Sitting near the altar of Vinesburg Church, Rarity prayed to Celestia while bathed in sunlight thanks to mirrors allowing the congregation to always feel as if they basked in the midday sun.
The marble pews contained quite a number of the faithful, all in prayer ranging from silent to whispered supplications. The altar Rarity prayed before was awash with holy magic. A glowing golden orb floated above an outstretched alicorn of marble surrounded in simplistic, stylized figures.
O Celestia, Blessed Sun, I ask for your light to show us the way back to Harmony. Grant me your generosity, so that I may be without envy. Show me your kindness so that I may reflect it upon others. Bless me with your laughter so that I never fall into despair. Honor me with your truth so that my honesty is never tarnished. With your gifts, my loyalty is yours forever more.
Opening her eyes and climbing off the prayer cushion, Rarity prostrated herself once more before the altar before moving for the exit, letting her hoofsteps on marble be the only sign of her departure to the other supplicants.
An acolyte dressed in golden robes bowed his head in silence and opened the heavy oak door to allow Rarity to leave.
Down past an atrium kept vacant so street sounds did not disturb prayer, Rarity frowned at the emptiness all the same. Stepping outside into the town square, she saw her companion Color Sargent Lock Stock resting against the hedges that lined the church. His nose was buried in a small black book with a lecherous grin plastered over his flushed face. Paying it no mind, Rarity’s move to speak with him halted upon seeing a wagon being pulled through.
It didn’t take her long to see the odd bit of furniture sticking out of the cloth covering, along with both stallion and mare pulling it with three children riding on top.
“That makes the second one today,” Lock Stock announced with his book clapping shut. He gave the expected respectful nod to her before standing up to join Rarity. “The farmers’ll be next. Word has it the war’ll kick off long before planting time anyway.”
“The drums of war are sounding sergeant,” Rarity replied as her eyes drifted over shops that had long since closed down. Barely any outside of the ones directly servicing the farms and garrison remained open. “But only foals start a war when the first wild snow is but weeks away.”
“I hope so, I’ve always hated the cold.” Lock Stock remarked with a derisive chuckle. “The music hall is still open at least. Lyra’s playing for the army in a few hours.”
Brushing a bit of dust off her white cloak, Rarity looked towards the hall’s general direction. “I should be meeting with Mayor Mare about evacuation plans for the civilians one more time, but perhaps you’re right.”
Taking the lead, Rarity walked the now familiar streets. Even with so much tension in the air, Rarity heard calming birdsong drifting upon the wind. “Have you spoken with Fluttershy today?”
He shook his head and grumbled negatively. “Not since breakfast. Said she wanted to renew her patrol birds and practice ‘boldness’, and wouldn’t be able to make the concert.”
“More's the pity, she could use some time around crowds if she wants to educate a whole order one day.” They passed an intersection that had a relatively new set of gates leading down empty streets. Not even rats could be seen scurrying about. It was a sight that brought a sad expression to Rarity. Not so much that war was on the horizon, but that the citizenry felt the army couldn’t keep the Lunarians at bay. Let them come. Celestia’s light will carry the day.
“So, Inquisitor…” Lock Stock started with surprising nervousness. Rarity eyed him with a curiously raised eyebrow. “So you know how you sometimes talk in Trojan to sound fancy?”
Her face burned a little with indignation, but she resisted the urge to huff at him. “It is a Lady Inquisitor’s duty to be dignified, not ‘fancy’.”
“Right, right, yeah, that’s’ what I meant.” He waved a hoof to mollify her.
“What? Did some harlot in your book say some mangled line you need translated?” She finally gave up and huffed away, turning her nose up. “Book of Light chapter eight line seven: Love not the harlot, for they are the demise of families both now and future.”
“She might have an eye for rugged good looks, but I wouldn’t call Fluttershy a harlot.” He was caught between wanting to smirk and be defensive in his retort.
In either case, Rarity stopped dead to scrutinize him more carefully. “So your flirting with her isn’t just a case of teasing her?”
“Bah, I should feel insulted you’d even think that way about me, Inquisitor.” Lock Stock started back off to the music hall, leaving a nonplussed Rarity behind.
