Archmage - Chapter 23 “Copies and Courts”

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Twilight appeared three blocks away, and then she started to run. Her horn glowed, carrying the book behind her. She had managed to grip it the last second before teleporting, which carried it with her. Now, legs pumping as fast as they could, Twilight ran for the castle. Regal would be furious with her, and might try something brash. As easily as she knew she could defend herself and probably even subdue him, she couldn’t guarantee the safety of the book. So she ran to the one place and the few ponies who could.

“Princess!” Twilight burst into Celestia’s office a few short minutes later, dropping the book on the table.

“Twilight! What’s happening?” Celestia stood from her desk, ignoring the ever-present stack of papers before her.

“This book,” She panted, gulping air. “It’s a manual.”

”Synthetic Elements. Twilight, I haven’t seen this book in… Why, over a thousand years! It’s ancient! Where did you find this?!” Celestia’s eyes went wide as she delicately lifted the book as if it were a newborn foal.

“Regal.” Twilight plopped her haunches on the ground, gulping air as deeply as she could. “He’s had it since he arrived. He said he discovered it in some buried library in the Saddle Arabian desert…” Celestia stiffened and looked at her. Twilight could see the gears turning in her head.

“Blaze.” She whispered at last.

“The former Archmage?” Twilight panted. Blaze had been Archmage long, long ago.

“Yes. He was the last pony to have seen the library. Nopony knows why he made the trip, but during his time as Archmage, he left Canterlot for a full month.” Celestia turned away from her desk and strode towards a bookcase. Her horn glowed, and the case seemed to waver. It disappeared in an instant, and Celestia jerked her head towards a short hallway concealed behind the illusion. Twilight followed eagerly. As Celestia led her down the short hall, she continued to explain. “He said nothing to anypony, not even to Luna or me. He and Cadance were close, however. He kept correspondence with her while he was gone.” The hallway led to a set of double doors, and here Celestia cast another spell. Her horn glowed brightly for a few long moments before the seal on the door’s lock vanished, and the door swung inward. Twilight knew this was advanced magic, the likes of which even she wouldn’t be able to cast. Whatever was behind these doors, it wasn’t meant for anypony other than a princess to see…

“Don’t touch anything, Twilight. There are articles behind these doors that could kill you. Come, now.” Twilight’s eyes went wide at the sight of what lay beyond the doors. First off, she was in awe of the sheer size. The chamber, whatever it was, had to have been enchanted a few thousand times over to fit anywhere near the castle. For miles upon miles, as far as the eye could see, were nothing but bookshelves, pedestals displaying magical artifacts, and above them in the air, were massive floating diagrams and spell-forms, magnificent displays of arcane prowess that left her stunned. This room was impossible. It couldn’t exist. The sheer spatial implications of the room were impossible to comprehend. She tried to wrap her mind around it, but simply couldn’t. Whatever it was, Twilight was awestruck to say the least. Celestia strode forward, leading her down a long set of stairs and among the millions of book cases. Twilight would have given anything to spend just one day in this place. The knowledge and wonders held here were of untold worth, and were likely more dangerous than anything she had ever seen before. Celestia didn’t seem fazed. If anything, she wore a business-like expression, and walked quickly.

“Here.” Celestia stopped at one aisle among the bookshelves, turning abruptly and walking down it. She stopped maybe fifty feet in, her horn glowing as she pulled forth a sheaf of bundled papers from one shelf. “These are the letters Blaze sent to Cadance during his trip. He didn’t say specifically where it was located, but he gave her this.” Celestia unfurled the ties holding the papers together and pulled one free, opening it for Twilight to see. On the paper was an intricate rendition of a magnificent building, with sweeping spires and well-formed crenellations. Twilight didn’t need to guess to know this was the library Regal had spoken of. “These letters go on to describe some of the knowledge held here. It is in a remote part of the desert separating the gryphon territories and Saddle Arabia… Far out-of-the way, and lost to the passage of time. At least, that’s what Blaze said to me…” Celestia turned, carrying the papers with her. Twilight followed along, trying very hard to keep from looking around at all of the interesting things around them. Celestia was quiet as she led Twilight through the maze, but she moved quickly enough that Twilight didn’t get much time to browse.

