This is my first fanfiction ever, so please don't be afraid to give me any constructive criticism to help me improve my writing. Positive comments are also appreciated. Thanks!
Skyfall
Concept and Writing by Viktor Lionheart
Chapter 6: Code White
The scenery seemed to pass by in a steady, unremarkable blur. From somewhere deep in the back of the train car, the sounds of muffled hoofsteps on the rich carpet and the tinkling of glassware from the kitchen beyond floated through her thoughts, mingling to climax in a steady drone which she only partially acknowledged.
Far from her little window, the summer sky had aged to a faint, earthy green as the setting sun began to sink toward the horizon. Long shadows stretched from the distant trees, and seemed to tickle her nose as their shapes danced across the glass. She blinked, paying no attention to the beauty of the landscape beyond, her mind instead out of habit running that morning’s schedule as it had transpired on a tired loop. It wasn’t that she expected to gain anything from her review or to discover some heretofore overlooked misstep. Rather, it was just a nervous reflex, a subconscious effort of distraction, and it was making it all but impossible to drift into the blissful sleep for which she yearned.
Twilight Sparkle sat with her head lolling gently, the faint aroma of spiced tea wreathing the entire compartment in soothing, sleepy warmth. Each time her eyes were just about to close, her cheek would come into contact with the cool glass of the car window, and the jolting vibrations of the train’s passage over the rough iron rails below would snap her back to cogency.
She sighed, drawing another concerned look from her blonde-maned cabin mate, but neither of them spoke. Much of the past hour had passed in this way, with one of them occasionally trying to bring up some bit of casual small talk, but they invariably resorted to the same exchange of noncommittal grunts and the same subsequent silence. Neither of them was feeling particularly cheery, and that was in no small part due to the letter that the pair had received from Spike just after their departure. But for the most part, the two friends were simply exhausted, and didn’t have the energy to try distracting themselves from their thoughts. Instead, they had both resorted to trying to relax, and deciding on their next move when they arrived back home in Ponyville.
At least, that had been the plan. Twilight could not seem to stay asleep for more than a few seconds at a time, and Applejack felt far too pent – up and claustrophobic to sit still. For the fifteenth time that afternoon, the orange mare reached into the overhead luggage rack and began inspecting the hefty chest of bits that constituted her proceeds from her sales of the previous evening. The contents of the chest had not changed in any way, she knew, but the stagnant silence of the compartment compelled her to do something with her hooves, even if it was just a temporary distraction.
“It’s already getting dark…” Twilight grumbled, pushing herself away from the window. She stared resolutely into the bottom of her still full cup of tea, but made no motion to drink it.
Applejack looked up from her work as one hoof continued to organize the collection of twinkling bits into several neat piles. She blinked sleepily at the darkening sky, and then turned to frown in her friend’s direction.
“Golly, is it that late? Big Mac’s gonna give me an earful fer shore. Ah shoulda been back hours ago.”
Twilight sighed once more, lying back until her head connected with the polished oak panels of the compartment wall with a soft thud.
“Well, we would have been back sooner if we hadn’t been held up for four hours.”
Applejack simply shrugged, turning back to her work.
“It cain’t be helped, shug. We weren’t th’ only ponies who had to wait.”
Twilight frowned, her horn sparkling faintly as a bubble of purplish mist enveloped her teacup and carried it into the air before her lips. It hung there for a moment, bobbing gently, before she set it back down again.
“She could have at least said something. I had everything under control. I did have everything under control, right?”
Applejack cocked an eyebrow.
“Are you askin’? Or are you tellin’?”
Twilight’s frown deepened slightly.
“Well, if I missed something that warranted a full search like that, then I’d imagine it was a pretty egregious oversight.”
“Well did ya?”
“Did I what?”
“Did ya miss sumthin’?”
Twilight stared at Applejack in silence for a few seconds, but she could not quite place her friend’s blank expression.
“I don’t see how I could have.” She stated, shaking her head. “I took special precautions by recruiting as many delegates as I could find. So long as everypony did as they were told…”
Applejack raised one hoof to silence her, shaking her head.
“Twi, relax. I only meant that I know you never coulda missed somethin’ like that.” Applejack looked up just long enough to give her a stern, but not unfriendly look. “You were stressin’ about this like I ain’t never seen you stress before. Heck, you even planned out the exact location of every popcorn stand by their operator’s sales record for the past three years six months in advance. The Princess wouldn’t have asked ya tuh do sumthin’ this big if she didn’t trust ya.”
Turning back to her pile of bits, she moved the counted stacks into the chest on the floor and moved on to sorting the still formidable remainder on the table before her. She was just about to reach into the center of the pile when she blinked as a thought seemed to occur to her.
“Whut, you think the Princess doesn’t trust you or sumthin’?” she asked incredulously.
Twilight chuckled softly, but there was a vaguely false quality to it.
“It’s not so much that. I’m just worried that…”
“Worried. If Ah had a nicker fer every time I heard that word from you...” Applejack flashed a tired grin. “Ah’ll say it again. What makes ya think that search had anythin’ tuh do with you?”
Twilight pouted involuntarily. Though she knew that her friend was just as right as she had been an hour ago, she still felt a little put out at being dismissed so easily.
“…Sorry, shug…” Applejack muttered, suddenly embarrassed. “Ah didn’t mean to treat ya like a foal. I just don’t want ya tuh git all worked up over nuthin’, that’s all.”
“You don’t think it’s weird that everypony’s luggage wasn’t searched when they arrived as well?”
“Ah think it’s a bit strange, yeah, but nuthin’ worth losin’ sleep over. Ah mean, they didn’t find nothin’ dangerous, right?”