Current conversation aside, a small part of Rarity couldn’t help but to feel warm about at least some ponies treating her like a friend, rather than her being a monster or savior. She chased after him, holding her wide-brimmed hat down with her magic. “And I know what books you read, Color Sergeant. Or did you forget you keep labeling your books as and I quote ‘adult literature’ on my expense reports?”
“You did say honesty in service of Celestia was paramount,” he unashamedly quipped right back before adopting a pleading look once more. “But I’m being serious here. I’ve heard Fluttershy talk in that druid language of hers, and I was hoping you knew enough of it that could teach me a phrase or two.”
Lifting one sardonic eyebrow as high as it would go, Rarity waited for the other shoe to drop, but after a few seconds it never came. “She’s taught me enough to be conversational in it. But to what end? We already have a code language between us.”
He shivered a bit under such questioning, but nevertheless pressed on. “I was hoping to court her. With your permission of course.”
An approving sniff escaped Rarity as she smiled a bit. “Those little books of yours making you jealous?” she teased while wiggling her brow.
“Very,” he deadpanned with no hesitation.
That made Rarity chuckle warmly. Normally I’d rather avoid such entanglements between my retainers, but this might be exactly what Fluttershy needs. A stallion who will shower her with compliments to boost her courage. “Then you have my support. What compliment do you wish to give her?”
Getting excited, Lock Stock fished out a small notebook and pencil. “My first one is ‘pretty rose petal.”
“A simple one-” She stopped short for a moment. That might work later on, but he’s going about the beginning all wrong. Fluttershy would be too reserved for proper compliments. She needs a laugh to break that kind of ice. Formulating a plan, Rarity stopped to translate. “A pretty rose petal means ‘ομελέτα με τυρί’.”
Even though he wrote it down, or at least as close as he could to its pronunciation, he couldn’t help but feel suspicious. “Really? Ouch. Can you help me spell it like how it sounds?”
Sticking to the plan, Rarity inclined her head and magically took his pencil and paper. “But of course. Such difficulty is why it is used after all.”
Once she was finished he took a moment to sound it out a few times before moving on. “If it’s not too much trouble, what about ‘your voice is as beautiful as bird song.’ That should go well right?”
“It indeed might. You should say ‘η φωνή σου είναι τόσο όμορφη όσο το πουλί.” Rarity said it all with pride that masked her inner giggles quite well.
“Oh, that is definitely going to take some work.” Determined to write it himself this time, he convinced Rarity to repeat the line a few times while also using the sentence she wrote as a reference to do it himself.
The clock tower sounding the hour stopped his next question before it even left his lips. Rarity took it as a cue to start walking again. “Come along, Color Sergeant, or we’ll miss the premiere.”
“He was still writing out the last sentence as carefully as possible. “Right, I’ll catch up in a second.”
Making sure to walk slowly so he wouldn’t lose sight of her, Rarity tittered at the mental image of Fluttershy being wooed by such attempts. “Σπανιότητα, είσαι τόσο αστείο πόνι.”
With gratitude on his lips, Lock Stock caught up with her not too long after the music hall came into view. The hall was as alive now as it had been when Rarity first arrived, only the clientele had changed. Now instead of mostly civilians crowding the doors, it was largely soldiers and a scant few farmers. The glow lights framed Lyra’s name on the billboard hanging over the entrance of the two story building. Reveling in the moment her presence became known, Rarity strode through the crowd of ponies who made haste to clear the way. Not out of fear, that had passed months ago, but reverence. She almost felt the need to give a short speech, but dismissed it. If I keep doing that, even I will run out of words.
A commotion from inside squashed any lingering desire to make such a speech. Ponies within the lobby were moving aside for someone while a collective whine escaped through the doors. Humming in concern, Rarity instinctively prepared for a fight and with a nodding gesture, Lock Stock kept an eye on the sky and building rooftops while she eyed the crowd. A songbird perched on the music hall’s billboard sang a short high-noted song.
The pony pushing through revealed herself to be Lyra Heartstrings who was busy giving apologies to all she passed, but never lost pace on her way to the front exit. Rarity met her half way by opening the doors for her. “Darling, what’s going on?”
Lyra stiffened a bit and saluted. “A messenger arrived backstage, saying I had to go with you for something important. I - you didn’t have to meet me here, but thank you.”
