//------------------------------// // Investigation // Story: Entropy // by Rose Quill //------------------------------// “It’s not good news,” Moondancer said, laying another report on the table in my office. Celestia has offered to let me use hers, but I declined. I remembered it being the place where I had learned so many things and didn’t want to take it over. It wasn’t my domain. “Since when has rioting been good?” Starlight asked as she skimmed another one. “Random damage done in a mostly unoccupied spot in a magical darkness spell doesn’t scream ‘terrorist’ to me.” “It isn’t to drive fear into anypony,” I said. “It’s a message. There were four guards in that square when the damage occurred and they neither saw nor heard anything. They’re saying we can’t stop them.” “But who are they?” Twilight asked. “Outside of a single word, they’ve left no demands, no manifesto, nothing!” “Maybe the word itself is the message?” Moondancer offered. Twilight furrowed her brow. “It’s the measurement of change from order to disorder and usually applies to things like mana dynamic shifts.” “To us, perhaps,” I offered. “But if you look at it from a laypony’s persepective, it means the eventual destruction of everything.” Sunshine leaned forward. “And all these reports only date back two or three weeks,” she said. “About the time the princesses starting cutting court short and canceling a few appearances. I hardly think that is a coincidence.” “Celestia once told me that she wasn’t infallible,” Starlight said. “And that most ponies see her as such. So maybe it’s just panic from thinking that the Two Sisters are ailing?” Moondancer shook her head in disagreement. “This is too organized to be mass panic,” she huffed as she spread out a map. “For the darkness to be so absolute, they’d need a couple Unicorns or Thestrals to create it. Then they’d also need to blanket the area in silence spells and somehow do the damage and get out again in mere moments. That takes serious logistical thinking and a panicked populace doesn’t do that.” “So what do we do?” I asked. The sweatered mare tapped the map where she'd placed circles in a few points, all in the poorer sections of Canterlot. If poor was even a proper word. Non-noble section would be more accurate. “There’s a sequential pattern to these incidents,” she said. “If they stay true to form, this neighborhood will be the next hit.” I paled and Sunshine gasped. “What? What is it?” Twilight asked, her wings ruffling. “That’s where our house is,” I whispered. I stared out the window of what had once been my room as a filly. I could see the street below, the cobbled road stretching out in both directions, one leading to the castle and the other to the shopping district. I could see the milling members of the guard outside, some trying to be inconspicuous by not wearing their uniforms. They’re posture gave them away, though. “The square is secured, your Highness,” a guard informed me. “Thank you,” I said. “You’re dismissed. And take the other two with you.” “But ma’am,” he protested. “What about your protection?” I turned and spread my wings slightly, my horn glowing softly. “They’d be a fool to cross me,” I whispered. The guard frowned. “It is still our duty,” he said in a tone that said he wanted me to relent but he also didn’t want to outright refuse an order from one of the Princesses of the realm. I sighed, the tiara on my brow even heavier, it seemed. “Make sure that side alleys are in view as well, and try not to get underhoof while doing your job,” I said with a smile. Heading downstairs, I found Sunshine arguing with Twilight. “I am perfectly capable of helping with this investigation, Twilight,” she huffed. “My condition has no bearing on my ability to use magic or deductive reasoning!” The lavender Alicorn shifted on her hooves, nervous but not backing down. “No, but if things get dicey here you can’t escape as easily,” she countered. “You haven’t perfected teleportation yet and your wings aren’t permanent fixtures. If you get hurt and something happened to you or your foal...” “That’s not going to happen,” I said, stepping up and laying a wing on both Sparkles. “She’s going to stay well back if fighting breaks out where she can get a good look at the scene and those two,” I pointed at the guard that had been following me all day. “Are going to be responsible for her safety.” I turned to them and gave them a cold smile. “Aren’t you, gentlecolts?” I asked. They nodded quickly, one shivering slightly at the look. “Sunny,” my wife started. Give me this, I told her. Your magic has been erratic since you’ve been pregnant. I don’t want to risk it, especially with how far we had to go for this. Please, for me? Her face fell for a moment, and I regretted making her think again of the difficulties we had faced trying to conceive. I hated making her relive that painful moment when she had been told she couldn’t bear young naturally. “Fine,” she said, a hint of sadness plying through the bond. “Only for you, though.” Twilight gave her a soft smile. “If it means anything,” she offered. “If it were Shy in your place, I’d be saying the same thing.” Sunshine smiled faintly. “I’m sure,” she said with a giggle. One of the guards suddenly went stiff. “Is that smoke?” he asked, sniffing. He had barely finished speaking when a window shattered and a torch was sailing into the room. I caught it with my magic and snuffed it out, but as I did I caught the smell of smoke and ash. “Everypony out!” Twilight shouted, immediately throwing a wing over Sunshine and teleporting out. I followed suit with one of the guards and wound up in a blackness that was so absolute I couldn’t even see my own hoof in front of me. I called for a report, but my voice refused to sound in the air. Sunny? came the worried call. I’m fine, I sent. Are you ok? Before I got her response, the darkness and unworldly silence lifted. I saw all the guards start to rush about, looking for anything out of place. And slowly, the sound of fire reached my ears, and I turned to see my childhood home in flames, ponies rushing up with buckets while Pegasi shoved rainclouds in place overhead. But I could only see one thing, scrawled in letters of flame on the side of my home. Entropy My anger was so strong that paving stones cracked beneath my racing hooves as I ran forward and leapt into the air, slamming an airtight seal around my home, smothering the fire, but not before the roof gave in and collapsed. I landed, fury wafting off of me and Sunshine walked over, staring at the house in shock. She shoved her head against my side and cried softly. I caught Twilights eye from across my yard, the steel in my gaze making her flinch as she approached. “No more court until this is settled, Twilight,” I said. “I don’t care who they are, they just tried to burn down my home.” And the lavender pony nodded in agreement. I could see the emotion behind her facade of calm. She was just as mad as I was.