//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Fringe of the Storm 
// Story: Oathbound 
// by ChronicleStone 
//------------------------------//

Alicorn Guard Headquarters
April 24, 8:13 AM

“So I hear you had fun.”
“Please shut up.”
Sky sat at the center of a circle of his comrades, dimly attentive to the conversation going on.  Most of the chatter had revolved around Sky’s own magnificent magic display, but the conversation was apparently headed in a new direction, thanks to Nova’s latest comment.  
He stretched, wincing as he forced his sore muscles into service yet again.  His magic outburst from the mission had been impressive, but even if it had been necessary, he was certainly regretting it today.  Simply being awake was uncomfortable, and any kind of movement was like getting sat on by a buffalo.  Or an entire herd of buffalo.
He looked up just in time to see the tiniest hint of a smirk on Scope’s face.  “Don’t mind Ace,” the earth pony said to the cerulean unicorn mare.  “He’s suffering from an overdose of refined behavior.”  He paused for just a moment, and Sky was suddenly aware that he had become the focus of Scope’s gaze.  “Though I daresay that another of my teammates could have used it, too.”
“Couldn’t be helped, Scope,” Sky replied, shaking his head slowly, lightly ruffling his own mane.  “I was busy exercising my right to be awesome.”
A few scattered groans came from the group, and Scope rolled his eyes in exasperation.  “See what I mean?”
A collective laugh rose from the group, and Sky deemed it as good a place to exit the conversation as any.  He slowly rose to his hooves and walked through the group towards the library.  Normally, he would have been perfectly content to be the center of attention, but…today wasn’t normal.  Maybe his mind was still recovering.  Maybe it was just an off day.
Then a dark thought entered his mind.  Maybe it’s something else.
He remembered his most recent dream, where the mysterious pony had confronted him with the idea that they wanted to make Equestria “great again.”  The very consideration of what that pony was capable of sent a shiver down Sky’s spine.  Celestia, Zecora, and several other ponies had told him that he had become quite perceptive of things.  What if…what if he could feel and anticipate the moves of his unseen foe?
The methodical clopping of his hooves on the stone floor was briefly interrupted by an amused snort.  Nah, that’s silly.  Not even Celestia or Luna possess foresight, so why should I?  I’m betting I just need to rest a bit more.  And a little extracurricular reading should help with that.
“Blitz!” he heard a mare call from behind him.  “Hey, where are you going?”
He turned back to see Nova standing in the entrance to the main chamber.  “Oh, I’m just gonna go read a bit.  I think I’m still a bit tired from yesterday, so I was just gonna stare at some books for a little while.”
Her face changed from one of concern to a more neutral tone.  “Oh, I thought you were upset about something.  You were just a bit too…well, quiet.”
“Ha, well, even I can run out of things to say eventually,” he replied with a wink.
A smile brightened her face in response.  “You know, you three amaze me.”  Then, apparently noticing the Sky’s confused look, she continued.  “I mean, it makes sense that you and Ace get along so well—you could be related from what I can tell.”
Another peal of laughter reached his ears from the main chamber.  “Thankfully, I can assure you that we’re not,” he said, allowing his own smile to spread across his face.
Her own burst of laughter echoed through the hallway for a few moments.  “You know what I mean.  But Scope…he’s just so…”  She hesitated, searching for the right word, “…different from the two of you.”
It was Sky’s turn to smile.  “That he is.  But different doesn’t necessarily mean bad.”  His thoughts drifted to his recent conversation with the stoic pony.  “We each have different perspectives and viewpoints.  And our personalities certainly clash.  Often.”
“We’ve noticed,” Nova replied dryly.
“But we’re a team, and we make each other better, I think…somehow,” he finished, shrugging as he muttered the last word.
“Well, that’s true of all of us, Blitz.  I guess it’s just harder to understand with you three.”
“Can’t blame you there.”
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the main chamber, and a single voice rose above the din.  Sky and Nova both ran to the entrance to the chamber to investigate.  “Gather up, ponies!  Big news!”
“That’s Tread!” Nova said softly as they came to a halt next to a stalagmite formation that was topped with a glistening green crystal.  “I was wondering where he had gotten off to.”
“What’s all the fuss about?” Cubic asked from behind them, apparently having been aroused from her typical reading spot in the library.
“Dunno,” Sky remarked, “but I bet we’re about to find out.”  He led the way as the two mares followed him into the hall, where the group that had been attentively hanging on Scope’s and Ace’s every word had suddenly been diverted to the earthen-toned pony.
