//------------------------------//
// Matryona, Shinespark 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

The journey through the dim, homely corridors behind the Oasis was a short one, around twists and over hills and past several intersections on ground that was always going up or down, and never flat. It felt like walking through hollowed roots of a tree the size of a mountain, organically constructed rather than the rivet-studded, right-angle architecture of the rest of the Steel District with concrete and metal.

"This is Shinespark's office," Gerardo and Sharpie's leader, Matryona, finally said, pushing inward a round wooden door with a green coat of paint and a three-triangle emblem. Behind, a small room with a low ceiling sat, decked in just as much Earth District livery as the previous passages, much of the floorspace occupied by a tidy desk and several chairs. A portrait of Arambai adorned one wall.

Gerardo nodded. "It appears quite cozy. Though..." He tapped the thin, swinging door with a talon, producing an audible knock. "How private would you say it is? This door seems rather thin."

"There is an insulated conference room through there, if you need." Matryona indicated a door in a back corner, styled to blend into the wall and appear invisible at first glance. She frowned in concern, and added, "Is this truly so important?"

"It is, yes..." Gerardo hesitated, then spoke more firmly. "Although, I have spent the greater part of today traversing nearly all of Ironridge, and am more than willing to say my piece here and now. Traveling gets... tiring, after a time, when one's goals are pressing."

"I'm well aware..." Matryona deposited her cloak on a chair, revealing a pair of wings fuller than most pegasi, and an orange streak that resembled a hilted sword on her snow-white chest. Gently holding a wing over her heart, she said, "Please, do not hesitate. Whatever you require Shinespark's help with, I may be able to assist until she returns."

"Well, then." Gerardo swallowed, looked to Sharpie, and wasted no more time. "I'll cut to the chase: the eastern dam of the Water District, overlooking much of Sosa, appears to be rigged with bombs. We both saw them ourselves, along with Commander Selma of the Defense Force, and mutually agreed that somepony or someone seems to intend to flood this district, or else wash it away entirely."

The color of Matryona's coat made it hard to tell if she paled, but it took nearly three seconds for her to respond. "...I should summon back my daughter," she eventually said, rising quickly and striding fluidly to the back door to the conference room. "I imagine there is more to this story?"

"Indeed, there is." Gerardo bowed, and moved to follow. "And I imagine you'll listen?"





The room beyond was long and wide, with a carved oak table large enough to seat eighteen ponies plus room to squeeze. Display cases lined the walls, most containing things technical or magical or even like ordinary rocks. A spear hung from two hooks behind the head of the table, its prong crystalline and a manacore encased in its hilt, and on a pedestal in a corner sat a half-suit of armor reminiscent of the one Shinespark had worn on the convoy when Gerardo had first entered Ironridge.

Matryona eased the door shut behind them, its back covered in triangular spikes of foam that could only have been a noise dampener. Sharpie gazed around beside him, awkwardly doing nothing as their tall host glided to another corner, where a black, metallic tower sat, glowing with tiny lights and indicators.

"...There," Matryona said after a minute, standing up and turning to face them. "She will be coming soon. Shinespark is very punctual. In the meantime, please, be seated."

"Much obliged." Gerardo picked out a cozy chair on rolling wheels, feeling slightly bad for the dampness still clinging to his uniform. "Now, then... I suppose the most important thing to mention first is that, according to Selma, the danger is present but not truly immediate. He claimed to have placed a spell blocking the triggering mechanism that would last through tomorrow night, and I fail to see the motive in lying about such a thing."

Matryona visibly relaxed. "That is good to know. What else?"

"In this case, I suppose it is best to start at the beginning," Gerardo said with a shrug. "For starters, as we have not yet been formally introduced, my name is Gerardo Guillaume, griffon adventurer extraordinaire, and this is my ally and traveling companion, Sharpie. I came to Ironridge about two days ago, seeking to deliver two mysterious crates of high value..."





