//------------------------------// // or why she hides her glowing gaze // Story: Stories in Stone, Reign of Night // by TDR //------------------------------// Stories in Stone Reign of Night By TDR or why she hides her glowing gaze House Magic is the smallest house of the six. It boasts only two members currently, sometimes it only has one and rarely three. In fact, if not for the fact the Empress runs it, it would hardly be considered a house. The only other member of House Magic is the First Student, namely me. Times in the past, at least twice since the war of Night, The Empress has taken two students. On average there is usually ten years between the time when the First Student leaves House Magic and a new First Student is found. The times have been as little as three days and the longest recorded time was ninety three years, not counting the hundred or so years it took to settle Equestria after the War of Night. While the position of First Student is a great privilege and it gives one the ear of the ruler of Equss, it is also quite a burden. You need to constantly be improving yourself in the magical and social arts. Your goal has to be to become a paragon as there is no other way for you to remain in the Empresses favor. She does not like lazy students, she does not like overly ambitious students, Lord Kaisur does not like students who get too personal with the Empress The nobles don't like it if you don't belong to their house. The general population doesn't like some one who has the ear of their Goddess. You get the idea. It is speculated that the reason the Empress adopts a young foal to be the First Student is that she enjoys raising them, as she has no foals of her own. Whether of personal choice, or that she or her consort are incapable of having foals has been a matter of quiet speculation for a long time. I saw quiet be cause no one with any sense wishes to make Lord Kaisur angry by saying his dick doesn't work. Given Empress Luna is a goddess no one believes she's barren. Having known him since I was four I do not understand why so many fear him. While I do not crush on him as Octavia does I have known Lord Kaisur to be one of the most level headed and kind individuals I have met. He is a intelligent stallion and he surely knows what is being said about him and that ponies fear him, though he does nothing to encourage nor dissuade those fears, serving only his own house and the Empress Unlike the Empress who is the epitome of a caring, if strict, teacher to me, Lord Jer'rahd comes off more as a doting, if slightly stern grandfatherly type, despite the fact he looks no older than thirty at the worst. He also does not blindly follow the Empress as some suspect, I've seen him bend or out right break her rules and tease her like he was a school colt messing with a filly he liked. The Empress seems to respond in kind to his jabs and flirting with her own, the pair of them at times almost seem like a newly married couple, and while I know for a fact he maintains his own quarters in the Castle, I will tell you, it is rare he spends his days there. I expect there is more to them both than that however. Both have seas of blood on their hooves, but neither seem to notice or are even bothered by it. Or so most think. I know better. As a filly I snuck into Lord Kaisur's quarters, having seen the library he kept there once before in passing. To my eager little mind a secret library was the most enticing thing ever. I recall being highly disappointed by what was there. Hundreds of books and all that was in them were names and dates. Later in my training I realized what they were. Death dates. Lord Jer'rahd has kept the names, rank, date of birth and death of every solider that has ever served under his command. There were also notes on their places of death and where they hailed from, and any little quirks they might have had he knew about. Despite there having been no wars in hundreds of years, there are still disasters, monsters, bandits, and misguided rebellions against the Empress. Guards still die and he still keeps his tallies. It's rather sad when one thinks about it. ===================================== Have I mentioned that I hate other ponies? Not any one individual pony specificity mind you, I take that back there are a few I really don't like,but ponies as a whole. I suppose it would be more accurate to say I hate the herd. I know a number of delightful individuals that I actually enjoy spending time with. And a few random Ponies I meet in passing tend to be pleasant as well. I haven’t spent time with any in a long while mind you, and I only have some contact with some of my foal hood friends before I became the Empresses student........ One of these days I will manage to fill one of these sheets without going off into a rambling tirade. This is likely why I shall never write a proper book. I cannot shut up once I start putting words on parchment. Back to what I said before, I hate ponies. Especially in large groups. The check list I had was rather simple and I could easily check off two things on the list the Mayor gave me. The weather was perfect and it was easy to see that. And Rarity had decorated pretty much everything for the celebration and it looked like she and some others were still at it in other parts of town. I decided to avoid her, I could see the decorations were fine as they were. Getting past the throngs of ponies who wanted' a moment of my time' was much harder. I was swarmed from the moment I left the library until the edge of town. At that point I had enough of the questions and was about to turn one particularly insistent stallion into a frog, when Rainbow intervened. I hadn't given her any orders so she mostly simply stuck close to me, staying in the air. The moment the stallion reached out a hoof to touch me and try and pull my attention back around to him I was greeted by three loud snaps and a scream before I could even turn my head to look at him. Rainbow had landed between me and him, broken his foreleg in what sounded like three places on the limb he touched me with and shoved him back into the rest of the crowd forcing them all back away from us. In the same movement her wings fanned out wide, wing blades presented as she glared down the rest of them as if daring them to move closer ignoring the lightish red stallions shrieks. “Do not touch the Empress's Student. This is the only warning you get. The next time you get a burial plot. Now get out of here. Lady Sparkle has things to do today and none of them involve answering more questions.” The gathered nobles and officials seemed to pale at her words, impressive given the already muted colors their coats had. They dispersed rather quickly carrying off the wounded stallion with them. I blinked as the pair of us were left alone before looking over at Rainbow. “A little excessive there, wasn't that?”I muttered.” Good job though, that was getting tedious.” “Were you going to blast him or turn him into a hamster or something?” Rainbow asked gesturing to my horn. “I saw that start to light up and I figured this way would be less traumatizing to some one. Besides. I'm supposed to be protecting you, I can't do that with a wall of milling ponies around you, any of them could have had a knife.” “Frog.” I admitted. “So what? Maintain three pony lengths from the Empress's student at all times huh?” I snarked getting a shrug from the Pegasus. “I could handle two lengths.” Rainbow responded. I honestly didn't doubt that statement. =================================================== The musical accompaniment was something I was dreading from the moment I read the name on the ticket. But it still beat heading out of town to look into the feast preparation. Sweet Apple Acres was rather famous, it was also where I knew Applejack would be, along with a very large collection of Apple's and Pelts. Rather than wander into the vipers nest first thing I decided to visit the growling dog first. The place Fluttershy was staying at wasn't a grand hotel as I expected but part of a complex of cabins. Evidently some noble had once tried to set up a retreat for 'roughing it' for ponies with the bits to spare at the edge of the Everfree Forest. After the Empress made Ponyville a settlement for the Cursed no one wanted to rent in a place that close to town and thus the property was sold and quickly purchased by a local entrepreneur who turned it into a place for the rich to send their Cursed relatives to live in enough comfortable they wouldn't cause a scene. It was surprising how well it seemed to work. We found Fluttershy at a cabin at the far back of the compound, as deep into the forest and as removed from all the other cabins as she could get. The cabin was a fairly nice structure with a small stream running along behind it. We slowed in our approach noting the large gathering of birds and other small animals that had collected around the cabin. It was rather creepy to be honest as all of them sat in rapt attention staring at the cabin. With the clack of our hooves silenced and Rainbow's wing beats stopped I could hear the faint strains of a voice from inside the cabin. Moving closer as quietly as I could my eyes widened at the song coming from with in the cabin. I had heard something like it only once before and that was when I had heard Lady Scale sing. Though this was a different song than the one Lady Scale had sung, but I couldn't suppress a shudder at the tone and inflection used in it. This was the voice of a master. The song was one rarely used by any one, though it was a well known song given as Lady Bleu refused to let any one forget it or the one who sang it. The real name of the song was lost to every one but Lord Jer'rahd and Lady Bleu, but due to the historical impact of the place where the song had first been sung, for the last time, by Platinum Scale, the long dead sister of Lady Scale, it had gained another name....... “Walls of Dullahan..” Rainbow muttered seeming drawn as deeply into the song as the animals around the cabin were. At her words several of the nearer animals finally took notice of us and darted away, the others following suit in a veritable wave of life as they scampered and flew back into the forest. The sudden rush of wings into the air silenced the singer inside and I felt a bit of regret for disturbing her. That regret was completely thrown out the window when a bout of harsh swearing sounded in the cabin followed by hooves stomping over to the door and flinging it open. “WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU WANT!?” she screamed out, her eyes locking onto me and nearly freezing me in place like they had before at the library. I felt myself stammering a moment when Rainbow cut in. “Rather nice singing Shy. You've improved.” the blue Pegasus stated. Fluttershy blinked, her attention turning to Rainbow Dash, eyes widening at the sight of the pony in Shadowbolt gear. “Dashie?” “Yeah....” “What the shit happened to you you magpie mother bucker?”Fluttershy swore, though there was a great deal of anger in her tone, it was far less than when she spoke to me. “They made me First Child.” Dash sighed as if that explained everything. It seemed that it did as Fluttershy only nodded. “Why are you here then?” her tone leveled out as she looked back at me, her eyes not as menacing though still narrowed in annoyance.”