“What’s going on, Tread?” asked Buckle, Tread’s pale yellow team leader.
“Just a second, ma’am,” he replied in his uniquely respectful tone.  “Let’s get everyone rounded up first.”
The group quickly huddled into a mass of ponies before Tread when Ghost stepped forward and took a seat next to the earth pony.  “Now, care to tell us what this is all about?” he began, a slight irritation on the edge of his voice.  It was well-known that Ghost enjoyed a period of silent contemplation during the day, and it seemed that Tread had shown up just in time to interrupt it.
“Well,” he began, holding up a folded piece of paper before Ghost’s face, “this is for you, sir.  Straight from Solace herself.”
The unicorn lifted the paper and unfolded it before his eyes while Tread continued.  “But we’ve got major news from Passion and Bedrock.  Someone tried to steal the Crystal Heart!”
Sky blinked absently.  Passion and Bedrock: aka, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.  It had been so long since he had heard their code names used, he had nearly forgotten them.  And of all the names he had expected to hear...he hadn’t even considered them.
“What!?” several ponies shouted at once.
“When?” Cubic’s voice cut through the commotion.
“Last night sometime,” Ghost answered, still looking over his paper.  “Seems that big news of this sort travels fast.”
“Big is right,” Ace agreed, his normally cheery face set in a look of determination and focus.  “So what’s the response from the palace?  They gonna send a team or two to investigate?”
All eyes turned to Ghost, who continued to stare at his page.  His eyes flew from line to line, absorbing every word in a matter of moments.  Finally, he folded it in half again and sighed.  His eyelids closed as he appeared to calm himself.  “Seems like Solace thinks it’s too big for that.”
“Too big for the Alicorn Guard?” Hobo asked skeptically.
Ghost nodded.  “Apparently.  Solace herself is headed to the Crystal Empire to investigate.  She’s taking a retinue of her personal guards with her, and she’s leaving Mystic in charge while she’s away.”
“So…we’re not mobilizing at all?” asked a grey stallion to Sky’s right.
“Slow down, Sprocket,” Ghost chided.  “I didn’t say that.  We’re not going leaving Canterlot, but we are going to be mobilizing in response to this.”  His eyes scanned the group before him as he rose and began to pace.  “It seems that Solace is worried about something potentially happening while she’s away, so she wants us to stay put.”
Sky listened intently, hanging on every word, analyzing every statement.  That makes sense, he thought.  I’m betting she suspects that our little traitor is trying make us think that his target is something other than Canterlot.  So she’s baiting him by leaving.  She’s basically daring him to make his move while she’s away.  But if and when he does, I’ll bet that he won’t expect the Alicorn Guard to be breathing down his neck.
“What about Trucker and his team?” a colorful teal mare with a green and orange mane asked from the other side of Sprocket.  “Are we recalling them?”
“Ah, thank you for the reminder, Juggles,” Ghost said with a nod to the mare.  “Nighthawk, I’ll need you, Nova, and Blitz to send the signal tonight as soon as it’s dark.  I want the entire Guard back here as soon as possible, and that should give them time to be back before the day after tomorrow.”
The signal.  To most ponies of Equestria, it was known as the “Jewels of the Crown.”  But in reality, the “signal” was just Nova, Sky, and Nighthawk flying the circuit of the Crown of the Mountain at full speed, causing it to light up with a full rainbow of colors.  It had been the subject of widespread rumors and intrigue, but so far, the truth had been kept a secret.  There goes my night off.
And he had only been back in Canterlot a few minutes last night when he had discovered that Trucker, Razor, and Riptide had been dispatched earlier that day to deal with a report of giant spiders near the Macintosh Hills.  The threat had been real, and the possibility of a summons hadn’t surprised anypony, but Sky was still startled to find them missing when he returned with Ace and Scope that night.
“So, what is it that we’re supposed to do?” Keeper asked, rising to her hooves like she normally did when she spoke.  “If we’re not leaving, but we’re still mobilizing, then don’t we have a task to fulfill?”
“Yes, I’m getting to that, Keeper,” Ghost replied.  “This may not sound like much, but we’ve been assigned to the same duty as the rest of the Royal Guard.”
“Which is…?” Rimshot prodded.
“If you’d let me speak, I could get to it that much faster,” Ghost snapped.
He seems a bit touchy today, Sky thought.