With a look, Rarity silently had Lock Stock ease up a bit as she ushered the group passed the outside crowd. “I’m afraid I haven’t received any such communique.”
Still on the lookout, Lock Stock eyed that the musician was wearing her waterskins, but her staff was absent. “It’s possible we left before the courier-”
As they parted from the crowd, a winded earth stallion in an army uniform skidded to a halt across the street with a letter clenched in his mouth. Once he locked eyes with Rarity he raced over. “Inquisitor Rarity, urgent missive from Commodore Bunker!”
“Say no more, dear,” Rarity magically plucked the letter out of his mouth, careful to keep her magic from touching any drool spots. Opening it, she confirmed it bore his hoofwriting and wax sigil. The note itself was unhelpfully skimpy on details, only a polite request for her presence. “At least we can rule out a forgery. You may go with my thanks, courier, I will be right along.”
Excited at getting an inquisitor’s praise, the stallion briskly nodded. “A pleasure to help, Inquisitor. I’ll let him know you’re coming.” Bowing his head and stepping away before turning to leave, the soldier raced off as fast as his hooves could carry him.
The trio did not tarry, and followed after him with not quite so much haste. Fluttershy should have noticed the courier by now. Best to let her catch up first.
They were a few streets down before Lyra glanced around the cobblestone streets and darkened houses, searching for any sign of the druid. “Say, Inquisitor, I don’t want to give the wrong idea, but how exactly is Fluttershy going to have any hope of leading an order? She still gets skittish whenever we spar.”
Rarity eyed the skies, searching for non-pony life. “Oh yee of little faith. She still has much growing to do, but grow she will. It is one thing to acknowledge her truth about nature’s will. It is entirely different to embody it’s more assertive aspects.” There, she spotted a brown and red songbird tagging along from above. It noticed her attention and swooped down to an alleyway just up ahead. If her companions missed the bird’s descent, they certainly couldn’t miss the sound of stone and earth churning and rumbling. When they caught up to the alley in question, Fluttershy was standing there brushing some soil out of her mane.
“Sorry for keeping you, Ms Rarity.”
“No time to tarry on needless apologies, Fluttershy my dear. Come along. The Commodore does not request our presence lightly.”
Kicking off a clump of mud off her back right hoof, Fluttershy scrambled to join the rest. “Yes, sorry, I just um… Right.”
Lyra helped a bit by using her magic hands to flick off some bits of dirt out of Fluttershy’s feathers. “How do you get so dirty all the time? You live in a tenement.”
“Well…” Fluttershy’s face burned red a bit. “It’s how I get around sometimes.”
Glad to have her lieutenant by her side, Rarity couldn’t help but to pry and save her friend from turning completely red. “So, Darling. How was your training?” She stopped walking for a moment to strike a heroic pose. “Show me bold! Gravatas!” Fluttershy flushed with embarrassment and looked at the others. She didn’t get a shaky word out before Rarity jabbed a hoof at her, the unicorn’s face still full of righteous fire. “Think of me as another druid stuck in the old ways! Remember, ask, tell, make!”
Sucking in a breath, Fluttershy stood straight, focusing only on Rarity and allowing all else to fade from awareness. She spoke in a calm, yet firm voice that seemed removed from such a normally demure mare. “You can’t deny me the right to speak of nature’s truth.”
Lyra stepped in before Rarity could continue. The lime green mare flourished her nose in an upturned sniff of disdain. “Your so-called truth? Pah, clearly you’ve been hitting the vision leaf too hard. The old ways are obviously correct, now and forever.”
Flashbacks. Faces from patronizing dismissiveness to outright hostile rebuke swam in Fluttershy’s mind. Her gaze hardened. “And look where that’s gotten us. Our numbers shrink, the wilds become unruly all the while the civilized ponies show no sign of losing control over the weather. Mother Nature is abandoning us.”
Rarity warmly smiled at the firm conviction Fluttershy was showing. She waved a hoof, cutting Lyra off from saying anything. “My dear, I think you’ve developed exceptionally well.”
Blinking a bit to calm down, Fluttershy returned the smile and dragged her hoof in a circle on the ground. “Thank you, Ms Rarity.”
Seeing an opening, Lock Stock strode up to the recovering druid. “I gotta say, Fluttershy, you look amazing when you stand up for yourself. You’re just like an ομελέτα με τυρί’.”
