Play of the Pieces
The Everfree stretched out beneath the traveling ponies, leaves whispering among themselves in the night, bathed in the pale and steady light of the moon. Occasionally, a cloud would scud across the sky, casting a shadow on the dappled forest below, but for the most part the night was beautiful and clear. To Twilight, Applejack, Honey Crisp, and Spike, it was almost as if they were the only ones in the world. Everything was peaceful and serene, though the air was chilly and a bitter wind was beginning to blow in from the north, sending ripples among the treetops.
Honey Crisp was silent, awestruck at the view below her. Though her family lived on the edge of the Everfree, she had been warned never to play too close to the border of the forest. She had always known it was because it was a dangerous place, but from above it seemed like one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. She had never flown before, and what Pegasus friends she had were utterly lacking in the poetic skill necessary to describe it to her. Even now, with this vista laid out before her, she could really only find one word that described how she felt right now. She felt free.
Applejack clutched her daughter tightly as she felt the dragon pump his wings, soaring on a rare thermal. She too was silent, though it was for a completely different reason. Where her child saw only beauty and wonder, she was able to see what this flight meant for them both. Already she could no longer see an end to the forest. She could hardly see Canterlot for the dark and the distance, and soon enough even that familiar mountain had faded from view, as if it never was. They were headed farther and farther away from the safety of home, and deeper into the land controlled by Twilight Sparkle. No longer was she in control of her own fate. She had put trust in Twilight, and now for better or worse her fate, as well as that of her child, lay in the hooves of one who had recently been her enemy, and might still be.
As they flew through the air, minutes passing into one another and blurring into an hour, dark shapes began to rise from the treetops, spiraling and twirling in a protective formation around them. At first the mother and daughter thought they were surrounded by Pegasi. And there were some, clad in strange skintight suits that seemed to be made partly of shadow, making it difficult to keep track of where they ended and the night began. But then one of the fliers caught the light of the moon in their profile, and Applejack saw the curved beak and avian head of a Gryphon. Another flitted in front of her, and she could swear she saw holes in the legs of that escort.
Twilight was unable to speak to the group over the rush of the wind, and so she began to flash her hornlight in an irregular, jerky pattern. One of the Pegasi produced a small crystal tapping out a reply. Twilight’s horn flashed green, and the Pegasus fell back along with the rest of the guard. She turned over her shoulder, meeting the inquisitive eyes of her fellow passengers. “They were needed elsewhere!” she cried, indicating the rapidly departing squadron of fliers. “None of Celestia’s forces ever come this far in, so we’re safe! If you look ahead, you’ll see the castle! It’s right across the river!”
Applejack craned her neck, and was just able to see the spires of the Regia clawing at the sky like slender fingers. But unlike that fateful night nearly fifteen years ago, when she and her five best friends had saved the land from eternal night, the castle was no longer in ruins. Torches blazed on its walls, the crumbling stonework had been repaired, and the windows of the castle glowed warmly with light. The encroaching forest had been driven back, and in the place of dense forest Applejack could see fields and orchards, even a small town forming near the walls of the castle, no bigger than Ponyville. The sound of an alarm bell ringing drifted through the air towards them. They had been seen. And they were expected. She could feel Spike angle downwards, and she tightened her grip on Honey Crisp.
“Hold on to me, sugarcube.” she murmured loud enough for her to hear, and she felt the filly clutch at her apprehensively. Spike’s wingbeats slowed and then stopped as he glided in for a landing. Applejack’s breath caught in her throat as they missed the tops of the walls by no more than a few meters. His wings flared, and he beat them heavily as he came in for a hovering landing. Finally, he let himself fall a short distance before landing heavily on the ground with a thud. One wing unfurled, and the trio of ponies cautiously walked down the proffered appendage.
Twilight Sparkle was immediately at his head, holding a quiet conversation with him. Applejack could not hear what she said, but the dragon nodded once before he spread his wings again and took to the skies. The unicorn hobbled over to her as the Earth pony and her daughter regained their footing after being buffeted by his powerful downdraft. “He’s needed over in Trottingham to help evacuate some ponies.”
