Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow
Rarity
Rarity had become accustomed to working in the presence of her companions. Though the shift of rule from Nightmare Moon to Discord marked a sharp decline in work orders, she nonetheless busied herself in producing fine lines of clothing and dress for the court. It was in her nature to continue working no matter the circumstance, but it did give her time to pursue her other project unnoticed.
The door creaked open and both Ember and Shadowgloam turned to face it. Snowflake leaned her head in the doorway, and the three of them fell quickly at ease.
“You have visitors,” said the pegasus.
Rarity considered the pile of broken stones beneath her hooves that once belonged to the Element of Laughter. “I am in the middle of work I'm afraid,” she said. “Perhaps it can wait until another time?”
“They said it was important,” said Snowflake. “Your friend Twilight and her pet dragon.”
Rarity spun. “Twilight Sparkle and Spike? Why didn't you say so in the first place? Oh, of course, of course. Show them in if you will, dear. The hall is a bit of a wreck, after all. I'll just make the place a little more comfortable...”
Snowflake nodded her head and dipped out. Rarity quickly produced cushions and thought briefly on the merits of finding tea to steep, but decided against it. She did however brush the dimly sparkling jewels of the Element into a velvet pouch and place it within one of her sewing drawers.
No sense in making her worry about that, she thought. More important that she finds my sister, and the princess...
She had just enough time to hide her belongings and a little more to make it look as if she were not, but perhaps not so much to wipe feelings of guilt from herself. A secret was a secret, after all. When the doors parted again, this time Snowflake came accompanied by her friends. The unicorns shut the chamber shortly after them and checked the lock.
“Wow, you're under more guard than Twilight is,” said Spike, his attention wandering around the tower workshop—at least until his eyes met Rarity's, and then he fell into a bashful silence.
Twilight brisked past him and rolled her eyes. “That's because everypony is too anxious around Discord. Which isn't going to be a problem for very much longer.”
Rarity pursed her lips into a smile and nudged a pillow towards Twilight. “Yes, I'd heard about the... incident. Nopony was terribly hurt, I take it?”
Twilight planted herself on a cushion. “No, though there are still a few ponies who have taken Discord's 'philosophies' to heart. I'd try to undo the damage myself, but that only seems to get his attention.”
“You can't blame yourself for everything,” said Rarity. “Taking him away is perhaps the best thing you could do right now.”
Spike, having returned from plucking a handful of tiny cookies from one of Rarity's trays, spoke around a mouthful. “Maybe you could leave him when you're done.”
The ponies winced, though Rarity recovered with a laugh and pinched his cheek. “Goodness, you've gotten a mouth on you. For snacks and for glib conversation.” She sparked her horn and discretely moved the rest of her treats out of sight. “All in good fun, though it would do you well to practice some tact. Someponies around the castle can be rather unforgiving about such things.”
Twilight snuck a cookie away from Spike. “Actually, Rarity, I wanted to ask you a favor. Regarding Spike. I understand you're busy and all.”
This gave Rarity pause. She glanced between her friends. “After what you're doing for me, it's the least I can do to hear you out.” She had a sense of what Twilight was going to ask. It seemed better to let her do as much, though.
“Since I...” Twilight hestitated, looking away from Spike and back again. “Discord and I will be leaving very soon on our journey. And I was wondering if you would be willing to look after Spike until we returned.”
Rarity tapped her hooves against the floor. Yet another poor soul to look after. But I cannot refuse. She looked over at Spike who suddenly found something else to be interested in. He seems cooperative enough, though.
“Very well, Twilight,” said Rarity, holding her head up high. “I will tend to Spike's well being in your absence. Though I suppose for the sake of simplicity I should introduce the others now. We'll be spending a lot of time together and they're my most trusted companions.” She paused and smiled. “Including present company, of course.
“At any rate, the pegasus who showed you in is Snowflake. The brothers are Ember and Shadowgloam. You may also recognize a few of our fellows from Ponyville. We mostly keep to ourselves, but by no means are we antisocial.”
