Through the Looking Glass
Chapter 20: Fort Hooves
The sun rise was like the others over the town of Fort Hooves as Marshal Hurricane started his usually rounds with the deputies to see if there been any trouble and for him it been countless years since there was one part from the every so often drunk pony whom had too much Strong Cider. He stood on the wall over the train track seeing the sign of a train coming in.
“It seem to be another mail or delivery as normal. Better…” he pauses to see Chestnut at the train station once again. “What on tarnation is that mare doing? This is the second day in a row…” he flies down and lands on the platform. “Morning to ya Chestnut what bring you to the station again? This is the eighth time I seen ya here in the last two days, every time a train pulls up”
Chestnut turn to him “Oh morning Marshal I just been waiting for a friend of mine to come… well cousin”
He blinked “Say what now? Your Cousin in being Applejack!?”
“Yep that the one and only Cousin I could really depend on and should be bring some of her friends too” Chestnut replied calmly seeing the startled reaction from Marshal Hurricane “Not going to be a problem right?”
“Missy you just made my day, it been well a bit slow of lates and having new ponies in town might spring a bit of life back into this here fort town” Hurricane Marshal was delighted by this. “So your not sure what train they be on?”
She walking back and forwards a little with him watching her “Well I am not sure since they coming all the way from Ponyville”
Hurricane tap his snout a little with his hoof “Ponyville… that the place which the Princess had been visiting a lot lately right?” she nods “Well I gather your cousin has experience in getting things ready for the arrival of Princess Celestia”
Chestnut saw that look in his eye “I knew you’d figure it out, there nothing that get past you”
He opened his wings “Being the Marshal is what I do best and with my strong wing power I keep those storms at bay”
“Show off” Chestnut giggled and saw him blush and giggled more. “So still up for dinner tonight?”
Marshal Hurricane eyes widen “Y-yes ma’am it sure is, not been on a date before no-sir-rea” he replied in a little of a stutter. “There is a train coming she maybe on board this one”
“Hope so” she turns to see the train coming under the gate arch and slowing right down as it stops at the platform.
The door opens and before her eyes was Applejack “Chestnut!”
“Applejack!” both hugged each other with happiness “It so good to see you cousin” she let go of the hug and step back “I really glad you could make it!”
Applejack smirked “Nothing to it cousin, we are family after all and brought my friends with me too” she turns to the other five coming out of the door of the carriage.
“Hi I am Twilight Sparkle” Twilight spoke
“I am Rarity” Rarity bow her head a little.
“I am Rainbow Dash the…”
“Fastest flyer in Equestria correct?” Rainbow Dash saw who it was with a gasp “Name Marshal Hurricane the strongest flyer of Equestria and the one that keeps the law so no funny business”
“Wow it really you!” Rainbow Dash said with glee “I heard you can move southern storms without even trying!”
Chestnut laughed “Yep that would be my cutie wotie Hurricane”
“Cutie wotie?” Applejack turn to her “Ya two are dating?”
“Too right partner” and Hurricane was shifting his bandanna a little feeling rather uncomfortable about them talking about it.
Fluttershy spoke “I am Fluttershy and I can get some of the birds to sing for the opening of Princess Celestia’s arrival”
“I see you will get along with Carespark” Chestnut smiled “he the one that keeps the crows from eating the wheat and the one that arranged the agreement we kept with the dragons of the east” Chestnut spoke with a soft smile. “Just don’t be too shocked with his hyper talking. He tend to be a bit of a blabber mouth at times”
“Oh I will be patient” she smiled softly.
Pinkie Pie gave her name “I am Pinkamena Diane Pie party preparer! But everyone call me Pinkie Pie, I want to throw a big arrival party for the Princess, all the cool games and really fun music so every pony can have a great time and…” Applejack put her hoof on Pinkie Pie’s mouth.
“Sorry she can get carried away” Applejack laughed a little “Calm down ok Pinkie?”
Pinkie Pie nods and she let go and spoke “Okie dokie Loki” she beamed.
Marshal Hurricane laughed “And I thought we had the only very talkative pony to deal with” he laughed a little. “Well partners my name is Marshal Hurricane and I am the one that keep the law here in these parts. Chestnut here keep things going at the Wheat Fields. Welcome to Fort Hooves”
“Thank you Marshal Hurricane” Twilight spoke “We will get this sorted out for you before Princess Celestia arrives”
Marshal Hurricane turn to Chestnut “Please take them on a tour of the town, I got my rounds to complete and can’t fall behind” He flies off before anyone could speak.
