Twilight swung at the hanging punching bag, which made weak paff noises every time she connected. Her hooves jerked back and forth. She winced with each impact, as if she was afraid the bag would hit back.
Daring Do snickered from the other side of the bag. “You haven’t practiced at all, have you?”
Twilight groaned. “I keep telling my mom”—paff—“I’m an alicorn”—paff—“I have so much magic”—paff—“I can turn any attacker”—paff—“to paste.” She sat back and took a swig of water. “You want to see my self-defense classes? Take a look at my magic portfolio.”
Daring Do nudged the punching bag to let it swing. “Then what’s all this for?”
Twilight smirked. “Because if she asks me if I’ve been keeping up, I can answer with an honest ‘yes’ and avoid the lecture.”
Daring Do caught the bag. “I’m so telling on you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I so would.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Actually, I was gonna write to Velvet anyways. Two birds with one stone.” Daring Do held a hoof to her mouth. “Spike! Hay, Spike! Got a job for you!”
Twilight Sparkle grabbed Daring’s shoulder. “You are literally going to tattle on a princess.”
“Impeach Twilight Sparkle!” Daring Do hollered. “She’s disobeying her mom!”
Twilight pulled her mouth to one side. “You can’t impeach a princess.”
“So it’s banishment, then?” Daring Do poked Twilight’s chest. “To the moon with you, and no supper.”
Care Carrot walked in, her coat damp from her morning run. She whistled as she looked around. “Now this is a workout room. Treadmills, barbells, chin-up bars…” She rubbed a hoof over a countertop. “And a nice thick layer of dust.”
“Behold, the Royal Guard has arrived to haul our delinquent princess away.” Daring Do hid behind the punching bag. “We salute their bravery.”
Care stopped on her way to a weightlifting station. She cocked an eyebrow. “Is she drunk?”
Daring Do rolled her eyes. “Why does everypony keep asking me that? No, I’m just having fun.” She nudged Twilight’s shoulder. “Little Miss Magic here hasn’t been practicing her self-defense.”
Care wrapped bandages tight around her hooves. “Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
Daring Do waved her off. She hunched down before the bag. “Come on, Sparkle. You’ve got earth pony magic in you. You should be able to hit ten or eleven times what I can. You’re holding yourself back.”
Her hooves slammed into the punching bag as she hit it with a one-two-three combo. She finished up by dropping to her forehooves and twisting around to buck. Sand poofed through the seams. “See? This is about hitting solid. Hard. You aren’t gonna knock a creep-o down by slapping them.”
“Not necessarily,” Care said. She walked over to the bag, tightening the last of her wraps. “If you can hit somepony enough times in a short time-span, you can blow them off their feet.”
Twilight Sparkle sighed. “Guys, I just don’t wanna get into a fight. I can suspend a pony in midair. I can glue their hooves in place. I can freeze them if they really need taking down.” She shrugged. “I can leave the fisticuffs for experts and professionals.”
Care danced lightly on her hooves. “You wanna take down this Hurricane person, right?”
“Yeah, sure,” Twilight said. “But that’s why you’re on the team, right?”
Daring grabbed a foreleg to stretch it across her chest. “Celestia’s pretty good at magic. Hurricane took her down.”
Twilight and Care pursed their lips and looked at anything but each other. Daring shrunk in on herself. “S’what I get for having a point,” she muttered.
“I can’t force you to practice,” Care said after a moment, “but if you wanna, I’ll help out.”
“Thanks, Care.” Twilight smiled. She lowered her eyebrows and looked at the guard’s bandages. “What’re those for?”
Care double-checked her knots. “So I don’t break somepony’s nose when I kick them in the face.” She chuckled. “But really, I use a lot of side-strikes in my hoof-to-hoof. After a while, my skin starts getting a little roughed up by the training dummies.”
Daring popped her neck. “Looking for a sparring partner?”
Care raised an eyebrow. She looked Daring up and down, from her grayscale mane to her muscular legs. “You look like you can take it, I think. Sure you’re up to sparring with a guard, Miss Yearling?”
“Not every author is a flabby pony who sits on their butt all day.” Daring trotted over to the counter and wrapped her own hooves in the white wrap. “I was a guard, back in my day. Served under Sparkle’s mom.”
“Really?” Care turned to Twilight. “Who’s your mom?”
“Twilight Velvet,” Twilight said, adding another “paff” to her collection. “She’s Yearling’s editor.”
Care’s mouth fell open. “Twilight Velvet? The Twilight Velvet? As in, ‘former Captain of the Royal Guard’ Twilight Velvet?”
Daring stretched her wings, one at a time. “So you know her?”
“Not personally, but geeze.” Care bumped her forehead. “I don’t know how I didn’t make the connection. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Equestria. Your brother’s the former Captain of the Guard and current Prince of the Crystal Empire. Of course your mom would be Captain Velvet.”