Over the next indeterminate period of time, long enough for Sharpie to begin fidgeting in her seat but not yet to the point where Gerardo's voice became scratchy from overuse, the griffon narrated his trials and endeavors in Ironridge to Matryona. He tactfully omitted any information pertaining to Riverfall or Arambai, relived the encounter with the Spirit in full detail, expertly bemoaned the loss of his sword, and vaguely hinted that Shinespark had offered to get it back. He glided over the holdup at Valey's checkpoint, memory muddied by the sheer amount of fruit throwing and new names present, then pressed on to the Stone District, forgetting entirely their excursion to the Sky District and its museum. He loudly derided the Defense Force's robbery of his crates and kidnapping of his friends, heroically depicted his night-time traversal of the Sky District snow fields, casually slandered Dior for blowing him off, glossed over his meeting with Sharpie, and finally stopped to breathe.

Matryona's face remained impassive throughout it all, acting the perfect audience, though her expression clouded slightly when he reached the part about Dior. Sharpie, by contrast, looked downright uncomfortable, and more than a little annoyed for having come all that way and contributed a grand total of zero words to the cause. In fairness, neither she nor Gerardo had expected to get any sort of audience without a long, drawn-out slog of requesting, but there she was, and there she pouted.

Then, just as Gerardo was wrapping up his explanation of the first day, the door burst open and a unicorn skidded through, coat the same vivid shade of orange as Matryona's mane. "Whoo!" she panted, breathing heavily. "Nine minutes and... thirty-seven seconds from... Grand Acorn, plus finishing what I was already doing." She wiped her brow, brushing aside short, ruby-red bangs with a lone teal streak. "Hi, Mom. Please don't tell me we... we..." Swallowing stickily, she blinked at Gerardo with deep blue eyes, then looked to Matryona again. "Huh. I told you he was coming?"

The three already in the room blinked back, and Gerardo frowned. "That was an entire ten minutes? My sincerest apologies, I... was not expecting to spend nearly so long covering-"

He was interrupted by Sharpie banging her head against the table. "All that wasn't even ten minutes?" she groaned, wings dangling limply from her sides.

Matryona shook her head, paying attention to the actual question. "I don't think you did, no."

"Ugh." Shinespark stretched, a locket that served as her only piece of clothing bouncing on a chain around her neck. "Well... next time, if it's just guests who want to see me, could you... not use the highest-priority alarm, please? I thought we had a major security breach, or something." She bounced the locket in a hoof, adding, "Can't wait until dad gets... uhh..." Her eyes focused on Sharpie, suddenly acknowledging the pegasus. "You're the finance inspector for the embassy, right? What are you doing here?"

"The former inspector," Sharpie corrected. "I quit. And I don't know what I'm doing here, either." Pausing, she added, "You actually remember me?"

"Mhm." Shinespark corrected her bangs again before collapsing in a chair opposite from them. "Hey, mom?" She looked up. "I'm probably who they're here for, right? Could you go and get refreshments, please? I'm... ngah... really thirsty."

Matryona stood, but looked down at Shinespark with careful eyes. "They're here for more than just talk, but I'll do that."

"Right!" Shinespark lounged, showing off her un-marked, orange flank, then straightened up slightly as her mother disappeared and shut the door. "So, about that sword of yours..."

"As a matter of fact, as much as I'd appreciate having that back we did come here with something different to discuss," Gerardo sadly interrupted. "You see... we discovered bombs planted on the eastern dam of the Water District, and felt obliged to warn you."

Shinespark's cheer instantly vanished. "You what."

It wasn't a question.

"I'm sorry to say it appears that way," Gerardo continued. "Though before you make any rash decisions, please hear me out: the danger is not right-this-second imminent and in every scenario will require much thought and investigation. The bombs were discovered by myself, Sharpie here, and Commander Selma, and he placed a spell..."

For the second time that evening, Gerardo began the long, slow process of narrating what he knew, Shinespark listening intently.