Applejack tilted her head. “Won’t the Princess be a mite suspicious of a full grown dragon evacuating pony folk?”
They turned and walked toward the castle together. A guard fell in around the trio as they walked, keeping a respectful yet watchful distance. “She would be, if the city was still hers. Revolutionaries and my agents in the city have evicted the Guard stationed there and Ever Free ponies now openly walk the streets as of sunset this evening. Apparently Rainbow Dash paid the price for her heavy Element use when she was relieved of it.”
Honey Crisp looked around fearfully at the dark armored ponies surrounding her. “Aunt Twilight, where are we?”
Twilight smiled at her. “This is a castle, Honey Crisp. There are some ponies here who need to live in the woods so we can protect each other. These guards are here to make sure that you two both remain safe.”
The filly thought about that. “Aunt Twilight, is what ponies are saying about you true? Are you trying to hurt the Princess?”
Applejack looked at her expectantly, judging Twilight. With her Element unbound, she would know if the unicorn was lying. Twilight took a deep breath and continued. “I don’t want to. But she wants me to do some things that…well, that I don’t think I should have to do. And she’d be pretty angry with me if I kept refusing her, so I left Ponyville and came here instead. Now the Princess can do things her way and I can do things my way, and we don’t have to interfere with each other.”
They had reached the main hall, and their guard shrank to two Lunar Guards as the others returned to their positions. Applejack took in the surrounding keep. It was certainly built for royalty, she could see that. The walls were richly carved with scenes depicting ponies locked in combat against terrible foes and horrible monsters. The pillars supporting the ceiling were covered in runes that Applejack recognized as the old language of High Equestrian, and they gleamed with inlaid silver in the light of oil lanterns. Clearly, magelights were in demand here. Two massive plinths stood flanking a staircase which split in two, but whatever they had supported had been removed. The watchful eyes of long-dead ponies, their faces forever immortalized in stone, watched from alcoves near the ceiling.
“Do you know what this room is called, Honey Crisp?” Twilight asked. Honey Crisp shook her head no. “This is called the Hall of Heroes. Some very famous ponies are depicted here. Only the very bravest and best warriors and mages were honored in this hall. And a few of them were your ancestors.”
“Really?” she asked. “Which ones? Where are they?”
Twilight stopped in front of a statue of an Earth pony. His visage was fearsome, his features belying brute strength in spades. And yet, for all of his clear martial prowess, there remained something open and comforting in his gaze, a sort of rough kindness that belied a warm and open heart. This was no warrior. This was a Champion. “His name was Strongwood. And we’ve found evidence in our library that he is related to you. And his official title is Champion of Harmony. He had a reputation for being fair and honest with everypony, and seeing falsehood even when others couldn’t.”
She trotted over to one bust that seemed to be streamlined, aerodynamic in a way that immediately alerted the viewer that this was a Pegasus. “This is Spectrum of Cumulus. He was even older than Strongwood, and he was one of the first Champions of Harmony. Do you know who he is related to?”
Honey Crisp tilted her head, squinting. “He kind of reminds me of Aunt Rainbow, a little.”
Twilight smiled and nodded. “You got it! He is related to Rainbow Dash, very far back. He was one of the first Pegasi to pledge loyalty to the Princesses, and he worked as a personal guard for Celestia for many, many years. If you look around this hall, you can find healers and mages and warriors, all of them Champions of Harmony, related to my friends and I.”
Honey Crisp’s eyes were wide. “Even Aunt Pinkie?”
Twilight’s nose wrinkled. “Well, we are still working on finding hers. There are two ponies who might be her ancestors here. An Earth pony named Rose and a unicorn named Surprise. We haven’t found anything saying they were Champions of Harmony, so we can’t be sure.” She indicated the two statues. “Which do you think is her?”
Honey Crisp peered closely at the two statues, right next to one another. The first one wore an expression of mirth that transgressed the stony majesty the rest of the statues seemed to convey. Her eyes were crinkled around the edges with laugh lines, and a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as if she couldn’t even stop herself from laughing as stone. The second one was almost the same, but not quite. Her mane fell in clouds that cascaded around where her shoulders would have been, and a mischievous smirk was barely contained underneath the stone. Her eyes, while not unpleasant, seemed to hint at knowing things other ponies didn’t, as if she had just played a joke on them all and was waiting on a response. Honey Crisp turned away from her and back to Twilight.
