//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Sunset // Story: The Pale Tower // by Accurate Balance //------------------------------// 　 Chapter 3: Sunset 　 　Time unspecified 　Ponyville, Worldline XU-837 　 “And she hasn’t done anything that says otherwise, so you can come and join us, Team Doctor,” said Crepusca in a level, almost upbeat, tone, an indication that nothing had provoked either alicorn on the two sides. Not to mention there was a code system designed to communicate under coercion without escalation, which Doctor could confirm hadn’t been in Crepusca’s words just now. Still, Doctor and Prism ventured forward slowly and with great care. Prism had her horn at ready, a searing flame underlying just in case. As Fuse landed and followed behind, she found her eyes involuntarily shifting to Nightmare Moon and her wings quivering underneath her engines. She’s Nightmare Moon, the calamity brought forward by envy and hatred! She must be behind everything that has happened to this world! Her own voice yelled at her in her mind, trying hard to spur her into action. C’mon, y’all need to squash her ‘fore she devours you! She gritted her teeth and bit her wings into the nook of its metallic exoskeleton, fighting back the irrational impulses with all the willpower she could muster. Crepusca’s in charge of us here and if she said it’s fine, it is fine! Nightmare hasn’t done nothing yet, and I ain’t gonna give her a reason! A hoof patted her on the shoulder. Turning to her side, Fuse came to look right into Doctor’s eyes. Beneath the reflective surface of medical goggles, her eyes alone seemed to comfort Fuse. “Try to take it easy, Fuse, but don’t rush yourself. It’s your first mission and not exactly a straightforward one, so it’s only natural to have doubts.” She reached into the side of her saddlebag, pulled out a box of mints, and presented it to Fuse. Fuse couldn’t help but notice how her feathers were deformed. Just like Scoots from my world. She blinked a little bit and took the box from the wing. “What’s this?” Doctor paused her with a hoof, turned, and called out to the four ponies waiting, “May I have a moment?” to which Crepusca gave a hesitant nod. “Take as much time as you would,” replied Nightmare Moon, her eyes drifting downwards. Doctor turned back to Fuse. “It’s galewort.” At the mechanist’s blank face, Doctor elaborated: “Sorry, I thought every pegasus in Timefold already knew of it. It’s a major cash crop planted in some world’s Cloudsdale, which contains a special sugar that binds specifically to pegasi’s taste receptors.” “Receptors… Specifically…” Fuse repeated the terms, before, “Oh, you mean this mint has a taste exclusive to pegasi taste buds?” Doctor gave a nod. “Exactly, and it’s quite a soothing taste for most, so I’ve got a box on me. Go ahead, give it a try. I usually take two and chew.” And Fuse did. She popped the box open to find two sapphire-coloured pills, a strong, refreshing scent assaulting her nostrils. She tilted the box, caught the mints with a wing, and tossed them into her mouth. As she ground her molars into the pips, a blend of tastes made its way up her brain, leaving her awestruck. It was something she had never experienced, almost hyperreal. While it had a common minty base that was chilling and somewhat sweet, there was this nuance she couldn’t quite place. If she had to find an analogy, though, it would be the combination of all the moisture and relief that came with the first raindrop after an elongated overcast. “Mmm…” She couldn’t help but feel her wings and legs loosening up, relaxed by just some mints. The front of taste soon subsided, leaving a hanging finish through and out her muzzle. Which reminded her of what she had been doing before taking the mints. “Oh, um, do you want the box back?” she asked Doctor. “Sure.” Fuse returned the empty container with a look of gratitude. “Are you two done yet?” Kick-ass flapped her wings impatiently, throwing her hooves to the sides. “Take any longer, and you’ll break the multiverse record for slowest pegasi!” It was then Fuse realised that Prism had joined the others by the fountain and that everypony was waiting for her. She raised her head to face Kick-ass, as a smile crept onto her face. Challenge taken. “Doctor, how do you like a ride?” “I like it roasted.” Doctor, who obviously saw where this was going, nodded with a mischievous grin. At that, Fuse started her engine and leapt, taking great care to carry Doctor in her hooves, and narrowed