Gearwork walked over to the young Midnight and kneeled right beside him. He gently put a hoof on his shoulder and said "Don't fret, my friend. I understand your pain, but think of all that you have experienced while being with us. You have been living in Hoofington for many years, even before I moved there 5 years ago. You have an apprentice who cares quite dearly for you, and you have made many friends while on this journey. Your past may be unknown to you, but that is quite alright, just remember all the good times you have had while being around us. The past can help shape who we are, but we are always changing, evolving into something else with each new experience we gain."
"I agree with Gearwork, it is quite true." Rarity said as she stood near Gearwork.
The others all nodded in agreement with what he said.
Gearwork then turned his attention to the statues and saw the armor in the center, but he also noticed the two sentries that were depicted in the mural in front of the vault, they were hidden away in the far ends of the vault cloaked in shadows. "These five statues are just that, statues. This test is supposed to look like the test in the Hoofington vault, but it is a ruse. The real threat is from those two sentries, but how do we pass that test, and what does "balance" mean." he thought to himself. He was just about to warn the others about the two hidden sentries, when Rarity started walking towards the piece of armor. "Rarity, I would stop there if I were you." he said to her.
She kept walking towards it and turned her head and "What did you sa-" just as two beams of magic hit her and she let out a scream.
"Rarity!!" Sweetie Belle yelled worriedly and started to run towards her sister. Gearwork held her back.
"What are you doing?!" Rainbow dash yelled "Rarity needs our help!" Before Gearwork could even say anything or cast a spell she was already approaching Rarity, but Aznoth telekinetically grabbed her before she could be struck by the beams.
"What's happening to her?" Twilight asked worried.
Gearwork then finally found the words to describe the scene and he said in an almost ethereal voice "Duality."
"What?"
"Duality. You see what is happening, how there seems to be another pony forming around Rarity." Gearwork looked over at Rarity with concern, and saw the same scene that the mural depicted. There was another mare magically forming near Rarity, it looked like her but instead of a white coat, and blue mane this mare had a black coat and red mane even the cutie mark was red. It looked like Rarity, but was a photo-negative of her. It completely formed and it touched the ground and sneeringly looked at Gearwork and the others.
"Oh, my head. What happened?" Rarity asked. She then saw the new pony that looked almost like her. "Who are you?" she asked.
The negative looked at Rarity with a smile that even gave Gearwork the chills. She then replied with a sinister version of Rarity's voice "Why, I'm you. (Sinister laughter) How could you not tell you unsophisticated foal."
"Unsophisticated? Unsophisticated!? How dare you call me unsophisticated! I'm one of the most sophisticated ponies in town."
"My point exactly, that town is barely coherent let alone sophisticated. Look at the Apple family, talk about simple."
"What did she just say about my family?!" Applejack asked angrily "I'd like to show her how wrong she is."
The negative made herself look scared and then returned to normal and said mockingly "What are you going to do, Applejack, lasso me? Throw apples at me? I'd like to know."
"That's enough!" Rarity interjected. "Applejack may not be one of the classiest ponies, or well-mannered, and she can be quite rude at times. Yet she is my friend and I would appreciate that you would not talk about her like that."
"Thanks, Rarity. I mighty appreciate you sticking up for me like that, I think." Applejack said. She then turned to Gearwork and asked "Could you explain what the hay is going on with Rarity and that dark copy of hers?"
Gearwork thought about the mural and the word "Balance" and figured it out. "I think I know how to explain what that other Rarity is." He told the others "That copy is the negative version of Rarity, both in appearance and attitude."
"Beg pardon?"
"Everyone has a darker side, one that is not normally seen by others, yet everypony has one. Those sentries somehow cast a spell that can physically create that darker half. I believe that only one who is mentally balanced with their darker half can actually get past those sentries without splitting. I believe I might be able to." Gearwork's eyes changed to a dark green and a sly smirk appeared on his face as he started walking towards the armor. He looked at the others and said in his normal voice but also with a deeper voice "Don't worry, we'll be fine." He was then struck with the magical beams and he froze in place for a split second before slowly starting to move towards the armor. He felt his darker half trying to break free but he knew that it wouldn't. "Remember our agreement darker self." He thought to himself as he walked forward. He soon made it to the altar with the armor and the spell around him faded. He reached for the armor and his Element glowed and a field of magic developed around him.
