//------------------------------// // Layered disguises // Story: Land of Friendship and Magic // by Archmage Ansrit //------------------------------// (Canterlot) Luna quietly stepped out of her sister's chambers. Celestia... cried. The Bearers convinced her to be less harsh towards her own self - at least, when the country was concerned. How had the Bearer of Generosity worded it? "If the country expects you to kill yourself working, then maybe they don't deserve it." Luna... she found that it made a terrifying amount of sense. Her sister's generosity was being abused, much in the same way that Luna herself had been neglected. Ponies being unreasonable or demanding/needy beyond what is healthy. Oh, she understood why ponies had been afraid of the night, for it was the time some of the... nastier predators ventured beyond their usual haunts. As if that were not enough, Celestia's words made it evident that Sombra's taint had repercussions that endured for centuries. That, however, was no excuse to ignore her as if she did not exist... or to expect that she could not get hurt. "What is the pain of a princess, weighted against the pain of her people?" Celestia had tried to deflect. "The same. It makes no difference." Fluttershy had interjected; much to her own surprise, she continued. "Pain is pain, no matter where it comes from or who suffers from it. You can get hurt just like anypony, and making your pain less will only make sure that it grows worse with time, until something bad happens. You are a princess; if we cannot let a schoolfilly bottle her pain for fear of the health of her mind, why expect us to ignore yours? That you are a princess just makes it worse! Think of all the things that could happen!" Indeed. Not even a real goddess should ignore her pain like that; there were consequences. Pain existed for a reason. Pain told everypony when something was wrong, when something was damaged. Disregarding damage never ended well in engineering or magical constructs, not to mention psychology; why would it be different just because you wore jewels on your head? The Bearers returned from whence they came, save for Twilight Sparkle. And Shining Armor... it was evident what he was trying to do. He was bending orders in hopes of cornering Typhon, but he never appeared if something else didn't force him first. She could not fault him, however, and Typhon himself was probably expecting it; he most likely wanted everypony to stay on their guard in case something happened - wait, he outright said so. She left that loophole on purpose, although there were other ways to exploit it, and those had her worried. She could not dwell too much on it. Shining Armor was an intelligent and cautious stallion; he would not do anything that would have the chance of endangering his sister... and she had other things to worry about. She had a holiday to prepare for. ***** (Celestia. The next morning) Had they thought that she would be blind as to their intentions? Or was it simply because they did not want her to worry? Shining Armor had sent guards to keep the citizens safe, but before he had sent them everywhere, he had sent them for Ponyville first. It was easy to see that, either they had managed to sight Typhon or predict his movements (ha!), or he was just allowing them to think that. The first and the third options were the most likely, which also explained his other requests. Like she wouldn't find out that he wanted to find him by himself. She would not begrudge that; after all, it was his devotion, his dedication to the protection of the ponies around him what had earned him a place in the guard, and his skills his position. She gave his stealth until he stepped into town, however. Her own ambush had been the result of trial and error, but she couldn't quite tell him to be discreet without making it evident that he had failed; at best, she could just remind him of the reports, and tell him that Typhon was notoriously difficult to fool, so he wouldn't allow himself to be surrounded unless he had an escape ready. Well, pegasus guards had never been able to fly if he did not allow it, and those... rockets of his enabled him to fly, and now he could fly under his own power. And he once said that 'walls are just doors waiting to happen'. She could not fault Luna, either, and the reason she had given her was both valid and honest. If anything, Celestia thought that Luna had waited too much. Some of what she had said... well, didn't surprise her surprise her, but nonetheless made her wonder. He was obviously close to Wind Whistler, and his comment about Windstorm proved that he was well-acquainted with him; it should not have been surprising to discover that he knew Starswirl