“Well?” the unicorn inquired. Honey Crisp noticed that other ponies that had been passing through were watching her curiously, waiting to see her response.
“I think it’s Rose.” Honey Crisp said. “She just seems…nicer, somehow.”
Twilight nodded understandingly. “I think so, too.” she said conspiratorially. “But we need to keep moving. Your mother and I still need to talk. I know somepony who’s been waiting a while to see you. I’ve told her a lot about you both, and I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
Applejack looked at her friend. “And who might that be, sugarcube?”
“Her name is Tarantella Allegretta. And she should be here by now.” Twilight said, looking around. One of the servants, who had been standing unobtrusively in the background, trotted forward at this.
He bowed low, once to Twilight and then once to Applejack before he spoke. “Lady Twilight, Condottiero Allegretta left shortly after yourself. She is not expected back until morning.”
Twilight looked at him strangely. “And where exactly did she go?”
“She departed for Trottingham, Milady. She said that she wished to transport the Element of Loyalty herself.”
A sharp bang echoed through the hallway as the air around Twilight was suddenly supercharged with magic. Ponies scurried for cover as Twilight struggled to recover her emotional center in order to curtail her Breaking magic and cope with the news. The distorted air was finally calmed as Twilight composed herself. When she spoke, her voice was full of constrained worry and fear. “Thank you for telling me about that. Although I wish it had been sooner. Could you tell me how many ponies she took with her, Mr…?”
The pony prostrated himself on the floor. “Straw Broom, Milady. My name is Straw Broom. I believe she took the Condottieri with her, Milady. About thirty including herself. She said that she would be able to transport Rainbow Dash more easily with their assistance in manipulating the weather.”
Twilight was silent for a brief moment. With a flash, she disappeared, leaving Applejack and Honey Crisp standing in the Hall of Heroes. Confused as to what to do next, they looked around. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait for long.
“My apologies on Lady Twilight’s behavior.” a voice came from behind them. “She worries about that Pegasus so. I believe I was to show you two to the Library, and from there we would find you rooms for the evening?”
Honey Crisp yelped at the sight of the pony behind her. Applejack moved in front of her protectively. “You!”
The papery mare nodded. “Me.” she said simply. “I believe we have met before, though we have not been properly introduced. My name is Golden Radiance. I’m one of Twilight’s ancestors, in a way. And I don’t believe I caught your names?”
Applejack took a step back, not moving her eyes from this pony. She knew exactly what kind of magic this…thing was capable of. She had seen it in Trottingham. And it was more dangerous than any army.
Golden Radiance tilted her head. Spying Honey Crisp, she leaned in. “And what’s your name, little one?”
Honey Crisp peeked out from behind her mother’s legs. “My name is Honey Crisp, ma’am. But what are you?”
Golden Radiance straightened up. “Then you must be Applejack. It is an honor to meet you both at last.” she said, giving a little bow. “As to what I am, Miss Crisp, I am what is known as a construct. I am the personality and memories of a pony who has passed on. I was sealed inside a book, which is why I am made of paper.”
Honey Crisp opened her mouth to ask more questions, but was cut off by a rumbling noise from her stomach. The construct laughed at this.
“Sounds like you could use some food. And you as well, Wielder. If you are used to my admittedly shocking appearance, I suggest we sojourn to the kitchens. We can surely find something for you both there, and then we shall meet the Lady in the library once she has sorted her feelings out. How does that sound?”
Applejack realized at that point that it was going to be an unusual night. With a resigned sigh, she relaxed. “Might as well, then. Come on, Honey.”