Aside from Rarity, who currently possessed the best poker face on the planet, the mares stared at Lock Stock like he had grown a new head. Lyra continued to look at him in utter confusion while Fluttershy started laughing behind her pink mane. “Thank you.”
Lock Stock glanced at Rarity who unhelpfully remained passive, save for a barely perceivable up-turned lip.
Fearing she was stalling for too long, Rarity silently started walking forward again. I wonder how long it will take him to realize what happened. While she’d never admit this to anyone even remotely connected to the Solar Church, she found it all rather homely. There were three ponies in the world who she could call friends.
If the Equestrian and Lunarian border sat east of Vinesburg, the garrison rested on the far western side, as if the town itself served as a barrier. The walls were both tall and thick, easily as wide as a house to withstand cannon fire. Thankfully, Lyra and Lock Stock had quieted themselves down by the time they reached the gates.
Before, the guards would have opened the gates for Rarity on sight, but she had personally put a stop to that particular lapse in security, lest a spy acquire a set of inquisitor robes. Upon reaching earshot of the two soldiers behind the portcullis she called out before they could challenge her. “I am here for the Commandant.”
“Inquisitor Rarity,” called out the senior soldier on the left interior. “We were told to expect you.”
To Rarity’s satisfaction, he did not immediately order the portcullis opened, and instead waited for her. In response, she lit her horn and a globe of golden holy magic illuminated the road was painful to look at directly, as if staring into the sun itself.
The spell lasted only a moment, but it was enough for the soldiers. “Open the gates!” he called, as both he and the other soldier stepped aside so Rarity and her company could enter.
“Well done, corpsmare, vigilance is the hallmark of loyalty. Complacency is the ally of those who wallow in shadow.”
Rarity’s gaze lingered on him just long enough to see a prideful grin from him before focusing on the route ahead.
Lock Stock stepped up to be close enough to whisper to her. “Laying it on a bit thick today, aren’t you?”
She huffed playfully. “Don’t act like you didn’t praise your soldiers when they needed positive reinforcement. And besides, there’s no telling how much longer the peace will last.”
The quickest way to Bunker’s office was through the training grounds. The group turned more than a few heads as they passed the various groups of soldiers. None of the training efforts earned more than passing interest from Rarity. That is until her eye was caught by a line of rifle infantry, a cannon, and a pegasus with a black cloud. They stood opposite of rows of pony-shaped wooden posts. A single iron wedge stood in the center, protecting a lone unicorn.
Unaware of Rarity’s passing, the training officer blew a long note from a whistle. A moment later, a shimmering yellow shield appeared to protect the wooden soldiers. Rarity scowled in grim surprise when the glowing shield became unnaturally angled, more akin to a ramp rather than the dome shape shields normally took.
At the sound of a second whistle, the soldiers fired. A wall of bullets made the shield flicker and sputter. Some posts were hit and knocked over as the rounds carved holes into the shield, but it was clear many of them were spared such a fate. A third whistle was heard and the cannon fired. The metal ball seemed to roll along the shield for the briefest of moments, sparing the soldier in the front row, only for the ball to shatter the shield and careen through the remaining targets along the column. Lastly, when the spell caster had a chance to reform the shield, the pegasi kicked the cloud and lightning slammed into the shield, downing it in an instant.
By the time the exercise was over, Rarity was too distant to hear what sort of instructions were following up that display, but she had a good idea of it. Angled shielding. That technique was supposed to be a guarded secret of the Inquisition. How did he… A shiver ran down Rarity’s spine. The others noticed, but didn’t speak up. Bunker isn’t brazen enough to share a stolen secret like that. It was a gift. Does the church fear defeat that much?
No matter what crossed her mind, it only sank her mood that much further.
Commodore Bunker was not in his office, but rather his map room. Upon entering the room she had seldom visited, Rarity quickly spotted the decorated pegasus commander staring at the regional map on the table. The table was large enough to serve a feast for twenty upon. He was flanked by two subordinates who had sticks used to move representative pieces on the map. Cigar smoke clung to the ceiling like a fog. It burned Rarity’s nose, but she kept her dignity by ignoring it. “Commodore, you requested to speak with me?”