If you knew how much he enjoyed that “meditation time” of his, maybe you’d understand his frustration, he heard Ace’s voice reply.
He says it helps him focus and stay calm and in charge, Scope added.  Seems that might have been an understatement.
“Oh.  Sorry, Ghost,” Rimshot replied softly, looking thoroughly reprimanded.
Ghost bit his lip and took a deep breath.  “No, I shouldn’t have lashed out like that.  This is just another thing to make us stress out.  Forgive my lack of control.”
“We’re good,” Rimshot said, and the return of his contagious smile confirmed it.
“Our big concern right now is surveillance.  We’re to double the watch, stay alert, and immediately report anything suspicious to Mystic.”
“That’s it?” Hobo asked.  “That’s rather…unspecific.”  He lifted his ever-present shooter and gave it a scrutinizing stare.
“Sounds like Solace isn’t sure what we’re supposed to expect,” Buckle commented.
“Or what we’re up against at all,” Scope added.
“There is no shortage of enemies of Equestria, and any of them could be the culprit here,” Ghost continued.  “That’s why it’s absolutely imperative that we report anything suspicious as soon as possible.”
A perfectly synchronized nod came from each pony in the room.  “Understood,” they replied in unison.
“With that in mind,” Ghost continued, finally looking like the calm-and-in-charge leader he was supposed to be, “I want to start with the increase in security right now.  Nighthawk,” he said to the orange pegasus directly in front of him, “you and Boulder take the throne room.”
Nighthawk turned and gestured to the hulking blue earth pony that sat beside him, and they galloped off.  Ghost turned his attention a yellow unicorn mare that sat behind Sky.  “Buckle, I want you and Keeper at the front gates.  And Blitz,” he continued, causing Sky to snap to attention out of instinct, “take Sprocket and patrol the city from above.  I don’t want a ladybug to change positions in this city without us knowing about it!”
Sky caught the eye of his new gray-bodied partner, but before he could say anything, Ghost shouted, “We’ll switch off in six hours!  Let’s get to it!”
The hall became a sudden whirlwind of motion as the Alicorn Guard burst into action.  Ponies with assignments gathered up their uniforms and prepared to head up to the city level, while those on standby prepped their equipment for the instant they were needed.
Sprocket met him halfway to the armor racks against the wall.  “Well, how was that for a good morning pep talk?” he said.
“Not quite what I expected,” Sky admitted.  He reached out and unfastened his armor from its rack.  “But it keeps us on our hooves.”
“Can’t be getting lazy, now, can we?” Sprocket said with a mischievous smirk as he threw his own armor across his back.
But Sky’s thought was devoted to a dark pony, with a red-eyed, three-headed monster at its command.  “No,” he mumbled to himself.  “Can’t have that at all.”


April 24, 8:58 AM
Above Canterlot

The city sparkled in the sunlight; a pristine example of the blessed peace of the magical realm of Equestria.  Ponies strolled through the streets, smiling and waving to each other and carrying on happily.  The sky was clear and blue, nary a cloud to be seen.  It was as perfect a day as one could wish for.
“That blue jay look suspicious to you, Blitz?”
Sky rolled his eyes as he turned to his partner.  “I’m betting Ghost would want us to detain it for questioning, just to be safe.”
“Probably.”
The pair of pegasi sat perched atop the Canterlot observatory.  Sprocket was donned in his familiar golden armor, as was Sky.  But Sky had taken the extra step to wear his magical cloak over top of his armor.  It retained its typical gray color, and Sprocket had questioned Sky’s desire to bring it along, but it was just too useful to leave behind.
“This doesn’t have quite the feel of the urgent task that Ghost made it out to be,” Sprocket said, stifling a yawn with a free hoof.
“You’re right, but I don’t think that we should have expected this to be a wild ride of an assignment,” Sky agreed.
Sprocket’s eyes scanned the view before him, taking in every motion.  “Must be quite a letdown after that trip you had yesterday,” Sprocket replied.
“Well, it’s certainly not as exciting, but I’m glad to have it,” Sky explained.  “I really let loose back there yesterday, and any kind of rest after that would be welcome.”
“I’m not so sure that any assignment should be considered ‘rest’,” Sprocket commented.
“Better than doing yesterday all over again,” Sky quipped back.
The city continued to awaken as they observed.  More and more ponies emerged from their homes, headed to their jobs, or the market, or the homes of friends and family.  It was as though the pleasant weather had put everypony in a good mood, and smiling had become not only contagious: it was automatic.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you about something,” Sky said abruptly.
