Welcome Home, Part Two
In the offices of Lincoln, Lincoln & Phillips, two lawyers sat across from each other, going over paperwork. The first one, a well-kept man in his mid-40s, looked over a bunch of paperwork from the Department of Homeland Security. Seeing DHS paperwork was new; especially from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Amazingly, they didn’t have any of the documentation regarding the smoozing either, and briefly considered the town of Ponyville a hotbed of illegal aliens before someone from the Justice Department coughed up the necessary paperwork.
His counterpart, across the way, fidgeted with nervous energy as he seemed to be going over two entirely different sets of paperwork at once. With a long, unruly mop of dark, curly hair and a bouncy personality, he reminded Paul of a Hispanic male variant of Lyra’s friend Pinkie Pie. The fact that the remains of a cup of double-espresso mocha and a box of donuts sat in front of him probably made this more pronounced.
“So, DOJ really didn’t give the paperwork over to DHS when INS got broken into BCIS, ICE and CBP?”
“Okay, that’s a sign you’ve been working in politics too long: when you start speaking more acronyms than English,” Paul accused.
Carlos chuckled. “Yeah, tell me about it. My wife keeps telling me the same thing, but I keep explaining that’s all a part of the disease that’s politics. Then when she really wants to get me in trouble, she calls DJ and Erica and the three of them spend hours on the phone at my expense.”
“Now that sounds entirely too familiar: when I want to get Lyra to do things when she’s being at her most obstinate, I usually call Harper and we just talk about her baby pictures. Amazing how that seems to get her to stop fairly quick.” The two men shared a laugh for a bit before Paul shook his head and said, “You know, when I was a teenager, if you told me that a decade later I’d meet the woman I’d marry, that was odd enough. But for her to be non-human and married to someone else at the time?”
“She was?”
“Yeah – Lyra’s about seventeen years older than me, and she’d been with her prior spouse just as long. I met her just as her relationship was on the verge of divorce. We got together and it was about five years after we met that we got married. Life’s been great since. But I have to admit: it makes me think of those ponies in Missouri and how many connections they’ve missed in their lives because they’ve been trapped here in our world. There’s this one unicorn I met, filly by the name of Lavender Dreams. She’d just gotten engaged the month before they got smoozed and for all this time, she wondered what happened to her betrothed – did he wait for her or not? Fortunately for her, true love won the day and he’s actually been waiting for her all this time, but how many other stories are like that? Not many, I’m guessing.”
“Yeah, that kind of wait is just bad news for folks.” An unpleasant look crossed Carlos’ face. “I just had a horrible thought: do you know what kind of hell this would be for both governments – and the Senator’s campaign, since I’m now involved – if this news got out?”
“Oh, crap – I hadn’t thought of that. If this gets out the wrong way, it’s going to bring up images of Nazi actions and US internment camps – especially since this year’s the 100th anniversary of the end of World War II. I think I’d better talk to some of our public affairs folks so we can keep this under control.”
It was just at that point that the phone built into the table rang. Paul tapped a finger on the table’s surface, cueing the command to answer the phone. “Yeah, Beth, what’s up?”
“I’ve got a couple of attorneys here from Amnesty International here to see you for your conference. Something about the Ellington case – I don’t have that in our docket. You know what that’s about?”
Both men gave each other the same look: Did you call them? I certainly didn’t. When they realized that, they knew someone was playing games. “Um, yeah. Can you get us their names?”
“Sure.” A pause. “A Ms. Zadi and a Ms. Weisberg.”
“Crap, someone put the word out,” Carlos said. “If that’s Sabrina Weisberg, we’re going to have problems. She’s part of Governor Davies’ presidential campaign. She’s brutal, ruthless and out for blood.”
“You must really hate her then,” Paul sympathized.
“Um….” Carlos said sheepishly before admitting, “She’s my wife.”
Before Paul could say anything further, his secretary escorted the two women in. Zadi, turned out, wasn’t a woman, but a mare, specifically a zebra mare, standing there in a business suit, wearing glasses and her mane done in a modern style as opposed to the traditional Mohawk. Next to her in an almost exact getup and hair style was a tall redhead, a knowing smirk on her face.
“Well, dear,” the redhead said sweetly, “had I known you were involved with this, I would have just asked Zadi to meet us here.”
