Equestria: A Flux Tale

by Star Sage

Flux Court Again

“It's the best I can do. Accept the offer, or you can leave,” you told the pony before you. She seemed to take the tone for once to mean the discussion was at an end. She then bowed deeply, and trotted out of the room, several eyes following her as she left. Many of them drifted back to you, either expecting you to be furious, or just something. Instead you tried to look as immovable as stone, as you motioned for the Major Domo to summon the next case.

“The Flux Court will now hear the cause of Mrs. Cake,” said the stallion, and you were surprised to see a familiar blue mare walk down the aisle towards the defendant's podium, her hair done up in a rather fancy swirl today, wearing what had to be her best apron. She flustered about a bit with her look as she took her place, and then turned to face you.

“Proceed,” you told her after a moment of silence.

“Well, your..umm, Fluxship, I'm here today in concern with my Apprentice, Pinkamena Diana Pie,” she began, and your ears perk up, though you try not to let it show beyond shifting your stance slightly.

“About a month ago she had to go back to her parents' rock farm. Poor dears are having an awful season, with shale rot taking a full half their harvest,” she continued. “However, she's been there for three weeks now, and they insist she stay longer. I'm just worried about her education though. She's still only a B grade baker, and while I would love to let her stay as long as she needs, but we've got so many back orders, what with the twins and all.”

When she finishes you cross your hands in front of you, trying to look imposing, as if you were deep in thought, which you were as you focused your power. It was easier now that it had been to reach outside yourself, and after a moment or two, you found a dark blue thought space, and gently knocked at it, letting Luna, who must have woken up an hour or so ago slowly open her mind to you, before barging in.

'Rock farms are real?!' you demand to know, the quick, hard thought actually catching the Lunar Princess off guard for a moment, knocking her own thought trains askew. She recovers so quickly though that you might have imagined it. Images then start flashing before your mind of ponies, earth ponies, literally growing various kinds of rocks and things, raising them as the Apples raised their orchard, creating stones of such quality that they were almost works of art in themselves.

'Why?' came the thought following that, and you quickly sent the memory of Mrs. Cake, which caught her by surprise again, as she instantly recognized the birth name of Pinkie Pie.

'Help?' she offered after a moment, and you sent back a negative, as you rose from your seat.

“Mrs. Cake, I feel sorry for you and your husband. So I shall do this,” you say that as you motion for the Major Domo to approach.

“I will order that Mr. Pie take a day from his farm work to come to the palace. Then we can sort this out. If nothing else, I shall see about giving him some relief to aid in the production of stone around the kingdom,” you tell her, and she seems to accept this with gratitude, bowing her head, and then rushing for the door, obviously going to take a night train to her home in Ponyville.

“I shall draw up the necessary papers for that. And if there are no other supplicants?” asked the Major Domo, many in the crowd looking at each other. Some were obviously thinking of that case before Mrs. Cake, and thus they kept their mouths shut.

“Then the Flux Court stands adjourned. We shall reconvene in half an hour for Silver Court,” he tells the assemblage, many of whom begin moving for the door, while you and your guards take the left exit from the stage, behind a curtain, which leads you almost instantly into the confusing corridors of the castle.

“Are you sure that was necessary?” asked Spitfire as she and the rest came up beside you.

“I'm sure Mr. Pie will understand. He needs help of not just one farmhoof, but a solution to the underlying problem. If I can figure out what this shale rot thing is, maybe I can give it to him and he can let Pinkie go home,” you tell her, and she looks back behind you at Dash and Soarin, before zipping in front of you, and placing her hoof against your chest.

“You know what I mean,” she tells you, rather forcefully, and for a moment, a brief moment, you are tempted to just tell her to drop the issue, but then sigh and decide to explain.

“I'd feel sorry for her if she hadn't been aware the egg was stolen in the first place,” you tell her simply, and Spitfire doesn't even react. Obviously, even without power, it had been clear that the egg, a phoenix egg, was swiped, probably by some ne’er do well or adventure seeker.

“It's not that simple. She's a big wig, one of the Magisters, and a powerful political mover. Even Celestia would have trotted lightly around her. And you threw your weight around like you weighed a ton,” advised the Wonderbolt, and you nodded. The issue had been simple, but the demand had been more complex. A pair of phoenix parents had pursued the stolen egg, eventually finding it on her property, and burning half the place down in trying to get their baby back.

The mare, of course, demanded retribution. Not against the phoenixes of course, those animals held as special place in Celestia's heart, but instead against the ones who'd sold it to her, a few of those belkin lizard people. Knowing that such a response would tend to be a tit for tat sort of affair, you'd counter offered with just some state aid in rebuilding her property, which included a gem polishing business that benefited most of Canterlot.

