//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Tarnished // Story: Eldritch Designs // by MaeceusMan //------------------------------// The acrid taste of ash was strong in the air. The wood burned; it popped and hissed as the moisture within turned instantly to steam. The persistent heat and dim orange glow overpowered any other sense of light coming from the room. He could sometimes see her, standing there. She had a habit of appearing as an apparition when he looked into the fire for too long. He couldn't help thinking of her when he saw fire. It reminded him too much of the last time he had seen her before her Fall. The blazing timbers, a criss-cross pattern of colored flames as a long forgotten chemical or spell became engulfed. Screaming ponies, trying to run, with nowhere to go. And Celestia, standing there, her eyes burning like the hottest of the fire's many coals.   Discord pulled his head back from the fireplace, flinching. Not from the heat, of course. It no more hurt Discord to touch fire than it did to juggle his own limbs. No, he flinched from the memories. Getting to his hoof and claw, he stretched, trying to shake that image of the last time he had seen Celestia from his mind. It didn't help things that he was still trapped in his own mind, in the Chaos Corridor, right next to a stained glass window featuring the two Alicorn Princesses defeating him. To the far end of the room, the Chaos Corridor stopped at the massive throne room doors. They no longer led anywhere. Not that he really had anywhere else to go. He hoped his oddly shaped eyes were playing tricks on him, but Discord was beginning to think that this hallway was beginning to grow shorter. He feared this meant he was running out of time. Frowning, he returned to peering through the flames, despite the memories of Canterlot they brought rushing back. It had never occurred to Discord that he would have to spend more than a few minutes using this fireplace to receive a quick message from the princess. And yet, here he was, trapped between the memories brought on by the flames, and his own fading memories, their continued loss manifesting before his eyes as a vanishing palace memory. As the world before him once more became the burning inferno in the fireplace of Princess Twilight's rooms, he frowned again. Something seemed to be wrong over there now, too. "HELLO?! IS ANYPONY THERE?!" He yelled, his voice echoing through the rooms out of the royal fireplace. It took only a moment for the princess's assistant to rush into his view. "Ye... ye... ye... yes Mister Chaos sir?" the pale blue mare asked in a timed voice, averting her gaze from the flames. Discord would normally have loved having all this fear and awe directed his way, but tonight he simply ignored it. This matter could simply not wait. He instead put on one of his more commanding tones and said, "Send somepony to check on the princess now. And send somepony else up to the surface. These flames are weak. I think somepony turned off the air down here, and I want to know why. There may be danger." Stopping a possible threat to the princess, the entire population of this bunker, and myself? he thought as the hoofmaid ran off to do as he had said. Will that get you to stop haunting me? The burning embers of Celestia's eyes stared at him grimly through the flames, and didn't answer him. They never did. • The night air had a slight bite to it as Applejack left young Pip behind. Another rapidly onset winter was beginning. Not that it needs to be, she thought to herself. Applejack, was one of the few who knew the truth about the season speeding initiative. While what Dandelion had said about crop yields had been true at first, they hadn't actually needed to have a 7 month season cycle to produce enough food for almost two years. Instead, this winter was the first in that time which would align with when winter was actually supposed to be. The bombing raids would stop for a month, while the rebels spent the month hiding from the snow the weather ponies felt no obligation to keep off their heads. With the first day of "spring" arriving, the rebels would begin to attack in earnest. They always did when spring first began. Spies in the rebel ranks had confirmed that this year was to be no different. And then, when the rebel army approached the front lines, the snowstorm would hit. The rebels would be cut off, not dressed for winter, and with heavy sleet blowing in their eyes. A good plan, Applejack thought. And one that might actually end this war nice and quick. She was surprised to realize she wasn't heading towards the farm. Looking around, Applejack quickly realized where her hooves were leading her. She nodded, doubling her pace for the edge of the farm, near the Everfree Forest. Winter was coming, it was time for a visit before the snows came. It didn't take long before the bare branches of the Zap Apple Trees came into sight. Lit as they were by the yellow light of the full moon, they took on a creepy cast. Clawed branches reached for her, while grim faces created by the moonlight snarled at her. She could almost imagine Timberwolves leaping fully formed from the trunks of the trees. Finally, she stopped, at the base of the roughest, toughest, and most knarled of the Zap Apple Trees. It was the one planted by Granny Smith herself when she was a young mare, which she had fondly referred to as the only Zap Apple tree that was trying to copy Granny Smith herself, due to its features. Applejack took off her Stetson as she looked at the carving in the tree's base, and read.   