.... with her....” “Duty. Mayor has her running errands and we needed to check on the performance. Doesn't sound like there’s an issue.” Rainbow shrugged. “Of course there's bucking not. I'm the one singing.” Fluttershy growled. I had figured a few things out by this point. The first was the obvious these two knew each other, and I mentally kicked myself for leaping to such a simple conclusion first. The second part was the fact she was part of the Platinum Swan, according to Rainbow, and she was here. That didn't happen. The thought process was less that she was sent here to watch me and more sent here as ponies were still nervous around the Cursed. The mare was clearly that and the Swam may have gotten her to come here rather than keep her around other superb musicians who might be complaining about her lack of a mark. So at the moment I figured I might have a in. One way to find out. “There is a little more to it than just that I am afraid. Despite your... request, I am still going to need you as part of the study group. There are not enough Pegasi from your region around here for me to compile the data I need. Given the status the three of us have being unmarked I would think at this point it would be obvious that you are not likely going to be able to return unless I develop a cure.” I stated watching the mares ears flatten and the faint twitch of her face that confirmed my statement. “I shall endeavor to make sure that as little of your time is taken up as possible, and a Rainbow has been assigned as my Guard you can take the time to catch up if you wish.” That was evidently the wrong thing to say as the mare glowered at me then glared at Rainbow. “What makes you bucking think I would want to catch up with this winged ass?” Fluttershy growled.” Fine, I'll deal with your shit, cause even a chance for this to be over is better than nothing, but I make the bucking schedule.” Before I could respond to that the door was slammed in my face and I could hear deadbolts clicking. I stared at the door a moment reviewing what I said trying to find out where I went wrong. Rainbow simply chuckled.” That went well.” I turned to look at the mare like she had grown three heads wondering how in Tartarus she thought that went well. ============================================== Musical accompaniment dealt with I decided to go for broke and started to make my way out towards the ones providing the food. There was still a bit of time before midnight, though my lack of anything other than coffee that morning was starting to tell as my belly growled. I reluctantly hoped that the Apples would have food samples for me to try despite the fact I expected them to try and poison me. Rainbow Dash had been silent since the encounter with Fluttershy and I found myself oddly wondering what she was thinking. “Something wrong?” I heard myself asking my mind darting between interest and not really caring. “No not really. It's just I had heard her whole personality changed, but to see it like that...” Rainbow Dash muttered. “ You ever experience that? Some one you knew as a foal being completely different once they grow up?” I thought about that for a moment, mind darting to the few friends I had in magical kindergarten before I gained the interest of the Empress. I still see some of them. I see Moon Dancer the most, as she has become the head librarian of the court. Lyra is one of my sister in laws body guards so I still occasionally see her and despite being able to kill a pony with a strand of her own tail hair she's still ridiculously chipper and talkative as she used to be. I've seen neither Minute nor Trixie in years however and the five of us were rather close. Granted I was only ever a rival to Trixie and the few times she did show up after I was accepted by the Empress it was usually to challenge me to see how strong I had gotten. Trixie had a bit of an ego and she couldn't accept that I had been accepted and she had not. With the Empress as my teacher it was no real trouble to out do her, but she kept trying. Then one day she challenged me and when I arrived at the spot she never showed up. I found out later her family had moved out of Whinnyshire and went off to the lands under the control of House Laughter. Her father was a stage performer or something, it doesn't matter. “I suppose I cannot. Of those I recall as a foal at least two of them barely seemed to have changed and the other two I am unaware of where they went.” I admitted , hearing a small grunt of acknowledgment from the Pegasus. I was still not sure why I had begun treating Rainbow Dash as more than a Guard. Keeping her friendly was one thing, talking to her like we were friends over something like this was not something I had expected to do. Perhaps it was because of my House. Loyalty the Empress first, to family after, then to friends. The former was a given, the latter something I never had time for. Perhaps I did now, as there was something about her. I couldn't quite place it. It took