“I’m pretty sure heroism runs in their genes,” Daring said.
“Now you’ve got me curious.” Care leaned close to Twilight as the princess continued to weakly box the punching bag. “Who’s your dad? A noble knight? A former mercenary? Maybe a retired ambassador to the dragons?”
“He teaches astronomy at Canterlot Junior College.”
Paff, paff, paff.
Care pulled a face. She turned a dull stare on Daring. “Translation?”
Daring held her hooves up. “That’s all I got, too. He discovered a comet once, I guess.”
Care and Daring stood across from each other on the mat. Care fastened a padded helmet. “I’m pretty sure you guys are just messing with me.”
Daring Do tightened the chin strap on her helmet. “Seriously. His defining feature is that he hasn’t faced a titanic monster his entire life. Kicked butt when the changelings invaded Canterlot, but we were all together for that one.” She punched the air twice. “Were you even out of diapers when that happened?”
Care scrunched her muzzle. “I was thirteen.”
Daring grinned. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Care squinted. “You’re trying to get me riled up. It won’t work.”
Daring spread her wings and balanced on her hind legs. “Show me what you’ve got, rookie.”
Care hunkered down on her back legs to keep her forehooves close to her face. “No magic?”
Daring nodded, folding her wings tight. “Cool with me. No quarter asked or given?”
Care tilted her head. She lowered her hooves. “Excuse me?”
“Just a joke, rookie.” Daring rolled her hooves around each other. “You say when.”
Care clenched her teeth tight. “When.”
She kicked her back legs, sending her leaping towards Daring. She rolled and came up swinging. Ten punches hit Daring’s upraised forelegs in quick succession. Care swung a rear leg in a semicircle to catch her opponent’s, but Daring Do hopped over it.
On her way down, Daring brought her hoof towards Care’s helmet. Care clapped her hooves together and caught the punch. She twisted Daring’s foreleg, but the pegasus rolled with it, spinning through the air. Daring wrenched out of Care’s grasp and followed up with a strong uppercut.
Care leaned away to avoid the blow. She used the inertia to carry her into a back flip. She kicked her legs out and wacked Daring in her chest. The pegasus stumbled back one step.
“Whoa-ho, the rookie’s got some skill.” Daring Do dropped to all fours and bounced. “Do I detect some mastery with the way of the woodpecker?”
“I know a little, yeah.” Care Carrot wiped her nose. “What’ve you got, Yearling? Just boxing, or something I haven’t seen before?”
Daring Do jumped alongside Care. Before the unicorn could turn around, Daring slammed her shoulder into her middle. Daring wrapped her forelegs around Care’s torso and took her to the ground. After a quick scramble, all four legs were restrained in a tight hold.
“Maybe a little,” Daring grunted. “Betchya didn’t see that coming.”
Care broke a leg free, brought a knee to Daring’s side, and then rolled away. She brought her forelegs up in a ready stance. “Got me with it once…”
Daring Do jabbed, then followed up with a left hook. Care caught the first, then ducked under the second. While she was low, she let loose a flurry of hits to Daring’s side. Daring reached down to block, but Care shifted around to the pegasus’ back. She circled around, constantly moving, constantly delivering volley after volley.
Daring smacked her in the side of the head with a sweeping backhand. Her next strong uppercut landed square in Care’s shoulder. The force of the blow carried the unicorn up and over to the edge of the mat.
Care lay there for a moment, her legs in the air. She let herself flop down, her chest heaving. “Uncle.”
“And experience triumphs over youth once again!” Daring held her hooves in the air. She reached down to grasp Care’s foreleg. “Great job, Captain. Next time, try not to tire yourself out.”
Care got to her feet and pulled off her helmet. “You’re not so bad yourself, Miss Yearling.”
“Call me Amber,” Daring Do said. “Amber Kestrel Yearling.”
“Woo-hoo!” Twilight Sparkle pounded her hooves into the floor. “Go Aunt Yearling! Woo!”
“Don’t cheer too loud, Sparkle,” Daring said. “You’re next.”
Twilight froze. “Huh?”
Daring clapped a hoof on Twilight’s back. “But first we gotta teach you how to actually punch.”
Care shook her mane out. “Your Highness, I’ve been meaning to ask—”
Twilight rubbed her eyes. “‘Twilight,’ please.”
“Fine. Twilight.” Care grabbed the bag and held it while Twilight paff, paff, paffed against it. “Where’s Mister Blank? I haven’t seen him around since he arrived.”
“He’s holed up in one of the guest rooms.” Paff, paff, paff. “One of the many guest rooms. He said he wanted to keep mostly to himself.”
Care frowned. “I don’t like it. I don’t trust him. He’s hiding something.”
