With no hesitation whatsoever, Flurry threw herself at her friend and beloved companion. This brought a cheer from the ponies watching on the station platform, but she didn’t care about them or what they thought right now. Sumac was here—Professor Egghead—and that meant that everything was going to be okay. He was the best sort of friend, the kind that was willing to get into trouble with her and share the consequences, because that is what real friends did.
Even though she would be embarrassed about it later, Flurry burst into tears, though not from joy. No, her tears came from relief because her friends, a bunch of them, had crossed the continent to be with her, and just being with them made everything okay. Megara was missing, and that sucked just a little, but Flurry understood how things were sometimes.
Sniffling, blinking, she pulled back just a little so that she might have a better look at Sumac’s wings, something she had not yet seen. It was as shocking as it was thrilling, and seeing them, feeling them, touching them filled her with hope. She was about to say something about them when Pebble grabbed her, and whatever it was that she was about to say was forgotten, lost in the moment, and she continued to sob with relief, her tears forming black, sooty streaks on her cheeks.
Flashbulbs began to go off, and though Flurry didn’t see it, her mother reacted: flashbulbs were an excellent way to hide a spell and one such incident had already happened. Armor clanked as the assembled guards went rigid. Party poppers popped and the air was filled with the smell of black powder, the eggy stench of fireworks. The sudden, explosive bursts of celebratory sound caused Cadance to become even more protective over the foals huddled together on the platform, and several more of the guard moved in even closer, forming a protective ring.
These were dangerous times to be living in.
“Silver Lining, how have you been?” Flurry pulled away from Pebble and focused on the powerful feeling of love that demanded her attention. “Something is different… something has changed about you. What is it?” Every muscle of her body seemed to quiver with some sort of newfound sensation that left her feeling lightheaded and giddy. Reaching out, the pink filly touched Silver Lining and there was an electric tingle. Her mother had told her the story, it was a fond story, the story of a mother’s love.
“Yours is a love no longer hidden,” Flurry said, knowing without understanding how she knew. The griffoness seemed startled, but the young alicorn moved to reassure her. “The truth was made known and you are free to love without reservation—”
“How do you know this?” Silver Lining said in a low voice to the much smaller alicorn.
“I don’t know.” Flurry shrugged with her wings. “I can feel it. Sense it. I feel a love set free. You are relieved, right?”
Feathers fluffing, the chubby griffoness did not respond.
For the second time this day, Flurry transformed, becoming translucent and crystalline. She felt it, she had a keen awareness of it, and with it came a powerful swell of magic. Love was a powerful, intoxicating force, and Flurry, hungering for it, drank it in while revelling in all of the new sensations.
“Welcome to the Crystal Empire,” she said, and her voice sounded strange in her own ears. “Come with me, there is much to plan and to prepare. Sumac, I need to speak with you in private, because there is something that I need for you to do for me. As your princess, I require your assistance.”
The colt bowed his head, a sincere gesture, and replied, “All I have to give you is yours.”
Flurry broke her formality with a wide grin. “Let’s go eat! I’m starving! And maybe later we can chuck water balloons off of a balcony or something!” She ignored her mother’s rolling eyes but reveled with hoof-stomping abandon at the sound of her Auntie Trixie’s laughter. “We have plenty of time to get into trouble before the cotillion starts!”
The table was loaded down with all of Flurry’s favourite foods, including crystalline corn on the cob, but she hardly noticed these things. Being who she was, she could have them at almost any time that she demanded them, and as such, they just weren’t as important. Her friends though, her friends lived in Ponyville, a long, long ways away, and she didn’t get to see them often, which made them special, a rare treat worth savouring.
“This corn,” Sumac started to say while he held up his buttery, half-eaten corn cob, “it always kind of freaks me out when it comes out the other end—”
“SUMAC APPLE LULAMOON!”
Flurry saw Sumac cringe as he bore the brunt of Auntie Trixie using his full name.
“What?” The colt gave his mother an innocent look. “The little kernels continue to glitter and sparkle and glow—”
“Sumac…” This time it was Lemon that had said his name and from the looks of things, the lemony yellow mare didn’t feel good. Flurry knew why, but it was rude to spoil surprises and blurt out things when ponies didn’t know themselves. “Sumac, why?”
“It looks like crystal, but it isn’t crystal,” Boomer muttered while she gave her cob a dark look. “Stupid food is lying to me. I’ll teach you!” With a savage chomp, she began eating the cob itself, as Boomer wasted nothing that could be edible, and for the little pygmy tree dragon, everything was edible. Orange peels, banana skins, old newspapers, everything had a flavour just waiting to be explored, and Flurry knew this better than most.
It was almost as if Sumac was engaged in a contest of wrongness, as he spoke with his mouth full and had something terrible to say: “Crystal corn nibblets look like little sparkly turd treasures.”
