//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Two : Final Preparations // Story: CoH (Book One) : Of Magic and Masquerades // by Diespitris //------------------------------// Powerful rear hooves struck the wall of the empty barracks as Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration. Sure, she had been freed, but there was little satisfaction in it, even as the impact of her kick toppled both the weapon and armor racks. No, she was let out of the cells, but there was no freedom to be found here. Grunting, she kicked the wall again for good measure and, oh, how she wished it were Trixie instead. Hay, she would've settled for the “Captain of the Guard.” Flash Sentry, she recalled—the pegasus stallion who had the most infuriating look on his face as he delivered Rainbow the news of her release. “The Queen is allowing you to attend her coronation,” he said, pulling the bars open with a wing. “Until then, you're on palace patrol.” She grumbled an insincere, “Hooray for me.” He was in her face the moment she exited the cell. “Her Royal Highness gave me very specific orders regarding your behavior,” he snapped. “Her loyal subjects will be keeping an eye on you. If you attempt to leave the palace, you'll end up back in this cell. If you aid her other prisoners against her, you'll end up back in this cell in shackles. If you so much as look at her funny during the ball, you'll be swiftly relieved of your wings.” The desire to remain uncaged overthrew her urge to break his nose. So, she said nothing, and accepted (with much loathing) her unwanted role. Sulking, she strolled through the palace hallways, her armored hooves clicking with her every step. With a little luck, she would find a private enough place to sleep for the rest of the day. Nopony would notice, as long as they kept wasting their time with Trixie's stupid party. Rainbow was, sure as Tartarus, not going. “Stupid Trixie,” she grumbled. “You can say that again...” The pegasus's wings automatically flared as she spun to look at who spoke. For once, she was greeted by the pleasant sight of a familiar face. “Hey, Applejack.” Her friend gave her a tired smile. “Hey, Rainbow. Glad to see you're out and about.” “Yeah, 'thanks' to 'Queen' Trixie.” Applejack snorted. “No kiddin'.” Then, she leaned against the wall with a sigh. Rainbow Dash approached her with caution. “Hey, are... are you okay, A.J.?” she whispered. “You don't look too good.” She didn't care about the glare it earned her. It was the truth. The bags beneath Applejack's dulled eyes rivaled those of her elderly grandmother. Her hat was wrinkled and dirty, and her normally brilliant orange coat reeked of the sweat and kitchen filth that stained it. Yet, the farmer chuckled. “I won't lie,” she whispered, “it's been a long, long time since I've felt so plum-tuckered out like this.” Rainbow grinned. “Apple-Bucking Season?” she teased. She couldn't help herself. “Oh, hush up.” She lifted a heavy hoof to hit her friend's shoulder. Of course, tired as she was, the force was practically nonexistent. “I would've gladly spent my time harvesting the entire orchard myself again without a lick of sleep instead of... this.” Frowning, she gestured to herself. “I honestly hope Little-Miss-Queenie chokes on one of those fritters...” Her face immediately scrunched up, and she clamped a hoof over her muzzle. “Alright,” she muttered. “Maybe not that...” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Trust me, A.J., I understand the feeling.” The frown deepened. “I'm so tired, Rainbow.” “Lean against me, then.” The pegasus pressed her side against Applejack's. “Now, c'mon, let's go check in on Rarity!” “But—” “C'mon! When's the last time you saw her?” Applejack sighed and, gratefully, relented her stability to Rainbow Dash. “Fine, fine... Let's get goin'.” Together, the mares made forged a wobbly path to the upper levels of the Crystal Palace. Nopony paid them any mind, as predicted, though Applejack's lack of coordination held them back a ways. Even when they managed to reach Rarity's assigned quarters, so many different ponies were rushing in and out the door like mad it was almost impossible to get inside. Of course, Rainbow didn't hesitate to push them out of her path. “Move!” she growled. The combination of her tone and her full suit of crystal armor cause the ponies to scatter, and she couldn't deny how good it felt. Her comrade, fortunately, was too exhausted to scold her. Despite the hectic mess as Rarity and her assistants rushed to hand out costumes, she didn't look too bad. She even waved at them upon their entry. “Oh, girls!” she exclaimed. “It's so good to see you! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Arching a brow, Rainbow wrapped a wing around Applejack. “We need a place to crash for a while, Rares.” The unicorn paused—her eyes landing on Applejack, as though she had just taken notice of her presence. “Oh,” she whispered. “There's an empty storage room in the back. Feel free to use it.” “Thanks, Rares.” “Don't mention it, darling. I'll be with you in a moment.” She shot a glare at a stallion, who rudely cleared his throat to get her attention. She promptly threw his order at him, then directed her attention to one of her assistants. “Topaz!” she called. “How many costumes are left?” The yellow mare quickly replied, “Only a hoof-full!” “Be a dear and take care of the rest for me, won't you?” “But, Queen Trixie assigned you to—” She immediately withered under Rarity's twitching, yet piercing stare. “... I'll take care of the rest for you.” “Thank you, darling.” Flipping her mane, she retreated to the back room—pillows and blankets grasped in her magic. She draped one gently over Applejack, as the poor mare was on the verge of falling asleep. “Stay with us a little longer, Applejack,” she said. The farmer yawned. “Hate to be ungrateful, Rarity, but I haven't slept in almost two days.” Rarity smiled. “I know, dear, and I'll be quick.” Her smile grew wider as she pulled a small box out of the corner of the room. There was a brush inside, much to the confusion of her friends. “But, I have something fantastic to tell you.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Meanwhile, Twilight had officially run out of patience. In spite of her close proximity to her sister-in-law, she hadn't seen Spike since her arrival. The baby dragon wasn't subjected to Trixie's brainwashing and, despite Cadance's best attempts to keep him in line, he was adamant about skipping out on cleaning duty. Yet, Twilight didn't have time to formulate low-key questions regarding his location. The concern for her loyal assistant had boiled over. She had to see Spike—to confirm he was fine. All it took was a quick flash of fire to smear a few windows, and Cadance was occupied long enough for her to slip away unnoticed. And, like any reasonable pony, she began her search on the ground floor. It certainly wasn't easy. Trixie's security was absolutely ridiculous. In addition to the abundance of Royal Guards, she spotted more crystal rams. They, more often than not, were accompanied by a guard. Their occasional pairing, of course, only made Twilight more nervous. For the time being, it was her duty to look like she belonged. With so many scrutinizing eyes around every corner, it was becoming an ongoing struggle to keep her composure. She suspected the false smile she wore was a little too much, even. After gauging the strange gazes she received from both guards and castle staff alike, she realized it to be true. She managed it for three floors, however, until she absolutely needed a break. Smiling was excruciating when it was forced. Pinkie would have a conniption, undoubtedly, if she saw it. She pressed her back against the wall and, groaning, she rubbed the soreness from her cheeks. “Umm... Pardon me.” Given her frayed nerves, the soft voice was loud enough to startle Twilight. She jumped. “Yes?” she gasped, standing still as a board. It took her a minute to process she was now looking at a very familiar pegasus. Another seemed to pass when she noticed the dragon atop her back. Spike! … Fluttershy? Gone were the flowing lengths of her friend's mane and tail. Both were jarringly short, though there was enough of her mane left to hang over her right eye. In a grasp of logic, Twilight thought of it as a slightly longer, albeit pink, version of Rainbow Dash's mane-cut. It didn't look terrible, but why did it look like that? The friend in question tilted her head in concern. “Oh, are you alright?” she asked. “I hope I didn't frighten you.” Twilight shook her head. “No, no, no—not at all!” she exclaimed. “It's just that... There's a dragon on your back.” Surely, her recovery was flawless. A tiny smile graced Fluttershy's features. “Oh, don't mind him,” she chuckled. “He's stubborn, but a sweetheart.” Crossing his arms, Spike huffed and rolled his eyes. The pegasus ignored him. “Now, if you don't mind, I have to get this little fella back to the Palacekeeper.” “Why the Palacekeeper?” She had to remain ignorant. Beryl Prose was new to the palace staff and knew nothing. “Queen Trixie designated him to be Palacekeeper Cadance's personal assistant.” Fluttershy hung her head with a sigh. “And, unfortunately, he's been shunning his duties lately.” Again, Spike sounded off with an irritated huff. “I don't mean to be rude, but we really need to get going now. The sooner I return him to his post, the sooner I can return to mine.” Twilight stepped closer. “Oh? I'm on the cleaning staff,” she said. “If it will save you some time, I'll happily take him to the Palacekeeper for you.” Fluttershy's eyes shimmered with joy. “Really? That would be wonderful! Thank you so much, Miss...?” “Beryl Prose.” “Fluttershy.” She leaned to the side, which allowed Spike to carefully slide off her back. “This means so much to me, really,” she added. “It's no trouble at all!” Smiling, the pegasus ushered Spike forward. “Now, Spike, let this nice mare take you back to the Palacekeeper, okay?” His gaze fixed on the floor, the baby dragon reluctantly scuffled from his close proximity to Fluttershy. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Let's go.” Twilight bit down on her lip as she and Spike stepped out into the busy hallway. They just started walking in silence, for she didn't know what to say that would lift her assistant's spirits. To see him so downcast... She wanted to hug him—to make him smile again. Her next decision was impulsive. While nopony was looking, she pulled him into what appeared to be a small closet and swept him up into a near bone-crushing embrace. Naturally, he began to squirm. “H-hey!” he whined. “What gives?” He flailed his tiny arms. “Somepony, help! I need an adult!” “Spike, hush! It's okay!” With a sheepish grin, she released him, and she dropped her disguise before he had the opportunity to speak or run away. “It's me!” “T-Twilight...?” She nodded, holding out her forelegs, and watched as her assistant's wide-eyed stare grew into the widest smile she'd ever seen. Then, with a cheerful shout, he jumped into her embrace. “Twilight! You're okay!” he exclaimed. Laughing, she nuzzled the top of his head. “What? Did you think a blizzard and a barrier could keep me away?” Spike sniffled as he stepped away. “But, how? Trixie took your horn!” Twilight drew in a sharp breath. With all the help Spike gave her over the years, she didn't doubt the knowledge he certainly picked up from her own studies, but there was simply no explanation she could fathom as to how she got her horn back. Before she awakened in Sombra's hideaway, she recalled a very bizarre dream after she passed out in the snow. Yet, a dream was hardly anything significant. “I, uh, guess Trixie isn't as good with magic as she let on,” she replied. “It took a while, but her little trick wore off!” There was a sparkle of what appeared to be realization in the baby dragon's eyes. His hands clapped together. “So, that's what took you so long! We...” His expression glazed over with an obvious sadness. “We were beginning to lose hope... We thought you were... You were...” She ran a hoof over the fins atop his head. “I know, Spike, but everything is going to be okay. I'm going to fix all of this.” Oh, Celestia, do I hope. “Now, tell me everything that happened while I was gone.” ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sun and moon preserve me... The dark haze of Sombra's form bobbed up and down in the air as he struggled to maintain it. No, he should've been able to keep it up for the remainder of the day, at least! Yet, he had overestimated his magical endurance, as he foolishly assumed he was unaffected by his millennium-long imprisonment. Curses, he thought. He needed something else, before somepony noticed. Too many lone party-participants and small groups of servants passed him by without noticing. He was running out of time. Like Twilight, he needed to look like somepony else. His luck was either the worst or the best, for the remainder of his body-altering spell fizzled into nothingness as two loud sets of hooves came clamoring down the corridor. He cursed once more, under his breath. There was no time to cast another spell. Hiding was his only option and, fortunately, the palace possessed plenty of empty rooms. It was nothing less than a miracle none of the scrambling servants stumbled upon him as he hurried to shut himself within an empty study. His legs were embarrassingly wobbly and, now that he was physical, the sensation of his sweat-dampened coat was greatly unsettling. Stars above, he hoped he wasn't in the same state when he gave Twilight that hug... The hooves drew near, along with two voices: a mare and a stallion. Sombra pressed his ear against the door. If somepony was heading his way, he didn't want to be taken by surprise. “Is everything set for Queen Trixie's coronation, Captain?” “Yes, Your Highness.” Sombra's brow drew together. He was cautious as he opened the door a bit to give himself a sliver of a view. The unicorn usurper, her pegasus Captain, and her personal bodyguard stood a few feet from the door, and he watched them as they walked together down the hallway. “You better hope your Royal Guard is prepared for this task,” warned Trixie. “Your Queen wants those troublemakers escorted at all times during her party. If even one of them causes a scene, you'll be replaced!” Shining Armor was quick to speak up. “Worry nothing of it, Your Highness. Flash here is an excellent guardstallion. He'll keep the soldiers ship-shape and in line for your protection.” She stuck her nose in the air. “Queen Trixie iterates he better.” She glared at her unicorn guard. “Let's go, Shining Armor. It's time for Queen Trixie to get into her spectacular outfit.” Flash Sentry saluted her departure, and Sombra quietly closed the door as the pegasus turned to back-track from where he came. The Captain was alone, and Sombra couldn't help but feel as though an opportunity had been presented to him. He had more than enough magic remaining for a single disguise spell. After all, taking on the appearance of another was far easier than forging one from scratch.