As they walked down the hallway, moving deeper into the castle, it occurred to Applejack that her friends and family were probably wondering what had become of her and Honey Crisp. She resolved to send a message as soon as possible. After all, she really had no way to talk to them except by Twilight’s good graces…
The cottage on the edge of the woods blazed with light as two groups of ponies huddled together, scared and clinging to familiar comforts. Word had been sent to Canterlot, but no response had returned. Ponyville, despite its proximity to the Everfree, was deemed a low threat area because it contained three of the Elements of Harmony. Indeed, many military strategists saw it as an ideal point from which to begin a proper invasion of the woods because of this perceived strength. As such, when word was sent informing the authorities of the failure of that strength, it tended to not register immediately. Canterlot’s military machine was mighty, but it was concentrated elsewhere. Mobilizing it would take time, and that was something that the ponies of Ponyville did not have.
And so, Fluttershy, her husband Guiding Light, Applejack’s husband Barley Scotch, and Pinkie Pie along with her family had gathered in the small hut belonging to the timid Pegasus. And on the insistence of the two mares, they had remained there. In a strange twist of fate, the duo had positioned themselves by the door, and their faces were deadly serious. Nopony was getting into or out of that cottage. Of course, they had been asked where the Elements were. And of course, they had been forced to admit that they did not have the Elements. And that the Elements were not in their possession, nor were they even still in their most well-known form. It had taken only a brief demonstration of the unbound power they now wielded to convince their families of the truth.
“But what I don’t understand is why Honey Crisp got taken!” Barley Scotch exclaimed. He shot a guilty glance into one corner, where Pinkie’s foal Rosemary was currently sleeping. “Applejack’s Element wasn’t unbound, or whatever you all are calling it. So why take our daughter instead of the Element?”
Fluttershy and Pinkie traded a glance. “We were afraid of something like this.” Fluttershy said. “A powerful negative emotion breaks the Element forever. Pinkie’s was curiosity. Mine was fear. We think that Applejack’s might have been anger.”
Barley cradled his head in his hooves. “And the one thing that makes Applejack genuinely angry is when somepony goes against her family. Does Twilight know what she’s gotten herself into?”
Guiding Light arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
The stallion groaned. “Applejack’s got a temper. It’s buried deep, real deep. But if you get her going, that mare is like a train. She won’t stop for anypony, and Celestia help you if you’re in the way. If somepony ever laid a hoof on Honey Crisp, I don’t think Applejack could rightly be considered in control of her actions. She’d be in a killing mood. And I mean that sincerely.”
Fluttershy gasped. “And if she broke her Element, and had access to that power…”
Allspice winced. “How good is Twilight Sparkle at magic, again?”
Pinkie Pie was uncharacteristically serious. “She’s the greatest mage ever. Literally. That’s what she was born to be if you believe her side of the story. And from what Fluttershy and I have seen, we’re inclined to believe her.”
“So now what?” Barley Scotch asked miserably. “Do we just wait? Are they going to contact us if Applejack is beaten? And what if she wins?”
As fate would have it, at that moment there was a knock at the door. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sprang into action, taking positions on either side of it and readying themselves. Blue and pink lightning crackled around them, and Pinkie Pie reached out with one cautious tendril of magic, throwing the door open wide.
The lightning flickered and died as the duo stared in confusion at the little filly blinking at them in surprise. She held up one hoof, forestalling a conversation. “Please, do not assault me. I am an emissary from Twilight Sparkle. I have taken this form to show that I pose no threat to you. I am here to deliver a message.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie nodded at her, indicating that she continue. “I have been sent to give you greetings, and to let you all know that the foal Honey Crisp and the mare Applejack have safely arrived at Milady’s castle in the Everfree Forest, unharmed and of their own free will. I also bear a warning for the Wielders and their families. It is no longer safe for you here. After tonight, Celestia’s wrath shall be terrible. She will have lost all of her Elements. However, her will is still tied to yours. If you remain, you shall be little more than puppets come the dawn. I and others have been sent to you to afford you passage to the Regia. Milady implores you by the friendship you once shared to come at once, and leave behind nothing you truly hold dear.”
The cottage was suddenly submerged in quiet conversation as the ponies inside attempted to choose a path and find out how to handle the situation. Pinkie and Fluttershy wanted to head for the woods. So did Barley Scotch. Allspice was against the idea, and Guiding Light just wasn’t sure. The filly at the door waited patiently for them to come to the inevitable conclusion to travel inside the dark wood.
