Archmage - Chapter 22 “Creations and Clarifications”

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Twilight was able to find the meeting place for the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot with just a few questions around town. Much to her surprise, the movement seemed to be a prominent topic of discussion among the high-brow unicorns she conversed with. She had actually learned about the location from two ponies talking about it sitting at a table at an open-air café. They had been going on about how the trees and parks were so ‘dirty’ and ‘unsightly.’ After dodging a few scathing remarks about the Canterlot Preservation Society, Twilight was finally directed to a small council chamber just off the main shopping center. She stood in front of the wooden doors, mentally preparing herself for what lay within. With a breath, she pushed her way inside.

“Archmage.” Regal, the same pony who had led the entourage into the meeting just yesterday, greeted her with a small smile. He sat at the head of a table littered with books and documents, along with four of the six ponies who had accompanied him. He still looked as striking as ever, and even moderately intimidating, but Twilight held her head high.

“I have come to observe the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot’s proceedings. Please, continue.” She said curtly. The four unicorns sitting adjacent to Regal blinked, but turned their heads to him. With a soft smile, Regal gave a nod.

“Very well. Thank you, Archmage.” With little less than a ghost of interest in his voice, he moved on to the next topic, almost ignoring Twilight completely. “Next order of business, we have a cease and desist from the Homefront Committee. It seems they’re siding with the Canterlot Preservation Society, and want us to disband… Prose, would you mind?”

“Certainly.” There was a telekinetic exchange of paper, and the unicorn to the far left began to read the document carefully. After a few moments of silence, he smiled and tapped the page. “Right here. This statement is incongruent with our own mission statement. Their cease and desist is null.”

“Very well. I will return it with our counter-statement right away. Thank you, Prose. Last order of business: The fundraiser has been approved, and will be held in four days in Canterlot’s ballroom. I’ve seen to it that invitations have been sent to all pertinent parties, and the silent auction items have already been imported from across Equestria. Has everything else been arranged?”

“Hmm, yes… It seems there’s a bakery store owner here in Canterlot whose specialty involves organizing parties. I’ve already contacted her, eer, let’s see… Her name is Pinkie Pie. She’s agreed to decorate and organize the festivities.” Twilight drew her brow down at the mention of Pinkie Pie. Were all of her friends involved in this harebrained scheme? She held her tongue, though, as Regal cleared his throat and started to wrap up.

“Very well, then. I believe that concludes this meeting. I motion to adjourn.”

“I second.”

“Any opposed?” Twilight’s tail flicked as silence reigned for a few moments. “Very well. Meeting adjourned at four-fourteen. Thank you all for attending.” Regal stacked several sheets and straightened them as activity finally broke out amongst the gathered unicorns. As if sensing the underlying tension in the room, everypony aside from Twilight and Regal bustled to leave. They shuffled past her with the cursory nod of their heads, but for the most part ignored her. Before long, it was just her and Regal in the council chambers. He sat at the head of the table, silent as he scrutinized her. Twilight stared right back at him. The silence was nearly oppressive.

“So.” Regal finally spoke. “You’ve decided to intervene at last?”

“More from personal interest than anything else.” Twilight said with a quick flick of her tail. “It’s come to my attention you’re the purveyor of a new branch of magic. I’m intrigued.” That much seemed to take Regal by surprise. He arched an eyebrow at her.

“You’re… Not here on behalf of the Canterlot Preservation Society?”

“Rarity demonstrated for me what she’s learned from you. How can you create something from nothing?”

“You’re… Seriously not here for the Cant-“

“I mean, it goes against all the laws of physics… I understand that they fade with time, which I guess would make sense if they’re conjured from pure magical energy, but-“

“I’m shocked, I thought you’d at least be here to-“

“-to make them permanent! I don’t get it.” They both rambled on despite one another for a few moments, but both stopped once they realized they had been talking over the other.

“Go ahead.”

“No, you. I insist.”

“I interrupted, it’s rude.”

“Ugh. Fine. Look.” Twilight took a few steps forward, suddenly serious once again. “You have knowledge I want. Whether you become my teacher or point me in the right direction, I want to know more about this new branch of magic. Synthesis.” Regal frowned at her, his expression a hybrid of concern and curiosity.

“I don’t think with the Greater Canterlot Council meeting on the horizon, that it’d be a wise decision for you to undertake a new field of study. Besides, I’m awfully busy. We have meetings, deadlines, fundraisers, one thing or another scheduled for… Well, almost every weekday from here to the end of the season.”

“So we work on the weekends.” Twilight was resolute.

“You’re not seriously suggesting I take time out of my personal life to instruct you…?”

