//------------------------------// // Ponyville Rendezvous // Story: Zecora // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor wistfully gazes upon an untainted moon from his cabin window as the overnight train to Ponyville slides gracefully through the night. Observing the moon and the changing of its phases now unmarked (Princess Celestia called it "unmarred", doubtless because it was punchier in terms of effect) by the exiled Princess Luna had greatly fascinated the night shift workers in particular, and Shining himself knew that this fascination made it easier for Luna herself to believe those who said her night truly was, and had always been, appreciated. His gazing is interrupted by the sliding of the door into his cabin. Surprised to hear the noise, he turns around... and chuckles in relief when he recognizes Lieutenant Stratocumulus, a blush barely detectable in the low light, had opened the door. Shining Armor and Stratocumulus had been chosen together by Celestia to be the emissaries to Zecora - it was Shining's first trip to Ponyville, and besides the exciting prospect of new sights and sounds there was also the hope that he would be able to see his little sister again for the first time in many weeks - the ache of his heart he normally kept submerged beneath his military manner had partly come to the surface, but he was not inclined to tell this to a subordinate that probably could've guessed it anyways. "Can't sleep Lieutenant?" Shining Armor asks the pegasus. "No sir, afraid I can't. Too used to the night shift." Stratocumulus replies with as frank as honesty as he can muster. "Don't blame ya. I'm really too anxious myself." Shining comments as Stratocumulus moves beside him to join in the moon gazing. There is a moment's pause as both stallions share in the appreciation of the moon's beauty, and then Stratocumulus breaks the silence with a mumbled question about Ponyville that Shining doesn't quite pick up. "Sorry, repeat that Lieutenant?" Shining asks as he turns his attention to the pegasus beside him. "Have you ever been there, sir?" Stratocumulus repeats asking, this time speaking more slowly and loudly in order to be sure the question was heard. "Me? No, never been there before. Despite how close it is to Canterlot, it's kind of a backwater. Earth pony town and its traditions, you understand. Most of its value is in its location, you see." Shining replies honestly. "Like the Everfree Forest and the Apple clan farms around it?" Stratocumulus ventures a guess. "I see you did your homework." Shining replies approvingly. "Basically, yes. Still, its where all the Element Bearers minus my sister ended up, and that's why she's there now, learning about friendship." "You miss your sister, sir?" Stratocumulus asks again. "What brother wouldn't miss a little sister like her?" Shining replies with a chuckle. "I'm not going to deny, Lieutenant, some days it's harder than others. But I understand why we are apart. Princess Celestia has us apart for very good reasons, and I trust that she knows what she's doing. All I can do is play my part in helping Luna, and trust that Celestia has the best in mind for all of us." "I guess that's all we can do, sir. There's no good alternative, after all." Stratocumulus replies with a shrug. "You can say that again, Lieutenant." Shining says with a shy smile before turning his attention back to the moon in the sky. Stratocumulus joins him shortly afterward, and the night hours pass quietly on the train to Ponyville... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN PONYVILLE, THE FOLLOWING MORNING... "Twily? Spike? Twi-ly? You in here, little sis?" Shining Armor asks as he sticks his head through a window of the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville, eyes darting around looking for any sign of his sister or her dragon assistant. "Sir, there are ponies staring at us." Lieutenant Stratocumulus replies uneasily, looking around at the couple curious citizens of Ponyville wondering what in Equestria a Royal Guard in full armor was doing poking his head into the library. "I'm aware of that Lieutenant!" Shining snaps back, resisting the urge to turn his head around due to the small dimensions of the window risking damage from his horn swinging into the framing around it. "I will also remind you, sir, that we will be late for the rendezvous with Lieutenant Crispin if we don't continue moving..." Stratocumulus continues on, still looking around between the onlookers. "Fine, fine, Lieutenant." Shining Armor grumbles out in reply, carefully working his head back out to avoid damaging anything with the swinging horn. His grumpy mood is quickly directed toward the onlookers, who after one glare decide it is time to move on and find something else to curiously stare at. "Feel better, sir?" Stratocumulus tentatively offers. "No Lieutenant, I don't." Shining bluntly replies, causing the pegasus with him to not consider making any other suggestions. Reluctantly, Shining Armor assumes his march step into the town and Stratocumulus falls in line behind him. Both stallions, in full armor, assume their presence in town would be very noticeable, and that soon Shining would have his reunion with his little sister anyways. For right now, though, he needed to rendezvous with Lieutenant Crispin in the town square and pick up the third member of the party that would visit Zecora... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And indeed in the town square, wearing their fulldress uniforms instead of the Guard armor (which was not available to them at the time), was waiting Lieutenant Crispin as well as his designated candidate to fill the third spot in the party to Zecora. Crispin had chosen him both because of him being an earth pony (necessary as a representative of all three main races was needed for any actions the party took to be officially approved) and as part of the Apple clan was a distant relative. As Shining Armor and Stratocumulus approached, Lieutenant Crispin and his designated choice saluted. The two armored stallions stopped facing their counterparts and Shining Armor ordered the two saluters to be at ease. Meanwhile, a few ponies were watching the scene from behind some barrels placed at the edge of the square - unknown to the Royal Guard members, Agents of Chaos P1 and P2 were spying on them, gathering as much information as they could before setting up their strike. "I'm honored to finally be working together with you on an assignment, sir." Lieutenant Crispin says to Shining Armor, the admiration clear in his tone of voice. "Save your praise for your relative. We both have relatives we are proud of, and it's important to remember, Lieutenant, they are the real heroes of Equestria. We are just extending and consolidating their work." Shining Armor gently corrects. "Of course, sir." Crispin gamely replies - he wasn't about to argue the fact his distant relation Applejack as well as Shining Armor's younger sister were both worthy of great honor as heroes and Element Bearers. "Very well, then, to business. You've selected an earth pony from your command to fill the third member of the party, as per standard protocol for the swearing-in of new Equestrian citizens?" Shining Armor asks. "Indeed I have, sir. This is Guard Upper Class Meadow Song beside me here." Crispin answers, pointing to his companion. Meadow Song in turn nods in affirmation to the other two Royal Guard stallions. "Pleasure to be working with you sir." Meadow Song adds quickly. "If I recall correctly, Guard, you are also a member of the Apple clan, and have a standing assignment guarding Princess Luna when she is about in the afternoons?" Shining Armor asks Meadow Song. "That is correct, sir. I was on the afternoon shift with you before you were promoted to Lieutenant Captain, but never directly under your command until now." Meadow Song replies affirmatively. "I see, very interesting. Lieutenant, do you have the materials to perform the swearing-in ceremony?" Shining Armor turns to ask Lieutenant Crispin again. "Of course, sir, we'll go through the checklist and brief everypony on their particular duties..." Crispin replies, beginning to pull objects out of the saddlebag he was wearing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The spying Agents P1 and P2 take this as a cue to beat it while remaining relatively undetected, while the assembled Royal Guards are distracted. They had enough information to plan their next strike. "Oh goodie, we get to humiliate the shining one!" P2 squees out, the 'shining one' being the Agents of Chaos term for Shining Armor. "Don't get too excited, we still need a plan. Thankfully, we still have the rest of the day to get something done, and I already have an outline of one." P1 calmly counterpoints. "Yeah, but all day? Won't that be enough time for the Element Bearers and those guards to join forces?" P2 comments. "Nah, those guards are still on the night shift schedule, they'll be sleeping through the heat of the day. Besides, the Friendship Bearer and her dragon companion are on a wild goose chase for poison joke groves on Sweet Apple Acres - none of the Element Bearers will ever know until its too late because of that note I put up on the library door!" P1 proudly explains. "Yeah, they'll be out of the way until it's too late for them to do anything to help!" P2 gleefully adds, reveling in the thought of sending Equestria's recent heroes fruitlessly around in circles until the realization of the trickery came through to them. With the Element Bearers temporarily distracted, Agents of Chaos P1 and P2 could focus on dealing with Celestia's emissaries. And just like with the distraction, the attack plan would deal with the dangerous blue plants called "poison joke"...