Gathering up a few scant supplies and waking the sleeping Rosemary, they began the walk towards the Forest. No conversation was made, fearful glances toward the sleeping town and the monotony of trudging through the silent night being the tone of the quick journey. At last, they reached the trees. Inside, several other dark ponies could be seen waiting for them, hooded and cloaked. Among them waited a mare with a messy red bun and white coat.
“Hello, all.” Radiant Zenith said with a small smile. “I wish that I could have met your families under better circumstances. But I’m going to need you all to trust me. There is a magical passage that will curtail our journey by a significant margin through the trees, but I am afraid that we will need to be taking some precautions once we arrive.”
“And what would those precautions be?” Barley Scotch asked, gazing at the hooded ponies. Two of them moved in to flank him. They did likewise to Allspice and Guiding Light.
“Celestia has laid a compulsion on her subjects, a magically induced set of commands. Those fully grown and accepting of her rule obey them automatically. As such, we will need to restrain you,” at this she made a gesture, and the ponies flanking him grabbed him professionally and firmly, “until such time as you can be relieved of it. Your wives and the foal need not be restrained. Rosemary is not yet of the age where she has accepted that programming, and Pinkie and Fluttershy have already broken their ties to Celestia.”
A pony standing beside her threw back her hood to reveal that she wore the face of Twilight Sparkle. One brief struggle and demonstration later, the need for restraint became evident. So agreed, the party proceeded into the woods.
After a walk that took around fifteen minutes, they arrived at their destination. Or rather, a destination. Two trees had grown together in this clearing, vines spiraling around their trunks, and though Fluttershy had passed this way often, she had never seen them before. The air inside the glade was hushed and still, and it seemed to the ponies that they were interrupting something sacred.
Radiant Zenith turned to them. “No matter what you see, do not leave this glade or interrupt my spell. It will be only a moment.” And with that, she began to chant, low at first but gaining power and strength and speed as she went. The air began to flow curiously inside the clearing, weaving in and out of the two gnarled oaks and rising and falling in time with her chant. The tone and pitch began to rise and fall, and soon Radiant Zenith was no longer chanting. She was singing, and the wind was her instrument.
Voices whispered among the trees, and vaguely familiar and sinister forms flitted in the shadows. A light flashed, and then another. The air was filled with the scent of fresh fruit and pine needles, of flowers and herbs. A beautiful laugh resonated through the clearing, one both lovely and entirely alien. No recognizable emotion was in that sound, but at the same time it was filled with feeling. Not a pony in that clearing would ever forget the sound of that laugh.
All at once, the air between the trees warped and twisted, and a figure stepped through. As she stepped into the light, mare and stallion alike gasped. More slender than any pony, with eyes of opal brilliance and a mane of fiery red, she tossed her head proudly as the moonlight glinted off her coat of wonderful bone white. The action revealed ears that tapered to sharp points, far thinner and longer than those of a normal pony. She looked over them all, a knowing smile on her face as she waited for something to happen.
Radiant Zenith bowed deeply. “Hail, Mistress of the Trees. We ask for permission to pass through your demesne so that we may aid our cause tonight.”
The lovely not-mare smiled, showing no teeth, and stood to one side with a little flourish. Radiant Zenith turned to them, her voice low and urgent. “We will be travelling through a clearing. Whatever you do, do not approach the tree in its center, and do not stop moving. Follow me and you will be to the Regia in minutes. You do not wish to know what happens if you fall behind.” With these words spoken, she stepped through the trees. No trace of her remained.
The column of ponies followed closely behind her. As they stepped through the portal, each gasped in wonder at the massive tree before them. Silver apples hung from its boughs, gleaming with all of the colors of the rainbow while retaining their argent hue. Other ponies lounged around the tree, watching them with sudden, predatory interest as they galloped through the clearing, keeping to the edge. Radiant Zenith halted before another set of trees, and her horn gleamed silver as the forest behind them shifted into a view of a river. Not stopping, they charged through the gap, Rosemary bouncing on her father’s back in order to keep her with the group. The last pony was through, and Radiant Zenith hurled herself through the trees, wincing with relief as the smell of fruit and pine was cut off.
