What Hath Joined Together

Chapter 24

                                                                                  Voir Dire — Part I

The six left for the frozen north to see the ways of those of gem. Though the day and night requested that the mage stay with them in the forest, the mage went off to mediate between the six and those of gem, fearing the worst.

Those of gem and their council met the six before the mage arrived. They showed them their land, their mountains, their mines, their ways. A week passed before the six took council amongst themselves, using the mage as scribe there.

During the meeting, the six spoke as such:

"These ponies have a bountiful land," said the Platinum. "We should consider them to be part of our order and new nation."

Three of the six agreed with her.

"These ponies have a strange magic," said the Clover. "We should learn more of them before uniting them under Equestria."

The other three of the six agreed with her.

"But there is a problem," said the Meadowbrook. "Some of these stallions know stallions, and some of these mares know mares. How shall we unite them under our order?"

"Perhaps the order is to pass," said the Regent. "We should learn from those of gem."

But the others did not listen.

Meadowbrook... One of the other great sorcerers of Starswirl's time. Twilight Sparkle, eyelids drooping, looked up from the books to her window. The moon shone bright at its highest point in the darkened sky.

Midnight. Twilight glanced over at a mostly full plate of salad and bread. The servants came almost six hours ago...She sighed. I've been up for almost... Two days...

I really should...

Though her head hung heavy, her tired eyes itching for sleep, Twilight couldn't find it in herself to even finish that thought. No. She shook her head. No... Must... Keep... Reading...

By now, the translation was near effortless. The same words jumbled together countless times, and Twilight now knew them by heart. You may have tried to keep your secrets, Starswirl, Twilight thought with a little smirk, but you couldn't keep them forever.

Now then... A few more sentences here and this page is... Done.

The six agreed, through vote of five to one, to leave those of gem be in the frozen north. The Platinum, the Clover, the Meadowbrook, the Bright Star, and the Dawnmist started for the forest.

The Regent stayed behind.

Before returning to the forest, the mage continued to study the Wall, and the crystals within it. The mage collected samples of the crystals to study, and began a catalogue of them. The mage came across one crystal that was not for eating, heating, cooling, or construction.

The crystal was white and quartzite.

"We do not know what this crystal is for," said those of gem, "but the mage, our friend, may take it and study it."

So the mage did. The mage then returned to the forest, taking the crystal with him.

Twilight's horn glowed as she opened a saddlebag tucked beneath her desk. The algem, wrapped in her aura, levitated up to her eyes as Quartz's words echoed in her ears.

"Starswirl gave these to us, as a thanks to what we did for him." But what did the Crystal Ponies do for Starswirl? Unless Quartz meant just being a friend...