“Oh, I don’t know, I thought we had a productive little chat over breakfast, Bree,” the zebra commented with a smile.
Paul looked at her oddly. “Uh…you weren’t—”
Zadi sighed, rhyming, “If I always talked in rhyme, I’d be annoying all the time.” She smiled before adding, “Sorry, Mr. Phillips, I’m not a traditionalist. My mother’s been in the diplomatic corps for the longest time, so I was born and raised in Canterlot and went to college here in the United States. Let me tell you, it drives my grandmother up the wall that I don’t use the rhyming patois; my grandmother, Zecora, is a noted scholar of zebra magic, Zebrababwean Swahili, and of course the rhyming patois.”
“Ladies, please have a seat,” Paul said, getting the feeling that this was probably going to be a very brutal meeting.
Bree saw that look. “Mr. Phillips—”
“Paul.”
“Okay, Paul, I want to get something out in the air, just in case Carlos hasn’t mentioned it already. Yes, he’s GOP and I’m a Democrat. Yes, he thinks of Senator McAllister as an uncle, and I’m Governor Davies’ granddaughter. Yes, Carlos and I can be very brutal to each other on the clock – and have been. But we leave it at the door when we get home. I can argue just about every point about how much I vehemently disagree with him on, for example, his friendship with ‘the alien girl’, quote unquote. But after the day is over, the mask comes off and we talk about how much I really adore DJ. Think of us as a modern-day Matalin and Carville, and that’s how our life goes, and as long as you understand that, we’re okay.”
Paul nodded. Maybe this meeting wasn’t going to be as bad as it first seemed.
“Now that that’s out the way,” Zadi started, “let’s talk about the concentration camp the US and Equestria have set up in the middle of bum fuck Missouri and if Princess Celestia’s been reading up on how to be the next Hitler.”
“If you gentlemen act now,” Bree added, “you might just be able to convince the Senator to pull his campaign out of this mess before Governor Davies’ campaign decides to completely humiliate the frontrunner’s status.”
On second thought, this meeting’s probably going to be worse, he mentally revised.
“So, Sergeant Roughwind—”
“Mr. Roughwind,” the pegasus said. “I stopped being a guardspony a long time ago, Archmagus. And frankly, I’ve done my time, I suffered for mistakes that I made and ones that I was hung out to dry for. One of my closest friends was killed in this, nearly twenty years ago now. And I am no longer the man – that is, pony – that I used to be. So I’d appreciate it if you’d tone it down a little.”
Sitting directly across from him, Twilight Sparkle huffed. This was one stallion she never wanted to see again and truth be told it was all she could do before she was tempted to reach over the table, grab the smarmy stallion and start bucking his brains in. This was only the third time she’d ever come across him, but she already hated him with a passion she tried hard to keep from her face. She hated him because he’d hurt somepony very dear to her, somepony that still suffered even today. Plus, he was hiding a secret, a secret that could cause more pain and misery. The stallion, like his black coloring, was nothing more than darkness and depravity, as far as she was concerned.
She looked around the diner they were in, briefly. There were various members of the FBI, Missouri Highway Patrol and the Mage Guild’s Law Enforcement Division either talking to each other or standing warily. As Roughwind was not under questioning for any crimes or the like, they met him at his office, the temporary Town Hall area of the diner. That had turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as because she was in a public place, it kept her from exploding at the pegasus several times.
“For the purposes of this discussion you are still bound by your duties to the Crown and your oath to the Guard—”
“What duties and oath? You mean to a government that says I never existed and an organization that no longer exists, at least not the way I knew it?” He paused. “Archmagus, need I remind you this isn’t about me? I know you hate me. God knows it took years for me to stop hating myself. I’ve got a lot to make up to that poor filly, I know, but that’s between me, her and the ambassador, who’s taking care of that.”
“It is my business, Roughwind. The pony in question is my niece.”
“Yeah, well if it’s personal business, then you need to detach yourself from it. That’s what professionalism is all about,” he said, smiling without its positive attributes.
“So, you dragged me out here just so you can sit there and be smug about what you did?”