“Sumac, I swear—”
“They do, actually,” Cadance said, interrupting Trixie before the lecture could begin in earnest. “I mean, you look down in the bowl and hey, lookit, something pretty!”
Skyla, who had been silent this whole time, looked disgusted by her mother’s words, and Flurry laughed; not at what her mother or Sumac had said, but at the face her smaller sibling was making. It was a magnificent look of disgust, and while she grinned from ear to ear, her father began to chortle.
“They don’t get to see each other often enough,” Cadance said in a gentle voice that exuded motherhood. “They’ll only be foals for so long… let them have their fun and act their ages. Let them get this out of their systems to they’ll behave during the cotillion. There is no harm in letting them blow off a little steam.”
“Which in grownup speak, means that it’s fine, do whatever right now, but make no mistake, we’ll be having a word about this later in private,” Sumac said and even while he spoke, Pebble’s head began to bob with acknowledgement.
Flurry speared an enormous candied crystalline carrot with her fork, lifted it, and took a bite that was far too large. Sticky glaze dribbled down her chin and for a second, she became lost in the moment while she thought about all of the things she needed to say to Sumac. Things that needed to be said in private, away from adults and bratty little sisters. She was nervous, so very nervous, as any filly would be when she was about to make a proposal that was going to change her life.
“Sumac, you’ve grown so clever.”
“Not really, Cadance,” Sumac replied with a coy smile. “I’ve just caught on to all of the ways that adults can get me.”
Auntie Trixie seemed to have relaxed just a little, because she was laughing now. Beside her, Lemon appeared to be hanging on to her chair, and kept reaching over to clutch at Trixie’s foreleg, as if she was seeking support.
“Tell me, Sumac, I know how you feel about adventuring,” Cadance said, “but do you think you are ready for a life of politics?”
“Yeah, sure.” Sumac nodded his head and Flurry chewed her candied carrot with great interest, never once even tasting what it was. “I have it all figured out. I have a master plan.”
“Oh, do you?” Shining Armor leaned in closer and his ears pivoted around forward so that he might hear better what Sumac had to say.
“Yep.” The colt kept nodding, looking cool, collected, and calm. “Gosling spent a whole day schooling me on the subject, and I am prepared.”
“Um…” Skyla appeared dubious, and Flurry listened to whatever input her sister had for the conversation. “What could you possibly learn from him in one day?”
“The secret to politics,” Sumac replied. Lifting his glass, he raised it as if he was making a toast, looked around the table, and made a ne'er-do-well grin. “Do no harm, but take no shit.”
Flurry only started laughing when her mother and father did, only when she realised it was safe to find this funny. The laughter felt good after all of the tension of the past few days and it seemed to unkink her muscles better than a hot bath. Was this the politics of laughter? Even as she laughed, she wondered why she needed her parents’ approval. Why hadn’t she laughed at this on her own? Lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the many varied reactions to Sumac’s words.
“That… that is sound advice.” Skyla seemed to have some trouble saying these words, and in the aftermath of her admittance, her ears revealed her discomfort. They went left, then right, then neutral, listening to the various sounds around her while trying to gain some manner of consensus from the ponies around her.
Flurry’s ears did much the same, as ponies had directional hearing; their ears had to be facing the right direction to pick up on the subtle sounds and cues in the world around them. Right now, without even realising it, both Flurry and her sister Skyla were learning ‘what was allowed’ and this meant trying to pick up on the subtle cues of the adult laughter around them, determining if it was sincere laughter or the fake laughter that adults sometimes did.
So far, this seemed to be real laughter, and Sumac had won them over. Sumac was a pony that was willing to take risks—his many attempts at flight were proof of that—and he was bold enough to say just about anything. She needed him on her side and there were so many things that needed to be said to him. It was dreadful, living with the anticipation that she had, because she needed to talk to Sumac about popping the question. The big question. She was going to give ponies what they wanted, whether they wanted it or not, they were going to get it.
Maybe after the meal, she could get Sumac alone and get him to agree to propose to her.
The parlour held a strange silence after Flurry had poured out her heart to her friends. Sumac sat in a chair that was probably worth more in value than several of the thatched roof cottages in Ponyville, rubbing his chin, and thinking about every single word that Flurry had said. She had just asked so much of him, and this was bound to be something with potential long-reaching consequences as well as ripple-effects that he had no way of comprehending now.
Thankfully, there were no adults present to ruin this moment, this session of plotting and insurrection. And Sumac was pretty sure that this counted as some form of insurrection. There would be Tartarus to pay, with all debts paid in full with bits, no credit. Not far away, Pebble sat on a chaise lounger with Flurry, holding her, and trying to console her. A few tears fell, but not many, and Flurry was holding up rather well under the pressure. Silver Lining lounged on a long couch, looking uncomfortable even though she sprawled out in opulent, palatial luxury.