me a moment or two to process what I was thinking. Thankfully Sweet Apple Acres was a good distance outside of town on the other side of Ponyville from the Lazy Oaks cabins. We had opted to take the long way around town to avoid anyone else who might have questions or requests of me and hadn't caught wind of the earlier encounter. I realized a number of things about the mare assigned to protect me. The first was how at ease she was. Despite her position and her orders she seemed to simply accept things for how they were. She wasn't upset over my attitude, she wasn't upset over Fluttershy's reaction, and it wasn't that she didn't seem to care, she just pushed it aside as needless information and continued on. It made me wonder what sort of training she really had gone through. I expected physical simply by the merit of how her muscles rippled under her coat as she moved and how every step or flap of her wings was fluid and smooth without a hair of movement wasted. While I was no frail librarian myself, being born into House Loyalty meant I was physically fit and being the Empresses Student meant I often joined Lord Kaisur in some of his morning training sessions and the Empress’s as well, I was better than most. But still I could never hope to reach the peak that Rainbow was in. “Staring at my flank are we?” Rainbow stated suddenly causing me to stumble. Crap I lingered my eyes too long and forgot that ability of hers. “What... no... I was lost in thought and your ass was right there......” I protested. “Suuuure, go ahead and stare... I know I got a nice one.... get your gander in before some stallion claims it.” She laughed, though it seemed forced. “How long do you have before you are expected to bear an offspring?” I question, curiosity getting the better of me. It was not something I knew and thus I wanted to know it. I tossed the idea that it was a tactless question away almost immediately. “Should have already popped out a kid the moment I had my first season. I lucked out that the first time there were no worthy males around and the second lined up with combat training. They had two lined up last year but neither wanted anything to do with a Cursed so I lucked out again. This trip'll probably keep me from getting a foal put in me this year too. Maybe longer depending on how this assignment goes.” “You don't seem too thrilled about that either way.” I mention getting a shrug from the flying mare. “Ehh I’ve grown up being trained how to fight and how to fly. Breeding’s just something on my to do list. Not even interested, my cycles so mild the first year they were not even sure I entered estrus.” Rainbow Dash explained. “Sw'hy I’m not really worried about you finishing this any time soon, I'm not fond of the idea of my flying suffering cause I have a foal.” “Perhaps if you are lucky the first will be a filly.” I point out. “Ehh maybe. Took my mom a few dozen tries to get a mare, granted it was my father that was the one descended from the last First Daughter.” Rainbow Dash grumbled.” Honestly I’m not sure I like the idea of having a filly and passing this crap off to her. The trainings fine, but the politics and stuffs just annoying ya know?” “All too well.” I sigh.”On the plus side all you have to worry about is being a mother, I’ve got to worry about a knife in the back the second the Empress gets distracted.” “Lady Melody? Yeah I was briefed on her.” Rainbow stated. “Scary mare that. How'd you make her an enemy any way?” “I'd rather not say.” I muttered. “Nope, spill it. I told you my personal shit, your turn.” Dash insisted. “ Fine.....I showed her up in front of Lord Jer'rahd. Tried my hoof at politics a long while back and picked apart her proposal like a teacher with a second grade essay. The others voting for her submission were moved more by my logic than her planning and thus it was thrown out. It cost her substantial bits, but I doubt she cared about that. What she did care about is she was proven wrong in a meeting with Lord Kaisur present. Since then she's been doing everything she can to make my life and my families lives as difficult as possible.” I grumble not sure why I was telling her this, but at the same time if Octavia came after me at least Rainbow would know why, if she didn't already and was simply making conversation. Rainbow Dash didn't respond for a moment and I didn't hear her wings either. Stopping myself I looked around to see her a few lengths back on the path staring at something on the other side of a field. I walked over to her looking at the field and seeing a figure moving along the far side of it. A pink mare was attempting to pull a plow through the dirt, her limp hair pulled up in a tight bun on top of her head, the yoke around her neck straining tight as she drug the plow though the dirt. Reaching the end of the row we watched as she flipped it around and started dragging it the other way. The swollen belly she carried barely seeming to slow her. “What's a Day Walker doing up at this hour?” Dash questioned. I shrug lightly. She was up about this time of night when I arrived as well. Though she was in town then. I suppose she might have been simply shopping yesterday.... Maybe she's trying to become nocturnal?” “Why would she do that? She's a farmer not a politician or whatever like the Mayor.” “Maybe she's preparing in case her foals not a Day Walker. I dunno, I doubt it's important, though......” I ponder wondering why the sight of the pregnant