He had been so distracted speaking with his advisors that it took her speaking to realize she was there. The moment he looked up at her, he straightened up. “Inquisitor, I can’t thank you enough for answering my request in such a timely manner. Please, I fear time is of the essence,” he said while gesturing to the map with a stick.
Holding onto her own question for the moment, Rarity, Lyra, and Lock Stock rounded the table to join him while Fluttershy took to the air to avoid crowding. The regional map had Vinesburg in the center with the western part of the map tinted green to mark Equestrian territory, while Lunaria’s land was red. The border was lined with figurines identifying light scouting companies on both sides while Vinesburg and some old roads had concentrations of soldiers on both sides. Vinesburg wasn’t even the largest mass of soldiers. That honor went to the Great Plains, Equestria’s agricultural breadbasket before the great schism. There, seven armies stood poised.
Rarity had to take a moment to wrap that around her head. It was so very easy to lose sight of the scale of such armies when they were reduced to a single piece of wood on a map. It sent a shiver down her spine just thinking about it. How many more pieces of wood must break before Lunaria finally capitulates?
The distraction lasted but a moment before Rarity at last brought her attention to the end of Bunker’s stickpoint. It was an expansive swamp, one that divided the Great Plains and the series of mesas and rivers of Rainbow Falls to the south. It was a ruddy brown and green splotch that was ugly even without seeing the real thing. Neither nation held dominion over it, real or imagined, as the green and red highlights were absent from the swamp. It was, however, more notable to Rarity that no scout figurines were present even on the border of the swamp.
“The Mirage?” She asked, glancing at him curiously. “What about it?”
“So you know of it?” Bunker asked back.
“Not as much as my Second does,” Rarity turned her eyes up, causing everyone to look at Fluttershy who was close to shaking out of her skin at such scrutiny.
“I um - well, it’s ever so dangerous to visit.” Fluttershy landed so she wouldn’t shake herself out of the air. “A mist so thick that it never fully fades hangs over it all. But the bog gets its name from the illusions ponies see in the mists. Lost loved ones, friends, treasure, even your enemies might show up and you’d never think it was strange unless somepony else returns you to your senses.”
Humming in genuine surprise and amazement, Bunker took a closer look at the pegasus he had largely overlooked. “You speak as if you have first-hoof experience with the place.”
Fluttershy laughed nervously, looking to Rarity for salvation.
I’ve taken great pains to make it seem Fluttershy is just a nature enthusiast. Not even Bunker should start suspecting she’s an actual druid. Stepping up to barely impose herself between Fluttershy and the others, Rarity interjected as if she didn’t hear the observation. “She’s a very good woodsmare, yes.”
In an effort to further take attention away from the druid, Lock Stock spoke up as well. “Lovely place this all sounds. I hope you’re not actually leading up to requesting us to actually go there.”
“Then I must disappoint you.” Bunker moved his stick to point at the Lunarian side of the swamp. “Pegasus patrols reported a small collection of black smoke trails in this area. They judged the smoke was coming from a good ways inside the swamp itself. Now, if I were a betting pony, I’d say a fire would have quite the issue staying lit within that sort of morass.”
Curious concern swept over Rarity and her companions. She studied the map and the location of the red wooden pony figure that one of Bunker’s aides was pushing into the approximate last known location, deep within the swamp. It was still a long way from the Equestrian side of the bog, but it was troubling all the same. “Fluttershy, you said the Mirage causes illusions. Could this be just a false alarm?”
“Maybe…” Putting her bold face forward, Fluttershy gazed over the map table. Do your reports say how far away from the Mirage the patrols saw the smoke trails? The illusions usually only show themselves if you are within… I think a mile or so from the treeline.”
Bunker turned to the aide on his right, who was already rereading the document. “Let me see here… They don’t mention illusions, but ah - here we go. They made a point of saying they stayed two miles from the outer edge. It appears the local patrols are well aware of the dangers.”
“That is both gratifying and troubling to hear.” Rarity gave a thankful nod to Fluttershy before focusing on the map as well. Fluttershy smiled at the praise and pulled back. “SO we’re dealing with Lunarians after all… Unless there’s a druid order there perhaps.”
The aid to Bunker’s left had a hoof tapping his chin at the risk. “I checked the records myself, and there is one known order present. The Circle of the Crookback Bog. Of all the orders, records indicate they are the most hostile towards civilized ponies. I wouldn’t put it past them to be the source of the mists.”
