• Published 7th Oct 2012
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Dusk's Dangerous Game - Airstream

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Queen in Play

“Rose!” Rarity cried as she descended the steps to the ballroom floor. “Lovely to see you, darling. I must say, you look absolutely stunning. Are those real diamonds?”

Sweetie Belle nodded carefully, so as to avoid disturbing her mane. “A family heirloom. They were my grandmother’s. We’re extremely proud of them.”

The two couples continued their slow promenade towards the actual ballroom, exiting the foyer. “Well, they’re wonderful. And they suit you, dear.” Rarity said. She turned to her husband. “Don’t they, Golden?”

Golden Rule jumped a bit, clearly shaken out of some deep thought. “Pardon? Oh, yes. They are marvelous.”

The fashionista held a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I’ve completely forgotten to introduce you all. Dear, this is Rose Sparks and her husband Silver Sparks. They just arrived from Manehatten. They’re newlyweds, and we met yesterday when I was out. We hit it off so well that I asked if they could be seated next to us at the banquet tonight.” A careful nudge, made without Sweetie Belle’s notice, warned her husband to play along.

The stallion caught himself. “Apologies, my mind was somewhere else. It’s a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Golden Rule, and I run a bank in Manehatten.”

Night Light shook his hoof firmly. “Silver Sparks. I work as a curator in a small museum downtown. And this is my wonderful wife, Rose. She works the same job as I do.”

Golden Rule smiled. “I see. That would be how you two met, then?”

“That’s right.” Sweetie Belle said. “One sculpture brought us together, and then we both found out that we had a lot more in common than an appreciation for art.”

“Two peas in a pod, that’s us!” Night Light added. “Out of all the ponies in Manehatten, we managed to find each other. She’s a miracle if ever I found one. “

Sweetie Belle giggled, leaning in for a chaste kiss. “So, how did you two meet?”

Rarity grinned. “Well, some details are between husband and wife, you understand, but…” her voice trailed off. “Oh, that’s simply marvelous! The Princess truly outdid herself with the decorations this year.”

The Gala Ballroom stretched away from them, at the bottom of another set of stairs, which spread wide onto a polished marble floor. The room itself was oval in shape and composition, with two thrones facing each other across its length. True to the subject of the celebration, the hangings on the walls were of black velvet, richly embroidered in silver thread. Luna’s moon featured prominently, as well as the profile of an Alicorn, wings outstretched in flight as it reached for the heavens. The contrast between the black of the hangings and the white of the stone continued onto the floor.

A spell had been cast on the floor that checked it in black and white, and the servers wore tabards embroidered with pawns, while more important ponies in service to the Princess wore different pieces. Knights for the Guards, rooks for the orchestra, and bishops for ponies such as the majordomo and the master of ceremonies. Naturally, nopony would dare to assume the role of queen or, Celestia forbid, a king.

One side of the room was cleared for a social area, and ponies were standing around inside of it, sipping on wine or other drinks and conversing lightly. On the other, by Celestia’s throne, tables had been arranged, each place setting marked with a name. A table of hors d’oeuvres was laid along one wall, and was the subject of much attention. The center of the room, of course, was a dance floor, and a small string quartet along with a pianist and a singer were entertaining the couples swaying gracefully in time to beautiful music.

“This is incredible.” Sweetie Belle said.

Rarity glanced around the room furtively, checking for a space where she might be able to speak to her sister in private. No such luck, the Princess was taking no chances. A spot where anypony could potentially meet and reconnoiter for an operation against the Princess was occupied by a Guard, or simply too conspicuous to be considered private. She’d need to be creative, then.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could do so, Night Light cut in. “This is wonderful. I think I recognize that song, as well. Might I have this dance, Rose?”

Sweetie Belle could tell by the expression on his face that something was wrong. “Of course, dear. If you would excuse us for a moment?” she said, before they both walked towards the dance floor.

Night Light placed one hoof on her shoulder, the other resting lightly along her back, and together the two of them twirled onto the dance floor. They stayed like that for a moment, dancing and swaying to the music, and Sweetie Belle felt her neck naturally arc downward to rest near his shoulder. He did likewise.

“Your sister knows.” he murmured. “Why she hasn’t alerted Guards yet, I don’t know. But she was absolutely stunned when she saw you. She’s very good at hiding her emotions, but she definitely knows. And Golden Rule is in on it. Right now, I’m sure they’re discussing what to do with us.”

