cQzZbvv5

1>Mater Solis awakens, and you along with Her
2>Though you see nothing from the darkness of your quarters but for a sliver of light at the edge of your vision, you KNOW She is risen
3>Her energy is great, and Her spirit infallible and shared among you and your sisters
4>What is you, is you. And what is Her, is Her. But what is yours and Hers is all that you see and think and feel
5>These are the sensations by which She communicates herself to you
6>Not directly, for Her voice you cannot yet hear.
7>But the time is near, this you know to be true
8>Time for the Matron Celest to bestow upon you the power to witness a portion of Her divinity
9>Your thoughts are scrambled. Confused and uncertain in the darkness, you remove yourself from your bed
10>You scratch your tired eyes with a hoof to summon away the drowsiness
11>The sliver of light across the room, but a taste of Mater Solis, grows brighter, thicker, and stronger as it crests past the windowsill
12>Now the stone room is cast in a soft hazy morning light, and in this light, you may better see
13>Not with your eyes, though there is much to see with them, but with your heart and mind
14>You had awoken from a shameful dream, yes, one in which you presupposed to know the Matron Celest’s wishes for your fate
15>Ascendance? At your age? Don’t be ridiculous
16>How this thought could even have entered your humble, stupid mind was all but inconceivable
17>The work of a Naiad, perhaps? A tempter of the Depths?
18>Or perhaps… something even more sinister
19>No… nothing is more sinister than a demon so foul, that which leads ponies to drown in ignorance
20>Ignorance of Mater Solis, of her endless devotion to ponykind, of her great and wise nature
21>In any case, you should not deign to predict the Matron’s actions, not even within the mists of the dream realm
22>You are but a humble disciple, and this you shall remain until the time at which you have been deemed ready
23>After relaxing your spirit by offering a libation of words to Mater Solis, you turn from the windowsill and take in your surroundings
24>These are not your normal quarters. Where normally you sleep alone, you share these with three other disciples
25>They are other Sisters of Solemnity, like yourself, who have been tasked with making the morning meal for the rest of the convent
26>You must awaken at first light, before all other sisters, bless the Breaking of Day with the usual offerings, take to the proper ritual of cleansing within the kitchen, and mix the mushroom broth which will be served to everypony at the strike of the Ninth Hour
27>This assignment, which has lasted now for nineteen days, will continue for the duration of the month, at which time another group of sisters will take on the task
28>As usual, you are the first to rise; the other three are wrestling with their sheets
29>You decide to intervene
30“Come, sisters. The dawnbreak has arrived. We can’t dawdle each and every day in this fashion.”
31>The one named Orange Swirl, her long lavender mane tightly wound into the traditional knot of the Sisterhood, groans and tightens her blankets
32>”Five more minutes?”
33>You smirk.
34“The dawn waits for no mare. Up, sisters.”
35>Resigning to their fates, the three cease their struggling and depart their simple cots
36>Joining you in the doorway, they appear to be less than prepared to do their duties
37>Much less enthusiastic
38>Not you, though
39>Each day this month has felt like a greater blessing than the last, having the chance to acquaint yourself with the radiance of Mater Solis in a way that is not always available to you
40>Single file, the four of you exit the bedroom and, crossing the landing over which the lower halls might be glimpsed, you enter the washroom to don your robes
41>Each robe, folded and stacked upon one another in a single neat pile, is wine-colored with bright yellow accents, and the sigil of Mater adorning its flanks
42>You retrieve the robe on top and, careful to do so in just the proper fashion as is coded within the scripture, drape it across your body, tying the simple yellow ropes about your midsection to keep the garment in place
43>Nothing is sweeter than following the instructions of the scripture to the letter
44>Just to convince the frantic part of your brain that you have done exactly so, you step over to the mirror on the far wall to examine yourself
45>The mirror is not for self-admiration, you remind yourself again and again as you prepare to look upon your own visage. Your face is nothing, only an aspect of the vessel that carries your shining spirit
46>Taking in a deep breath, you raise your head to look on the reflection
47>Satisfied with what you see, you lift a forehoof off the floor to grasp the shroud collected at the back of your neck, and pull
48>You keep your eyes squarely focused on your reflection as she mirrors your motions, covering with the burgundy hood her dark mane
49>Covering her ears, her scalp
50>Covering that bony protrusion jutting from her forehead, a symbol of her blaspheming
51>A symbol of the hubris of ponykind, who dared to try and match the magic which Mater Solis mastered
52>You’ve no use for it, nor for magic
53>You are a Sister of Solemnity
54>You are Twilight Sparkle
55
56-
57
58>You stand at the cusp of a pot of broth, taking in your handiwork
59>For nineteen days now, you and your fellow sisters have made it fresh each morning for the entire convent
60>It has been one hour since you awoke. Now, the doors of the dining hall swing open by automation, and three hundred mares, each sporting the same robes as yours, enter in three lines across the threshold and towards the serving table
61>Wordlessly, they each step up in turn, taking the ladle in hoof and pouring a helping of broth into their bowls
62>Once all others have been served, you are allowed to help yourself and be seated
63>Your bowl in hoof, you sit at the nearest table, and soon your three morning service sisters join you
64>They are Orange Swirl, a pegasus; Cherry Berry, an earth pony; and Blossom Delight, a fellow unicorn
65>These sisters, all of whom you have made close acquaintances with in your time here, have nevertheless become somewhat closer in the last several days
66>What once was friendly acknowledgement has become fraternization, an opportunity only afforded by mealtimes
67>”Did you hear the news about the construction?”
68>”What construction?”
69>”Another one of those ghastly labor towers going to be built not four blocks from the convent, to the south. A clear patch of sky in that direction, such a scarcity these days, masked in stone grey.”
70>”No! I sit at the corner of the Sun Garden on the elevated mound sometimes and gaze in that direction. Something else ruined by blasphemers.”
71“When could you possibly have the time to gaze, Cherry?”
72>”Whenever I can catch a break from prayer, Twilight. It could do you some good to gaze sometimes, you know.”
73“I don’t know what you mean by that at all. Besides, having a break from prayer means you’re praying too fast. Recite slowly, Mater commends patience.”
74>Orange Swirl snorts
75>”Regardless, sisters, you just know that if it weren’t for the zoning plea which the Matron bargained out, they’d be building them right to our east and west too.”
76>”To blot out the rising and setting sun. What manner of creature could love the darkness so much as to willingly entrench themselves in it, nay, to build it around themselves?”
77>”The worst of it is out west. I overheard a food supplier say that in Las Pegasus, they’ve built massive grav-platforms, designs ripped straight from the New Maker’s Handbook, and dotted them all across the city. Imagine, monstrous floating discs underneath which eternal night is cast, all in the name of creating more space for the heathens to reside in the skies.”
78“I don’t want to sound condoning, but what use could the pegasi with their flight magic possibly find with… you said, ‘grav-platforms’?”
79>”Therein lies the good news, if one could call it that. That zealous Cult of Exsilium has gained a militant foothold in the west these past few months, and have made it dangerous to practice magic. The news is slow, but as it stands, it seems as though the Blight is receding from that whole part of the world, replaced by a foundation of Maker tech.”
80>”If you ask my opinion, Maker tech is no less an affront to Her than the Blight.”
81>You stare down Blossom, who recedes slightly in her posture
82“The Blight of magic is the enemy of ponykind, Blossom Delight.”
83>You use her full name to emphasize the severity of her indiscretion
84“Meanwhile, Maker tech comes from the earth, Her natural counterpart.”
85>”The designs, however, do not. They come from elsewhere and are just as indecipherable in their nature as magic. Twilight, surely you know that what is unnatural to the mind is unnatural to the Syncresis?”
86>The Syncresis. A phrase you had never thought would be turned against you
87“I don’t find it unnatural. I find it fascinating. In fact, I’ve expressed wishes in the past to the Matron to modernize the convent based on descriptions of-“
88>”Twilight! Here I thought you were a purist!”
89>The words leave Orange Swirl’s lips in a joking tone, but you can tell there is derision in them
90“Orange, if you truly believe that my devotion to Her Radiance is incompatible with my interest in Maker tech, then you sorely misunderstand me as a pony and as Her servant.”
91>To your surprise, Orange Swirl is seemingly uninjured by these words
92>Rather, she stifles a laugh
93>”The fact of the matter is that you simply cannot know enough about the stuff to pass judgment on its applications.”
94“And I suppose you do?”
95>”I know what is wrong in my heart. As should you, Twilight. You’re worrying me with this talk.”
96“Your worry is unfounded, sister. I’ll admit I hardly understand the wonders of the Makers any more than any of you do. But I do know one thing: that it is not synonymous with the Blight, though it may seem to be as mystical. There are underlying explanations for all its functions.”
97>”Celestia explains the function of her magic in Verse 4003 of the Ninth Book. She describes it as-“
98“As ‘a swirling menagerie of change, a poetry which recites itself, an infinite pool from which to draw the power of undying Mother, and as it is mine only to draw upon, do well, you children of ponies, to listen no more to its recitations, and find solace in the condition of your lessers, who cannot do as you do.’ Yes, I know. It’s hardly an expression of working knowledge.”
99>”And yet she knew its functions in a perfect way, and for this reason denied her faithful the permission to use it on behalf of the Mother.”
100“The Prophetess knew only what was spoken to her. The mechanisms belying Maker tech were known by the Makers as absolutes.”
101>Cherry Berry re-inserts herself into the debate
102>”So I suppose if somepony were to develop a map of magical functions as absolute, they would cease to be Blight? Is this your contention, Sister Twilight?”
103>You curse silently, immediately offering Mater Solis an invocation of regret for even imagining such language. They’ve cornered you.
104“Th-that isn’t what I meant. Besides, the Blight is inherently unpredictable.”
105>”What is unpredictable now may one day be fully encompassed in our realm of understanding, but that does not make the Blight any less of a blasphemy. Knowing what evil is capable of does not dispel or even diminish the severity of that evil.”
106>You sink into your seat
107“They are different, Orange Swirl. I may not convince you of that, but it’s what I believe. We are allowed small conveniences that the Makers invented in this convent by the Matron, but magic is expressly forbidden. Would you call her judgment into question?”
108>”I…”
109>You’ve got her now
110“Sisters, I hardly think the Matron is a hypocrite. Her will is the will of Mater, for Mater speaks through her and all other Matrons across Equestron. Mater Solis does not reject Maker technology. Celestia did not hate the Makers; she was merely humbled by them. I’m offended that you would even compare their creations to magic in the first place.”
111>With that, you finish off your broth and set to work at collecting the empty bowls of some of the faster eaters in the dining hall
112>From the corner of your eye, you see your sisters exchange worried glances
113>They concern themselves with your opinions when they should be concerned about their work
114>Glancing around, you see several sisters with eyes firmly locked on your hurried figure, no doubt having listened in on your conversation
115>Perhaps that last part was a bit too loud…
116>You worry that they may think less of you for being so callous with them
117>You’ve never been very… tactful, to say the least, when it comes to your opinions on such matters
118>You swallow the pride that has so often gotten you into raw situations and return to the table, where the rest have finished their bowls
119“Sisters, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be coarse. It’s just that-“
120>”Twilight.” Orange Swirl stands, taking one last gulp of her broth. “I pushed you. I suppose I should have known what would happen. You’re a mare with strong opinions on certain things.”
121“We aren’t mares here, Orange. At least, we shouldn’t be. We should be only servants of the Sun.”
122>”Should servants not find different interpretations of the same commandment?”
123>You smile softly.
124“I suppose there’s no harm in that.”
125
126-
127
128>A bell rings.
129>The great bell, to be precise
130>It is outfitted with an automated timer, nothing too fancy, just a magnetic oscillator which runs at just the right frequency to measure out the hours of the day
131>It was an early little trick presented to ponykind by the Makers over a thousand years ago, and yet this one was only installed in the convent relatively recently
132>On the hour, the pulse from the timer triggers the bell mechanism, while also running through additional wires as electrical currents spread all across the building
133>These pulses would trigger little clanging bells inside boxes about the size of a hoof to alert those in rooms where the great bell was not audible
134>You had studied the masses of wires within the walls on occasion, and even repaired them once or twice
135>You are the only one who ever bothered to learn how
136>It’s easy to imagine that when you’re gone from the earth to the Mother’s Garden, nopony would bother to maintain them, and the small luxury would fall into disrepair as so many others have
137>You’ve lost yourself in thought again
138>You, along with a group of about forty other sisters, shuffle across the wide courtyard at the center of the convent
139>The great bell continues to boom within its residence above you, in the bell tower
140>Cherry Berry, Blossom Delight, and Orange Swirl march to your left, their heads bowed, their mouths moving wordlessly
141>You do so as well, mouthing the Litany of Praise over and over
142>You are careful not to allow the edges of the robe draped across your form to drag along the ground
143>Each pony in the crowd is shrouded, so as not to allow the light of the sun to touch their eyes until after the morning study has begun
144>A grouping of plain wooden benches is set up before you, lining the dewy grass in neat rows
145>Before them, a small altar, three stairs high, and atop it an earth pony whom you know all too well
146>You seat yourself beside your sisters, and the service begins
147>The mare on the altar mutters an inaudible phrase, though you know well its meaning
148>She lifts her muzzle ever so slightly, swaying her head side to side, her eyes closed to the world, her mind open to Her Radiance
149>She speaks, loudly enough to hear this time
150>”Mater Solis fas liberare capita phaleras humilitatis. Lucem permittit nos intuemur tuum et grati estote. Gloriam quasi decima hora vestra liceat ordinari. Nos gratias ago vos Mater Solis, in hac die et in omnibus diebus.”