“Maybe. But I still don’t like it. I thought that the Princess would let me know if something was amiss, you know?” Twilight said, toying with her teacup again.
“This wasn’t yer fault, Twi.”
“I know that.” She countered, a little too quickly. “But don’t you think something felt…off?”
Applejack abandoned her piles of bits, leaning back against the bench on her side of the compartment. She stretched, resting the back of her head on her forehooves as she lounged somewhat awkwardly on her backside.
“Well, now that ya mention it, the Princess…she did seem kinda…I dunno…”
“Distracted?”
“That’s the one. Not that I can blame her fer not stickin’ around to say hello, but doesn’t she usually at least stay to watch the festivities?”
Twilight loosed a heavy sigh, scratching her head with one hoof. “Typically, yes. But she barely said anything before she disappeared. Though to be fair, I was kinda preoccupied, too.”
She jumped slightly at a sudden snort from her hatted friend.
“Ah’ll say. Whut was it you said tuh that fry dealer that made him cry like that?”
Twilight blushed, shooting Applejack an annoyed glare.
“It’s not my fault if nopony but me is familiar with the proper and legal method of positioning food – related business outlets in accordance with the mandates of Manehatten law as dictated under paragraph…”
Her jaw hung pompously open, ready to continue her lecture, but Applejack’s mirthful stare silenced her.
“…okay yeah, maybe I was a little harsh…” She admitted, gazing once more into the bottom of her teacup.
“Don’t pay it no mind, sugarcube. That’s a lotta responsibility the Princess is placin’ on yer shoulders. I’d think ya weren’t pony if the stress didn’t get to ya just a little.”
“…Thanks, AJ.” Twilight breathed, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Still…I wish I knew why…”
This time it was Applejack who sighed.
“How many times do I gotta tell ya to quit yer frettin’? I’m shore the Princess had a good reason to have our bags inspected. Even if it does mean we have to get home a little late.”
“I know, I know” she breathed, finally pushing the teacup away. “I just wish it hadn’t taken so long. That was worse than the time they had to search everypony’s luggage after Pinkie brought an entire suitcase of “industrial grade high-output” party-poppers on our trip to Canterlot last year.”
Applejack shuddered slightly.
“Ah can still hear the screamin’. Rarity wouldn’t let up for nearly a month about how her mane would never grow back.”
She stretched with a grimace, rending the air with a series of loud cracks and pops before replacing the chest of bits in the overhead rack.
“Still, it’s over with now and they didn’t find nothin’ worth worryin’ over.” Out of nowhere, Applejack shot her a wry grin. “Why, are ya worried everypony’s gonna blame this on you?”
Twilight gave her a puzzled frown, too tired to pick up on the hint.
“What do you mean? Why would they blame…”
Her eyes shot wide as the meaning of Applejack’s jab sunk in.
“Why would you say that? Did somepony say something? “That’s not fair!” She jumped to her hooves, nearly upsetting the table as she launched into her practiced stress-pace. “I didn’t know about the luggage check until the last second! I had nothing to do with-“
Applejack cut her off with a sudden snort of mirth.
“Heavens tuh Betsy, girl, that was a joke! Sheesh, did anypony ever tell you that you worry too much?”
Twilight simply blinked.
“Twi, fer Pete’s sake, jes’ relax. Everythin’ went fine, Ah Promise.”
Twilight loosed a sigh of relief, slumping back down into her seat.
“I certainly hope so. I’ve never had to organize something like that for such a big city before.”
“Well, Ah reckon yeh did a bang-up job, regardless.” Applejack shifted onto her back, placing her hat on the table between the twin benches that lined either side of the compartment. Reaching behind her, she prodded at the arm of the bench for a few moments as if to fluff it, and then laid her head to rest against it before turning her gaze toward the darkening sky.
“All Ah know is I done counted that money at least a dozen times now, and it hasn’t once had the decency to change it up. Maybe it’s time Ah got some rest like I planned in the first place.”
“You’re not worried?” The question had come a bit more quickly than Twilight had intended. It took Applejack a moment to answer, and when she did, her expression was blank.
“Worried or no, t’aint gonna help nopony to sit here and fuss about it. Ah reckon it’ll all make more sense when you’ve gotten some sleep. You must be twice as tuckered out as Ah am.”
“…I am pretty tired, but…I just…” She leaned forward, resting her head on her hooves.
For several moments, neither of them spoke. Slowly, Applejack opened one eye and gazed in silence at the brooding unicorn. It hovered there for a time until one orange-coated hoof reached forward to make contact with that of her lavender friend.
“Seriously, Twi…” She muttered, a bit more softly. “Ah’m shore she’s jes’ fine. A few hours delay ain’t gonna make any difference. Ain’t nothing we can do fer her here, so you might as well put it outta yer mind as best ya can.”
Twilight didn’t look convinced, though her hopeful grin showed that she appreciated her friend’s words. Even though she hadn’t directly said it, Fluttershy’s condition had been worrying her ever since they had received Spike’s dragongram (Spike’s idea. Twilight still wasn’t sure that she liked the term.). Rarity’s polished vernacular made an inspired attempt at assuaging her immediate panic through the unfeeling paper, but it helped little, especially since Twilight’s overactive mind had been left to stew for well over an hour on their return trip. To be fair, she knew that her imagination had probably blown the extent of her friend’s injuries grossly out of proportion, and Applejack’s patience did help to calm her somewhat, but she still felt guilty that she had not been there to help when it had happened.
“We’re almost home, shug…” Applejack mumbled through a rather loud and lengthy yawn. “Jes’ sit tight for a little longer and Ah promise everythin’ will be alright.”
“Mmhm.” Twilight yawned in response, reluctantly stretching out on her own bench. It was not a very comfortable resting place, but the long hours of waiting and worrying had already taken their toll. She closed her eyes, basking in the earthy warmth of the summer heat.
