Feared Love Divided: Chapter 07/Spire
Twilight, Badb, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie stood in front of the awe-inspiring spires as they spiraled up a tor. It was a walled city.
"That flag?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Don't keep Trixie in suspense." Trixie voiced.
"The flag of Unicornia!" Twilight added.
"I am a bit fuzzy on my foundation myths..." Starlight voiced.
"The three tribes of Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies," Twilight said to them, "blamed each other for the growing winter, but in truth it was their strife."
"In truth?" Starlight asked.
"We encountered Windigos." Twilight uttered... "They nearly tore us apart... the worse the fight, the more ice and snow, until the three tribes nearly destroyed themselves. The three tribes left to found a new land. The Pegasi called their new land Pegasopolis, the Earth Ponies, Earth, and the Unicorns..."
"Unicornia?!" Starlight asked.
"It cannot be?" Trixie asked.
"The three tribes eventually came together to found Equestria..." Twilight stated.
"So, some of the Unicorns were dissatistied?" Starlight asked.
"And founded their own principality." Twilight nodded. "That is the most likely case. But this asks a disturbing question, the Unicorns from before Equestria did not grow their own food..."
"Trixie is not shaking in her hooves..." a shaking Trixie voiced.
Twilight walked towards the gate, the other three quickly joining her. They approached the gate, and nothing happening. Not a creak, not a groan, not a shout from the parapets. The gate was simply closed.
Twilight used her magic to feel the gate, and sensed something only a Unicorn could sense. She poured her magics into something... an eddy in reality, and the centre of the gate started to glow. The glow spiraled out until it reached the edges, at which point it opened as an iris. The four walked inside and looked around, a moment later the gate closed once again. Inside the gate, the buildings seemed to be designed with aesthetics in mind, but... seemed to fail at their aesthetics... It was dull and dreary... nothing like the splendour of Canterlot. Nothing like even Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. There were a number of doors into the walls of the narrow pathways, but none of them seemed to go anywhere, and so the four simply climbed the stairs, hoping to find some sign of life, a public forum or square... something to say Unicorns still lived here.
"A Pegasus!" a mare shouted from above them, but they could not see what was happening. Badb quickly took wing and fluttered up, only to find a dull salmon-coloured Unicorn.
"My mistress is an Alicorn, not a Pegasus," Badb stated, "and one of the four Princesses of Equestria. She wishes to speak to whomsoever is in charge of your city."
"Our one princess to your four?" the mare asked.
"I am Badb." she stated.
"I am Salmon Mana." the mare replied, "If you think your one princess can..." she snidely said, but stopped and shrieked as a simulacrum of Spike floated in front of her.
"You would do well to reconsider!" the false Spike bellowed.
"Badb!" Twilight admonished, and Badb returned to her Changeling form.
"We did not know what to expect when we came here," Badb continued, "but now my mistress finds her lost kin and you try to reject her."
"She has wings..." Salmon Mana replied, "Only ruffians have need for wings..."
"Just please take me to your leader!" Twilight said, as she floated in front of Salmon, causing Salmon to shriek once again. "We come in peace." Twilight stated, "Take me to your leader."
"I... I will..." Salmon nervously said to her, "I will... see you... below... like a proper Unicorn."
"Of course." Twilight replied, and started to descend, Badb coming behind her.
They heard the sound of hoof-falls approach and one of the doors opened, Salmon Mana coming out. She closed the door and used her magic to seal it behind her. How trusting these Unicorns were of each other... Starlight scarely believed they could use magic with how isolating they were... "This way." Salmon Mana stated, and walked up the narrow, spiraling stone steps, the four following behind her. The slope was so steep, and narrow, and twisting for any of them to make move all too quickly.
"Badb," Twilight voiced, "I can't believe you did that."
"Trixie can." Trixie stated, "Badb is as bold as Twilight needs to be be."
"You haven't known her that long..." Twilight muttered.
"Trixie has talked to Starlight." Trixie replied. "Not the first time that Badb has been Spike if Starlight did not lie."
"True..." Twilight grumbled.
"Salmon was trying to dismiss Equestria." Starlight added, "This was likely the quickest way to prove you are not to be triffled with."
"I doubt they would have triffled with me..." Twilight mumbled.
"Salmon was." Trixie stated.
"Uh?.." Twilight asked, but could not say anything more and so simply paused. "You.. did good..."
"Thank you, Mistress." Badb said with glee.
It took an hour to climb the stairs, and in that time they saw narry a soul, though they did hear shuffling and murmurs behind them. They reached what seemed like the top of the stairs, but the building that stood there was modest and drab. Salmon Mana used her telekinesis to ring the bell, and they waited, and waited, and waited, until several minutes later the door finally opened. Inside stood a sour and bedraggled version of Princess Platinum. "I am Princesss Twilight Sparkle of Equestria."
"I am..." the other princess quietly voiced, "Princess Platinum of Unicornia."
"She dares to take Princess Platinum's name?!" Starlight Glimmer asked.
"A Pegasus dares to insult a Unicorn?" the false Princess Platinum asked.
"I - am - an - Alicorn." Twilight said firmly.
"Have they forgotten what Alicorns are?" Badb asked.
"Trixie is startled." Trixie stated.
"I will have you thrown in the!.." the false Princess Platinum tried to say, but Twilight stepped inside the door and she stepped back.
"You are living worse than the ancient Unicorns did when they were living as their own tribe." Twilight said to her. "I cannot let Unicorns live this way." Twilight slowly continued inside and the false Princess Platinum slowly backed away. They quickly reached a modest chambre, which seemed to be the entirety of the palace. "Trixie, show her Canterlot."