151>As the final syllable of the ancient tongue leaves her lips, the bell at last ceases its tolling
152>Ten strikes.
153>All at once, you, the sisters seated all about you, and other sisters in your field of vision trotting across the courtyard remove your hoods, allowing the light above you to wash over your countenances
154>The spring Sun is the most beautiful, you have always conceded
155>Others claim that honor goes to the summer Sun, when Vestal Celestia emboldens Her with warmth
156>Others still prefer the winter Sun, which blazes above a frozen land as a sole beacon of faith
157>But for your part, the spring Sun is golden and glorious, warm and lasting, pleasing and easy to please
158>”Rise, sisters, recite the Litany of Truth.”
159>As one, you and your thirty-nine sisters stand and whisper in tandem.
160“Blessed is the truth of Celestia as it is spoken through her by the Mother of wisdom and compassion. Blessed is the word of the prophetess of the Goddess, it is Truth, it is to be praised. I am humble, I am bound to Her by Her will, and Her word is my law. What She wills, She commands in my heart, and I am entrusted to deliver Her will to the nations of the world. Praise be to Her, the Goddess Mater Solis. Amen.”
161>”Sit.”
162>As you do so, the mare steps down from her podium and walks down the center “aisle”, a space between two groups of twenty chairs each
163>Her pitch black robe flows gently behind her as a cool breeze picks up in the yard
164>Slowly, deliberately, she speaks
165>”The Fable of the Mountain Pass. When the prophetess Celestia crossed the mountain Fillai to warn the villagers at its back of an impending flood, which would sweep away their homes, drown their crops, and cause great mayhem and even death to all who experienced the wrath of the Naiads, she came across an old stallion guarding the narrowest point of the mountain pass. She inquired unto him, ‘Why, sir, do you stand guard here, when there is no home to be found in these mountains, nor anywhere in sight?’ The stallion replied, ‘I have no home but the pass. I guard this pass from the invaders that once defiled my home, and may do so once more. If they should overpower me, I shall run back down the slope to the village and warn my kith and kin of their doom.’ In turn, Celestia spoke unto him, ‘A greater doom than nomads comes. A furious flood shall overtake this pass and sweep into the valley below, bringing horrible misery to your kith and kin.’ The stallion simply replied, ‘I see no flood, nor the rain that might bring it. I see only you as a threat, bringing dark news to worry my people. I shall not let you pass and encumber them with your false words.’”
166>The Matron Celest stops upon reaching the last row of chairs, turning round on old joints and marching back towards the altar, her head held high
167>”Celestia had wings. She could fly over this stubborn pony and deliver her warning regardless of his approval, for she had seen the flood and its lethality. She could overpower him, for he was frail, and she mighty. But, for a moment, she sat with him, and shared a glance. She asked him who numbered among his family in the village beyond the pass, to which he replied, ‘I am the only son of a glassblower. He is dead now, as is his wife.’ She asked him who numbered among his friends in the village, to which he replied, ‘All those I knew once have passed into nothing. Only I remain of a time which remembered pain.’ So Celestia asked him this: why did he call them his kith and kin, and why did he devote his life to defending them from tyranny, when he knew not their names, nor their faces? The stallion replied, ‘It is my burden to bear, and I bear it gladly, so that others shall not share my fate.’ To which Celestia said, ‘You protect the villagers without knowing them, for their bliss is Truth in your eyes. Yet you deny my word that there is danger looming, for you cannot see it? Your hypocrisy is plain to see.’”
168>Turning once more, the Matron focuses her eyes, scanning the expressions of each sister in turn
169>Her eyes seem to lock onto yours for a moment longer than the others
170>”The stallion stood, and offered this: ‘I know you, Celestia. You were a princess once, and as a princess you told lies. But when the first of the Makers came and cast you out from your temple, you came to see the light of Truth, and weighed it against the judgment with which you had been born. Your hypocrisy is ever plainer. You seek to save lives, yet you refuse to save your own.’ Referring, of course, to the Prophecy of the Prophetess, which by this point had become common knowledge in the land of Old Equestria. In some versions of the story, usually those intended for foals, Celestia convinces the stallion by his own turn of phrase to let her pass, and he does so, and she warns the villagers, and they evacuate. But in the more common version, and this is the version we will be discussing, Celestia turns back, her acolytes in tow, and retreats from the pass, and the village is flooded, and the villagers all drowned.”
171>The Matron pauses for emphasis, offers a brief prayer, then speaks aloud once more
172>”The message is cryptic, but let us analyze what has happened. Celestia’s words were the Truth. They came from her own sight, her own knowledge of the situation at hoof. She was not deceived in this, and she made the conscious effort to warn the villagers. Yet when she backed down, she was not reprimanded by Mater Solis; in fact, she was commended for her insight and for taking a step down the path to perfection. Perfection, for being convinced by an old stallion in a pass to abandon what she knew was right. Of course, we all know why she did it, in the end. Does somepony want to show off their knowledge? Twilight, perhaps?”
173>You blush slightly, and stand
174“Because the old stallion was an avatar of Mater Solis. Because his word was a greater Truth than even Celestia could hope to counter.”
175>”Good. This is supported by many writers, and has come to be taken as the best interpretation of the fable. But, you will note, nowhere in the fable is this expressly stated. Implied, perhaps. But let us imagine for a moment that we are Celestia, and we cannot say for certain that this old stallion is anything but just that. Let us even throw away our understanding of the Truth altogether, and say that neither party has the extant high ground. What then, in terms of pure logic, might be the reason that Celestia turned around and left the village to their doom?”
176>Out of the corner of your eye, you see a light blue hoof shoot up into the air
177>”Sister Bluebell?”
178>The yellow-maned sister stands, and briefly recites a prayer under her breath before speaking
179>”I’ve always considered the fable to show that Celestia, though a prophetess, was not infallible, and that she realized that her hypocrisy was greater than that of the stallion. Where hers was the ultimate futility of not knowing if her efforts would save Old Equestria from a dark fate while also resigning herself to a fate that she could prevent by not choosing to follow the path she did, the stallion’s was simply that he refused to believe what he could not see when he existed solely to defend a perceived innocence that he also couldn’t see.”
180>”A valid point, Bluebell. Good answer. But there is something else to this fable that is often overlooked in interpretation, and that is the role of her acolytes. Though they followed Celestia and obeyed her wishes, they would hardly stand idly by as she abandoned her own cause if she were not justified in doing so. Simply weighing her hypocrisy against that of another should not make Celestia’s quest to save the villagers any less noble, and yet she abandons them all the same. Celestia was not hypocritical in her life’s work per se, but solely in this moment. Saving the villagers from the flood was never about their lives, it was about preserving the land they walked upon. Though the flood ravaged that soil, today it is fertile, and has been for nearly a thousand years. The acolytes knew this when they recorded Celestia’s teachings. So, then we return to the stallion’s final words to Celestia: ‘You seek to save lives, yet you refuse to save your own.’ A phrase that would seem to apply to him as well.”
181>The Matron Celest swipes her hoof through the air, a show of finality
182>”The old stallion was not Mater Solis, but Celestia herself. His hypocrisy was not tantamount to her own, it was equivalent. The ponies of the valley were Old Equestria, and the flood its future. The most crushing of sacrifices, all hanging on moral principle, and all involved let it pass. When two hypocrisies meet, one must give in to the other. But Celestia learned her lesson that day, and the village, its denizens, and the old stallion were drowned. He had exchanged the wisdom he bore to her for death. Ultimately, it was Celestia who was victorious, even at the cost of her own life.”
183>In your mind’s eye, you see the wires in the walls shorting, corroding, failing
184>In time, there will be nothing left of them
185>”Now, Sister Lavender Hoof, will you kindly distribute the study books? Everypony, please turn to page 172, and recite after me…”
186
187-
188
189>The great bell chimes eleven times
190>The morning study session has concluded, and gradually the sisters around you stand and stretch
191>Cherry Berry yawns, raising her forehooves into the air
192>”Was this the longest study session we’ve ever had or what?”
193“You’re only tired because you refuse to adjust to our new sleep schedule.”
194>”My body sleeps when it wants to sleep, I have no control over it. The Mater guides my cycle as she deems proper.”
195>”That’s a long-winded way of calling yourself lazy, Cherry.”
196>You can’t help but stifle a giggle at Orange’s comment
197“Sisters, *hmph*, calm yourselves. Group meditation begins in fifteen minutes.”
198>Blossom Delight suddenly gasps
199>”Naiads drown me. I think my blindfold slipped out of the pocket of my robe. I can’t find it.”
200>”I’ll help you look for it in our quarters.”
201>”Me too.”
202>As you prepare to offer your own assistance, a voice calls out your name from behind
203“I… I’ll meet you three at meditation!”
204>Your sisters trot off across the sunlit courtyard, and you turn to face the source of the voice
205>The Matron Celest stands before you, her old eyes smiling with wisdom
206>”Sister Twilight. Come walk with me, child.”
207>You obey, and the two of you set off at a slow gait towards the stone path bisecting the yard
208“I didn’t know you were leading the study session today, Matron. Is Sister Freshleaf well?”
209>”She is not sick, if that is your question. I’ve given her the morning off, and all the rest this week, so that I might directly engage with each group.”
210“It caught me off guard. But you made for a wonderful instructor.”
211>”I should certainly hope so. I only served in the position for 34 years before my current standing. What did you think of the little excursion at the beginning?”
212“The mountain pass? It’s always puzzled me. But your insights were fascinating. Who could guess that after all this time, new cases could be made about Celestia’s true intentions?”
213>”Celestia was a complicated mare, Twilight. Those who claim to know absolutely the Truth of why she did what she did to serve the Mater are either fools or liars. All we may offer are guesses. It’s simply the best we can do.”
214>Coming to the end of the stone path, you walk into the shade of the overhang
215>Turning left, the slotted pillars adorning the edge of the inner path make a slideshow out of the exterior yard as you move past them
216>A group of filly initiates, led by a sister instructress, seems to jump to a new spot every time you are given the chance to glimpse them
217“Matron… why did you ask to see me? Am I in trouble?”
218>The Matron chuckles, and your gaze is diverted back to her eyes
219>Twin grey pools stare back at you
220>Her sight has been gradually failing her for years, yet she does not require a guide in these halls
221>She knows this place as a mother knows her foal
222>”Twilight, you ask me the same question every time I pull you aside from your peers. You are not a filly anymore, and I cannot discipline you as I once did. No, I require your presence for… other matters.”
223>The two of you turn once more, this time passing beneath a stone archway leading into the interior of the convent
224>With another left turn, you realize at once she is leading you to her office
225>This was the path you once took whenever you needed the guidance of this great mare
226>She had been, without any shadow of doubt in your mind, a mother to you
227>The closest you had
228>She had stepped outside the boundaries of her position on numerous occasions to nurture your growth, for you had seemed to her a prodigy of sorts
229>At least, this is what she had told you
230>You refused to believe you were special simply because you had been dropped on the doorstep of the convent rather than initiated proper
231>But it had led you to cross paths with the wisest pony who has ever existed
232>To be close with her, and to share in her knowledge, was and is a treasure to be coveted
233>You utter a silent prayer of libation to Mater and find yourself standing before twin oak chamber doors, immaculately carved with images of fire-breathing dragons, solenoidal angels, and other evocative imageries
234>Without a word, you open the doors, letting the Matron pass through first, and then following in tow
235>The Matron’s office is a fascinating room, one where many of your fondest memories were created
236>Soft velvet carpets of varying, exotic patterns are spread symmetrically across the flooring, a far cry from the stone tiles which make up the floor of most of the convent’s chambers
237>The painted walls are decorated with fabrics which flow in the gentle breeze circulating through them from the open windows
238>Copies of paintings depicting important moments from the Twelve Books of the Sun line the walls, many of them tilted on their hooks
239>You’ve long suspected the Matron tilts them on purpose to make them more noticeable to the eye, and therefore more powerful
240>The Matron Celest takes a seat at her rich mahogany desk, and gestures for you to sit across from her on one of the curved wooden chairs
241>By her left hoof, there is a brass telephone, the only one in the entire convent
242>The Matron sighs deeply, and begins
243>”Twilight, I am about to say some things. You may not like to hear them. This is my warning to you beforehand.”
244>Your throat tightens, and your hindlegs begin to shake beneath the desk
245“I knew it! I am in trouble! Oh, Celestia forgive me! Matron, I deeply apologize for whatever my transgression may be, and I promise you I shall repent to the best of my-“
246>”Twilight.”
247“Sorry.”
248>”You aren’t in any trouble, child. But you are deeply troubled, and that is plain to see. You haven’t come to visit me here in my office for some time. And though I’d like to believe it’s because you no longer need my guidance to find the right path, it’s clear to me that the opposite is true. What is preventing you from coming to talk with me, as we once did?”
249“I’ve only been busy, Matron. That’s all. The first light breakfast duties, morning study. I’ve been studying alone much more often recently. I’ve taken up interest in sewing, too. If you’d like to see some of my designs-“
250>”Yet. Something else pulls at your heart.”
