Chapter 12
The Empress Apparent waved to the rapturous crowd for the last time from atop her float as it slowly rolled into the inner courtyard of the Imperial Palace. The Color Guard, ever vigilant, stood in a stoic line between the float and the day’s following well-wishers. She watched as half a dozen crew members threw up their hasty barricades to keep the party from spilling into the castle proper.
“Thank you! Thank you all,” Luna cried out as best she could above the din. The crowd roared back in reply, straining as a living mass against the ropes and poles of the barricade. “My little darlings!”
Again the crowd cheered, and again Luna felt that her heart was liable to burst. It had been so long since she’d been showered in such devotion. It was an emotional reminder for her. A bittersweet one, couched in memories both delightful and desperate. Though her smile threatened to never subside, a silvery tear ran down her face, leaving a trail of blue in its wake.
The crowd was hushed, as if that tear was a tidal wave that rolled through them. And in that moment, Luna forgot herself.
“I fear you all have done me a kindness,” she croaked in a near whisper, real and raw from the last hour of cheering. “And I thank you. I will never forget this day. Not for a hundred years, not for a thousand.”
Silence was her answer, but it was the sort of silence that came with listening. A quiet commitment to retain the wisdom and knowledge imparted upon them.
“Let us all strive to make everyday a celebration of life and a joining of hooves and hearts. The Crystal Empire is grand and noble. Let each of us, in our own way, honor our country, our neighbors, and our loved ones!”
The roar that answered back was deafening. So loud that the sound of the inner courtyard’s massive doors closing could not be heard.
Luna waved one final time before the doors sealed shut and a new cheer went out. One from within the courtyard. All around her, ponies were hooting and hollering, dancing and chattering excitedly, as if they hadn't just spent the last hour marching through the capital in the midday sun.
A deep voice made a show of trying to get Luna’s attention from the foot of her float with a polite cough. She turned her head to face the voice and saw Major Tom, still in a simple jacket and hat, part of his plain clothes disguise.
“Are you alright, Empress?” he asked with concern.
“I am,” Luna nodded back.
“You, uh… You appear to be crying, Ma’am. Can I get you a hoofkerchief?”
Luna sniffled and smiled, ignoring the tears that continued to flow from her eyes. “Could you find Commander Onyx for me and tell him to meet me in the Truespring Grove?”
Major Tom nodded and let out a sharp whistle. A few heartbeats later, he was in a huddle with the other members of his elite Diamond Division. The huddle broke and the guards immediately scrambled to find the Imperial Commander.
Slowly, still trembling from the experience, Luna took a deep breath. And a few more. And a dozen extra, before rising to her hooves and descending down the front of Rarity’s float at a slow, unsteady trot. Truespring Grove, a small secluded oasis of tropical beauty in the frozen north, was beyond the South side of the inner courtyard, before the Gazebo of Delights.
Cheers and praise and birthday wishes and offerings of tissues or towels were the order of the day as Luna walked through the happy scramble of parade ponies and crewmares. But it wasn't long before she was alone and wandering off through the seldom populated rib of the inner courtyard that lead to the Truespring Grove.
As she walked, her transformation magics once again took hold. Soon Luna was no longer disguised as Rarity, but instead as Merry Sapphire disguised as Rarity. A tiny paw poked her in the side, and she looked down at her faithful companion Severus, who offered her a tangled purple wig.
Putting on the finishing touches with the wig, she once again looked the part of Merry Sapphire, her fictional identity. Absentmindedly, Merry hummed to herself as she shaped and changed her vocal cords to match those of the schedule-mad mare from… Was it Fillydelphia or Baltimare? Oh no, she chided herself. Now isn’t the time to forget the backstory!
Wrapped in thought, she trotted through the tail end of the thin, arched corridor that lead to the Truespring Grove. The grove was beautiful with its immaculate lawn, pleasant topiaries, and the collection of birds both rare and exotic. But the moon in Truespring Grove’s sky, so-to-speak, was the fountain at its center.
Discovered long before the founding of the Empire, this spring was a true oasis in the Northern Wastes. Volcanic activity far below kept it bubbling and flowing year round. It was here, around this spring, that life could flourish. Though the capital's water supply was now a modern marvel of plumbing, the sanctity and the value of this natural source has always been respected by the crystal ponies.
A series of soft squeaking interrupted Merry’s thoughts. She paused and listened for a moment before realizing that they were coming from her saddlebags and not the birds. She pulled back the cloak of the Princess Platinum Regalia and found Severus, chittering urgently and pointing at her forehead.
“What? Ohh, right,” said Sapphire as she realized the small horn she willed into existence in that cramped janitor’s closet was still sticking out of her head. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and felt the horn disappear. “Thanks, Severus. Can’t be running around like that now, can we?”
The fox let out another series of squeaks and some short barks. Sapphire nodded in response. “It was a marvelous parade, truly. I just wish… Well, I wish a lot of things.” Another soft bark and a tilt of the head prompted Sapphire to continue. “Oh, that Rarity was here, yes. That parade was meant for her. I think she would have enjoyed it.”