“Charmed,” murmured Snowflake. Shadowgloam and Ember grunted similar acknowledgements.
“A pleasure,” said Twilight, looking a bit nervous. “I admit I haven't had much room for a social life these days.”
Rarity touched her shoulder. “I understand. But soon we'll be able to get together again, just like old times.”
“I hope so,” said Twilight.
And Rarity did too, deeply. Discord tore Ponville apart in a day, but the truth was that it had began to fall to pieces the moment that Celestia disappeared. The heart of her shop moved with her into the castle and one by one she watched her friends become estranged. The nation of Equestria felt without its very soul and center.
They stayed a while, though spoke little and what they did discuss seemed rather insignificant. But Twilight seemed loathe to leave such a familiar space and Rarity would not drive her from it. When the time they'd had grew thin, though, Twilight managed to pull herself to her hooves and ruffle Spike's scales.
“Thank you again, Rarity,” she said. “I need to gather some things, but I'll return to say goodbye.”
“That's quite kind of you, Twilight,” said Rarity. “You and yours will be welcome here any time.” She tilted her head and smiled at Spike. “If it's alright, I could use an extra pair of hooves—er, claws, I suppose—with my latest project. Would you be a dear and help me while Twilight packs?”
The young dragon latched onto Twilight's leg. But after a moment he pried himself off and let a lilting sigh. “Alright, Rarity.”
Rarity smiled. The eagerness of boys to make themselves helpful never ceased to amuse her, but Spike had a certain innocent charm about him that warmed her heart. Twilight nudged him forward with her head and he stumbled a bit.
“You be good now and don't give Rarity too much trouble,” said Twilight.
“I won't,” said Spike, after gathering his senses.
Then the doors open and shut with a wooden sound and Rarity busied them all with idle chatter. Rarity could have managed much of her sewing materials at length, but Spike seemed to enjoy fetching a spool here and holding a bit of cloth there. She made a note to test the rigidity of the young dragon's scales at a later point, if he would consent.
They worked for hours and Spike, still lingering on thoughts of Twilight's departure and the decrepit castle, only darted from one shelf to another so long before he fell asleep in one of Rarity's baskets (much to the chagrin of Opalescence). All seemed, for the moment, to be settling into a peaceful routine.
And maybe it was the lingering spirit of Discord, or Rarity's typical luck when in a zone of pure productivity, a frantic knocking came from the door. She sighed and, upon its repetition, nodded to Ember. He tugged the door open and the brown colt, Turner, nearly spilled through.
“Goodness!” Exclaimed Rarity, steadying him upon a cushion. “What's got you all in a twist?”
Turner drew enough breath until he could speak regularly, and put a hoof on his chest. “It's Prince Blueblood. He's heard that Discord will be departing...”
Rarity stiffened as a chill ran down her. Still she held her level of calm. “Breathe. Take your time. Tell me everything.”
Turner heaved a heavy sigh and knitted his hooves. “I was tending the hourglasses in the western archives when I happened upon a conversation. It seems that Nightmare Moon had originally planned to hold her coronation at the turn of autumn...”
“Yes, I recall,” said Rarity, glancing over to the wardrobe that stored her earlier dresses made for the princess. “What else?”
“The nobility is fed up with Discord's reign and his latest stunt has put an ill taste in their mouths. Blueblood seized the opportunity to suggest that once Discord is out of the picture, he should assume the throne. On the date that Nightmare Moon selected, no less. Most of the preparations have already been made.”
“And in spite of his shortcomings he is the only one present with claim to the throne.” Rarity rubbed her horn. “The nobility cannot be swayed?”
“Not enough time, if they are in a better mood.” Turner sighed.
“Yet he saw fit to hide this from me,” said Rarity.
“Yes. Which means...”
“It means that he is afraid of something.” Rarity smiled and drew a sheet of paper from out of her desk. “Would there be nothing we could do, he would already be here rubbing it in my face.”
