Archmage - Chapter 37 “Sanguine”

------------

“Whew.” Twilight ascended the last step leading out of the caverns beneath Canterlot, and grinned at Archer as she started casting the spells to seal the door. “You did really well down there. I’m surprised.” She let the magic fade away from her horn, surveying the intact seals on the doorway before turning to her protégé. “I hadn’t expected you to find the flaw in the changeling shield, but you discovered it almost immediately. You’re advances in shielding are phenomenal, to say the least.”

“Thanks, Twilight.” Archer was progressing incredibly well, though he wasn’t quite on-par with Twilight’s learning capability. While he very well might have outdone any other unicorn in the academies, he was still several important steps behind Twilight. The main factor being time. Twilight had three years studying experience ahead of him. But being a part of the guard held him back a little. “I feel pretty confident. Shielding is much more intricate than I thought it would be.”

“I’m definitely impressed. You’re doing very well.” Archer was on track to become one of the most powerful and learned unicorns in Canterlot. In time, he would be a fine commander. Twilight smiled warmly at him before turning down the hall. “I don’t have any assignments lined up for you for a few days. I think this would be a good time for you to take a personal leave. Maybe travel somewhere. I hear Manehattan has several plays that are fantastic.” Archer fell in-step beside her, the two of them ascending from the lower halls into the castle proper. Everywhere they went, cleaners and guards and business-ponies smiled and bowed their heads respectfully. Twilight and Archer were a common sight, and spent much time together.

“I was actually counting on you giving me a little time.” Archer admitted with a slight blush. “I already had something lined up this evening, and for the next few days.”

“Oh?” Twilight smiled at his accurate reading of her teaching schedule. “Mind if I ask what they are?”

“It’s personal.” He alluded with a slow wave of his hoof, but Twilight could tell from the faint blush that crept onto his cheeks that by ‘personal’ he meant ‘intimate.’ Archer had a hot date lined up. If Twilight could recall, the pony he had lost his virginity to was still an important figure in his life. While the third party remained a mystery, Twilight knew the answer would reveal itself in time. She nudged him with her hip nevertheless.

“When am I going to get to meet this mystery mare? If it’s a mare at all. Oh no.” Twilight stopped, her serious expression corrupted by the mocking undertone. “You’re not gay, are you?”

“Oh come off it.” Archer rolled his eyes and nudged Twilight back, the two of them sharing a laugh as they left the castle for the grounds. It was Friday evening, and Twilight had promised Rainbow Dash she would attend a practice session before the cyan pegasus left to co-headline an Equestria-wide Wonderbolts tour. As it turned out, Soarin had resigned just a few weeks ago, and Rainbow Dash had stepped into his place. Together with Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash was going to tour Equestria, performing shows for ponies everywhere. There was even talk of performing across the bay for the gryphons. Twilight was intrigued to hear how that particular exploit was going to turn out. But as she and Archer walked towards the main gates, she pressed him for more information.

“You can at least tell me your orientation, Archer.” Twilight teased, nudging him yet again. “I mean, I’m with Luna… So you know I’m not biased against homosexuality…”

“No, I’m straight… And I don’t have a problem with gay or lesbian relationships. It just isn’t my thing.” Archer blanched a little. “I mean… Doing it… Back there? Just seems so dirty. The hygienic implications are frightening.”

“Well, I’m not saying it’d be easy… But there are plenty of ponies who are perfectly happy in asexual relationships. Like… Take Harbinger and Golden Crest. The two of them were truly happy together, though I don’t think they ever had intercourse. It’s all conjecture, mind you, but they certainly don’t strike me as the sort who would.” Twilight blinked a few times as she realized he had distracted her from her goal. Grinning at his admirable accomplishment, Twilight re-asserted her original point.

“You can’t even tell me her name, then?”

“If I did, that’d ruin the surprise.” Archer grinned right back at her. “You’ll find out in time, Twilight. I’m sure of it. Aah, if you’ll excuse me. I think I forgot something.” Archer paused and turned around at the gate, heading back towards the castle. Twilight frowned at his sudden departure, but didn’t think much of it. He had likely left a book or some of his notes in the library. Besides, Twilight had an obligation to fulfill. She made for the training grounds, located in a small mountainside clearing, just a short hike outside of city limits. Security was moderately tight, but Twilight made it through on her title alone. That, and Rainbow Dash swooped in to vouch for her at the checkpoint.