“My mom seems to vouch for him.” Paff, paff, paff. “I trust her.”
Daring Do did a few slow wingups. She winced each time she pushed up. “I don’t see what the big deal is. He’s just this weenie little stallion. Makes good oatmeal, maybe, but he ain’t done anything suspicious.”
“He dodges all my questions, or outright says he won’t answer.” Care brushed a lock of green mane over her shoulder. “Call me paranoid, but he’s one big…” She smacked herself in the forehead. “Blank. Of course he is.”
Daring Do took the bag from her. “Maaaybe you should stop treating every conversation like an interrogation.”
Care bit her bandages to free her hoof. “He’s a potential danger living right in the castle—”
“He’s also a potential friend.” Paff, paff, paff. “Again, my mom’s my secondary litmus test for whether something’s good or bad.”
Care shook her legs one by one. “Who’s your primary?”
Paff, paff, paff. “Spike.”
“Yeah?” the dragon in question walked in on all fours, carrying a sheet of paper. “You need something, Twi?”
“Maybe encouragement.” Twilight let her forelegs drop to her sides. “Eagh. I think I’m done for the day.”
“Good, because I just got a message from the mayor’s office.” Spike passed her the note. “You’re wanted in a meeting ASAP.”
Twilight took the sheet and skimmed it. “Does it say what Applejack wants?”
“Not a word.” Spike waved. “Hay, Aunt Yearling.”
“How’s my favorite dragon?” Daring Do squeezed Spike in a bear hug. “Getting bigger, but you’re still a little scrawny in your legs.”
Spike flexed a muscular arm. It swelled to about twice the size of Daring’s hind legs. “Whoops, guess I’ve been neglecting it.”
Twilight blew a breath through her lips. “I’ll be back later, guys. Apparently, this can’t wait.”
“We’ll hold down the fort.” Daring Do gave her a light shove. “You just do your princessy things. Change the world a little while you’re at it.”
“Should I come, too,” Care asked.
“I’d like you to come, but it says it’s a private meeting.” Twilight removed the sweat bands around her ankles. “Maybe you and D—Yearling can figure out something about the throwing knife while I’m gone.”
Care’s head snapped to Daring. “You have one of the knives?”
“Had,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. She shook her head and trotted out the door. “Just try not to kill each other, okay?”
***
Twilight Sparkle flapped her wings to slow her descent. She sighed. The protestors were already picketing City Hall. And of course, Miss Merry Mare, former Mayor of Ponyville, was already preaching to her own personal choir through a magically-enhanced megaphone.
“It’s autumn, Ponyville!” she said. “And still there is no word from Applejack whether she will restore the Nightmare Night Celebration! Are we to just lie down and take it while such a culturally important event is set aside for the selfish desires of our mayor?”
“No!” the crowd shouted.
“What will become of our children if they are deprived of candy? Of the opportunity to showcase the costumes they’ve worked so hard for?” Merry Mare gripped her podium. “All in the name of roads that have not seen an iota of improvement!”
Twilight Sparkle groaned. She nudged her way through the crowd, making sure to bump as many ponies aside as possible. She stood up next to the podium and cleared her throat.
Merry Mare narrowed her eyes behind her glasses. “May I help you, Princess?”
“Why I’d love to speak!” Twilight said, taking the megaphone from Merry. “Attention People of Ponyville! The Nightmare Night Celebration is not, in fact, cancelled! Nor was it ever. Nor will it ever be, thanks to Princess Luna!”
She smirked at Merry Mare. “What is happening is that, due to budget constraints, there will not be a complimentary apple-bobbing game, or a band from out of town. Instead, all activities and entertainment will be provided by individual citizens of Ponyville. Also, I hear Pinkie Pie’s taken a personal interest in organizing trick-or-treating this year.”
Merry scowled. She reached for the megaphone, but Twilight turned away to address a different portion of the crowd. “By the way,” Twilight said, “there is free ice cream to anypony here who brings me a poison joke flower today. Thank you.”
She turned off the megaphone, set it on the pedestal, and walked into City Hall, leaving a quietly fuming Merry Mare to address a few very confused ponies.
Inside, at a desk marked “Assistant Mayor,” Pinkie Pie tapped away at a typewriter. She muttered to herself at a volume just below shouting. “Then we could take a loop through the Berryborough cul-de-sac, which would just about double our candy intake, followed by a trip down Mane Street, and finally ending at—” She looked up with a start. “Twilight! You’re here! You’d better go in right away.”
Twilight lifted a hoof. “Is it serious?”
“I dunno, but Applejack looks nervous enough to eat her hat.” Pinkie climbed over her desk and took Twilight’s foreleg. “They won’t let me go inside. They say it’s secret.”
“They?” Twilight’s brow furrowed. “They, who?”
