“Sister, you really should pay more attention.” Luna sighed as she read over the records of the day court. It would seem that their navy’s current admiral had not done too good a job of eliminating those pirates that had been assaulting the coastal territories. Indeed looking over the papers indicated that he wasn’t even aware it was pirates and just thought it was a minor tussle between islanders.
Shaking her head she turned to look at her nearest guard. “Guard, could you tell me where our admiral is right now?”
“According to reports relayed to HQ he would seem to be visiting with a young mare of his acquaintance. Apparently he just got a windfall from a musician offering to play for his date tomorrow night.” The bat winged guard relayed.
“Octavia by any chance?”
“Yes. She shall be playing for the couple tomorrow.”
“Oh my, they are moving fast.” Luna wasn’t talking about the couple of course and the guard knew it. “Still, I look forward to seeing how they’ll pull this one off.”
“The pirates are rather fond of goring those they wish to make an example out of. Rather unusual but then again what can you expect when they seem to be made up primarily of boars.”
“I see. Why fix what isn’t broken or break with tradition when nature gave you a perfectly serviceable weapon.”
“But it still it’s a bit barbaric isn’t it?”
Luna chuckled at her guard’s question. “Murder usually is. Still, consider this, if you were born a diamond dog and bore both fang and claw would a spear through your enemies quell those of the future or ripping them apart with the tools primal nature gifted you with?”
The guard caught onto Luna’s point quickly when he considered the effect of intimidation. Indeed his entire race was a result of Equestria’s own intimidation tactics; well Luna’s to be precise, millennia ago.
The Lunar Monarch simply sat back to watch what would happen. Surely those thousand years unopposed didn’t leave Celestia so soft she wouldn’t notice what was happening. If it did though, well that was another matter.
As the sun began to shine upon the world anew Celestia yawned and looked out over her country. They had progressed well over the years but she had noticed that there was some stagnation starting to set in. The last big thing was the technology from the movie theaters and it was going on twenty years since that was developed. Perhaps she should start to give serious consideration to those proposals of technological trade with some of the foreign powers out there. Then again the last time her side of the bargain, magical information, had resulted in a mad king corrupted by delving too deeply into himself.
Today she would be looking into what might be keeping her admiral from doing his job properly. Then again something else would come up as always and she would not get any of her actual intended tasks done for the day. A shame Twilight had not decided to stay in Canterlot. So much more work could have been done with her there to help.
After having taken a sip of coffee Celestia decided to read the newspaper for the day. Surely nothing could be wrong with the alicorn of the sun having a normal morning or so she thought. She noticed the article about a visit from a hippogriff noble from the Griffon Kingdom was going to be visiting to see an opera he had funded that had just opened up in Manehatten. She smiled glad to see that at least some cultural exchange was possible for her ponies if nothing else. Now if only she could get them to warm up to zebras. They had such a knack for natural remedies and could show some of the current crop of doctors how to do things easier.
Naturally this is when she was interrupted by a high pitched little voice outside her door. It would seem her day was going to go south much faster than usual if that was who it sounded like. After a moment her door was pushed open and in stepped the source of the voice.
A rather plump looking yet strong, judging by the three guards hanging off of her, pastel green unicorn mare stepped in. Her red hair somewhat eye catching given her coat color always drew the eyes to her face rather than toward her cutie mark for some reason. The fact that it was always covered might also be part of why one would ignore it Celestia supposed.
“How can I help you, Fuss?” Celestia asked calmly of the new arrival.
“You can help me by calling off your dogs and listening to me. I have word of something you will need to know.” Fuss Budget, full time conspiracy theorist and part time royal treasurer, answered her princess.
“Let her go fellows. She is…. harmless.”
The guards let Fuss go and stood up to leave the room after a nod from Celestia. “Okay, they are gone. What has you in a tizzy this time?”
“It’s those Lunar Court throwbacks. They are plotting something, Princess. I can feel it in my bones.”
Celestia was very tempted to give into her impulse to act violently, mainly by applying her face to the nearest wall or desk repeatedly until she was unconscious but held herself in check. What good was immortality if you didn’t learn a little impulse control after all? She knew this day was going to go down hill fast now.