“I’m glad you could make it, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash beamed as she wrapped Twilight in a warm hug, before bouncing away excitedly. “We’ve got this totally awesome new trick I wanna show you. Come on!” Dash jetted off into the sky, leaving Twilight with a smile on her face as she jogged to catch up. Surveying all the shields had taxed her magically, but she hadn’t had a chance to exercise her body yet that day. She picked up to a run to catch the cyan pegasus, glad to push her muscles just a little.

The practice grounds were not as large as the stadiums the Wonderbolts normally performed in, but they were still rather expansive. Twilight knew from surveying layouts of the city that this was the largest open space Canterlot had, even if it was this far removed from the city proper. It was fairly standard, just a large open grass area with a few bleachers set off to the sides. Twilight had seen hoops and various other obstacles moved out onto the expanse of grass for the daring pegasi to fly through, along with a few other assorted obstacles. Today, it was empty, and a group of three pegasi was flying warm-up laps around the perimeter. Twilight sat in the bleachers, watching Rainbow Dash as she fell into the formation, completing their warm-up in short time.

Twilight was mesmerized by the fantastic tricks they all performed. She had seen Rainbow Dash perform several jaw-dropping feats on her own, but as a unit, the four pegasi could accomplish so much more. Twilight watched as they performed several death-defying dives, pulling out just in time. She could swear Spitfire’s stomach brushed the grass. Then all four of them flew single-file through a long, winding tube, and upon emerging, split into four directions almost simultaneously. It was all very entertaining to watch, and at the end, Twilight resolved to try and make it to these practices more often.

After the practice, the four ponies met at the middle of the field, and appeared to be wrapping up the session. When they broke apart, Twilight was expecting Dash to fly to her. Instead, she veered off to the next section of bleachers, to meet up with somepony else. Twilight couldn’t quite tell from where she was, but they seemed oddly familiar. As Dash met up with them, she watched as her friend gave the anonymous stranger a warm hug and even a kiss. Did Dash have a significant other? Twilight jogged towards them, eager to meet her friend’s new romantic acquaintance.

Much to her surprise, then, when Archer pulled away from the markedly passionate embrace. Their eyes met, and both of them froze in place. Dash looked between the both of them several times, her expression a cross between a devious grin and a giddy smile. Twilight hesitantly took a step towards them, her eyes wide with shock.

“Archer? Rainbow Dash is your…?”

“I told you it was somepony you knew…” Archer admitted with a blush. Dash pressed close to his side, grinning at Twilight.

“H… How long have you two-“

“Since you told ol’ Archer here he had to pop his cherry.” Dash grinned, nudging him playfully. Archer blushed furiously, but affirmed with a shy nod. Twilight took several long moments to process what was happening, and how she felt about it. At long last, she decided.

“I’m happy.” Twilight walked towards them with a warm smile on her face. “You two make a good match.” She nuzzled them both warmly, laughing when Rainbow Dash grinned at Archer suggestively.

“I told you she’d be okay with it. Twilight’s pretty awesome like that.”

“Yeah…” Archer muttered. “I should have told you sooner. I don’t know why I was so apprehensive.”

“No matter.” Twilight waved him off. “I’m just glad you two get along so well. Dash can be a hoof-full at times.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!” They all shared a laugh and made their way off of the practice grounds. The walk back to the city was spent making jokes and talking about the relationship between the two of them, which Twilight could tell would last a while. Archer was a little apprehensive about letting Dash tour with the Wonderbolts, but Twilight assured him she was the element of loyalty for a reason.

It wasn’t until they arrived in the city proper that the mood took a slight turn. Twilight’s smile faded as a guard came running towards them. He pulled up short, and looked to be rather upset.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked right away, putting on a serious expression.

“Archmage, you need to return to the castle immediately.” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “It’s Silver.” Twilight frowned intently before turning to her friends.

“Archer, come with me. Dash, you go home.”

“No way, I’m gonna-“

“Rainbow Dash.” Twilight raised her head, looking down on the pegasus. She was no longer Dash’s friend, or a fellow element of harmony. Twilight, in that very moment, was the Archmage. “Go home. I will send Archer to you when we are done.”