pink mare held my attention. “You feel something too?” Dash asked. “Maybe..... I don't know what, just a feeling of some thing off about her. She's on my list of ponies to talk too during my study so I'll see about figuring out what then. “ I sigh.” We need to get this list taken care of. One thing at a time.” Pinkamenia Diana Pie, at the time perhaps I should have looked more into the mare. I would have spared myself a great deal of trouble later on if I did. Hind sight is always twenty twenty and all that. ========================================================= I am not sure what I was expecting of Sweet Apple Acres. A trap, a secret training camp, one of those frivolous retreats nobles are famous for. I certainly however was not expecting a farm, an apple orchard to be exact. Granted this was the Apple family, but I didn't expect it to be so obvious. I expected some one to come up and greet us before we reached the gate, though there were a number of ponies I could see wandering the fields tending the orchards none of them seemed to spare a glance our way. Rainbow seemed rather tense as she looked around , still not having seen any one come out to greet us. “I don't like this. There's no way they didn't know we were coming....” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Course we did, though it's easier to wait and see what ya'll were gonna do rather than go out and meet yah and git jumped. Was hoping yah'd talk a little more than yah did, information's gold and all, but ah guess seeing Miss Pie was too much a downer. “ A voice from the air stated.” Get that a lot bout her. She's a good worker though, even with a foal, bit temperamental though fer tha same reason I spect.” Rainbow whirled her wing blades drawn glancing around quickly before focusing on a single spot in the road not far behind us. Having expected this sort of thing I still found myself flinching a little as the mare spoke. “Don't bother to try and make me think that you didn't know we'd be out to check on the food preparations. I doubt the mayor would be that tight lipped about something so simple.” I state turning my head to slowly follow Rainbow's gaze acting like I was simply nonchalantly turning around to the spot. No need to let her think I didn't know she was there, I didn't, but why give some one an edge. “Over here.” The voice said again from the gate and I frowned as I looked back to see the hatted orange half Zebra pull the hood back of her red cloak with a chuckle. The mare fluffed up her mane a little before pushing the short tresses back over her ears and putting the black hat I had first seen her with back on her head. Rainbow swore as Applejack chuckled.” Big open area like this got tah play havoc with them senses of yours First Daughter. “Whatever.” Rainbow Dash growled glancing back at the spot she had been staring at a moment before turning to face the new mare. “So the mayor convinced you to do her job huh? Not much a surprise, that mares sneaky, has tah be ta be parta my house. Head on up to tha house, Granny'll meet yah there and give yah tha three bit tour. I'll catch up in a minute” Applejack stated tipping her hat a little and stepping aside for us. Moving past her I could almost hear Rainbow's teeth grinding, I wondered if the two had a history, perhaps it was something to ask about later when a better moment came up. Glancing back as we approached the farm house I could see Applejack talking with some one, reaching a hoof out to touch something in the air about the height of her chest. The motion seeming like it was to ruffle some ones mane, though I didn't see any one else there. The Apple Family matriarch was named Granny Smith. She was an old Earth Pony who immediately launched into story mode about how the farm had come to be. While fairly interesting to find out the place had started at the third founding of Ponyville, it was also of interest that the entire farm was staffed by retirees. Most of them from the Apple Family, though a few from the Pelts and some other families under the umbrella of House Generosity. There were a good two hundred workers scattered across the farmland they owned which stretched for a number of leagues along the edge of the Everfree and around the base of the Maneterhorn. They owned the property on the western face of the mountain as well , but given how little sunlight that area received they didn't try and grow anything there , but used it for housing and storage before shipping it out. While the majority of the farmland was owned by the Apples, not all of it was run by Apples. Most of it was sharecropping with the Apples Loaning out land to smaller families and taking a share of what they made as well as providing shipping and packing services from the plants set up in the shadowed side of the mountain. Sweet Apple Acres was the business hub of the orchards and farms. Sweet Apple Acres itself however had the majority of Cursed working for them due to its nearness to Ponyville. The farm here was responsible mostly for apples of course, given the place was the 'face' of the business it had a rather rustic, antiquated look to it on the outside, but inside was a differing story. The down stairs of the farm house seemed more like a business office save for the back which had a small dining room and a kitchen. Upstairs was supposed to be the families sleeping quarters and a few rooms for guests, though we didn't go up there. The building itself was