“Let’s try to git some rest while we can. Knowin’ Fluttershah, she’ll feel right guilty if she finds out how much you’ve been fussin’ over her.”
Twilight opened one eye, looking over to her friend. Applejack didn’t’ look back, but she could tell that the orange mare was just as worried as she was, even if she wouldn’t show it.
“Thanks, AJ.” She whispered, closing her eyes once more.
============================================================================
“Oh, come on.” Twilight groaned as they plodded forward for a few meager inches before sitting heavily back down on the rough grip-cloth that covered the floor of the station landing.
Twilight tapped her hoof impatiently, her jaw twitching oddly as she suppressed yet another mighty yawn. The orange mare beside her seemed to share her sentiments, if not her outright fatigue, and issued a heavy sigh as the portly stallion in front of them took a single step forward before settling once more into place. As she stared at his corpulent backside, she couldn’t shake the impression that she was standing behind a small yet impassable boulder, and for all intents and purposes he may as well have been such an obstacle, if the past twenty minutes had been any indication.
“Now, don’t git yerself all worked up, shug. Fluttershah’s jes’ fine; Rarity said that Pinkie checked up on ‘er this mornin’, remember?.”
Funnily enough, she didn’t seem entirely relieved, either. The orange Earth pony typically contained herself a bit more successfully in times of stress than her studious friend, but even she hadn’t been able to keep a touch of uncertainty and something that sounded remarkably like ire from her tone.
“Well, she’ll die of old age before we can get to her if this line keeps up the way it’s been going…” Twilight spat.
Applejack gave her that same silent look that she used when one of her friends had said something that they didn’t really mean. One eyebrow climbed high onto the top of her forehead while the other burrowed accusingly into the leaf-green iris below, perfectly complementing her knowing frown.
“…S-Sorry…” Twilight breathed through another yawn, this time unable to restrain it. “I just hadn’t exactly planned on having to wait in line with half of Ponyville before getting off the darn train!”
She raised one hoof to gesture at the crowd at large, shouting at no one in particular as she did so. They stood at the far end of one of several long lines of ponies that each extended before a pair of royal guards. The line moved forward at a snail’s pace as, one by one, the guards stopped each pony and thoroughly searched their luggage.
This was the second time they’d been held up on their return journey. Some of the other ponies in line shared her sentiment and voiced it for all to hear, though most, Twilight included, were more concerned about why the guards were there in the first place.
“Honesty, what’s all the fuss about? Why would they need to search everypony’s luggage twice?” Twilight huffed, pawing the ground in frustration. “And why do I know nothing about any of this?”
“Calm down!” Applejack snapped. For a moment, she glared in her friend’s direction, then sighed heavily, hanging her head.
“Guh…sorry, shug, Ah didn’t mean to bite yer head off…” She rubbed the back of her neck with one hoof before tugging on her applecart, pulling it up behind her to make room for the ponies behind and being careful not to disturb its meager remaining contents.
“You got a point though…” She cocked an eyebrow, leaning to get a glimpse of the front of the line. “They look like they’re bein’ real particular ‘bout their searchin’. You shore the Princess didn’t mention anythin’ ‘bout this ‘fore we left?”
Twilight shook her head, adopting a frustrated frown. “Not a word. Like I said, she disappeared right after raising the sun this morning.”
Applejack simply scowled at the back of the portly stallion for several seconds before snorting irritably.
“Well whatever it is, I’m shore the Princess has a good reason for all this…” Applejack sighed, tugging her nearly empty applecart a few steps forward before sitting dejectedly back down behind the bulky wall of grey fur in front of them.
“I know yer worried, hon. I am too, but we ain’t got nothin’ to gain from causin’ a ruckus. Best just to sit tight and ask what all the hoo-hah’s about when we get the chance.”
Twilight’s expression darkened, though she knew her friend was right. As much as her imagination ran wild with countless horrible scenarios concerning her friend’s condition, her logical mind forced her to acknowledge that Fluttershy was stable for the time being, and in good company. If they could just be patient until they could see somepony they knew…
It was then that a thought occurred to her that made her stand on her hind hooves to scan the crowd.
“Hey, wasn’t Rarity supposed to meet us here?”
Applejack’s ears perked up before she began to mimic her friend’s behavior.
“Now you mention it…she’s not one to be late. Where the hay is that girl?”
She had scarcely uttered her last words when the ivory mare’s posh voice rose in a shrill huff somewhere off to her left.
“My good sir! If I am forced to remind you one more time to keep your hooves to yourself, then I will demonstrate directly to your unkempt visage just how irksome an unfriendly hoof can be!”
Applejack’s ears perked up and her rear legs involuntarily tensed. She knew that tone; Rarity was about to smack somepony. At the same time, Twilight’s head swiveled in the direction of the commotion just as the crowd began to clumsily part before the tide of noise.
“Get out of my way! Remove yourself from my presence this instant!”
“Miss, I must ask that you do not-“
It was a deep, masculine voice, but despite his obvious earnest and his stern, tempered tone, Rarity did not seem willing to listen to a word he had to say.
“That is Lady Rarity to you! If you had any manners at all, you would know how to address a lady!”
With a pompous harrumph, Rarity’s slender snout parted the line before her like a blade through butter. Ignoring the irritated mutterings of those she passed, she flipped her tail in such a way as to smack at the face of the very annoyed royal guard that followed in her wake.
“Miss, if you refuse to comply, I shall be forced to-“
“Lady!”
Smack
“Miss, Stop that this insta-“
“Disgraceful. Is this how the guards are trained these days?”