her eyes. Then, she turned on her Meta MKIII. Kick-ass had only blinked before she felt something speeding by her. She followed the trail of disturbed air behind her. Fuse and Doctor were already standing by Crepusca, with the former still in the air, flaunting a shiny shape in her hoof. Kick-ass took a second take and gasped. “Hey, that’s mine! Give it back!” The Wonderbolt finally recognised her badge in Fuse’s possession and pounced at her. Fuse just rolled her eyes and evaded her swoop, before tossing the golden badge to Kick-ass. “Now there, who did you call ‘slow’ again?” She put on a lopsided smirk, enjoying the sight of Kick-ass scurrying to reattach the badge, and then sneaked a peek at the cloud of smoke she had stirred up. Under the persistent turbulence from blasting, it seemed to take forever for the swirling dust to settle. [Fuse, as much as I was impressed, I would like to ask you to refrain from risking it in the future,] said Timelight. [You triggered a third of the alarms on my console, and we won’t know if every worldline can stand that much energy density.] “Oh… Alright, sorry,” replied Fuse, suddenly feeling too self-aware to utter anything else. It seemed her performance hadn’t just impressed Timelight, though. “Such is… exhilarating!” exclaimed Nightmare Moon, almost taking a step closer before prudently moving to cover her mouth instead. “Are these… prosthetic wings?” She doesn’t sound very nightmarish, huh… But what do I know about the multiverse? I’ll appreciate an enthusiast who appreciates machinery. Fuse looked to Crepusca for the captain’s approval. Once she had the go-ahead, she began spouting her favourite language — Technics. “Kind of, though I actually have a pair of flesh wings, just not very useful. And this is my flight engine, designated Falcon Mark Six. It offers a maximum velocity of four point two —” “Ingenious! I understand none of your speech, but it must be an extraordinary invention!” Nightmare seemed to have become more impressed and this time, she actually took a few steps up to inspect Fuse’s wings. “You must be… Rainbow Dash, are you?” “Well…” Fuse backed off, not exactly at ease under the scrutiny from the queen of eternal night. The hindsight that Nightmare was probably just talkative from years of solitary didn’t help, either. “Yeah, back in my w- — Ah mean, where I came from, I’m called ‘Rainbow Dash,’ but you may call me ‘Fuse’ instead.” Nightmare Moon tried to smile in a friendly way, but her attempt was ruined by the fangs in her maw, and instead made Fuse’s hair stand on end. “Tax yourself not to conceal it, for your captain has already disclosed me your origin. You each hail from different worlds beyond the fabric of this one, whereupon I haven’t trampled.” Trample? Fuse raised her eyebrow before it hit. Oh, so she did… She looked to Prism for advice, only receiving a shrug in reply. Don’t ask. Better let Crepusca decide what we think of it, she read from the unicorn’s body language and bit her lips. The two then turned to Crepusca, looking for an answer. Crepusca simply shook her head. “It’s polite to let her tell her own stories, so I haven’t inquired into details yet.” A glint of warmth crossed Nightmare Moon’s eyes before she looked up into the sky. “That’s… considerate of you. My thanks to you, Captain Crepusca.” Without anypony noticing, the sun had climbed higher up the dome. Shades of colours started to grace the emptiness of Ponyville. “Would you mind if we take this to my shelter? I have no use nor stock of food to indulge you, but the spring water is abundant if you need to wet your throat.” “We would have to discuss on that. Would you mind us using a soundproof spell?” “’Tis only a necessary forethought. You may seclude your conversation from me.” Crepusca thanked her and gestured for her squad to step aside. To be honest, as Fuse stood with the squad in a circle, thousands of consequences that could come from the offer were running free in her mind, but the calmness in Crepusca’s words provided some reassurance. She forced her legs to stop shaking and stood taller once the squad got in a circle. On the opposite of the ring, it seemed Doctor was having some doubt and it caused her distress as well. Her eyes were darting around, frequently towards Nightmare, while her ears were pinned dead to her skull. Seeing this, Prism drew herself to her lover and nuzzled her lover’s poll. “Prism, you’re up,” said Crepusca. Prism leant in with Doctor and stayed there for a moment, before