"Must you shove your face against his, Pinkie?"
"Heh heh heh... sorry, Rarity." She happily apologised with a smile. She took the whole incident earlier rather well, Rarity didn't unfortunately. While Pinkie didn't seem that sincere about her apology and more embarassed, Rarity knew Pinkie was like that. She'll generally come off as optimistic in the worst of situations and cheer up others around her. "You gotta admit, that senator was reeeaaaaal stubborn and wasn't happy to see us when he opened his door."
"You think he has something to hide?"
"He looked more cranky than hiding something."
"Maybe because we barged in the courtroom and are a threat to his plans, perhaps?" Rarity suggested, trying to piece together what they know. Senator Rhubarb wants to strengthen the military,
"Well, now we can't talk to the Senator. Hopefully the other girls are faring better." Rarity said with hope. They were walking back to the Royal Court, ashamed to have failed to properly meet with the Senator. Earlier, once they were told to leave the Senator's quarters, they had to take a different route as a narrow road they were taking earlier was being used by a column of marching Frontiermares.
Instead, they decided to take a route through a part of the city that was damaged in the Changelng attack. The signs at the entrance said the part of the city was under reconstruction, but so far, no construction workers were found. The atmosphere was eerie and uncomfortable. Charred wood and broken glass were some of the many things that felt haunting of the place.
Rarity led the way and constantly looked from one side to the other, afraid of the littlest things. "Be careful Pinkie," she said as they continued the path, "The buildings around us don't look to saf-"
"Oh don't be so spooked, Rarity." Pinkie gleefully said, happily skipping behind Rarity with her eyes closed. "And if you are scared, then all you need is a good lau-" Pinkie felt Rarity's hoof in her mouth and Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks.
"Shhhh." Rarity warned quietly. They went against the side corner of a building.
"Welcome to the crew then... rookie." Somepony said around the corner.
"Thanks, guys." The exchange was between two ponies from what Rarity and Pinkie could hear, though there may be more around the corner which they can't see. "You- uh... sure no one's watching us?"
"Positive," a third one said, "all the others are on routine marches. No one's going to come through this damaged part of the city. Hmph, Changelings really did a number on this neighbourhood."
Rarity and Pinkie remained frozen behind the corner of the building. Rarity carefully peeked around the corner and saw that it was a Frontiermare, conversing with others. She looked away and wanted to get out of there as shefelt uncomfortable being in a destroyed section of the city with only a couple guards from the Frontiermares. The same guards who almost threw them into the dungeons with help from the Legionnaires. But their plans were cancelled when they heard the following statement.
"How much did he pay you, rookie?"
"500 bits, and another 800 if the operation's successful."
"He paid you that much? He paid me 800 upfront and triple if this works."
"Wait, you're getting more than me?"
"Corporal, remember? Obviously he's paying more to the ones higher up the food chain."
"Huh... whatever if I were paying soldiers for an operation like this, I'd do the same, I guess. Can you imagine if some soldier he approached didn't accept the offer."
"Ha... hopefully no one will ever miss him, rookie." The girls could hear a faint pat, probably on the rookie's back by the corporal. Who were these soldiers, the girls thought. Legionnaires? Worse, they felt something malevolent was in the works, but what?
"I have a name y'know. It's Vigil."
"Corporal Piers. And the less I know about you, the likelier I'm not going to cry over you when it happens. Sorry Vigi- rookie."
Pinkie whispered closely into Rarity's ear. "The senator must've paid these guys...the senator really is going to take over."
"...You guys really think we stand a chance?" Vigil asked.
"C'mon, rookie, when was it the last time Celestia stopped anthing dangerous to the Kingdom." Piers replied in a courageous manner.
"I was talking about Luna."
There was a silence after what Vigil meant.
"You two! Stop being idle weather vanes and help set up the artillery." A third pony ordered, probably an officer the girls assumed.
The girls then heard the soldiers' footsteps getting quieter and quieter, farther and farther away, hinting that they were leaving the area.
"We have to warn the others." Rarity proposed as it sounded safe enough. Pinkie nodded in response. Rarity didn't know what exactly is to be done about these soldiers but she and Pinkie had proof of the Senator's plans to takeover. "We should go back to the main road, the soldiers are probably gone from that street anyway. We have to stop Rhubarb."