“I’ve devoted all of my personal time to serving Canterlot and Equestria. I think you could find time, Regal.” Twilight countered confidently. Regal blinked at her a few times, obviously taken aback.

“I suppose I could take Saturdays to-“

“Your whole weekend.” Twilight stepped closer.

“I might be able to take a few hours Sunday eve-“

“The whole weekend.” Twilight stood just opposite him now, her hooves resting on the table. She would not budge on this. She had found no recorded evidence of the magic of synthesis, and she hadn’t been able to ask Celestia or Luna about it yet. According to Bastion, they were in a private meeting with some dignitary from the gryphon territory all day yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to track them that morning. As far as she understood, Night Dancer and Warden had helped with the sun and moon for the past few days. Why, she wasn’t exactly sure, but that was beside the point. Twilight needed to learn this new magic, whatever it was, and Regal was the pony to teach her.

“Fine.” Regal bowed his head with a soft sigh. “I’ll teach you the magic of synthesis. I’ll see you tomorrow. Will this place work?”

“Just fine, thank you. See you tomorrow morning, Regal.” Twilight turned to leave then, flicking her tail as she began to adjust her schedule in her head.

“Uum… Archmage?” She stopped at his hesitant question, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “About the movement… Where do you stand?” She turned her head back to the front, sighing gently before moving forward.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Regal.”

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Twilight finally caught up with Luna and Celestia that evening as they prepared to cycle the sun and the moon. Night Dancer and Warden were there as well, affording her the chance to finally catch up with everypony.

“How are things in my absence?” She asked the small group as soon as the sun began to dip lower and lower towards the horizon. It was almost time to cycle, and Twilight seemed to be delaying them. Celestia and Luna shared a look, but Night Dancer spoke immediately.

“Archmage, a proposal if you will.” She stood between Twilight and the others, holding her head high. Twilight blinked but nodded her head to give her permission to continue. “It seems that you have a lot on your plate, with all of the committees and magics you need to be studying. If you would approve, I think Warden and I can handle the raising and setting of the sun ourselves. To help free up your schedule.” Twilight blinked at her, then looked back to Warden and the two princesses.

“Do you agree with this?” Twilight asked carefully. Celestia and Luna remained stoic, but Warden stepped forward.

“It’s not just freeing up your schedule, Twilight. It’s allowing Night Dancer and I to practice a valuable skill. Not to mention, it’s the chance of a lifetime. We’re all young unicorns with long lives ahead of us. The more practice we get in now, the easier we’ll be able to assist you later on in life. Think about it. We’ll all be around for... A hundred years. Maybe more.” Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“Princesses? Can I please get your input on this?” Twilight asked, looking back to Celestia and Luna. Both of them shared a quick glance before looking at the three of them.

“This is a decision you must make on your own, Twilight.” Celestia said softly. Was she mistaken, or was there a melancholy hint to her mentor’s voice? Twilight’s brow drew down for a moment out of concern, but she didn’t press the matter. Luna’s silent nod signaled her acquiescence to Celestia’s words. Twilight heaved a sigh and turned to Night Dancer and Warden.

“Very well.” She hung her head with a sigh. “I’ll give you complete control over raising the sun and the moon for the next two weeks. That should be plenty of time for me to brush up on the other magics I need to learn.”

“Oh, thank you!” Night Dancer, in a completely uncharacteristic display of enthusiasm, lunged forward to throw her arms around Twilight. Eyes wide, Twilight stumbled under the embrace, but smiled nevertheless.

“Wasn’t quite expecting that reaction, but okay.” Twilight released the darker unicorn with a slight blush, but Night Dancer’s own cheeks were heated in return. She was about to comment on her exuberance when Warden took her hoof and shook it vigorously.

“You won’t regret this decision, Archmage. I promise it.” Twilight felt a little jostled, but she smiled nevertheless.

“I don’t usually regret any of my decisions.” She muttered. “You sure the two of you are capable of filling in for me for two whole weeks?”

“Easily,” Night Dancer nodded firmly. “I have nothing other than assisting the Princess on my plate. We’re around one another most of the time anyways.” Twilight glanced at Luna, who silently mouthed the words ‘assistant.’ Twilight nodded, but indicated they should talk anyways with a simple expression.

“I have nothing major going on. The investigation is going smoothly, and Bastion hardly needs my help as is. My mornings and nights are quite free. And even if he does need me, I’m sure he’ll understand the reason for my absence.”