“Well, for starters, you came out here of your own accord – I had zero interest in meeting with you. Second, regardless of what I did to that girl back then, and I’m not excusing it, what you did to the 37th is nothing less than reprehensible. I was guilty. My teammates were guilty. Even though we were given orders that the Crown hung us out to dry for, we made errors of our own and traumatized a young filly. For that, we paid. But the rest of the 37th? They were innocent and they got hung out to dry just because we were attached to their unit. The worst thing was? My group rarely worked with the main portion of the 37th, because our main job was to be Princess Luna’s guards. Now, if you’re here just to glower at me, we’re done. But if you’re here to help those who really need it? Come back when you actually want to talk.”
Twilight stood and walked away from the table before she decided to shred the thing down to its component molecules with her magic.
“Well, that went smoothly,” Lyra drawled as Twilight approached her. “Is there anything else of my work that you’d like to set back a few decades, Twilight?”
“Not right now, okay, Lyra?” Twilight snapped. “That stallion’s being a complete pain!”
“From what I can see, you’re not helping things either,” the celeste unicorn retorted. “Look, we might not have been the best of buddies growing up, but you forget that we’ve known each other since we were five. And I can honestly say that despite all the good you’ve done, all the aid and prosperity you’ve brought and everything you’ve accomplished, you are not and never have been a master of social interactivity. You are just not a ponies pony.”
“But he—”
“—was ordered to rescue Sandalwood then got creative. And for that, he traumatized DJ, watched one of his closest friends get shot and killed, had the people who ordered them here abandon him then set him up to take the fall. And then he was sentenced to ten years in prison and exiled from his homeland never to return. I’m not defending his actions, Twilight, but the stallion has paid his dues. Granted, Roughwind will never end up on my Christmas card list—”
“Christmas card list?”
“Yeah. It’s a human thing.”
“I know that, but…isn’t your husband Jewish?”
“You’re sidetracking; stop it. Anyway, from I know of talking to people around here, his life has changed since he got out of prison ten years ago. I’ve even talked to DJ and while she doesn’t have the time to meet with him – apparently she, Mike and the kids are leaving in a week to go to Mike’s new assignment in Japan – she sounded like she would have been willing to.”
“Okay, now I know that’s a lie – I love DJ dearly, but she’s not exactly the most forgiving of ponies.”
“You know, sometimes I think you forget that she’s got a human mindset – and trust me, from being married to one for over fifteen years now, humans can be very mercurial and she definitely leans towards the extreme end even for humans. But it also means she can surprise you, and I think this is one of those times. But the end result is, if DJ is willing to give this guy a shot, why can’t you?”
Twilight seemed to deflate at that. “I don’t think you understand, Lyra: it’s not about forgiveness. It’s about catching the ponies that did this to the members of the 37th. They deserve justice for being wronged.”
Lyra sighed. “No, it’s about making sure the former members of the 37th have their wrongs readdressed and solved, not for Crown barristers to rack up accolades. I remember a mare who always used to talk about love and friendship and cared about solving problems that way before thinking about beating the criminals. What happened to her?”
Twilight was quiet before saying, “Adulthood. Being in command. Seeing to Cinnamon’s education – that filly’s nearly as smart as Derpy. Always needing to be the perfect idol, just like Celestia.”
“You’re not an alicorn, Twi. Even you need a break.”
“I take them, occasionally. But let’s get back on track here. And maybe you’re right, that I’ve been thinking of the criminal too much and not enough about the victims. But…I just don’t trust him.”
“And at one time, we didn’t trust Zecora and I don’t think you need to be reminded about the results of that mess. He is not the same pony that committed the crime ages ago and he genuinely wants to help those who were smoozed here. If you ask me, above everything else, we owe them our concern.”
Twilight smiled. “When did you get to be so wise?”
“Being married twice has its learning experiences,” she replied off-handedly. “Now go be a problem solver, O Archmagus.”
With that, Twilight returned to the table. “So, the 37th. You really want to help them?”
Roughwind looked at the unicorn mage as if she were stupid. “Didn’t I just tell you that?”
She leaned forward on the table, resting her head in her hooves. “Then start giving me names.”
“Hey,” he said, shaking an accusing hoof at her, “I said no stipulations and I meant it!”