“Thank Luna, they were not hungry tonight. Some poor beast must have wandered in earlier.” she muttered, dusting herself off. Radiant Zenith counted her ponies, and sighed with relief to see that they were all there.
“What were those things?” Guiding Light asked, helping Fluttershy to her hooves. “That was…indescribable.”
Radiant Zenith shuddered. “Those were the Mistresses of the Forest. Pray you never see them again. I will say no more on the matter, and you would do well not to seek any more knowledge on it lest you go mad. Or worse, find what you’re looking for.” And the matter was considered closed.
The filly with no name stretched, her disguise falling away in a rush of emerald as she began to buzz her wings. Three more Changelings approached the stallions, holding thick ropes. They were reluctantly hobbled and bridled before Radiant Zenith nodded her approval. All eyes had been on her, and so the group had failed to notice what lay across the darkened fields ahead of them.
The Regia loomed before them, imposing and dark, though the battlements were crawling with life. Lights burned in the high towers, and a group of Guards were rushing to meet them even now. Radiant Zenith’s horn flashed, and the trees they stepped through were suddenly indistinguishable from the forest behind them. It was as if they had never been there at all.
“Welcome, dear friends,” she said, indicating the castle, “to the Regia. We have much to discuss.”
“-said that she was being well cared for.”
“We are doing all we can for her! She’s suffering from severe magical atrophy, and it’s all we can do to keep her alive. The only route not taken is ichor.”
“Do not stick that foul substance inside of her. I won’t have her going into shock. Where is she?”
Darkness pierced by light, the sound of creaking wood. Pain. Pain of the eyes and the body. A figure steps into the light, and the blinding glow vanishes. The sound of hooves on a floor.
“Are you awake?”
An effort is made. “Y-yes. Where…am…I?”
“Do you remember what happened to you?”
“I was by a tower. My armor was taken from me.”
A comforting grasp, one hoof in another. “Yes. If you stay here much longer, you will likely die. My name is Tarantella. I am here to take you to Twilight Sparkle. She will be able to heal you, as will some of her allies. Tell me, how difficult is breathing for you?”
“It hurts, but not all that much. I think it should probably hurt a lot more.”
“I’m going to give you something that will help you sleep. We’re going to be airlifting you out of the city. It will take perhaps an hour to get to the Regia. Once there, you can be healed.”
A vial is placed to her lips. The Pegasus hesitates briefly before draining it in one long swig. It tastes like honey and mint. The honey fades and the minty feeling begins to spread through her mouth, tingling and causing it to go numb. Soon it begins to spread to other parts as well. Within a minute, the Pegasus is asleep.
The Condottiero nods to her companions. Gently, with the care afforded a sleeping and sickly child, she is hoisted onto the backs of two Pegasi, who carefully carry the Bearer of Loyalty out of the room. They pass through the rough blue canvas walls of the field hospital, and within moments they are once more outside. The entire process, from landing to retrieval, has taken no more than five minutes. The title of Lady’s Consort can get a lot done.
A bag is unslung from the back of one of the Condottieri. It is an old design, but one that has never needed improving. With the speeds the Fiato Danzatori fly at, traditional slings will not do for the carrying of passengers. They would be lost to the gales in minutes, unable to help themselves. So, they are placed in a bag woven from the fiber of certain plants that grow in the north. The fiber is specially treated and dried, and the result is something far stronger than mere burlap and lighter than silk. Porous and warm, it is the only way to transport the wounded of this Pegasi troupe.
After much careful positioning, Rainbow Dash is placed in this envelope. Grumbling a bit, she curls into a ball and slips back into a deeper slumber. The sack is carefully sealed shut, and two lengths of the same fiber are carefully and tightly bound to two of the Condottiero, the strongest flyers among them. Tarantella takes a step back and observes the layout of her forces. Nodding in approval, she slings another bag containing the physical Element of Harmony over her shoulders, fastening the ropes holding it under her chest. She gives a whistle, and in one smooth motion, the Gale Dancers rise into the sky, forming a flying V even as they rise.
