Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 9: Teachers and Students

"Is there something wrong, little brother? I gave you an assignment like the others, but you haven't moved."

Blue Moon stood at perfect attention while his older sister reclined on a sofa. He was still getting used to her new appearance since the last time he met her, which was hundreds of years ago. Though still slender and delicate in appearance, Black Rose had more than doubled in size and that growth was accompanied by an awe-inspiring aura of power that she seemed to unconsciously exude. Even staring at her directly gave him a mild trembling. Whenever she stretched out her black-feathered wings, the fire light in her new hideout caused them to cast a truly ominous shadow. Nevertheless, she spoke to him with the same fondness that she did back when he was a colt desperately trying to follow in her footsteps. He also didn't miss the ruthlessness beneath her tone. For his entire life, he had never seen his sister angry or upset, but he had seen her mercilessly bring about the deaths of hundreds of enemies. "With your permission, I would like to understand something first," he replied.

"Of course, what would you like to know?"

"Celestia's barrier is down and Equestria is on the path of reunification. The wolven have fled and there doesn't seem to be any imminent threats from Ursinium and Ophidus. You've accomplished everything you set out to do."

"How kind of you to say so." Black Rose smiled and dipped her head slightly as if Blue Moon had just complimented her mane. "However, I have not accomplished everything. Indeed, I've only won minor victories so far."

"Do you really need Princess Celestia's power for your remaining goals?"

"I didn't take her power as a requirement for my other goals, little brother. I did so because she was miserable underneath the weight of her responsibility. Celestia lacks the proper disposition necessary to rule over Equestria and it will cause nothing but misery to continue to expect so much from her. My ascendance is not a matter of ambition, but simple logistics; assigning the best mare for the job."

"And I believe in your assessment. It's just that I would be more at peace if the methods you used were more indicative of your goal of helping Equestria, Commander."

"Come now, Blue Moon. Didn't I tell you that you may call me 'big sister' when we're alone?"

Blue Moon didn't respond to that. A look of disappointment crossed his sister's face. "I frighten you as well, do I?" she asked. "Would it put you more at ease if I told you of what I planned to do next?"

"Yes."

"Then listen closely…"

With the memory of his last meeting with his sister replaying in his mind, Blue Moon stepped forward and knelt before Prince Terrato. He had felt the alicorn's magic come upon him the moment he entered the audience chamber. It was only when the prince relented by not slaying him with hostile magic did he relax a little. His lack of defenses had paid off and he could, at least, say what he had come to say without being smashed into a bloodstain.

"Before I even bother listening to what you have to say about your sister's plan, you'd better explain yourself," Terrato said. "As silly as it may sound, I'm not going to just believe that the leader of Black Rose's special tasks group and her younger brother just decided to betray her on a whim."

"It was Black Rose who betrayed me, your highness!" Blue Moon said with a measure of indignation. "I supported her because I believed she had the good of Equestria as her goal." He shifted his gaze to Celestia as he continued. "I believed that the barrier was wrong and that Equestria needed to be reunited. I even agreed with her plan to take away Princess Celestia's power to bring about those changes. However, I cannot support her now that I've found out what she's planning."

"And what exactly is she planning?" Terrato asked.

Blue Moon paused slightly before answering. He had spent so long serving his sister and convincing himself that he was independent of her, but it was only now that he was finally going to be able to separate the two. "Your highness, Black Rose plans to utilize the Blasphemous Rift."

The only outward sign of whatever Terrato felt towards the news was a darkening of his expression. Next to the prince, Celestia clenched her jaw tightly. Blue Moon guessed that it was all she could do not to start trembling in both shock and anger.

"How does she plan on getting in there?" Terrato asked. "Not even Celestia's full power can open the seals placed on the Blasphemous Rift."

"She devised a method after going through the library of Lexarius. As to what it is, I cannot say." Blue Moon looked aside briefly. "She would not trust even her highest officers with that."

It was Terrato's turn to fall silent for a while. When he finally decided to speak, his voice betrayed nothing of the tension around him. "Dreadstep, have Blue Moon horn-locked and imprisoned," he told the fort's commander. "I want him heavily guarded by your strongest unicorn magi at all times."

"At once, your highness," Dreadstep replied. The old stallion didn't even have a questioning look in his face despite all the information he had just heard.

Terrato turned towards Blue Moon. "I'm sure that won't be a problem for you now. I need to verify your information and keep you available."

Blue Moon kept his head bowed. "I fully expected this, your highness," he said.