“Oh, I think you’ll agree with this one: because if I don’t make an arrest first, then that gives the pony or ponies in question time to cover their tracks, and by the time we get whomever from the 37th back to Equestria, they’ll be hunted all over again, with much worse. I don’t know how much you know of what’s occurred in Equestria since First Contact, but we’ve had a general increase in crimes. We had humans on a killing spree the year after your trial. Five years ago we had a serial killer – a pony, no less – who was going after humans living in Equestria. If that can happen, then I assure you anyone who wants it to happen to innocents will ensure that it does.”
“I…I didn’t think about it that way.”
“I didn’t think you would. The Equestria you left behind is much changed place. But we believe in the same things in the end: caring about the innocent, the needy and our loved ones. And if you still believe in all that…and the evidence indicates you do…then it’s up to you to make the decision.”
“I…I, uh….”
“Don’t answer that right now. It’s clear that you need some time and space to think things out. Tell, you what: we’ll start this again tomorrow and see if you’re willing to play ball.”
“Thank you kindly. I’ve still got a business to run. We’ll talk…later.”
The look on Bree’s face was livid. “You…you outmaneuvered me!”
“Well, that’s what happens when you start playing with the big boys, ladies. It tends to give you a new perspective.”
From her chair, Zadi grinned. “Mr. Salazar, if you weren’t married, I’d kiss you.” She looked over at her friend, and realized that was probably the wrong thing to say. “Apologies, Bree. But your solution, gentlemen: I can’t quite speak for my superiors, but I think I can safely say Amnesty International would be very willing to agree to this solution.”
“You know he’s never going to accept this,” Bree accused.
Paul asked, “Why not? It’s a bipartisan effort, it prevents anyone from looking bad…well, anyone not currently in office, that is. Hell, it’ll make both contenders look like problem solvers!”
Bree stood up and slammed her fist angrily on the table. “But it makes the Mendoza administration look bad!”
Carlos shrugged. “How so? It was during the Fitzgerald administration – a GOP one, I might add – that the deal between the DOJ and the Equestriani government was enforced and the 37th Combined Guard Cohort exiled to Missouri…which, if I recall correctly, was also under the leadership if a two-time Republican governor at the time.”
“But our side ordered it!”
“And President Fitzgerald’s administration enforced it, when someone could have just said ‘this is wrong.’ But no one did, and here we are,” Paul answered. “And now, with Oregon Governor Bob Davies and Virginia Senator Tyson McAllister stepping into the fray, well, it puts an end to the conspiracy that several administrations have been lying about.”
“But it’s happening during the Cantwell administration – the one in office right now! That makes the Democrats look bad and the Governor won’t be able to count on the President’s poll numbers!”
“And had this happened eight years ago, during the Jindal administration, would you be as eager to point that out?” Carlos grinned, waiting for an answer. When one didn’t come, he commented drily, “I thought not. Well, look at it this way: he can either get on board, or in thirty minutes – yes, I said ten minutes – the Senator will be reading a slight change to the speech he was going to give tonight to the National Association of Police and Firefighters. Your campaign’s decision will decide which one he reads.”
Both spouses looked at each other, and she looked at him with a withering glance that would have virtually emasculated him had he not been armed with the shield of smugness. Finally, the woman hung her head in defeat; she knew when she was outclassed. “Fine. The governor won’t like it, but I’ll get him to agree to it. At the very least, it will help him to clear out some of the front-runners.”
“Which is why I was willing to give that much. I suspect the Governor likes a fair fight and would even consider offering this to the Senator had the situation been reversed.”
Bree looked at the zebra. “C’mon, Zadi. Let’s go make some calls.”
Paul commented, “Bree, you’re welcome to use my office to call your campaign. It’s just directly across from the break room. Zadi, the office next to the break room is currently vacant but has a phone, in case you need to make calls as well. It’s Star-9 to dial out.”
“Thanks.” Neither her eyes nor her smile had any trace of joy as she walked out.
As soon as they did, Paul looked at Carlos. “You know, if you ever want out of politics, Carlos, you’re welcome to come back here.”
He shrugged. “Naah, I think it’s in my blood now. Besides, I owe it to lots of people – DJ included – to do this kind of job. I think I’d do better here.”
“Yeah, but if Governor Davies wins, you’re never going to hear the end of it.”
“Maybe,” Carlos admitted. “Off the record, Bree’s grandfather likes me, I think. Might ‘hate’ me, quote unquote, on the record, but family life for the Davies is as bad as the Kennedys used to be.” Carlos would have said more, but Bree suddenly rushed in and started kissing him passionately.