They enter the clouds above them, disappearing from view, and the assembled crowd of revolutionaries watches in wonder as the previously still and dark shapes in the sky begin to twist and warp. No more than a minute later, the Gale Dancers are rocketing along, pushed by gale force winds as the clouds stream behind them in what looks for all the world like a sideways tornado. The clouds over Trottingham are pulled back, more fuel for the storm they had created.
When at last they have departed, trailing a storm over the Everfree, the ponies on the ground stare up at the sky in wonder still. What the clouds had hidden is by their lack now revealed. The moon is bright, its luminescence rivaling that of the sun somehow, and it is much larger than it has ever been seen before. And the stars, oh the stars! They shimmer in untold multitudes, not only in distant silver but in fiery red, icy blue, and glorious yellow. As they watch, more colors begin to appear. Pink, green, purple, orange, and more are described in the tapestry of the sky. Those who know the truth about Luna turn towards the horizon, searching for Canterlot. Perhaps tonight, of all nights, the Princess is freed?
Perhaps she is.
Rarity looked at herself in the mirror, going over her ensemble one more time. While she did admit to a certain thrill at the ensemble she would be wearing, she couldn’t help to think that maybe bridle and tack was going a bit far. Still, she had to admit that the purple and gold outfit she was wearing did look good. Her Element had been behaving itself, the color switching from diamond-clear to amethyst in order to better complement her gear. Her hair, still in its fashionable bob, gleamed with health, and her tail had just finished its curling. A tasteful dab of perfume was applied, carefully so as not to accidentally smudge her makeup, and the Bearer of Generosity took a step back, admiring the entire effect. Possibly not her best Gala appearance, but definitely better than she normally looked. Satisfied, she stepped out into the parlor of her Canterlot apartment, where Golden Rule was waiting on her.
“You look lovely.” he said, bending in close and kissing her lightly, every bit the gentlepony.
“Is Brownstone asleep?” she asked, fixing her earrings as they moved towards the door.
“Just passed out for the evening. The foalsitter Celestia sent assured us that he’d be no trouble.”
Rarity smiled, showing perfectly white teeth. She picked up the list that was sitting on the table by the door. She had received it from Quick Stitch only that afternoon, and had yet to get it to the Princess. A piece of information that would help her identify her sister. Sweetie Belle would be wearing red tack, and the style was one Rarity was familiar with. She and her escort would be wearing plates of metal, engraved with chess pieces. Sweetie’s was a pawn.
She set it back down again, as she turned to Golden Rule. “I’m ready. Shall we?” she asked, and the two proceeded out of their door, down the hall, and began the long trek to the ballroom. She had not been able to contact Celestia, as she was rumored to be attending to the Princess Mi Amore di Cadenza. Something had happened to her, apparently, and the monarch would not be available to greet guests like she normally did, although she would be attending the banquet through the closing ceremonies. Regardless, Rarity and Golden Rule were the only two who had knowledge of the letter. With the banquet and the mysterious cessation of communications between Trottingham and Canterlot, things were quite hectic. The attendees waiting downstairs had no idea how close the Gala had come to being cancelled. It had taken quite a bit of wheedling from Rarity to ensure that everything stayed on track, and now it was about to pay off. She would find her sister, she was sure of it…
“Rarity!” a voice called from the crowd. She turned her head to see Rose Sparks and her husband Silver trotting towards them. The first thing Rarity noticed was the jewels she was wearing. Surely they were heirlooms, because the necklace of diamonds she wore were among the biggest and brightest she had ever seen. If she were to sell them, individually or as a set, she would be able to feed a family of eight for the better part of three or four years. Her hair was in an intricate bun, held in place by two Quilinese chopsticks of beautiful dark wood. Her face sparkled with youthful exuberance, and her husband seemed a bit taken aback at this display of joy.