The mortals left the audience chamber along with the guards, leaving Terrato alone with his sister. For some time, they didn't even so much as look at one another. The information was still sinking in; the audacity, the ambition and the sheer magnitude of what Black Rose was planning…even for immortal alicorns it was just too much to take in at once.

"Your student has gone too far, Terrato," Celestia finally said.

"I had her at pitting us against each other and stealing your power," Terrato replied.

"Even we don't know what exactly Oceanus left in the Blasphemous Rift before the Eternal Herd sealed it. She is basing her plans on a dangerous unknown!"

"We know that Oceanus severely harmed father with it," Terrato said darkly. "Now, we know that even taking your power is just one more step for her. Black Rose will not stop short of ruling over the Eternal Herd itself even if it means she has to usurp Oceanus's most monstrous achievements, keep him in the background and bring about the ninth rebellion by herself."

"You sound a little proud," Celestia said with a tinge of worry.

"Maybe," Terrato replied without meeting his sister's gaze. "I used to praise her for her grand planning and her occasional bold gambles. She's come a long way from clearing out ursan outposts." He shook his head and focused. "Regardless, now that we may have a lead, this will change things. I'm going to have to move more of the Legion to the Heartland so we can monitor the entrance to the Blasphemous Rift."

Terrato could tell that the first part of the plan didn't sit in well with Celestia. She had likely hoped that he would keep the presence of his legionnaires in the Heartland to a minimum at least for the first few years.

And then there was the Blasphemous Rift. Including the rift where Oceanus first fell in the Heartland's creation was an unfortunate but necessary evil. It lay almost at the very center of Equestria, a dark, gigantic crevice that harbored the lingering traces of the most evil creature in existence. It was also within the rift that the first mortal ponies came forth. When Lexarius had first arrived in this world, he and several of the highest ranked stewards in the Eternal Herd were tasked with obliterating any traces of Oceanus and his followers. The group had succeeded in almost every area except for the rift. There was something within the darkest bowels of that place, something that Oceanus left behind when he and his followers desperately dragged themselves into hiding. Not even the combined efforts of the strongest stewards in the Eternal Herd could so much as move the thing. With the King and Queen unable to enter this world without annihilating half of it, the stewards channeled as much of their rulers' divine power as possible and sealed the thing away. Lexarius then altered the very landscape of the place to hide it from prying eyes.

He looked to his sister. When Celestia took over where the insane Lexarius had failed, she placed her own safeguards over the Blasphemous Rift, hiding even the structures that Lexarius built around it away from her little ponies. The Heartland had no need of any reminder of a conflict none of them should be involved in. Let Oceanus be hidden away until the time of his final defeat arrives.

There was still one more puzzle to Black Rose's plan. How was she going to get inside the rift? His former student was a cunning, manipulative mare now with the power of an alicorn princess, but the seals that barred her way represented the authority of the Eternal Herd itself. "Celestia," he said.

It took a few seconds more before Celestia realized that her brother was calling her attention. "Yes?" she asked.

"Perhaps it's time to bring the Eternal Herd into this. I can open a gate and-"

"No!" Celestia said vehemently. "If we call for aid and mention the Blasphemous Rift, that zealot, Gravitas, will insist on bringing an army to this world. How much will be destroyed because of his methods? No, I will not call out to the Eternal Herd unless this world is truly on the verge of destruction."

"You've opened a gate before," Terrato insisted.

"And it was a foalish, reckless and paranoid thing to do, even if I only called out a small number of enforcers. Gravitas will bring them out by the hundreds without any concern of what they will do to this world or how the other heavenly realms will react."

"I doubt that the King and Queen will not allow their general to act so rashly."

Celestia's brows furrowed. "If I could say without a single doubt that Father and Mother's foremost concern is protecting the ponies that sprang from Oceanus, I would not have insisted on staying after we cast Lexarius into Vestibulum."

Terrato shook his head. "Stubborn…" he muttered. "Fine, we'll do everything we can to make sure that the Eternal Herd isn't involved any further. Moving on, I'm going to the Heartland soon. You should come with me. There's only so much reassurance that Luna can provide in your absence."

Celestia nodded her agreement. "May I ask you something, Terrato?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"You've kept Twilight and her friends together in a group before, why are you separating them now?"

"I don't need them together right now. They'll serve the Legion better in their respective fields instead of hanging out as a group doing nothing."

Celestia frowned at the answer. "The elemental foci shattered clearly due to a lack of harmony on their part," she said. "How can you expect them to mend their bonds if you keep them apart?"