Here Lies Granny Smith At the base of her tree which grew Ponyville Know that she too grows forever As love in our hearts 926 - 1013 C.E. Applejack stood there a moment, lost in thought. The only sound was the faint rustle of dry leaves as they blew in the wind made by the Everfree forest. Finally, she said, "Shoot Granny... I dunno why I came here tonight, but I feel like I could really use your advice right now. It... it's like when Celestia died. You were the one who threw that huge feast in her honor. You were the one to remind us to laugh at all the good she'd done, not just to grieve that she couldn't do no more." She shifted uncomfortable before continuing, leaves crunching softly underhoof. "Well, it feels like that again now. Only the whole world feels like it's grievin', if that makes any sense..." "Oh, yeessssssss, it makes peeerrrfffeeect sense..... my dear..... buut thheee queeesssstion issss, fooor whaaat dooo theeeeyy aaall griieeve?" Applejack jumped at the intruding voice, and whirled around into a combat ready position. But all she could see was the edge of the woods, set in shades of black. What was I thinking? her thoughts raced as she scanned the shadows. How many times did I tell Apple Bloom to stay away from the forest at night? And yet here I am, unarmed and alone, and a prime target during a war, no less! "Who said that?" She asked, eyes narrowing, her voice deceivingly calm. "I wasn't expectin' no more guests tonight, now who's out there?" "III..... aaam oooff nooo connssseequeeence. Buuut I wouuuld assssssk yooou, Applejaaack, whaaat did yooou aaand yooour guessssst tonight dissssscussssss?" The voice was like oiled glass. Far too smooth, and it made you want to take a long bath just to think about. Feeling oddly dizzy, Applejack felt herself beginning to speak, to tell this voice all that Pip had just told her in confidence. It's like the mountaintop Balrog! a voice in her head said urgently. You have to fight it! She tried to close her mouth, to stop the words that were already coming in earnest. She had already reached the point in the story where Pip had joined her for dinner! But what can I do? She asked the voice. My mouth ain't exactly my own right now! Well what do you have control of? It asked back. Your mane? No... Your legs? No... Your hooves! Wait what? She thought, incredulous. What's it matter if I can stand on my own hooves if I can't move my legs? And that’s when Applejack remembered another time she had felt small and helpless before a creature she could barely understand. The world snake had come charging towards her. She, this tiny, insignificant speck of dust facing a creature she had mistaken for an entire mountain range. She remembered the lessons she had learned from the Gildedalean Ponies, and most of all from Ashtail. How when an Earth Pony stands firmly in their own soil with confidence, they can draw strength from that soil, and strength from all other Earth Ponies who had stood on that soil. That strength had let her face a Balrog. That strength had let her battle the wild Komagas. That strength had made the world snake bounce off of her. She reached for that strength now. Here, on the farm that had been in her family for generations. Here, at the grave of Granny Smith herself. Here, in Ponyville, a town she had saved more times than she could count. Maybe she couldn’t do much against whatever magic this was. But there was one thing she could do. She could face this threat and Stand Firm. The dirt wrapped around her hooves, and Applejack felt the strength of the whole farm fill her. Even the dim shadows of the forest faded away before her as she became one with her farm. And there it was. She saw it. A hooded and cloaked figure, standing among the trees. Its cloak did not move in the breeze. Standing like she was now, the hooded figure seemed puny. She almost laughted. And just like that, Applejack’s body became her own, and she forced her mouth to stop talking; her teeth slammed shut with an audible click. Just in time, too, she thought. I was at the part of the story where I had started to walk Pip home. "Oh, I'm sorry." Applejack said, feeling triumphant. "I seem to have forgotten the rest of my story." "But I tell you what," she said, a grin forming on her face. "Why don't you tell me who you are and I'll be sure to let you know where you can go to mind your own damn business." She couldn't make out the figure's face in the light, but she knew a frown when she saw one. Turning quickly, it disappeared into the depths of the Everfree Forest, gliding far too smoothly along the rough forest floor. As soon as it was out of range of her advanced sight, Applejack released the ground, turned, and galloped back the way she had come. There's trouble brewin' and help'll be needed. She thought, heart racing. Lucky I ain't the only Earth Pony 'round here who can Stand Firm. • The table was set, the bags were packed, and the food was prepped. Rarity had learned of Rainbow Dash's swift arrival with hours to spare. As she later learned to some surprise, she had in fact known Rainbow was coming for several hours before Rainbow Dash had known it herself. No matter how often she saw the future, it always seemed to find new ways to surprise her. With that time to prepare, Rarity had managed to not only secure her Dirigible for departure later tonight, but she had written her "apology" letter to the Prime Maneister, been to the shop, and hired the chef from her favorite restaurant, specializing in Haute Cuisine no less, to help her make a suitable meal for tonight. After