“Brilliant,” said Turner. He heaved one last sigh and brightened. “So what now?”
Rarity drew up a quill and smiled. “We will respond with utmost politeness. Congratulate him on his coronation and ensure the finest of gifts are given in reparation for our past squabbles.” She looked around the sheet to Turner. “And you shall see that our note makes it into his hooves post-haste. We can't have him thinking that we're out of the loop.”
This should keep him dancing, thought Rarity. But we need to do something, anything, to keep him from claiming rule.
Pinkie Pie
Never before in Pinkie's life had a road from pony to pony been remotely treacherous, so it was to her great surprise when her chariot managed to, in no particular order, crash, burst into flames, explode, and somehow hit the ground in one solid piece. By that point, though, her and the stallion accompanying her were well out of the way. It was merely a stroke of luck that they had happened upon a small tear in Equestria—or perhaps it was the very same tear that caused their vehicle's destruction—which ultimately allowed them to emerge from the bushes a few feet away, unharmed.
“Looks like we're going to have to walk back,” lamented Pinkie, bounding out onto the road. “Or do you think we'll be able to borrow a chariot?”
Her companion, however, took to the whole experience with far less enthusiasm. Though white in coat he managed to somehow look more pale, his pupils shrunk to pinpricks, and a great trembling took him through from wing to hoof. “Never do that again,” he uttered breathlessly.
"Come on, Arcus, you've been through worse." She smiled wide and bounded over to nudge him toward a patch of grass and clover. After eating a bit he seemed to push their harrowing escape from his mind.
"We're going to be late," he said, matter-of-factly, and the two of them trotted the rest of the way to their destination.
The burg in mention formed at a crossroads between Manehattan and the northern wastes and Pinkie knew immediately that the only sorts of ponies that remained in such a place put high value on their solitude. In lighter times she could crack their shell with a few kind words, but following Nightmare Moon's reign, a pony's trust became more difficult to earn.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” said Pinkie Pie. “We may have to improvise a stone oven. Do you think cakes will come out alright in the open like this? They might have different baking times here.”
Arcus sighed and shook his head. A drop of water hit his snout, and then a second. Soon the grass bent beneath a slow, steady rain. The sight of normal weather surprised Pinkie somewhat, but she refused to let it get her down.
Autumn brought with it a deeper chill to the air, and many ponies could not help but think back to the long night they once endured. Gray storm clouds gathered over a smattering of thatched houses, most hidden between the crests of hills and the occasional stand of pine. They crossed a pair of streams on their way in to the town, though between the weather and the hour of their arrival, they met only a solitary watchpony standing near a signpost.
“What business do you have here?” the old colt asked, though in much a lighter tone at recognizing the stallion's armor.
“We're looking for a friend!” chimed Pinkie. Her enthusiasm (and puffed mane) startled the elder.
“Under authority of Princess Celestia,” said her bodyguard. “Her authority is still worth something here, I would hope.”
“More hers than any other,” the old pony muttered. “I'll give her my respects before any of the others. Not certain who you're hoping to find here, but it shouldn't take you long to look.”
“We can't stay long,” said Pinkie, ears drooping as they scanned the town. “Though I wish I could meet everypony.”
“I bet they'd like that, lass,” said the watchpony, chasing his words with a sigh. “Though you could probably check off the lot of 'em in under an hour. There's a stable around the bend should you need accommodations, but there ain't much to stick around for.”
“Thanks!” said Pinkie, shaking his hoof. “I really want to stay and get to know everypony, but I made a promise I wouldn't get distracted. Oh! I promise we'll come back to visit sometime soon, when it's not up against another promise.”
The old pony made no effort to keep her there any longer, though he did have a little bit of a smile by the time they'd gone around the bend. Pinkie considered the wide sprawl of stone and wood that undoubtedly belonged to the inn. They were so far out that it was probably empty, and they could worry about where they would sleep later.
“I do hope your information is correct,” said the stallion, “because if not, we have come a long way and almost died for nothing.”