Sprocket inclined his head back to where he could see his partner.  “I’m listening.”
“How do you put up with Hobo like you do?  I mean, he’s constantly infringing on your relationship with Juggles, and yet, I’ve never seen you get angry or upset with him at all.  If somepony was hitting on Lily like that, I’d have planted him in a flowerbed somewhere.”
The earthen-toned pegasus smiled as Sky finished.  “Oh, it’s a number of things.  Part of it is that I think I’m a bit more patient than you are,” he began.  He waved to a lone pegasus as she flew by.
“Can’t argue with that.”
“I suppose it gets annoying and old, but you know, I think the main reason I’m alright with it is because of two things.  Juggles always seems to enjoy the attention, for one.”
Sky raised an eyebrow skeptically.  “Like she doesn’t get enough attention from you?”
“Touché.  But she’s an entertainer at heart, which means that she likes being in the spotlight, and I think that Hobo fulfills that desire for her, to a degree.”
“And the other thing?”
“I trust her,” he replied, letting his eyelids fall while his smile softened.  “We understand each other, and I know that she’s devoted to me, like I’m devoted to her.  So Hobo can do whatever he wants.  I know that no matter what, Juggles and I will still be together at the end of the day.  And that’s more than enough for me to be able to put up with whatever Hobo can do.”
“Huh.”  Sky tapped his chin with his hoof.  “Well, if it was Lily he was hitting on, I’d be flossing his teeth with barbed wire.”
Sprocket’s eyes reopened into a disturbed look.  “That sounds like it’d be painful.”
Sky threw his head back, flicking a few free hairs from his mane out of his face.  “I’d hope so.”
Sprocket tried to stifle a laugh.  “You know, I can’t help but think that you and Lily are just a bit different than Juggles and myself.”
The remark didn’t surprise Sky one bit.  “That’s probably because we are.  I mean, you and Juggles knew each other since you were foals, and you’ve been dating for...what, a few years now?”
“Three.”
“Speaking of which…anything special on the horizon?” Sky teased.
A bright red cardinal descended onto Sprocket’s head and began to settle down.  “Uh, Sprocket?  You have a—”
“He’s fine,” he said, cutting Sky off.  “He’s not bothering anypony…including me.”
Sky’s confused look persisted, but he let the matter drop.  “Ooooo…kay.”
“But even if I had something planned,” Sprocket said, picking up where he had left off, “I doubt you’d find out about it before she would.”
“Good answer.  But I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’ve had a long time to get to know each other and let your relationship mature.  Lily and I…well, as much as I try to say otherwise, we got together pretty quick.”
“Yeah, you met her and two days later you were on your first date?  Right after saving the windigo kingdom and an Equestrian colony?  Yeah, that wasn’t rushed at all.  Nice and methodical,” Sprocket said, elbowing Sky in the ribs.
“Yeah, yeah, yuk it up,” Sky said, rolling his eyes.  “But I believe that as soon as I met Lily, I knew she was something special.  I had never noticed how...incomplete...I felt until I met her, and that was because she filled those missing parts of me.  She made me feel whole.”
“That’s the sign of a good relationship,” Sprocket nodded.  “Juggles and I are the same way.  She’s way more enthusiastic than I am, so she pushes me from my introverted-ness, and I help her see things from a calmer perspective before she gets in over her head.”  He casually shook his mane, and the cardinal spread its wings, attempting to hold its balance.  “Oh, sorry there, bud,” Sprocket apologized.
A thought suddenly came to Sky.  “Have you ever met Fluttershy?  You know, the Element of Kindness?  She’d be doing pretty much the same thing as you right now.”
“I’ve never had the privilege of meeting her in pony,” Sprocket admitted, “but I’ve heard others compare me to her before.”
“It’s a fair comparison,” Sky assured him.  “I’m wondering if you aren’t siblings, and one of you was adopted.”
The cardinal turned and regarded Sky curiously.  “Doubtful.  Though I’m honored to know that I resemble her in that way.  It’s high praise to be mentioned in the same sentence as any of the Elements,” Sprocket replied.
They continued to watch in silence for another hour or so.  The cardinal sat contentedly atop Sprocket’s head, only occasionally shifting to stay comfortable.  A familiar blue jay eventually landed nearby, eyeing Sprocket and his avian companion.  After a few moments, it seemed to decide that the good spot on the first pony was taken, so he fluttered over and landed on Sky’s shoulder.