Smack
“You…you just hit a member of the royal guard! Miss, this is you last warning!”
“And this is yours! A gentleman does not-“
The white unicorn stopped with her mouth open in mid-lashing as she caught sight of her two friends not five feet away. In an instant, Rarity demonstrated her unnerving ability to pull an emotional one-eighty and abandoned her previous disgust in favor of her most charming smile.
“Twilight, darling! And Applejack! I’m so happy to-“
“LADY RARITY!”
The volume of the guard’s voice was so severe that it even caused Rarity to lose her composure for a moment. Immediately, he caught himself, blushing angrily as he cleared his throat. Twilight simply stared onward in a stupor; she was still a bit too tired to be able to process what exactly was happening.
“Lady Rarity…” The guard repeated a bit more quietly, drawing closer in a vain effort to hide his words from the sizeable crowd of onlookers that the two had picked in their passing. “You are placing us all in incredible danger. If you had bothered to listen to even a single word of what I had-“
But Rarity pounced on him before he could finish.
“Oh please. If it’s really so important, why didn’t you just call her to the front of-“
“Listen to me, you stupid woman…“
Whether she simply sensed the approaching explosion or was just frightened into action by the murderous glare that flashed across Rarity’s expression, Twilight wasn’t sure, but Applejack immediately jumped between the two, adopting an aggressive stance.
“HO there! You best watch yer attitude, else somepony's gonna say sumthin’ she regrets…” She warned.
The guard simply glared at her, but Rarity nodded impetuously from behind the orange mare.
“That’s what I’ve been-“
“Ah wasn’t just talkin’ to yer friend here, shug.” Applejack cocked her head to shoot a warning glare behind her, much to Rarity’s surprise. Applejack, too was tired from a long trip with little else to do than worry, and she was in no mood for Rarity’s dramatics, however justified or unjustified they may be.
She turned back to face the guard, softening her expression somewhat.
“Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout her, sir. She can be a might…heh...stubborn.”
Rarity moved as though to protest, but was silenced by another firm look from Applejack.
“Now…” she breathed, taking a moment to steady herself. “If’n Ah heard y’all right, you said we was all in danger?”
“What’s wrong?” Twilight hopped forward, jostling Applejack aside with surprising force.
“What kind of danger? Does it have to do with Flutter-”
“Twi. Not now-”
“That’s it, isn’t it!?” Several of the surrounding ponies were now staring at the unicorn with concern, whispering nervously amongst themselves.
“Did she say danger?”
“Why are we being held here?”
“What is wrong with that mare?”
Twilight ignored them. She lunged forward, forcing the guard to backpedal by several steps. She hadn’t exactly had the capacity to tidy herself up by much after awakening to yet another endless line of obstacles, and the expression on the guard’s face clearly indicated that he half-expected this deranged-looking mare to assault him at any second.
“Why is everypony being held up in line?”
“Twi.”
“You’re looking for something, aren’t you!? Did you identify Fluttershy’s attacker?”
“Twi.”
“But-“
“Heavens tuh Murgatroid, girl, let ‘im talk!”
Twilight opened her mouth to continue spewing question as they came to her mind, but the desperation in Applejack’s voice caused her to snap it shut again.
“What is wrong with you two?” Applejack barked, stamping the ground with both forehooves as she glared first at Twilight, then at Rarity. “Honestly, here we finally have somepony who might know a thing or two ‘bout whut’s goin’ on here and you won’t quit yer yappin’ long enough tuh hear ‘im out!”
Twilight simply blinked at first, her jaw hanging open in silent protest. As she whirled about, looking at each pony in the crowd in turn, it was the still-frozen look of taut alarm on the guard’s face that snapped her back to reality. She hung her head, silently scolding herself and trying to force herself to calm down.
Applejack’s right. Keep it together, Twilight… she thought. Rarity would be far more upset if this had anything to do with Fluttershy. Don’t go jumping to conclusions.
For several moments, Applejack continued to glare at each of the two unicorns in turn, then turned her caustic gaze to the crowd. Soon, all of the onlookers turned sullenly away with many an awkward cough and a shrugging of shoulders.
Satisfied that they would not be interrupted again, Applejack turned back to face the guard. She nodded silently, prompting him to speak. With a small cough and a deep breath, the guard seemed to regain his composure and spoke in a low, quiet monotone.
“Thank you, Miss.” He nodded at Applejack, glancing askance at the unicorns behind her. “As I was trying to say, I was ordered to command Miss Twilight Sparkle’s attention as discreetly as possible upon her return to Ponyville.”
With a tiny gesture of his wing, he hinted at a small bulge about the size of a scroll in his left saddlebag.
“I must ask that you follow me immediately, Miss Sparkle.”
Twilight blinked. Before she could answer, Rarity stepped between them, puffing herself up like a large, disgruntled bird.
“Not so fast, my good sir. You still haven’t told me why you need to see her. And In case you were unaware, her dear friend recently had a frightful encounter in which she was seriously injured. I think that under the circumstances-“
“Miss…” The guard caught himself, sighing heavily. “Lady Rarity…” he hissed, making only a half-hearted attempt at disguising his sarcasm. “You must trust me when I say that this matter takes priority. Princess Celestia herself ordered me to ensure that Twilight Sparkle was informed of…the matter at hoof…the moment that she returned to Ponyville.”
“What?” Twilight sputtered, her eyes darting between the guard’s face and his saddlebag. “That’s…that can’t be right.”
“Those were the Princess’s exact words, Miss Sparkle. We cannot delay.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” She was doing her best to keep her voice steady, but it still trembled slightly nonetheless. “Why are you-“
“I’m sorry, Miss Sparkle, but I cannot say any more than I already have at present. We’re too exposed here.”
