The top conference room of Dangerous Karma's fort was spacious and round, ringed on nearly all sides by windows, with two full balconies. The back, in particular, was a rough dome of polygonal glass, hardly impressive next to the insulated bowls of the skyport but imposing in its own right, offering a full view of the cloud-laden heavens to anyone looking up at it.
A broad table adorned the center of the room, its middle occupied by a raised disc bearing a map of the city. The seats surrounding it were more numerous than Maple expected any fruit-growing empire to really need, especially given their plush, dark velvet construction, and they were dwarfed by the throne of an executive's chair, trimmed with pearl and placed squarely beneath a magical chandelier. Still, it was the pony in that chair who commanded everyone's attention.
"You showed up!" she said, beaming and spreading her forelimbs. "And you look like you're okay, too. That's great." Her lips curled in a smile, and she reached as far out over the table as she could without actually walking across it. "We've met before, but I don't remember if we were properly introduced. I'm Shinespark."
Valey batted her eyelids. "Hey there, Sparky."
"Ugh... not you..." Shinespark put a hoof to her head. "Starlight! And... Maple, right? And you're..." She stared at Howe for a moment. "I know you. You're that pegasus who was complaining the other day about having fruit thrown at them trying to enter the Stone District, aren't you?"
"It's hardly the most legendary legacy," Howe admitted with more than a little flair. "Though after a recent string of being forgotten entirely, the Howenator will gladly take what he can get!"
"And I'm the one who put the fruit guards there in the first place," Valey added slyly.
"Nice. Nice..." Shinespark nodded, doing a good job of appearing impressed. "I'm actually here to talk with Starlight and Maple, though, so do you two mind holding your tongues for a bit?"
Valey stuck out her tongue and didn't pull it back in. "Like thith?" she mumbled around the rubbery appendage.
Maple ignored her, instead pulling aside a seat and collapsing gratefully into its cushiony goodness. "Oh, that feels nice... What did you want to meet with us about? We're, well..." Her ears folded sheepishly. "Just ponies, really."
"Just ponies with something special to bring to the table," Shinespark said, folding her hooves. "And first off, because I wanted to say sorry."
"Sorry?" Maple tilted her head. "What for?"
"All the stuff you've... wait." Shinespark shot a sapphire glance at Howe. "Before even that, actually, good job finding ponies who would come with you and keep you safe. The moment you leave true neutral in Ironridge, you need allies... no matter what kind of allies they may be."
Valey grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Well... thanks, I guess?" Maple shrugged. "It's more that they found us, though."
"Same difference!" Shinespark shrugged back, making full use of her gigantic chair's soft backing. "The important thing is, do they..." She blinked at Valey. "Well, I know she does, but is there any sensitive information on the table mister... err... Howenator shouldn't hear?"
"Probably yes," Valey instantly said.
Shinespark sighed. "Well, one more excuse is one more excuse, I guess. The odds that Dangerous Karma has this place wiretapped are incredibly high."
Howe cleared his throat, interrupting and pointing to Maple and Starlight. "If you're asking permission to tell a dirty joke, I'd worry far more about them than good old Howe."
"...I wasn't going to tell a dirty joke," Shinespark deadpanned, slightly put off. "I was going to apologize for the time we met in the forest, on the convoy with the Spirit. We wanted to let you go about your way with as little fanfare as possible, to try to let you enjoy Ironridge without getting caught up in its politics and intrigue. It..." She hung her head. "Sounds like that wasn't the best decision. We should have had someone follow you, or invited you to Sosa right away."
"Well..." Maple heaved in a breath, then smiled. "We're alright now, I guess. I'm guessing I know who asked you to keep an eye out for us?"
Shinespark nodded. "I'm guessing you're right."
"Wait, wait, hold on a minute," Howe interrupted, waving his forelegs. "I was joking before, but are you guys actually famous or important, or something?" He raised an eyebrow. "The Howenator is just helping you as a favor to his bird-bro, ladies. Not to say you aren't cool, but is there something I should know about?"