“Alright. Thank you, both of you.” Twilight smiled. “I really do appreciate it.” She nodded to Celestia and Luna, indicating she was ready. “I think we’ve postponed long enough. Shall we?” The two princesses smiled at her and turned to their respective ends of the balcony. Night Dancer and Warden stood behind Twilight, all three of their horns glowing in conjunction. The shields went up, and the power of the princess’ magic washed over them. Twilight grimaced at the impact, though it quickly turned into a grin. It felt good to exercise her magic again. Something about watching waves of energy break against her defenses made Twilight feel fulfilled. Refreshed. Like she could handle anything.

It took them two minutes to cycle the sun and moon, after which Twilight, Night Dancer, and Warden stood tall and proud. The princesses turned back to them with a smile. Twilight couldn’t help but capture Luna’s eyes, looking at her lover long and hard. Twilight would have given anything to press close and sneak a kiss from her in that moment. She wasn’t lonely or needy in particular, but she did want to be close.

“Well then,” Luna interrupted the moment with a quiet voice. “If there’s nothing else, I do have some reading to catch up on.”

“Thank you, sister. I shall see you in the morning.” Celestia nodded as Luna walked away, but Twilight didn’t miss the hint. A ghost of a smile on Luna’s lips betrayed her intent. She meant for Twilight to follow.

“I should be going as well,” She kicked a hoof. “I need to get some rest before my lesson with Regal tomorrow.” Celestia arched an eyebrow at her, and the other two looked shocked.

“You’re… Studying with Regal?” Warden asked, his tone slightly defensive. Twilight felt as if the three ponies left standing on the balcony with her weren’t very keen on Regal.

“Yes. He’s teaching me the magic of synthesis. Apparently he just discovered it, and knows more about it than anypony else… He agreed to teach me. Why are you all looking at me like that?” Night Dancer and Warden looked furious. Celestia’s expression, however, worried her the most. She swallowed and looked up at her mentor fearfully. “Wh… What?”

“Twilight,” Celestia said with a soft tone. “The magic of synthesis is nothing new. It’s been around for thousands of years.”

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“Regal!” Twilight stormed into the headquarters of the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot with a very serious expression on her face. To anypony, a furious Archmage was the stuff of nightmares. Regal, however, looked mildly disinterested. He barely even glanced up from the book he was reading. With a growl, Twilight slammed the book closed with her magic, forcing him to look up at her. “You didn’t tell me synthesis has been around for years.”

“Aah. That. Well, a smarter pony might have been able to figure it out sooner.” His nonchalant answer took Twilight by surprise.

“What do you mean?” She asked hesitantly.

“Think back on it, Twilight. In all of the magic you’ve seen and performed in your entire life, can you imagine any scenario where something came from nothing?” Furious as Twilight was with the development Celestia had shared with her last night, his simple question disarmed her. She remembered many different spells, of the things she had learned and done. A few things in particular stood out in her mind. Times when she had conjured something from nothing. It was so long ago, and she had done so almost reflexively… How HAD she done it? Then things began to make more and more sense. The fireworks Trixie made upon her first arrival in Ponyville, the massive glass globe she had summoned upon her return… There were even regular spells that had been enhanced or improved by adding or summoning small things.

In fact, Twilight specifically recalled a dress Rarity had fashioned from a single bolt of cloth, and she had summoned the thread and needle magically… Realization washed over her in an instant, and Twilight suddenly felt very foolish for not realizing it sooner.

“Oh.” She muttered.

“Yeah.” Regal lifted the cover of his book once more, searching for the place he had been. “You’d do well to think through your arguments through before letting your anger get the best of you, Archmage.” He was right, of course, but she didn’t appreciate the condescending tone. She sat down and studied him for a few moments, taking in the finer points of his mane and face. The silence stretched on, as it seemed Regal had found his place in the book. Twilight was beginning to grow impatient, despite the thoughts racing through her mind. Old or not, she still needed to learn the magic, and Regal was the best to teach her that. After a little while longer, she cleared her throat. Regal just glanced up at her.

“We’re waiting for my assistant. We’ll begin when she arrives.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

“Hmm.”

Silence again. Twilight busied herself going through her schedule in her mind. It didn’t keep her busy for long. Thankfully, the door behind her opened just as she was about to go through her schedule a third time.

“Good morning.” Twilight turned to see Rarity, looking as beautiful as ever, trotting happily across the threshold. Twilight was shocked.

“Rarity? I thought… I thought I told you not to get involved with the movement.”

“Oh come now, darling.” Rarity strode forward to greet her with a quick hug. “It’d be silly for me to just give up on something I believe in. And besides, Regal asked me to assist him with your lesson.” Twilight only barely returned the hug before stepping back to shoot Regal a glare.

“Don’t tell me you actually agree with the movement, Rarity…”

“Oh, but I do! You see, Regal has this plan to-“

“I think,” Regal cut them off by closing the book with an audible thump. “There’s a better time to discuss that particular matter. Right now, we need to focus on Twilight’s lesson.” Twilight grumbled unhappily but nodded.