Severus climbed out of her bag, sat on the edge of the fountain, and let out a few more quiet barks, which left Sapphire nodding again. “That I could be myself again? Oh Severus. You know me too well. Yes, most assuredly that is at the forefront of my mind. Perhaps it is time we put aside our silly game of hide-and-seek? I will speak to my sister about it tonight at the party.”
Sapphire sat up with fresh excitement in her eyes. “Yes, the party! I almost forgot about it. Ohh, I hope Party Hats is taking my plans to heart. I left her with so much to do: music, guests, decor, food—”
A whine stopped Merry in her tracks. She looked over at Severus, who was pantomiming some sort of dance… thing.
“I’m forgetting something?” asked Sapphire as she looked at him with a frown. “No I’m not.” She fished her checklist out of her saddlebags. “Invitations sent, appointments, parade, ceremony, party, party supplies, the cake, no clowns, I even got a mahogany table for the presents...”
Sapphire scooped up Severus and pressed him against her muzzle as the realization hit home. “Presents… Oh bits and bridles, Severus! I forgot to get Rarity a present!”
Severus wagged his tail and began frantically licking her face clean of all the delicious flour. “You’re no help, you know that?”
“Am I... interrupting?” Sapphire spun around and found Onyx standing on the stone path that lead into Truespring Grove. He looked first to her, then to Severus.
“No!” shouted Sapphire as she galloped over and shook him by the lapels. “Everything is fine. What. Could possibly. Make you think. That anything. Was wrong?!”
Commander Onyx tried to answer back, but all he could do was stutter, starting and stopping his words with each shake. Finally, she released him and he stood there on unsure legs with eyes spinning in their sockets. At some point, Severus must have jumped the poor colt, because the little dickens was trying to gnaw through his uniform’s cloak.
“Have you found the Empress yet?” asked Sapphire.
“We did.”
“Where was she?”
“Lieutenant Silver Dash found her wandering about the middle levels of the Tower," he replied. "She’s sleeping off the day’s troubles in the Royal Suite.”
“Silver Dash found her you say? Terrific.” Merry slid out from under her own hooves and collapsed onto the soft grass. “Ohh, nothing is going right today.”
Onyx let out a snort and sat down next to her. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Well, brunch was a disaster, the Empress collapsed, I have angry government officials and foreign dignitaries, she missed her own parade, and n—”
“It was just an expression, Merry,” Onyx interrupted as he removed his helmet and began to dig around in his saddlebags. “Today will all be over soon... I hope.”
Sapphire let out a sigh and turned her attention to her flour-caked hooves until she felt something poking at her. She looked over and found the Commander offering her both a wrapped daisy sandwich and a moist towelette. “Thank you,” she said, taking the offered goodies with a humorless chuckle. “Though, I was promised cake for lunch.”
“It’s all I’ve got,” said Onyx as he bit into a sandwich of his own. The two sat there for a while, enjoying the calmness afforded by the Truespring Grove with its warbling Culsnaka birds cooing their soft mating calls.
Eventually, Onyx broke the silence. “You know, despite the day’s troubles, I still love the Empress’ Birthday, even if she doesn’t.”
“What do you mean?” Merry asked through a bite of her sandwich.
Onyx stared into the fountain as he answered. “I remember my first days in the guard. Life was much simpler back then. I’d been on the job for less than a year. Maybe six months, and it was Empress Rarity’s birthday. I remember that she attended all the celebrations. Even the Faire, and I actually remember her calling it “uncouth” or some nonsense. But that didn’t stop her from enjoying a hot-buttered crystal corn-on-the-cob. I remember the smile on her face, the joy she radiated into the crowd. But now…”
“She’s different,” finished Sapphire as she started working herself over with the towelette.
“Yeah,” he replied before the two of them returned to their mutual silence. Eventually, Sapphire broke it.
"Commander Onyx, may I ask a personal question?"
The guardspony nodded.
"How long have you served the Empress?"
Onyx chuckled softly. "I've been a guard for Empress Rarity for nearly twenty years. Ten of those as her Commander."
"So then... I guess you'd know why she hates her birthday?" she asked hopefully.
"I do," he replied.
“Can you tell me why?”
“I cannot.”
Sapphire sighed. "Just like Chef Cake. What is it with you stallions and your secrets?”
"The Empress has trusted me with this," he said flatly. "I honor that trust. If you are so curious, then you should ask her yourself."
Sapphire tossed the used towelette into an empty side-pocket of one of her saddlebags and gave herself a once-over to ensure that she got all the flour. "But that would… actually probably be a good idea."
“Actually probably?”
“Indeed.” she said, with a jab of her hoof into his side. “Still, knowing why she hates her birthday won’t change the fact that I've failed.”
“You failed? Failed at what?”
“Everything. The brunch, her meetings, the parade. I've even given control of tonight’s party to a pony with a cannon, and worst of all, I haven't gotten the Empress anything."
Onyx’s smile faltered. “Can we go back to the part about the cannon?”
“I just want her to be happy. Is that too much to ask?”
“Gonna need to hear about that cannon.”
“I mean, what do you get an Empress? The party’s tonight. All the stores in the Capital are closed after the parade. She’s going to hate me.”
"Lady Sapphire," Onyx said, finally grabbing her attention. "I know the Empress hasn't shown much of it in these past few days, and I know you've only known her for a few months, but she is very grateful to have you here by her side. I think, for her, just knowing that she has such a good friend here for her is all that she needs for her birthday."