rather crisp and clean and aside from numerous family photos in the main waiting area, it was almost sterile. I took note of one that had a Zebra stallion and a rather pretty peach colored Earth pony mare with a fresh straw colored mane and tail in it. Between them was a tall red colt with blond hair and a green apple cutie mark. Sitting on his back was a little orange half Zebra filly enveloped in a large black western style hat. What I noticed about the image was that the colt showed no sign of being a half breed and bore no similarities to his Zebra father that I could see. Still I didn't have long to look at the myriad of images before I was escorted outside. “See yah taking note of ma kin there Bright Mac and Butter Pear. “ Granny stated. “There were a lot of photos in there.” I respond, not sure which ones I’d been looking at that matched those names. “Most of tha family in that room pictured has passed on. Kinda a memorial of sorts. That image is special. Applejack’s in it and she's still kicking, so's Bright Mac and Butter Pear. Those two are likely still in Manehatten though, they're the representatives of tha Apple's after all, need tah stay in tha city of Generosity.” I nod in response as the mare continues. “Nah that image is there cause of Lil Mac, well, I suppose he became Big Mac pretty quick. He joined tha Guard like every other colt his age, but he set out one day on a mission, just some garrison thing near tha Zebra border and next thing any of us know some gussied up officer shows up at our door with some medals a letter of apology and a folded flag.” “I'm sorry.” I state not thrilled that I was getting a life story here, I almost hoped for poison instead. “Ehh it's been a while, so don't worry about it, wasn't related tah Bright any way. Any who this tha mess...” Granny continued. There were numerous outbuildings and small cabins for the workers and a barn that had been turned into a large mess hall for three square meals a day for the workers The mess hall was currently ablaze with activity as the cooks worked to prep for dinner as well as prepare things for the festival the next day, given the amount of food that was being made and the care that was being put into each dish it was easy to tell they expected the Empress to sample some of their food. I happily accepted a few things here and there, my horn glowing with a spell before I sampled each. With how enthused most of them looked I didn't have the heart to tell any of the cooks that even on the chance she did show up the Empress wouldn't eat anything that was not made by the Whinnyshire Chefs, composed of her Night Guard. Even in the relative peace of the era there were still those who wished to harm her. It was something that I too was taught early on, along with a purification spell that would remove any possible poisons from my food... as well as any taste. One of the Empresses students had been killed by poison when she ate something that was not prepared by the Guard cooks. It was another reason I hated traveling as my worry about Octavia had me purify everything I ate and drank. It made everything bland as mashed oats, but at least coffee still worked as intended other wise I’d have let my self be poisoned by this point. It was about this time that Applejack showed up again. The half Zebra trotting along with a smaller pony. A pale yellow foal with red hair with a purplish bow holding it into a short ponytail. The foal was about the size of the invisible thing Applejack had been talking with earlier. Still the foal seemed a full pony until one took note of her legs and noted the faint darker yellow stripes around its legs. Not a half zebra, maybe a quarter, or at least some zebra was in the heritage. The foal also didn't have a cutie mark, though it still seemed to be too young to have gained one yet. “So what do ya think, we got the food settled or what?” Applejack chuckled, reaching up to scratch her neck with a red wrapped hoof. “It does indeed seem so. Though I doubted any one would fail in the face of the Empress, the Mayor was clearly not so sure.” I state getting a shrug from Applejack. “Well shucks, that’s only cause she's paranoid as a chicken in a fox house most of tha time. Ain't nothing to worry about.” I wince at the attempt at a countrisum noting that Granny rolled her eyes at and the filly tried not to chuckle at it. Applejack continued on oblivious. “Any way everything’s set though Granny's the real planner for this. I just kinda dropped in unannounced like usual.” Applejack admitted. “Pfft we've gotten used to it by now.” Granny snorted.” If there's nothing else ah ken pack a bit of grub up for yah but ah'm sure yah still got business in town. We'll send any of our workers yer way if yah need them fer yer study, but try not tah keep um too long we got a harvest coming up and we need all hooves.” “I'll keep that in mind, Mrs Smith.” I state.” I don't plan to keep any for too long though I might need to come out and study how they work and where they live at some point. I'm looking into everything I can for a cure.” “Right that's tha only reason and it ain't cause some of these farmers big strapping lads is it?” Granny cackled, though her laughter died off quickly as she found that none of the three of us was laughing in the slightest. I knew why Rainbow didn't like the joke and personally I didn't find it funny, though why Applejack had a sour look on her face I don't know. “So who's the