“Here are the remains of every bit of synthetic magic we know of.” Celestia said after a short hike through the book cases. Before them was a large orb of glowing magic, and inside were what appeared to be black chunks of rock. Upon closer inspection, Twilight could see they were, instead, ashes. Thousands of them, clumped together in varying states of destruction. Some of the particles were nothing more than suspended dust, while others were portions of spines or covers. All of them were illegible. “I’ve kept them in suspended animation, searching for a way to reverse the damage done. I don’t think I’ll ever find one, however. But, it seems all is not lost.” Celestia nodded to the book Twilight carried with her.

“I don’t understand.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “What did Blaze do?” Celestia sighed and looked down at her.

“He went mad. In a spree of destruction the likes of which nopony had seen, he leveled the library we had at the time. But not before he burned every last book on synthetic magic. Then he left for the library in the desert. I thought we had lost every book, but he took one with him. Apparently, he meant to seal it away in the desert library… After he returned, anypony who made a journey to the library either returned with stories of terrible, nightmarish figures in the sand, or didn’t return at all… The library has been lost to us ever since. That is, until now…” Celestia’s frown deepened as she turned towards the staircase that led them into this magnificent area. “I want to know how Regal managed to get into the library. Or get back out. More importantly, I want to know how he recovered that book. I’d assume the creatures in the sand are there to protect the contents of the library. Why they let him pass, I can only imagine. How… Well, that’s even more intriguing to me....”

“Princess… What happened to Blaze after he returned? A pony, even the Archmage, doesn’t destroy valuable knowledge without suffering the consequences… What became of him?” Twilight’s question stopped Celestia in her tracks. With a melancholy look, Celestia looked back at Twilight, her eyes cold and heartless. In that moment, Twilight was more scared than she had ever been before.

“When he returned, he was insane. He strode down the main road, killing anypony in his path. When he arrived at the throne room, he made an attempt to take my life. I did what I had to, Twilight.” Celestia’s gaze lifted to the ceiling of the room. Twilight followed it. When she saw what Celestia intended her to see, she felt her knees grow weak. A wave of nausea passed over her.

“I killed him.”

Blaze, or what remained of him, hovered in a spell, and was the focal point of the entire room.

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“She keeps him as a reminder.” Luna said softly, nuzzling Twilight’s neck. “Of her mistake, and of his. The first and last she’s ever made, as far as I can tell... Or at least, the one that affected her the most.”

“That seems a little dark…” Twilight muttered, shaking slightly. She had fled to Luna’s room after seeing Blaze’s remains in Celestia’s private library. The thought of the magical room and all of the knowledge there had fascinated her at first. Now, she never wanted to go back there.

“There are things about my sister and I that you might think are dark or morbid, Twilight. To us, they’re normal. The price of staying alive as long as we do… Trust me, should you ever live to be more than a thousand years old, you might do something that would worry other ponies as well. But that’s the reason she keeps him hidden in there. So nopony learns of her dark secret, or thinks their ruler mad. Celestia is just as normal as you or I, Twilight. She just… Has some skeletons in the closet.”

“Hmm.” Twilight wasn’t sure she could identify with keeping thousand-year-old corpses around as reminders, but then again, she wasn’t thousands of years old herself. She couldn’t rightly imagine anything until she had lived to be that old… Instead of dwelling on it, she let it die. They had more important things to focus on. “How is Regal reacting to the loss of his book?”

“He’s railing at the authorities now,” Luna said with a sigh. She nodded towards the balcony of her bedroom where they were, and Twilight followed her. Together, they looked out into the night, down at the city beneath them. There seemed to be some sort of gathering along the main road. “He and the other ponies who stand behind this movement of his are demanding justice. They think you’ve sabotaged the entirety of synthesis magic, and are claiming you should be hanged for your crime.”

“You don’t believe them, do you?”

“Oh goodness no,” Luna scoffed. “He’s insane. If anything, it’ll be him who hangs at the end of this.” She shook her head and turned away, leading Twilight back into her room. “Don’t worry yourself about the movement or Regal. We have more important things to focus on.”