“I don’t know!” Pinkie waved as Twilight opened the door. “If it’s a monster, kick its butt for me!”
Twilight giggled as she shut the door. Applejack sat behind her desk, her hat clutched firmly to her chest. A cloaked pony sat in one of the two seats in front of the mayor’s desk. Twilight took the other seat. “Hay, Applejack. What’s up?”
The cloaked pony removed her hood, revealing Princess Luna. “‘What’s up’ is that Andean is coming for a visit.”
Twilight Sparkle blinked. “Oh.” She looked at Applejack, who had twisted her hat in a knot at the sound of the griffon king’s name. “Oh.”
“I believe his visit may have something to do with Celestia’s… predicament.” Luna shrugged. “Whether he had something to do with it, or is merely coming to offer condolences, it offers us a challenge.”
Twilight idly began to chew on her mane. “Isn’t this the king who almost started war over dinner?”
“Ain’t quite the exact situation, but pretty much.” Applejack’s hollow chuckle did nothing to lift her spirits. “He’s cooled down a little since then, hasn’t he?”
“Perhaps a bit. Trade has stabilized, when for many years it was touch-and-go.” Luna leaned forward. “It may have something to do with the new weapons Felaccia has been producing.”
Twilight Sparkle rubbed the base of her horn. “He wants to show off.”
“It’s possible. Though as a show of force or a demonstration of a new product, I cannot speculate.” Luna rested a hoof on Twilight’s foreleg. “But that is not quite why I called you to this meeting. His visit offers an opportunity.”
Twilight patted Luna’s hoof. “How so?”
“He will no doubt be expecting some sort of welcoming party.” Luna waved a hoof. “A ball, dinner, some sort of shindig. I believe that if we throw such a party, it may attract other attention.”
Twilight sucked in a breath. “The assassin.”
Luna nodded. “Celestia was attacked during an opera. If Hurricane was willing to attempt such a ploy during a public show, then how much moreso will she try again during a grand ball?”
Twilight shifted in her seat. “She’d have to know security will be a dozen times higher. Not only with the Royal Guard, but also Andean’s Blitzwings. She’d be crazy to attack.”
“She’d have tah be crazy to attack Celestia.” Applejack shut her eyes tight and bit her lip. “It ain’t all, Twilight.”
“What do you mean, Applejack?” Twilight asked.
“Applejack knows the king the best out of all of us.” Luna pulled her cloak tighter. “It was she who spent the most time with him during the event with the Sapience, after all. Though I must play the host, after a certain time has passed, Applejack will distract Andean, while I go off to someplace less guarded. There, I shall act as bait, and Hurricane shall come.”
Twilight jumped up and grabbed Luna’s shoulder. “Wait. Hold on—”
“And then you and your team shall jump out and subdue her.” Luna smiled calmly. “You may have your doubts about my abilities, but unlike my sister, I shall be prepared.”
“I don’t doubt your abilities; I doubt that using yourself as bait is the best plan here.”
“How else can we flush out the fiend, Twilight?” Luna stood up to her full height. Her starry mane flowed out from beneath her cloak. “She must be stopped, and if I am to put myself in harm’s way, so be it. I’m already in danger.”
Applejack tapped her hooves together. “Ah think she’s on the right track, Twi. You wanna catch a critter, you gotta use the right bait.” She gave Luna a stern look. “Ah just better find out that the bait’s still alive at the end o’ the day.”
“Thankfully, this is not fishing.” Luna rubbed her chin. “But we still need the right hook. Ideas on a celebration?”
“As cliché as it might sound,” Twilight said, “what about a Nightmare Night Masquerade?”
“Much as it would give this Hurricane fellah a chance tah blend in”—Applejack smoothed out her old hat and plopped it on her head—“there is such a thing as makin’ things too easy for them.”
“But I see opportunity for plainclothes guards.” Luna nodded. “I shall consider it. Thank you for agreeing to help, Lord Mayor.”
“Just Applejack to friends, Princess.” Applejack bowed. “Ah guess ah’ll see you gals this weekend? That’s when the party is, right?”
“That’s when Andean’s coming, yes.” Luna covered her head with the hood. Her body shrunk down to the size of an average pony. “Twilight, would you walk with me?”
Applejack leaned on her elbow. “Ah guess ah’d better make an appearance for the protestors.”
“With luck, they’re digging around the Everfree for blue flowers to exchange for ice cream.” Twilight sniggered. “I’d better buy a pint or two in case they are that dumb.”
Applejack tilted her head. Her eyes lit up with realization. “You’d better keep that junk the hay away from Sweet Apple Acres, you hear? Ah ain’t fixin’ on shrinkin’ again anytime soon.”
Twilight grinned as she slid through the door. “Goodbye, Appletini.”