kid?” Rainbow asked simply tilting her head to look over at the filly. Applejack blinked at the sudden change in topic, glancing back to the foal that had been hiding behind her legs the entire conversation. “Oh .. this is mai lil brother Applebloom.” Applejack stated stepping to the side to let us have a good look at the foal before the colt noted the attention and quickly ducked back behind Applejack's legs again. Applejack sighed though didn't move a second time. “Don't mind him. He's shy. Any how Miss Sparkle I'll stop by the day after the festival for mai interview. Ah got a bit of work tah do out here an ah don't wanna keep away from it for long if'n ah ken help it.” I nodded in response rather certain that the foal was not a colt but a filly. Perhaps it was just a very effeminate looking colt. I knew little to nothing about foals so I simply accepted it. I did take note of the soured expression on Granny's face and the fearful looks the foal gave both myself and Rainbow, though my guard didn't seem to notice. Thanking the trio after a little more chatter, Rainbow and I set off towards Ponyville again and I lost myself in my thoughts. Once we were out of sight of the farm Rainbow did a quick sweep, flying around me, stirring up a great cloud of sand and dirt that she let billow out in all directions away from us. After a moment she nodded as the sand died down and allowed me to continue to walk. “That filly was the one following us when we came to the farm.” Rainbow stated. “You mean colt?” I asked, not sure myself.”In any event we expected to be followed remember?” “Nah Applebloom's a filly. Doesn't smell like a colt.” “Highly trained nose?” I ask curiously. “Had all my senses trained excessively, I was born with a trick and my trainers exploited the fool out of it. Wonder why Applejack said it's her brother.” “Not our business.” I admit, denying my own curiosity, though I had hunches. “Probably something to do with hiding her from Lord Pelt. He has been known to bed a mare from nearly every generation on a whim.” “Yeah I’ve heard that too. Mom's not real thrilled with his antics, but I can say that about most of the Lords.”Rainbow Dash admitted. Her saying that really wasn't much of a surprise. Lady Silvertail was well known to take a contrary view to most of the other House Lords actions. Her house didn't even follow the usual policies of the others unless the Empress ordered it personally. Still it was something to think on as we made our way back into town. As we passed the farm where the pink earth pony had been working, we saw the fields were finished, though there was no sign of the mare. ======================================================= I narrowed my eyes, my ears flat to my skull at the screaming and carrying on around me. Rainbow Dash tilted her head looking on with mild interest, though thankfully she had picked up on my calm and was copying it despite the occasional swish of her tail or flutter of her wings betraying her worry. Or that might have been her damned Pegasi inability to sit still, I couldn't tell with her. To my knowledge the First Child had not met the Empress before, Lady Silvertail kept out of most house politics and tended to stay in Cloudsdale most of the time, only coming to Whinnyshire on certain occasions or when summoned, which only happened twice in the last fifteen years that I knew of. She and Lord Jer'rahd did meet to spar more often than not, though it was usually well away from Whinnyshire as the two tended to be a bit excessive in their spars. Neither was allowed to use their abilities and still there was excessive damage to the landscape. I was allowed to witness a spar once when I went along with the Empress. While Lord Kaisur was a superb swords pony, Lady Silvertail was better. Out of the ten matches they had Lord Kaisur perhaps won two, one was a draw, and three were close, but in the rest of them she completely dominated him. It was one reason I had no doubt of Rainbows skill in combat if lady Silvertail was the one training her. But as usual I’m off topic. The running and the screaming. The sun was still up over the horizon and I was awake, everything was wrong with the world. Thankfully unlike some of these idiots I had put on a small shielding spell to save my eyes from the harsh light and Rainbow Dash had pulled down her tinted goggles. Honestly not being able to see her eyes with the large black circles over them upped her intimidation factor by easily twenty percent. The Empress was supposed to show up in less than an hour to lower the sun and raise the moon for a night of celebration and general merriment. Of course this meant that every one was in the last stages of preprep panic. The band was playing softly in the background with Fluttershy nearby the stage being fawned over a number of evident fans, though it was clear she wanted to be any where but here. Applejack and Applebloom were nearby the food along with Granny Smith. The elder Apple seemed unconcerned as the rest of her workers ran around like mad, and Applejack seemed to be focused mostly on trying to make Applebloom a little more comfortable. I saw the 'colt' exchange a few words with a pair of fillies that had come for food. One was a pure white half dragon with pink and lavender mane, the other was a Day Walker Pegasus with stumpy wings a orange coat and some weird sort of purple hair. I didn't recognize either of them, though the half dragon looked familiar. Glancing