"Nahhh." Valey grinned. "But there's plenty you shouldn't know about. Hey, Sparky! Want me to go chase this guy around for a bit so you can speak freely?"
"I don't think that will be necessary," Shinespark said, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Though you're free to go about your way, if you want."
Howe shrugged. "That so? Well, I think I'll stay here a bit. Like I said, I have a debt to repay."
Valey folded her wings, offering no objection.
"Well..." Shinespark stretched, then stood up and jumped out of her chair, taking the long way around the table. "Like I said, I'm glad you two are safe. Shall we get going? It's nearly an hour's walk back to Sosa, plus time to reach my factory."
"We're leaving?" Maple frowned. "After climbing all the way up this tower? Why did you meet us here, then?"
Shinespark grinned sheepishly, eyes wandering to the chandelier and throne beneath it. "I... have a thing for impressive architecture. And big tables. Sorry if that was an inconvenience."
Valey waggled her tongue.
"...It wasn't too bad," Maple managed with a long exhale and a weary smile. "I haven't been through that much over the last two days, you know? All I did was carry a crate all the way up the mountain, wander around the Water District until well past midnight, land awkwardly when Valey tried to carry me while flying and wasn't strong enough, walk to and all around Blueleaf... Climbing this fort was nothing."
The heaviness with which she sank into her chair's cushions, making no move to get up even as Shinespark neared the door, wasn't lost on anyone. Starlight nudged her, and Shinespark nervously laughed. "Again, sorry..."
"It's fine," Maple chanted, eventually struggling to her hooves, "it's fine, it's fine. I just hope I don't have to run a lap around the edge of the city, you know?"
As she did, Shinespark turned to Starlight, kneeling slightly so that their heads were level. "Hey."
"Hi," Starlight said.
Shinespark stared for several seconds... and then grinned. "Heh. I guess he was right. You do look sort of like me."
Starlight squinted. "...I do?"
Shinespark tapped the lone teal streak running through her otherwise-crimson mane. "Not really, but we've got the same mane accent. See?"
She was right, Starlight supposed. It could be enough to remind a pony of Shinespark; especially one who thought about her often, and if he was Arambai that could easily be the case. Still, aside from that and them both being unicorns, they were hardly similar: Shinespark's short, semi-spiky manestyle stood in contrast to Starlight's hasty ponytail that for once hadn't managed to fall apart, and Starlight's lilac coat looked nothing like Shinespark's milky orange one.
"Oh, Shinespark?" Maple asked, standing beside them. "We do have an errand to make somewhere else, first. In Gnarlbough. Do you mind if we go there before Sosa?"
Shinespark blinked. "Well, you're the ones who were tired. I don't have anything else important to do tonight, so shall I escort you myself?"
"Oh boy!" Howe slammed his forehooves together, rubbing them against each other. "We're putting together a proper party, here!"
"I don't see why not," Maple said with a shrug. "I hope it won't be long, but I don't really know for sure. But we should definitely get going before the rain comes back."
"Yeah..." Shinespark nodded, staring up at the sky window. "It's never good to get caught in..."
Suddenly, her eyes constricted, and she trailed off, putting a hoof to the locket around her neck. "Ow!" she hissed, body rigid.
Curious, Valey prowled closer, poking her head around for a better look. "Yo, Sparky, what's that?"
Maple also leaned forward. "Are you alright?"
"It's a pager," Shinespark quickly said. "An in-progress model. We're still working on how to... best get its signals across to me. But I just got a pretty urgent ping and need to go right now, so..." She sighed. "I'll see you again as soon as I can. You two?" She pointed at Valey and Howe. "I don't know what either of you are up to, but as long as it keeps Starlight and Maple safe, please continue. Thanks."
With that, she vanished in a burst of teleportation.
"Welp?" Howe broadly shrugged. "I guess we're back to doing whatever!"