“Friend? What do you mean?” Sapphire felt herself tense up inside.
“Rarity doesn't just pick anypony to be her seneschal,” replied Onyx. “She’s an excellent judge of character. She can tell a lot about a pony just from watching them for a few moments. She picked you for a reason. I don’t know what that is, and maybe she doesn't know either, but there is a reason.”
“...Thanks, Onyx.”
“You’re welcome. Also, now that I have your attention, what’s this about a cannon?”
“Party cannon, Onyx. Just an old party cannon.”
Onyx smiled and visibly relaxed, though that did little to deter Severus from his self-appointed duty of eating a hole through his cloak.
Sapphire stood and softly nickered to get her pet’s attention. He released his death-hold on the slobbery, chewed up fabric and hopped off the Commander’s head. “Thank you for your kind words, Onyx, and the sandwich. I suppose I should go see to Rarity now.”
“Yes, but not alone.”
“Excuse me?”
“Lieutenant Dash is going to escort you,” Onyx calmly replied. “I’m treating this event as a possible attack. It might not look like it, but we've got a Code Cornsilk, and I’d hate to see it escalate to Vermillion.”
“But Lieutenant Dash is—”
“No, Merry. This is not negotiable,” said Onyx.
“I… Of course,” said Sapphire with a sigh of defeat. “Is Dash going to meet us here or…?”
“She’s in the Residential Wing,” Onyx said as he stood up. “Come on, let’s get going.”
* * *
Of all the stupid… thought Silver Dash as she absentmindedly pawed at the entry hall floor and gave an impatient huff. She was waiting for both the one pony who could blow her cover and Commander Onyx, just so she could escort the crazy, possibly bi-polar mare up through the Residential Wing.
The Residential Wing was the nerve center of the Palace. It housed rooms for prominent members of the Palace staff and visiting dignitaries, and it was currently blockaded by the Imperial Guard. Four guards stood in front of the entrance to the wing, while two more guards stood in the entrance to the palace.
Right before her squadron’s performance, Dash’s bracelet had started blinking, a sign for her to pick up some stolen items for Blueblood along with his magical cape. Sometimes they were directly from him, sometimes from other agents. Her job was to simply pick them up, add any useful information she had, and deliver it to Blueblood’s butler at the embassy.
But at that moment, she wasn’t able to leave immediately. Not when they were in formation during parade duties. Blueblood had always been excellent about timing when it came to the drop off, so whatever it was must have been very important.
And it was, as Dash discovered when she was finally able to break away once their parade duty ended. She went straight to the spot where Blueblood’s cloak was supposed to teleport its contents. But there was nothing. Not even the cloak.
That’s when a plea for help from a floor down caught her attention, and she discovered a very grateful and very sleepy Crystal Empress wearing the cloak.
Silver Dash still couldn’t believe that the cloak was powerful enough to teleport a whole pony, let alone the Crystal Empress. She managed to get the Empress down to a service elevator, up to the Royal Suite, and safely into bed before Onyx got word of everything that happened.
Everything, except for the purpose of the magical cloak. Still, Onyx recognized it as the one he apparently draped over the Empress. Hopefully Blueblood’s enchanting abilities were better than his personality. If not, they may figure out its true purpose and track it back to them.
Blueblood, she thought with a huff. He talks a big game, but he’s just that. Talk. If he was so smart, he wouldn’t have just left his cloak lying around like that, would he?
“Lieutenant?”
Silver Dash spun around and snapped a quick salute. “Sir! Commander!”
“At ease, Dash,” said Onyx. “Any more issues?”
“No sir,” she replied. “The Arcane Threat Assessment Team is now sweeping the East half of the Residential Wing for unauthorized theurgic equipment. We’ve got support teams on standby in case an attacker is still around.”
“I don’t like this,” he replied. “It’s too… convenient.”
“To be an accident?” Silver Dash asked, some hope slipping out with her words.
“To be planned,” he said. “The Empress suddenly collapses, then while she’s still weak and recovering, she’s teleported to somewhere in the Palace? No, I think we’ve lucked into discovering something. Something like a significant security breach.”
“Ahh… Well, I think we need more evidence,” she said carefully, damning Blueblood as much as she could in her mind.
Onyx remained silent for a while. She could tell he was thinking, plotting out every idea the information he had gave him, before finally nodding in agreement. “Yes, lets keep this close. If there is a spy, we don’t want to tip them off. We'll launch a small investigation and we might be able to catch the spy in the act; see how far this web goes.”
“Great thinking. So, how can I help?”
“I need you to escort Lady Sapphire to the Empress’ Royal Suite,” replied Onyx.
“Prissy pants? You’re kidding me,” panned Silver Dash as she looked around. “Did she get lost too? Where’s she at?”
“Right here,” said a voice whispering in her ear.
Silver Dash shrieked and nearly jumped out of her armor. Instead she fell to her side and one wing flapped out of control in a panic, causing her to spin on the floor. As she spun she glared at the other two ponies, who were bent over in laughter. “Are you two serious right now?!”
“I told you I could surprise her!” laughed Sapphire.