“Fine. Let’s begin. But I’m not done with either of you.”

“Fair enough. Honestly, Archmage… You’ve done nothing but make demands of the movement since you first walked in that door.” Regal nodded to the open door behind them, shutting it with a small glimmer of magic.

“Well I’m sorry.” Twilight huffed in annoyance. “But I’ll tell you why that’s so when we’ve finished.”

“Alright, then. Rarity, thank you for making it. I know it’s troublesome asking you to take time from your busy weekend.”

“Not at all! I didn’t have anything to do this weekend, and Cross Stitch was busy with something else. I’m glad to assist.” Rarity beamed at him, and off to the side, Twilight fought to keep from retching. Regal glanced at her before straightening his head.

“Twilight, tell me what you know about the magic of synthesis.” He stated simply. Twilight furrowed her brow up at him and heaved a soft sigh.

“Very little. Celestia says there is very little written evidence of the magic, and over the years, it has fallen out of practice. It’s existed in one form or another over the millennia, but it’s been fading more and more through the course of time. Now, it exists solely in practice. There are no known written books on the subject, and what little has been practiced has been done so very poorly. I’ve been able to replicate the magic based on what I think the desired product would be, but what I have is very rough and imperfect.” She sighed and let her horn build up with the magic, slowly summoning a thread from midair. The thread appeared from nowhere, sheathed in Twilight’s lavender glow. It was frayed, and even broke off somewhere in the middle. The act of summoning it made Twilight grit her teeth with effort. It seemed almost like she was trying too hard.

“Impressive.” Regal nodded. “You’ve managed to accomplish this much without any studying or instruction. You’ve done this much merely from observing Rarity’s technique, as she’s told me she gave you a demonstration. I’m surprised, Archmage. You’re bound to be a very promising student. Now, imagine what you could do with this.” Regal’s horn lit up as he lifted the same book Twilight had slammed shut on him. She watched him hover it closer, until the title was readable.

”’Synthetic Elements.’ Regal, where did you get this?!” Twilight’s eyes were suddenly wide. A book on synthesis! It existed! They were still around! Such a book was priceless. It contained knowledge long-lost to all of ponykind. For Regal to be in possession was nothing short of amazing!

“In the Saddle-Arabian desert, there is a library. It was long ago buried underneath the sands during a terrible storm. Only recently has the excavation begun, and this was one of the books recovered. I knew it was of importance to Equestria and unicorns everywhere, so I immediately came to Canterlot to present Celestia with the book. I knew she would do what was right.” Twilight felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise. His tone was slowly becoming more and more heated. “But when I got here, all they did was re-direct me to the Canterlot Preservation Society. I wasn’t even granted an audience.” Twilight had the feeling this was no longer a lesson. Regal continued. Rarity seemed enthralled. Twilight was debating just taking the book and leaving.

“Then I discovered the truth about the Canterlot Preservation Society. In the absence of conflict and strife, they had become treehuggers and greenhooves. They were more worried about the life of some damned fern than a discovery of magical importance. Trees and bushes and grass were all the society cared about. They don’t know what the true purpose of the preservation society is.” Now Twilight was listening. Regal was making it sound like Gable was doing something wrong.

“The preservation society is supposed to ensure all things withstand the test of time. Traditions, spells, books, and yes, nature, but not just nature! It’s sickening to see so many things in Equestria’s capitol fading away because some haughty earth ponies think the oak down the street is more important than the history of magic.” Regal shook his head with a snort. “So I studied your laws, and began to take the action necessary to right this egregious wrong against Equestria. The only way to make that happen was for the Canterlot Preservation Society to be disbanded. So I founded the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot. When I’ve disbanded them, I’ll make sure a new order is founded, one that’s suitable to take their place, and see that all things are preserved.”

Twilight slowly sat down, looking between Regal and the book. Silence reigned for a few long moments as Twilight mulled the options over in her head. At long last, she spoke.

“You’re crazy.”

In a flash of magic, she was gone.

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Author's Note:

I understand this chapter is very long in coming, but we have our reasons. Iroh was very busy with his family the past few weeks. Additionally, the second half of this chapter was VERY underdeveloped and unrefined. We decided to remove the second half in favor of refining and polishing it just a little more. This will help make the story longer and more well-developed, rather than an unrefiend and unfinished piece of work.

Again, my apologies for the very long delay. But here you are. I promise, Iroh and I will work hard at uploading the next few chapters as rapidly as we can. While I cannot give a time, I can tell you it won't be another three weeks.

Thank you all from both of us,

-Loyal2-1 and Iroh