“But-“

“Now.” Twilight’s voice was laced with a hint of power, something greater than what she would normally speak to anypony with. Dash swallowed once, but nodded and flew off, away from the castle. Twilight gave Archer a cursory glance before setting her expression and walking towards the trouble. The guard ran ahead of them, no doubt to tell any others involved she was coming. As the two of them moved on, Twilight grew more and more serious. She wasn’t some purple unicorn who studied under Celestia, or the element of magic, or anything else. In that one indomitable moment, with her protégé at her side and a problem before her, Twilight was nothing more than her simplest, most basic iteration.

She was the Archmage.

And she was very, very serious.

“What’s the situation?” Twilight arrived at the castle gates with a frown on her face. A lieutenant with the guard saluted and fell into step beside her, relaying information as the two of them approached the castle.

“Silver has attempted to free both Harbinger and Golden Crest from the prison. He injured four guards and killed two others in his attempt to break them free, but we stopped them from leaving. He has barricaded himself in an office, close to the exit. We cannot get anypony in or out, and communication is impossible. It appears to be Golden Crest’s work, but there’s a very high-level barrier between us and them. No audio, no communication whatsoever. Until we break that barrier, or it fades away, there’s no telling what is going on in that office.”

“Thank you.” Twilight nodded to the lieutenant, and gestured to Archer, indicating he should follow her. Together, the two of them followed the lieutenant to the hallway where the whole scene had played out. Four unicorns stood opposite a single door, their horns ablaze as they worked at picking the barrier apart. Upon seeing her, they all stepped back, looking utterly exhausted and tired. Twilight nodded to them as she took their place.

“Archer.” Twilight clipped. “Tell me what you can see in this barrier.”

“It’s strong. High-level incantation, with at least four invocations. I’m sensing three in earth, and a fourth that I can’t ascertain. It’s behind another barrier, which is veiled in shadow.”

“There are no shadow magic users among them.” Twilight scowled. “Harbinger’s had his magic revoked, and neither Silver nor Golden Crest can use shadow spells.” She turned to Archer. “How did they manage to invoke shadow magic when none of them can use it?”

“They… Either managed to use Harbinger somehow… But that’s highly unlikely. The night abandoned him.” Archer frowned as he took another step forward, looking intently at the door. “Which leaves only one option… They’re using an artifact.”

“Correct.” Twilight took his place, standing opposite the door. “Since there’s only one spell that can be cast on an object that allows said object to conceal an invocation, we can reverse-engineer a counter-spell. Stand back.” Twilight focused on the door, only vaguely aware of ponies scrambling out of the way. Archer retreated to the far end of the hall, and began casting several shields that would protect him and the other guards. At the other end of the hallway, the rest of the guards ducked behind pillars or into offices. Twilight’s horn began to glow as she focused on the door.

A ripple of energy shot outwards from her hooves, sweeping over the walls and floors around her. It shivered up the tapestries and shot over the windows, rattling and shaking everything. Dust sifted down from the displaced ceiling tiles, showering her and everypony else in the hallway with dirt and debris. She took a step forward, probing the barrier, feeling for its invocations. As soon as she found the veiled one, her horn lit up with an even more intense glow, and she began countering the spell that hid the fourth and final invocation on the barrier. As the spell was cast, Twilight stepped back, feeling for the last invocation that had been hidden.

“Archer.” She called out, gesturing to him. Her protégé emerged from behind his shield, slowly walking towards her in the aftermath of the intense spell. “The last invocation is air. So tell me what sort of barrier this is.”

“Four invocations, with opposite polarities, rendering it two strong. This is a strict earth barrier.”

“Can you dispel it?”

“With time… It’ll take me an hour.”

“You have thirty minutes.” Twilight’s horn slowly fizzed to darkness, leaving behind a fair amount of dust and confusion in the hallway. “I have to look something up. I’ll return as soon as I’m finished.”

“Right.” Archer took her place, his own horn blazing to life with a brilliant crimson hue. Twilight turned and walked away, speaking with the guards who fell into step beside her.

“Keep this area clear for at least two hours, and clear a route to the main castle gate. If anypony else dies trying to stop those two, it’s either going to be Archer or myself. I won’t lose any more guards to him.” Twilight turned corners, trailing guards behind her as she began issuing orders. “With Golden Crest on his side, he’ll have plenty of sunlight spells and daytime enchantments to confuse us all. Make sure your perimeters are at least three times as far away as they would normally be. He’s going to be concealing his presence as much as possible, and I don’t want him stumbling on some wayward post accidentally.” Each new order Twilight issued caused one more guard to peel off. Her tail began to dwindle, even as she made her way towards the archives.