“Like the book.” Twilight nodded to the nearby table, where she had first set the book upon entering Luna’s room, after she had left Celestia’s office. Twilight wasn’t quite worried about the movement in that moment, or even Blaze’s remains in Celestia’s private library. What worried her right then was Luna’s demeanor... Now that Twilight thought about it, something seemed off about Luna in general.

“We need to make sure it’s preserved properly..” Luna said, nodding towards the book. At the word ‘preserved,’ Twilight remembered something.

“About Regal…”

“I thought we had moved on from him?” Luna seemed annoyed.

“No, it’s about the movement. And the Canterlot Preservation Society. Luna, do you remember when the society was first formed?” Twilight asked softly. Luna blinked at her a few moments before frowning.

“Vaguely. Political matters were never my forte’, even when I was a prominent figure in Equestria. I always left matters of importance in Celestia’s hooves, while I focused on more… Intimate things. Many of the old Archmages and I were close. Why?”

“Some of the things Regal told me… I don’t think he’s as crazy as we originally thought.” Twilight went on to share all of the things Regal had told her, about how corrupt the Canterlot Preservation Society had become, about how their charter had been changed long ago, and it was now much different from what it had originally been. Regal’s plan wasn’t to destroy all the plant life in Canterlot. That was just his distraction. His real goal was to disband the current preservation society and reform it properly.

“You said he studied Equestrian law, correct?” Luna asked once Twilight had finished.

“Yes. He’s actually rather well-versed, from what I’ve seen…” Twilight nodded.

“Then he should know there are other ways to go about this. Statements of Distrust and disputes. Civil debates. Trials, courts, and procedures for this sort of thing… Why is he relying on subterfuge and intrigue? I’m perplexed…”

“Well…” Twilight muttered. “He hasn’t been in Canterlot very long, has he?”

“About a year now. Why?”

“Maybe he just didn’t read up on that particular bit… Knowledgeable as he is, it’s plausible that he has missed some parts…”

“Not likely. He’s a unicorn, Twilight. He’s probably studied law as extensively as he could have in that time. I doubt he’s missed something so basic and important… No, he has ulterior motives, that one…” Luna sighed and looked back out the balcony, towards the main road and where the group of ponies had gathered. “Perhaps I ought to go check on them. See what they want.”

“We do need to cycle soon.”

“Aah, thank you for reminding me. Will you be joining us this evening?” Luna smiled at her as she walked towards the door. With a sigh, Twilight shook her head and grasped the book in her magic.

“I need to get started replicating this.” She said quietly. “Night Dancer and Warden will help you. They’d be upset if I went back on my word, anyways.”

“If you say so. Will you join me afterwards, at least?” Twilight looked out of the balcony windows, down at the filled main street of Canterlot.

“And get lynched? No thanks.”

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Twilight devoted herself to copying the book word-for-word. There were several diagrams and equations she would need to devote more time and attention to, but she got many of the major articles and chapters copied in short notice. Working through the night and well into the next day, Twilight had replicated the entire book. Luna and Celestia checked in on her mid-afternoon. She barely even glanced up as the door to her chambers opened, but had to stop herself when she saw both princesses.

“Luna, Celestia… Is everything okay?”

“Well… I wouldn’t say it’s an ideal day, but there’s nothing dangerous happening.” Celestia said with a warm smile. Twilight suddenly realized how tired she was, and fought to keep her eyes from closing right then and there.

“What happened?” She asked, rubbing a hoof into her sore eyes.

“We spoke with Regal and his followers. They’re crying for blood, but it’s all idle threats.” Luna waved a hoof nonchalantly, though Twilight shuddered a little at the thought of all those ponies being angry with her. “He’s settled to file charges and face you in court. Mainly for theft. Then again, in light of his own crimes, I doubt he’s going to accomplish anything.”

“Hhmph. Let him try to best me in the courtroom.” Twilight muttered.

“He’s just trying to get results, Twilight. Don’t let him ruffle your coat. What’s this?” Celestia lifted the copied book gingerly, looking it over.