“Help me, Professor Egghead. You’re my only hope.”
Saving princesses wasn’t something that Sumac was used to doing. Under normal circumstances, princesses saved him, and during his short life, he had been saved and or rescued by every adult princess in existence. After so much kindness and generousity, the colt supposed that it was time to give a little something back to Equestria’s newest and most recently recognised princess, but doing so was going to land him in hot water.
“Pebble, what do I do?” Sumac asked, seeking advice from somepony that he trusted.
“I’m not going to tell you what to do,” she replied while shaking her head.
“Help me sort out the pros and cons then,” he commanded, and this got him a resigned sigh. “Please help me sort out the pros and cons. Pebble, you’re better at this than I am and I trust your judgment.”
“If you do this, this will impact our future.” Pebble sounded a bit unsettled in Sumac’s ears, and from the faint quaver that could be detected in her voice, he was able to discern the gravity of the situation. “Lulamoon Hollow will certainly be impacted by your decision. The older generation of nobles might frown on what is being planned, but the new generation, our generation, they might respect you, or might not. It’s a gamble, Sumac Apple, so this is something you’re better at than I am.”
Leaning back in his chair, Sumac began to rub his front hooves together and his ears splayed out sideways since there was nothing to listen to except for the ticking of the clock. Pebble was going to make a fantastic Lady of Lulamoon Hollow, and would certainly do a better job at running things than he would. At least, this is what he believed.
Frowning, Pebble reached out and picked up a book sitting on the cushion beside Flurry. She stared at the cover, her brown face wrinkled with emotion, and she was making funny faces again, which to Sumac meant that she was doing that thing she did, but he couldn’t recall what it was. Stiff lipped, Sumac heard Pebble say, “Is this book for real? I mean, I know it is, I’m holding it, but a cursory glance reveals much horror.”
“Yep.” Flurry’s reply was squeaky and Sumac could see that she was terrified of the book that Pebble was holding. “It’s real alright. It’s over a thousand years old, written at a time when Princess Amore ruled the Crystal Empire, and now it is being reprinted. It’s a bestseller and they can’t be printed fast enough. It’s become a big deal for those with traditional, conservative, old fashioned values. Mom says it is fueling the neo-feudal revival, whatever that means.”
Sumac’s eyes lingered on the title: Noble Expectations. He hadn’t read it, and he didn’t want to judge a book by its cover, but at the moment, he didn’t much care for how Flurry was terrified of it. With a burst of willpower, he snatched it from Pebble’s grasp and levitated it over to where he sat so he could have a better look at it… later.
“Sumac, the book says that bloody sheets are to be hung from the balcony the morning after the nuptials so that the commoners can be calmed with blessed reassurance that the new bride has been properly bred.” The corner of Pebble’s eye began to twitch and this caused a frightful pressure on Sumac’s bladder, as the earth pony filly was scary when she was provoked to anger. “And if the sheets aren’t bloody enough, it mentions alternative ways to make your bride bleed so that suitably bloodied sheets can be hung out on display the next morning.”
When Flurry began shaking so hard that her teeth began to clatter, Pebble tightened her grip to keep the pink filly still. Sumac held the now hated book in his telekinesis, and though he did not know it, at that moment, sitting in the high backed chair, scowling at the book, he looked very much to be the Lord of Lulamoon Hollow that he would become.
“This is a bestseller?” Sumac’s voice was now filled with an icy, austere authority. “So, we can assume that most of the well to do, the upper crust, and the elite have read this, just for the sake of being ‘social’ and having something to talk about.”
Flurry nodded and clung to Pebble.
“I see.” Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed. “Well then.”
“Sumac…” Silver Lining sounded fearful and her voice was almost a whine. “Sumac, what are you planning?”
“Rebellion,” he replied, his voice still icy. “Outright rebellion, nothing more, nothing less.”
“So you’re going to help me?” Flurry asked while she continued to quake.
Sumac did not respond right away, but sat there thinking, plotting, and planning. He believed in the cause, he saw a future in fiefdoms and the restoration of some of the old ways, but the bad parts… the bad stuff, that needed to stay in the past. Already, he could feel the dreadful beast that was his temper just begging to be let out of the dungeon.
“Yes,” he whispered as he focused on remaining calm. The only temper he knew of worse than Pebble’s was his own. “So, Flurry, during the cotillion, you and I will act as though we’ve come to our senses, we’ll not confess our love for one another, but instead our understanding of duty, and I’ll make a big scene as I propose to you for the sake of doing what is right.”
Flurry sniffled, but said nothing in response.
“Afterwards, I’ll turn on Pebble and I guess that Silver Lining becomes part of this plan too.” Sumac cleared his throat. “I’ll give them both a thorough denouncing and rejection, citing them as commoners who are beneath me. To add insult to injury, I’ll offer them positions as our new scullery maids, because that's bound to work the aristocrats into a frenzy. No doubt, some true colours will be shown after that, and we’ll know exactly who to avoid in the future.”