“Can I help you?” he asked the bird, feeling as though his personal bubble was being invaded.
Sprocket turned and smiled as he saw the second bird.  “Aw, you made a friend, Blitz!”
But Sky was unamused.  “Wonderful,” he said, perfectly deadpan.
“Oh, cheer up,” Sprocket admonished.  “Birds won’t land just anywhere.  They only settle on places they trust.  Apparently, your little friend there thinks you’re a trustworthy fellow.”
Sky eyed the bird, who squawked at him, hopping back and forth on his shoulder.  “Fine, you can stay there,” he said at last.  “Just let me know if you see something strange.  I’d appreciate the extra pair of eyes.”
The bird squawked again, which Sky took as an affirmative.  Together, the four of them sat, watching the city below.  Ponies came.  Ponies went.  Back and forth and all over the city.  The bakery.  The market.  Restaurants.  Homes.  All over the city they went, busy with their lives.
And no sign of anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.
Finally, Sprocket spoke.  “I don’t like it.”
“Sorry?” Sky asked.
“I don’t like this,” he explained.  “We’ve been up here for hours, and we haven’t seen a thing.”
“So?  Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It would be, if I could shake this feeling in my head.  I just can’t help but think that Solace knows more than she’s letting on.”
Sky’s heart rate suddenly increased.  Celestia might not have known more than what she told, but she certainly suspected more.  She had shared those thoughts with Sky several times over the past few days.  Dire concerns about the enigmatic foe that had yet to reveal himself (or herself) since the Chimera’s defeat.  And if those suspicions turned out to be right…
“Solace is smart, but she’s also wise,” Sky countered.  “Even if she does know more than she’s told us, I’m sure she’s doing it because it’s in the best interests of Equestria to do so.”
“Oh, like how the Guard is kept a secret from the citizenry of Equestria for their own safety?” Sprocket answered.
It was a fair point.  Not even Twilight, Equestria’s newest princess, had been trusted with the knowledge of the Alicorn Guard’s existence.  And most attributed it to the extreme dangers that the Guard was forced to brave during its missions to defend the land and the ponies that they loved.
“We do some of the most dangerous work in Equestria, Blitz,” Sprocket continued.  “If Solace doesn’t trust us with the information regarding an enemy, then just how dangerous might it be?”
Sky could feel the sweat beginning to form on his forehead.  The blue jay rose from its sitting position on his shoulder and squawked at him again, as though it could sense his sudden anxiety.
“Plenty dangerous,” Sky said in a raspy voice.  His mouth had gone dry.
“It could be worse than that,” Sprocket continued, though his voice had begun to sound distant to Sky.  “It could be like Nightmare Moon, Discord, and the changelings all at once.  It would be like the wars of old.”
The sun seemed to darken in Sky’s vision, and a shadow crept across Canterlot.  A black mist rose from the ground, shrouding the city in darkness.  Sprocket’s voice echoed in his ears.  “Could you imagine that, Blitz?  A full-scale war?  I can’t begin to fathom what would happen if it came to that.”
Flames suddenly erupted from the buildings below, filling the air with plumes of smoke.  Buildings crumbled and the sounds of screaming rose from the ruins below.  And in the black sky above, three pairs of glowing red eyes opened up and stared down in satisfaction upon the devastation below.
Sky shook his head free of the vision.  Dream on.  I’ll stop you long before that even comes close to happening.
His vision refocused as the landscape returned to normal.  “I try not to think about it,” he answered at last.
“Can’t blame you,” Sprocket agreed.  “It’s not a pretty picture, is it?”
Not at all.
“I just hope Solace knows what she’s doing.  The secret around what we’re looking for, leaving Canterlot and placing Mystic in charge, when we all know she’s been a bit…depressed...lately, the attempted theft of the Crystal Heart…I mean, it just feels like something is going to happen.  It’s like how you can feel the tension in the air right before there’s a storm.”  He snorted and let his head fall, causing the cardinal to jump and retreat to the nape of his neck.  “Does that make sense, or am I just rambling?”
“No, I understand,” Sky said.  “And you’re right, it feels like the edge of a storm, right before it hits.  I just hope that we’re wrong.  Because if the fringe of the storm feels like this, then the storm itself must be horrible.”
“Insightful,” Sprocket commented.  “But you know, if the storm does come, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?  The Alicorn Guard?  It’s our job to handle that.”
“Yeah.”
 And we will.