over to the small medical area, I realized why the filly seemed familiar. The half dragon Rarity was double checking all of her gear out side of the small medical tent as a few other Zebras or medically marked ponies milled around the tent. Some were already tending sprains or a upset stomachs from over eating as well as the idiots who let themselves become light blind, though most of the doctors seemed to be preparing for the possibility of something worse. My suspicions were confirmed when the smaller half dragon brought a plate over to Rarity piled high with food. The older mare thanked the younger and the smaller one scampered off as Rarity put the food aside with a bit of distaste at the mixed mess of it. As I scanned the crowd again I found my eyes drawn to a few figures huddled in the back of the crowd near one of the buildings. The Day Walkers from the farm mostly, they seemed content to stay out of every ones way and avoid being noticed, though among them I saw the familiar face of Pinkamenia Diana Pie. She was with the other farm workers though none of them were talking with her, she also didn't seem happy with being there either. Odd given the usual state of events like this one expected everyone wanted to be here for the Empress. She seemed like she was being forced to attend. There were a few others like that too, but the annoyed indifference on Pinkamenia's face matched Fluttershy's in terms of disgust. Twenty minutes later and at least four hundred askance of 'where was the Empress' directed towards me a silver chariot was seen in the air heading this way over the forest. Honestly I was a bit surprised until I noticed that the Guards pulling it were just regular Guard, not the Night Guard. While every one else was getting super excited to the eminent arrival of the Empress I leaned over to Rainbow and let out a small sigh as she leaned in closer to hear me. “Seems she had other things to do again.”I muttered. “I noticed they weren’t Night Guard, who do you think it is then?” “Either some noble or a messenger, most likely the latter.” I admitted.” Although knowing my luck it's probably Octavia.” As the carriage landed even I was surprised by the pony who stepped out of it. The Guard quickly unhitched himself and moved to the door opening it and allowing the pony inside to step out. The carriage itself creaked as a well muscled and scared hoof planted firmly in the dirt followed by another as the chiseled form emerged completely. The stallions gray furred form was crisscrossed with scars that had healed into black scales, making the marks stand out and giving him the look of a randomly striped gray Zebra. Every movement the figure took seemed to radiate the potential for power, unrivaled violence, and death. His short cropped mane and tail held a blondish amber coloration and his mane was slicked back over his head between his ears displaying a spiraled horn prominently,the amber colored hair continued along his chin in a well groomed beard. A suit of black and purple armor clung to his barrel barely protecting anything and seeming more ceremonial than useful. The silver trim seeming to glow with it's own soft light. A pair of dark goggles rested over his eyes, though a faint green glow from his horn lifted them off his face revealing a pair of heterochromiaic eyes slitted like a cats with the right being green and the left being red. A double edged blade with a slight crescent like curve rested at his right side, with another sword of similar make hanging off his left side. The entire crowd fell silent, before all of them quickly bowed to the warrior as the moon rose behind him starting the longest night as the Lord of House Loyalty appeared. “Citizens of Ponyville, please rise.” Lord Jer'rahd Kaisur spoke loudly, his voice carrying over the crowd, his tone both comforting and commanding at the same time. He smiled slightly as ponies, myself included rose, a hint of his fangs showing at the grin. “I regret to inform you that Empress Luna needed to cancel this year, certain events have come up which require her full attention though she regrets being unable to attend and sends her apologies.” he continued.” Given this is my hometown however I decided to come down for the festivities in her sted, at least for a little while. A Guard's tasks never ends after all.” There were a few chuckles at that comment and I shook my head a little as I smirked. As long as I had known Lord Kaisur he seemed to give off a odd grandfatherly sort of vibe. Despite how he appeared his tone and words tended to put everyone at ease, at least those who he was not currently targeting. Just from what I had heard and what I witnessed in the spar with Lady Silvertail, despite his loss in those matches he was not some one that any one sane would wish to make angry. He also tended to do his best to make sure that his reputation and heroics were well known. While his first Loyalty was to the Empress, then his Guards, friends, family, the citizens under House Loyalty were always treated well and cared for. He was often considered the most favored of the House leaders, usually after Lady Scale as it was hard to dislike the comedic Dragon. Which is why I found it odd, that while he greeting the Mayor, I caught a glimpse of Pinkamenia before she trotted away. She was giving Lord Kaisur a look of hatred that I had only ever seen matched by Octavia when she regarded me. Curiouser and curiouser that one.