"Because I want them to depend on each other, not be dependent on each other!" Terrato snapped. He let out a sharp exhale before he continued, mindful of who he was talking to. "They've been together for a long time, they even got banished together as I recall. That's all well and good, but I want them to think for themselves this time. They've been through a lot. Now, I want them to think carefully of where they stand now with all the changes in their world. If, as a group, their whole is greater than the sum of their parts then strengthening them individually should produce greater results."

"And what if they drift apart further?"

"They are the Elements of Harmony. I believe in the strength of their bonds. Coddling them will accomplish nothing. Their bonds should be tempered with some isolation and conflict in the same way steel is tempered with fire and hammer blows."

"These are living ponies you are dealing with, Terrato, not lifeless weapons! Their bonds should be nourished and sustained, not strained until they break!"

Terrato matched Celestia's indignant glare with a hardened one of his own. "Those ponies have been under your care for a long time," he said. "The results haven't been good enough against what they've had to face. It's time I took care of things my way."

Celestia reeled when Terrato cast doubt on her methods. Once more, he suddenly realized that he was going too barrier was one thing, but for him to suggest that she had failed in properly guiding the Elements of Harmony…"If they break from your rough treatment, there will be no turning back," she insisted. "Ponies aren't like tools that you can just repair when broken."

"I've ruled over ponies too, Celestia! You've taken a look around and you weren't surrounded by broken tools. You were surrounded by an army that has stood strong throughout the centuries. I believe in my methods."

"The greatest result of your methods knifed me with her magic and-!" Celestia stopped, realizing what her indignation was causing her to do. "Terrato, I'm sorry. I've been with your ponies and they're-"

Terrato put a hoof up to interrupt Celestia. He looked far away and he spoke with a slight tremble in his voice. "My student played you like a fiddle and then took what she wanted from you," he said harshly. "Hers is an intelligence and drive that Twilight Sparkle can only wish she had." He stood from his seat and walked to the doors. Before opening them, he looked back one more time at his sister. "The assignments stay. All six of them signed a contract when they joined up. If they break it by going against my orders, I will smite them where they stand."

The doors slammed behind Terrato as he left.

"Are you alright, your highness?"

That was the first thing that Twilight said to her mentor the moment the alicorn entered FangBreaker's library.

"I'll be fine, Twilight," Celestia replied. She walked with six armed guards in tow, each one likely hoof-picked by the prince himself. Knowing the princess, she would have preferred a less imposing escort but, knowing the prince, he would have had none of it. When Celestia sat down, the guards positioned themselves at a distance around her. The ponies working in the library gave her and Twilight a wide berth for some privacy.

Twilight took note of the choice of words. Her mentor was not fine now. The princess looked tired and visibly shaken. It wasn't physical exertion that weighed down on her. Twilight could only frown as she suspected its source. For all his talk about his "dearest sister", Prince Terrato showed about as much affection for Princess Celestia as he would an unwanted house guest.

For the rest of the afternoon, Twilight had returned to helping out in the library while preparations were made for their departure. The prospect of returning to the Heartland, to Ponyville and her old home, left her both elated and apprehensive. To see everypony in Ponyville again would be wonderful. She looked forward to talking with her neighbors, seeing all the familiar sights…even the warmth of someplace that wasn't so far to the north would be most welcome. But, there were also the things that she dreaded to see: how everypony would react to the ponies who had been banished and were now returning from a land of war, and seeing the Legion's presence in their old homes. No matter how much she wished it were so, Twilight knew that going back to Ponyville was no return to how things used to be. Soon, she would see how war would affect all of the Heartland. To make matters worse, she and her friends had a hoof in making it happen.

Being surrounded by books, however, helped set Twilight at ease. She was horrified to find out that the wolven had been using the books in this place as bonfire fuel. The ones that had survived proved to be a fascinating source of information about the Barrier Lands. She was particularly interested in a book she had found about Starswirl the Bearded. It was surprising to find that the two realms shared some lore. Learning about the Barrier Lands' account of the great unicorn would be eye-opening.

That would have to be set aside for later, however. Right now, Twilight expected a talk from her mentor that involved a subject she was less enthusiastic about, Pyre Valor. She moved to the princess's side, ready to offer her support as Celestia took a seat by one of the newly set up long tables. With her mentor seated, Twilight took hers as well so they were seated in front of each other.

"Tell me more about this Pyre Valor," Celestia said. "There was something peculiar in your tone when you were talking about her."

"Pyre Valor was the first pony I ran into when I first came here," Twilight began. She wasn't very enthusiastic about the topic, but she wasn't going to disobey the princess over something like this. "Landed on, to be exact. We…we didn't get along."

Celestia settled into her seat and leaned closer to listen. She had to shift her weight a bit because of her size, but she was fine otherwise. "Yet she saved your life," she said.