“I’m going to make a few copies of the book. We need to have them on-hoof just in case anything happens to the original.” She returned, hefting the original copy of Synthetic Elements so Celestia could look at them side-by-side. “There are diagrams that I can’t accurately copy without some help, though. Specifically on pages fifty-eight, ninety-four, three-forty-two and five-eighty-seven. Oh, and there’s a few tricky equations too…” Twilight yawned wide, her head dipping a little. Luna didn’t miss the gesture.

“You should get some rest, Twilight. Regal will want to see you in the courts tomorrow.”

“So soon?” Twilight asked, arching an eyebrow skeptically.

“Well…” Celestia sighed, setting both the copy and the original down. “You are the Archmage, and he’s a foreign dignitary… This kind of takes precedence over other trials. The courts have agreed to free their schedule up to give the two of you time to settle your dispute before the Greater Canterlot Council. That gives you a week to settle your dispute with Regal personally. Before the council meeting.”

“One week? Is it really that close?” Twilight perked up a little, frowning at both princesses.

“Yes. All of the council members agree that in light of the circumstances, it’d be best to start early on this year’s issues. Not only do we have a new Archmage, but this business between the Canterlot Preservation Society and the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot has been creating quite the uproar. It seems the Greater Canterlot Council will play host to the largest debate in… Well, in a very long time. I honestly can’t remember the last time we’ve had such dissention among Equestrian citizens.” Celestia added the last bit as an afterthought, rubbing her chin.

“Hmm. That’s not good.” Twilight groaned, rubbing her eyes yet again.

“Twilight, you’re stretching yourself again.” Luna stepped forward, laying a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Let Celestia and I handle the rest of the copies. You should start focusing on your case with Regal, and the council meeting next week.” Luna leaned in to kiss her cheek gently, which made Twilight flush as Celestia was watching them. She pulled away and mulled over her options.

“That’s a good idea.” She said at last, nodding slightly. “I’ll ready my case against Regal and get ready to settle this dispute between the movement and the preservation society next week. Thank you, Luna.”

“It was actually Celestia’s idea.”

“I think she gets the meaning.” Twilight smiled at Celestia, who returned the gesture kindly. Twilight fought to stifle a yawn, but failed and let it escape into the space between her and Luna. “I should get some rest, first…”

“That I cannot argue with. Get some sleep, Twilight. You’ll need your rest if you’re going to go hoof-to-hoof with Regal tomorrow.” Luna nuzzled her neck lovingly and guided her towards her bed with a few gentle nudges. Twilight wearily climbed under the covers and slipped away into the night, leaving Celestia and Luna alone in her chambers. She didn’t even notice as Celestia stood next to her sister, both of them looking down at her.

“She’s showing more promise than I thought.”

“If she pulls this off, the book might have been right about her…”

“What do we do, Tia?”

“Nothing.” Celestia sighed. “Twilight’s walking her own path now… We can’t interfere. But we can help. Come on, help me copy this book.”

“Right…” Together, Celestia and Luna left Twilight to her slumber.

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“This meeting is now in session. Judge Gavel presiding. Regal, representing the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot, and Twilight Sparkle, Archmage. The defendant will begin with her opening statement. Twilight?” Court was in session, and Twilight was ready for anything. She had slept six whole hours after Luna tucked her in, and had taken all the time she had available to prepare her case against Regal. She strode to the front of the courtroom, turning to face all the ponies gathered.

“Thank you all for coming today. I stand before you an alleged thief, responsible not only for stealing something that doesn’t belong to me, but destroying it and the magic along with it as well. Your honor, mares and colts of the jury, there is not much I can say to sway your opinion of me. But I can provide hard evidence and plenty of data. As we move through the motions today, I hope I can prove to you the truth. That I am innocent, or at least justified, in my actions. Thank you.” She kept it short and sweet, and as she went to take her seat once more, she noticed one of the jury members nodding solemnly.

“Very well. Does the prosecution have any opening statements?”