251“There’s no point in hiding it then, is there? From you.”
252>”Or from anypony else. Even my tired eyes can see the longing written across your face. I know that you desire to be ascended. The question is, do you think that you deserve such an honor?”
253“I’ve dreamed of it for years. To be at your side, for that to be a requirement of my position here. To take on all the responsibilities that entails. Matron, I-“
254>”Do you deserve it?”
255>You struggle for words, before taking on a resigned posture
256“I don’t know. I… I feel ready, maybe. But I just don’t know. Everything I’ve done since the age of seven has been in service of becoming a Sister Solaris. I want to know Mater Solis’ Truth, her will, everything, from instinct, not just through study. Don’t get me wrong, Matron, I love the texts, I devote every waking hour I have to myself to understanding them, criticizing them, knowing what they represent. But to witness Her glory, even a piece of it, directly, as you do… it would be worth ten thousand lifetimes as a disciple.”
257>”Yet you have only lived a fraction of one.”
258“I know. And I know that my thoughts are selfish. And that I should never presuppose your intentions for me. But I can’t help it. It comes to me in dreams, the thought of being a Sister Solaris. I’ve justified them as temptations of the Naiads, but in truth, they are simply my own thoughts, free from persuasion.”
259>The Matron Celest reaches across the narrow desk, wiping away the tear which has manifested on your cheek
260>”Twilight, I shall say this only once. My will is the will of Mater, and my Truth her Truth. So you may understand that my judgment in this is absolute.
261>You cringe, bracing yourself for a great emotional blow…
262>”It is my opinion that you are not ready to ascend to the position of Sister Solaris.”
263>There it is
264>You sink in your seat, eyes cast downward to hide your shame, heart cast into oblivion
265>How could you think that at only seventeen, you would be considered for such a high honor?
266>You find yourself infinitely more distraught that you thought imaginable
267>Yes, it was hubris that put you in this position, hubris and false hope
268>Prodigy or not, you were not ready
269>Perhaps you never would be…
270>”No, Twilight, you are not to be a Sister Solaris.”
271>You are nearly too emotional to hear the Matron’s words
272>”You shall be the Matron Celest.”
273>
274>
275>
276
277-
278
279>”Twlht…”
280>”Twiiiiilhhh…”
281>You groan
282>Colors begin to take shape out of the darkness, materializing from infinite shadows
283>Your hearing, too, gradually returns to you, as though you were resurfacing from the depths of deafening waves
284>Why are you lying on the floor?
285>”Twilight?”
286>A voice, somewhere, somehow
287>The voice you heard in your dream
288>What a terrifying dream you just had!
289>To imagine that the Matron would say something so inappropriate, so shocking, was nearly blasphemy in and of itself
290>”Twilight, are you alright?”
291“Whuuu… what?”
292>”Twilight, you passed out. You fell out of your seat.”
293>Your eyes snap wide open
294>The colors cease their swirling and take definite form
295>The strange sounds rippling within your eardrums become recognizable
296>Oh, dear Celestia… oh, Prophetess of the Sun and the Stars…
297>That was no dream
298“Matron…”
299>”Is your head alright, child? You’re swimming.”
300“I’m… okay. I’m alright, Matron. Just a little hazy, that’s all.”
301>Another voice whispers behind you, one you cannot bring yourself to turn and face
302>The Matron disappears for a moment, then returns to your field of vision holding a glass of water
303>”Drink this, child. Pick yourself up.”
304>You do so, gulping down every last drop in a second and a half
305>Only in the moment that the cool liquid washes down your throat do you realize how dry it had become
306>Slowly, trembling with every movement, you set the empty glass down on the carpet and lift your shivering body off the floor
307“M-Matron, I…”
308>”Shhh. It’s alright, child. I understand completely. You mustn’t justify your reaction to me. Though I must admit, it was quite a bit… MORE than I anticipated. I’m simply happy you didn’t hurt yourself falling off that chair.”
309>You are dizzy, uncertain
310>Conflicting thoughts slam against one another within your brain
311>At last, you conjure up a complete thought
312“How? How could you possibly believe I’m ready for something like that?”
313>The Matron smiles warmly, placing her hoof upon your wither
314>”Twilight, you’ve become a devout sister, a learned young disciple, and a worthy acolyte of Celestia’s teachings. You have spent the entirety of your life within the walls of this convent. Your peers, Bluebell, Orange Swirl, the others… they came here of their own volition, when they were old enough to understand what being a sister here meant, and yet none of them share the devotion to Mater that you have. You were barely a day old when I found you at the common shrine in the front garden, and on that day I promised to do all that I could to foster your growth into what you have already become. There was no favoritism involved. I did not extend additional honors towards you, nor did I allow you to shirk the responsibilities you were given. I only ever offered you guidance, Twilight. I wanted to see you become a Sister Solaris, and perhaps, eventually take on my responsibilities when I am gone. And yet…”
315>The Matron turns away from you, shuffles across the carpet, and stares longingly out the open window into the light of the sun
316>”I am old. Far too old to consider the possibility that I might continue to lead you naturally into my position. Before long, I will pass, and there is nothing that can be done about that. What I wanted for you can no longer be. When I pass into the Mother’s Garden, Sister Freshleaf or Sister Tenderheart shall take my place. When this occurs, there is no guarantee that you will live to become my successor. You, too, shall grow old, as a Sister Solaris rather than in the position you rightfully deserve.”
317>This is all far too much to take in
318>You breathe in, then out, focusing on the meditative practices which you were taught from a young age to relieve stress
319“Why me? Why nopony else? Who am I to be the Matron Celest? To replace you?”
320>”Let me answer your question with a question, if I may. What do we mean when we talk about the Blight?”
321“The Blight? It’s the dark consequence of ponies using magic in cheap imitation of Mater Solis. It’s a mockery of the faith, and it turns the hearts of ponies black.”
322>”Precisely. And what is the single unavoidable consequence of the Blight, that which even the Sisters of Solemnity, the most devout practitioners of Mater Solis’ will, cannot prevent themselves from indulging? Not even me?”
323>You know where this is going
324“The cutie mark. When a sister taps her potential, the Blight inexplicably marks them with a symbol of their talent for life. An unnatural event, and unexplainable as all magics are. Nopony can prevent their cutie mark from manifesting. Except…”
325>”Except for you, Twilight.”
326>The Matron approaches you, lifting the tail-end of your robe from your flank, revealing…
327>Nothing.
328>”Your flank is untainted by the cutie mark. Even now, beyond any reasonable timeframe during which you might have attained it, you are pure even of that aspect of the Blight. As time passed then, when all others of your age began to receive theirs, you never did. I daresay it is a sign of divinity.”
329“But-“
330>”Ah, but to say so, nay, to even think so, may be blasphemous. And above all, a Matron shall not be blasphemous. She shall not assume the nature of the Truth that is fed to her by Mater, she should only accept what she is given, and make of the world which She created, only what is known. Which brings me to my final justification, and by far the most important.”
331“Matron, if I may interject. I just don’t know if I’m capable of handling anywhere near the level of responsibility which you handle on a daily basis. I’m not ready.”
332>”Twilight, one thing at a time. To answer your concerns in a brief sense, to shortly be elaborated upon, you are not ready. But soon you will be.”
333>This comment leaves you even more confused
334>First she says you’re ready to be a Matron, now you aren’t?
335>How is your blank flank alone an indication that you should receive this position on a silver platter?
336>The Matron seems to notice the puzzled look on your face, turning her body and walking towards the far wall
337>She stops before the largest painting in her office, raising her head seemingly to admire it
338>Slowly, you walk forward and plant yourself by her side
339>The painting depicts the prophetess Celestia in her radiant glory, having only just been denied entry to her own palace by the Makers, who had forcibly taken it from her
340>She stands tall upon a rocky outcropping, one foreleg raised, her body poised in its revealing nudity
341>After a time, all depictions of Celestia, in keeping with the modesty laws of the church, dressed her in the black garments of a Matron Celest
342>This painting is of an older era, one which enforced no such rules on faithful artists
343>Exposed in a barren land, devoid of her people, with nothing but the Truth of Mater Solis to guide her, Celestia is nevertheless unshaken in her resolve to release Old Equestria from the shackles of its ignorance
344>Her face, positioned directly in front of the rising sun, is awash in shadow
345>It is possible to make out its features; the curve of a muzzle, the soft glimmer of wet, shining eyes, the faint contour of a pair of closed lips
346>But, at a glance, it appears that her countenance is tastefully invisible
347>”Twilight, I have been informed that you’ve been involved in numerous arguments with other sisters about the value of Maker technology.”
348>Your cheeks turn bright red
349>”You are quite adamant that its mystifying nature is incomparable to that of magic, and therefore it should not be viewed in the same light by the Sisterhood.”
350“I… yes. I know it’s a controversial opinion, but yes. I believe that if somepony knows how to build such contraptions, then we, too, could learn. Compare that to the Blight, which only comes about because magic is inherently unexplainable.”
351>”We use the word ‘unexplainable’ far too often when describing magic, I think. We see that aspect as the primary quality which we reject when dealing with its associations. Of course, besides the inherent teachings of Celestia about the dangers of the Blight, and its nature as an affront against Mater Solis, as most tactfully put in the Litany Against Magic. No, magic is not the enemy because it is unexplainable. Magic is the enemy because it is not ours to use.”
352>The brush strokes individually are nothing; mere colors upon a canvas
353>But together, such a beautiful image they create
354>One of longing, humility, fear, passion, Truth
355>”Our convent, and all convents across Equestron, are allowed by the rules agreed upon by the Sisterhood two hundred years ago to employ small Maker innovations as mere conveniences. We would not allow them to automate our duties, nor would they fundamentally alter the methods by which we serve our faith and Mater. They would simply make our lives within the convent a tad easier. But, alas, then came the New Maker’s Handbook. An astounding discovery, no doubt. Tomes upon ancient tomes left behind by a Maker society, discovered in an archaeological dig in the Badlands, and instantly set upon by decipherers to discover its meaning. Millions and millions of advanced designs that vastly compounded upon those machines which ponykind had already employed, and which rendered what had once been formally taught to our species by the Makers entirely obsolete. With the right materials, the proper precision of craftsmanship, and the research into their mechanical ways necessary to comprehend the designs, any of them could be built with our own hooves. It was undoubtedly the single most important discovery of the millennium.”
356>The Matron sighs
357>She appears lost in the whorls of lily white oil paint which constitute Celestia’s figure
358>You are lost as well, deeply enamored by this familiar painting in a capacity that you never had been as a filly, spending so much time with the Matron in this very office
359>”Of course, the Sisterhood rejected it. These designs were too complex, too unknowable. Surely at a certain level, the technologies of the Makers were indistinguishable from the Blight? It was decided that the rules laid down about the allowance of their inventions within the convents of the Sisterhood would not apply to those designs discovered in the New Maker’s Handbook.”
360>The sun’s rays, immaculately portrayed as shining arrows radiating from the centerpoint of the entire piece
361>White gold paint, no different in its composition than any of the other colors mixed to create the painting, and yet it seems… something more
362>Something beautiful
363>”I went along with their decision. In fact, I staunchly agreed with said position. But one of the most difficult lessons I have ever learned, in my advanced age, is that senescence is not an indicator of wisdom in all things.”
364“Matron, what are you talking about? You’re the wisest mare I’ve ever known!”
365>”We cling to our devotion to a past that is all but forgotten all about us. We, the old guard, those ancient enough to remember a time before the New Maker’s Handbook, find peace and comfort in what we once knew to be absolute. But those like you, the young, the unsullied, are imprinted upon by our will, our truth.”
366“Your Truth is the Truth of Mater Solis. You’re privy to Her word.”
367>”I am. But Her word is cryptic, and Her intentions are mysterious. I am not a translator, Twilight, I am an interpreter. And as one Matron might interpret the will of Mater one way, another might see things differently, and alter what is written. My fault as a Matron, my greatest flaw, so to speak, has become my blindness to the changing world out there, and my inability to change along with it. As I agreed with the law of the Sisterhood then, so too do I now. Even now, as my most devoted disciple, she who I have always called my prodigy, she who has pored over every word of every text in our library a thousand times, she who studies far more intensely than any of her peers the word of Celestia and her interpretation of the Truth, even as she STILL, in spite of all this, advocates so strongly for the integration of New Maker technology into our faith, I cannot bring myself to agree with her. Twilight, this is the one issue which I simply cannot reconcile with you.”
368“I know that. And I’m sorry, Matron. I know I shouldn’t be starting arguments with other sisters. But I can’t help but believe that what is within the New Maker’s Handbook is the future of our faith. These discoveries could very well bring us closer to Mater Solis, not push us away as does the Blight! I… I cannot compromise on that. And I don’t think my mind will ever change on the subject.”
369>”There’s no need for apologies, Twilight. Besides, you didn’t let me finish.”
370>Celestia’s mane, an amalgam of color, muted shades of pink, silver, scarlet, green
371>The colors of the sun, the colors of nature
372>All represented by mere swashes on what was once white
373>That something so powerful could come from the mind of an artist, and physically only from the raw ingredients of his trade…
374>Canvas, oils, dyes…
375>Perhaps it was an expression of Mater’s magic
376>Not the Blight, not the imitation, not the ultimate blasphemy
377>No, REAL magic, Her magic, what was Hers alone, shared only with Celestia
378>”I cannot reconcile my stance on New Maker tech with yours. However, this is precisely why I want you to replace me when I pass on.”