all, she was not only hosting one of her oldest and dearest friends for dinner, but a Five-Star General no less! They hugged at the door, Rarity pretending to be surprised. Rainbow Dash however, did not seem to believe the surprise as the table was already set for two, with one name card reading “The Lady Rarity” and the other “General Rainbow Dash”. Rarity felt the menu was suitable, hearty yet sophisticated, and of course only hosting a collection of the freshest ingredients, all of which she had hoof chosen herself. She had started the dinner with an Hors d'Oeurve of Marinated Mushrooms Sautéed in Herbs and a dry white wine. This was quickly followed by l'Entrée. A Chestnut Soup with Crème Fraiche, served with a crusty Baguette. Le Plat Principal she was particularly proud of. A platter of Tomato and Spinach Buckwheat Crepes, with shaved slices of black truffle she had been saving for a special occasion. Tonight seemed appropriate. It was only when she reached le dessert, a Winter Fruit Compote with Cognac sauce, that she began to grow concerned. Rainbow Dash would often show a complete lack of proper decorum while she ate, and the more Rarity tried to bring some class to their proceedings, the more uncouth Rainbow tended to act. It was an inside joke they had both perpetuated for years. And yet Rainbow Dash had somehow spent the entirety of the meal sitting stiffly at the table, making no more than idle chit chat, and using a spoon no less! Finally, when they retired to the lounge for le Café, Rarity could no longer take the silence, and she said, "So... did you have a nice... um... lightning ride here tonight?" "It was relaxing. No turbulence." Rainbow sat stiffly on the silk couch, sipping her coffee. Rarity stared in bewilderment. Turbulence? Relaxing? "But... I thought... didn't you say... huh?!" was all managed to get out before she realized, that Rainbow Dash, had in fact, just beaten Rarity at her own game. Moments later, they both practically fell over laughing. "Ahh hah ha ha! Oh my Celestia, I can't believe you just did that! Rainbow Dash, did you just act uncouth by acting overly couth? When did you learn to do that?" "Well I am a general who spends most of her time with a princess!" Rainbow replied, also laughing, "But more importantly, when did you learn how to cook like that? You used to just add a green leaf to your food and call it 'garnish' or something like that." "Well, I have been here a while. But tonight..." she paused, attempting a dramatic pause, but the giggling fairly well ruined it. "I just hired a cook!" "Well, I guess that explains how you still have dirty pots in the sink! Didn't you used to insist that all pots be cleaned and dried before anypony could eat? Like that one time, you made us all a, what did you call it, a suffel?" "A soufflé, dear Rainbow, and I'll have you know they always fall when you take them out of the oven, it doesn't matter if you serve them in five minutes or fifty!" "Yeah that's right, fifty is more like it. And then by the time the dishes were all cleaned to your satisfaction, didn't Opal...?" "Yes, that's right! The silly dear went and knocked them on the floor, because she wanted to nap in the warm spot on the counter they had made!" "Oh wow," Rainbow said, still laughing. "Opalescence the cat. She brings back some memories... How long has it been since then?" The laughter cut out at Rarity's reply, "Well that was right before she died, which was around the same time as Fluttershy left, so... two or three years now?" "Have you heard anything from her, by the way?" Rainbow asked after an awkward pause, filling the silence. "No..." Rarity said sadly. "I send her letters every so often through Discord, but he says that she won't reply to any of us, or it doesn't really count as banishment." "Banishment! Hah!" Rainbow said scornfully. "It's not banishment if you do it to yourself! It's... what did you call it again?" "Self-Inflicted Exile?" "Yeah, that's it. And the key to that is self-inflicted. Why would she do that to us? You don't think it was really because of the...?" "The Elements? Hmm... maybe. The timeline certainly fits. And let's face it, Rainbow. Fluttershy and Twilight were arguing pretty much nonstop after we used the Elements to... how did you put it? Squish..." "No no no, not 'squish them'," Rainbow cut in. "I said we used the Elements to squash them. To pulverize them. To obliterate them. To decimate them." Rainbow said the last with particular vigor. "Well... either way, it didn't work, did it? If anything, more ponies joined the rebellion after that stunt then we stopped by doing it..." Rarity set the last of her coffee down. The taste had gone off in her mouth. "Uh huh... and then we have the Triad showing up today, and saying we have to bring the whole gang back together to..." "Wait wait wait what?" Rarity cut Rainbow off, jumping off her seat as she did so, saying: "The Three woke up? They spoke to you? And Twilight? And they need us all to do something?! Why the hoof didn't you say anything before about this?!" Rarity was having to resist the urge to shake Rainbow where she sat. "Well yeah," Rainbow said, surprised. "Didn't they tell you as well? You weren't exactly surprised to see me, and I saw you had already packed to head back home! Plus, can't you see the..." "Don't say it!" Rarity grimaced, cutting Rainbow Dash off. "I've told you a million times Rainbow, I see Need, not the future. I'm not omniscient or omnipresent! And even when I sometimes can see it, do you see Applejack around here somewhere to help me do that?" Rainbow