//------------------------------// // 2. More Questions than Answers // Story: The Danger Within // by Loganberry //------------------------------// Fancy Pants drained the last of his tea. Though lukewarm, it was of good quality and still refreshing to a certain degree. He levitated the empty cup down to the saucer and looked up at the nearer of the guardsponies. “It was dashed impolite, even so,” he said mildly. The unicorn guard shrugged, his armour clanking softly as he did so and the shadows he made dancing in the lamplight. Fancy waited, but the guard said nothing. Instead it was his comrade-in-arms who spoke up, in a deep but surprisingly soft and gentle voice for so hefty a stallion. “Would you like to fill out a complaint form?” said the Earth pony, an edge of sarcasm in his tone. Rarity butted in. “A complaint form? Really? You two… ruffians grab hold of us like that—” “Shining Mane didn’t even touch you!” “Hah!” scoffed Rarity, her eyebrows shooting up. “Does magical grip not count, then? I am sorry, but when my friend and I are thrown into a bush – some considerable distance, I might add – and then this gentlecolt suffers a similar fate merely for asking if he can be of assistance, I am inclined to consider that – well, ‘impolite’ is not the half of it.” “There was,” rumbled the other guard, “a reason.” “Which you have singularly failed to explain.” Fluttershy raised her head. “This tea really is nice,” she said. Rarity gave her a brief, thin smile and patted her shoulder; Fluttershy responded with a slight sigh of irritation and repeated her comment a little louder. “It is, rather,” said Fancy. “To be perfectly honest with you, it reminds me a little of the tea you served me earlier on. I must say, that was anawfully refreshing cup – and from what I’ve been told, your tea parties in Ponyville are very pleasant little affairs.” “Thank you,” said Fluttershy with a slight blush. “I really should invite you to one sometime.” She turned to Shining Mane. “Where do you get it from?” “My mother sends it out,” said Shining Mane. “She’s been sending me care packages since I was in college and I doubt she’s going to stop now. To tell you the truth, I don’t think she trusts us to eat properly.” He shrugged. “But I’m afraid we can’t sit here chatting.” He scratched his right foreleg with a hoof and looked to his fellow guard. “Sandcastle?” The Earth pony cleared his throat. “In the name of Equestria—” The ponies’ eyebrows shot up. “—and by the powers invested in me by the Defence of the Nation Act as well as my current position as—” “We’re still in Equestria!” whispered Fancy to his companions. “I say, that really is a stroke of luck.” “—oyal Guard Lieutenant Sandcastle, serial number AP835, I am both empowered and required to ask you to provide your full names and the nature of your business in this Restricted Zone.” Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged glances. “Now hang on a moment,” said Fancy. “Since when have there been Restricted Zones in Equestria?” The guardsponies simply stared. It was Fluttershy who spoke up first. “I’m sure we didn’t mean to cause any problems for you,” she said. “We understand that you have a difficult job here. I do hope we’re not doing anything wrong?” Sandcastle rubbed his neck a little. “Technically, no,” he said. “You do have to answer our questions, though, otherwise I will need to take steps. And you shouldn’t really be asking us anything.” He chewed his lower lip for a few seconds. “Also, I’m afraid your stallion friend’s little comment to you just now – oh yes, I heard it all right – means we’re really going to have to do this absolutely by the book.” “Oh,” said Fluttershy and dropped her eyes. Rarity muttered under her breath but said nothing aloud. Sandcastle produced three sheets of paper, each apparently identical and covered with tiny print, as well as a board to rest them on. Rarity made to take one of the sheets but was waved away with a snort, leading to a further bout of not-quite-inaudible grumbling. “That’ll be enough of that, if you please, ma’am. I hope you understand that we have a job to do.” He picked up a quill with his teeth and made some notes with what Fancy felt was a well-practised mouth. It wasn’t easy for an Earth pony to write quickly and neatly. Sandcastle turned to Rarity, and removing the quill from his lips asked for her name. “Rarity.” Sandcastle smiled. “That is a nice name, ma’am” he said. Rarity gave him a hostile flash of the eyes but held her tongue. Fancy thought he detected something behind the guard’s comment, though he also said nothing. Sandcastle replaced the quill between his teeth and gestured enquiringly to Fluttershy. “My name is Fluttershy.” “Ah,” said Sandcastle with a slight nod. “Another excellent one. Your parents did you proud. And you, sir?” This question was slightly muffled as the guard had not removed the quill. “Fancy Pants.” Sandcastle raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new name to me. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Fancy Pants before. Is it a historic name, or a family one, perhaps?” “Well, ah, neither, really. My parents were called Cheese Board and Clockwork. They felt that a young pony from an artisan background might well need a bit of help in life, and they so very badly wanted me to rise in the world. I imagine they thought a name like this would help.” Fancy set his face. “Not that it did me much good once they were gone.” “I’m sure your parents did you proud, too.” Sandcastle’s face grew suddenly hard and he jabbed the slightly damp quill at his subject. It seemed the time for pleasantries was over. “Now then: Fancy Pants, what do you know about the activities of the Flying Corps in this Zone?” Fancy gave a start, memories flooding into his mind. “The Flying Corps! I say, that takes me back. Of course, it was a different world in those days, and I was just a colt back in Trott—” “Don’t give me that waffly stuff. This isn’t some half-bit comic book where all the guardsponies are unobservant idiots who don’t notice things like, oh, shall we say, the looks you gave when I first mentioned Equestria.” He nodded and made a brief note, giving the thinnest of smiles. “Yes, we heard all right. Now, are you going to tell us what you know?” Fancy sighed. “How am I supposed to do that when I don’t know what the dickens you want me to say?” Sandcastle rolled his eyes. “What I want to hear from you is quite simple: I want to hear the truth.” He set down the quill. “But if this is how you want to play it… you and your companions will remain here with us tonight. I shall send a message to my superiors and if they decide to allow you to continue your journey, they will send somepony to accompany you tomorrow morning. I would strongly advise you not to cause Shining Mane or myself any further trouble in the meantime. Strongly.” “Is that a threat?” demanded Rarity hotly. “Yes.” Nopony spoke after that as Sandcastle showed them to their room for the night. It was sparsely furnished, but there was ample hay and water, and a few simple cushions were scattered about. The guard closed the door and there was a very definite click as a key turned in the lock. * * * Dawn was already breaking above the hills to the east when the three ponies rose from their fitful slumber. Shining Mane apologised for the lack of coffee (“I don’t think my mother approves of it”) but did at least manage another round of tea and some cinnamon pastries before leaving to take care of some “routine business”. Fluttershy tucked into her breakfast calmly enough, and even Rarity seemed less irritable today. Fancy wondered what she’d been dreaming, but he thought it prudent not to say anything. Instead, he brought up the question that had been playing on his mind constantly. “Where in the name of Tirek are we?” Rarity frowned at Fancy’s coarse language, but said, “We could be absolutely anywhere, darling. The fact that we saw those coruscations mean translocation magic must have been involved, but I’m afraid I can’t tell what type it was.” “We could be somewhere in the West,” put in Fluttershy hesitantly. “The climate and flora seem to be similar, so I think it must be about the same latitude. The birds too, though I haven’t seen any from close up to be sure.” Rarity nodded. “It’s certainly possible. But who knows?” She sighed, suddenly downcast. “Twilight would.” Fluttershy gave her friend a quick squeeze. “I’m sorry – I know how much you miss her,” she said. “Not just Twilight!” insisted Rarity. “Pinkie and Rainbow and everypony else, too!” “I know,” said Fluttershy, a sad smile playing across her lips, “but none of them are your special somepony.” Fancy felt mildly awkward. Rarity and Twilight’s budding relationship was no secret these days, but he still wished he could leave the others to their girl talk. He was saved the problem of whether to say anything when Sandcastle came in and reported that permission