379“That… hardly makes sense, Matron. No offense.”
380>”None taken. To name as one’s successor somepony whose views on what is unequivocally the most important question of our time are diametrically opposed to one’s own would seem insane from a practical perspective. But as I told you, my weakness is my inability to let go of a world where my perspective was absolute, and dissention was nonexistent. Your peers believe what I believe because it is what has been ingrained in their minds through rigid study and my own ordinances. But you, among all of them, are untainted by those teachings. Yes, I would call my own instructions a taint, for they are incompatible with reality. I cannot break from what I have believed my entire life, no matter how hard I try. But you, Twilight Sparkle, can change the fate of this entire faith with what you believe.”
381“Matron… what you’re suggesting is that I should become the Matron Celest of this convent solely to promote an idea which you yourself have always vehemently opposed!”
382>”I’m suggesting that you give the faith no other choice. That you give me no other choice. I am old, and I am blind. I have raised a prodigy, and her flank is proof enough of that to me. I have my opinions, and you have yours, but as it stands my word is the Truth of Mater Solis, and yours is simply that of a disciple. Were you Matron, you could do what I could not.”
383“Even as Matron, I couldn’t hope to reverse a decision that affects all the convents, all the monasteries, all the devout of the faith across Equestron! Even that wouldn’t be enough!”
384>”Your words ring true, Twilight Sparkle. As Matron, you could not do these things. But perhaps as a Supermatron…”
385>For the first time in what has felt like an hour, you rip your gaze from the intricacies of the painting and look squarely into the grey eyes of your mother
386“S-S-S-Superm-m-matron?”
387>”I have seen it in dreams. I have contacted five other Matrons Celest of five other convents in five other cities, and they all have witnessed the same Truth. There will be a Supermatron of the Faith within ten years’ time, an acolyte who is all but an incarnation of Celestia herself, with all her gifts and knowledge, all her magic, all her strength, all her will. One who shall guide this faith into a new age.”
388“There hasn’t been a Supermatron marked by the stars in four centuries!”
389>”Mater’s Truth is the only Truth. She has spoken to me, and all others. The time is now. I can only imagine that the mare of which She speaks is you. You, and you alone. My prodigy.”
390“I… I don’t…”
391>”Twilight?”
392“Yes?”
393>”Try not to pass out again.”
394
395-
396
397>You are Cherry Berry
398>You are worried
399>Sister Twilight has been missing all day!
400>After helping Sister Blossom recover her meditation blindfold from your quarters in the Sun Tower, you expected to find Twilight already waiting for you in the darkroom
401>But no such luck
402>The Matron Celest had called her away from the rest of you earlier, after the study session had concluded
403>You found your meditation cycle somewhat perturbed, what with anxiously waiting to hear her hoofsteps mark her arrival
404>When you removed your blindfold, she was not there
405>When you entered the dining hall for lunch with your sisters, she was not there
406>When you retired together to your quarters for personal study and prayer, she was not there
407>Now, departing those same quarters to attend Sister Tenderheart’s afternoon congregation, descending the narrow stairs with Orange Swirl before you and Blossom Delight behind, you are becoming increasingly nervous
408”Sisters, I’m still concerned about Twilight’s whereabouts. Surely she has not been with the Matron all this time?”
409>”She’s close with the Matron, you know that. They could very well be lost in conversation as we speak, having missed the whole day.”
410“Perhaps. Regardless, it’s unlike Twilight to shirk her daily responsibilities for idle chit-chat. If she’s with the Matron still, I can’t help but wonder about the importance of their conversation.”
411>”You think something big is about to happen to Twilight?”
412>”It couldn’t be THAT, if that’s what you two are thinking.” Orange Swirl moves aside as she reaches the bottom of the staircase, letting you and Blossom pass. “She’s far too young.”
413>”She studies more intensely every day. The Matron or Sister Freshleaf shouldn’t take notice of that?”
414“It isn’t her work ethic that matters, it’s her youth. It’s plain to see what Twilight wants, but surely she can’t hope to ascend at such an age? The Matron herself was 33 and already an instructor when she was ascended, if I recall correctly. Meanwhile, Twilight is… well, our age.”
415>”And that should disqualify her from the honor? Age is no written factor in becoming a Sister Solaris.”
416“You’re correct, Blossom, but I simply can’t see it happening. And I can’t imagine that Twilight could expect it to happen either. The basis of this entire conversation is built on a presupposition of an event that may or may not even be taking place.”
417>”I… do agree with Blossom in one regard. If anypony will ascend to the position in any due course, it will be Twilight. The Matron has always favored her.”
418>”That’s not fair, Orange. Twilight stands on her own merits.”
419>”Her merits are her studious nature, her immense devotion to Mater, her wisdom beyond her years, and her willingness to take on any task without question. Am I missing anything?”
420“That about sums it up.”
421>”Indeed. But she is also too quick to judge her fellow sisters, despite the fact that she holds some choice opinions that the Sisterhood at large would find most unappealing if they were ever made aware of her status. She’s shown signs of impulsiveness, she can be most temperamental at times, and she lacks a yearning spirit.”
422“I object to that last one. Is being focused on the good of the convent rather than idly dreaming of life beyond these walls such a bad thing? I do my fair share of yearning in private, but I see no reason that a lack of such expression should be reprimanded. Really, it should be the opposite.”
423>”You have to wonder, though, about a mare who has spent all her life within these walls, yet shows no interest in exploring what lies beyond. Never once has she applied for a mission, never has she asked questions of those who have returned from their missions.”
424“You’ve never applied for a mission either.”
425>”I’ve no ambition for Solarity. All I’m saying is, it’s unnatural to say the least that-“
426>”Stay your tongue, Sister Orange Swirl!”
427>Your eyes widen, and you head jerkily swivels to take in the hard, stern expression on Blossom’s face
428>She is usually so mild-mannered…
429>”I don’t know how you normally conduct yourself within task groups, but to call somepony with whom you share your bedchambers ‘unnatural’ sounds very rude to my ears!”
430>”I didn’t intend for it to sound that way, Blossom. My apologies.”
431>”There’s no sense in apologizing to me, Sister Orange. Say the same to Twilight, wherever or whenever we may find her.”
432“Blossom, I’m surprised you’re so quick to defend Sister Twilight when she directed her own impulses towards you just this morning, at breakfast.”
433>Blossom simply hardens her gaze, this time locking it squarely on you
434>”We are all servants of Mater Solis. Twilight exerts her service in her own way. We don’t agree on choice matters, but the faith isn’t about dogma, not like those lecherous Exsilists on the borderlands we hear so much about from the vendors. No, the faith is about the Truth, and the Truth is interpretable. I could never see what Twilight sees, but perhaps that only means that I lack the insight she has on those matters.”
435“Sister Blossom… your humility is admirable. As is your loyalty to a friend.”
436>You smile at Blossom Delight
437>Her breathing slows, and she smiles bashfully back
438>”I don’t know what came over me just then, sisters. Nor can I pretend to understand what Sister Twilight believes she knows, or what she wants to know. But I’m certain that if this meeting entails what we think it entails, Twilight could very well be ready, even at her age.”
439>Orange Swirl appears to ponder for a moment
440>”Even if you’re right, Sister Blossom, it isn’t merit alone that grants ascendance. In all likelihood, Twilight will have to partake in a mission. She’ll have to journey into the Temple of the Eyes in Crystallatia and train under the priests there. She’ll have to spend months in self-isolation, developing a thesis.”
441>”None of those are requirements for ascension.”
442>”But they do bring favor.”
443“Which Sister Twilight already has in spades with the Matron.”
444>”I won’t deign to know the Matron’s will, and her Truth is absolute as the Truth of Mater. But from a mere pony perspective, it wouldn’t bode well with the faith if the Matron Celest of this convent displayed what could be interpreted as blatant favoritism. For Twilight’s status to be accelerated down such a path at her age, she’ll need every advantage she can get.”
445“You’re saying she needs an excuse to be as worthy as she already is.”
446>”She needs several. And I remain skeptical of exactly how worthy she really is, despite all the points Sister Blossom has made.”
447>There is a pause in the conversation
448>Having been lost in the abstractions of discussing Twilight’s fate, imagining the places she might go, the things she might be compelled to do, you suddenly realize the three of you have walked almost half the distance to the Hall of Sermons
449>A buttressed archway passes over your head, and you take the time to notice its intricacies
450>Carved festoons, reliefs of garlands, twisting vines and sunflowers, the long, narrow faces of nondescript disciples jutting from the edges
451>All modeled by hoof, not by horn or any other means of artificial assistance
452>The architecture of the convent truly is something to behold, even with your narrow frame of reference
453>All here bespeaks warmth, solace, an expression of the light of the sun, a show of the Truth for its beauty
454>All around you, wherever you go, are modest displays of true craftsmanship, devotion to the faith, and the splendid quaintness which you had come to adore
455>Often, you sit quietly within the walled Sun Garden, the light of Mater shining directly above, the trees rustling in the breeze, and each time you do you find yourself more and more thankful for what you have here
456>You yearn, this is so, for what is beyond, but you always leave that place contented and with a renewed sense of devotion
457>But in those moments, as you trace the intricate patterns on the walls with your eyes, as you delicately give each flower, each blade of grass its time in the spotlight of your mind, so as not to spoil any one, your eyes sometimes lock on what is in the distance
458>And there, past the grisly black steel of the labor towers, past the plain, brutal whites and greys of factory stacks and the vast plots of tenements, intertwining and labyrinthine…
459>Beyond even the Undermaw, those treacherous slums where you came up as an urchin and from which you were saved…
460>Past all of the materialistic flatness and the cold, inequine sheen of the surrounding miles, was something beautiful and recognizable
461>Something in the shape of the rainclouds, ever positioned over the basin by unidentifiable machinery
462>Something in the tint of the southern sky, always faintly darker and more saturated than the rest of what you could see
463>In this haven, and out beyond what surrounded you, in that general direction, were the only places besides Mater Herself up above you could ever even hope of gleaning Her Truth
464>You are not and have never been ambitious for that taste, not like Twilight at all
465>You barely even understand the feelings which own your soul
466>But above all, you are aware in all the ways in which you know that Sister Twilight Sparkle is ignorant
467>If she can witness the light, you are privy to the dark
468>If she takes for granted the revelry of nurturing in these convent halls, you know a fair comparison
469>If she is fascinated by what lies beyond, and wishes with all her heart to know more about what the Makers buried, left forgotten, and which was uncovered and perverted into impossible machines, then you are the opposite
470>What you see in the world beyond is chaos and misery, for you see the shapes moving, constructing, standing still, and you know what those forms represent
471>Hardly anypony knows how they function, least of all you
472>But you know, and have known how New Maker tech inflicts itself on the sanctity of the soul
473>How it ravages one’s faith and decency, and hides one from the light of Mater
474>You know because you were hidden for so long, only to be found in a state of absolution
475>You had never seen beauty the likes of which this place offered in its twin simplicity and intricacy
476>The stonework was both humble and extravagant, plain and glorious
477>Above all, it had been modeled with intention, each archway, each wall, each pillar chiseled out by the mind, body, and soul of a pony laborer
478>How else could Her works be enacted?
479>”All I know is, I’d be dreadfully worried if Sister Twilight ventured out there, alone, into Celestia knows what part of the world, without any experience.”
480>Your feelings exactly
481“My feelings exactly. I know only this city, and the cruelty of which it is capable. Celestia knows what manner of cruelty lies beyond its reach, now more than ever. For Sister Twilight, somepony who has never left these halls, to become a missionary, to attempt to convert those addicted to the Blight… I wouldn’t be able to rest at night.”
482>”Fighting in the east. Terror in the west. The dark waters loom all around us, and Naiads drown on a whim. Inner naiads most egregiously.”
483>”I don’t want to hear it!”
484>You turn
485>Blossom stands still behind you, a pained expression cast downward
486>The lasting remembrances of past suffering has scalded her mind
487“Blossom, what is it? What did we say?”
488>Blossom sniffles and struggles to catch her breath
489>She’s beginning to cry
490>”No, Blossom, don’t… we weren’t…”
491“We weren’t speaking in absolutes. We don’t know why Sister Twilight is with the Matron, or why she’s taken so long to return to us. We don’t even know if she’d leave this convent if it was a matter of ascension. We’re only speaking in hypotheticals.”
492>”It’s only that… you remember, don’t you, Cherry? My grandfather’s stories, of what happens in the Outlands? The dangers he experienced, the death and disease and misery…”
493>”Sister Blossom, first of all, it doesn’t suit you to stand here in the middle of the hall and sob over nothing. Compose yourself in a manner befitting a Sister of Solemnity. Second of all, we do not conduct missions in the Outlands. Not on an official basis. So there is no reason to fuss about Twilight’s fate in that regard.”