And then Rarity noticed what she was wearing. Her bridle and tack fell in drapes of deep crimson, fastened with straps of unfinished leather and shining gold fittings. A chestpiece of brass and two smaller flank plates helped to hide the major bindings of the gear, and they were etched with chess pieces. Pawns, to be exact.
Rarity’s breath grew short as she realized that she was looking at a very carefully trained and well-disguised Sweetie Belle. Moreover, she had managed to fool her sister into thinking she was somepony else entirely. But now her façade had ended. Her continued liberty lay in Rarity’s hooves.
Should she alert the guards? Should she allow her sister to be captured, to be once more released to the tender care of Dawn Division? Should Rarity do her duty to her country, or her family? Could she convince Sweetie Belle to abandon her quest? Could she save her sister? In the next moment, Rarity would seal her sister’s fate. Life or death. Freedom or confinement. Love or duty.
She made her choice.
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I was about to go to bed when you posted this chapter... well sleep can wait.
Well damn, that's an annoying cliffhanger
So many things happening under the span of a few hours. It's madness, I tells ya!
My theory on what happened to Luna
Also featured again. Let's see how long it lasts this time.
DAMN YOU CLIFFHANGER!
I loved the development of this chapter. Also, I liked the little peek we got of angry Twilight. Breaking magic is a scary thing.
Indeed... bastards and cliffhangers. Makes me really... REALLY question the whole love and tolerate.
An excellent chapter though.
YOU AND YOUR CLIFFHANGERS!!!
Brilliant chapter, and it looks like it's all just a case of playing out the moves now.
crap! crap crap crap crap and more crap! you'r annoyingly good at finding the right place to put the bucking cliffhanger to seriously tick me off! oh dear luna don't make us wait to long for the next one!
RIP sweetie bell. Rest in Peace. Rarity you had better realize that the guards will be like Rainbow Dash and kill the rebels no matter who they are. when the sun burns there is no mercy.
So Twilight flipped and teleported somewhere?xD
And this is 1 of the best stories I have read. Mostly because it is a fairly unique idea and the pacing is perfect
It might just be me, but does the writing seem to change somewhat in the part about the escorting of RD? Other than that, brilliant as per usual, especially the cliffhanger. Nothing beats one done correctly.
When I read this -
"Perhaps she is."
What I heard was -
"But not in this chapter.... Mwahahahaaaaa!!"
seriously.... where is the process? there is no change and everything is staying the same.
The story is losing its interest.
This is the clifhangeriest cliffhanger that ever hiffed a cliff!
things are happening all at once. Soon it will All Fall Down...
that was a purely evil cliffhanger!
Does love conquer all, or will Celestia's conditioning prove too much for Rarity? Tune in next time, same Dusk-Time, same Dusk-Channel!
And then I murdered you because cliff hangers.
2032572
Aye, that was intentional. I couldn't adequately convey the feeling I wanted using the same tense as the rest of the chapter, so I sub-sectioned it and tried to use a mitigated third person instead of a traditional third person.
dude WHY??
2034403
Ah yes, I recognize some of those words...
2032688 I believe you forgot Applejack becoming wielder in the last chapter and that nice juicy cliffhanger here? It's not moving ahead too quickly or too slowly, just at a steady pace, the way I like it.
I spent yesterday and today reading the entirety of both stories.... and now... now I am desperate for more! Oh god what's going to happen to everypony?
This is awesome and I can't wait to see what happens next.
"She made her choice"
FUUUUU NEXT CHAPTER NAO PWEEZE
Am I the only one waiting for Twilight to turn in/give birth to the draqoniqus of free thought?
i hate these huge cliffhangers
2041230
I feel sympathy for you suckers at the other end of the timestream.
"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause and effect, but actually from a non-linear, non subjective viewpoint it is more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff." - 10th Doctor.
2360522
took me like 5 seconds to get that your name is a Doctor Who reference
Isnt the dawn division just tender and loving?
Well when you put it like that the decision is obvious! Of course, Rarity isn't quite herself right now so ONWARD I READ!
"A powerful negative emotion breaks the Element forever. Pinkie's was curiosity."
"A powerful negative emotion...curiosity."
"...negative emotion...curiosity."