Without another word, he stepped away, clearing a small space in the adjacent line with a wave of his hoof. He paused for a moment, gazing expectantly behind him as he waited for her to follow.
“One Master Spike is waiting at the landing entrance to receive you. I will take you to him.”
“Spike’s here?” Twilight asked, cocking an eyebrow at Rarity. The white unicorn merely stared at her for a second before comprehension dawned in her crystal-blue eyes. She blushed, chuckling sheepishly.
“Oh, didn’t I say? He arrived this morning on the train before you, dear, which was just before we contacted you. He’s been waiting with me at the gate…that is, until your train arrived. And I’m sorry I couldn’t be here to greet you as I promised. As you can see, I was a bit…delayed.” She shot an icy glance in the guard’s direction which he thoroughly ignored.
“Never mind that.” Twilight shook her head, suddenly concerned at the apparent gravity of the situation that the guard’s secrecy had conveyed. “What’s this about? Did Spike say anything to you?”
She shook her head. “Not a thing. All I’ve been able to gather from this one,” she gestured lazily in the guard’s direction. “…was that he needed to see you for a very important reason. Something about a message.”
“That is correct.” The guard nodded curtly. “Time is of the essence, Miss Sparkle. I assure you, this will not take long, and as soon as we are finished, you may go to see your friend.” Once again, the exchange between the guard and the group of mares was beginning to draw attention, and he was clearly very anxious to leave. He took one step farther away from the group, gesturing pointedly with his muzzle.
Twilight didn’t budge, one eyebrow still arced high on her forehead as she looked between Rarity and the guard. Applejack stepped closer, looking the guard over as though she smelled something that she couldn’t quite put her hoof on.
“Ah don’t get it. If the Princess needed to speak to Twilight so badly, why didn’t she jes’ say sumthin’ at th’ Celebration? She could’ve easily-“
“I am not at liberty to say.” The guard’s curt response cut her off with a rather biting finality.
Twilight paused for a moment, eying the guard with an appraising eye. Whether he really didn’t know why the Princess was being so secretive or he had simply been ordered to say nothing more on the matter, she couldn’t tell, but the hardened set of his jaw and the faint spark of desperation in his eyes did tell her that something was bothering him. Whatever was going on, he clearly knew something that she didn’t, and that something was making a highly trained member of the Canterlot Royal Guard nervous. That was never a good sign.
She opened her mouth to say something, but simply ended up closing it again as she worked her jaw back and forth in thought. After a few seconds, she sighed, shaking her head. It was clear that the guard took his duty far too seriously to be reasoned with at the moment, so that left her with only one remaining course of action.
“Guh…fine. If it’ll get me out of this line, I’ll go. But I do need to see my friend as soon as possible.”
The guard seemed to relax slightly, stepping further away to clear a space for Twilight to follow.
“Miss Fluttershy is fine, I assure you. A guard has been assigned to her home and is there looking after her as we speak.”
“That’s…encouraging…” she replied with something less than enthusiasm. “So…wait, you know about-“
“I am fully aware of her condition, Miss Sparkle, which is all the more reason to deliver the Princess’s message as I intended. I think you will agree when you know more.”
“…if you say so…” she whispered, suddenly even more concerned. Whatever this was, it didn’t seem likely that it would be good news. “…come on, girls, we better see what this is about.”
She stepped out of line, moving toward the small gap that the guard had formed. After only a moment’s hesitation, the two friends behind her exchanged a quick glance and silently followed suit.
Immediately, the guard leapt between them, snorting heatedly.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Applejack simply blinked, confused at the sudden aggression.
“Whut now? Don’t tell me ya done gone an’ changed yer mind after all that bluster.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean” he replied evenly. “As I said, I was to command Twilight Sparkle’s attention when she returned to Ponyville.”
“Are…are you saying that we cannot accompany her?” Rarity huffed.
“The Princess mentioned only Miss Sparkle when she gave me my mission. You are not entitled to any information until such a time as she sees fit-“
“Hang on…” Twilight cut him off with a wave of her hoof. “The Princess trusts my friends as much as she trusts me. I’m sure that it’s alright-“
The guard rolled his eyes, his patience clearly at an end.
“I cannot speak for the Princess, Miss Sparkle, and neither, with all due respect, can you. They will not leave the premises until they have been processed.”
The word “processed” seemed to take a few moments to sink in. When it did, Applejack scowled so fiercely, Twilight could have sworn she saw the guard flinch just slightly despite himself.
“Whut? Ah went through this riggamarole once, already! You cain’t seriously expect us to wait in this here line when our friend’s been injured! We’ve been delayed long enough as it is!”
“Your luggage has not been searched. All passengers are to be-“
“How dare you!” Rarity stomped forward, matching the guard’s wrathful glare. “Are you suggesting that my friend here has something to hide? Are you even aware to whom you are speaking?”
“Bearer of the Element of Honesty or not, she is not excepted from the laws of Equestria, nor are you or anypony else. You will both subject to the proper searching of-“
“Oh, is that right?” Twilight blinked innocently. She knew that this guard was just doing his job, but his gruff nature was grating on her nerves, and she had just about gotten sick of waiting to get things done.
“Then in that case, I had better wait in line here with everypony else!” she chirped, darting back into place.
The guard looked as though he was about to swallow his tongue.
“Miss Sparkle, I-“
“Oh will you make up your mind?” Rarity quipped, instantly catching on. “Either we all go or no one goes. Your choice.”
“She’s right. I wouldn’t want to break the law, especially if I felt like I was getting special treatment or something. I’m sure the message can wait until my saddlebags have been properly searched.”