There was bright flash and Gearwork found himself in another place. This place looked very similar to the throne room of Canterlot Castle but was quite a bit larger. There were murals on the wall depicting battles and major events. The figures in the murals were mostly unicorns, but there were a few earth ponies all of them armored. He then saw three unicorns, two stallions and one mare each with a solemn expression on their face standing in front of the same council that he first encountered in the Hoofington vault. The two of the unicorns looked familiar, but the third one took him by surprise, it was Midnight, but he and the unicorn mare were in shackles. One of the unicorns looked a lot like Gearwork himself, but instead of shackles he was enveloped in a field of magic. "Oh. That's not a good sign." Gearwork said out loud, but nopony heard him.
He then heard the head of the council start speaking. "Midnight-Gaze. Where have you placed the scroll that grants immortality?"
Midnight responded with a firm voice "I have destroyed it. Nopony should ever have created a spell like that. It was created out of greed and lust for power, and the fear of death. It was a spell that has tremendous consequences and would do more harm than good."
The head of the council's eyes narrowed and he scowled. "You destroyed it!" he then stomped his hoof down in anger and the floor around him cracked from it. He then turned his attention onto the other two unicorns. "Metalmind and Silverhoof. Why have sided with this traitor, and where have you hidden the sets of armor that you created?"
Metalmind looked at the head of the council and then the other members and slowly shook his head and spoke with a voice that seemed very metallic and seemed to be everywhere at once. "Silverhoof and I have sided with Midnight because he is still noble and wants to help the other tribes, unlike this council who have become corrupted with power and seek to make themselves immortal and rule over the other tribes and withhold knowledge to even their own kin. The council was created to help the other tribes and be the guardians of ancient and powerful spells and artifacts. You have come a long way from being that to what you are now you are as bad as Dark-Eclipse and that rebel daughter of your head member's Dusk-Shadow. As for the armor I have scattered their pieces all across Equestria in vaults that are protected by the very spells and artifacts that you had once watched over. I have also made the vaults out of the same metal as the armor so they can withstand the power of your shouts. You will never be able to retrieve those sets of armor. They will be safe from your corruption and others who wish to misuse their power."
The council looked stunned and quite upset at Metalmind's accusation, but the head of the council looked like he was about kill Metalmind. He roared and slammed his hoof into the floor several times and it caused the entire floor to shake. He then composed himself and then declared "Midnight, Metalmind, and Silverhoof. You have been declared traitors and your punishment is to be encased in stone for all eternity."
Silverhoof's horn flashed and a beholder appeared. It cast a spell and the magic surrounding Metalmind disappeared, as soon as it did his horn glowed and the shackles on Midnight and Silverhoof opened. They started running for the exit, Silverhoof shouted at the beholder "Aznoth, get us out of here!" Just as it was about to teleport the three and itself Midnight was struck by a shout that the head of the council generated. Midnight looked horrified as he started to turn to stone, and then he disappeared with Metalmind and Silverhoof.
Gearwork then found himself in a vault but not one he had been to. He then saw Metalmind, Silverhoof, Midnight and Aznoth appear. Silverhoof then said "Aznoth, get me that chrono-stone." Aznoth made a spell and the stone that looked similar to the unrefined elements, the one that Gearwork received when he talked to his mother, appeared and Silverhoof took it and started to focus her magic into it. The stone casing that was appearing on Midnight which was halfway across his torso slowed its progress. Silverhoof was putting all her magic into the gem but the stone casing was still growing on Midnight. "I'm sorry, Midnight, I can't reverse the process" Silverhoof said through clenched teeth.
Midnight sighed and looked at Metalmind and Silverhoof, and said "It's alright, I understand. I accept what is happening to me. I only wish that I really was able to destroy that immortality spell."
Metalmind looked confused and asked "You said you destroyed it, but what really happened to it?" his face then changed to concern. "You didn't use it on yourself, did you?"
The stone casing was now creeping to Midnight's upper chest and he replied "No, I did not use it on myself, I want that spell destroyed. I couldn't find it, Dusk-Shadow hid it before we defeated her and Dark-Eclipse."
