careful, now.” Spear chuckled. “My princess doesn’t take kindly to being insulted.”

“But it is!” I insisted. “What kind of backwards system tells a pony their future, then keeps it from them?! It’s stupid!”

“Oh, so you’re insulting prophecy. Not my princess. That’s an entirely different matter.” He was patronizing me and I could tell. Curse him for being cute enough to avoid me throttling him on the spot. These deadpan responses and the way he was ignoring me weren’t getting him very many brownie points.

Not that there were any brownie points to be had, mind you! I just…

You know what? Fuck hormones. They do terrible things to a mare’s mind. I re-asserted myself, stomping across the library until I was at his back. I tapped his flank, enough to get my message across. He glanced back at me with a half-interested expression.

“Look. I've just been shunted out of my own future. A little empathy would be nice.”

“What is it you expect me to do?” Spearhead furrowed his brow at me, even as he leisurely turned around with a couple of books in his magic. “Do you want me to tell you the prophecy? My talent lies in spell casting, not divination. Do you want me to appeal to the Farseers for a consultation? I could do that, but they’d probably get back to you in, oh, I dunno… Fifty years or so.” He brushed past me with a roll of his eyes, going to set the two books down on the table.

“Here’s an idea,” He continued, flipping both books open. “We do as our princess told us to, and hold out hope that there’s something she can tell you when she returns. If all else fails, you can re-assert yourself with Twilight when she gets back from Trottingham.”

Damn it all, he had a point. I huffed a breath and turned to the table, joining him meekly.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “Yesterday everything’s fine, and today we’re under attack. You’ll have to forgive me for being upset about it.”

“You have family in Trottingham?” Spearhead asked, in a surprising display of tenderness.

“My parents,” I nodded. “I know nopony died in the attack, and I’m thankful for that, but I’m still worried about them.”

“Twilight’s out there. She’ll keep everypony safe.” Spearhead laid a hoof on my shoulder, giving me a warm smile. “Relax. Stick around. Learn a few things. I’m sure all will be made clear in time.”

“Yeah…” I sighed, looking at the books with a renewed interest. “All things in time.”