The reddish hue that painted the guard’s face was deep enough to match the tint of the few withering apples that still remained on Applejack’s cart. For several seconds his opened and closed his mouth in silent fury, then loosed a heavy, grunting sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. Before he spoke again, he took a moment to carefully examine both Rarity and Applejack, eyeing them each warily as if deciding how to best incapacitate them if they should become dangerous.
“Hurry up…” he grunted, trotting forward without another glance behind him.
Unable to hide a little personal satisfaction from her relieved grin, Twilight cantered after him with her friends in tow. The members of the surrounding crowd did not seem particularly pleased that a group of three mares was being escorted like celebrities to the front of the line, but the group paid them no heed.
As they walked, Rarity attempted to fill them both in as quickly as possible on what had happened while they were gone, and what exactly Fluttershy had been going through. The letter that she had had Spike send had been thorough, but it still left some questions unanswered, not the least of which being how she had been found. It did not take long, though, with the guard leading the way, to reach the head of the line, and as they neared it, Twilight spied a tiny purple-scaled hand waving frantically in their direction. It would surface for little more than an instant before dropping back out of view, but the cracking voice to which it was attached left no question as to whom the hand belonged.
At last, the final line of ponies parted before them and the instant that Twilight had stepped out from the wall of bodies, something small and warm collided with her chest.
“Spike!” she gave the dragon a friendly hug.
“Hey guys! What took you?” the young dragon beamed.
Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but was silenced by an annoyed glare from their escort. Immediately, the guard walked to speak in hushed tones with another guard that had apparently been waiting with Spike at the station entrance. Twilight eyed them warily for a moment, but could decipher nothing from their rapidly moving lips.
She started slightly, having momentarily forgotten why Spike was there.
“Sorry about the wait, Spike.” Twilight grinned sheepishly as she glanced in her friend’s direction. “How were things in Canterlot?”
She only tried half-heartedly to hide the concern in her voice. Nonetheless, Spike seemed completely unbothered by her distress.
“Oh, the usual stuff.” He dismissed the question with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “You know, welfare reports, cataloging artifacts, that sort of thing.” Either he wasn’t concerned or, more than likely, it hadn’t occurred to him that something was wrong. Spike was a matchless assistant, but he had always been a bit oblivious.
“Oh, and Spitfire taught me some new moves.”
“That’s great, shug!” Applejack trotted to his side, rubbing one huff in an affectionate tousle of his spines. “Jes’ make sure ya tell me ‘fore ya go showin’ off tuh RD” she grinned. “Ah cain’t get enough o’ that face she makes whenever she hears yer getting’ personal lessons from her idol.”
Spike had grown up a bit over the past two years. He was just now passing through the first awkward stages of adolescence, and his tiny wings had come in just after his eleventh birthday. They were still a bit ungainly, but he flew well enough for his age. His frequent trips to Canterlot had afforded him the opportunity of working with some of the most talented fliers in Equestria, after all.
Twilight sighed impatiently, pushing Applejack away.
“No…I mean, that’s great, Spike, but I meant “how were things with the Princess,” specifically. I was told she had a message for me?”
Comprehension dawned in Spike’s round green eyes. “Oh, yeah!”
He made to reach into the small satchel that he carried on his back before pausing and looking to the guard that had escorted them.
“Whoops. I gave it to you, didn’t I?”
The guard took a few more seconds to finish whatever it was he was saying before turning back to face the group. His comrade nodded silently, snapping a crisp salute before running off toward the town proper.
“Indeed” he nodded. “You’ve done well, Master Spike, but we can take it from here.”
An odd little grin cracked Spike’s lips for just a second.
“As you wish, sir Bastion.” Spike bowed deeply, speaking with an overly pompous air that drew several confused looks from the surrounding ponies. “Shall I escort you anon?”
The guard named Bastion cocked an eyebrow. “That…won’t be necessary…thank you.”
He stepped away, trotting out through the archway that served as the entrance to the station boarding platform. With a flick of his muzzle, he gestured toward the town and waited silently, watching each of them in turn.
Spike simply shrugged.
“Fun guy, dontcha think?” He said to no one in particular.
“Spike…” Twilight whispered, leaning in close to her dragon friend. “You don’t know anything about what’s in that message, do you?”
“Huh? Oh no, sorry.” He shook his head. “I tried to read it before you got here, but every time I did, that guy practically had a fit. All I know is it’s a white ribbon message. Must be pretty important.”
He paused, eyeing her warily.
“Hey, Twi, you alright? You look awful.”
“Spike!” Rarity scowled. “It is ungentlemanly to speak to a lady in such a way.” She glanced at Twilight’s mane. Almost immediately, her front hooves began to twitch slightly, as though she were barely resisting the urge to tidy every wayward strand.
“I’m just worried, that’s all” he protested. “You guys look like you’ve barely slept.”
“It’s alright, Rarity” Twilight sighed. “We’re just exhausted; it’s been a long couple of days.”
“We cannot delay for any longer, Miss Spar-“
“YES, I KNOW, thank you, captain obvious!” she snapped, panting heavily.
Spike simply blinked at her with a vague expression of something between shock and concern.
“I guess so…Remind me not to tell you that I haven’t gotten around to re-shelving the historical figures section of the library yet.”
Applejack nudged Twilight gently with her muzzle.
“Come on shug, we better get moving. We don’t wanna attract any more attention here.”
She sighed, taking a moment to steady herself.
“I don’t think he’s gonna let you guys come with me…” Twilight muttered apologetically. “I guess Fluttershy will have to wait. Again.”
“Don’t let it worry ya none, shug. Rarity, Spike and Ah will go and see her while you finish up whatever it is you and colonel stick-in-the-mud have gotta do.”