"Only because I was useful to her!" Twilight replied. " We've fought a couple of times. She hates my guts and I hate her too! But…"

The intensity in Twilight's voice took Celestia aback. Seeing her mentor looking even more apprehensive, Twilight stared at her forelegs and pressed her lips together. Ever since she arrived in FangBreaker after being randomly teleported, her thoughts about the perpetually angry unicorn had been a confused and dark cloud in her head. She tried to think back to her fight with Pyre Valor on that rooftop back in Bastion City, and then during their fight with Nightmare Moon. Her feelings were much clearer during those times, clearer and purer. She had matched Pyre Valor's anger with her own and used that feeling to fuel her spell casting. The world shrank when she fought Pyre Valor. She traded an expansive view for a narrower, sharper one that she could only imagine once the fight was over. Now, she couldn't help but be reminded of previous conversations with Vanguard. He was adamant about treating Pyre Valor as an enemy. It was only now that she really understood why. It was just so much easier. She knew what to do with a Pyre Valor who wanted her dead. She had no idea what to make of a Pyre Valor who had saved her life.

"They're going to execute Pyre Valor soon," Twilight finally said. Throughout her reverie, the princess had waited patiently without any intrusion. "They're just waiting for the rest of FangBreaker's troops to arrive so every defender of the fort can see it. She's tried so hard to kill me and I've fought back just as hard but…I don't want her to die. Certainly not like this!" She looked desperately at Celestia, hoping that her mentor would know an answer to put her at ease. "I don't understand, your highness. She's my enemy and she brought this on herself, but I just feel that, if she dies, I'll lose something important!"

Celestia reached out with a hoof towards Twilight, who trembled and closed her eyes at the touch. "It's alright, Twilight," she heard the princess say. The calm in that voice smoothed over her frazzled nerves and quieted the confused thoughts in her mind. She nearly felt a tear spring to her eyes just from the relief.

Twilight opened her eyes a little. "Your highness?" she asked.

"You've done nothing wrong," Celestia said softly. "Showing respect, mercy and even some admiration for an enemy is not a betrayal of what you believe in. You have seen some good amidst all the qualities that you dislike, think about that."

"But she's going to die soon…"

"Yet not everything she is needs to die with her. Have you tried to talk to her since her imprisonment?"

Twilight's lips pressed into a pout. "She never has anything to say to me. If I try she'll just call me a bothersome nag again."

"She's attacked you with worse, hasn't she? A few rude words should count for nothing, especially with her time so uncertain."

Twilight's pout disappeared as she pondered her mentor's words for a while. A talk would settle things somewhat. With a determined look, she decided to talk with the abrasive unicorn. And she wasn't leaving that dungeon until she got something. "You're right, your highness," she said. "I should go right now!"

Celestia smiled and then nodded in response.

With new details to consider, Terrato was going through his troop placements once more. He didn't trust every word that Blue Moon said but he had to admit that it was something to consider. Regardless of what was inside the Blasphemous Rift, it was still a source of power.

He also had to consider what Celestia said. Sending even more legionnaires into the Heartland will make it look even more like an invasion. He already passed the word that Black Rose's Thorns were active once again. As he watched night begin to settle from a window, he remembered to warn Luna about Black Rose's agents as well. With the Blasphemous Rift at potential target, his younger sister may be closer to the fighting than originally anticipated.

The door to Terrato's quarters opened slowly. "Do you need something, dearest sister?" he asked without even looking.

"I need to make amends, Terrato," was the reply. "And not just for what happened today."

"I've already told you that I don't want to hear it while you're like that."

Celestia stepped farther into the room. "I am Celestia, with or without my power. Do my words still mean anything to you?"

"You're wasting your time," Terrato growled.

"I will stay for as long as it takes. We'll do this your way if that is what's necessary. I will accept any punishment."

Terrato snorted and refused to meet his sister's gaze. "Did you come here expecting a flogging or a branding of some sort?" he asked. "As if I could do those things!"

Celestia's voice softened. "We have to start somewhere, dearest brother."

"That doesn't have much of an impact when you have only one."

"That doesn't make it any less true."

Terrato let out an exhale and faced his sister. "Do you really have such a problem with how I'm dealing with the Elements of Harmony?"

"I'm willing to try your way," Celestia said with a smile. "But let me have a hoof in it as well."

Terrato matched the smile this time. "Fine, let's see how we can work that in."

The two of them settled down for a talk. Terrato glanced out a window as he did so, just to catch a glimpse of an especially bright moon out tonight.