Onyx choked back a laugh and wiped the tears from his face as he tossed her a small bag. “Fine, fine, you win. Here, ten bits as promised.”
Silver Dash watched and caught a glint of gold as Sapphire opened the bag and inspected it before putting it in her own saddlebag. “Pleasure, Commander.”
“You two took bets on whether you could startle me?” shouted Dash as she got to her hooves. “Come on, really? We’ve got a Code Cornsilk, and you chuckle-heads thought that surprising a highly trained soldier was a good idea?”
“Relax, Dash, you aren’t the one out ten bits,” said Onyx as he straightened his armor back out. “I told you she had a thing or two she could teach you about scaring other ponies.”
“I hate you both so much right now,” said Silver Dash as she took to the air and started flying off beyond the guard cordon. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
She could hear the steady clip-clack of Sapphire’s crystal hooves behind her and figured that was good enough until she heard Sapphire call out her name.
“Silver Dash, slow down! I want to talk to you about something!”
“Oh?” she called back, with no intention of slowing down. “And what would that be?”
“A certain unicorn ambassador.”
That stopped her. Silver Dash hovered in the air as she waited for Sapphire to catch her breath. “Look, I don’t know what you heard bu—”
“I know exactly what I heard and saw, Silver Dash,” panted Sapphire. “I was there. He owns you. I don’t know how it started, or why you’re doing it. But that ends right here and now.”
“Oh yeah? “ asked Dash, confidence coming back as she found a hole in Merry’s plan. “Who are ponies going to believe? Me, a decorated and valued guard liaison between two powerful nations, or you, who's been here for like, three weeks.”
“A few months, actually,” replied Sapphire. “And you’re going to tell me because it’s the right thing to do, or else I’ll haunt your dreams till the very end.”
“What?” asked an unbelieving Silver Dash. She raised an eyebrow, ready to laugh off Merry’s decree. But there was something in the other mare’s eyes, some sort of nightmare that said she really could do just that. Something that wouldn't let her look away.
“You heard me,” said Sapphire. She took a deep breath, and Silver Dash was finally able to look away. “I want to hear everything. Now.”
“He’s… Blueblood isn’t such a bad pony. Okay, he’s a total jerk, and he says stuff just to hurt you. He’s just stressed a bit...” said Dash, but she had a hard time believing that, and it looked like Sapphire did too. “Okay, maybe he has his moments, but I can’t do this… My mom, she’s… Please, don’t tell anypony.”
Dash turned away and placed her head against a nearby window, relishing in its cool slickness against her warm head. She felt a hoof on her shoulder.
“I won’t,” said Sapphire. “I can’t promise that your mom will be okay. But if you work with me. If you tell me what’s been going on, I can promise that she’ll be safe, and that she’ll get her treatment.”
“How?” muttered Dash, staring at the marble floor.
“I have a few ponies I know that can help, and I know that they’d be willing to, but you have to work for it here. You’re a Dash, what do you think Rainbow Dash would do?”
“Hmmf, Rainbow Dash,” snorted Silver Dash. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that? Been compared to her? I can’t imagine how hard it was for her kids to live under her shadow when I feel it two hundred years lat— How do you know about Rainbow Dash?”
“I know what it’s like to live in a shadow,” said Sapphire, dodging the question. “It isn’t easy, you’re constantly in a race against an opponent that you can never beat.”
“My dad never understood that,” said Silver Dash as she traced the window with her hoof. “He was a Wonderbolt. Was. Never took to retirement easily. He ended up in a training facility for junior Wonderbolts. He’d constantly compare my brother and I to his prized students. The best of the best. Then to perfect ol’ Rainbow Dash. Always pushing us.”
Dash trailed off and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about that night or the storm that ended her path to glory. Or the pain. Or the blood. Or the way her leg bone stu—
She shook her head to stop the memory from further surfacing. She didn't need an anxiety attack now. “Well, I did my own thing. Mom was the only one that understood that. Dad... Well..."
“I have a sister,” said Sapphire quietly as she pulled Dash away from the window and the two began walking down the hall again. “She’s older than me by a few years, very, umm… bright. It seemed like no matter what I did, I could never shine on my own. It was always about her.”
“Where is she now?” asked Dash.
“She lives in Equestria. Our family was… complicated,” said Sapphire. “We haven’t really seen each other in a few years.”
“Sounds like me and my brother,” replied Dash. “He’s living the dream. Ever hear of Prism Bolt? Current Captain of the Wonderbolts? That’s him. Dad couldn’t be prouder.”
“I bet your mom is proud of you,” said Sapphire as she extended a hoof. “Anyways, I have a plan.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Come again?”
“I want you to keep being Blueblood’s spy. But I want you to report to me as well.”
“So… you want me to be a double agent?”
“We'll keep it secret. Just between you and me. We’ll meet in my room, every week. Say Monday nights? And I'll see to it that my doctor friends in Cloudsdale get your mom the treatment she needs."
Silver Dash looked at the extended hoof, then back up at Sapphire. “Between us?”
Sapphire nodded. “Of course, just you and me. No Onyx, no Rarity, just you and me against the world.”
Silver Dash slowly reached out and bumped the hoof with her own. “Not like I have much of a choice.”