"Trixie cannot..." Trixie tried to say.
"If there's one thing we can trust Trixie to do," Twilight stated, "it's illusions."
"Well, yes, Trixie is good at prestidigitation." Trixie stated. She concentrated and used her magics to create a glowing illusion of Canterlot.
"Impossible." the false Princess Platinum stated.
"It was founded by your namesake." Starlight stated.
"Are those Pegasi?!" the false Princess Platinum asked. "You live with those ruffians?"
"In Equestria," Twilight said to her, "the three tribes live in harmony."
"Impossible!" the false Platinum exclaimed.
"We are stronger together than we ever were apart." Starlight announced.
"And Earth Ponies?" the false Platinum asked, "Constantly covered in mud... and who knows what else?.."
"Even Earth Ponies." Twilight voiced.
"We even have a Dragon, Zebra, and Changelings." Starlight added.
"Impossible!" the false Platinum shouted, and then regretted shouting in such a small space.
"What do you eat?" Twilight asked.
"Grass, of course." the false Platinum stated. "What does anypony eat?"
This caused the four others to snicker, trying not to laugh out loud.
"Most of the Unicorns of Canterlot would turn their nose up at grass." Starlight stated.
"They get the finest tributes from Earth Ponies?" the false Platinum asked.
"No." Twilight said, and gently shook her head, "They pay for them."
"You raise and lower the sun for free?!" Princess Platinum exclaimed.
"Princess Celestia raises the sun," Twilight replied, "Princess Luna raises the moon. We work under Celestia's wonderful day, and sleep under Luna's beautiful night."
"Our rituals mean nothing, then?.." Platinum asked.
"I have not felt any magic since coming here..." Badb voiced.
"Of course we have magic..." Platinum stated, and used her telekinesis to lift a blanket.
"That's telekinesis." Starlight stated, "That's not magic. Have you forgotten magic?"
"I thought I came here for diplomacy..." Twilight stated, "but I have to teach you about friendship."
"Friendship?" Platinum asked.
"Friendship is magic." Twilight said with glee.
"Quite literally." Starlight added.
"We are weary from the road..." Badb voiced, "As much as my mistress would love to delve right into the lessons of friendship, we should probably settle in for the evening."
"There are empty houses just beneath me." Platinum stated.
"How... many empty houses... are there?" Badb asked, but Platinum said nothing in reply.
Twilight looked at the houses, doors side by side. She and Badb went left while Trixie and Starlight went right. Trixie paused and turned to Twilight and Badb. "Twilight?" she asked, and Twilight turned to look at her. "Trixie would love to cook for tonight. So just settle in, and Trixie will come and get you when dinner is ready."
"Thank you." Twilight said sweetly.
"It's Trixie's pleasure." Trixie replied.
They smiled and turned to their separate houses, and Twilight sighed.
"Mistress?" Badb asked.
"I was... hoping... for some... sort... of bed..." Twilight stated, "How could Unicorns not have a bed?!"
Badb turned into Spike and laid on the ground, and Twilight laid down on the false Spike's side.
"I can't always use him as a bed..." she murmured.
"Just relax..." Badb said to her, "I can feel your body aching from the road... Would you care for a massage?"
"If I had one of your massages..." Twilight grumbled, "I probably wouldn't get up for dinner..."
"Of course, mistress..." Badb voiced.
Starlight let Twilight and Badb in before closing the door, and Twilight paused. "I don't know why..." Twilight stated, "but for some reason I was expecting a table. What kind of Unicorns eat off the ground? We know that the ancient Unicorns had tables. Did they forget how to make tables? Or was i the Earth Ponies who made the tables?.."
"Sit." Trixie said to them firmly, "Trixie won't have her food getting cold."
"I got it..." Twilight mumbled as she walked over and paused, slowly lowering herself to the ground.
The food was as fantastic as Twilight expected. "We will have to show Unicornia what true food should taste like." Twilight stated.
"Trixie's food is what food should taste like?!" Trixie excitedly asked.
"Of course it is." Twilight stated, "The trouble is ingredients... and a place to feed them all. Do they not even have a court?!" Twilight asked.
"Tomorrow," Starlight said to her, "you can teach Princess Platinum. Trixie and I can explore the city."
"It is dark and dreary," Trixie stated, "but Trixie is curious. Trixie cannot work her magic without good ingredients. Not that Trixie is magic..." she uttered.
"Oh, hush." Starlight said to her. "You are loved, and that has to be some kind of magic."
"Maybe some kind of Earth Pony magic," Trixie stated, "that works without being understood, and Trixie still does not understand what Starlight sees in her."
"Just know you are beautiful to me." Starlight stated.
"And me." Twilight added.
"Twilight likes Trixie?" Trixie asked, "Like Starlight likes Trixie?"
"Not quite," Twilight said to her, "but you are still so beautiful, and I can see how much work Trixie has put into herself; that is part of the beauty."
"Why don't we call it refined?" Badb asked.
"Oh, that is perfect!" Starlight exclaimed. "Trixie has aged like fine wine."
"Trixie does like to feel precious." Trixie replied.
"Oh, you are." Starlight said to her, "More precious than any jewel."
"A lesson the Unicorns here need to learn..." Twilight grumbled.
"That Trixie is more precious than any jewel?" Trixie asked, and Twilight just shook her head.
"Friendship." Twilight stated.
"Well, yes... friendship is wonderful..." Trixie voiced, "Not as wonderful as Starlight."
"Nor as wonderful as you." Starlight stated, and kissed her deeply.
Twilight stood and Badb stood as well, and the two turned to leave, and they all said good night.