Sweetie Belle, remembering her training, gave a little laugh before leaning in more closely. “Are you sure? We’ve come too far to call off this operation now.”

“Turn on your earpiece. Mahtaram will be able to tell us if anything big is happening around the castle. And contact Glimmer. We may have to cut and run.”

Sweetie Belle’s mind was operating at a different level entirely. Refuge in audacity, another of Chrysalis’s lessons, flashed into her head. Combine that with the simple trust felt in familial bonds, and unwillingness to break perceived social norms at public gatherings…she could do this. She could make this work. But she’d need to be spot on in her work, and have most of her strings tied up before Celestia arrived. “No. I know how we can still pull this off.” A flash of magic, and her earpiece buzzed to life. As they danced, she spoke quietly. “Mahtaram, please keep me posted on the status of the Guard activity around the castle. Can you see where the Gala is being held?”

On a high tower rooftop, the Gryphon sighted down the haft of a powerful crossbow. The light of the moon was like high noon to her. “If you need me to pick a target, I could hit them from here. Those windows are wide open.”

“Glimmer, can you see any communication between guards? Any suspicious movement?”

The Changeling was silent for a moment in her conversation with Scootaloo and a Pegasus from Fillydelphia. Sensing each and every emotion, she managed to filter it down to just the guards. Scootaloo cleverly distracted their fellow Pegasus with an amusing anecdote just as Glimmer finished. “Nothing from here, and there’s nothing in the way of excitement or fear coming from the Guards.”

Sweetie Belle processed that. “Right. Stay on your hooves. We may have to leave soon if things go poorly. Apparently Rarity knows who I am.” There was a burst of chatter from her teammates. “Quiet down. Keep a level head. I’m saying we stay and try to pull this off, and I just need you all to be ready. Mahtaram, use the communications crystal you have to alert Birchwood. I want that airship ready to go once the Rounds blow, not after. Until I give the word, stay put. We’re close, and it’s not over yet.”

The song shifted into something more lively, and the pace picked up around them. Sweetie Belle and Night Light followed suit. “Now what?” Night Light asked.

Sweetie Belle’s blood was singing, her mind was racing, and every single detail stood out in sharp relief, as if she was in a fever dream. She felt adrenaline surge in her veins. She was in danger, yes, but right now she was getting ready to play something masterful. All she had to do was get Rarity alone for a brief moment. The young reporter-no, the young saboteur, leaned in and kissed Night Light gently. “The party’s about to get a lot more interesting. For us, Equestria ends tonight, one way or the other. Might as well dance.”

Night Light grinned, and the two of them spun out onto the dance floor for another turn. They had time to kill, and they needed to blend in. Celebration was totally justified. After all, what was a revolution without dancing?


“Rarity, you know I trust your judgment. But what are you planning?” Golden Rule asked.

“Sweetie Belle has gotten herself into something that she doesn’t understand. Or at least that’s what I thought, when she left. But when we met over coffee, she and I had a conversation. And I think she was trying to tell me something.”

“And what was that?” Golden Rule said as they stood to one side, enjoying some small amount of removal from the party below them.

“She’s doing this for the same reason she dropped Biology for Journalism in college. She found the truth, and I wasn’t the one to tell her. And I can’t imagine Twilight was completely honest with her when describing the events of four years ago.”

Golden Rule snorted. “So she joined the rebellion because she wanted to lash out at you?”

Rarity shook her head. She understood now. “No. She’s angry that I didn’t tell her what had happened, even after she asked me point blank. Oh, I knew that it was a bad idea to keep that from her! But what do you say to a mare that’s hardly more than a filly? Especially when you realize that you had sold your friend to your monarch in exchange for…for what? There was no way I would have ever wanted to discuss that with her. But she wanted to know. And she found a way.”

“So why is she back in Canterlot, instead of blowing up bridges in Hoofington?”

Rarity stared at the couple on the dance floor, the strange stallion and her sister. “She’s here for something. What it is, I don’t know. But it has to be for a reason. Maybe the same reason Cadance is indisposed tonight?”

“Rarity, we have to let the Guard know about this. Who knows what she could be up to?”

The Bearer of Generosity was silent for a brief moment. “All she ever wanted from me was the truth. And I intend to give it to her. But if she is captured, she’s going to disappear somewhere. I won’t see her again, I know that much. She’s considered a traitor to the nation, and you know what happens to those.”

“They hang.”