“Gowan before ah kick you out.” Applejack took a large green stamp and thumped it down on the first of several requests.
Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna walked side-by-side through the city streets. Twilight nibbled a strand of mane. “So I guess the disguise is because of the assassin?”
“I cannot very well walk around in full view of everypony, no.” Luna’s hood bowed. “It would put the ponies around me in danger.”
Luna walked in silence for a few more steps. “I have news of Celestia.”
Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin. She trembled as she kept her nervous energy from spilling out. “H-how is she?”
“She is… dreaming.” Luna sighed. “She is reliving her memories, one by one, day by day. She’s seeing each one as if for the first time.” Her steady hoof-patters faltered. “Even those that she fought so hard to overcome. She’s being crushed by sorrow. All over again.”
Twilight felt tears well up. “M-maybe it’s part of the healing process. Do you think it could have—have something to do with her heart?”
“Chance may have it.”
Twilight’s ears lay back. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes.” Beneath the hood, Luna’s eyes grew hard. “Catch the assassin. Bring her to justice. Make Celestia safe.”
Twilight stopped. She wrapped her forelegs around Luna. “I will. I won’t let you or her down.”
Luna kissed the top of Twilight’s head. “I know you won’t.” Her horn shone with bright magic. Blue sparks descended around her. “I go to prepare, Twilight. See you later.”
She vanished in a bright teleport. Twilight Sparkle stared at the now-empty spot, sighed, and returned to the castle.
***
Care turned the throwing knife over in her telekinetic bubble. She flipped it over to look at both sides of the burn mark. “This is it.”
“Yup.” Daring Do pulled up a page of her sketchbook, showing the marking as they’d looked before the test. “Details match Hurricane’s blades exactly. It sounds freaky, but Twilight said this pony might actually be Commander Hurricane.”
“That’s what Princess Luna thought.” Care set it down in a padded case. “Brought here through the ages… to kill alicorns, apparently.”
“And not a single clue about why.” Daring Do tugged at the ponytail her mane was tied up in. “You know what? If we run into her, feel free to interrogate all you want. I dunno how else we’re gonna get answers.”
The tea kettle whistled. Care walked through the kitchen and grabbed it with a hot pad. “One hot cocoa, coming right up. One marshmallow or two?”
“Three. If it don’t fit, make it fit.” Daring scratched her cheek. “Yanno, if this gal is the real deal, maybe history has the answers.”
Care rolled her eyes as she stirred a scoop of chocolate into the hot water. “What? Do we look for some book called Ye Olde Exposé: Why Commander Hurricane Secretly Hates Alicorns?”
“Well, it’s never that easy…” Daring Do accepted her mug and took a swig. “But you’d be surprised how much dirt you can find on the Founders just by trolling through their diaries.”
Care pulled her chair closer to Daring. “How many did that?”
“Starswirl kept a journal, obviously.” Daring counted on her feathers. “Clover had a diary, but it’s mostly full of diagrams for a bunch of magic enchantments and constructs. Real technical stuff. Chancellor Puddinghead never learned to write, but he kept in contact with the Crystal Empire by dictating to Smart Cookie. I think Princess Platinum had the minutes of the royal court read to her as a bedtime story every night. Kinda a sleep aid.”
Care blew on her cocoa. “Or a way to make sure she didn’t miss anything.”
Daring licked marshmallow fluff from her upper lip. “Huh. Maybe.”
Care did a mental headcount. “What about Hurricane and Pansy?”
“Pansy wrote poetry. Don’t think he recorded much of his own life down, unless the poems are riddles.” Daring Do glanced over her shoulder. “But this. This right here is the freaky part.” She leaned over the table and motioned Care closer. “The Royal Library locked away everything Hurricane touched.”
Care let her mouth hang open in a scowl. “And why has nopony said anything before now?”
“Because it’s a secret her writing even survives. I don’t even know if the princesses have read it. Maybe they’ve even forgotten about it.” Daring opened her eyes wide. “Some say it was nearly destroyed in a fire. Some say it’s enchanted to be unreadable. Some say it contains secrets mortal ponies were not meant to know.”
“Who are ‘some’?”
Daring snorted. “The archivists. When all you have to do is shuffle books around all day, the mind wanders.”
“We can’t go looking for a ghost story, Amber,” Care said. “This is serious.”
“I’m being serious.” Daring Do tapped a hoof to Care’s chest. “This is me being deadly serious. If we can’t track down this mare, a lot of good ponies are in danger. When you find a better lead to go on, we’ll follow that one. Until then, I think it’s time we asked Princess Luna for the key to the library vaults.”
Care smoothed the orange hair on her chest. “And if it’s nothing?”
“Then it’s nothing, but we’d at least rule something out.” Daring popped the joints in her wings. “This, my fearless Captain Carrot, is where guard work meets field work. Enjoy the ride.”