nodding to the captain’s order and lighting her horn. A thread of magenta light streamed from her azure horn and expanded itself into a translucent hemisphere that covered the six from above to metres below. Under the muting orb of magic, even the barest of breeze was shielded out, leaving Fuse to listen to her own breathing and heartbeats. “Timelight, what’s your take on this?” [Worth a try. What do you think, Speaker?] “I see no reason to distrust this Nightmare Moon at the moment.” “I see all the reasons! She’s Nightmare Moon, for Tartarus’ sake! Who knows if she’s up to some shady schemes?” As Kick-ass announced her leaning, with all the righteous anger of an air force member, Fuse was conflicted. Up until now, Nightmare Moon hadn’t been anything but amiable and understanding. Plus, Crepusca and Speaker are the pony-readers on the squad and they hadn’t rejected the offer. Yet, having faced Nightmare Moon in her monstrous prime, she knew perfectly well how cunning and resourceful the alicorn could be. Even if she knew this wasn’t her home world, the dread and antagonism still haunted her mind every time she saw that pair of eyes. Sometimes, Fuse wished she had been a more normal Rainbow Dash, if just to be braver. “I also think that… that we should listen to her,” said Doctor, her voice thin, almost vibrating off the corner of her mouth. It made Fuse regret taking both mints. “Here you go again!” Kick-ass was fuming. “I can’t believe you call yourself a Scootaloo! Are you sure you aren’t a Fluttershy who dyed her hair orange?” “You’re not so much better yourself,” said Prism in a glacial voice which Fuse didn’t know she was capable of. “You’re gonna try harder at snarking if you don’t wanna sound petty. Also, think of it, have you forgotten about the Brake Brace? We’re not risking so much here, so I’m in.” “I’d like to give her the benefit of the doubt as well,” Crepusca interjected before any retort came from Kick-ass. “We represent the Pale Tower in our operations, and the Tower is here because of friendship. As long as I’m in charge of this squad, I will ask you to hold back from violence unless there are no alternatives. Got it?” “Well, I mean…” Kick-ass trailed off, not really having a rebuttal. “I’m on your squad for a reason, aren’t I?” “Yes, and I expect you to act more responsibly so that I can trust you in dire times. However, it doesn’t mean I’ll resort to hooves and horns every time things don’t go my way, or I would’ve put five fighters on my list. If you want to change that, though,” she leant in on Kick-ass, looking down at her, “you’re always allowed to try.” Fuse’s jaw dropped at the sudden intimidation Crepusca was giving off. She was nothing like the Twilight Sparkle in Fuse’s world and Fuse wondered what would have happened to Crepusca for her to become like this. Will I one day become her, if I keep visiting new worlds? “What do you think, Fuse?” Speaker stopped her in her daydream. With all eyes focused on her, Fuse had to gulp. Hard. Twice. “Well Ah… I, am, kinda worried, but uh…” Her throat was still dry. “But I think we should give it a shot. We’re here to make contact, after all.” “And that makes it five to one. We’re going,” decided Crepusca before shooting a look to Kick-ass. “Hey, Kick-ass, thanks for thinking about safety. It’s never wrong to have a different opinion, but this time we’re going to take the risk.” “Yeah, yeah, sure… Don’t make it as if I was scared, okay?” Crepusca took that as an apology and turned to Prism. “We’re done discussing. Thanks, Prism.” The unicorn closed her eyes and slowly decreased her magic output. The magenta in the dome diluted and thinned, eventually popping like a soap bubble. Sounds from around flooded in; the occasional wind through streets, the sands rolling on one another, everything that had been written off by Fuse as a part of the “silence” now sounded clear to her ears. Crepusca turned to the black alicorn, who had been waiting in anticipation for some while. “After you.” She raised her hoof to gesture aside, smiling at Nightmare Moon. Nightmare replied with a bow of her head. Despite the smile decorating her face, she didn’t seem happy. If anything, she appeared mournful. “Thank you for such trust, you won’t give it in vain. Now, please follow me.” She turned around and walked, face towards the sun. Crepusca nodded to Prism and Kick-ass, who in turn followed closely behind, before gesturing for the others to move, herself as rearguard. Fuse turned up her wings for