“I’ll not see my sister on the end of a noose. So I am going to speak to her, out in the gardens, before dinner. If I decide that she’s beyond redemption, I’ll alert the Princess myself.”

The stallion sighed. The song that was playing came to an end, and a faster one started. He looked at the Pegasus dancing with Sweetie Belle. “And who is he?”

Rarity tilted her head. “I’m almost positive I’ve seen him somewhere before. But right now, I don’t know. He makes her happy, though. Like I was when I met you.”

Golden Rule smiled. “And he looks scared out of his wits whenever she leans in close. She’s got him wrapped around her hoof. That’s definitely your sister. I never really had a choice when it came to you, did I?”

The alabaster mare smiled. “Not a chance, darling.”


The song ended, and with a game plan in mind, Night Light and Sweetie Belle walked off of the dance floor and made their way back to Rarity and her husband.

“You two certainly looked like you were enjoying yourselves out there!” Rarity exclaimed as they trotted back up the steps. “And you move well together too. Do you dance often?”

“Not too often, but enough that we know how to move.” Night Light said proudly, laying one hoof across Sweetie’s shoulder.

The Bearer of Generosity smiled. “That’s wonderful. Rose, I was wondering if you’d perhaps like to take a walk in the garden with me? It’s a bit chilly, but many of the plants are still in bloom. I know they’re a must-see for ponies visiting Canterlot.”

Sweetie Belle looked her sister in the eye, and saw truth there. She really wanted to walk in the garden. “I’d like that very much, Rarity. Can you two keep yourselves entertained?” she asked Night Light, who nodded in affirmation.

Without another word, the two mares began to retrace their routes through the hallways. They walked in silence, one that was rapidly reaching its breaking point. Sweetie Belle’s muscles tensed, ready for anything. She had seen her sister fight to kill in Trottingham, and she knew that Rarity was capable of it. Perhaps even willing to, if she misstepped. “I have you two in my sights.” Mahtaram said into her ear. “Perfect vantage point, no activity in the Gardens. You’re clear for a conversation. I’ll keep the others updated.” The two sisters at last broke through into the air of a winter’s evening, and after a short walk they were in the Royal Gardens of Canterlot.

It was warmer in here than outside, the air merely chilly instead of frigid. Sweetie and Rarity headed for the center of the garden, towards an old magnolia tree that grew there. It was in the middle of a wide open space, which meant is was the ideal place to have a conversation undisturbed. They sat down next to one another on a simple stone bench, staring into the depths of a reflective pool.

“You can drop the act, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity said. “I knew it was you ever since I saw that outfit.”

The younger sister dispelled the illusion on her voice, though she kept her physical illusion in place. “I had wondered how you knew. Was it the clothier that tipped you off?”

Rarity nodded. “Quick Stitch and I are something along the lines of contemporaries, and we keep abreast of certain trends. She recognized your measurements. How could you tell I knew?”

“It wasn’t me. It was my partner. He figured it out. Of course, when I took a look at you, I could see it too.”

“Your partner? Does he have a name?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “I suppose aliases don’t matter much at this point. His name is Night Light.”

Rarity stifled a gasp. “Night Light? You mean…the Pegasus Night Light?”

“Yes. Clearly you know him, though I can’t see how. Unless you were involved in the intelligence community.”

That question may as well have been a nail pinning Rarity down. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sweetie Belle laughed. It was not a pleasant sound, least of all to her sister. “As a powerful pony with a penchant for gossip and the resources to gather it, I’d be surprised if you weren’t in pretty far with Celestia’s intelligence service. It can’t be Dawn. You don’t like bloodshed. And Moon Division would require you to disappear, so that leaves Sun Division. Which fits with your lifestyle. Frequently traveling, high profile, and you haven’t released anything really new fashion-wise in nearly a year.”

Rarity’s shoulders slumped. “I take it you’re familiar with the divisions, then?”

“Moon Division, what remains of it, infiltrates the ranks of the Ever Free and other threats to Equestrian security. Though I imagine they have a difficult time keeping their cover with the measures Twilight has put into place. Your Division, Sun Division, runs the entire service administratively, but also engages in propaganda and public opinion campaigns. I saw some of your material in the Regia. You write well. And I think you know how familiar I am with Dawn Division.” Sweetie concluded, making eye contact with her sister.

Rarity squirmed. “Did they…did they hurt you?”