“Ah I wanted to know more about how he moves those huge storms from the ocean” Rainbow Dash sighed.
Chestnut turn to her “Don’t worry about it, he hard to miss with being the only pegasi… well till now” she turn to Fluttershy as well then to Twilight “So that what a Unicorn pony look like, wow”
Twilight blinked “You never seen a Unicorn before?” she shook her head “Wow you really must be cut off from the rest of the country”
“Nah I read about your kind but never seen one, Marshal Hurricane was the first born Pegasi in Fort Hooves which was a surprise to his folks” they walked off the platform into the town to see it as if it was built in a star shape with round walls around it. “Welcome to Fort Hooves”
“My this style of the town is really unique, I never seen a town placed in a star shape before” Rarity notice the style of the set up and the spaces between used as parks.
Chestnut shrugs a little “It been like this as far back I remember when I was a filly. Hurricane and I been close friends from back then and I helped him to fly since recently we moved beyond friends”
“ah can see Sugarcube, who would of thought ya fall in love with something other than a Earth Pony” Applejack said with a smirk
Chestnut spoke one word “JJ”
Applejack slap her hoof on her head “Golly ya got me there” they laughed as they went on to the town hall which sat in the middle of town with many ponies doing their usually business but some stopping to look at the group for a moment with some whispering and or talking about Twilight and Rarity mostly.
A pure white pony mane and all came out with a black suit on with a scale on his rear legs. “This is the mayor of Fort Hooves, Mayor Justi”
“Howdy to you all, I been hearing from Chestnut here about you be able to help us out on this pickle we in. We never had to prepare for something as big as this…” he felt a little concerned. “So can you all help us?”
Applejack smiled seeing her friends nod to her “Yep we can Mayor Justi. With a hip hop and a jump we will get this place ready for her arrival tomorrow”
“Seriously!? One day… well now this is a surprise, you all we get the full support from the town and kid” he turns to Rainbow Dash “We won’t be needing any clouds removed, they move on by on their own it always how it worked in these parts we never had a weather pony to control our weather part from Marshal Hurricane making sure the worst weather never hits our farming lands. This land is mostly flat and with the mountains to the south of us between the ocean and our town I rather not have to deal with weather chaos…”
“You kind of taking it hard on her don’t you think?” Chestnut spoke to the Major.
“I know but I rather say it all now and avoid a innocent. We ponies of these lands never needed much help from magic or weather support we let the seasons come and go as they pleased” he said strongly back to her. “As for your magic” he turns to the other two Twilight and Rarity “Don’t show boat it around these parts the locals are not use to it here”
“Thank you for the warning I guess…” Twilight replied feeling a bit uneasy “We be needing to use it to get things done quickly. Will that be fine?”
He sighs seeing Chestnut’s look “Fine fine… just use it for getting things set up, I rather not have a compliant list as long as this town by tomorrow…” he trots off back into the townhall muttering to himself.
“Well I never…” Rarity grumbled “I never met such a rude brute in all my life part from that prince back at Canterlot…”
Chestnut sighs “Sorry about that, he just stuck to the ways that everything works around here, we never really had need for weather control and magic to be truthfully”
Rainbow Dash turn to her “How did he know I was a weather pony though?”
“He has a what you call a sixth sense on things like that, he been mayor of these parts from over twenty years now. He was a young stallion when he last saw the Princess” Chestnut explained to them the best she could describe it.
“Why then does he allow Hurricane to do weather pony jobs?” Rainbow Dash felt a little insulted.
Chestnut try to put it into words best she could “Cause Justi is his uncle”
“Wow never would of guessed… do you know anything about his family history to say how Hurricane was born as a Pegasi and not Earth Pony?” Twilight asked a tough question.
She sighs “Sorry I can’t tell you, I promised Marshal Hurricane that I wouldn’t tell any pony. Please understand”
“Don’t worry your little hooves sister we won’t bug you over a promise” Pinkie Pie hugged her then turn to the others “Right girls?” they all spoke in agreement. “Now where is the party going to be?”
“Oh over there” she points a hoof to a new building looking different to many others. “It was recently built to be a new store house but when we go word that the Princess was coming we quickly reconverted it house the main party. The room within should be large enough for every pony in Fort Hooves to get in and still have plenty of room for dances, games and all that stuff parties have” Chestnut showed them to the building pushing open the doors they took a good look inside and saw what she meant.