“Only that justice be served today.” Regal stood up as he spoke, shooting a quick look to Twilight before facing the jury. “I would like to begin immediately, if that is okay with you, your honor?” The judge gestured with a hoof, acquiescing to Regal’s request. “Thank you. I’d like to begin by calling a witness to the stand. Miss Rarity?” Twilight braced herself for this. She watched her friend approach from the area behind them, where a fair amount of court-going ponies sat to watch the debate of the century go down. Rarity sat at the witness stand and went under oath, vowing to tell nothing but the truth. Regal stood before her, smiling softly. “Miss Rarity. What is your profession?”

“I am a dressmaker, sir.” Rarity answered formally, her own lips mirroring Regal’s.

“You have great attention to detail, then?”

“I dare say I’m unparalleled in my field.”

“Good. Then I can count on you to give an accurate rendition of everything that transpired in the council chambers for the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot, no?”

“I certainly can. Shall I begin?” Rarity asked, and Regal nodded in return. She launched into her description right away. Twilight didn’t know if she was upset or relieved that Rarity didn’t lie, but she didn’t include all of the details, either. Particularly Regal’s statement of intention with the movement, or how he wished to disband the current Canterlot Preservation Society.

“Miss Sparkle, is this rendition of the events true?” The judge asked once Rarity had finished.

“It is, your honor.” Twilight said with a soft nod. The fact that Rarity omitted some of what happened worried her. She hoped Rarity’s inclination for the movement wasn’t masking her friendship. As much as Rarity was infuriating her, she was still a friend. Twilight grit her teeth and listened to Regal as he began his prosecution.

“Your honor, the Archmage has stolen a very important book from my posession. I returned from a long-buried library between Saddle Arabia and the gryphon territories, and suffered great personal peril to recover that book. What’s more, it’s one of the few remaining manuals for instruction on how to use the magic of synthesis. We have reason to believe that Twilight Sparkle has destroyed this book in an attempt to stop the Movement for Unicorn Superiority in Canterlot.” Regal turned to glare at her, though his lips bore a hint of a smile on them. Twilight set her jaw and stared right back at him.

“Twilight,” The judge broke her gaze. “Is this true?”

“No, your honor, it is not.”

“Do you have proof otherwise?”

“I do. If Regal is finished with his witness, I would call one of my own to the stand.”

“Regal?”

“Yes, your honor. Miss Rarity, thank you for your time.”

“My pleasure, darling.” Rarity smiled and slipped off of the witness stand, though Twilight didn’t miss the smug look shot her way as Rarity passed. She shrugged it off and stood herself, addressing the judge.

“I would call to the stand Princess Luna.” Gasps sounded out as Twilight turned to the doors leading into the courtroom. Luna, in all her dark and mysterious beauty, strode boldly into the courtroom. Everypony immediately shot to their hooves and bowed low.

“At ease, my subjects. I’m here merely to serve as a witness.” She spoke calmly. Regal was obviously ruffled, and the glare he shot Twilight was nothing short of priceless. She grinned in return and turned to watch Luna take her place on the witness stand. “Very well, Archmage.” Luna said, after taking the vow. It was rather unsettling to watch her do so... For Luna to swear on anything was unlike her. “Ask your questions.”

“I’d like to remind you that you’re under oath, Princess. Not only that, but you are co-ruler of Equestria. Your words will likely go down in history.”

“I understand.” Luna said, drawing her brow down. Twilight nodded and began pacing back and forth.

“Can you confirm or deny the existence of the book Synthetic Elements?”

“I confirm. The book exists.”

“And what state is it in?”

“Excellent condition. For it’s age.”

“Given average wear and tear over the next few years, how long would you say the book could last?”

“That’s a difficult question. For a book like this to even be studied is a rigorous process to ensure the book is not further damaged. For anypony to even remotely study the original copy right now, it’d be a very delicate procedure. If an unskilled pony handles it, the book is likely to be ruined.”

“So you’re saying the book can easily be destroyed if handled by unskilled hooves?” Twilight faced Luna, her tail flicking interestedly. Luna nodded after a moment.

“Yes. Even a trained pony could make a simple mistake and damage the book beyond repair.”

“Thank you, Princess. Now, can you tell me what you have been assisting me with since last night?”

“I... Have been busy refining your copy of the book. Checking and double-checking it for accuracy.”

“So you confirm that I’ve actually made a copy. How accurate is said copy?”