nodded, though Rarity still suspected her friend didn't really understand the difference between the two. She also decided not to mention about her little vision today. She didn't even understand it fully herself, though she couldn't help but wonder now if that had been The Three's way of contacting her directly. Taking a deep breath, Rarity sat back down and said, "Now, tell me exactly what happened." • By the time Apple Bloom had made it back to the hospital, the house lights of some early bird ponies were beginning to turn on, as they set about starting their day. This fact did not please Apple Bloom, who was seriously feeling the need for some sleep herself. Unfortunately, she suspected she was not going to get that chance for a while yet. She had to do something about that green force field around her workshop first. How could I possibly rest when my life's work could be destroyed or lost forever? Plus, she added, I would certainly be the one blamed if something goes wrong, or Celestia forbid, something happened to the Princess as a result of this experiment... She was pleased to see as she entered Pumpkin Cake's room that her family was no longer there. It seemed that they had finally gone off to get some sleep themselves. She was even more pleased to see that Pumpkin Cake was awake, having apparently gotten enough rest while unconscious. Apple Bloom paused at the door, looking at her assistant. Something about her seems off... she thought, perplexed. Hesitantly, she approached the hospital bed, and asked, "So, Pumpkin Cake, how'r you holding up? Do you, er, remember what happened last night?" Pumpkin Cake had been writing in a notebook as Apple Bloom had entered, and the dim glow of her magic faded as she sat the pencil and pad down with a faint green glow. She looked up at Apple Bloom then, and that was when Apple Bloom realized what had seemed off. Normally, Pumpkin's eyes were a deep blue, as was her magic. Now, they were both emerald green. The same shade as the force field around the workshop, and the spell that had knocked Pumpkin Cake out cold. Pumpkin Cake replied, and Apple Bloom was relieved to hear that at least her voice didn't sound strange as well. "I'm doing all right Apple Bloom, thanks. And I'd just like to say, I fully blame Murphy and his thrice cursed law for everything that just happened tonight. I tightened that lug-nut, powered the machine to full blast without thinking, and then BOOM! Heh, well it worked at least, we can say that for sure! I'm thinking it was that round sapphire I was using as a voltage buffer that caused the problem, I just KNEW that salespony was full of crap when she said it was a blemish, not a scratch on that thing! And I bet you..." The young pony went on excitedly about the experiment, while Apple Bloom carefully listened. Finally she was satisfied that Pumpkin Cake did in fact seem to be completely normal, and was itching to go back to her work. So she cut Pumpkin Cake off, saying, "Yeah Pumpkin, I reckon you're right about that drive shaft, but uh... we ain't done with your current contraption yet. It's uh... still running, and it hasn't stopped running since you turned it on. And now the military has closed off our workshop, and won't let me anywhere near it while they try to learn how you managed to do what you did." "In fact," she added, suddenly realizing something, "I don't think they plan to let you back there either, given how pleased that guard sounded that you might be out of commission for a good few days!" Pumpkin Cake was clearly surprised at the news, though not nearly as much as Apple Bloom would have expected. The elder mare almost thought she saw a faint glint of understanding appear in those disturbingly emerald eyes as they stared off into the direction of the workshop. Apple Bloom just stood there while Pumpkin Cake continued to process the information, as if she were deep in some sort of mental debate with herself. Finally, with a measure of steel to her voice, the green eyed mare turned her intense stare back towards Apple Bloom, and said, "We have to get to that field, Apple Bloom. I am the only pony who can turn it off. It... it's my responsibility to fix this thing. Will you help me with this? Those soldiers must not get their ignorant hooves on this technology. We must stop them." Apple Bloom wasn't sure what to make of Pumpkin's tone when she said that last part, or her sudden opposition to soldiers, but she let it slide. As long as we both want the same thing, who cares? Apple Bloom mused to herself as she got Pumpkin Cake discharged. Apple Bloom eyed the area over as the two of them stepped out of the hospital into the cold glow of the dark night. Faint lights peeked out of blackout curtains from several windows as they walked past them in silence, as the two ponies set off down the mountainside path, the green glow of the workshop fast approaching. When at last they could see the workshop's guarded entrance, Pumpkin Cake stopped and gasped. Turning quickly, Apple Bloom asked, "What is it, Pumpkin Cake? What's wrong?" Pumpkin Cake stared ahead intensely, but rather than saying anything, her horn began to glow with an emerald light. Apple Bloom gasped as the green light spread out in front of the two ponies, and then bent. She didn't know how else to describe it. The light began to distort and stretch around her, and the image in the center of the glowing light where she could see her workshop pulled forward. It was as though the very air had become a giant magnifying glass, bringing the workshop into sudden nearby clarity. She