Care looked into her mug, at the last of the frothy drink. She raised it towards Daring. “To good success, then.”
Daring Do grinned. “To good success.”
They clinked the mugs and downed the last of the drink. A bright flash filled the room. They jumped up, sending their chairs to the floor, and assumed combat-ready positions.
Twilight Sparkle walked out of a cloud of magic dust. She blushed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
They relaxed. Care picked up a chair, while Daring crossed her forelegs. “So, Sparkle,” she said, “what’s the word from the mayor?”
Twilight Sparkle spread her wings and lowered her horn. “Pick out your Nightmare Night costumes, girls.” A determined smile slid across her face. “We’ve got a plan.”
***
Wingblades flew through the air and embedded themselves into the back of a ratty old couch. The scarred mare trotted across the room and examined her handiwork. She pulled them out, one by one, and slid them between her feathers. She flew into the air and swung one wing in a strong stroke.
The blades hit the couch, burying themselves deeper.
“In other news,” the homemade radio hissed, “High Princess Luna has decided to move the Canterlot Nightmare Night Masquerade up a week to accommodate King Andean’s visit to Equestria.”
The mare floated down to the radio and turned it up. She settled herself down on her cot and flicked her ears around, searching for any sounds out of the ordinary.
“When asked how this would look with High Princess Celestia still injured, Princess Luna stated that Princess Celestia did not want life in Equestria to grind to a halt because of her injury.” The mare’s eyebrow lifted. “No word yet on who did and didn’t get onto the invitation list, but we’ll update you as soon as we find out!”
Her scar itched worse that day. Without treatment, it would soon start to burn. She pulled out her silver canister of ambrosia and daubed a little onto a cloth. She patted her injured cheek with the medicine. It cooled almost instantly.
But it didn’t heal. It never healed. It never would.
She shook her white mane and retrieved the blades still embedded in the couch. She looked around the dark, cold room she’d been staying in. A small, abandoned warehouse on the edge of Canterlot’s ledge. Owned by a pony named Dulcimer, she’d seen on the sign over the door. Only one magic-powered light still had a working bulb, so she’d set up her few pieces of furniture underneath it.
She clicked to a different channel. “You’re listening to ‘Good Afternoon, Ponyville!’ Next up is Sweetie Belle with her hit—”
Click.
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of ponies? The Shadowfright know—”
Click.
The next channel burst out with a series of screeches, thumps, and beeps that caused the mare to press her wings to her ears. She slammed a hoof down on the radio, shutting it off.
All was quiet.
A cold chill permeated the room. The scarred mare wrapped her wings around her body to hold in warmth. She shut her eyes tight and gritted her teeth.
A long, low sigh, like an ancient beast coming awake, reverberated around the warehouse. The mare opened her eyes and stared at her hooves. Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her head and looked at the far corner of the room.
Just beyond the glow of the overhead lamp, just before the shadows enveloped everything in darkness, there sat a mirror. The frame was gold, molded into vine-like swirls and leafy spirals. The mirror was smoother than should have been physically possible, flat down to the molecules.
The scarred mare’s hooves shook as she took a step towards the mirror. The sigh sounded once more, accompanied by air blowing past her mane. Her heart raced. She forced herself to take even breaths. But even with that, she had to fight her own sense of panic every step of the way.
She stood before the mirror, but there was no reflection. There was only a gray, swirling mass of clouds. She prostrated herself, no longer daring to look into the void. Her teeth chattered as another sigh, another breath, touched her body.
“Kill the younger alicorn.”
With that, the chill in the air disappeared. The feeling of panic resided. The presence left the room.
The scarred mare stood, brushed herself off, and bowed her head. “As you have said, Master.”
Nefarious dealings with an unsavory figure!
5375745
The best sort of dealings with the best sort of figure!
Interesting chapter. The sparring room scene kind of drags a bit, but then things pick up fast when Twilight needs to see the Mayor!
Very interesting. Is it your headcanon that all earth ponies are ten times stronger than the other tribes, or just alicorns?
Does someone have a bit of Griffon blood in them?
Awwww, that's adorable. Probably made editing RD's adults-only fanfiction real awkard, back in the day.
I'd like to see him spar a pony.
Wow, she's sure good at controlling an audience...
Tsk tsk, interfering in local politics is bad form, Princess.
Man, AJ better be planning to supply apples as an individual citizen, or I'm voting Merry in the next Ponyville election. Apple bobbing is Derpy's favorite part of Nightmare Night! Won't someone please think of the mailmares? Wait, does "of Ponyville" include Zecora? 'Cause I'm pretty sure Merry use to pay her for those awesome illusions.
Ohhhh, Twilight, that is such a terrible idea! I predict unintended consequences.