“I was interrogated, humiliated, and tortured. They used a heated knife so as to avoid me bleeding out. And the first pony I have ever killed wore a pink tunic.”

“Celestia, Sweetie Belle…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“And now you do.”

Rarity was about to hug her sister, but thought better of it. “Why are you here?”

Sweetie Belle said nothing, choosing instead to look away from her sister, staring into the pond. “My turn for a question. How do you know Night Light?”

The Bearer sighed, looking at the moon, which burned with a strange brightness overhead. “There isn’t a pony in service to Celestia’s intelligence service who doesn’t know him. The most successful spy of the Ever Free’s, and the symbol of intelligence failure. He was stationed in Canterlot, guarding the chambers of Princess Luna against intrusion. He was born here, both of his parents were servants of Celestia, and his older brother had already joined the Guard. We suspect he was recruited to Luna’s spy network during a certain period after he finished his schooling. He wanted to apply for a position as a Lunar Guard. His parents did not approve. Especially his father, a Solar Guard retiree.

It came as a pleasant surprise to them, then, when he enlisted in the Regulars a few months later. He made it through training easily, applied to the ranks of the Solar Guard as his brother had done, and was accepted gladly. He took his oath of service to Equestria and Celestia, and through a twist of fate, ended up in his brother’s regiment.

It was a few short months later that Twilight killed Morning Star and went on the run. The Lunar Guard, supposedly out of the city on exercises, vanished. Luna, as I am sure Twilight told you, betrayed Celestia, freed Twilight, and placed the considerable resources at her command at my friend’s disposal. She has used them extremely effectively. We all thought the worst had passed. But the worst was yet to come.

Ambushes. Assassinations. Theft, arson, the annihilation of any Guard regiment to cross into the woods, and things only got worse from there. It was then that I offered my services in the realms of intelligence, Sweetie Belle. And it was around that time, two years after Twilight’s rebellion began, that Night Light struck.

He had been promoted several times for valor in the line of duty. Though he had never killed, he had worked valiantly to save his comrades during the Battle of the Whitetail Woods. He was a hero in the making, and considered trustworthy and loyal by his commanding officers. And so, he had been assigned to the honorable duty of guarding Princess Luna’s chambers, which also contained her personal library.

On an otherwise uneventful evening, he knocked out his fellow guard and broke into the room by dint of a lockpicking spell that had to have been crafted by a master. There, his brother found him using another spell to shrink down Luna’s library into a portable container. There was a brief struggle, and Night Light walked away. His brother did not. He managed to bluff his way into a command center, and actually stole Equestrian force disposition maps off of the central table before heading back to his barracks, stripping off his armor, and disappearing into the night. It was a short ten minutes later that his brother was discovered.

Does that answer your question?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Is that why you wouldn’t tell me the truth about Twilight?”

This time, Rarity did reach out to hug her sister. Sweetie Belle moved away. Tears were forming in her eyes, but her voice was level. “Answer me.”

“Oh, Sweetie…I never wanted to tell you about what had happened, about what we did to Twilight. Don’t you understand? I wanted to protect you, to keep you safe from that. And…and I was afraid.”

The reply was terse. “Afraid of what?”

It was Rarity’s turn to cry. “I was afraid that you’d hate me for what I had done. I know I hate me.”

The air was still, save for a fitful breeze that rustled the branches of the tree above them. Sweetie Belle looked at her sister, really looked, and saw her as a pony for the first time. She wasn’t a hero, she wasn’t a savior, she had fought no wars, she was simply one of a special group of friends. She wanted to make dresses, to show her sister that she loved her, and she mostly wanted the fighting in Equestria to stop. She was alone, and frightened, and empty on the inside. She had Golden Rule, yes, but after realizing that Morning Star had been hoof-picked for Twilight, she had begun to wonder about him.

She was open and vulnerable. Sweetie drove her point home, and her words struck true. Rarity had been doomed from the start. “I don’t hate you. I never could, and I think you know that. But I’m sided with Twilight, and I’m going to do what I came here to do. If you try and stop me, I’ll knock you out and keep you hidden. I can impersonate you well enough to avoid Celestia’s suspicion, and you’ll be entirely blameless in the matter. I can handle myself, big sister. But I need to know if I should act on you now, or if you’ll stay out of this. And I can also make you an offer.”

Rarity’s ears pricked up. “What kind of offer?”