“How very right you are,” said Sapphire with a cat-like grin. “But, you’ve made the wise choice. Your mother will be safe, you’ve got a new friend, and you’ll sleep well at nights.”
“I… thank you, Lady Sapphire. I’m sorry about the whole prissy pants thing,” said Silver Dash.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Sapphire as the turned around the last corner to the Empress’ Royal Suite. “So, we’ll need a cover for Monday nights. How do you feel about crochet?”
* * *
Blueblood tried to sit back. To relax here. Outwardly, he seemed calm, but his mind was racing a mile a minute. Indeed, even his long dead, cold heart threatened to start beating once more. This meeting was the culmination of decades of work.
And centuries of planning.
Across the table from him, sitting in the dimly lit, windowless drawing room of the Equestrian Embassy, was his second least favorite pony: Princess Twilight Sparkle. She sat at the head of the table, surrounded by a hoofful of the most powerful ponies in Equestria, both friends and secret-foes alike.
"Well, let’s move on,” she said in that annoying sing-song voice of hers. The one that was so blatantly trying to be Auntie Celestia, and falling so terribly short. Just the sound of it was enough for him to try and find a cheese grater to press against his head. “Director Manesfield, has there been any word on the missing Crystal Empire agents?"
“Our networks are reporting that Imperial agents are going dark across Equestria,” she stated, her voice refined with a Trottingham accent. “Some are gone, others have simply stopped reporting in.”
“What sort of ‘agents’ are these? asked the good Senator Underhill.
“Spies,” Manesfield said flatly before continuing on with her report. “We don’t know why they’re going dark. Inquiries to the Crystal Ministry of Imperial Intelligence have been met with a stiff response.”
Senator Underhill looked squarely at Blueblood and harrumphed. “You mean to tell me that we had a secret network of enemy spies operating in Equestria, now they've gone away, and that’s somehow a bad thing?”
Director Manesfield looked sideways at the good Senator and sighed. “Leave the spy games to the spies, please.”
“But you should—”
“I don’t tell you how to do anything but vote ‘present’ in the Common House, Senator. Don’t tell me how to do my job.”
A good-natured laugh went up at the table from everypony, even Blueblood. He liked that director, very sassy at times. He risked a glanced over at the red-faced Senator, who was busy working his mouth to find some sort of idiot reply.
“As I was about to say," continued the Director. "EIS-6 preliminary reports suggest that their network communication has increased dramatically within the Griffin Republic.”
“Do we know why?” asked Princess Twilight while munching on a celery stalk like some sort of peasant.
“Not for certain,” replied the Director. “We have some suspicions that it could be in preparation of something big. Possibly research into the griffins for improved discussions on military aid against the Diamond Dog raids. Aid we declined from giving—”
“And for good reason,” interrupted General Shears as he brushed some pastry crumbs from his mustache.
“Be that as it may,” said the Director with a stern glare. “We are more inclined to think that the two might be opening under-the-table trade negotiations.”
“That’s absurd,” said the Senator, pointing a stern hoof at the stack of papers before him. “The Empire’s international trade has to go through the regulations and processing centers in Equestria. It’s been that way for centuries, since Princess Cadence sat on the Crystal Throne. The Empress and her puppets know better than to uproot a time-honored tradition behind our backs.”
“It is a rather harsh system though,” offered Twilight. “Taxing goods that aren’t even going to Equestria, but just passing through to a neighboring country.”
“It’s not something we purposefully take advantage of,” argued the good Senator. “The goods are processed and even negotiated for in Equestria. Those are just fees for our services.”
“Rather lucrative fees that generates roughly eight percent of Equestria’s budget,” remarked Blueblood.
“Sir, if you are suggesting that the Senate has created a system of bias and injustice when it comes to our dealings with these snow-loving, plot-buffing, rock hum—”
“Moving on, Senator,” said Twilight with an angry glower. Blueblood hid a snicker with a cough as he straightened some papers out. “Their intelligence network in Equestria is dark, and they might be dealing with the griffins for some reason. General Shears, you’re up.”
“Yes ma'am,” he said and pulled his aching bones out off his chair before gambling slowly over to a large globe in the corner. “We have confirmed reports from our observational units that the Empire is conducting a series of military exercises along our shared border. Our communications with the Crystal Military inform us that these exercises are to train their soldiers against Diamond Dog raids.”
“That sounds entirely reasonable,” said Twilight.
Blueblood winced as her half eaten celery stalk floated in mid-air beside her head. It was like she was trying to make him angry, but he kept himself in check.
“Well, we sent recon teams into the supposed Diamond Dog areas to assess the situation. Every single one of them came back empty.”
“Empty?”
“Empty. Save for miles of abandoned tunnels, countless piles of bones, and a few ancient bags of dried dog food,” said the General.
The room was silent for a moment, so Blueblood found himself having to lead the conversation once more onto a productive path. “So the Diamond Dogs aren’t preparing for raids?”
General Shears shook his head. “All we have are the Empire’s claims. We even sent an envoy to the Diamond Clans in Equestria, and they told us that none of the Clans are involved. We don’t have enough evidence to authorize sending a military unit in for support, much less a full strike like the Empress demanded.”