“Don’t plan on sleeping tonight,” she breathed, and it was very clear to both men what she meant. Then with a shake of her head, she was back in professional mode and went back to Paul’s office to go make the call.
Paul grinned; he’d had a couple of times like that with Lyra. Reaching over to the phone, he contacted Beth. “Beth, when you get a chance, can you send a quick email to Lyra and let her know I’ll call her later, and there’s big news? She’ll understand what I mean.”
“Sure thing – will do!”
“Thanks.” He broke the connection, then looked at the younger man. “Well, that went better than I expected,” he admitted.
“Yeah, but truth be told, I hadn’t expected Zadi to give in; she’s very fierce when it comes to non-human rights, so I guess she must think I’m worth the chance.”
“That’s an odd turn of phrase.”
A merry look crossed Carlos’ face. “Well, Zadi and I dated for about a year before we had to split up; she went to law school out in Texas, and long-distance relationships never work. I met Bree a few years later, but I didn’t know they were fr—mpph!” To surprise of both men, Zadi then came in and kissed Carlos passionately.
“I knew I shouldn’t have given up on you so easily,” she said, her friendly voice carrying tinges of love and regret. Looking at Paul, she said, “Don’t tell Bree, okay? We’re old friends and I’d hate to have her misunderstand. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still have to make that call.” Proud as the Queen of Zebrababwe herself, the zebra walked out of the room.
Paul just looked at the younger man as Carlos sat back in the chair, a big grin on his face.
Dinner was at the Ellington Diner, with three unicorns in particular having commandeered three tables in order to get the paperwork done. At the moment, one was on the phone. “And we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for the news tomorrow; it’s going to be hell as soon as the newsvans start showing up in this small burb. Yes, of course. Love you too and miss you –give the kids a kiss goodnight for me. Bye!” She clicked off, and then Lyra looked at her friends. “You know what the hardest part about being ambassador is? Not being there to tuck the kids into bed.”
“Yes, but you’re ensuring a better future for them – they are ponies as well as humans,” Sweetie pointed out.
“I suppose, but I still miss them when I’m gone like this.”
“Wow – I hope that when Pip and I have kids someday that we’ll be as happy as you are.”
“Well, I’m sure Pip’ll be a good father,” Lyra commented. “What do you think, Twilight?” As expected, no answer came. “Uh, Twilight, mind turning off the Surface to pay attention?”
“I was listening,” the unicorn archmagus replied as she looked just over the top of her tablet. “Sweetie already knows my thoughts on it, since we’ve talked about it a billion times since the two of them finally got engaged. As for your thoughts, Lyra…I’m glad to see that there’s still a pony heart in there.”
“You make it sound like I’ve ‘gone native.’ Look, I like using the amniomorphic spell – I’ll freely admit Paul and I weren’t planning on having our third child, though we love little Octavia – but I’m still pony at my soul, and I think my husband would agree.”
“No, you misunderstand: what I meant was that too many politicians in Equestria – especially in the Ministry of Finance – are skilled at being, as Cadance once told me, ‘pony body but robot heart.’ Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer.”
“Sounds like living in the US has inured me from a lot of it.”
“Let’s just say that Cadance has considered recalling you back to Equestria once or twice not because you’re doing a bad job, but because she can’t stand dealing with some of the idiots in the other parts of government and she’d just hand you the Minister’s office. If it wasn’t for the fact that Celestia thinks that you and Cobbler are doing incredible jobs, she probably would have, too.”
“No thank you. Sidwell Friends is one of the best schools in the area, and I would hate to uproot the twins from school,” Lyra countered. “You can tell her highness than while I appreciate the insult-cum-promotion, she’ll have to keep her job that much longer. And before you say anything else, Twilight, I’m being as nice as I am right now because you’re an old friend and I know she’s your sister-in-law.”
“Can we get back to the subject at hand?” Sweetie asked.
“Yeah, sorry. Anyway, I spent the rest of the day on the phone with Princess Cadance,” Lyra explained, flashing Twilight a shit-eating grin. “She told me to mention something about bringing back some Ghirardelli when you get the chance. Care to explain that?”