The other aid was hesitant to speak up near an inquisitor. “We suspect the Lunarians have created engines light enough to be used in shallow boats. We’re also assuming these engines are suppressing the druids’ abilities enough that they can’t threaten the expedition. The only question is why go through all this effort?”
“Could just be a rich civilian or an expedition team,” Lyra put forth with an unhelpful shrug. “Who knows, maybe they think the Mirage hides riches and wants to grab it before the war starts.” She garnered a few looks, ranging from bewilderment to unamused scowls. “What? Rich ponies do stupid things too. Inquisitor, you remember Blue Rock right?”
Sighing in exasperation, Rarity furrowed her brow as a headache threatened to set in. “Oh yes, both he and his heretical harem. Must I tell you again not to remind me of that?”
“I don’t know,” Lock Stock commented lightly. “He had the groundwork for a good idea.”
Lyra smacked him with her tail and the two glowered at each other until Rarity stomped her hoof. “Let us not forget ourselves, yes?” The two cowed a bit, satisfying her.
In respect to Rarity, neither Bunker nor his aides commented on their actions. Bunker leaned heavily against the table, dark clouds of dread and tobacco hanging over his head. “Inquisitor, I’ve only heard of this news late last night, Canterlot has yet to respond, and you’re the only one I know who might have the means to traverse the Mirage. I beg of you to investigate the matter. Whatever these Lunarians are up to, we must at the very least know what it is. No pony goes to the Mirage on a whim.”
Rarity felt the weight of the world suddenly land on her shoulders. “You have a point, good sir. Still though, I fail to see what good it would do them. You can’t march an army through that, and they have to know the smoke gives them away for miles around. I don’t like being left with more questions than answers.” Why did my first foray beyond the town have to be a bog of all things?! Celestia preserve me.
“Exactly why I called you.” Bunker stood back up, and leveled a stern expression. “What say you? Can it be done?”
Frowning in thought, Rarity looked to her retainers, but her focus was Fluttershy. The pegasus was sweating nervously, but managed to give an almost imperceivable nod. If this works, I’ll have to treat her to something nice. Facing the commodore once again, Rarity declared firmly, “absolutely. I’ll pen a letter to my superiors before I go. The inquisition will get word to the queen far quicker than your channels, I’m afraid. And she will be more willing to give her approval.”
“You’ll get no arguments from me. I’ll still send my report to corroborate yours if it’ll help at all.” Bunker stepped up to Rarity and bowed deeply. “Thank you for taking this so seriously.”
Shaking her head, Rarity spoke with reverence as if Celestia herself was in the room. “There is no need for that. I live to project Celestia’s light to all.”
“And may the faith never be extinguished,” Bunker responded politely.
“What an absolutely picturesque vista this would be,” Rarity mused from her chariot as it descended from the clouds well clear of the woody morass. Ash trees poked out from a dark blue fog that swathed everything insight. Not even the midday sun could cut away at the dense clouds. “Were it not for the reputation.”
Coming in from the Great Plains, the Mirage was an imposing sight against the flat grasslands they came from. Rarity’s lead chariot pilot came down a mile from the swamp’s edge and landed in front of a long abandoned fishing house. The brick structure was little more than stone foundation and an old chimney now, but it offered the closest point of dry earth and would serve as a good enough landmark.
Aside From Rarity and her entourage, the pegasi had brought three extra chariots for supplies. Except for Fluttershy who scouted ahead, it took everyone the better part of the afternoon before the camp was set up. Towards the end of their efforts, Rarity was resting in her tent waiting for word from the shy druid. A box of fine chocolates sat open next to a glass of red wine. She was reading The Art of the Dress. Each page made her horn ache to hold a needle and thread once more. To create beauty and art, to see ponies smile and gasp with awe at her creations. A morose sigh escaped her as she looked around her tent. It would be garash to the eyes of a seasoned woodsman. Far too much room with an actual mattress and loft on a second floor. The fabric walls were light purple of all things, but they served her palate well. One last gasp of civilization before plunging into a swamp of all things. She blinked at the thought and looked down at her uniform duster. “Perhaps I should go ahead and see about a change of attire.” She was sifting through her luggage when Lyra pushed through the tent flaps.