494>”Yes… yes, you’re right…”
495>Blossom blinks rapidly, catching the moisture around her eyes with her long lashes, refusing to shed a tear
496>She whispers a prayer, perhaps the Litany Against Darkness, before continuing
497>”It’s only that the world has gotten rougher since then, everywhere. I heard that the lev-rails connecting us to Unicronia are being sabotaged by Exsilists. Bands of excoms from Saddle Arabia are pillaging on the high roads and… oh, the violence I hear of! Gunneries and armies of ponies raised from the waters of death and-“
498“And myths and fairytales. Don’t you know it’s unwise to listen to the tall tales of every fruit vendor you overhear conversing with the trade sisters?”
499>”I can’t help but believe some of these things. After what my grandfather told me, about his time abroad, away from the city, away from safety, I can’t bear to even dream of Twilight, whose experience of that world out there amounts to nearly nothing, going out there and facing those horrors. Not just in the Outlands, within our own borders. Horrors, all around us.”
500>”The light of Mater Solis will protect her.”
501>Orange Swirl takes Blossom by the hoof and leads her into a walk once more
502>You follow close behind, taking notice of Orange’s sudden serenity
503>You swear by the Solenoids that you see her left wing flutter beneath her robe, for a brief instant, as if to wrap itself around Blossom’s shivering figure before catching and retreating
504>”If the Matron wills that Twilight shall go out there and face whatever trials await her, be it tomorrow or ten years from now, however long it takes for her to find it in herself to ascend, the Matron does so with purpose. She knows that challenge herself, she’s lived it herself, and she would never send Twilight or any of us away from this place if it meant endangering us.”
505>”Right… yes you’re right. The Matron’s Truth is the Truth of Mater Solis, blessed be Her countenance which shines upon Her daughters and Her sons…”
506>”Good. As I said, Blossom Delight, compose yourself, and come. We’ll have marks from Sister Tenderheart if we’re late for her congregation.”
507>There is tenderness beneath Orange Swirl’s defiant pegasus nature
508>This much you know to be true
509>Wither to wither, the three of you set off at a trot towards the Chapel of the Sunset, towards the peace and enlightenment of a long reading from the Books of the Sun
510>As you cross an intersection of two immaculate stone halls, for an instant in the corner of your eye, you swear you see the flash of a purple mane galloping past beyond a decorated archway
511>Before you can turn your head, it’s gone
512>When your nerves at last react to your senses, and your head twists in the direction of what you thought you saw, you see only stone faces staring back at you from above
513>The faces of the faith, humble and passionate
514>The Syncresis in what you feel in this moment is immaculate
515>Where Twilight has gone no longer matters
516>What only matters is where she is going to go
517>Archways, vines, gardens, the sky you share with heathens and the naiad worshippers of a faraway land
518>All based on hearsay, of course
519>All based on presupposition
520>It could all be a big nothing, in the end
521>None of it could matter at all
522
523-
524
525Find the Truth.
526See through it.
527Make it yours.
528>You lock the wooden door behind you, panting as you struggle to catch your breath
529>You just practically galloped across the entire grounds of the convent back here, back where you belong
530>You are Twilight Sparkle again
531>And everything you knew to be true is decomposing all around you
532>Great swirling black things dance in the darkness of this place, afterimages of sensations you are trying in vain to repress
533>You feel dehydrated…
534>But you dare not open that door again, if only because it would ruin the small sense of comfort you feel in this moment
535>You dare not quench your thirst to satisfy a greater indulgence
536>Think, Twilight, think
537>Remember why you’re here, and what transpired to make you break tradition and come here without permission
538>The Matron gave you the day to ruminate on the design she had laid out so carefully for you, so at the very least you don’t have to worry about missing congregation
539>Your sisters are probably worried sick about you right now, but as far as you’re concerned that’s the least of your worries
540>As your heartrate slows, your breathing takes on a more natural tempo, and you cease your struggle for air
541>In your youth, you used to hyperventilate in stressful situations, which were most frequent for you considering your worrisome temperament in those days
542>You retain that temperament to some extent now, but the Matron saw to it then that you received formal training in meditative breathing cycles to calm your spirits
543>Speaking of your heartbeat, you feel each pulse rippling through your chest; though it has slowed, it continues to pound like a hammer on an anvil, as though it could explode from your body at any moment
544>You do not feel calm, you do not feel powerful, you are prostrate before Mater and yet it seems now that no amount of imparted divine wisdom could lift this impervious weight which burdens you
545>Calm down… feel the beat of your heart… drink in the light of Her countenance…
546>Light.
547>You are still sitting on the floor, back to the door which you threw shut behind you, in pitch darkness
548Find the Truth.
549See through it.
550Make it yours.
551>Feeling the wall next to you with your left hoof, you snake your touch slowly upwards, patting and exploring its granite surface until finally finding your mark
552>You flip the insulated rubber switch, and at once the room before you is flooded with electric light from above
553>Everything comes into focus as your squinting eyes adjust
554>Piles of borrowed texts are strewn about the edges of the room, their illuminated covers glinting in the artificial glare
555>An oak writing desk, its surface almost entirely invisible from the clutter of assorted trinkets which sit upon it, stretches across the left wall, seeming to take up almost a third of the space in this room
556>On the opposite wall, a small wood-frame cot, its burgundy sheets neatly made, fills out the rest of the space, leaving a small gap of walking space about a pony’s width and a half across between its edge and the deskchair
557>On top of the sole dresser in this chamber sits a small sewing kit, with needles and swatches of fabric perched in haphazard piles within a wood box
558>The remaining space to your left, between the front edge of the desk and the back wall of the room, a prostration mat is laid out for morning and evening personal worship
559>Gently, you take in one last deep breath, and walk over to the mat
560>You bow, haunches above your head, front legs outstretched, before the shining golden sun shrine positioned within an outcropping in the wall
561>Closing your eyes and lowering your head, you whisper, barely audible even to your own ears in the silence of this place
562“Blessed Mater Solis, You whose trust has been placed in my spirit, You who commands my heart, You whose word is sacrosanct and whose Truth is almighty, forgive my transgression by entering this place in my time of great anguish. I know it is not your wish or the wish of my elders to be present within these quarters while I fulfill my duties this month as an officiant of the Breaking of Day and as a cook of the morning broth. I realize that I must flagellate myself with the hide of the boar for breaking the sacred promise I made to this Sisterhood, and to You. And yet…”
563>You choke up, tears flowing freely now
564>Your heart has sped up again, pounding like a great engine, circulating that precious life through your body
565>Your stress refuses to subside, and yet you must carry on
566>She must know what you know
567>That is Syncresis
568“I need this place. I need to be here, right now. I’ve been issued a challenge, by You, and by the Matron. It is something I do not know if I can accomplish. I don’t even know how to begin accomplishing that. My trust in your will is absolute; this is immutable. I am your humble servant and the idle pawn of your concerns. Mater, why have You brought this challenge to me? Where am I to go in order to best serve You? What might I do in order to appease your Truth? I cannot answer any of these questions right now, and I cannot expect that You might, either. At least, not to me. This is why I need to be in this room, though it is not my place to be here during this month. Your burden is my fallibility. Amen.”
569>As you mutter a final libation under your breath, you unbend your back and approach the shrine directly
570>Taking the sacred lighter in hoof, you ignite the oils within with a touch and hold its bronzed tip to the wick protruding from the head of the shrine statue
571>This holy object can be found in the private chambers of every sister in every convent across the continent, though its form varies from pony to pony
572>Yours is modeled after Celestia herself, a small golden alicorn figure facing upwards and encircled by the ringed outline of a burning sun
573>Her crown is filled with red wax, and from the wax the wick protrudes
574>You allow the wick to burn down about a centimeter while reciting the Litany of Praise, then extinguish it with the tin snuffer placed lengthwise behind the shrine
575>Setting down all your implements, you step off the prayer mat and turn around, allowing your familiar surroundings to stir your emotions for a brief while
576>Here, in your own private quarters, away from the dormitory which you share with your fellow dawnguard, you might safely ruminate on the task at hoof
577Find the Truth.
578See through it.
579Make it yours.
580>The words are etched into the deepest crevice of your mind, as though written there by the pen of some passionate Fury
581>You fear… no, you KNOW that you will soon hear them in dreams to come
582>They were the words of the Matron, her last words to you before she closed those great oak chamber doors before you
583>You were left alone there, in the middle of a cold stone corridor, helpless to grasp what she meant by those words
584>Helpless to prevent those rippling waves of predestiny from submerging your hooves, melding them to a concrete path
585>This path was inevitable for you; this much you realize
586>You are, and have always been, the Matron’s chosen prodigy, born of the convent, untainted by the Blight of magic
587>If this is what she has laid out for your future, then so be it
588>You are hers to command, for her voice is as much Truth as Celestia’s herself
589>A greater Truth, however, exists, that to which you have just appealed
590>You are forbidden from entering this place during this month, and consequently from laying eye or hoof upon your personal shrine figure
591>Yet it is your one tangible line to Mater, and your prayer was more a plea than a show of admiration
592>You need guidance in this moment, guidance that not even the Matron cannot offer
593>You need divine guidance…
594>No.
595>You shudder as you force the blasphemous thoughts from your mind
596>The Naiads are tricksters bent on corrupting the soul, deluding it from knowing its true place in the wheel of fate
597>You are not fit at all to pass judgment on what you NEED from Mater Solis
598>It is what She needs from you which is tantamount
599>But, in order to glean that, you must decipher that puzzling litany which the Matron planted in your memory
600Find the Truth.
601>This is obvious, self-evident even
602>To become a Matron Celest, one must enable oneself to see Her Truth in the fullness of its glory
603>However, you had almost expected that the Matron’s Sight was something she could bestow on another when the time came, not something you had to find yourself
604>But, of course, that would be too simple
605“Too simple… too simple…”
606>You retrieve one of your lengthier tomes from a stack in the corner and idly flip through its pages as you think
607>Find the Truth
608A simple request, yet the way to fulfilling it is shrouded in mystery, seemingly impossible to discover on one’s own
609>For all you know, you might have to circumnavigate the earth to find the Truth
610>Or perhaps you need not ever leave this room
611>Either way, if the Matron thinks you capable, you can do nothing but try to surpass her expectations
612See through it.
613>Now, this epithet was the most bewildering to your ears of the three upon first hearing it
614>By the time the fragmented words had collapsed into a complete thought within your distracted mind, you almost saw fit to ward off the temptation of blasphemy right there in the middle of the hallway
615>How can one possibly see through the Truth? That which trumps all, which is wisdom divine in origin, the prodigious intent of Mater Solis, her word and her will and her countenance?
616>What could it possibly mean to “see through” that which is impermeable, absolute?
617>The implication eludes you
618>For now, that is
619>It is your hope that, in the process of fulfilling the first step of this transition, the shape of the second might be illuminated
620“The form of an abstract concept is difficult for the mind to properly discern. For a pony to truly understand something which is not tangible, or can only be defined by seemingly arbitrary parameters, they must…”
621>You stop
622>What are you saying?
623>You narrow your eyes and scrunch your muzzle as you search your surroundings for a clue
624>At once your eyes come to rest upon the text of the open book before you, the source of your thoughtless rambling
625>You close the book on your hoof to read the cover
626“The Fundamentals of The Laws of Electricity and Magnetism as Prescribed by The Elaborations of the Makers.”
627>Written 459 by Monsieur Foudre d’Ardennes
628>Translated 778 from Prench
629>The page you had been reading was part of the introduction
630>It’s been years since you read this beast of a text through
631>You had asked the Matron to order it for you specially when, at the age of about twelve, you were finally granted access to the bell tower
632>Seeing all those clumps of wires and bits of metal and timing mechanisms strewn about the floorspace in that highest of chambers made you question how such an elaborate thing could be built by pony hooves
633>Of course, the machines were all designed by the Makers in some capacity, but ponies had their hoof in perfecting, retrofitting, manufacturing, and making more accessible each of those meticulously crafted components
634>You had spent long nights poring over every detail of this book when you had a break from studying the word of Celestia
635>Its contents were hardly intensive, seeing as how at such a young age you could grasp most of what was presented therein
636>But to know that such invisible forces not only exist, but are measurable, quantifiable, exploitable
637>That was what fascinated you to no end
638>All that ponykind has built in the last thousand years, all their technological advancements, all the marvels that seem primitive in this day and age, but which were tantamount to the most costly and decadent magic in ancient times
639>All of it came from the teachings and insights that the Makers provided them before their vanishment
640>It is a common misconception, you’ve heard, for the laymen of the faith to see impunity in the Makers’ unknown fate
641>Some despise them for the manner in which they treated the Prophetess while loving what they’ve built
642>But you and those who properly study the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Books of the Sun know better 
643>Celestia was not a prophetess then, when she was cast out
644>Then, she was merely the vessel of a soul which had yet to be replaced with the enlightenment of Truth
645>Then, she was a princess whose hubris became her undoing
646>It was by direct consequence of her walk in the desert, which itself was a result of the Makers’ retaliation upon her great city in the mountains, that she became entranced with the light of Mater Solis
647>The Makers were the instruments of her ascension, and for their part in her ultimate fate they were properly to be praised, not abhorred
648>You clear your head and return to the text you were reading
649>Something in there sounded important to the thought at hoof
650“Let’s see…”
651>There it is
652“For a pony to truly understand something which is not tangible, or can only be defined by seemingly arbitrary parameters, they must visualize this thing in the form of something familiar. Concepts herein will follow this formula: if somepony has no direct experience with the effects of electromagnetism besides their roles in complex mechanical structures such as electric generators, power lines, or oscillatory engines, then they will hardly find it easy to grasp the intangible explanations for the forces underlying those machines. By opening this first chapter of this lengthy volume, you have effectively entered a new world where the laws of the universe may seem to get much more complicated than you might expect. But rest assured that these inner truths of the “miracles” of the Makers have been a part of our world all along.”