and Clover as well. She had been aware that they did not know much about him, or the true extent of his abilities, but having support among her ponies? How could someone with that much destructive ability be so subtle? ***** (Ponyville) A new pegasus stallion trotted about town. His coat was white, his mane and tail were black, and his eyes a simple blue. Well, a new pegasus stallion that was not part of the guard, that is. The guards were mostly inconspicuous, and kept simple patrol patterns; all in all, life for the small town had not been changed in the slightest. Save for when the guards got on break. Sugarcube Corner and similar places enjoyed a greater influx of bits than usual. He stopped in front of the park. It wasn't exactly where he wanted to end up, but it was actually a help. He could see it, or rather, her. A small pale purple unicorn foal with a blond mane, accompanied by her aunt (in law), an orange-maned earth pony. It would have to do. He didn't actually know where Ditzy lived, after all. ***** A grey unicorn stallion with a silver mane and green eyes calmly made his way through the marketplace. He was a good deal taller than other ponies in Ponyville, save for Big Macintosh. That was because he was actually Shining Armor in disguise. He did not know whether to be disappointed or relieved that Twilight had stayed an additional day in Canterlot, but he had no intention of risking her finding out. She'd tell Celestia, or worse, Cadence, or even worse than both... Mom. Still, he needed to find a good disguise for Nightmare Night - yes, there would be many ponies interacting, but if he found out something now and tracked who had which disguise, it would help tremendously. Now, the unicorn representing Generosity, Rarity, was a dressmaker... he should pay a visit, see her wares, and if he happened to take too long, or linger about the place, well, that was it. ***** A unicorn mare was calmly cantering through town, but from the other side. She had a light gray, almost white coat, pale cerise hair and tail, and blue eyes. She adjusted her glasses and mumbled something about a pegasus's sight before complaining about needing more energy. Pinkie Pie emerged from a rain barrel off to the side of the road. There was no reaction. "You must be Pinkie Pie." She smiled, and the pink pony went on a tirade about psychics and gypsies. "I was... made aware of you." She said, and Pinkie suddenly tensed up (stopping in mid-air), tail a-twitchin'. It wasn't the only warning the newcomer had, but she didn't have much energy to do more than attempt to shuffle as a rainbow-colored mare impacted with her and sent the both of them tumbling several meters to the side of the road. Dash bounced off, falling onto some bushes. "Ugh! Phtoo!" Dash groaned and fought against the greenery, while Pinkie gasped. "No worries, Pinks!" Dash called out. "I'm fine!" "Egocentric... madmare..." The newcomer whispered, holding her sides and trying to make herself as small as possible. "Oww..." Pinkie rushed to her aid, only that she didn't know if she should actually move her - she was whimpering, tears escaping her as her tail was firmly between her legs. "Oh no! Dashie, I think you hurt her real bad!" Pinkie hopped nervously from side to side. The mare's horn sparked for a few moments before lighting up properly, a gentle blue aura around it. She breathed deeply, eyes clenched shut. 'Gather the energy. Focus the Breath. Shut out the pain, stabilize the energy. Ow, ow ow... I should have waited the four hours.' "Wh- huh? Are- are you alright?" Dash disentangled herself and tried to get a reaction of the mare. "My... glasses?" She breathed. "Um... oopsie?" Pinkie held the bent frames and cracked lenses. "Great." She groaned, letting her head fall to the ground. 'Direct it; hold in stable shape.' "Can... can I help you?" Dash asked as Pinkie helped the mare stand. "N-no, you've done enough." She staggered away, keeping her head low and a hind leg off the ground entirely. "I- I just wanted to ask for a dress..." "Wait, don't you wanna stay for your welcome party?" Pinkie pleaded. "I think I have had enough 'welcomes' for today." She deadpanned. Rainbow would have said something, but the mare's light coat started showing the bruises; all over her flank and stifle - where Dash had hit her directly - and even her undercarriage and... somewhere uncomfortable. "I'm going to need a little help to get anywhere, though." "I'm going to go that way; please, don't follow me." And she limped away, Pinkie gingerly supporting her. Once she saw the black eye, Rainbow couldn't even try to shift the blame on her. ***** "Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?" The white pegasus approached