“Yeah.” Flurry sniffled and some of her courage could be heard in her voice again.
“Pebble, Silver, both of you are going to need to do a hard sell if we’re going to pull off this con job and grift these bastards.” Tapping his front hooves together, Sumac set the book down upon the arm of the chair beside him. “We’re going to need tears, lots of them, and the both of you will need to be absolutely crushed when I coldly and callously cast you aside.”
“I can try—”
“No, Silver, you can do. Let Pebble stomp on your toes or something, I don’t care.”
“Dim called you the Alicorn of Grift,” Flurry whispered, “and he said that you would begin fleshing out his plan. He was right… I’m having some second thoughts… this might be too successful—”
“No, I think this needs to be done.” Closing his eyes, Sumac focused on keeping the beast in the dungeon and he slowed his breathing. “We’re going to be the ones in charge one day, and the old will pass away. We need to establish our authority now, and show them that hard changes are coming. We need to make a statement that we will not be cowed, or intimidated, or that we will be coerced into immoral or amoral action. Be brave, Flurry.”
“I’ll try, Professor Egghead.”
“Whatever happens,” Sumac began, “I promise that I’ll be with you through this, from start to finish. That means the consequences too.” The colt sighed and wondered just how much trouble this act of insurrection would get him into. “You’re my princess, Flurry, long shall I serve you.”
“I give you my pledge as your princess to always look after the interests of Lulamoon Hollow and to champion the cause of your fiefdom.” Flurry hiccuped and Pebble began thumping her on the back. Turning her head, she looked at Pebble and started to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she redoubled her grip and clung to the stocky, sturdy earth pony.
“This might be the most grown up and adult thing we’ve ever done.” Pebble’s voice held none of its usual steadfastness or calm reassurance that some mistook for arrogance. “We’re sticking our necks out and risking our very futures. Lulamoon Hollow might become an island for lack of friends, contacts, and allies. If we do this, if we follow through with his con job, we might just find ourselves as social pariahs.”
“Pebble, this is a form of bullying, and you know how I feel about that.” Sumac’s eyes darted downwards to look at the book, then he glanced at Silver, and returned his gaze back to Pebble and Flurry. “This is gossip and peer pressure, all of the worst parts of herd-think are being used to overpower Flurry’s sense of individualism. She has a right to think and act for herself, princess or no.”
“I don’t disagree.” Pebble’s ears rose for a moment, then went limp once more. “I’m just trying to say that if we go into this, and it seems we’re diving into this septic tank of a shitshow, we’ll need to have a clear head for the consequences. The ponies of Lulamoon Hollow might suffer for their Lord’s conviction and his need to defend the tenets of individuality.”
This stung and Sumac cringed a little as the truth of Pebble’s words settled in. The weight of his wings against his sides manifested in his thoughts and his sudden awareness of them was painful. This was more than a lark, a romp, a bit of good natured mayhem. This was more than trying to set the Royal Brood straight by cracking them on their heads with a magical rod.
Ahead was the future, not just his own, but the lives of many, and this knowledge, this realisation put a painful pressure upon his neck, which bent when his head bowed. “Flurry, you’re the princess here, this is your call. What do we do?”
Hesitation filled the air with silence, which seemed to stretch on forever, until at last Flurry replied, “We give them what they want. So much so that they choke on it, as Dim said. And if they hate me for this, if they despise me for giving them what they want, I will go into the night and join Luna’s Crusade, just as Dim suggested. If they hate me so much that they can’t stand to look at me, at least the pressures will be eased and I will be free to live my own life.”
“Luna will look after Lulamoon Hollow. If the worst happens, I will trust that she will look after her own.” Sumac felt a tightness in his throat and there was something about Pebble’s sad, resigned expression that made his heart ache. He loved her, a fierce, all consuming love, because he knew that she would see this through with him.
“I’ve never been a part of palace intrigue before,” Silver Lining said to the ponies around her. “Is this normal? Is this what you do? Is this the sort of life I have to look forward to if I stick around?” The griffoness blinked. “If so, I’m in. This is a rush.”
“So, that’s it then. We’re committing to this.” Flurry looked around, meeting each eye in turn.
“I’m in.” Sumac’s eyes darted towards the hateful book while he made his response.
Pebble nodded. “I look after my friends and my loved ones.”
“You know how I feel already.” Silver Lining sat up a little and added, “This is dreadfully exciting. What would my father say if he knew I was plotting all out rebellion? Oh dear… oh dear… Oh, Daddy is going to be growly.”
A sad, resigned smile appeared on Flurry’s face. “So now, we need to iron out the plan and rehearse our roles…”