653>It was as relevant here as it was when you first read it
654>When you first experienced the way that this knowledge seemed to bring you closer to Mater than ever
655>See through it
656>That was the second request, and it seems all but unfulfillable
657>An unquantifiable abstract, a meaningless phrase which held nothing but contradiction and blasphemy under scrutiny
658>But Her Truth is already a part of you, this you know as well as any sister in any convent
659>You must only guide your own spirit down that path to recognize it within you
660>Visualize the Truth
661>Perceive it as nopony else can, not without the knowledge and the skills which you possess
662>Eventually, you may find the intangible thing you seek
663Make it yours.
664>The final tenet of the Matron’s mission statement, and seemingly the easiest to comprehend
665>You shut the book and lay it back down in the stack by your desk
666>Yawning, you cross the mid-space and stretch out onto your cot
667>The feel of its sheets is different from that of those in the Sun Tower quarters
668>But perhaps it is only the feeling of solitude which defines them differently
669>You’ve certainly gotten used to having roommates in this short period of time
670>Needless to say, you shouldn’t feel so tired at this hour
671>But it can’t be helped; your mind has already exhausted its capacity for today
672>So much strangeness, so many revelations
673>You’re lost in the sea, drowning, tempting the Naiads to pull you under and make you suffer the extent of your own hubris
674>You believed you could take on the responsibilities of a Sister Solaris at your age, and now fate has seen fit to punish you for such indiscretions by heaping more responsibilities onto your withers than you ever thought imaginable
675>Nevertheless, what the Matron wills for your future shall be the duty which you carry out until the end of your days
676>If she thinks you capable of taking on her connection with the Divine Mother, then you will make her responsibilities your own
677>Make it yours
678>The Truth, that which is spoken to the Matrons of the earth and which powers their resolve, is given through a higher form of Syncresis
679>Your Syncresis is simply what you share with Mater as an ordinary mare of the faith
680“What is me, is me. And what is You, is You. But what is mine and You is all that I see and think and feel.”
681>The Litany of Sensation
682>Mater is all-seeing, all-knowing
683>She sees through the eyes of all stallions and mares of the world, and adopts their minds as constituents of a greater consciousness
684>She is separate from you, no doubt, but on a more transient level you are but a piece of Her
685>To make Her Truth your own, and to complete the cycle of ascension, it shall be necessary to understand Syncresis on its most primal level
686>You have studying to do
687>And more importantly than that, introspection
688>You close your eyes and wonder for your future
689>Will the Matron send you away from this convent?
690>Does your destined path lie beyond the borders of this city?
691>Of Canterium?
692>You have never even left this convent before, not even once
693>No.
694>She will not force you from this place, and of that you are certain
695>If it is necessary, you shall leave this place of your own accord
696>If the call of Mater’s will, and the enaction of your ascension, requires you to go out into unknown lands, to bare your body and soul against the darkness of the Blight, then you are more than ready
697>The boxed bells at the center of your back wall softly ring eighteen times
698>The little clock you built two years ago, its tiny metal frame exploding with gears and tangled, colorful wires, follows suit
699>Splayed out on your soft, soft mattress, head resting against the firmness of your pillow, you fall into the swirling menagerie of sleep
700
701-
702
703>”How now, Sister Twilight Sparkle, whisperer in the dark?”
704“A-are you Mater Solis?”
705>”I am of her ilk. I come of her light, reflected upon my countenance, beamed to your eyes so that Her brilliance may be comprehensible to you.”
706“An angel, then?”
707>”My time here is short. I am a bearer of questions, and a conqueror of the fears which plague your spirit. You dream, Sister Twilight Sparkle, and your mind is full of shadow and uncertainty. The load you carry is tall and takes a frightful shape from a certain perspective.”
708“The Matron Celest expects so much from my future. My ambition is clouded by something intangible, and the nature of all of this is so unclear. My horn… oh, it aches…”
709>”It is encumbered. Speak now of your ambition, and the path down which it should guide you.”
710“I thought that’s why you’re here. To deliver that knowledge unto me. I only know the words the Matron spoke to me, nothing more. I know a riddle that’s impossible to solve on my own. I need guidance, but I don’t know where I might find it.”
711>”I am no shepherd, nor have I futuresight. My role is that of the interrogator, and the will of our Goddess shall be extracted from your own mind.”
712“How can you say that? I don’t know the first thing about being a Matron! Or a Sister Solaris, for that matter! And for her to say, in such absolute terms, that I’m predestined to be something even greater than that?”
713>”Walk up the stairs and join me on this landing. I shall whisper my next question in your ear.”
714“The stairs are invisible. I don’t see the first step.”
715>”The stairs are plain to me. You are blind not to see them.”
716“The only Matron I know is blind. Oh, blasphemy.”
717>”There is no blasphemy in this place, for you are not right of mind. You suffer no consequences from the basal instincts your animalistic self encourages in you. Yes, she is blind, as her eyes do not see. But her sight is all too clear. The Truth is clear in her mind.”
718“I’m coming. No, it’s slippery. I’m going to fall. I can’t bear to come any further.”
719>”You are afraid of falling?”
720“The fall is too long. Look below me. That void, that emptiness. I’ll fall forever if I slip over this edge.”
721>”You shall wake up eventually. You may fall for hours, but your mind shall know when it is time to leave this place.”
722“No, no. It’s too far. It’s too long. I c-can’t come any closer.”
723>”Then there you shall remain. You cannot see the stairs; you cannot walk forward. You are blind, you are paralyzed, what else does not function in your body?”
724“My ears. I can barely hear you. Are you whispering now?”
725>”I shall whisper when you come close enough to hear my question. Now, I am screaming as loudly as I can.”
726“It’s so quiet. I… I’m going deaf.”
727>”Walk. I command you to walk. Mater Solis commands me to command you. Her light shines on you through me.”
728“You don’t look like an angel. Angels are solenoidal, they’re coils of burning light. Great hollow pillars, miles high, with thousands of eyes which see all things.”
729>”I see all of you. I am present in this world you have constructed. Everything which happens here, happens because you will it. If you falter, if you refuse to face this fear of yours, it shall vanish, and you shall awaken having learned nothing.”
730“I’m walking. I can hear you more clearly now. I’m walking towards you. The trench is looking shallower now.”
731>”The trench was once a void. Now its bottom is visible?”
732“Yes. There are cracks in it, yellow, burning cracks. And water above that. There are great snaking forms swimming inside it. I think they’re-“
733>”They are what you fear. Inner naiads. The most dangerous kind. You are exposed in this place to monstrous generalizations, but you see what you wish to see. What are their true forms?”
734“Failure. And, neglect, I think. Why is Sister Orange Swirl down there? Why is she riding one?”
735>”She isn’t, anymore. Look again. She’s falling off. She’s sinking into the crevice.”
736“She relied on it to carry her. She relied on me to pull her out. Now she’s gone.”
737>”Does it matter that much to you? Are you going to abandon your walk?”
738“No. I’m almost there. I won’t slip and fall. My hooves are spiders. They have tiny legs. They’re carrying me across the burning grease.”
739>”It’s grease that makes you slip?”
740“Grease from a fire. There was a fire here, not too long ago. Something died in this place, and something else burned it.”
741>”Where did it go?”
742“To the Sun Garden.”
743>”Where did it go?”
744“It went nowhere. It turned to ash. It didn’t believe.”
745>”Do you believe?”
746“More than anypony. I believe what is true. I know nothing else.”
747>”You’ve arrived.”
748“Yes, I have. I crossed your bridge. I ascended your invisible stairs. Now, ask your question, I beseech thee. Lean in close, so that I might hear your quiet voice.”
749>”Where is the Truth?”
750“It’s inside me. As are all of Her words.”
751>”From whence did Her words come?”
752“The Prophetess. She bore them on her back, until they were too much to bear. She cast out the Kings from her home, and she slaughtered those who didn’t believe in her command.”
753>”Is that last part really true?”
754“No. It’s what I thought would be the rational choice, once. I don’t anymore. It was a filly’s simplification of a complex tale.”
755>”She was not infallible?”
756“She was greater than any of us. Her word was Truth.”
757>”How can you find that Truth?”
758“By retracing her hoofsteps. By going where she was compelled to go.”
759>”Is her compulsion your own?”
760“Is that not Syncresis?”
761>”It is my duty to ask questions, and yours to answer.”
762“You’re right. I deeply apologize. Syncresis is our unity, through deed and through experience. Her compulsion was what she felt was right in the moment. She wasn’t guided by Mater after she was cast out of her temple. She simply walked into the Badlands, ready to die.”
763>”To die?”
764“To listen. Her ears were open. And yes, I know what you’re going to ask. Her eyes were open, too. She was not motionless. She laid down only to sleep on that boiling rock. It was never her wish to pass before her time. I’ve been a hypocrite. I… I don’t know where to go, even when I have every route to take.”
765>”Compulsion is the greatest motivator, Sister Twilight Sparkle. Without it, your kind would never have made what it has made. What is your compulsion?”
766“To leave. There is no doubt in my mind. I need to go and find out what it takes to follow this path.”
767>”By the time you discover that, your path will already have ended.”
768“Then the path is the discovery. It isn’t hypocritical to say so.”
769>”She let those innocent ponies drown. She let the flood come over the rocks. She listened to that old stallion.”
770“I thought Mater shone through you. She knew what was best in that place.”
771>”And now the soil is fertile. Great machines rise from that valley, machines which sway, and cut, and turn in the wind. There are trees there too, but they are slaves, born to die. They are fertilized by death. A path is open to you. I will not compel you to take it.”
772“I’ll take it anyway.”
773>”Will you retrace the hoofsteps of the Prophetess?”
774“In a certain way. I won’t be cast out of this place. I’ll go of my own volition. Even if everypony here tries to stop me, they won’t have the power. I’ll force my way through them.”
775>”A solemn proposal.”
776“I am a Sister of Solemnity.”
777>”Go, then, where machines toil. Go beyond the mountain. That is the first step. Do you see it?”
778“I have eyes. I am not blind. It is tangible now. I’m visualizing it now. Oh, there’s something beautiful caught in my eye. I can’t get it out. It’s growing. It’s stuck in my lashes. It’s drying them out. It’s turning ugly. Help me, please!”
779>”You’re still thirsty. Sister Twilight Sparkle. My advice? Stay hydrated.”
780>You slip
781>You fall
782>There is water everywhere
783>You drink it all in
784>It tastes like iron
785>They encircle you
786>You’re gone
787>Gone
788>gone
789>
790>
791>
792
793-
794
795“GonegonegonegonegoooaaaAAGGAAAAAAHHAHAHHHHHHHHHHH!”
796>”Twilight? Twilight!”
797>You are screaming
798>Why are you screaming?
799>You had a terrible vision
800>A… crevice? And a conversation?
801>It was all just a dream
802>But, then, you think you already knew that
803>The bells begin to ring again at a rapid tempo
804>You count the strikes by twos
805>Two, four, six, eight, ten-
806>”Twilight! We’ve been looking for you everywhere! Why are you in your quarters? Why are you screaming?”
807>”Twilight, please let us in!”
808>Twelve, fourteen, sixteen-
809>”Twilight? Sisters, she stopped screaming. Do you think she’s hurt?”
810>”If she injured herself, then one of us needs to summon Sister Redheart. I don’t think the sanctity of Twilight’s quarters should duly prevent us from helping her.”
811>”Of course not. We should be pragmatic in situations like-“
812>”TWILIIIGHT! ANSWER US, PLEASE! OPEN THE DOOR!”
813>Nineteen strikes
814>You slept for a whole hour
815>It only felt like a few minutes…
816>You’ve missed dinner
817>BOOOOOOM
818>You nearly leap out of your cot as a penetrating noise breaches your chamber
819>Only now do you notice the furious knocking at your door
820>Your left front hoof has fallen asleep, having been crushed beneath the weight of your head for so long
821>You shake away the invisible ants crawling beneath your skin
822>The knocking didn’t make the sound you just heard
823>You already know who is out there, and they seem to be getting more frantic by the second
824>Sight, sound, movement
825“Stay hydrated?”
826>Now that you mention it, you realize you were thirsty when you entered this room
827>You haven’t quenched that thirst all this time, and now your head is light and your lips are dry and your throat is begging for fluids
828>”Twilight? Please, open the door.”
829>”She could be unconscious. I’m going to get Sister Redheart. If I can’t find the Matron and I can’t get the key to this door, I’m going to kick it down.”
830“NO!”