“Fuss, two things come to mind. The same two things I tell you every time this comes up. One, the Lunar Court is not your concern. Second, their purview is pretty much all black ops and back channels to start with. Please, let this go.”
Celestia would be late to court that day by at least an hour trying to talk Fuss Budget down.
Twilight smiled as she rode into Canterlot on the train alongside Octavia, Spike, and a disguised Chrysalis. The Changeling Queen had assumed the form of a pegasus of the purple persuasion with black hair and yellow eyes bearing the cutie mark of a chrysalis. She had thought it funny as had Twilight when she had placed it there. In the cart with them were at least three unseen changeling guards and outside guarding the entrance were two of the bat ponies, or Noctourne as some named them.
“Octavia, have fun tonight. Standard procedure should do well I think.” Twilight advises.
Chrysalis and Spike were discussing strange cravings their alternative diets gave them compared to the ponies they found themselves living amongst which actually cheered Twilight up to see happening. The poor boy never really got to speak with much of anyone who wasn’t also a pony and this would probably be good for him. As the train pulled into the station they wrapped up their conversation and everyone save Octavia got off immediately. Octavia was to hang back for a suitable time before leaving the train so no one would think she had been with the princess.
The changeling, dragon, and alicorn all made their way through town with Twilight pointing out this or that to the queen. Most of the time it was in relation to what passed for technology in her country and asking her about any thing her scientists might be working on. Eventually the trio made it to what passed for slums in Canterlot. Calling them slums would be misleading since here the houses only had two stories rather that expanding out into palatial mansions but it was what the nobility regarded the location. After a bit of walking toward the center of this section of the city they arrived at the door to a rather ordinary looking house. Twilight knocked a few times and the door opened allowing them inside.
Greeted the trio was by a homely entranceway and empty rooms. Passing through them toward the back of the living room where seated a large fireplace. Twilight’s horn lit for a moment and a fire started in it causing their shadows to extend out toward the wall behind them. A moment later the three were pulled via a shadow path into another location. Once their sight cleared they were in a secured room where a table sat holding a singular object. A curved red horn sat on display waiting under a few containment spells.
“So, you think you can help us glean anything from this? We’ve already managed to recreate the previous owner’s spells by the magic paths burned into the horn but any information we can extract will be useful.” Twilight turned to Chrysalis.
“Perhaps. I can already feel some emotions wafting off of it though this will be a bit trying. Anger is so saturated within it I’m sure even you can sense that. Still, a creature’s emotions tell their story so I will see about helping with this project while we wait for Vinyl to be ready. This will take hours though.” The response Twilight got back seemed to indicate at least something might happen so she decided to begin the experiment.
Even as the project began in the town above the trio, or rather the three changelings assuming their appearance continued to tour the town on the way to a library where they set up to read over a project Twilight had told them to read over as part of the cover. The one posing as Spike was the least bored because he was allowed to fidget and cavort about more freely than his cohorts. If those little escapades happen to have relieved the library of its forgotten copy of a book concerning changelings then it was all for the better.
Ein, Changeling Scientist Extraordinaire, was in a tiff. He had barely had time to so much as sleep while directing the nimrods that passed for his assistants pack up the rail project as well as the models for the improved airships and the schematics for a thing he liked to call a computer. The queen had requested he impress whoever she was working with as it would likely net the hive not only funding but whoever this mysterious benefactor was could help them feed freely.
Personally as a scientist he felt that last idea was suspect but a chance to show off his ideas directly and not through a proxy to someone he was assured would understand it had put him in a rush to be off. The message from Lyra about finding the Queen wasn’t unexpected in light of this though the fact that she was afraid her cover was compromised was. He had it relayed back to her to remain calm for now as the one who had informed her of knowing likely was who he was to meet.
“What is taking you lot so long? I need to get to Ponyville pronto to assure our agent there and to meet this ally of ours.”
One of the younger subordinates of the lab told him that they were just finishing packing up the small scale ship and then he could be on his way. He could tell they knew he was nervous for his niece’s sake so they didn’t mind much him being more aggressive than usual.
“All done boss.” reported another changeling not ten minutes later to the relief of their supervisor.