“I’m still reeling from that letter,” said Twilight with a frown. Blueblood wanted to chuckle; it had been a very good letter. “I mean, she’d dealt with the Diamond Dogs on a number of occasions. Each time, she came out better than the last. Why would she write us, asking for our military might to ‘Wipe the curs out’?”
“Perhaps these are rogue bands of Diamond Dogs? Too small for the Clans to be aware of?” offered Blueblood, who couldn’t make eye contact with the Princess while she talked with her mouth full.
Twilight nodded. “Perhaps. I have doubts that the Empire would fabricate this for nothing. What sort of military exercises are the Crystal Empire running?” she asked, unable to keep the skeptical look from her face.
“These are large scale military exercises,” clarified the General. “Siege tactics, flanking maneuvers, aerial drops, things that would be performed on a large scale conflict. They wouldn’t work well on small raids.”
“Who would they attack? The Griffin Republic?” asked Sky Marshal Firefly.
The good Senator Underhill gasped. “What if it’s us?”
A snarky, squeaky laugh was his immediate reply. “Like they pose a threat,” said Firefly as she leaned back into her chair. “Besides outnumbering them at, like, ten to one, we also have air superiority. They have a few squads at best. We have thousands of pegasi in the military. Thousands! We’d end any so called war in an afternoon.”
“Sky Marshal, I think you underestimate the abilities of the Empire and its citizens,” offered Twilight with a worried shake of her head. “I remember their determination against all odds during the Changeling Incursions. They’re the reason we were able to turn the tide of war and take back what was left of Appleloosa.”
“Princess, I—”
“And I am also quite confident in our troops abilities,” interrupted Twilight. “Ambassador, do you have anything to add before we wrap this up?”
“Sadly, I do,” said Blueblood as he leaned forward, putting on a show of his ‘injuries’. “I’m afraid that, as of today, the Empire has not only opened successful relationships with the Griffin Republic, but the Empire is planning on launching an international trade system independent of Equestria.”
“What?!” blustered the good Senator Underhill, slamming his hoof down into the table. The rest of the meeting followed suit as everypony started making demands.
“Surely, you can’t be serious?”
“As of today?”
“Are you certain?”
“Certain yes, but there is more,” Blueblood said, raising a hoof for some quiet. “The deal was solidified with the Empire’s purchase of a sizable chunk of land from the Republic. Ladies and Gentlecolts, the Crystal Empire now owns Shimmering Bay.”
The room exploded into a scene of anarchy, and Blueblood fought to keep his smile in check. Mostly because the resulting cacophony was absent one notable voice; Princess Twilight Sparkle, who instead stared off into some unseeable distance. Her eyes glazed over, and he knew that she was searching, seeing into the mystical realm that sat maddeningly outside of his reach.
But that was quick to change.
“I see Rarity,” she said, instantly silencing the calamity around her. “Her unique magical signature is very weak and she’s sleeping off... whatever it was, in her Royal Suite. I see... I see a griffin with his entourage among a large crowd milling about the Residential Wing. Their spirits are high, but there’s little else I can tell.”
She blinked a few times and her eyes refocused on the here and now. Blueblood could only imagine, with certain delight, at what was racing through her mind. Her questions remained frustratingly unanswered, and the situation was looking worse. Shimmering Bay had been the last of the Griffin Territories outside of the Republic. Its neutrality and strategic ports were a key component to the last peace treaty between Equestria and the old Gryphon Kingdoms that eventually gave way to the newer Griffin Republic. The sale of such an important piece of land had a multitude of implications, and none of them were good for Equestria.
And Blueblood knew this. He watched Twilight squirm in her seat like a toad on a hotplate. He watched her glance over at her two military minds, eager for advice, but the two fools were deep in a huddled conversation of their own.
“Those dirty double-crossers!” accused the good Senator as he pushed himself out of his chair and started pacing the room. “We’ve been attempting our own negotiations on that front for months now.”
“How credible are your sources, Blueblood?” asked Director Manesfeild, writing frantically in her spiral-bound notebook.
“Very credible,” said Blueblood. “This came from Ambassador Emerald Shine, the Crystal Empire’s representative to the Griffin Republic.”
“We can’t let them do this,” said Senator Underhill. “I know I represent Foreign Affairs, but the taxes that come from the Empire through our international licence are too important to let them slip away.”
“I’m sure we can make do without, Senator,” offered Princess Twilight with a weak, faltering smile.
“Need I remind you that money is the source of your new library and education reforms, Madam Undersecretary?” snarled the good Senator.
“I… see,” said Twilight as she scribbled a short note down in her papers.
“Your Majesty,” said Blueblood with feigned concern. Now was his chance. “I know you placed me here for a reason, to represent Equestria and reach out to the distant Crystal Monarch. I am trying my hardest, but I think...”
“Yes, Blueblood, what is it?”
“Well, I think... diplomacy is failing.”
“No,” said Twilight. She rose to her full height in her chair. “I’m not discussing this.”
“I understand your history, and your friendship, Your Highness,” replied Blueblood. Perfect, keep going, “but I would be doing you and the rest of Equestria a disservice if I didn’t voice my concern here and now. Conflict is coming. I feel that it’s inevitable. Delaying our preparations for that conflict will only make it worse when they hit us first.”