831>
832>Silence
833>They heard that, at the very least
834>Clumsily, carelessly, you remove yourself from your bedding, rolling onto the hard stone floor
835>You are reminded of Orange Swirl’s daily morning routine, and her inability to rise at the proper time
836>Now it is the evening; the sun is about to set, and you are even more sluggish than she
837>Picking yourself back up, you limp towards the door, your hoof still not entirely rid of the crawling sensation
838>Something wet is running down your jaw
839>Using your right hoof, you wipe it away and examine it
840>Blood
841>Bloodbloodbloodbloooood
842>You almost shriek before your panicked, roaming eyes come to rest on the sun statue within the shrine outcropping
843>It reminds you of the Matron’s warmth
844>Her placidity overcomes all adversity, and when she is stressed by the toils of her exalted position, she simply relaxes, and breathes
845>You know the way she breathes
846>It is all you can do now
847>The superior part of your brain, the aspect which is logical and finds solutions to problems which are not inherently obvious to the deeper panic, but which are ultimately correct, commands you to breathe in that fashion
848>Your fear of blood subsides as the oxygen enters your body
849>You surmise that you must have bitten your lower lip in your sleep, somehow
850>The taste of blood still lingers faintly within your mouth
851>It tastes like iron
852“Give me a moment, sisters. I’m coming to the door.”
853>Thirsty
854>You are so, so thirsty
855>When at last you make your way to the oak chamber door at the far side of the room, you pause for a moment longer than you should
856>Your friends are worried about your safety, and you must heed their call
857>Yet, listless as you are now, your mind is racing as you mull over the minutiae of what you can bear to remember from your vision
858>Yes, a vision
859>Not a dream, but an epiphany, an encounter with a servant on high of Mater Solis
860>In the ordinary dreams of a pony, there are only random flashes of disconnected events, the brain surging and fluctuating and attempting to piece together the circumstances of the day
861>This was something stranger, something more lucid and more powerful
862>A crevice, a conversation
863>Sight, sound, movement
864>Snaking things, Orange Swirl falling into a crack
865>Stay hydrated
866>Falling into the depths
867>The taste of iron lingering in the back of your throat as you…
868>You need to write all this down somewhere
869>For now, you allow the elaborate tapestry of disjointed metaphors to swirl around in your mind
870>You will not forget any one of them
871>The door creaks on its hinges as you gently pull it open with your now refreshed left hoof
872>You don’t even remember placing it on the knob
873>”Twilight?”
874>Standing outside the threshold to your chamber are Orange Swirl, Blossom Delight, and Cherry Berry
875>Worry lines are drawn across their faces, as though by a thin pencil
876>BOOOOOM
877>There it is again
878>You’re less frightened by it now, but nevertheless you cringe backwards and your muscles tense up
879“Wh-what was that?”
880>”Thunder. It’s pouring out there like I’ve never seen before. You’re hoarse, Sister Twilight.”
881“I just woke up, Sister Orange Swirl. Would you three like to come in?”
882>Orange Swirl grimaces
883>”Twilight, I won’t pretend to know how you’ve spent your day or the feelings that implies, but I feel I must remind you that not even you are meant to be in your private quarters this month, while you reside in the Sun Tower for dawnguard duties. Much less us. We’ll have to decline.”
884“I expected that response.”
885>Blossom Delight pipes up from behind
886>”We were worried about you, Twilight. We thought you’d been with the Matron all day. The last time we saw you was at the close of the morning lesson. What have you been doing all day?”
887“I was with the Matron for most of this time. I only came here an hour ago for reasons I cannot explain to you right now. Worry not, sisters, I’ve been excused formally from today’s activities. Nothing undue will happen to me.”
888>”What about what’s due? We’ve been looking everywhere for you. We only just happened to pass by your quarters after dinner when Cherry suggested you might be within, and then we heard a cry echo out. We’ve been worried, sister. Please, tell us why you injure us so.”
889“Injure you? Orange Swirl, rest assured that this business has nothing to do with you three. It’s all on me. Everything is on me.”
890>”What do you mean?”
891>Cherry Berry’s voluminous blonde mane tufts out of her scarlet shroud, barely contained
892>So too, it would seem, is her concern
893“Sisters, there is nothing more I can tell you without increasing your worries. I’m fine. I am sorry that I had no way to tell you where I was all day, but now you know I was with the Matron, and there is nothing else out of place.”
894>”She’s going to ascend you, isn’t she?”
895>Ascend
896>Yes, ascend!
897>In another sense of the term, that is
898>You already feel ascended, as though you’ve tasted the Truth and become privy to all its glory
899>Your will is Her will, your promise is the promise of Vestal Celestia, chaste and pure
900>The spring Sun is the most beautiful, you’ve always conceded…
901>The blood, it tasted like iron
902>As did the depths… no, the Depths, capital “D”, the hellscape where sunlight cannot breach those black and murky waters, where Naiads roam to latch on to your hooves and your mouth and bind you and sink you so that you may never see Her beauty again
903>You are thirsty
904>Yet you appall the water
905>Thunder cracks from lightning strikes in the not-so-distance ring out in echoed fervor through these hollow halls, an indicator of a downpour
906>If you could see it, it would appear as golden stripes in a pitch-black, stormy sky, and if you looked closely enough, and squinted your eyes, they could look as though one could walk right into them
907>Like tears in the fabric of cold reality
908>You would be gone from this place
909>You would see a different kind of light, just not Hers
910>No!
911“No! I… I’m not to be ascended. I will not become a Sister Solaris. Those are the Matron’s words, and I will abide them.”
912>Your already-strained voice chokes up as you bleat out your half-truth
913>A nervous grimace spreads across your face
914>They look unconvinced
915>They are staring through your eyes into the back of your head
916>Finally, after a few moments, Cherry Berry speaks
917>”Right then, Sister Twilight. If there’s nothing else bothering you, then we won’t pressure you any further. But I hope you know that as your peers we care deeply about your state of mind.”
918>”Agreed. The light of Mater shines on all of us in trying times, and when one sister falters and faces dark times, we will not hesitate to help her up again.”
919>That was Orange Swirl
920>She fell into the crack; you watched her
921>Off the slippery back of a Naiad she tumbled into a gleaming abyss, and then she was gone
922>How can…?
923>This is real
924>What you see, and what you think, and what you feel, is Hers and yours together
925>Your senses cannot betray you when you name them in confidence and proclaim outright that you are sane
926>Still, it all felt so real
927>Even now, you continue to remember more and more details about it
928>Bits of phrases, your shifting, abstract surroundings, the form and color of the angelic figure with whom you conversed
929>Despite how desperately you wish to push it out of your mind for the time being and focus on the real world, you know you cannot take that risk
930>A pony’s memory of their dreams is fleeting and limited, and if you allow the fine elements of this vision to escape you now, you may never find them again
931>The Truth which was granted to you would be lost, and you will have failed before you even began
932>Ever so carefully, you deliberately enter a semi-meditative state, breathing deeply and softly, allowing the machinations of your mind to fill a subconscious space in your head
933>There, the words you speak to yourself to translate the emotions you felt in that dream shall be written, and through this method you will not forget the hard facts of what you witnessed
934>The essence of that beauty which caught your eye shall be lost, but this, you have already conceded, is an inevitability
935>You remain conscious, able to walk and converse, but your epiphany is safe
936>You must deliver what you witnessed to the Matron Celest at the soonest possible opportunity
937>For now, however, there is a more immediately pressing matter
938>You take small steps through the threshold to your quarters and out into the stone dormitory hall
939>To your left and right, identical oak doors stretch to the ends of the hall, the entrances to other private quarters
940>You choose to walk left, and your sisters follow, their faces contorted in concern and confusion
941“Come, sisters. Let us return to the Sun Tower. We’ve lingered here too long already.”
942>Blossom’s small voice rings out in the long hall
943>”Can you at least tell us why you were screaming in there? I’ve never heard somepony cry out so feverishly!”
944>You sigh
945“I had a bad dream, that’s all. I thought I was falling, and it must have startled me awake.”
946>”You were asleep in there? At this hour?”
947“Yes, Blossom, I was asleep! I have had a very long day, and I thought I might find comfort in the confines of my own quarters for just a moment, just ONE MOMENT! By the sun and the stars, do you have any more pertinent questions you’d like to ask me?!”
948>That was much too loud
949>You regret lashing out at her instantly
950>But before you can apologize, Orange Swirl launches at you
951>”You think we haven’t had a long day too, Sister Twilight? We’ve been performing all the sacred duties that we are expected to perform in the proper sequence, with the proper reverence and sentiment, and we’ve been performing them without you, all while worrying about your safety and your whereabouts. Celestia above, have you any idea how selfishly you’re behaving right now?”
952>You don’t know how to answer that question
953>For moments after, you barely register its meaning
954>All your mind can concentrate on is the spiraling motion conjured by swimming beasts, tempting you to join them in their murky waters
955>You think about your tumble, following that other pony into the abyss
956>Which one was it?
957>It had to be one of your sisters; they say nopony you’ve never met can appear in a dream
958>But, and you must remind yourself yet again, this was no ordinary dream
959>Swirling into a glistening pit, a beautiful temptation, falling away from Mater Solis into a brighter light
960>One that was comforting and warm…
961>And wet
962>So, so wet
963>”Well? Can you not even conjure a response, Sister Twilight?”
964“Selfish.”
965>”What?”
966“You’re really calling me selfish for trying to keep what I’ve seen out of your ken?”
967>Orange Swirl snorts, raising a hoof and an eyebrow
968>”And what, pray tell, are you keeping? What have you seen that none of us could have? Where have you ever gazed that nopony else has gazed before you? You, who are bound to this convent and will never leave its walls of your own accord?”
969>Silence once more, but for the patter of rain on the granite siding outside
970>She cannot know what you know
971>Even a glimpse of that Truth, the meaning of which you could not even dream of comprehending right now, would shake her and your other sisters
972>”Sister Orange, you’re being harsh.”
973>”Cherry Berry, need I remind you how crassly Twilight spoke to you and Blossom Delight this very morning? How she scolded you for merely following the word of the Matron Onus, that new Maker tech should not be permitted in these halls?”
974>”I remember you forgiving her for it. I remember Mater witnessing that forgiveness. This isn’t necessary, what you’re doing right now.”
975>”Twilight… yes, I forgave you then. Mater forgive me, it was wrong to bring it up now. But you have to understand-“
976“I understand. I understand perfectly.”
977>It’s a lie
978>You understand nothing of what you saw
979>Your meditative breathing fails you for a single instant, and the pace of your mind’s toils is thrown out of balance
980>The epiphany moves to the forefront of your thinking, and you see clearly all the details you’d thought forgotten
981>Pieces of a great puzzle, interlocking with one another, forming a tiny morsel of what you’re meant to seek
982>You gasp as the reality of it all sets in
983>Your sisters are looking at you, looking uncertain as to whether they should approach you or move away
984>BOOOOOOOOM-CHAKKKKKK
985>You shrink from the sudden loudness that has breached the silence
986>Lightning, a spark of electricity
987>A great capacitor in an unknowable machine
988>Monsieur Foudre d’Ardennes taught you well, but he did not teach you enough
989>There is so much more to know, so much more to see and do
990>Mater Solis does not reject their technology; this you know as Truth in your heart
991>There is nothing to negotiate, no puzzle pieces to fit together
992>It is, simply, as it is
993>You turn and gallop away as quickly as you can
994>You run towards the end of the long stone hall, towards the staircase leading to the ground level
995>Down those stairs you go, dashing across the landing, taking the steps three at a time as you descend
996>You can no longer turn and look at your sisters’ faces, and you cannot imagine their expressions
997>All you can do is run away, between twin arches resting on solid pedestals
998>Through the labyrinth you’ve spent all seventeen years of your life memorizing
999>At last, you find what you’re looking for
1000>As you step through the threshold of that great wrought iron gate which opens into the central courtyard, tiny spots of wetness form on the burgundy fabric draped across your back
1001>Your muzzle and mane are drenched in water from the downpour
1002>Your ears are filled with a great buzzing sound, the sound of raindrops striking the grass and the dirt and the stone pathways of this place endlessly
1003>It could go on forever, this sound
1004>All the while, the bell tower is silent and shrouded in secret darkness
1005>Its outline is tall and grim against the blood redness of the cloudy sunset sky behind it
1006>The evening guard would be performing their duties right now if the skies were clear
1007>You’ve heard in legends that the pegasi of these lands once controlled the patterns of weather
1008>If true, it would be Blight to use magic in such an uncanny fashion
1009>You smile and close your eyes, reveling in the manner in which the torrent soaks your entire body
1010>It feels as though a great flood could sweep you away at any moment
1011>If it did, you would be washed down deep into the valley beneath the peak on which this convent and all its surroundings rest, and there you would drown in the watery clutches of Naiads
1012>The insides of your eyelids briefly turn red, then back to black
1013>A second later, thunder cracks, but you do not shrivel in fear
1014>You expected it to come this time
1015>You knew it would come as surely as Mater knows the fates of all her faithful daughters and sons
1016>As surely as Celestia knew the Truth of the Prophecy, and disappeared from the earth having stripped away all the trappings of hubris, having seen the light of her Goddess the Sun and been grateful for it
1017>As surely as you know where you must go come the first light of morning
1018>The Matron Celest will hear of all that you have seen, and she will know the path which is set out for you clearly
1019 >A valley of massive machines and enslaved trees, where the soil is fertilized by the waters of a thousand year-old flood
1020>And, as you open your eyes and turn back to return to your sisters, to comfort them and apologize, to say nothing of what you’ve seen, to retire to the Sun Tower and sleep another night, you realize there is one thing you do not know for certain
1021>Even still, you have a hunch
1022>You strongly believe that tonight’s sleep shall be utterly dreamless
1023
1024-
1025
1026“Describe the dream once more in full, to the best of your abilities. Leave nothing unsaid of what you remember.”