“It comes down to what she wanted, vs. the outcome of such action. There would have been a small border war, at least over her vengeance, and I'm not quite willing to throw this nation into that sort of conflict if I can help it. Besides, she's not nearly as influential as she likes to pretend,” you inform Spitfire.

“She wore the robes of a Magister, that's influence enough right there,” countered Soarin, surprisingly.

“She's on the outs with most of the Council, since she raised her prices last season. I remembered her face from one of DawnChaser's little get togethers. No one's going to feel sympathy for her cause, not with this being a black market deal gone bad. Worst comes to worst, we'll lock her up for that alone,” you tell them, motioning with one hand for them to drop the issue. None of them look entirely satisfied, even Dash, but they don't push any farther as they walk with you up to your rooms.

Getting to the doors, you bid them a good night, and then step into your room to find a table with a mare waiting there for you. Octavia sat in her chair, humming gently to herself, her eyes closed as she rocked gently in tune with the music of her soul. Smirking at that, you reach out with a thin tendril of power, wrapping her up with with, and then bringing the music forth in a small symphony of noise that played right into her ears. The sudden noise, soft though it was, startled her enough to finally open her eyes, and then smile at you as her gaze found your form.

“Hello. Did you have a fun day?” she asked as she walked forward, taking your seat opposite her, three small lanterns casting a lovely glow over the scene as you stared across their glow into her shimmering visage.

“Better than most, in many respects. I think I'm getting the hang of some of the exercises that Radiance has me doing. Pyro shot a beam at my best shield yet, and we lasted a whole minute, before I had to drop it,” you told her as you started to eat. Her own food, mostly ignored till now, began to disappear with surprising speed for one who fancied herself a proper mare, but you didn't comment.

“Oh? That sounds like fun. I just had practice myself tonight. The whole Ensembles been invited to some party on a sky yacht owned by Prince Blue Blood,” she said and you nod. Octavia then launched into an explanation of the various pieces they were planning on playing for the crowd. She talked at length about the farther opportunities this would give her and the rest, chances to play at private parties again, or maybe even another invite to the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Have you received an invitation to that yet?” she asked as she downed the last bite of food, and sat in her chair, sipping at a rather strong looking drinking.

“I'm not sure. I haven't gotten any glowing letters from the Princesses or anything of that sort yet. If you're going to be playing though, I'll have to break in regardless of invites. Swooping in to listen to you from the rafters, and then swinging down on a rope to snatch that young damsel, carrying her off for some swashbuckling adventure!” you cry out, and with a thought, you turn your armor into something like what you were picturing, a Zorro outfit, complete with mask, cape, and a rope.

“Hehe, I'm sure that won't be necessary. Just ask Radiance when you're training tomorrow, and I'm sure he'll get you some tickets,” she said, and you laugh back at her as you change again, this time into something more befitting bed time. Another thought, and the dishes are cleaned of the refuse of your meal, and then the two of you take a moment to put them away again, before finally taking to bed.

“Oh, before I forget. Silver Hammer said that special order you asked for should be ready sometime tomorrow. He's going to need your help to finish it though,” she told you, and you smiled at her. She'd been a big help with talking with the Castle's Smith, at least without being seen doing it yourself. Still smiling, you lean over the bed and give the end of her muzzle a quick peck, before slipping under the covers. She blushes a bit at the feeling of your lips touching her nose, but then just smiles herself.

“Thank you. I'm sure we'll have some fun with that tomorrow, and I might have some showing off to do, so keep your eyes on the skies,” you tell her, and she looks at you with that gaze that just begs you not to do anything that will cause a disaster.

“Nothing that bad, Octavia, nothing bad at all if I can help it. This should be a good thing really,” you assure her, and she looks doubtful at you. You try to counter with your best disarming smile, and she relents, curling up under the covers, before raising her forehooves in front of her and clapping them together. The dull thunk of the hooves reverberates around the room, and with a windy, wisp sound the lanterns turn themselves off, casting the whole room into darkness.

With that, the two of you finally lay your heads on your pillows, and slowly you close your eyes. Outside the night sky drifts by, the lovely lattice work of Luna's influence crafting a quilt of stars that shone like jewels in a black sea. That image was the last thing you knew as you shut your eyes, listening to the deep breathing beside you, and drifted off to sleep.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Politics always gives me a horrible hedache. Ill stick with Pinkie instead.

[dreadshot]

Remember him being shrunk and having almost no control sometimes? Now he has control of almost everything, right down to the basic laws of the universe.

[Tadpole]

Worst comes to worst, we'll lock her up for that alone,

I'm pretty sure you meant 'Worse comes to worst'.