could see the guards as clearly as if she were standing right next to them. "How did you do this?" Apple Bloom gasped. "I've never even heard of a spell like this before!" Pumpkin Cake didn't say anything, but with another surge of green light, Apple Bloom found she could hear two of the guards talking as well, as though she stood right next to them. The guard who Apple Bloom had tried to pass earlier to enter the workshop was speaking to another officer, this one wearing a black cloak. The two seemed to be arguing. Apple Bloom eagerly listened in. "Yes, I'm sure of it, just now!" The unfamiliar officer said to the one Apple Bloom only knew of as Major Sparkler. "Apple Bloom isn't there either! Somehow the two of them managed to sneak out of the hospital without being seen by any of the guards we had watching the place!" Apple Bloom was surprised. Firstly, because she was pretty sure they had just walked out of the hospital without any issue at all, with no sneaking of any sort. And secondly, she didn't even know they were being watched. She turned to Pumpkin Cake and asked, "Did... did you have something to do with this?" Pumpkin Cake didn't look Apple Bloom's way, she seemed to be focusing on continuing the odd spell. But she did quickly answer Apple Bloom's question, saying, "They saw what they wanted to see, nothing more. Now hush, I want to hear this." Apple Bloom turned back, the sound of the conversations continuing to reach her ears despite the great distance. Apple Bloom hadn't heard Major Sparkler's reply, save for, "... brought into custody?" The first pony nodded, saying with finality, "I see no other options. The Grand Arbiter was clear, this heresy must not be spread. Lock this place down, 'confirm' the dangerous gas leak to the princess, and most important of all, find those two mares! At. All. Cost. Do I make myself clear, Guardian Sparkler?" Sparkler nodded, sounding very nervous as she said, "Yes! Yes of course, Sentinel! They will be found right away! I'll put my best mares on it! We won't rest until they are dealt with, no matter the cost!" "See that you do, Guardian Sparkler, and if you succeed, there may be a Justicarship in your future. But if you fail..." The threat hung there in the air a moment, but Apple Bloom had heard enough. So had Pumpkin Cake, it seemed, as the sound cut off, the green field vanishing along with it. Swaying on her hooves for a moment, slightly breathless, Pumpkin Cake said, "We... can't let them find us, Apple Bloom. Is there somewhere we can safely hide for a while to figure this out? I have to get to that field, but I can't see it happening right now, with all these ponies coming to look for us." Apple Bloom had been thinking the same thing. She didn't know why they were being hunted like this, but it had really made her nervous, the way those two ponies had been speaking. Coming to a decision, she turned towards Ponyville down the side of the mountain, set her jaw, and nodded. "Come on!" she called to Pumpkin Cake, setting off down the rocks, stepping as carefully as she could, "I know where we can go to be safe, but we have to move fast if we want to get there before daylight!" Resisting a sudden urge to chew on a strand of her hair, Pumpkin Cake followed close behind. • The guard was panting as she spoke, her report coming in infrequent bursts among heavy breathing. Discord could have cared less. His ears were quivering with eager anticipation to hear every last syllable of the report on the situation in the workshop many floors above their level. They would have jumped off his head to get closer to the guard as she spoke, were the Lord of Chaos not still trapped on the other side of a fireplace based spell, deep within his own mind, unable to do so. As the guard finished, she stood there quietly, her eyes downcast from the intimidating appearance of Discord made of fire she saw before her. He ignored this, allowing his thoughts to digest this information, his taloned hand twirling his goatee into fantastic and impossible shapes while he did so. Finally, with a word, he dismissed her. He summoned the princess's maid on duty to his fireplace. "Get me a blank scroll, a quill and ink, and somepony to write a letter for me," he requested from her as she quickly appeared. He did his best to use what he hoped was a calm sounding voice. Discord waited, beginning to feel quite impatient. Finally a scribe arrived, the materials he had asked for clutched in one nervous hoof. From the moment he had figured out the message he needed to send, Discord had delved deep within the metaphorical mindscape of his imagination, which was of course even more removed from reality than the physical manifestation of his metaphorical mindscape where he now found himself trapped.   Deep within this mindscape, Discord was a churning machine, processing this newfound information. A mini-Discord, cute and cuddly with oversized features and a slightly anime color palate, walked across the knotted surface of his brain with all its moving gears and machinations until it found a lever right at the center keeping everything together. He had fondly labeled it: "WARNING: SANITY". Mini-Discord contemplated the lever a moment - and then with a clean swipe of his paw switched it to the OFF position.   All the rules, all the pleasantries, all the social norms and ways of thinking he held himself to out of consideration for the fragile constitution of pony society clattered out of alignment and fell into their vibrant, cacophonous nature of un-naturality. The guard's words strung themselves up before his eyes like an alphabet of fireflies. But in this world, in this mindset, in this beautiful chaos, their meaning dissolved and translated and rearranged until they formed a message which made perfect sense precisely because it made no sense at all.   