Pinkie shook her mane out to an alarming width (which quickly shrunk again beneath the rain) and shuddered. “Trust me, we're in the right place," she said, gesturing to locations and sites of old conversations by memory. "Twilight's brother followed a detachment that, well, detached after things got all nasty. But before they could build a resistance he was sighted by some ponies coming in from Fillydelphia. Nothing but rumors since he slipped off, but there seems to be a big pony shaped hole of information right here.”
The stallion cast another look around the muddy road, devoid of any ponies. “And did it ever occur to you that might be because there is nothing here?”
“A mare knows,” said Pinkie, puffing up. Explaining how every conversation and every bit of hearsay added up to this precise village, and for that matter, the precise house to which she was leading him, would have taken so long that it simply was better to show him. Plus if she explained, she wouldn't be able to make any sense of the fact that everything suggested two ponies moving about the countryside.
They went to a small house nested beneath a row of pine trees, whose needles only seemed to fan the water out to dampen them further. They made it within twenty paces of the house before noticing two more ponies leaning in the shadows on either flank of the door.
“Hold,” said one, unicorn horn lighting with magic. “By authority of her majesty Celestia, you must leave this place.”
“Now hold on a minute,” said Pinkie, bounding a step closer. She ignored the spark of magic that sizzled just an inch from her hoof. “We're here on royal business, too. And if you'll notice, we're not going about singing friendly ponies.” She shook her hoof at the charred earth and frowned.
The guards glanced at each other, but did not budge. “I'm not sure what you think is here,” said the other, “or whose authority you carry, but you cannot stay. We will speak no more.”
Pinkie stamped her hooves, splashing up more mud. “Oh, no. I did not come all this way just to be turned back by some muscle. I know Shining Armor is in there and I'm not leaving until I get to talk to him.” She reached back and pulled Arcus in front of her, presenting the white stallion. "This colt is from Shiny's old squad. Isn't that enough? You have to let us see him!"
Neither line of ponies would relent. The guards took a single step in advance before the door creaked open and a white stallion stepped out. Though he only wore a simple red tunic about his chest, there was no other pony it could be. Broad shoulders, blue mane, and a sparkling physique. His cutiemark remained covered with a dark red drape, but Pinkie knew it could be none other.
“Sir,” said Arcus, lowering his head.
“It's been a long time,” said Shining Armor. He gestured with a hoof. “It's alright. She's my sister's friend.”
His two guards flicked a salute and then returned to their places beside the door. Pinkie smiled. They were only doing their jobs, after all. Now she craved the warmth of the house and the companionship of one of the Sparkle family, who seemed to share Twilight's inexplicable affinity for friendship.
“It must have been really hard to get here,” said Shining Armor. “Good news or bad is few and far between. You have to catch me up on everything.”
“Uh huh!” Pinkie nodded, immediately closing the distance with one bounding stride. She tried to peek around Shining Armor. “So who is she?”
Shining Armor blinked. “Who is what?”
“The filly you're dragging around, silly,” said Pinkie Pie. “There's always a big filly shaped hole in whatever stories I kept hearing about you. So it must be someone special!”
Shining Armor stared for a moment until he realized that he was blocking the way inside. Pinkie could only make out the orange glow of a few candles casting their warmth and light across polished wooden floors. A couple of bookcases obscured the view of the rest of the lodge.
“You're too good at that,” said Shining Armor, “but come on. There's someone I'd like you to meet."
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I'm gonna go on a limb and say that Blueblood is afraid of Cadence being found!
OOOOOO, is Cadence going to become the ruler!
That would be awesome
fine lines of clothing and dress for the court
1. Dresses.
Ahh politics... how I dislike them... even more so with internal turmoil...
Pinkie Pie is in a quantum state! You can only either know how she works or what she is working on, not both!
Really hope Blueblood will get what's coming to him soon.
1302402
Like having his Royal title stripped from him? Actually having to WORK for a living might be a fate worse than death for him.