“A staged kidnapping, back to the Regia. You can make up with Twilight, and try to undo the damage you’ve caused. With your Element, Twilight might be able to win this war, bring the fighting to an end. You could be known as a pony that brought peace, instead of waging a shadow war. All you’d need to do is follow two of our agents out of the castle at the right time, and you can be on our transport out of the city.”

Rarity looked at her sister with newfound respect, and maybe a little fear. What had happened to Sweetie Belle? She had been a curious young mare, carefree and innocent. She had been loved and safe and protected. And then she had left it all, through her own sister’s negligence. And hardly a month away from her, and Sweetie Belle had come back as something more than before. She was darker, more mysterious and competent than before, and she held herself with the confidence of somepony in absolute control of herself and the world around her.

And then she thought of Twilight. For four long years, she had regretted her decision to betray her friend in such a way, but she had always lacked the courage to deny Celestia. Only recently had she begun to find herself again, to look at her life and see that what she had thought she wanted was maybe little more than a gilded cage. And didn’t she make a fine songbird? Now Sweetie Belle offered to open a door and set her free. How could she resist?

Rarity smiled. “I’ll accept your offer.”

At this, Sweetie Belle’s face lit up. She sprinted across the clearing, and threw her hooves around Rarity. “Thank you, sis.” she whispered. “Just hang tight. I’ll get us out of here. I promise.”

Rarity stiffened in shock at first, but it only took a moment for her to return the gesture. “I should be thanking you.”

“Thanking her for what?” came a melodic voice from behind them.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle whirled to see who had spoken. There, bathed in the radiance of the sun even as the night wore on, was Princess Celestia.


Both prostrated themselves on the ground before her. “Good Evening, Princess.” Rarity intoned, averting her eyes guiltily.

The monarch smiled good-naturedly. “I apologize, Rarity. I did not mean to sneak up on you and your companion, Ms…?”

Sweetie Belle’s illusory voice came back naturally, with practiced ease. “Sparks, Your Highness. Rose Sparks.”

Celestia indicated they should rise, which they did. “A pleasure, Ms. Sparks. Perhaps you could explain what Rarity was thanking you for? Normally it’s the other way around, so I am more than a bit curious.”

The lie came easily to her. “It was her thanking me for coming to her with my problem, Highness. As opposed to trying to work on my problem myself.”

“And what problem would that be?” the Princess asked, humor in her voice.

Sweetie Belle blushed a bit. “It’s rather private, Your Highness.”

Celestia winked. “You’d be surprised at how often I hear that with a problem. Come, tell me. It shall be a secret between the three of us.”

Sweetie Belle inhaled, pretending to steel herself. “Well, Princess, it’s my husband and I. We’re newly married and trying for foals, but we’re having a bit of trouble. Nothing seems to be working, and we’ve tried just about everything for him and for me short of magic. Not red clover, or partridge berry, or even liferoot. I was about to suggest we try for a stud, but Rarity convinced me to see a doctor who can give me a fertility spell to use.”

The Princess laughed, and a warm wind moved the branches of the magnolia tree. “She’s right on that. Herbal remedies are a good start, but if you truly wish to guarantee a pregnancy, then a fertility spell is the right way to go. I could cast one, if you’d like.”

She hadn’t anticipated that. The crystal in her ear made sure she was very able to hear Mahtaram’s laughter, even as she kept an eye on the Princess. “I am sorry, Sweetie Belle. She dropped on the garden like a hawk, straight down from the mountain. I do not think she plans on hurting you, but…it is too funny!”

Seeing no way out, Sweetie Belle bowed gratefully. “I’d be honored, Your Highness.”

A wash of heat enveloped her, and she felt herself buzz with energy. It grew higher and higher, and with a rush, Sweetie Belle felt the spell sink smoothly into her coat. It nestled in her chest, a little ball of flame that warmed her from the inside out.

“There you are, Rose.” Celestia said. “Though I think that you don’t need it as much as you think you do. You appear to be perfectly capable of having foals without my assistance!” Celestia turned to Rarity. “I’m afraid I must depart, the master of ceremonies will want me to enter from the Grand Stair from my chambers. I look forward to seeing you both at dinner!”

With a roar like that of a blazing fire, she rocketed into the sky once more, tucking her wings neatly as she landed on her balcony to prepare for the Gala. Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked at one another, acutely aware of how close they had come to a short drop and a sudden stop.

As they walked back to the castle proper, Sweetie Belle’s mind began to wander ever so slightly. What had Celestia meant by “perfectly capable of having foals”?

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