Pleased with this coded message, contained within the absolute embodiment of perfect, multidimensional encryption, Mini-Discord laughed; yelling, "CHAOS RULES!!!" in a mad, warbled guffaw accompanied by lightning and ominous background music.   And then Mini-Discord flipped the sanity lever back to the ON position, forcing his thinking to stay within the preferred and standardized four dimensions of plebeian space. How bourgeois.   Smiling, he rolled the code around in his mind, and then sighed. If only, he thought, feeling wistful. Rejecting the madness inducing code, Discord instead simply decided to use a cipher an Ibisian Empress had come up with about 500 years ago for sending secret royal messages to her herd of royal consorts. "Now," Discord said, eyeing the scribe as she stood there looking impatient, "Listen carefully, my dear, and write down exactly what I say." A few minutes later, and the mare left the talking fireplace to find the intended recipient of the mysterious note, which read: VOEM SIY WCAPN TC MJ. NSI UJBRQZ NCWP KQVN ASBY ELWKY MCNV. APX SNS TVW FNSIJ EYUGSUYCW JGHDM. Discord smiled. That mare clearly had no idea what that message had meant, but that was what he loved about cryptography. You could give away huge spoilers not meant to be discovered until many chapters later in the story with a good cryptic message. And the best part was that nopony but the intended reader would ever know what they were. Unless of course somepony tried really hard and looked for all the well hidden clues. He chuckled to himself as he thought about the note and it's world shattering plot twist. Chaos rules, he mused. How very true... • Rarity's dirigible was an elegant and very couth piece of aviation technology. So elegant in fact, that she often referred to it as her yacht. Fancy Pants himself had given it to her when she had officially become a Lady, on her wedding day to Lord Ferkel, the youngest son of Baron Von Eberstark. It was a political union only, brought on to secure relations and aid between Equestria and Germaneigh after Celestia's Fall. The need for aid had become even more desperate after the Lay Lines destroyed Manehattan, and Rarity had been the only pony who was close to Princess Twilight, (and one with a seat at the Crystal Castle no less) that the Baron had been willing to accept as a suitable match for his son. And she had needed the title to get some pull with blockheaded foreign dignitaries and rulers who otherwise wouldn't have given a small town seamstress, shopkeeper, and fashion designer the time of day. "Uh... Rarity?" The fact that she had wanted to be called Lady Rarity for so long that nopony was really surprised when it actually happened, was of course, irrelevant. But it had worked, and Lady she now was. Never mind the fact the stallion she was wed to was every bit as much a swine as his father and family name were privy to suggesting. Still, none needed to know that, and she only ever even saw Lord Ferkel when she made a trip that required her to fly through Germane lands, like her current return voyage to Prance and back had. "Rarity?" And she couldn't very well fly through The Griffon Dominion, not with the way their troops actually were mobilizing. Not all of the rumors she had spread around Pearis had been entirely false. Their leader, The Founder, was having "War Games" in an ever larger area around the confines of his border these days, and especially to its Equestrian side. That was half the reason the Baron wanted to secure ties with Equestria, she thought with a mixture of amusement and trepidation. If the Germane Chancellor won't secure an official alliance with Equestria for fear of spooking the Griffons, then why not just have their royal family do so instead? After all, Rarity wasn't a Princess or anything, so it certainly doesn't look suspic... "RARITY!" A voice beside Rarity boomed in her ear. Rarity about jumped out of her coat. She had been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed Rainbow's return. "Rainbow Dash!" She gasped, slightly breathlessly. "When did you get back from town?" "Uh... like, 20 minutes ago, Rares. You were just staring into space. You okay?" "Yeah... of course!" She looked around the opulently decorated - if somewhat confining - space with a familiar glance. The velvet curtains, gas lamps, ornate cream satin couches with white lace trim, and the Alpaca-woven rug made of, of all things, Alpaca hair, quickly identified her current location as her room on her airship. "Sorry about that Rainbow Dash," she said with a smile as she turned to her friend, who was standing on the deck, looking in through the cabin's front window. "I was just thinking about my husband..." "Ooooooohhhhhhhh!" Rainbow Dash practically cooed the words, much to Rarity's chagrin. "Missing Prince Charming are we...?" Rainbow's tone sounded to Rarity to be somewhere between infuriating and mortifying, and so she felt her cheeks go from red to scarlet as she answered in exacerbation, "For the last time, Rainbow Dash! He's not a Prince. He's a Lord!" "Bah, Prince, Lord, Duke, whatever." Rainbow replied with a chuckle as she fluttered up, landing on the roof of the cabin, leaving Rarity no choice but to walk out on deck to keep up their conversation. "I still say you should have stayed single, in case a