Quite short chapter I must say, I hope it will get to the importand part soon.
Nice entrance to Shining Armor as it makes me wonder if this would chang everything within the storyline so far.
Do keep up the good work on this storyline of yours.
Should be "she"
I think you mean "singeing." Yes, that is how it's spelled
This just makes me wish Shining Armor and Cadance had been represented in the show prior to the season 2 finale, so much potential for interesting interaction with the mane 6.
Clever clever, Pinkie.
1302296 "Dress" can be used as a noun for clothing in general.
"The ball was filled with patrons, with expensive food and fine dress."
Twilight has a brother!dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Twilight_Sparkle.png
Lol, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza should definitely kick Prince Blueblood out on his flank.
'Dafuq did I forget about Cadence? I mean, there are only 3 alicorns...
1306355
Three NAMED Alicorns. If we include background ponies, then Twilight went to "Magical Kindergarten" with one when she was younger, and three of the guards during the finale had wings AND a horn. For further reference, see Mistakes are Forever, volumes 7 and 10.
1306798 Lies! Only Luna and Celestia are Alicorns! the others are all Pegacorn! including Cadence!
1312914
Hay now! Just because an Alicorn has less Unicorn magic than Snails, less Pegasus magic than Fluttershy (I swear that mare is rockin' Earth Pony magic, however), and less Earth Pony magic than Silver Spoon, doesn't make him/her any less of an Alicorn.
...it just makes him/her a wuss. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Trixie_lolface_2.png
You are all fools. Nightmare failed as a ruler, Discord is too chaotic to lead, Blueblood is inept, and Celestia may have moved past reclaiming the throne. And Cadience is too obvious to be the new ruler.
I say, Equestria will unite under a new banner... a banner of muffins.
Arrgh, cliffhangers, stomp on their hooves!
In all seriousness though the writing keeps getting better and better, you really got into the character's heads.
1306798 I think all the alicorns other then Luna, Celestia and Cadance are animation mistakes. Lauren Faust said there are only two alicorns, and Cadance was one thing; but having alicorns a common thing seems like a huge middle finger pointed at Lauren, she doesn't work on the show any more.
Blueblood is making his move? Dun dun dun!
But now, Cadence!
Not to crash the story, but i really think Bluebloods inane tries to take over any kind of rule seems to me like idle banter of this story.
It's filling the chapter, making it more obease, but doesn't really contribute to the story or anything, while the thought of somone less then an alicorn, or an element bearer, could take Discord's grasp of this realm from him, is nothing but a farce.
And it's quite annyoing to, reading whole paragraphes about this 'intrigue' or supposed 'plan' of his.
Blue Bloods idea off ruling by himself seems so far fetched from reality, discord might actully have to applaud him for that foolishness.
What I mean is, Blue Blood trying to 'take' over is not only stupid but unnecessary, since Discord can simply turn him into a chocolate cheesecake with cherry toppings and a happy meal surprise inside, with nothing but a yawn and a snap of his fingers.
Blue Blood wouldn't be able to spout such nonesense anylonger, Discord could really care less what the noble ponies think him after tranforming Blue Blood like it was nothing, except that they may jizz their pants and instantly grovel at his feet again. I'd even think he weren't that much bothered at all, when Bluey is going to realize his 'plan' to gain any kind of control (either hell think it's fun to mess with Bluey, or he'd find the whole confrontation boring to just curse Blue Blood and make him shut up.)
It's also annoying to read about Rarity's worries of repercussions for Bluey and his todies going against Discord. Discord wouldn't do nothing but laugh at them or snicker at his 'attackers', plus he won't make any other then Bluey pay for his stupidity, so this whole trouble with Blue Blood seems to me as completely unnessesary, it's seriousness is inflated to much.
6859594 thank you someone else who see that all blueballs plan is going to do is fall flat on its face or succeed and by the time someone gets back he will be at the hangman's gallows the only good thing about it is we get to see blueballs fail