Metalmind looked at Silverhoof, who was almost unconscious from exerting her magic on the chronostone, to slow the process of the stone encasing Midnight. He turned and looked back at Midnight and said "Don't worry my dear friend, Silverhoof, Aznoth and I will try to find a way to free you from that stone. I also suspect that this is probably the last time that you will see of Silverhoof and I, but we will ensure that Aznoth will watch over you and will help free you once we have found a way."
Midnight looked at his friends and Aznoth and said "Thank you, I will always appreciate what you have done for me." After he said that he was completely encased in stone.
Metalmind and Silverhoof bowed their heads for a few moments before turning to Aznoth and Metalmind said "Please watch over him, even after he is free from this stone prison. We suspect that he might not be able to remember after he awakens. Being turned to stone is quite traumatic and it can damage one's memory. Also we might not be able to find a spell to free him, but we will be looking, and we want you to continue searching after we are gone." Aznoth made a gesture that said that he would.
There was another flash and Gearwork found himself back in the vault with the others, and was holding a piece of armor and a scroll. He saw that Rarity was still facing off against her negative version. Gearwork walked back to the group and looked at Twilight. "You must know a spell that can return everything to normal, am I right?"
Spike then remembered "Your fail-safe spell, remember Twilight. You tried to cast it right after Discord escaped from his stone imprisonment."
"That's right! I forgot about that spell. Let's hope this works." Twilight replied and her horn started to glow.
The negative version of Rarity saw Twilight casting that spell and shrieked "Nooooo!" and started to charge at Twilight, but Applejack already had her rope out and lassoed the negative Rarity before she could reach Twilight.
Twilight cast the spell and the negative Rarity started to fade, and the original Rarity walked back over to the group and said "Many thanks, Twilight. Now let?s get out of here."
"Agreed, we have what we came here for and I have some interesting information on Midnight?s and my ancestor?s past I'd like to share, but once we?re back in town." Gearwork said. He then turned to Zecora and asked "I'd like you to join us as well, we will probably need your help in the near future."
Zecora replied "That would a delight, to share my insight."
Gearwork picked up Midnight and placed him on his back and retrieved his spider-like invention in the tunnel and he and the others started to head back towards town.
Once they entered the town they stopped at a restaurant to grab something to eat as well as discuss what happened in the vault. Gearwork told them what he saw after he grabbed the armor. He explained how Midnight knew his ancestors and the reason why Midnight became encased in stone. He looked at Midnight who was in shock over finding out how and why he was encased in stone so long ago. He put a hoof on Midnight's shoulder and said "You said it before that the council in the later years started to become a grasp for power and how they created spells that would only do more harm than good. You and my ancestors were remnants of a nobler era. It also makes sense how when we were in the Hoofington vault and when we encountered the council the head of it looked quite angry at my statement that I was Metalmind's descendant and when he saw you."
Twilight then said "Well, that explains how Midnight was turned to stone, but you didn't explain how you were able to get past those sentries without splitting and what did you mean when you spoke with two voices and said and I quote "We'll be fine." What was that"
Gearwork slyly smiled and his eyes changed to dark green and started speak with two voices his normal and the deeper voice "Why it's quite simple, Twilight Sparkle, we are an example of somepony who has achieved balance." His eyes then returned to their normal shade of metallic grey.
Twilight and the others looked at him with concerned and slightly horrified looks. Only Midnight and Zecora remained unfazed by Gearwork?s statement. Twilight who was a little shaken by how Gearwork spoke said "You're insane."
Gearwork chuckled and then spoke with his normal voice "Yes and no. I am somewhat insane but I also have a handle on what I say or do. Years ago, I started to feel myself start to split into two separate selves. One was my normal personality, but the other was my darker self, the insane version of myself. I tried to fight it and was slowly losing. Just as my normal self was about to collapse from exhaustion it decided to face the darker half and made a deal with it. It allowed the insane version to have some free reign but only when it is appropriate. You have seen it take control of me on a few occasions, such as the training incident."
Twilight shuddered when she remembered how Gearwork acted after he was struck by the electric bolt from the malfunctioning power station, how he roared and viciously destroyed it afterwards. "I'm glad that you have been able to control that side of yourself." She said in a grateful tone.
Sorry about not posting anything last week, I had to do some cleaning around the house.