“Alright…in that case, here…” Twilight reached into her saddlebags, resurfacing with a small purse of bits ensconced in a bubble of purple mist. With a wave of her horn, she placed a small pile of bits in Spike’s hand, and withdrew the rest into the bag once more
.
“Go to Sugarcube Corner and pick up some of Fluttershy’s favorite cakes - she likes the pineapple ones - and wait for me at her cottage. Tell her I’m really sorry and that I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry, Darling, I’m sure Fluttershy will understand. It’s not your fault that Princess Celestia assigned such a brute as her mailcolt.”
“Thanks, guys” Twilight said as she trotted after the guard, who still stood silently waiting at the gate. The moment that she drew near, he cantered ahead, his head swiveling this way and that to make sure that they were not being followed. With a wave and a wish of good luck, she saw her friends off and resigned herself reluctantly to the task at hoof.
The center of Ponyville was not far from the station, and so it did not take more than a few minutes of silent walking before the familiar silhouette of her favorite tree came into view. At present, it looked a little worse for wear, having apparently lost some of its lower branches in the recent earthshakes, but it would always look like home to her. Despite her general frustration with her situation, she couldn’t help but feel slightly warmed at seeing it once again after being away for the past two weeks.
As they trotted up to the aged wooden door, Bastion paused, extending one ivory wing to block her path. With a low grunt, he took off high into the air, circling the tree and surveying the area for several moments before landing once more, nodding to no one in particular.
“Apologies, Miss Sparkle. I had to ensure that the perimeter was secure.”
“Thanks” she spat, not caring to disguise her impatience. “Where’s the letter?”
Without a word, he opened his saddlebag with one wing, withdrawing a long scroll bound at the center with a plain white ribbon. As it floated into the grasp of her magic, she couldn’t help but stare at it in wonder for a moment. The Princess had familiarized her with the color-based hierarchy of royal scrolls, but never before had she seen a white ribbon attached to one of her mentor’s letters.
“Are you alright, Miss-“
“Yes, thank you” she muttered, pushing past him. With a steadying breath, she trotted through the door, taking care to close the door as quietly as she could before drawing a small, rickety stool from the desk across the room. She plunked down heavily on its surface, much to the stool’s creaking chagrin, and unfurled the letter. All the while, Bastion stood watch outside, occasionally glancing in through the window.
The paper was the same thick, faintly perfumed gauge which typically housed the Princess’s missives, though even at a glance, she could tell that its contents were anything but pleasant. Princess Celestia’s leisurely, slanting scrawl had a peculiarly hardened edge, as though she had pressing a bit too deeply into the paper when she wrote. But before she could even begin reading, her eyes were drawn to a vaguely disturbing image located in the center of the paper.
Twilight held the paper at a distance to get a better view of the image. The picture was expertly drawn, though it showed no evidence of artistic flair or stylization. It was a single, asymmetrical, dark gem attached to a long chain, like a pendant, with no apparent decoration save for a few crudely carved notches around the base of the gem. It was a striking object, somehow both elegant and ugly all at once. She stared at it for a few moments, memorizing its every detail, before continuing.
My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,
I apologize for the confusing nature in which circumstance has forced me to contact you. You must be wondering why I could not simply speak to you in person at the Celebration. Such is the nature of the news I bear that it mandates that the information contained herein remains between the two of us, and the two of us alone. You may remember my lessons, however brief, on the different varieties of magic that exist throughout Equestria. The most prominent variety is that which flows through the Elements of Harmony. However, contrary to what you have been taught, this magic was not always the most powerful magic known to pony kind. Long ago, in the time before my rule, there existed other forms just as, if not more powerful than the Elements. I do not wish to alarm you, Twilight, but I have reason to believe that an artifact of such power has recently appeared in Equestria and is more than likely to be associated with the recent spree of disasters occurring throughout the land. The one in question, if my memory serves me correctly, looks something like the image below.
“More powerful than…” Her voice trailed off absently as her vision hung briefly on the image of the peculiar pendant once more. Her eyes moved ever faster as her academic mind thrilled with a mixed sensation of fear and archaic curiosity.
This is an object of tremendous power, and it was sealed away long ago for that reason. If this were to fall into the wrong hooves, the results could be disastrous. As such, I must devote every effort to finding it as soon as possible to mitigate any potential damage. I cannot know for sure where this object is located, but I have reason to suspect that it is somewhere in the vicinity of the Everfree Forest. If you should, at any point, become aware of this object’s presence, notify me immediately. DO NOT attempt to handle it or analyze it in any way, and DO NOT allow anypony else to come into contact with it if avoidable.
I am deeply sorry for involving you in this, Twilight, but it is of the utmost importance that this situation be handled delicately. If it is known that such a power exists, I fear others will either panic or try to seek it for themselves. You may post copies of this picture and tell others that it is missing, but treat it as a strictly non-magical royal family heirloom that has been stolen by an unknown thief. This will maintain consistency with the story being provided to the public by my guards around Equestria at this very moment. You must share the truth with none aside from the other Element Bearers. If somepony should find it before you, please inform the nearest guards of the situation so that they may observe the pony or ponies in question under the pretense of providing protection against the aforementioned thief.
Also, a warning: If one of the Element Bearers does accidentally come into contact with the object, they are to come with you to Canterlot immediately. It is imperative that you do not delay in this case, for the magic contained within the gem is by its nature at odds with the magic of the Elements. I have no way of knowing what would happen if two forces of such power were brought together, but I assure you that it would not be good.
I apologize in advance for my presumptuousness, but I have instructed Bastion to escort you on your investigation. He is an able soldier and he is more than capable of assisting you.
I understand that all of this is very sudden and warrants further explanation. Please, at your earliest convenience, gather your friends and come to Canterlot so that I may speak to you privately.