Twilight rolled her eyes; though it had been sixteen years since the unicorn had been married to Bon-Bon, Lyra clearly still cared about her old flame and was very protective of the chocolatier. “We had some when we were on vacation in San Francisco three years ago and she loved it. It’s not a slight against Bonnie, I promise.”
“Okay, I’ll let you off the hook. Anyway, she’s willing to rescind the ban, but she also pointed out that their guard careers are done. They’re part of a unit that no longer exists that’s part of a guard that no longer exists the way it used to, and they’re woefully out of date for current military training. Of course, I’m not the Minister of Defense, so I can’t comment on that.”
“Great – we’re going to have to get Rainbow involved.” Seated next to Twilight, an equally disgusted look crossed Sweetie’s face.
“Something I should know about?”
“Do you remember when Rainbow decided she’d met her dreams on the Wonderbolts and decided to resign her spot from it and then Scootaloo also followed suit?”
“Yeah, happened just before your brother’s announcement that he was reorganizing the old Guard into the modern services. And I know I said it before, but I’m sorry I couldn’t make the funeral – Shining Armor was a great stallion.”
“You were too close to delivery to travel; I could hardly blame you,” Twilight commented. “As it was, you gave birth two days later, so it’s a good thing you didn’t go. But anyway, that’s what she said, and we all publicly lauded her for that. But it isn’t the truth.”
“But she told me she and Soarin’ were looking forward to being posted in Alabama for a year.”
“No. The truth is Rainbow and Scootaloo were fired by Shiny, ordered off the team. Both of them, along with Soarin’ and Spitfire, were sent off to the US Air Command and Staff College and then to the USAF Test Pilots’ School, officially so they could be the core of the leadership for the new Royal Equestriani Air Force. But the truth was is that Celestia, via Shiny, punished the four of them for their actions in the Foalnapping Incident.”
“It was the four of them? I didn’t know that!”
“Yeah. We’ve kept it under wraps; who knows what’ll happen if it gets into the public. Well, to add insult or injury, we later found out that Spitfire and Soarin’ were both innocent and had nothing to do with it – we essentially pulled them from command of both their guard units unfairly. Soarin’ and Spitfire blamed Rainbow for that and she and Soarin’ almost divorced because of it – if it wasn’t for the two of them getting drunk once night while fighting, or so I was told, they wouldn’t have had that very…unusual…reconciliation, and it would have been the end for their marriage. Plus, it worked out great in the long run: Spitfire took over Chief of Staff of the REAF when Sunny Skies retired, and Rainbow…well, you know about that.”
“As for Scootaloo, we had a rocky time between both of us,” Sweetie admitted. “We didn’t speak for years, and it wasn’t until Shining Armor’s funeral that we patched things up.
“Well, mares, here’s where I make a bad idea worse: Do you think that Rainbow could have had something to do with the 37th getting smoozed?”
Twilight shook her head. “No. I know that for a fact. What Rainbow did was horrific for DJ and her family, but she was doing it out of love and concern for Rarity. She fought us every step of the way during the trial and it took years for her to apologize to DJ and the rest of us, but she did it, again, for the same reasons. Furthermore, she tried to fight the exiling of Roughwind’s centuria – they refused to turn on her, so she repeatedly stood up for them; I don’t know if he knew that. Rainbow might be loyal to a fault, but she is loyal.”
“And if that wasn’t enough,” Sweetie added, “Rainbow didn’t have that kind of authority back then. She was just the second-in-command of the Wonderbolts at the time; that gave her a certain hierarchal authority, but nothing above the head of a cohort. And part of it also was from the part that Scootaloo and Contrails dated briefly before his involvement in the situation and her relationship with Featherweight, and she admitted that’s how she had an in with them. But again, no authority to smooze a whole unit.”
“Then you know who did it.”
“I think I do, and I wish I didn’t,” Twilight said. “The truth is, I think Luna did it. The 37th’s main duties were for the protection and security of Luna and her detail, and Roughwind’s centuria were some temporarily turned into Shadowbolts by Nightmare Moon. To make her feel more at ease, the coats of the members of the 37th were all very dark colors, and I think that instead of serving to put her at ease, it was just that much more of a reminder of the shame of Nightmare Moon. So when they were caught, I think Rainbow went to Luna, confessed and Luna did what she had to do.”