as carefully as he could. Although he was trying being friendly, the orange-haired mare - who he knew to address as Carrot Top - looked at him oddly. "Yes?" She asked, semi-unconsciously pulling Dinky closer to her. The guards' presence had made her a little nervous, and she was simply worried about her best friend's young daughter. "I was wondering if I could talk to Ditzy Doo; I'm... an old friend." He said, smiling warmly, although that didn't prevent Carrot from narrowing her eyes. "You know my mommy?" Dinky asked, and she was so cute he felt like he was getting a cavity. "Of course! You are Little Muffin, right?" He said, making her giggle. "My name is not Muffin!" She laughed. "Really, the way she talks about you, I thought you were called Little Muffin." He chuckled, but that didn't make Carrot warm up at all. "Is there something I can help you, mister...?" Carrot left the question hang in the air. "Please, nothing so formal... I am but a Windborne Kenner looking to ask a favor from a friend, although I would like to catch up as well." He said, as politely as he could. "If it would help convince you, I know the seven names she's been called." "Prove it." She challenged him. Dinky, too, narrowed her eyes at him, but that made her look like she had eaten a particularly sour lemon. He contained his desire to laugh, however. Barely. "Well, most simply know her as Ditzy Doo or Derpy Hooves, and either as a great diver and swimmer, or simply the best poor-weather flier in the entire postal service." He started with the obvious ones. "Then there are the fancy ones known in Canterlot, Ditzianna and Derpamina, either a great stunt flier or a rather elusive member of the Wind Family that can see through the wind itself." This made Carrot raise an eyebrow. He could be telling the truth after all... but that was not enough. He leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially. "That guild she likes so much took to call her 'Wandering Eye'. One side of her family wanted to call her 'Bright Eyes' and the other 'Whisper Wind'." Carrot Top's eyes nearly fell off of their sockets, and Dinky simply whooped and jumped on to hug him. "Oh my, that's..." The first four could be known through simple legwork, but the last ones only by being close to her family and her. Only Ditzy's parents ever called her the last two. "I know. See, things are going to get stormy, and we would all benefit from every extra pair of eyes looking out in case of trouble." "Well, we were about to pick up Dinky's costume for Nightmare Night; we can talk some more along the way." ***** (Carousel Boutique) The little bell sang its sweet tones. "Welcome to Carousel bou- goodness! What ever happened to you, dear?!" Rarity screamed in surprise at seeing the bruised mare being helped by Pinkie. "Became an object lesson on why it is unhealthy to become a landing pad for crazy hyperactive pegasi when your magic is nearly depleted." She replied, letting herself fall inelegantly on the nearest seat, which happened to be Rarity's fainting couch. "Rainbow Dash." Rarity sighed. "That jet-set lifestyle of hers is going to kill her one of these days." She said, making Pinkie and Rarity wince. "Living your life to the fullest is nice and all, but if you're dragging somepony else down with you, maybe it's time to cut back on the crazy." "Oh! I have an idea!" Pinkie chipped in. "I'm gonna bring you something to cheer you right up!" Pinkie dashed out of the boutique, moments before Carrot and her entourage entered themselves, followed closely by the disguised Shining Arm- Silver Shine. "Goodness! What happened to you?" "Rainbow Dash. I just wanted to commission a dress..." "A... a commission?" Rarity stuttered and twitched. "So close to Nightmare Night..." A couple of hairs sprung out of place. "Now, now, calm down." The pegasus stallion, WK, trotted over to her and placed a wing reassuringly on her back. "Now, just Breathe..." He gestured with his wing, in and out in time with the breaths. "Can you feel it? Take in energy with your Breath, and when you exhale, let your tension drain away... yes, like that. Exhale all of your troubles, let them be carried away." Shining Armor walked to the side in order to keep everypony in sight. Rarity recognized the cadence of a guard's steps immediatelly; she had been hearing it all day, after all. Lunch was already over, and dinner was still a ways away, so he could have been one of the morning shift... ah, she would not bother him... "See? No need to be stressed; she did say a dress, not a costume." "Right." The bruised mare nodded. "I wanted to ask if it would be possible to make a dress based on this drawing." A paper appeared in a burst of light. In the paper there was a drawing of a tall bipedal figure with rabbit ears, a pointed red hat with a wide brim, small shoes and long leggings, and a peculiar red tunic. Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. Rarity kept her reaction minimal, her tiny gasp and her wide eyes could easily be passed off for having been impressed by the quality of the drawing - every crease of the fabric, every ring, and even a soft smile drawn with such care that it looked almost like a picture. "Wow, it's so pretty!" Dinky commented. "There was something on the paper about a thing like that." Carrot looked at it closely, remembering the news about Typhon sending the guards into a tizzy. And then promptly faced a creature with that description. The phrase 'with rabbit ears' was not one so easily forgotten. "Do you like it?" The mare smiled, producing two more. "Here, take a look at these ones!" One of them was Typhon, quite clearly. Blue all over with his long hood, Typhon was holding a blue ocarina to his lips while sitting on a cloud. The other would have made Shining jump, if he hadn't been a trained guard. The figure was a human, like Typhon. He wore a feathered hat and a blue cape, and had a sabre in a scabbard hanging from his hip. He was sitting on the crook left by the curled form of a dragon, reading a book, while a slimy creature looked at him. "Hmm... I know what I will dress like for this Nightmare Night." WK said, eyeing the picture of Typhon. "Excuse me, miss, who are you?" 'Silver Shine' asked. "I am but a Windswept Questant, out on a mission to spread peace and love." She waved a hoof, holding it to her heart. "Of course, it would be easier if I didn't look like I was just in a brawl, but what can I do about it?" "Oh you poor dear; don't worry, I will have your dress ready before Nightmare Night." Rarity said, feeling rather invigorated. "Don't worry on my end; I have my sources." WK said. Shining, having spotted a potential lead and an excellent chance, decided to push it. "It seems like this one, with the dragon... looks quite good. Any chance I could get something like this?" WK and WQ simply smiled... although WQ much more when Pinkie came back with a milkshake. ***** (Typhon, a cave in the Everfree Forest, few hours into the future.) I gave a quick stroke to the enormous scroll with my brush. It was not just any brush - it was a sword with a brush at the hilt. 'Lightning Brush' danced and left behind black lines both thick and thin... the wind didn't blow, and only did once I gave the signal that I was done. "Hey. Hey Typhon? I could use some help..." Oh? Interesting... Well, my scaly friend was still deep in her nap, and she utterly hated it when someone woke her up. She was grumpy enough when she was a little dragon, now that she was huge? No, I shouldn't wake her up, even if it was to surprise her so pleasantly. I didn't worry about her slumber. True, sleep was the second worst enemy of the long-lived besides insanity, but she knew better than to sleep life away. She would not go into centuries-long naps, but she was quite capable of sleeping for an entire day after a binge. If the amount of gem dust in the air was any indication, she still had a few hours to digest... why was I bothering to keep track of the time? I was able to come back to the moment I left! Anything more was too risky, though... Well, I had doubles at the ready, and the ponies I contacted were already in motion. Shining Armor was cute when he thought he was being secretive... I should see what Auric was up to. I had only a tiny bit of Void left, though. Oh, sure, I got a message saying that Bliu was getting chewed out for not waiting what etiquette suggested - and got turned into a woman on their end as punishment - and they would give me time to rest as a result. Buuuuut I was not going to let myself be exposed to the dwellers of the interdimensional void if i could help it. Just because I was both a Prospitian and a Dersite at the same time that didn't mean that I liked to listen to them. He said he needed help, plus there were other things I'd like to do, so sleeping wasn't really an option. Ugh, fine. I took the small vial with the blue-almost-indigo... liquid(?), took a tiny sip. Made an awkward dance in place from the taste. Then took a healthy swig from the two Essences I had in abundance (besides Breath). Time and Space. If anyone knew what it was like to become a self-contained Reality Marble, that was me. Seiryu had 'Room', which helped immensely. For the return point, there was Starswirl's lab, with its secret beacon array. I simply tugged on the coin, using it as an anchor while its original acted as a reinforcement to the conduit, and made myself light enough to get carried away.