Twilight exhaled, not realizing that she had held her breath as she read the last parts of the letter. She read the letter again more slowly, then a third time to make sure she had read it correctly. Something was wrong. Aside from the obvious, Twilight had the feeling that the Princess was hiding something. She had said “if memory serves me correctly,” meaning that the princess had seen the artifact before, and up close at that, judging by the detail of her illustration. But, what had happened the first time it had been sealed away? Why was this the first time she had heard of such an object?
She groaned, letting the paper fall to the floor as she held her head in her hooves. As if her day hadn’t been troublesome enough as it was, now she had a pounding headache to contend with.
“Miss Sparkle?!”
Twilight nearly hit the ceiling at the sound of Bastion’s muffled voice. She tumbled from the stool, cursing loudly as it shot out from under her, slamming into a nearby bookshelf and jarring several of its topmost tomes from their roost.
The door flew open, slamming against the library wall with deafening force. In seconds, Bastion was standing over her, extending a hoof to help her up.
“Miss Sparkle, are you alri-“
“ARE YOU INSANE?!” She snapped, smacking his hoof aside and glaring at him from her position on the floor. “You nearly killed me!”
The guard backpedaled frantically as she leapt to her feet.
“A…apologies, Miss, I-I just saw that you-”
“MOVE.”
She was beyond caring about staying on pleasant terms with her new companion at this point. She shoved past him, making for the door as quickly as she could.
She remained stonily silent as she bolted out the door, running as fast as her legs would carry in toward the edge of town. None of it made much sense, but she reasoned that there wasn‘t much point in worrying about what exactly Celestia had meant when she said that that object was more powerful than the Elements of Harmony; it would have to wait until she could meet Celestia in person.
Without another word, Bastion followed quickly behind her. She scowled when she heard his hoofsteps, but did not turn back to face him.
“So let me get this straight.” She hissed, her brain working furiously. “You already knew that Fluttershy had found this…thing…and you were gonna wait until I read your precious letter before you let me see her?”
Bastion blinked in surprise for a moment before he answered.
“You agree that this matter takes priority then-“
“Priority over what, exactly?!” She skidded to a halt, whirling angrily about. He only just barely managed to stop before slamming into her, and as a result he was just inches away when she began screaming in his face.
“You mean to tell me that you knew what kind of danger she was in, and you just sat by and watched while you waited for me to get back?”
"That's not what happ-"
"Why didn't I know about this sooner? If I had been able to be here in the first place, then-"
"The Princess did not want to alarm you while you had other duties to worry about" he said evenly. "It was her wish that everything proceed as normal until it was necessary for you to-"
"And another thing!" She spat, ignoring his efforts to keep the conversation calm. "If you already found this thing, why the hay are you still searching everypony's luggage? We could have been here hours ag-"
“MISS SPARKLE!”
Despite her ire, the force of Bastion’s voice hit her like a sledgehammer. He scowled deeply, though this was not the impotent frustration that he had displayed at the station. This time, he was truly angry.
“Do not dare to think that you know how to better handle this situation than a mare who has watched over this land for more than ten of your lifetimes” he rumbled, his voice low and deathly quiet.
“And do not dare to think that I, as one of the forsworn guardians of Equestria, would ever willingly put one of Princess Celestia’s subjects in danger. Is that clear?”
Twilight said nothing, but simply scowled at the ground. Bastion simply glared at her for a time until he seemed to remember himself, coughing awkwardly as he tried with what grace he could muster to resume his military impartiality.
“Apologies, Miss Sparkle. I did not intend to…lose my temper” he muttered. “I should have been more thorough in my previous explanation with regards to my awareness of Miss Fluttershy’s condition.”
Much to Twilight’s surprise, he bowed deeply, getting down on both forehooves as he prostrated himself before her.
“Please forgive me for my oversight. I should have explained that Miss Fluttershy is perfectly safe and that we have the…object in question under careful observation. There is no immediate danger, I promise you” he said, his words muffled somewhat as he was speaking into the ground. “We were simply ordered to make you aware of the situation before bringing you into contact with the object in the case that we should locate it before you. The Princess is being very careful to minimize potential fallout.”
“Oh…well…that’s, um…that’s a little different, then…” Twilight stuttered. They had not made it past the center of Ponyville just yet, and the guard’s behavior was drawing quite a few wry stares that were making her uncomfortable.
"That is why we are still searching, and that is why you and your friend were held up in line. Until we confirm that the object in question is the genuine article, we cannot afford to be careless. Do you understand?"
Suddenly, she felt horrible, like a child being reprimanded by their father. She looked away, idly pawing at the ground with her hoof.
"...Y-yes...You're right. I-I'm sorry..."
“Then you agree that it would have been foolish to allow you to proceed without understanding the danger?”
“Yes, yes I do. I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn't have yelled at you. Just…just stop doing that.”
“Do you accept my apology?”
From somewhere off to her right, a husky female voice called out.
“WHOO! Go get ‘em, Twilight!”
Shut up Vinyl.
“Yes, yes, of course! Just get up, already!”
Bastion said nothing, but immediately obeyed. Without so much as a nod in her direction, he sped off in the direction of the shabby dirt road that led to Fluttershy’s cottage. After only a moment’s hesitation, she stomped off after him, blushing furiously.
This is going to be a long night, she thought.
As the two ponies sped away from the library and disappeared from view, a lonely figure sat on his porch, watching them with amused curiosity. He smiled to himself, getting up from his seat with a satisfied groan and ambling leisurely back inside his home. As he walked, he whistled merrily to no one in particular. Though he wouldn’t have said it out loud, he was feeling a lot better than he had in quite a long time.
This is going to be a perfect night, he thought.
Next time on Skyfall: Chapter 7: Revelation