“Heyy, Inquissy, the camp’s all set up, and we’re all packed and ready. The soldiers will stick around to make sure we have an exit point.”
At least she only calls me that when it's the four of us. With a monumental sigh, Rarity popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “Good. Let the others know we’ll be leaving shortly.” Lyra didn’t turn to leave, earning a curious half-frown from Rarity. “Is there something else?”
Nervously rubbing her fetlock, Lyra found her words difficult. “Y-yeah, um, Rarity, from what Bunker and them said yesterday, I got to ask: do you think attacking this group will kick the war off?”
“It’s a wonder it hasn’t already started.” Rarity sipped her wine, relishing every bit before she’d have to leave it behind. “I do as Celestia wills. If her needs require me to kill or capture, I will act accordingly. Even if what we do starts the war, the Crown will understand.”
“Fair enough,” Lyra stated with false joviality, “but weird pitch, maybe you should present yourself as somepony other than an inquisitor to these ponies?”
Rarity couldn’t help but to laugh. “Darling, we’re not at a soirée, I would question their intelligence if they didn’t presume one of us was an inquisitor.”
Scoffing while waggling a hoof, Lyra pressed on. “We’re questioning it already for them being in the Mirage in the first place. Besides, it’d still give us more options, because otherwise they’ll panic because ‘me inquisitor, me scary’. You play the part of a rich mage out for rare reagents, and we might be able to find out why they’re there.”
“Not even a foal would buy that story, but…” Rarity rolled the idea around in her head, sipping on her wine. “There might be an opportunity to briefly stave off hostilities, I suppose.” thinking it over, it still sounded too far fetched to work. Before final refusal could leave her lips, a thought occurred to Rarity that made her look away for a moment. Lyra is the actress of the four of us. She might have an easier time convincing them. An idea started to form, and each second made Rarity feel that spark of mystique she oh so loved to partake in. “Very well, Miss Heartstrings, I’ll go along with your proposal. And seeing as how you wish to practice your acting chops, when we face the Lunarians, you can act like the one in charge of our little expedition. That will take their eyes off me so I can suss out some clues should their purpose prove unclear, or be better positioned to attack should things follow the logical conclusion.”
Lyra had been grinning ear to ear the moment she realized Rarity was going along with her plan, and hopped with ecstatic joy. “Oh this is going to be great! I can act like the quirky method actress who demands danger while Flutters is our guide, and you’re my doting devotee,”
“Don’t push it.”
“And Lock Stock is the husband I can’t stand!” Lyra continued without a hitch.
Husband, eh? “You two already quarrel like you’ve been married for decades,” Rarity quipped with a hint of a teasing smirk. That smirk only grew at the grumpy pout Lyra gave her. “You know, Inquisitors are ordained with the church.”
Lyra bristled intensely, but didn’t get a word out before Fluttershy poked her head through the tent flaps. “Um, excuse me.”
Without even looking away from Lyra, Rarity said with a raised tone, “Bold, my dear.”
Taking the hint, Fluttershy stepped inside and spoke up with more determination. “Inquisitor, I’ve made progress with getting inside the Mirage safely.”
“Better, but as I said, there is no need for titles between us in private.” Putting her wine glass down, Rarity couldn’t help but to hum in disbelief once she started thinking on Fluttershy’s words. “Darling, we’ve barely just arrived. Are you sure it’s not just the sun burning some away?”
Shaking her head with firm, but assured motions, Fluttershy made sure to keep her mane from covering her eyes. “Surer than sure. The Crookback’s hold on this section of the Mirage seems non-existent. The mists parted at my command, and I was able to get tree roots to form a walkable path.”
“Non-existent?” Lyra mused grimly. “I wonder if we have the Lunarians to thank for that.”
“We shall find out soon enough.” Rarity corked her wine and hid her box of chocolates on a high shelf. “It seems we will have to put your wedding on hold, Miss Lyra.” Rarity acted as if the wedding had been both expected and the green mare’s idea, letting Fluttershy look quizzically at the musician just long enough to make Lyra fume.
“And ponies say you’re the nice one.”
Rarity was already leaving the tent, but paused just long enough to get the last coy word. “Oh I am the nice one. Piercing Light would have declared you husband and wife on the spot.”