a hover barely off the ground. It was the constant thrust of engines that helped her thinking. Beyond what was surrounding them, shadows were falling and rising to the ascent of the sun, clearing up into brightness, so she was able to identify the meadows and creeks along the terrain. Strange. There aren’t many trees, mostly just saplings, observed Fuse. Then she realised the same could be said about everywhere within her line of sight. The mountains, the plains, the land of Ponyville, everywhere was covered in sickly-coloured grass but few trees. The more she looked, the more alienating everything in this world became. She had a pretty good guess on what had befallen this world. She just dreaded to voice it. It didn’t take a long walk for Nightmare and the squad to reach the other side of the town. By the time Fuse came to, they were passing by a cottage that was long in shambles. Fluttershy… Fuse took a moment to look at the home to one of her best friends: Roof covered in dead ivies, under which critters no longer frolicked. The only thing alive around the household was a willow tree, whose roots sank deep into the stream running by. It didn’t take a detective to tell, the owner of this home would never come back. Fuse rubbed her eyes, suddenly stupidly emotional. The impact of a specific cut into the history was even stronger than an entire empty world, overwhelming her. What the hay’s wrong with me… I look stupid now… Doctor looked at Fuse from behind as the mechanic’s withers shook, and opened her mouth. Eventually, she opted not to say anything. The seven of them approached the Everfree Forest. Nightmare stepped onto a path between two barren oaks, followed by Kick-ass and Prism. Crepusca put the rest of the squad on hold until Prism returned from a dozen steps in and nodded. Then, everyone just moved in. [I see a much lower reading on chaotic magic in this worldline’s Everfree. Is there any hint about that you notice?] “Yes, unlike what’s common in Everfree, many trees are dead and bare. The canopy cannot cover up the sky,” replied Speaker as she effortlessly tore off a piece of shrivelled bark from the tree they were passing by. Fuse bit the inner walls of her mouth for a moment, before deciding to chime in: “A- actually, the rest of these trees aren’t much better. Most are on the verge of dying. Dunno if it’ll help you, though.” [It will, thank you, Fuse. Still, I’ve got another question…] “How do you tell which trees are ‘on the verge of dying?’” asked Crepusca, pointing to one of the trees. “Dead ones are easy to spot, but the rest seem similar to me. Is there any experience you can share?” Fuse gave a fond smile at the remembrance. “It’s not quite easy to summarise. You’ll have to be raised an Apple to learn it, sorry.” [Such a shame. Still, what you’ve provided could reveal something deeper. Thank you again for piecing in, Fuse.] Fuse felt her ears drooping, the warmth from recalling her family dispersed. She knew Timelight was offering a genuine commendation, but her inability to explain her study of the trees made it more sarcastic than anything. Did she deserve such praise for a trivial discovery, anyway? She shook off the self-doubt and instead focused on the flora in the forest. She had been to the Everfree Forest multiple times in her world, but a decaying Everfree was still a first for her. Bushes and trees, grasses and shrubs, some had lost most of their branches and carried on, while some were standing with their inside hollowed out. Without any proper care, though, it was only a matter of time before the damaged forest died out. So many trees. Even if AJ were here, she couldn’t save a hundredth of the forest. Something held Fuse in her path. She looked up and found herself running into Crepusca’s magic. In the sere forest of little light, even the darkly-coloured barrier was quite visible. She turned back at Crepusca, who gave her a glance and nodded her head to the side. It dawned on Fuse that she had deviated from the trail and towards the depth of the forest. Kick-ass was facing her with a bewildered look, which turned into an eye-roll the moment Fuse turned to her. She made a gesture or two, but Fuse couldn’t tell if she was telling her to keep up, or simply mocking her. Anyway, Fuse sheepishly rubbed her fetlocks together and gave a flap, propelling herself towards Nightmare Moon. The forest must have diminished more than they initially thought, for it was now more and more obvious that the trees were fewer and