“After two full checks, I can say you’ve copied everything to the letter.” The jury murmured at the contradictory statements being shared between Regal and Twilight’s witness. Regal claimed she had destroyed the book, but Luna was saying she had done anything but. In light of Luna’s significance, his entire claim had just been debunked. He appeared to be fuming. “From your copy, which is healthy, we can make more. Synthetic Elements will soon be free for the whole world to study. Synthetic magic is healthier now more than ever.” Twilight nodded her thanks to Luna and turned to the judge.

“Your honor, as the princess has made abundantly clear, I have nothing but the best interests at heart for synthetic magic and the book Regal proclaims to be his. I have nothing further. Princess, thank you for your time.” Twilight bowed low as Luna stood from the witness stand and strode out of the courtroom smoothly. In her passing, ponies bowed along with her, and none of them rose their heads until Luna had exited the courtroom. Twilight took her seat and sat patiently, looking stoically up at the judge.

“Very well. Does the prosecution have anything further?”

“Nothing, your honor.” Regal nearly spat the words, which got him a raised eyebrow from the judge.

“Very well. The jury will adjourn and come to a verdict.” The judge and jury rose from their seats and left the courtroom through the back, leaving Twilight, Regal, and all of the other ponies waiting. Twilight tried her hardest not to look at Regal, but the few quick glances she spared him showed he was staring daggers at her. If looks could kill, the trial might have turned to a murder case. Twilight stared straight ahead, her jaw set. Though her defenses were raised. She doubted Regal would confront her in the courtroom, but she also knew he wasn’t above it.

After what seemed like an eternity but realistically wasn’t more than fifteen minutes, the judge and the jury returned. One pony stayed standing among the jury, and he spoke out loud, silencing the whispers of the other ponies behind Twilight and Regal. “On account of destruction of knowledge, we the jury find the defendant, the Archmage, not guilty. On account of theft of personal belongings, we the jury find the defendant, the Archmage, not guilty.”

“That’s outrageous!” Regal shot to his hooves, nearly screaming the statement. Everypony in the courtroom looked at him incredulously. “Your honor, that book belongs to me! I carried it thousands of miles!”

“On the contrary, Regal.” Celestia’s voice rang true and loud, Everypony immediately bowed their heads as the royal princess emerged from the jury chambers. “The desert library that was lost just over a thousand years ago was primarily the property of Equestria, and as such, myself. My records indicate that Blaze, the Archmage at the time the library was lost, travelled to the library. We’re assuming he did something nefarious, and since his return, the library has been untouchable. Until you arrived with the book. Which wasn’t yours to begin with. Therefore, Twilight wasn’t stealing your property.” Celestia’s gaze swung to Twilight, who swallowed involuntarily. “She was stealing mine.”

“Are you saying... You wish to press charges, milady?” The judge said shakily, leaning forward a little.

“Not at all! In fact, I wish to congratulate and commend Twilight on returning my property! With the rise of Nightmare Moon, I had all but forgotten about the library being lost. Hearing it has been accessed, and having one of the precious books inside returned to me, I dare say I’d pardon anypony who ‘steals’ any such books and returns them to their rightful place.” Silence reigned after Celestia’s statement, though Twilight thought she could hear Regal’s teeth gritting together.

“Very well... Does the jury have anything to add?”

“Nothing, your honor.”

“Twilight Sparkle has been found not guilty on all charges. This court is adjourned.” With a smack of his gavel, the court was excused. Just as Twilight spun to leave, Regal laid a hoof on her shoulder. In the bustle of activity, nopony seemed to notice as he leaned closer to her.

“This isn’t over, Archmage. The movement will succeed, and I’ll see the preservation society in shambles before the week is out.”

“So you say, Regal.” Twilight returned, her tone dead serious. “But you’re forgetting one thing.” Regal blinked at her as she raised her head high, looking down her nose at him. “I’m the Archmage. It’s my duty to preserve the balance between all things. Your movement will fail, and I will be the one to set the preservation society straight. Not you.”

Regal glowered at her before leaving, though she didn’t miss the meaningful glance over his shoulder. This time, it was Twilight staring him down.