“Get Bastion and bring him to the hallway where Archer is. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” Twilight continued to bark commands, even as she made her way through the wide aisles of the castle’s archives. “Somepony inform Celestia, but assure her I have the situation under control. Luna need not be notified, unless the situation escalates.”

“B-but, shouldn’t we involve Celestia…?” One of the guards, a young sergeant, stammered at her. Twilight only glanced at him for a brief moment before she turned to a wide row of books. She scanned the titles, talking disinterestedly at him.

“If Celestia lowers a barrier in the middle of the castle, she’ll cause irreparable damage. Archer and I can handle this with very minimal collateral. We’ll ask for the princess’ assistance if necessary, but I’m positive we can handle this situation without any more loss of life or property. Save a few tapestries and a ceiling tile or two.” Twilight found the book she was looking for, and withdrew it immediately. The last guard peeled away, intent to deliver her messages as requested. Twilight flipped through the record book, searching for the entry she needed.

“Here we go.” She muttered to nopony in particular. “Golden Crest, age twenty-nine… Married to one Fountain Spray… Age thirty. Born one stallion, unicorn, birth name…” She grinned at last.

“Silver Crest. So, you’ve come to save your father.”

-------------------

“Twilight!” Bastion’s low, rumbling call to her preceded the strong pony, who lumbered his way over to her in short order. “I’ve been filled in. How close is Archer to dropping that barrier?”

“We were just in the caverns this morning. He’s warmed up to barriers and shields already. And judging by the looks of things…” Twilight glanced at her student, who was in the middle of a veritable maelstrom of power. “He’ll be through in five minutes.”

“Should we-“

“I’ve got this under control, Bastion. I think the best thing for you would be to retreat to the furthest point, and prepare to subdue him should I fail.” Twilight cut him off, turning towards Archer.

“Do you think you’ll fail?” Bastion called after her. Twilight shot him a look over her shoulder.

“I’m the Archmage. If I fail, I don’t think anypony could do it anyways.”

Archer glanced towards the side as she approached, and Twilight stood just outside of the dangerous range of his barrier-breaking spell. “Almost done.”

“Thank you, Archer. After you finish, I suggest you leave.”

“Understood.” Archer frowned as he doubled his efforts breaking through the barrier. Twilight stood just outside the danger zone, watching the barrier on the door as Archer continued to unravel it. Even though the auditory field of the barrier was fading in and out, Twilight didn’t hear anything on the other side of the door. She idly wondered why they weren’t speaking. Maybe they had already discussed their plans, and were just waiting for the best moment to strike. Twilight raised her defenses and prepared to face the three ponies on the other side of the door.

“Almost.” Archer grunted. His brow was drawn down, and he focused his magic all the more. Twilight flexed her muscles, her own magic at the ready. “Now!”

Twilight was expecting mayhem. She was prepared to do everything in her power to stop the three unicorns from continuing their spree of violence. What she wasn’t expecting was a bloodbath. Nothing moved inside the room. The still-fresh smell of blood hit her nose in a wave, and both she and Archer looked on in shock at the scene before their eyes.

“Guard.” Twilight said through gritted teeth. “Get the princesses.”

--------------

“I can honestly say I would never have expected that from Silver.” Luna said quietly. The calm air of the library was a welcome change from the stifling, metallic stench of blood, which Twilight had been subjected to for the past hour or so. “We had suspected there was some abuse from his father in the past, but never to this extent… We never would have thought he’d act on it. His studies were progressing so well, and he was always positive… Truth be told, I was shocked when he declined your offer to be his student. Even more shocked when he acted so coldly. Now we know…”

“It’s because he was planning this. All along, since his father left Fountain to be with Harbinger, he’d been training his mind and body to exact revenge… Whatever became of Fountain, anyways?” Celestia asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

“She’s still in the mental ward at the hospital… She’s been placed on suicide watch, and has been diagnosed with severe psychosis induced by reckless alcohol consumption and starvation… She wouldn’t eat, and drank until her mind became as miserable as her heart… Golden Crest leaving her all but destroyed her.” Twilight said with a grim tone. She and the two princesses sat at a single table, discussing all that had just transpired. “It stands to reason that Silver was trying to exact revenge for his mother’s poor state.”