1027>Your pupil sits across from you once more, looking deeply into your eyes
1028>Squinting, you notice something strange in the misty purple blobs of her own eyes
1029>Where yesterday, there was much nervousness and uncertainty in them, today there seems only to be… something else
1030>Still, it may be a trick of the light
1031>After all, your eyes are so easily deceived these days
1032>You are the Matron Celest
1033>It has been five minutes since Twilight Sparkle entered your office to speak with you
1034>Five minutes she has spent rambling on and on about the unfathomable things she witnessed in her dreams
1035>Five minutes you have not spoken or moved from this seat
1036>Five minutes your mind has been fixated on a single point in the amalgam of points which make up your true Sight
1037>Yes, while Twilight has spoken excitedly, you have been elsewhere
1038>Still listening, of course, but elsewhere all the same
1039>Mater Solis whispers and insinuates within the fluctuations of the psychosphere, Her words audible only to you and your fellow Matrons
1040>She recites Her ancient poetry, calls out the names and deeds and devotions of ponies lost to history, members of the Old Tribe
1041>She perspires as She sings; Her warmth caressing your aching form
1042>You cannot ignore Mater when She blesses you with Truth, not even when the Truth she speaks is incomprehensible
1043>You become aware of how quiet it has become in your office
1044>Even the wind outside your open windows has ceased its whistling
1045>Why has Twilight not spoken yet, given her newfound confidence?
1046>No… it has only been a few seconds at most since you asked her the question
1047>Time flows differently for the old; of this you have become aware in a most regrettable sense
1048>What is brief for one with all one’s senses about them, becomes terribly drawn out for one trapped within encroaching darkness
1049“Twilight?”
1050>”Yes, Matron. Sorry. I don’t remember how it started. The first thing I recall was that I was speaking to an angel. It didn’t look like the angels in manuscripts or carved in stone; it actually looked vaguely like a pony. Or maybe I didn’t see it at all, and my mind filled in the blanks. It was above me, looking down from a balcony of sorts out in empty space. It wanted to whisper Mater’s Truth in my ear, but it said it could only ask questions.”
1051“Questions? Elaborate.”
1052>”I’m not certain of this, but I believe it thought the Truth was already inside me, and all it needed to do was goad it from me.”
1053“Did it succeed?”
1054>Twilight shifts in her chair, diverting her gaze to the paintings on the right wall
1055>”I think so. I walked up there, or maybe I just teleported up there, because the next thing I knew I was standing very close to it. There were spider legs coming out of my hooves, and they were carrying me along. The floor was covered in grease from a fire. I… I think something, or someone, burned to death there. Oh, and I was afraid of falling down. There was a deep trench below me filled with water, and there were Naiads swimming in it.”
1056“What did they look like?”
1057>”They had long tails and hundreds of hooves, like giant millipedes. And cat heads, too. Failure, Neglect, and Powerlessness. Those were their names, which I knew somehow. On the back of Powerlessness was Sister Orange Swirl, until she fell. When she did, huge cracks opened up in the floor of the trench, and swallowed her up. I felt like I could extend my leg all that distance downward and save her if I wanted to, but somehow going to the angel was more important.”
1058“What did the angel tell you? Or should I say, ask you?”
1059>”A lot of things. I can’t possibly remember all of them.”
1060“Try.”
1061>”We talked about the Prophetess, and her pilgrimage through the Badlands. I saw a bright light, and it was like I was there, if only for a moment. Sight, sound, movement. Everything the angel told me was based on helping me regain those senses. I was paralyzed in Celestia’s place, as though Mater was visiting me as I lay dying in the desert. Finally, it asked about my destiny.”
1062“And what did you tell it?”
1063>”Well, I remembered the Fable of the Mountain Pass. I suppose it stuck in my mind from yesterday’s lesson. I said, ‘I will follow in Celestia’s hoofsteps.’ But not exactly. I wanted to follow my own path more than anything then. The angel told me there is a valley fertilized by death, with machines that cut and turn. It said there are tree slaves there too. In that moment, I felt compelled to go there more than anywhere else in the world. I still do, to some extent.”
1064“And then the dream ended?”
1065>”Not exactly. What puzzled me most was how it ended, and how clearly I remember it. The angel told me to ‘stay hydrated’, and I fell into the trench. The whole time I was in the dream, my horn ached, like it was being squeezed in a vise. But then, as I descended, it felt better. When I hit the water, the Naiads surrounded me, but they didn’t touch me. They only watched. The water tasted like iron, bitter and metallic, but I think that was because I had bit my lip in my sleep. When I fell into the cracks like Sister Orange Swirl, all I could think about was that I was gone, never to return to the convent, never to see you or any of my sisters again. But I wasn’t frightened. The light at the bottom of the trench was warm, calming even. I don’t know what to make of it. I woke up screaming after that.”
1066 >Twilight mutters a litany under her breath, probably in response to that last thought
1067>You can see why she might consider singing praise of a light which surpasses that of Mater, beneath the waters of the Depths no less, to be blasphemous
1068>But as for you, you simply sigh and think
1069>When you sent Twilight away yesterday, you had certainly not expected this to happen so soon
1070>You see no reason to doubt Twilight’s judgment in this; after all, the mind of a pony is perfectly able to distinguish an ordinary dream from…
1071>You need not think it; only ask
1072>Continue the inquiry of the angel that so gleaned Truth from the overendowed Twilight Sparkle before you
1073“Child. Yesterday we spoke at length about, among other matters, our disagreement regarding the place of new Maker technology in our branch of the faith.”
1074>”We did.”
1075>You are careful not to allow your features reveal your shock at her confident attitude
1076>It is how you have always wished she would speak to you
1077“I informed you that I have been rendered incapable of changing my mind by the trappings of my time. That I was present at the last Matron Onus, over fifty years ago now, as a Sister Solaris and an attaché of the Matron Celest of this convent before me. That I was, and am, in full agreement with the decisions made there.”
1078>”You did.”
1079“Twilight, before I make any further judgments regarding this situation, you must be honest with me about one thing.”
1080>”What’s that, Matron?”
1081“Are you certain, and I mean absolutely, positively, entirely certain, with every fiber of your being in accord, that what you experienced was no mere dream?”
1082>There is no hesitation to her response
1083>”Yes. I can’t describe how I know, but I do. Beyond any reasonable doubt, it was Truth, or at least the reflection of Truth, which I witnessed. It was an epiphany, bless the sun and the stars. It was as though some force, something transient, flowed through me and reaffirmed my suspicions whenever I subconsciously questioned that. At no point did I ever even entertain the possibility that it was anything else. And when I looked on the angel, or when I heard its voice, a choir of… of voices that sounded like my own sung and echoed in my thoughts and attested to them.”
1084>You smile, catching a fleeting thought passing by your attention
1085>A memory of a time when you sat in her place, and spoke words so similar to hers
1086>The sun was more golden then, more awash with a hidden light indescribable to you or any other in that time
1087>Now, with fading sight, you could describe it all too well
1088>It was an expression of Her glory; no, THE expression
1089>It was Her shining face, and each decade it grows dimmer and dimmer
1090>Not only because of the mist in your eyes, you fear
1091>No, this phenomenon is a product of age, and the warm breath of nostalgia growing heavier and heavier upon your face as time passes
1092>You stand, clutching the desk with your front hooves as you balance yourself upon the dyed Saddle Arabian carpet beneath
1093>Twilight follows suit, but you shake your head and wave down in disapproval
1094“No, child. Sit.”
1095>You walk around the mahogany desk and gesture to the carpet, which extends beneath the desk to the other side
1096>The legs of Twilight’s chair rest upon it
1097“Have I ever told you the story of this carpet?”
1098>Twilight’s features are clearer at this distance
1099>She shakes her head in confusion, looking down at the gorgeous red tapestry of tessellated shapes
1100“I thought not. When I was a Sister Solaris of about thirty-five, and a trusted acolyte of my Matron Celest, I always considered this carpet in particular to be extraordinarily beautiful, and inquired about it once. The Matron told me that it was a gift to the convent by a Saddle Arabian ambassadorial party who visited during their time in Mons Canteria for an audience with the Senatori. They came here because in that time, our faith was… well, let us say, more privileged in the eyes of the state. But, moreso than that, they admired our devotion to Mater, a Goddess of whom they had never heard an inkling in their homeland. This was in the reign of the Shahanshah Zad-el-Rakib, a name you’ve no doubt heard in your studies of foreign history. A good ruler in that faraway land; not the first, not the last, but most certainly a product of his era. It was his grandson of the same name who, fifteen years later, lost his title and his lands and the unity of his people to the turmoil that enveloped the world.”
1101>Twilight’s confusion seems only to grow
1102>You expected this
1103“Ah, but I reminisce on inconsequential historic parallels. My point is this: in that time, there was peace and prosperity between countries. Order abound among our lands, the lands to our east and west, north and south, and all that lie beyond. Of course, it had taken many centuries of war to produce that peace, but eventually it came to pass that an era of stability was finally in the realm of possibility. Child, I’ve intentionally kept you ignorant of certain truths about our times, especially when you were a filly. You had never known the outside as your sisters have in their own ways, and now things are worse than they have ever been.”
1104>Patterns intersect in zigzagging motions, while rhomboids cut edge to edge about the fringes, painted white dots at their centers
1105>All manner of greens and blues and blacks are mixed within in perfect proportion
1106“You have surely heard of conflicts in the west, but of any sister here, only I know the truth of the matter in a sufficient sense, for only I have the means of consistent communication with those close to those horrors.”
1107>Your student glances at the bronze inlaid telephone on your desk, then back at you
1108“Suffice to say that war unparalleled by history rages on the western border of this country. Disease and plague conquer the deserts to our south. Barbarians and nomads breed forth from eastern settlements and from across the Shining Sea. The Temple of the Eyes in Crystallatia and all of our northern clergyfolk have been assailed and persecuted at length by forces beyond our reckoning. The Blight of magic is shifting, transforming, like the waves of a terrible ocean. A prophetic darkness may soon be upon us.”
1109>”You’ve dreamed of it? An epiphany of Truth?”
1110“No, dear. It is only a sensation whose origin eludes me. But I fear, if your epiphany rings true, it is wholly within your rights, your will, and your obligation to go to that place of which you’ve spoken.”
1111>”Mount Fillai.”
1112“Do you even know in which direction you must travel in order to arrive in the valley beneath Fillai?”
1113>”No, Matron. I do not.”
1114“Your ignorance is my fault. What use was navigation for you, when I was certain I would be grooming you in these halls until you had no reason to leave them at all? What use was knowledge of current events, for the same reason? Modern history is filled with cruelties and subversions the likes of which you cannot find in any of your dusty old textbooks, Twilight Sparkle. I should know. I spent my early years reading them the same as you.”
1115>”But that’s changed now, Matron. You know my devotion to you and to Mater Solis is the reason for my existence. I know it in my heart if you do not. My epiphany was a reflection of her glory. She told me to venture out into the unknown and find… something. I don’t know what. Find the Truth, I suppose. If yours is the Syncresis I cannot perceive until I fill your role, or, Celestia forgive, go beyond it, then only you could know if I am correct in that assessment! You must know how it’s changed!”
1116>You choose your next words carefully, stressing every syllable as your Matron Celest once did when she found herself without the guidance of her most trusted Mother
1117“Change is a constant of nature. What is built cannot be measured on the grandest of scales; only the act of building, the act of destroying, the act of rebuilding in that place. Though the Prophecy of the Prophetess’ exact words are lost to us, I can only suppose that its words entailed something like that. Celestia saw how the world would change without her, and she departed knowing that it would ultimately prosper for it. Though these are dark times, you are correct. The light shall soon come again, surely as Mater rises in the east and is witnessed by the dawnguard of our faith.”
1118>Twilight perks up, and nearly leaps from her chair
1119>You allow yourself to smile, though there is sadness in your soul
1120>”Does that mean…?”
1121“You shall complete your duties as a sister of the dawnguard for this month. You shall rise for the seventh strike of the bell, you shall offer your prayers to Her, you shall prepare the morning broth, and you shall perform all of your other daily duties. You shall remain on this path for ten days. Then, at the close of this month, and upon the fulfillment of your duty, you shall follow your own path. You have my blessing, Sister Twilight Sparkle.”
1122>Even with your ebbed vision, you immediately detect a broad smile spreading across your prodigy’s face
1123>Then, as quickly as it appeared, the smile fills your field of view
1124>Forelegs wrap about your withers, and Twilight pulls you in for a deep, but gentle, hug
1125“Sister Twilight Sparkle, this is…”
1126>Wetness on your cheek
1127>You do not know if it is yours or hers
1128“Oh, my daughter. My unmarked. My golden nostalgia.”
1129>The wind in the window picks up, fluttering through the shimmering fabrics on the sill
1130>Your mind retreats to the empty space besides the feelings of tenderness overtaking all that you know
1131>Within the psychosphere, Mater Solis’s shining voice divulges but a single word, a Truth, an epiphany, over and over again
1132Her.
1133Her.
1134Her.
1135>Breath on your coat, and a distant voice which is all too close
1136>”Me.”
1137
1138-