“But why her highness? To get someone that involved would be scandalous.”
“Luna owes us her life,” Twilight said simply. “We’ve never thought of it that way, but Luna is very insistent that had we not exorcized Nightmare Moon from her, she’d still be in the thrall of that creature and the land would have broken out in war again between the two sisters. Luna feels that for that, it’s a debt she can’t pay, and now that we’re all family, she would do anything for us. Anything.”
“Including smoozing a unit she already felt was giving her a guilt trip,” Lyra finished. “What do you intend to do about it?”
“She’s not going to do anything, because I know for a fact the Princess didn’t do it,” Roughwind’s voice rang across the hall. The three mares looked as the mayor of Ponyville strode into the diner. “I’m sure you three know who Prince Blueblood is, right?”
“And we wish we didn’t!” the three mares said in unison.
“Then you know about Blueblood’s father, Campion, correct?” Crickets could nearly be heard. “I thought not. Blueblood has two half-sisters from his father’s, ah, liaison with another mare. That would make his kid sisters princesses, except that Blueblood’s mother found out and forced Campion to practically disown the filies and exile the mother. Thing is, Princess Celestia knew about it and arranged for the fillies to be adopted into other, respectable families; unfortunately, the mother, after giving her foals up for adoption, was never heard from again – it’s believed that she changed her name and moved to Zebrababwe, where there’s a pony diaspora in the capital of Quaggaton.”
“And you know this, how?”
Roughwind sat at the table. “Archmagus, do you think that being a member of the Royal Family gives your family the exclusive right to dark secrets and black sheep?”
“Please, just call me Twilight, Roughwind.”
“Then call me Jim – I go by that now.”
“Fine. And no, I don’t feel any of my family has the monopoly on that.”
“Good. Because what I’m about to tell you is what’s going to rip apart the Solar and Lunar Thrones otherwise, and why me and my centuria kept quiet for so long. But I want to see Indy and the rest get what they deserve. I can’t hold my tongue any longer.”
“Tongue about what?”
“The truth. The 37th were smoozed for two reasons: the first was because they were tied to my centuria and could thus be blamed for knowing the secret about who was guilty in the Foalnapping Incident. But it seems you already know who did.”
Sweetie rose to her feet. “How long have you been standing there?”
Roughwind held his forehooves out to placate her. “Now, now, mage – I just happened to overhear as I walked in. This place is empty tonight and sound carries a bit. If it wasn’t for the fact that I promised Jesse I’d watch the place tonight while you worked so he and Indy could take a night off, no one would’ve heard you at all.”
“I see,” the white unicorn said as she returned to her seat, a hint of distrust still in her voice.
“Please, continue,” Twilight answered.
“Thank you.” Roughwind sat at the table. “Now, I want you ladies’ promise this won’t leave this place. But the second reason is that someone didn’t just try to smooze the 37th…no, they tried smoozing Prince Blueblood’s half-sister, in this case, the older one.” He paused for a second. “Indy loves her mother and father, even though part of her could barely remember vague images of a different mare. Well, about six years ago, she got a mysterious package – she’ll have to tell you about it – and me and Jesse spent a day cheering her up. Turns out she got a package from an Equestriani celebrity, a pop star named Midnight Moondust.”
“I know her. She’s a friend of Luna’s,” Twilight offered.
“Yeah, she’s also an actress, married to some British actor also, if I recall. Anyway, she apparently had an accident on the film Lid…Liddle….hell, I can’t pronounce the damn name.”
“Llwyddiant Tragywyddol,” Sweetie commented. “Final film in the Arddun trilogy. Beautiful movie, too.”
“Not my kind of screentime, truth be told. But anyway, turns out that when the accident happened, something in Ms. Moondust’s mind was knocked clean, and she had a bunch of memories that she’d never had before. Princess Luna was visiting the movie set that day and found out her friend was suffering from an improperly done mindwipe spell.”
“A mindwipe spell? But those are illegal!”
“Not only illegal, but the spell was also of draconic magical origin – meaning someone hired a dragon mage to do it. Anyway, Luna worked in secret to do some digging and that’s when she found out that Moondust was originally Ebon Eve – and that she had an older sister, another pegasus whose name was Nightsky. Anyway, the box Moondust sent Indy was enchanted to hold a counterspell, and when Indy touched it, she got hit with all her memories of when she was Nightsky.”