certain special someone were to return from somewhere..." Again Rarity felt her embarrassment grow. The someone instead of somepony Rainbow had used was clearly a reference to Spike, who Rainbow had apparently been convinced was going to end up with Rarity in some kind of happily ever after. Where this had come from, Rarity wasn't quite sure. Everypony knew Spikey-Wikey was not going to be mature, yet alone an adult dragon, until long after Rarity and all of her friends had died of old age. It didn't matter how old he was by pony standards, he was still just, well, a kid. And besides, she noted. He hasn't written a single letter in years, clearly he is over whatever silly crush he once had on me. "Uh oh!" Rainbow said in mock worry. "Rarity's getting lost in thought again, I better get out of here before she starts thinking some more about Ferkel-Werkel and decided to take a little detour to Germaneigh on her way back to Equestria!" Laughing to herself in apparent victory, Rainbow Dash flapped up into the sky, quickly gaining altitude until all Rarity could see was a faint glint of morning light off of a surprisingly clean uniform. Rarity fumed and muttered to herself, longing not for the first time for her one time pair of gossamer wings to reappear. If only to fly up there to give Rainbow Dash a piece of her mind. Instead, she turned to the captain, an old sea pony names Deep Waters, and ordered the ship to cast off. "Where 're we a-headin' m'lady?" The gruff earth pony asked as he flipped a switch on his console and the anchor began to rise with a rhythmic clink, clink, clink. "Equestria?" "Yes." Rarity replied, her voice dangerously cool. "But not our normal route. We will be returning via the Griffon Dominion. We wouldn't want to keep Rainbow Dash waiting by taking a silly detour." She said the last with a fair bit of ice, which the captain clearly picked up on, as he turned the wheel of the ship straight south, with nothing more than a quick "As you wish, M'Lady Rarity." The only sound was the morning breeze filling the airship's sails as Rarity looked off to the south, shading the sun with a raised hoof. She had understood what Rainbow Dash's little stunt back there was really all about, though that didn't mean she had to like it. Rarity would normally have stopped in Germaneigh on her way back from Pearis, and Rainbow Dash had given Rarity the perfect excuse to try and get back home as quickly as possible, rather than in a leisurely and safe way like she normally would have. All she had to do was seem mad at Rainbow Dash, and no possible spy in the crew running her dirigible would have any reason to suspect more than they had to. After all, she noted, I already cancelled the whole reason for this visit on the day it should have become a success. No reason to make it worse by making it obvious that I'm trying to reach Equestria in a hurry, is there? A faint echoing boom was the only reply, an echoing peal of thunder as a single bolt of lightning carved through the clear morning air, heading off to the south in the same way she was now headed. I'm coming Twilight, she answered herself silently. I'll be home soon. • The Equestrian Command Bunker was Twilight's home. It had been for several years. Ever since a particularly nasty attempt on her life had been made several years back, Twilight's friends had all but forced her to move her private residence to this secret and easily defendable spot. Twilight had hated the idea, as it felt to her far too much like she was admitting that the rebels were actually having an effect on her. And it all but killed the idea she had started of being the 'ponies princess', rather than some high and mighty ruler whom everypony bowed and groveled to at every opportunity. But despite all her protests, it did happen. And sure enough, within a matter of months, her every public appearance became another excuse for fanfare and bowing: with a 'majesty' here, and 'highness' there. And being a shy and quiet pony at heart, Twilight soon found herself making excuses to avoid public appearances. She had even begun to use a disguise on occasion. This meant that before long, Twilight had become very aware of every aspect of her new home. So when the air in her home turned off, it only took moments for Twilight to notice. Her first thought was a cave-in had occurred. After all, her mountain had been bombed again only a couple of hours beforehoof. She informed her staff, and set about getting her royal guards to sweep the bunker. It wasn't long, however, before Twilight discovered the source of the problem. Reports came in of an accident in the Apple-Cake workshop, as Twilight had fondly called it to herself. They further detailed that young Pumpkin Cake had been rushed to hospital, and was being kept under observation for the time being. A concern to be sure, but Twilight wasn't worried. She had known that young filly from, well, from the day she was born. If anypony would pull through an accident resulting from the pursuit of science, it would be her. The report concluded by saying that the workshop had been damaged, and the area had been closed off from the public until an inspection could determine the cause of the accident. In the meantime, a few strong pegasi from the military would begin to take shifts operating the old air pumping system built on the other side of the mountain, in case there was any risk of dangerous airborne chemicals getting released from the workshop accident. Twilight was pleased. It wasn't like the military to actually listen to her for once about how important workshop safety was. I'm actually beginning to rub off on those old ponies! Twilight practically squeed to herself as she went off to bed. Overall, it was a good day. I saw Cadance, Shining, and Luna, have a valid excuse to patch things up with my old friends, and the military is taking me seriously at long last! she summed up as she fell asleep, wrapped up in her blankets. • Pip's mind was an inky void. For a while, no thoughts came through, he simply enjoyed the peace of the nothingness. The first thing he did think of was of Silver Spoon. She galloped away from Pip, her fragile ability to trust too easily shattered by his unbelievable story. A story I really shouldn't have been speaking of at all, he added to his own silent thoughts. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Pipsqueak! What were you thinking?! The next thing he thought of was of Luna. Strange visions flashed in his mind, of his memories from seeing her, mixed with a vision he kept having of her standing under a full moon, asking him to remember her. Somehow he couldn't quite remember which her that was supposed to be now. The third thought to pass through his mind was a simple question. Where am I now? That was the moment that Pip proceeded to sit up. "ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!" he yelled in sudden pain, spots flashing before his eyes as he collapsed back to the bed he seemed to be lying in, in what he now concluded must be the same inn as the night before. Okay Pip, he said quietly to himself, trying to stop the room from spinning. I think it's officially time to give up on cider. Nothing but scotch and soda's from now on. He chuckled at the thought, before regretting it immediately as another wave of the hangover proceeded to buck him repeatedly in the head like an enraged mule wearing a bad toupee. It was nearly an hour and a half later before Pip had managed to clean himself up, leave the room, head downstairs, drown himself in black coffee and scrambled eggs with buttered toast, and sign out of the inn. As the front door closed behind Pip, revealing the cobblestone street that had seemed so homey and inviting the night before, Pip smiled, despite the faint thrumming of his temples. He grimaced as he saw it. Every click of his hooves on the tiles was going to hurt. With a sigh, he set off, keeping his head up and his pace steady. As he made his way along, Pip couldn't help but to notice the pleased expressions on the faces of ponies as he passed them by, and despite his head, he could see why. The sun was up, ponies were off to see the sights and sounds of the wonderful blend of old and new that Ponyville had become in these last few years, and the sky was a crisp blue with a few hints of clouds. It seemed the weather ponies were determined to make it a really nice day, whether everypony wanted one or not. Finally, after only being stopped to chat with Ponyvillians on three separate occasions, Pip reached the edge of town, and the silver shop he had charged past the rear entrance of just the night before. Tarnish, the name of the store read, in an eloquent and flowing script. Pip couldn't tell if that name was a literal play on the word for silver needing treatment or a figurative reference to Silver Spoon and her attempts to remove the tarnish from her reputation. Either way, he noted to himself, the name certainly fits. Pip had decided the first thing he would do this morning was to find Silver Spoon and apologize for the night before. He tried to do the right thing, when he could. And this seemed like the right thing to him. However, as Pip reached the front of the shop, he was surprised to find a note taped to the door, which on quick inspection turned out to be locked. He leaned in and read:   To whom it may concern, We at Tarnish wish to thank you for your constant desire for clean and well kept silver. Unfortunately, all of our staff are currently away, and will not be back for several days. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. If you have any silver based emergencies, please leave a message on the notepad provided, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you! Silver Spoon   Pip sighed. He hoped this wasn't somehow because of him, but he really didn't know Silver Spoon well enough to be sure. Grabbing the pencil tied to a string off the wall, Pip quickly wrote a note to the silver mare, saying: Hey Silver Spoon, its Pip. Listen, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I guess that cider was stronger than I was used to, and, well, it just went to my head. Not a great start to building up old bridges, eh? If you want to talk, I'll be in Ponyville for a few days... Um, I hope to hear from you soon, and again, I'm sorry. Pip (squeak)   Tearing the note off the wall and placing it in the small basket by the door, Pip smiled slightly. Heading off down the street, he could even feel his headache fading away. By the time he turned the corner, the last traces of his headache were gone. It was going to be a good day after all, he thought, unable to explain his sudden joy as he left Silver Spoon's shop behind. He was, well, glad to be away from the place. Although that certainly makes no sense. • Back at Tarnish, the door opened from the inside. A note floated out of a basket in a faint sheen of red magic. It opened towards the crack of the door, as a pair of glowing red eyes scanned the message over. A faint growl leaked from the door, as the message span once in the air, before quickly burning to ashes. The door closed softly, locking with a gentle click.