farther between than normal, to the point Fuse could feel the warmth of the sunrise seeping into her frame. The grassy path was illuminated with some sun. Crossing a log over a running river, Nightmare Moon took a dozen more steps, before coming to a stop. The squad and Fuse threaded through the brambles, left the leafy ceiling behind, and found themselves under the open sky again. Below the blue was a behemoth of begrimed stone brick walls and heaven-piercing spires, describing the castle once home to the royal sisters from across the desiccated moat. The façade of the castle had long since collapsed, marks of erosion marring the tapestries and carpet in the foyer. “This is where I rest at night.” Nightmare spread her wings, dark as the night itself, and glided as weightless as moonlight with a flap, as if the wind over the gorge had been all that upheld her. Kick-ass pulled her forelegs in and tagged behind like a dart. Crepusca addressed everypony still on this side of the gorge. “Prism and Fuse, in the unlikely scenario of the bridge severing, I trust you two to keep Doctor safe. And Speaker?” “I trust your judgment, Captain Crepusca,” replied the mare in question. “You and I, we stay until they make it across.” Doctor and Prism approached the archaic rope bridge. The weak breeze in the air and the dusty smell from the ropes and planks were giving her a déjà vu with how they suffused the morning air. Prism took one look at the bridge and her muzzle crunched up. She and Doctor exchanged a worried glance. “Should I teleport us?” offered she. Fuse decided to speak up: “How about I fly you two across? I don’t think I’ll use up my reserve before we go back.” Prism said nothing, nodding her approval and thankfulness instead. Thus, Fuse wrapped Doctor’s waist in her forelegs and took flight. 　Nine minutes later 　Ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters, Worldline XU-837 　 Nightmare and her visitors meandered through a labyrinth of corridors and staircases. The route they took was long and winding, almost breaking Kick-ass’s patience when they finally arrived at their destination: A stately set of double doors, cut and polished from basalt. Unlike everywhere else in the ruins, the door was nearly impeccable, only stained with some mosses colonising its corners. What it held inside brought a light to Fuse’s eyes. Having navigated the dilapidated castle, she half expected to reach a room in the same poor status, but the room that greeted her eyes surpassed the assumption by far. It wasn’t in a perfect state, mind you, but it was intact through the ages and obviously kept. The floor was a solid piece of marble, covered with a rug of faded royal blue. The expanse was merely moderate of a multifunctional room like this, nondescript save for the bay window to the right that doubled as a personal observatory. An old-schooled telescope stood on a tripod near the glass screen and pointed into the morning sky. Its owner probably had been stargazing before Theta-14 arrived. There was a queen-sized bed facing the door at the middle of the opposite wall, but seeing as Nightmare herself was queen-sized as well, Fuse would bet it was more like a single bed for the alicorn. Whatever ornament once embellished the bedframe had long eroded into a rusty green. To the left was a fireplace built with the same bricks that formed the castle walls. Cinders from years of smoking obscured its original colour as well as the iron screen. Despite it being a frigid morning, there wasn’t a piece of firewood or ashes from a fire. Maybe she’s more accustomed to the weather, thought Fuse. Nightmare allowed the squad a moment to assess her living condition, before turning around to lower her head in humility. “My apologies. It’s been long since I last had visitors and I never thought to place some seats… Mind you not, you may sit yourself on the floor, as I clean them often.” “There’s always your bed so why — Hey!” Kick-ass didn’t get to finish her sentence as Crepusca pulled her down from flight by the tail. “Thank you. We wouldn’t mind.” Speaker displayed a different aspect to diplomacy by sitting down without much care. Crepusca sat down as well and gave Kick-ass a warning look. Which Kick-ass returned with crossed forelegs and silent compliance. Doctor lowered her head to look closely at the rug, before hesitantly taking a seat. Prism sat right next to her, offering support with a shoulder. When everypony else had sat down, Fuse just shrugged and followed suit. She