“You’re saying Celestia did this?”
“Were you listening to me at all? I’m saying a dragon did the mindwipe; I don’t know who did the smoozing. I’m saying I don’t think that any of the princesses were involved in this, but because they know about it, it’s the kind of thing that Blueblood could use against them. It doesn’t matter if he knows, because he could always claim that he had no idea his father was having an affair. But if Celestia knew and Luna found out? There’d be hell to pay.”
Roughwind passed a piece of paper over to Twilight. “Get a hold of our old friend Rainbow Dash and have her tell you everything she knows – and I suspect she knows everything. Tell her I appreciate her standing up for us all this time, but it’s time for a little disloyalty in the name of what’s right. I’ve spent too many years looking into Indy’s heartbroken eyes, and truth be told, she’s kinda like a little sister to me now. I can’t take it anymore. Moondust will be protected by her friendship with Princess Luna, but what about Indy? She deserves better.”
“So you’re doing this for her?”
“Damn me for a fool, but yes, yes I am. My wife has already told me she likes it here and doesn’t plan to go back. When news gets out that the Guard don’t want them no more, and faced with the chance that dozens of cop shops in this state do? I think we’ll be seeing almost all of them stay. But even if that wasn’t the case, yes, I’m doing it for Indy.”
“All the reason I need,” Lyra said, sitting back in the seat. “I’ll call Lorne in the morning and update him on everything. He retires at the end of next month.”
“Oh, yeah, ‘bout that: if he still wants the job, well…I held a town council meeting earlier in the week and let them know I’d be willing to step down to Vice Mayor and they could bring him onboard in a special election. Job doesn’t really pay loads, but then again, you really don’t need much in this town – it’s not like we’re living in St. Louis or Memphis. Basically, if he wants it, it’s his.”
“Well, I got off the phone with my husband a few minutes ago, and turns out both major candidates in the election are going to jointly push to get this resolved. It probably means there’s no chance President Cantwell’s going to boost his poll numbers, but considering he and Vice President Williams weren’t going to bother running for re-election, he’ll just have to take the Nixon path to regaining any sense of respect.”
“Aren’t you supposed to not admit your opinions in public like that?” Sweetie asked.
“Well, yeah, but I think I can trust everypony at this table,” Lyra commented. “And for the record, yes, he is a total douchebag. Man thinks it’s his right to lust after every female on the planet. Least thing this country needs is another sex scandal in the White House – from yet another Democratic president. That makes what…three lechers in the Oval Office now?”
“Lyra, I don’t care about that. I care that someone’s about to do serious damage to the Crown…more importantly, to my family. And I’m going to find out who did it, and when I do? Let’s just say I’m not going to be Ms. Nice Former Librarian.” She held up the piece of paper, as though it was a weapon. “Let’s get this clear: in one month, by Tartarus or by high water, this will be solved.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
1,091 users online
1,521,987 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Nice political intrigue that I can actually admit to being interested in
.
great work and hope to see more from you soon!
Another brilliant chapter!
I think it's important to note that at this point, the only thing that could possibily make this story better is if Munch from Special Victims Unit appeared.
Ah, another reason to hate Blueblood, excellent!
Is it wrong that I enjoy the side stories more?
Ya, our first Zebra...and she doesn't rhyme. I would accuse you of being lazy, but I won't. To much political intrigue for that to be true.
Is there going to be a side story with this actress mare?
778706
seriously, I think it's because the sidestories are in the same universe and influence the main story rather than vice versa. And they come out more often.
Yes, yes it is.
It does help that they come out more often, but it also does more universe building than the main story.
new chapter yay
Carlos is one hell of a player.
These side stories are getting interesting.
Nice seeing Amnesty International appearing, would any of the shows cast be in it?
Number inconsistency here
3387274
5 bucks says that was intentional. (Who knows it IS politics after all.)
Under international law, there are several differences between an internment facility and a concentration camp. Neither the Japanese nor the Ponies were ever in a concentration camp.
Here in the USA we tend to use the terms as though they meant the same thing, but a professional like Zadi jolly well ought to know the difference.
9211097
And if she's bluffing? She is a lawyer, after all.