“So he broke into the castle, broke the two of them out, and under the guise of freeing them from their imprisonment, barricaded them all in an office, and proceeded to murder them. After that, he took his own life, either because he was insane, or he didn’t want to face the legal repercussions.” Celestia concluded, to which both Luna and Twilight nodded.

“I’ve never heard anything more sad or tragic in my life.” Twilight whimpered. She felt a profound sense of sadness over what had just transpired. The scene in the office once the barrier was down was sanguine. Twilight didn’t think she’d ever be able to wash the image from her head. She looked up at the princesses with tears in her eyes. “What do you two do in the aftermath of something like this? Has this ever even happened before?”

“Sadly, yes.” Celestia sighed. “There have been times in the past such violence takes us all by surprise… You ask what we do afterwards? We mourn.” Celestia looked at Twilight sadly. “We lament the loss of life, and pray to the heavens above they find some sort of closure in the afterlife… And then we move on. We learn from their mistakes, and make promises to ourselves and others, to never become like them, or allow the ones we love to descend into that madness.” Despite the grave circumstances, Celestia gave her a faint smile. “It’s those promises we make to one another, the bonds that are forged from them, that keep us from being swept away in this river of insanity we call life. Indeed, it’s those same bonds that make us happy, so that we can actually enjoy our lives.”

Her frown returned then, and it was as intense as ever. She looked down at the table, her eyes brimming with tears. “But not today. Today we mourn, and we cry, and we seek the sheltering embrace of the ones we love. But tomorrow, we will smile and rejoice, because we’re still alive, and still have much to look forward to.” Celestia stood slowly, tears streaming their way down her cheeks. “I have nopony to call my own, nopony to share my bed with, or cling to and whisper my greatest fears. My embrace is in the sunlight, and my lover is the day… If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go seek him now… While the sun is still up.” Celestia left then, leaving Twilight and Luna alone. Almost by instinct, Twilight slipped up to Luna’s side, her own eyes glimmering with tears.

“Tell me why you’re crying.” Luna choked.

“So many reasons.” Twilight groaned. “I’m crying because what happened was tragic. I’m crying because Celestia doesn’t have somepony, the way I have you or you have me. I’m crying because I couldn’t do anything to help, or stop this from happening. I’m crying because what happened was senseless and hurt so many…” Twilight sobbed as she buried her face into Luna’s chest, letting the profound emotion wash over her completely. She and Luna held one another for a long while, sobbing and crying together.

----------------------

Twilight eventually cried herself to sleep. When she woke, it was on the floor of the library, with Luna pressed close to her back. It was pre-dawn, so Twilight knew that at one point, Luna had left her to go lower the sun and raise the moon… But she had returned, and for that Twilight was thankful. She nuzzled a little closer, inhaling the fresh scent of Luna’s coat, savoring the sensation of being so close to somepony she loved so fiercely. In Luna’s gentle embrace, Twilight found solace.

No matter what happened in her life, she would always be together with the princess. They were bonded, in so many different ways. In life, in love, in shadow, and even in purpose. They were both devoted to defending Equestria wholly. Twilight was prepared to give her life to protect the guard ponies just yesterday. And she would gladly lay her life down again today to ensure the safety of anypony else.

She had been so stoic and cold up until discovering the scene of Silver’s retribution that the other ponies thought she was unshakable. For them, Twilight had to be. She couldn’t afford to be anything less. She knew there might come a day when she would need to be stoic and cold. Heartless, even. But when that day was over, what then? What would Twilight do after that?

The answer lay attached to her necklace. Luna’s soft, steady breathing was very rhythmic. Like the ticking of a clock, or a heartbeat. She was steady, and resolute. She loved Twilight, and Twilight loved her. Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath of Luna’s intoxicating smell. When everything around her collapsed into insanity, Luna would be her rock, her foundation. She knew she could count on this pony to carry her through thick and thin, and no matter what, she would be there for her too. No matter the insanity that surrounded them, or even if it was a peaceful night stargazing and reading books together, they would always be there for one another.

Until Twilight died… Then she wouldn’t be there for Luna anymore.

Twilight curled up and surrendered to her tears once again.

Because nothing had ever terrified her more in her life.