“Thanks boys. Help me get this to the train. We might as well all go as pegasi since it’s a bit of a trek.” The grey changeling altered his appearance to a rather common white pegasus so as be completely unremarkable to anyone watching him.
Evening had set in and Oblige was on his way to pick up his date for later. As he arrived at the rather nicely appointed house he saw her orange and red streaked mane as she waited for him on the porch. Seems she was as eager as he was. Stepping up to her he greeted her with a peck on the cheek to which she blushed. “Ready for our concert Sunset my dear?”
Sunset Shimmer looked at the older unicorn and nodded. “Of course. I’m so excited you managed to book a private show with her. My daddy has been trying to get one for ages but she keeps turning him down.”
“Well money won’t exactly sway those artsy types my dear. Shall we?”
“Yes, lets.” Sunset stepped off her porch with her date for the evening.
In short order the couple returned to Oblige’s house without incident and entered into one of the large music room it contained. An old holdover of his great grandfather’s time if he recalled as the stallion was a great patron of music during that age. A servant served them some drinks and informed them that Octavia had arrived only thirty minutes before them and was tuning and getting ready for the show. Oblige dismissed the servants quickly and set back with his date.
In just a few more minutes Octavia strolled into the room and set up her cello. She looked at the couple to make sure they were paying attention before she began to play. It was a lovely tune that relaxed the two that begins to perhaps, subliminally, make them more malleable.
After about fifteen minutes, or two different songs, in Sunset turns to the admiral with a spark in her eyes. “So, my dear admiral, my daddy tells me that we’ve been having some problems bringing in a shipment. Seems it has been held up by your ships as a result of their investigations in the isles. Is there any way you could help us get it through?”
The admiral wasn’t a fool and could tell he was being played to probably help bring in some illegal contraband. Still, what harm could it do in the long run and besides it would keep the young mare by his side for awhile longer if he played along. At least that was the motivation he told himself as he stepped over to a desk kept the in the music room and pulled out a piece of his letterhead bearing stationary and quickly wrote out a writ of transport on it. He asked her about the name of the boat and was told it was called the Eclipse. Thinking nothing of it he filled out the paper and handed it to her.
Once he had the music changed to something a bit more dramatic. Sunset smiled kindly at the admiral for a moment before her grin turns cruel. “Thanks ever so much, dear admiral. You’ve been a great asset.” Her form burns away in green revealing a changeling much to the admiral’s shock. “You are perhaps the easiest mark I’ve ever had.” She begins to chuckle at his destroyed expression before her attention is called away.
“Mesmer, get out of here already. You know that paper is needed.” Octavia reprimands the changeling who pulls back in fear of her comment before nodding. The changeling descends into the floor through green fire on her way to the caverns beneath the city. Octavia never stops playing during any of this even if her usual somber expression is changed to that of wicked glee.
“I’m sure you are confused my dear admiral. Don’t worry. You won’t be for long.” With a quick tap of her bow to the cello Octavia’s tool for music changed into something that did not look unlike two ivory tusks on the end of a spear. With a quick motion she used it to end the admiral’s life before it shifted back into being a clean bow. “Really, sir, you should have stayed out of House Star’s way. You brought this on yourself really. Oh and that paper will be put to good use I can assure you.”
The admiral faded from this world hearing the gloating voice of his assassin knowing he had been betrayed and played by what he considered his greatest enemies. After a few moments Octavia schooled her features once more before playing a tune on her cello. In response some magic transported three dead boars bearing all the markings of pirates into the room along with a few Noctournes. They proceeded to stage the scene while Octavia provided cover music. Once everything was set they were all teleported out and Octavia stopped playing.
Several servants come running once they hear screams and what sounds like some fighting coming from the music room. By the time they arrive they find their master dead alongside several of what appear to be boars. Looking around they spot a somewhat smashed up Noctourne standing next to Octavia making sure she was alright. The bat winged pony turns to them and begins barking orders to secure the place in the name of Luna as there has been an assault. It would seem that a mare was abducted at the same time as the admiral was murdered by whoever had done this. He had been passing by on patrol and heard the struggle. Octavia was positively inconsolable at seeing such violence.
Elsewhere in Canterlot Twilight smiled as she read a missive that materialized next to her from the shadows. “Opening moves have started it would seem.”