Haha, someone who's insecure about magic now wants to show off just how long his rifle is!
Not sure if Luna playing at helpless damsel or AJ distracting Andean with small talk will be more hilarious.
consequences!
Ohh, how did I not spot that before? Lemme guess, Care Carrot is the true heir to the Equestrian throne? She's dating a were-pony? She was raised by diamond dogs?
Cool, we get to guess the title! My guess is "Fillies Just Want to Have Fun."
And a cool new twist! Here we thought she was just a one-pony racist, but now I'm guessing we know who magicked Hurricane forward. I'm guessing this "master" was why Starswirl wore bells on his person at all times...
...so does Darth Hurricane get her own broadsaber, or at least jet black full plate armor to cover up her horrible scars?
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Drags, huh? That's a little distressing, since the key to writing an engaging story is to leave all the boring bits out. On second look, though, I see you're right. It just sort of keeps going. Maybe I ought to reallocate certain bits of exposition. Hrm, I go to ponder.
An earth pony can train to be obscenely strong. House-moving strong. However, the average earth pony doesn't train nearly that much. Just like the average pegasus is not gonna keep up with Rainbow Dash, nor the average unicorn with pre-ascension Twilight.
Alicorns receive a boost in all three magicks, but it's just raw power until you can harness it with practice and preciseness.
Not quite, but there's a story behind the name all the same.
Regardless of any such fiction Dash wrote or did not write, she's barred from reading it now, since she's part of the official creative team. Beware your headcanons, Rainbow Dash's is primed and ready to fire.
No promises he'll spar a pony.
After three terms as a mayor, she's either charismatic or mind-warping.
She's a citizen of Ponyville, same as any of them! She votes, she pays taxes, she goes to city council meetings. She just so happens to have a personal line straight to the sovereign leaders of the land.
Of course she will, you needn't worry about that. What they've got to worry about is Cheerilee assigning apple-related word problems to the kids who stop by.
See the first chapter of Lord Mayor Applejack for a nearly-comprehensive list of the non-pony residents of Ponyville. Zecora's one of them!
What possible consequences would arise from asking Merry's associates to collect dangerous poison and deliver it to her door?
Definitely Applejack, because there'll be a bit of drama on Luna's end.
I didn't recall Captain Carrot until after I decided on Care's title and surname. I'm willing to say it's a subconscious reference, but I'm still not quite sure what the hay Captain Carrot is.
That would be a good one. Actually, that would be perfect for her, especially considering what she's just been through (in a good way). You win the "Word of Hobby Approved Headcanon" award for today.
Unless this master person predates him. Muhuhahahahahaha.
Ponies don't do swords very well, even those made of plasma beams. The black armor doesn't come in until the end of the third act.
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Makes sense, it would stretch credibility if Filthy Rich was able to readjust his mansion whenever he wanted a different view. And yeah, if alicorns have much stronger unicorn magic, then it follows they would have stronger versions of the other two tribes.
Oh man, I would love to see the writer's room for the Daring Do movies with RD there. I bet she helped add some awesome action sequences. I also bet the head writer started adding whiskey to his coffee and ended up drinking straight from the flask.
We'll the only other dragon we've seen is still large enough to stomp him easily, soooooo Griffon?
or?
Well, either she's a full powered princess like the Regal Sisters, in which case she's basically embarassing a potential subordinate in public. OR, she's more of a general diplomat/Amazonian war-princess (my personal view), in which case it's like the British Royalty stumping for one of the parties in the UK. You wouldn't find Celestia endorsing Fancy Pants for mayor of Canterlot, would you?
Cheerilee is the second most boring part of Nightmare Night (after trick or treating Dr. Minuette's house, of course). Hopefully Dinky will help her mom with the word problem so Derpy can play. (Hint: the correct answer to all word problems is ask about Cinnamon, then while Cheerilee is distracted cooing about her baby, dive in for a few apples).
I figured Zecora keeps it kind of loose, she obviously values her privacy, so while she has a Ponyville Zip Code, who knows if she's willing to do a chore for free, using up her precious illusion dust, that she used to get paid for?
None that Twilight didn't ask for.
This is a fancy ball, so I'm not sure if you mean drama as in Hurricane trying to kill her, or drama as in Andean confessing that he did it all to prove he's a mighty enough warrior to claim the heart of the Princess of the Moon.
Oops. I meant this guy from the Discworld.
Hooray! Luckily I won too, otherwise I was going to suggest that tune was written by Cindy Clopper.
It's like peeling an onion... an evil onion!
Even if she doesn't get her armor and respirator now, I refuse to imagine her with the voice of a bored Canadian teenager. I want to say Sigourney Weaver?
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But it would be soooo convenient!
The question in my mind is who plays Rainbow Dash when they finally get that far in the series?
Touche.