“Wow wee this is massive.” She turns and look to Chestnut “ah gather after the party this is going to be the new wheat storage warehouse?”
“Sure is cousin” Chestnut spoke then turn to Fluttershy “I will take Fluttershy to meet Carespark and let you all get planning for tomorrow”
“Will do partner” and with that Fluttershy and Chestnut leaves the warehouse to go find Carespark.
Rarity turn to them “I thought they would have been a little more formal with new arrivals but the look we got was dare right disgraceful, no wonder this place is on the bottom of the visit list” Rarity was rather upset by this.
Twilight gave a sigh “I know but we got a job to do for Applejack’s cousin, distrust or not we promised to help Applejack”
“Too righty!” Pinkie Pie spoke from above and they look up to see her on a beam holding some colour ribbons already getting to work. Everyone laughed and set up to do their part and ask for help as well. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof felt curious over Marshal Hurricane but then she saw something gold and took a peek to see no other then Gold Dust and Gold Horn at a stall talking to the owner.
“Girls I am going out to see what else in town we could use” Rainbow Dash quickly left and hid not to far from the stall to hear them talking and give Bits to the stall owner, taking the items they trotted off to the saloon not too far “What are they up to?” she whispered seeing that they didn’t have any armour on either which was odd to see and not also see Gold Wing since they was all brothers.
She swiftly moves by the stall and stopped by a window looking through it she saw them sitting at a table, walking in as some pony leaves she quickly get in without many turning heads and sat at another table with her backs to them as they talked. “Gold Horn you alright bro?”
“Not really I been given some stares before but this is on a creepy level of nine” he said back drinking a little from his cup. “why did we pick this place for vacation in the first place?”
Gold Dust took a drink from his cup “Not a clue thought you suggested”
“Yeah I did but not sure why since we heard how unicorns not liked much around this area of Equestria” Gold Horn said seeing another stare at him “Please stop staring I promise that I won’t use magic of any sort”
They heard how he spoke and with a small smile from each they stopped staring and he slopped down with a smile and sigh. “Well bro look like that was cleared up, so what do you want to get?” he looked at the menu.
Gold Horn look at the menu holding it with his hooves and not using magic to hold it as since he promised not to use it “I was thinking about the daisy special, it sounds really yummy”
“I have to agree” Gold Dust lower his menu and notice a rainbow mane and tail pony in front of him with her back to them. “Oh buck…” he gulped
“What bro?” he turns and saw Rainbow Dash too. “buck…” he gulped too
Rainbow Dash turn to see them both staring at her. “So that it your on vacation after what…” they grab her quick and cup her mouth with their hooves.
“Shh please don’t do this to us, we really not mean as you think we are” Gold Dust whispered.
“We only follow our bro and Queen orders, we just want to get away from it all…” she sighs and nods and Gold Horn lets go as she joins them.
Rainbow Dash still looking at them with a glare “So what bring you boys here then? Ready to cause problems with Princess Celestia?”
“Celestia? She coming here?” Gold Dust was shocked
Gold Horn rubbing his hoof on his head “We had no idea she be coming, I just pick to place which was completely out of the way… wish Prince Typhoon was around still… I miss all those good times” he sighs at the last point with sadness in his voice.
“Prince Typhoon? Who the hoof is that?” Rainbow Dash blinked never hearing of a name like that before.
“He was the joined ruler of Isle Kingdom…” Gold Dust muttered a little “He no more then a gold statue in the ruins of that amazing kingdom”
Rainbow Dash saw their sorrow and felt a bit bad “So you been stuck with that queen and your brother cause you had no choice?” they nod with heads on the table leaning on it with sorrow still in their eyes “Wow and I thought I seen it all, you two really must be down in the dumps”
“You had no idea…” Gold Dust replied “Just please don’t tell any pony part from Pinkie Pie we here… it hard enough to get some peace in our lives”
“Alright you got a deal” she smiled then took a menu “How about those daisy specials?” they rose their heads and smiled taking their menus as well seeing this was going to bit more sociable
Fluttershy…
Fluttershy with Chestnut arrived at what look like an oddly shaped building with it looking like the wind blown it sidewards a little being at an odd angle “Is this where Carespark live? It look like the house going to fall over” she tilt her head at how it was made.