“What you’re suggesting is called a Cold War, Blueblood. A war of ideas, sabre-rattling, and stockpiling,” countered Twilight with a glare that was meant to freeze his blood, but only served to make Blueblood more giddy inside. “But I won’t have it, nor will I hear of it.”
“But Your Highness, many of her ponies feel troubled as well!” he replied, faking a caring face and a sincere tone. “I’ve had hundreds of crystal ponies come to me privately over the years and express their concerns over the colonial and militaristic direction their country is heading. The Empire is going downhill with Rarity at its head.”
“Princess, please,” came the quiet voice. Blueblood looked over and was pleased to see General Shears looking over at Twilight. “I know it would be a difficult action, but we must take into account the facts and figures the Ambassador has provided. If the Empire is actively mobilizing like this, then we must plan for the worst. We need an effective military strategy to combat or cripple the Empi—”
“Enough!” shouted Princess Twilight, and the other ponies in the room went still, glittering as they all were in a field of her paralyzing magic.
“I will state this once, and only once,” Twilight said quietly, looking everypony in the room in the eye in turn. Every fiber in her body spoke with firm resolve. “I will not engage in warfare against Rarity, cold or otherwise. Nor will I endorse any sort of action or call to action from the Senate to do so. I will never support any military action against my friend or her kingdom. I will seek out every single alternative solution, no matter how bizarre.”
Her magic released its impossible grip, and a collective sigh of relief went up from the other members of the drawing room.
“Your devotion to your friends is remarkable, truly an inspiration for us all,” said Blueblood, making a show of rubbing the stiffness out of his neck. Several of the ponies nodded in agreement. “But I wonder if Empress Rarity remembers your friendship with such devotion.”
“I hope so too, Blueblood.”
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“I have( ) sister,” said Sapphire quietly [a]
“I’ve had hundreds of crystal ponies come to be privately [me]
5392176
Dang it, thank you for pointing those out.
1. When does Blueballs gets his?
2. When do we see the fight between Rarity and Celestia?
5392199 There's more than those two, unfortunately.
5392290
What are the others? You can pm me them to me if you wish.
5392313 There's too many for me to list here. Just take some time to read over the chapter very carefully and you'll see them.
5392317
K. Thanks. I'll do that now.
Good chapter, but yes, there are a number of editing issues that need addressing. And they are sadly frequent, and I take the blame for them. Blueblood, I think you and I are going to need an editor. I feel that we are more peer-writers and pre-readers if we're being honest with ourselves.
This is the most build-up to a party I have ever seen, this day just keeps getting longer and longer.
Also It's kind of strange how Spike just disappeared on the train.
5392471
I wouldn't worry about Spike. We didn't forget about him.
I wonder if Princess Twilight Sparkle can keep the war mongers in the senate under control
5392471 So what you're saying is that this is A Long-Awaited Party?
wait what?! 6 days between chapters? D: and hear I thought I already read chapter 12 which I mistook for that last one where somehow Rarity ended up getting teleported by her cape? lol
I was not prepared for another chapter so soon! I'm quite pleased, yay!
It is NOT "madingley." That does not even resemble a real word
The word you're looking for is "maddeningly." I do like this story, but such a blatantly obvious mistake--not typo but actual error--really frustrated me.
5393208
I am very sorry to have caused you any frustration. That is not my intention here. I did mess up with these typos. I admit that it is my fault. I get so excited to post a new chapter that I easily over look them. Again, I am very sorry.
I will be looking for an additional editor to help find these typos and grammar mistakes that keep slipping past me.
Please tell me the dance was the foxtrot. Even if that doesn't really fit with the birthday present, I so want a fox to be doing the foxtrot.
I feel like something is missing between items and Blueblood. Maybe a 'for'?
Oh Blueblood. I so look foreward to this all crashing down around you.
5393258
Sorry for upsetting you. I didn't mean it to be offensive
delete
______________
I so want to kick Bluey in his dangly bits. Hopefully Twilight talks to Rarity face to face and uncovers Blue Bloods deception.
5393942
We know it turned out all right, but not how. We see that they are on the verge of a centuries long game of the Blue Bloods. And we see that as of right now there are problems, both as of now and previously. Seeing as Rarity has been getting the short end of the stick, and has been politically raped by Equestrian laws staggered up against her nation. As well as misinformation by those who "speak for Twilight".
This is the fic where those rough patches and miscommunications get fixed and the Crystal Empire gets better ... after all those myths of Empress Rarity in Equestria's more rural communities had to come from somewhere, and Rarity needs to get back to rekindling her friendship with Twilight.
That's been the huge part of this fic (Twilight's willful obliviousness, ignoring her failing government system that needs maintence / an immortal to keep it honest, and Rarity and Twilight's strained relation getting fixed).
Soooooo....Blueblood's whole thing is petty revenge for Rarity tearing him a new asshole at the Gala? ...WOW.
5394496 There are clues that would seem to indicate he IS the original Blueblood.
5394397
No, it isn't. Cut me some slack, my grammar might suck, but not my story telling.