She was merely dispelling disinformation and offering free ice cream. Nothing more.
Probably not, but then it's not like he needs it to get the popular vote.
Ah, the good old fashioned Toothbrushween celebration, a yearly delight for your pearly whites.
Devious! Using her motherly instinct against her. Downright diabolical.
Cinnamon is totally willing to get in on that action as long as she gets a sweetie from your candy bag.
We'll have to wait for future stories to confirm or deny that she's still the same old hermit. Spoiler alert: she is. She just has more friends now.
Bwahahahahahaha!!!
Stop revealing my plotlines!
Truthfully, though, I promise, promise, promise that Luna isn't the one with a romantic subplot in this story.
I feel sorrowful to say that I don't know him yet. I'm only about a third of the way through The Color of Magic, and that's the only Discworld novel I've read. Oh! Plus The Wee Free Men, but Carrot wasn't in that one either.
Beware, onions make you cry. And they stink.
I haven't mused too much on who would voice Hurricane just yet. Weaver's a good choice, though. A really good choice.
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That's what DT said. I'm pretty sure this ended up being the reason Randolph now has a bad back.
Are you seriously having trouble with that question? Even though Scootaloo can now fly and is almost an adult?
I dunno, I can see an outside candidate making a strong run with character-based attacks (Can we really trust a stallion named Fancy Pants who doesn't wear pants?)
I thought Applejack had to cancel Toothbrushween at the behest of her deputy Mayor?
Man, Cinnamon is even better at trick or treating than her cousin, that foal is getting free candy without having to move!
Fair enough, I guess I just assumed for some reason there would be a Griffon romance ("notice me, sem-paw").
And here I thought you were soooooo clever to introduce a guard named Carrot in one place, then promote her to Captain in another. Guess I was so sharp I cut myself!
But they do add zest to things, and occasionally they make other ingredients shine.
Especially if she fights Chrysalis down the line.
Heh, poor Night Light. But that said, this sounds like a fun story:
Those poor, poor changelings that ran into Twilight's parents and Daring Do.
Hah! The "Aunt Yearling" bit is a fun touch.
I'm right with Care in being suspicious about Blank.
Shesh, ex-Mayor Mare is just straight up lying to her supporters. I hate politicians.
Stay good, Twilight!
Pinkie Pie is the Assistant Mayor?
Maaan, this plan is so risky, it's basically putting both remaining ruling Princesses of Equestria in the same fight with an assassin with potentially legendary skills.
Well that's just a little suspicious. Or a lot suspicious.
Hmn, I wonder if the younger alicorn is Luna or Twilight.
Wild guess time. Hurricane's stuff is locked up because she went missing under suspicious circumstances a thousand years ago, and she disappeared because something pulled her a thousand years forward to serve as a brainwashed assassin.
5390501 As far as the discworld books go, my usual recommendation is to start with either the Guards books (first one is Guards, Guards) or the Moist books (first one is Going Postal). In spite of being the first book in the overall series, The Color of Magic isn't the best entry point IMO. There are a half dozen sub-series in the 30 odd books, so there are a fair number of different places you can jump in.
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It might be downright helpful!
Call the dream thing a little bit of author appeal.
Celestia's had a generally sucky life, I've noticed. Banished her sister to the moon, forced to watch uncountable friends die, left her true love in an alternate universe, had a falling out with Star Swirl, has to deal with the likes of Discord... and here I am adding onto it. I feel like a heel.
Hay, the short end of the stick in the Sparkle family is still a pretty big stick.
Lately, I do, too. People will be people, though.
Since Chapter One of Lord Mayor Applejack!
If Princess Luna is right about the assassin, it's literally legendary.
You may or may not have all the pieces to the puzzle.
I forgot all about Mister Lipwig! I read a chapter or two of Making Money in the library once. Comparing it with Color, I can certainly see a difference in quality. I think I'll follow your advice and read Guards, next.
Ah! I thought I was the only one who dug on some old-school radio plays!
Aww, and here I was hoping Hurricane was motivated by some sort of political disagreement. Somehow, I figured that Hurricane was fed up with all of the prophecy stuff.
After seeing the aftermath of Discord and the government Celestia and Luna set up, Hurricane became disgruntled with the Princesses or something.
... But instead its Hurricane bowing and scraping to some vague dark entity? I am dissapoint, but maybe it'll work out?
5755983 Maybe she's not actually a time traveler and her boss is a necromancer?
Is Merry just blowing hot air, or have the roads - which is to say, unless I misremember, most of Applejack's platform - truly not been improved?
Gray, swirling cloud... if it were specifically dark, I'd guess Sombra, but it's not... next thought is a Nightmare maybe-OC called Umbra, but she's from someone else's fic altogether... (bit of a theme in those guesses, I notice)
Well things are going to get interesting.