//------------------------------//
// An Offer 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Gerardo stood still as a statue, and so did the pony he had bumped into.

He had no ears to flatten, and her metallic ones were incapable of the motion. Presumably, judging from the size of her helmet, they were already pressed against her skull inside, though he felt no solidarity in the knowledge.

She wasn't as tall as he was, even with the golden plates' thickness adding to her height, but it felt as if that difference was magnified a thousandfold in the opposite direction. It might have been her horn, long and fluted and thick enough to accommodate the real thing inside. It might have been her eyes, covered by lenses so dark that not a hint of light shone back out. It might even have been the way her armor interlocked so finely it could have been airtight, completely devoid of motion... though he knew from firsthand experience just how rapidly she could carry herself when she wanted to.

Commander Braen stood inches from his chest, and every bit of confidence he had gained from recollecting his sword had vanished like water in a golden, impassive sieve.

"...Commander," he croaked, talon itching protectively toward his sheath.

"There's no need for that." Shinespark flicked it away with a dab of telekinesis, closing the door and locking the four of them in the room. Steadily, the manalights reacted to her presence and came alive, glinting off Braen's metal coat. "We're all allies here, I can assure you."

Gerardo said nothing. Neither did Braen.

"Please." Shinespark dropped into a chair across the table, not lounging like she had earlier. "Have a seat."

Slowly, deliberately, Braen clinked toward a chair, the first indication she had given that there was actually a pony inside the stoic suit of armor. As she sat, the light illuminated a three-triangled emblem on her flanks, exactly like the one that adorned the office door outside.

The chair creaked beneath her weight.

"Look, if this is a big deal, I'm sorry I didn't warn you she would be coming." Shinespark sighed, putting her hooves on the table. "It's hardly a secret that I have some of my dad's penchant for drama. But really, is it that big of a surprise? I told you already I'm in contact with her. I proved it by getting back your sword. In fact, you should be able to guess precisely why she's here."

Gerardo blinked, brain in overdrive, exploring all facets of the situation. "How did she get down here without me seeing her pass?" he asked, seizing on a discrepancy.

"There are other ways."

"I see..." Gerardo muttered to himself, trying to think of something to say next.

Logically, Shinespark was right. She had forgiven him for disabling the Spirit ponies she apparently took responsibility for, after all. Would she not have confirmed Braen would do the same?

"Well, from this reaction I think I already know what you'll say when I make my offer, but whatever." Shinespark pushed out a chair with telekinesis, offering it more aggressively. "Braen went and looked at the bombs. They're real. Selma wasn't lying about the trigger mechanism, or anything else. His sealant spell was real, too."

Mechanically, Braen nodded, confirming what Shinespark had said.

Gerardo gulped. "I take it that is unfortunate?"

"She also found something else," Shinespark continued. "A note. It was left on the overlook, and addressed 'To Whom It May Concern.' Selma signed it, and it was written in his horn."

One talon at a time, Gerardo stepped closer. Braen's head tracked him with perfect efficiency, her metallic wing replicas coiled at her sides. The sabaton where his sword had struck looked newer then the rest of her armor, he noticed. She hadn't been limping.

"The note assumed that we would want to invade; to attempt taking over the fortress militarily to ensure no one could bring a transmitter in range. It's obvious Selma wants us to do that. Unfortunately, that doesn't tell us anything about his goals, because whether he wanted to help or trap us, he would still say that. Selma prefers solving things by force."

Gerardo reached a chair, sitting at an angle so he could see both Shinespark and Braen at the same time. That put Matryona behind him and out of his line of sight, but she was just as silent as the Spirit commander.

"What it said..." Shinespark's voice dropped to a growl. "Was that tomorrow evening, he would muster every pony in the Defense Force who could fight to the bridge atop the eastern dam. There's an old road leading up the north face of the mountain, impassable by cart but possible to traverse by hoof... either for an assault, or a retreat. On that, we have no idea if he was lying."

"...What, then, do you intend to do?"

Shinespark folded her hooves. "We're still working out a plan, but most likely? Everything. That's for the morning, though. What matters is that we will have to take action."

Gerardo clicked his beak. "I must say, you sounded considerably more upbeat about that excursion when you were talking with Matryona in the lobby earlier."

"Well... there's good news, too. For me." Shinespark sighed, then looked him straight in the eye. "I guess I'll be as direct as possible: I don't know if I'm willing to let the ferry run tomorrow evening. I'm considering an evacuation, and that would mean keeping the river clear, too. As a favor to you, though, I could run it in the day... partway there. You'd have to fly the remainder of the distance."

"And carry my friends, I presume?" Gerardo grimaced. Flying with two ponies at once, even if one was a filly, sounded like an unreasonable load for cross-country travel.

"Maybe." Shinespark toughed the table, then leaned forward again. "The conditions for that are that you would have to stay in Riverfall for a bit. If you're not going to help us directly, I want to make sure you stay as far away from Ironridge as possible... and that would mean a quarantine. It sounds harsh, but I've done harsher. It wouldn't be for long, hopefully, but I don't know how much you know and can't take any risks, least of all right now. I'm sorry."

"...And the second condition?" Gerardo glanced keenly at her, managing to tear his gaze from Braen.

"Your friends will get an offer of their own," Shinespark said. "They may not want to go back with you. It isn't a decision you'll have time to make as a team."

Gerardo blinked. "I'm sensing you want for me to stay."

"I'd appreciate it." Shinespark nodded. "But it's your choice."

Gerardo pointed a talon at Braen. "And it's all right that we're discussing this in front of her?"

"She already knows."

"...I see."

For a moment, the room sat in silence. Eventually, Shinespark said, "You've been to Riverfall. You met my father, and whatever you did there, it earned his trust enough that he let you come here, to Ironridge, with some of the most valuable, exclusive, and dangerous information in the city... knowledge about where he is, what he's doing... You already know some of the best-kept secrets of our side. You haven't struck me as incompetent, and you've shown you have some things to offer our cause. Leaving for Riverfall isn't the only option. You could join us, instead."

Gerardo paused, picking apart her words. "Precisely what would such a job entail?"

"I'd tell you everything." Shinespark folded her hooves. "Everything. And then I'd trust you just as much as the precious few who also know. After that, you'd do everything in your power and more to help us. We're almost there, so it wouldn't take long. This isn't something you'd be committing years of your life to. But it will be messy and possibly dangerous, and would take one hundred and ten percent. We'll take care of your friends, so you won't have to worry about them. It would be just you... with an opportunity to do something truly great for the world. If you've ever felt like my ponies, like you'd do anything for a chance to make a difference... this is one of the biggest differences anyone will ever have an opportunity to make. What we're doing here is about more than just Ironridge. We could change the world."

Eyes narrowing, Gerardo glanced between Braen and Shinespark. "Something tells me you two are much more than casual business associates to be saying such things in front of each other."

Shinespark nodded. "That's easy to explain."

Further explanation didn't come, and Gerardo realized it was in lieu of him saying yes. He blinked, carefully contemplating. "Forgive me my skepticism, but in light of my experiences with this city, I feel it is well-earned."

"Of course." Shinespark nodded. "Ask all the questions you need."

Gerardo returned the gesture in appreciation. "I think I'll do just that..."