“I know sweetie… it just something that different” she knocks on the door with her hoof “Hey Carespark you in there?”
They heard a male voice “Ok ok I know I shouldn’t have chill, relax! Halt!” then a mighty crash then thump and the door opens with him standing there a dull red pony with a creamy colour short mane and tail wearing a lamp shade on his head. “Hey Chestnut… just having problems like always with my cat, he just really in one of those moods today” he said in steady voice as the ginger cat came outside and sat there clearing herself.
“Hello there I am Fluttershy” she looked at Fluttershy and the sweet voice then turn away walking back in with a look ‘Don’t give me the sweet talk’ “Wow she is really in a bad mood, what did you do?”
He sighed “Trying to give her a bath, it happens every time.” Then he grins “But it a challenge and I love a challenge, all the animals have their unique and amazing personalities and getting to know each one of them is awarding enough. I don’t keep any but I always go to the fields and forests to talk to them and see what my friends are up to” he chuckled talking about it and being very talkative “What was I doing… oh yes the bath…. Ginger! Come on girl it time for a bath” he goes back in and suddenly the crash bang and thuds was going on.
Fluttershy blinked “Wow how often does this happen?”
Chestnut laughed “Once a month and right on the month” they heard a meow and splash “Look like she lost again”
“Don’t you think she has a reason for not wanting one?” Fluttershy said as they entered to see the place was in a bit of a mess. “Cats hate water”
“Not Ginger, she just does this to tease him” Chestnut replied as they came to the bath room to see Ginger lying in the water purring away. “See what I mean?”
“Yep we always get into this little fight, she just love to play the game of cat and pony all over the house, every time I win but she just free spirited” he chuckled sitting there brushing her fur gently as she purred to the nice gentle brushing.
Fluttershy smiled seeing how happy Ginger was “I have a gift with animals myself but that why I am here, we need some good singing birds”
Carestar heard this with a ping he turn to Ginger “We know where the best singing birds around these parts right?”
“Meow!” she replied back.
“After she all cleaned we go ok?” he then tilt his head to the left then to the right “Wow sweet Celestia you’re a Pegasi like Marshal Hurricane. Sweet” he beamed with delight. “I never met one that love to take care of animals like me, this is going to be soooooooooo much fun! We going to have a lot to talk about and…” he continued talking on and on and on.
Fluttershy turn to Chestnut “I can see why you need to be patient with him” Chestnut nods and allow him to keep talking with Fluttershy both sitting there as he continued to talk and brush his cat Ginger to get her all cleaned up.
Marshal Hurricane…
After he rounds was finished he went to the warehouse to see how the progress was coming along as he opened the doors he saw Twilight checking through a check list as the other three was busy getting the ribbons, tables and everything else set up including food that some Applejack prepared for a taster.
“Wow you really got this going, but where are the other two? Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” he said looking around for them.
“Golly they just off getting some things, Fluttershy gone to talk to Carespark to get some singing birds to help out while Rainbow Dash gone off to see what we can use around town” Applejack replied and picked up a plate with her mouth “Try one” she managed to say.
He took one and ate it “Hmm this is really good, I am sure the Princess will love them” he then spoke “Strange I am sure I saw her in the Saloon about an hour ago chowing down with two of the most golden coated stallions I ever seen”
“What!?” they all said turning instantly to him
“Erm in the Saloon” he said seeing their look.
“No I mean what you do mean by gold stallions did one have a horn like mine?” Twilight asked quickly.
He thought about it “Not sure I couldn’t see clearly, they was just having a friendly chat that all, there nothing to worry about girls.”
“Nothing to worry about? They my dear Marshal at the personal guards of Goldenmare and she is rotten as anything can get” Rarity spoke in a serious tone “They kidnapped Twilight’s brother before”
He looked really serious “Then that case I will have to…”
Rainbow Dash walks in “Hey girls look what I brought” then they saw a few of the townfolk came in “I met them at the Saloon and they all want to help out, isn’t that great?” she grinned seeing she did good on the help part as each brought some supplies in.
Twilight was about the press about the two gold stallions but Pinkie Pie spoke up “Wow wee Twilight look at all the help we got! Let forget what just said and use what we have here to get things going, if there only two of them they not going to cause trouble”
Twilight sighs “Marshal it ok, don’t bother we need to get this sorted and afterwards I will have a word with Rainbow Dash” she turn to Rainbow Dash
Rainbow Dash laughed a little “Oh come on Twil you asked for help and I brought it”
“I mean the two gold problems” she replied.