wasn’t raised in a fancy household and was quite familiar with down-to-earth gatherings. Something felt off, though. She glanced out through the window into the early morning, a sense of disquiet rising. Why does the sky feel odd still…? She shook away the feelings and pulled her engine tightly to her body. The seven sat in a circle, facing each other in an eerie silence, only broken by the occasional wind that seeped through the walls. Crepusca took the initiative: “Would you tell us what happened here?” Nightmare seemed really conflicted on the inquiry. She evaded Crepusca’s eyes to look distantly into the sky, opened her mouth to try something, and bit it down immediately. “I’ve… I’ve not yet prepared.” She glanced at Fuse, then to Prism. She had a look mostly consisting of worry, but Fuse could tell something deeper was lurking beneath. “If you don’t find yourself feeling comfortable yet, we wouldn’t want to push you,” Crepusca reassured Nightmare with surprising tenderness. “How about I start with a story?” Fuse raised her eyebrows. What does she mean by… that? Doctor and Prism appeared to be surprised as well, their eyes meeting briefly. “Yes, please.” And so Crepusca began: “When a princess woke up to find herself trapped a thousand miles from home, what could she do?” Fuse assumed Crepusca was talking about herself. She knew there must be a darker history in Crepusca’s timeline for her to deviate this far from the other Twilights, but she never thought she’d been looking into the shadows this soon. “… Now, if the villain was indeed wearing her face, the only thing she could do was to stand in the way of her beguiled friends, and the only help she had was from her enemies.” Seemingly, Crepusca didn’t want to get into details and focused on the experience instead, but it was enough to wind up the invisible spring that hung over the room. All the distress and anxiety that haunted her from the beginning was woven into the coiled string, no longer negligible as they grew in the corner of her heart. Somehow, she felt a presence nearby that triggered her flight, but was it Nightmare Moon? Just deep breath… Yes… Like how Twilight always does… She drew a deep intake, then let it out slowly. Her eyes, unable to stay idle in their panicked state, began tracing down the cracks in the wall, charting a path of square wave. As the track turned up and down, the heartbeats that were pulsing away in her ears gradually followed the visual rhythm and slowed themselves down, relieving Fuse of the pressure from behind her eyes. She brought her hooves to her sockets and rubbed her eyes, huffing out the heavy air from her lungs. If not Nightmare, then who — what? “In her desperation to end things before they escalate, she ironically escalated everything. She brought unrecoverable damage to her home, hurt her friends deeply, and… in the end, realised too late that her hooves had become so dirty, she left muddy hoofprints wherever she went. “She was wrong from the beginning and she might never be able to make up for her ambitious gamble, but it doesn’t mean she can’t try anymore, does it? She was willing to change for the better, and there’s always a chance for those who try.” Nightmare sat in silence, her head lowered. Nevertheless, her twitching ears betrayed the waver of her mind. “A mare can never truly escape her own shadow, but as long as there is an opening for light to come in, we can’t say she’s completely locked out from salvation. I don’t know what you’ve done for this worldline to become what it is right now, but I do know you don’t need any more condemnation. You need an opportunity to be given responsibility, which the Pale Tower might be able to help.” Crepusca gave a little nod to end her storytelling. Even though she had just given a deeply emotional delivery, she seemed calm and collected. Fuse looked to the two ponies sitting next to her: Doctor’s eyes were glistening, a spark of compassion in her eyes, while Prism had a look of contemplation as she looked aside. Nightmare looked up at Crepusca, her wings partially unfurled. “I…” A moment of pause, before: “Thank you… Sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t think…” Prism suddenly turned her head at the bay window, staring into the sky and blinking. “Wait… How?!” The anxiety resurfaced in Fuse. She followed Prism to look at the dawn, unable to see what provoked the unicorn’s exclamation. Prism spoke up just when she opened her mouth to ask: “Why is the sun setting already?”