had been given for their not-quite-prisoners to be released from the guard post and allowed to go on their way. “Ah, jolly good,” said Fancy Pants. “Top brass gave us the nod, eh?” “Something like that,” said Sandcastle, though he would not elaborate. “In any case,” he continued, “it’s not an unconditional release. Nopony will be going anywhere until your guide gets here. There could be Greenmanes,” he added with a slight but noticeable shudder. “Greenmanes!” said Rarity. “We saw a—” “I’m sure you did,” interrupted Sandcastle. “Who doesn’t, these days? Save your explanations for the city authorities. They’ll certainly expect some.” Softly, Fluttershy asked, “What do you mean by guide? We all thought you were just sending for another guard.” Sandcastle blinked. “What? Why would we do that? If all we needed was to guard you, we could do that right here by ourselves. But we have our orders, it’s a dangerous road—and, ma’am, you are a pegasus.” His use of the honorific after having held the three in – admittedly polite – overnight custody grated a little on Fancy’s ears, but he held his tongue and let Fluttershy reply for herself. “Why is that important?” Shining Mane cut in. “Simple enough. Your companions are both unicorns. From our observations, they are not sufficiently powerful mages to overcome a little restraining enchantment. However, should you get out of range, there would not be a lot I could do – or Sandcastle, come to that – to bring you back. You could go anywhere, and that is not something the Forces are prepared to risk.” Rarity, roused again, snapped, “You threw her far enough yesterday!” “I had the benefit of surprise. If Fluttershy here had the same—well, you see my point, I’m sure.” He gestured to her and Fancy Pants. “All right, you two: clothes off, please.” “I beg your pardon?” said Fancy, considerably taken aback. “Clothes off. Our orders are to search them thoroughly, and we’d prefer to do that while you’re not wearing them. Things can get a little awkward otherwise.” “Awkward!” scoffed Rarity. “Awkward!?” Shining Mane shrugged. “Not you, of course. We’ll provide you with a travelling cloak.” He looked at Sandcastle, who nodded slightly. “We’d better give you one too, Fluttershy. That dress of yours is most unsuitable for the journey ahead.” Rarity bristled, but Sandcastle held up a forehoof. “It’s a very fine dress, ma’am, but it’s unsuitable for hard travelling. It’s three days from here to the city. Once we’ve searched it, you can have it back, but it’ll have to go in your saddlebags. We’ll provide those, too,” he added with a slight air of weariness as Rarity opened her mouth. “And as for me?” asked Fancy. Sandcastle looked him up and down. “You’ll be all right as you are, I think, sir. Stallions’ suits are a little more practical than the ladies’ equivalent. We’ll still need to search your jacket, though.” There was nothing more to say, with Rarity’s protestations about the impropriety of it all eliciting only increasingly irritable glares from the guards. Fluttershy’s dress was quickly searched and returned, but it took considerably longer before Fancy’s jacket had been inspected to the guards’ satisfaction. They were respectful of a photo of Fleur once Fancy had explained, but a small silver case in an inside pocket drew more searching questions. “Ah yes, my travel backgammon set,” said Fancy Pants. “A gift from Silver Cloud. My butler,” he added to more raised eyebrows. “Do you play? It’s a rather jolly game.” They didn’t. At length, Fancy was allowed to dress while the mares were given their brown woollen cloaks. Fluttershy donned hers without complaint; Rarity grudgingly accepted that they were well made, “though dreadfully unflattering”. The three ponies were then issued with saddlebags, all of them plain grey with the letters “EF” in dark blue capitals; this apparently stood for nothing more exciting than “Equestrian Forces”. There was a knock at the door. Shining Mane went to answer and exchanged salutes with the pegasus junior officer standing outside. The newcomer was probably a mare, though Fancy could see only part of one foreleg behind the bulk of the guard’s body. In the thin early morning light, he couldn’t quite be certain of the pony’s colouring, but she seemed to have a coat of a plain light colour, perhaps green or grey. Shining Mane turned his head back to address Fancy and his companions. “This is Flight Sergeant Rainbow Dash. She will accompany you to Canterlot.”