5394994 Yeah, I figured there had to be a lot more to it than that. I was mostly being glib.
y u so good at teh hoerswordz
Any ETA on chapter 13's progress? I love the slice of life and comedy portions of this fic, but I really need some more R250. That cliffhanger. I love this story! XD
And finally, but to get some more Silver Dash backstory. And wow, Twilight can just spy on any pony she wants? That's so hax! I wonder what Rarity would say if that ever got out or she caught Twilight spying on her, if she was awake that is as I'm sure being merged with the Crystal Heart and *cough*Sombra*cough* that she can get in tuned with the ethereal planes. That's be a pretty fun battle between Rarity and Twilight, oh so giddy for some eventual conflict even if it's a verbal one between those two.
But I can't wait for Rarity and the Gryphon Kingdom to meet. I'd love to see Twilight react to that one!
"You're costing Equestria it's educational budget that I could have taken from my military budget but won't because they don't want to!" oh wait, lol, maybe not quite like that! xD
Keep doing whatcha doing! But keeping my fingers crossed for another chapter soonish?
5396370
About half way done with it. It should go easy, but Autumn and I are looking for pre-readers for both of our stories at the moment.
I'm really liking this story and I can't wait for the next chapter, but I have one problem with it. Twilight and Rarity are sane and reasonable individuals with heavily vested interests in avoiding war.
The ENTIRE conflict would, and will, be immediately solved the moment they sit down for negotiations and realized that Blueblood has been lying to both of them to manufacture a war. This whole thing would also be IMMEDIATELY fixed if Luna just said one sentence to Rarity or if Celestia did the same for Twilight. In essence this story has no conflict or tension because only by mind boggling stupidity could Blueblood actually succeed with whatever he is planning.
Love the way you interweave political, social and magic stuff to create the plot and make it believable, cant wait to hear more of this story.
Honestly the only reason Blueblood's plan is even alive right now is because Twilight and Rarity haven't talked. Literally all it would take for Blueblood to get caught and (executed) punished is them talking or Dash and Sapphire telling Rarity the truth. The story is still great though I just can't stop thinking this while reading "just bucking talk to Rarity Twilight!"
5464128
Hmm... I've been thinking about your comment and Inabit's comment for a while now. I can see where you are coming from, both of you since it is mirror the same thing. I understand how it looks right now as well, hopefully in a few chapters, you'll see that Blueblood planned for the same thing.
It'll be interesting to see Sapphire talk with Rarity, and Rarity speaking to Twilight at the party. There is a lot to talk about. I may have to have the ponies involved do a mental checklist of what to talk about, just to make sure it all gets covered. Can't forget that poison pill bill...
5465904 Hmm so it seem I've underestimated Blueblood then.
Oh snap.
Twiliiiiiiiight don't be an idiot...
5466675
Come now. For a story like this, it entirely REQUIRES that Twilight and everyone around Blueblood be a gibbering moron! This is to be expected.
So... not to be "that guy" but update? Maybe?
5685382
Tomorrow. Probably in the late afternoon to evening hours.
Sapphire née Luna acquiring Silver Dash as an agent as a replacement master instead of Blueblood? That's just about the best possible resolution to that problem as could be asked for. Dash is now no longer working for the bad guy, and her mom continues to get help in Cloudsdale. Nice heart to heart between the two of them, too.
All these hints from Blueblood about Twilight, Rarity, Celestia, etc., knowledge and opinions that he in theory shouldn't hold so personally if he really isn't the same Blueblood as indicated in the comments. It'll be interesting seeing what the explanation is that resolves both sides of that in a consistent fashion, not to mention how this won't actually be cleared up by Twilight and Rarity simply having a conversation. Here's hoping it isn't just them having a conversation while holding personal idiot balls, but the idea of Blueblood planning for that outcome makes me hopeful that it won't play out like that. Maybe this is a plan to discredit both Rarity and Twilight? Given the internal monologue it's pretty clear he hates them both
All that said, good on Twilight for her firm response, even if it might still be playing into the ongoing scheme.
6252612
I would absolutely love to go on, and on, and on about this post, without revealing my hand.
It's all... complicated. I hope you like the next chapter as it tries to explain that complexity, with some of what you were mentioning as the key focus of the chapter. Twilight and Rarity's conversation is actually very personal for me to write, basing a lot of it off experience. It's not simple. Twilight's statement was also extremely important regarding certain matters...
i.imgur.com/tqvV9.gif
People have been guessing Blueblood is a vampony, but from what we've seen, I'm guessing he falls more into the "lich" category.
And, well, I'll admit that his appearances so far have been vastly better than many other Blueblood-Villain performances I've seen. He seems to have an actual character, for starters, not just a collection of puppy-kicking stupid evil tropes.
Also, maybe I'm wrong, but he hasn't been lying about everything, has he? Rarity really was planning to buy Shimmer Bay to bypass the Equestrian tax system. And her staff is training for fights against Equestria's Princess Twilight, for example.
I really don't see how Blueblood is planning to pull off whatever his scheme is.
Is he really banking everything on these two old friends never ever meeting face to face again, where they could talk things out, without him controlling the information channels to his own ends? Even though Twilight specifically made the trip all the way up here for Rarity's birthday? Or is he expecting their conversation to go the way it always happens in painfully contrived plays, where neither side ever says a single thing clearly and directly, but both speak only in ridiculously vague allusions that the playwright constructed specifically to make the other side misconstrue their meaning and perpetuate an utterly ridiculous misunderstanding?