“Oh that…” Rainbow Dash knew what she meant “I and Pinkie will explain afterwards ok?”
Applejack blinked “Say what now?”
Rarity looked at Pinkie Pie “You knew?”
“Yep o ruiny” she giggled.
Twilight felt like she was going to get a really bad headache “Let not think about this right now and get this sorted first” she brought up the check list and start telling each group what to do.
Working together the games was set up and so was the balloons, ribbons and the tables. Applejack with her new found helpers got all the food done in record time for them to be placed in a set of trays to keep fresh for the next day. Pinkie Pie getting the music ready for it with a sound system and no other then DJ Pron-3 was there helping to set things to get ready for a musically time.
Fluttershy also arrived with Carestar getting the singing birds ready for the welcoming of Princess Celestia even with Carestar’s over talkative ways putting a new record for some pony could talk without almost taking a breath each time.
Soon everything was set as dusk fell and the girls gathered at one of the parks with Marshal Hurricane about what Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie kept secret from them. The night was coming and stars shinning as they sat together. “Alright time to spill it girls, is two of Goldenmare’s guards really here?”
Pinkie Pie nods “Oh yes and they on vacation well not really anymore they trying to free their prince whom is a gold statue at the ruins, they being super spies for him all this time” Pinkie Pie said quickly to each of them.
“RD is this true?” Applejack turn to Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah it is, they really feel rotten at the moment. Heck they been doing this for 6000 years now, they put Princess Celestia age to shame with the lives they had and had to have to play a lie this long” Rainbow Dash said to Twilight whom gasped at the age part.
Twilight thought about it now “It did seem odd the way they acted as if Gold Wing was the brains of it all. I guess he truly loyal to Goldenmare while the other two are not… yet they all brothers… this is rather confusing” Twilight trying to figure out about the two that was in town.
“So darlings… you are saying that Gold Dust and Gold Horn the two roughins are in fact been acting it out all this time to just gather intel for this prince of theirs that is a gold statue?” Rarity trying to picture it a little.
Pinkie Pie replied to this “Yep they really frownie and sad. They didn’t realise that their chance to see Prince Typhoon again came alongside our trip and Princess Celestia’s”
“Wait Pinkie go back a second. The way you saying as if it was all planned” Twilight spoke and saw a book land and it was the one that was found at the old house “Pinkie Pie you brought this with you?”
“Yep when I saw that page and then what happened it made all perfect sense”
Twilight looked at the page and gasped “It us girls… not only that it shows the two we talking about and Princess Celestia, listen to this…”
“Upon the Fort shall bring fourth a dream and three paths shall join at the beacon of the ruins long forgotten by the magic that will draw them in. Harmony shall reveal the truth that long forgotten and bring fourth a Prince of the storms that lost his magic on the day of ultimate betrayal” she read it out to everyone a short but clearly marked part of the page.
Fluttershy saw the image of a Alicorn between all three “Isn’t that Stardust? I recognised that mane from anywhere”
Rainbow Dash took a glance “She right, but look she in the dream part of the drawing. What is that suppose to mean?”
Rarity read one part “Round the table and the legends are true, the cities and towns below the waves shall rise from the depths”
Hurricane closed his eyes as he spoke “Indeed that true, I saw those islands come out the water with my very own eyes as I created a shift in the storm’s direction.” Marshal said and opened his eyes “This is strange how events in this book seem to point to all of you miss’s coming to here Fort Hooves and the arrival of those two gold folks and the Princess”
“Question is what we do with those trouble markers” Applejack thought about using her lasso to give them what for. “We leave them be or take action?”
Twilight sighed seeing Pinkie Pie’s look and said finally “We just leave them be Applejack, something tells me this is all part of the bigger picture and by changing it might cause more harm then good”
“Heck it was worth something to be pointed out. So we got rest to get” Applejack got up “We all got a busy morning before the Princess arrives”
“She right my dear, we do need our beauty sleep” Rarity yawned a little.
Twilight smiled “Alright girls let go back to the hotel and all get a good night rest” Twilight heard each agree to it and all walking back to the hotel.
Marshal Hurricane tilt his hat a little “Northerners…” he grumbled and walk off back to his own place to get some Zs of his own.