//------------------------------// // Interlude: Peer Review, Phase One // Story: A Study on Chaos Theory // by Amber Spark //------------------------------// “Uh… sure, Princess.” The magical speaker said in Sunset’s voice. “Let me—gah! Let me try that again. Twilight could you…? Uh, nevermind, actually. I’ll get it.” Raven was worried. “Ouch! Sorry. Uh… one more time?” She tried not to show that worry. After all, one did not become the aide to the most powerful pony in creation without developing a healthy sense of decorum. In fact, she had trained herself so well, she kept her poise even when nopony was watching. Such as now. “Gah! This worked earlier! We had the runic symbols in perfect alignment with—ow!” Beyond the observation window, Sunset and Twilight scrambled around the Spire. Princess Celestia stood to the side, looking on. She winced at Sunset’s every yelp, but made no move to assist the two. There were already at least a dozen scorch marks on the white walls of the the arcane laboratory. After the incident yesterday involving Moon Dancer, Princess Celestia had moved the Spire Project to an advanced spell research facility located beneath the western turret of the castle proper. Raven had wholeheartedly agreed with the decision, as the new laboratory had substantially stronger wards than the previous home of the Spire. After all, it had taken almost three hours to recover all the teacups from the dish storage facilities located two floors above the laboratory in the south tower. “M-maybe try… a Haycartes Triangle?” “I don’t think that will work, Twilight. Maybe… Clover’s Second Perpendicular Rune?” A sharp snap of magic echoed through the speaker. “Or not.” Despite the latest mark on the wall, the experiment didn’t worry Raven. Sunset and Twilight did. Namely, how they were acting around one another. Something had changed. Something drastic. Even worse, Raven could see the impact of their new behavior on Princess Celestia. Raven doubted the two young mares could discern the Princess’s reaction. Sunset might have, if she had been able to focus on anything other than her work—and apparently avoiding looking directly at Twilight. Twilight, for her part, seemed inordinately interested in her hooves when she wasn’t tasked with something. Sunset had a nearly manic level of energy and gave far more commands than usual. Twilight was far more passive, as if she were nothing more than a junior lab assistant. All the while, the Princess’s eyes had darted between the two. Celestia hadn’t inquired as to what troubled them. Raven understood why. She didn’t necessarily agree with it, but she at least understood it. Nevertheless, the simple fact that Celestia’s mane had about a third of its usual luster worried Raven more than anything else. “This is getting too complicated,” Raven murmured to herself as she adjusted her red cravat. “Wait, this should do the trick! Let me just connect this to the second circle amethyst… then—Princess, stand back a little—Twilight, watch the feedback on the outer shield and…” Raven took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead. Yes, this would complicate matters. That’s when the lab exploded with brilliant green light. “Miss Coloratura! Miss Pommel!” Raven shouted through the bustle of the Midtown Canterlot Train Station. Even at night, this place tended to be rather frantic. Thankfully, Raven had long ago become used to ‘frantic.’ After all, it was in her job description. The last time her title had been under review by the Palace Managerial Committee, she’d insisted on the addition. Princess Celestia had wholeheartedly approved. Raven waved the clipboard in her magic at the pair of earth pony mares. Again, they didn’t notice. Another shout was lost in the crowd. It took a few more emphatic waves—and a minor light spell—before they finally saw her. Both wore rather blatant looks of surprise when they trotted over. “Miss Raven…?” Coloratura stared at her. The light green-gray earth pony looked like she had a few questions. “Uh…” Coco hesitated, her eyes darting between Raven’s hair and her eyes. “Hello?” “What are you doing here?” Coloratura asked, peering at Raven while running a hoof absently through her teal-streaked indigo blue mane. “Where’s Sunny? And what happened to—” “Sunset and Twilight are currently undergoing a procedure to restore their coats—and manes—to their normal colors,” Raven said with a suffering sigh. “They asked me if I wouldn’t mind meeting you when you arrived. It would give us a chance to review the progress on the new stage with you.” Coloratura leaned back, her eyes never leaving Raven’s mane. Coco had also given up on not staring. “Would this have anything to do with why your mane is currently red with pink polka-dots?” “Yes,” Raven said flatly. “I’ll spare you the details, if it’s all the same to you.” “Actually, it gives me a few ideas…” Coco murmured. She pulled out a notebook from her saddlebag. Before Raven could stop her, she started sketching something. Raven cocked her head. She had to fight back something between a laugh and a sigh. In less than twenty seconds, the small mare finished and showed it to Coloratura. Coloratura smiled warmly at the cream-colored earth pony. Coco ran a hoof over the bands of her short two-toned blue mane and blushed a little. Then Coloratura glanced at her sketchpad and her smile grew to a grin. “That’s a great idea, Coco!” “You’re sure?” Coco asked, studying her sketchpad critically. “I’m not sure about the shape. What do you think, Miss—” Raven lifted a hoof as Coco tried to turn the sketchpad over. She didn’t even want to speculate what sort of idea might come from her atrocity of a mane right now. “We can work out details later, Coco,” Coloratura assured her and then grinned awkwardly at Raven. “I think Miss Raven might not want to be in public right now.” Raven chuckled, though there wasn’t a lot of humor in it. “Yes, that would be appreciated.” After making arrangements to have Coco’s and Coloratura’s luggage delivered to their inn, the three mares set out into the night-shrouded city. The moon rose over the spires of Canterlot as they made their way toward the Castle. Twenty minutes later, they were walking through the west castle courtyard. Though it was nighttime, the stars were almost invisible due to the brilliant spotlights shining over the framework of the stage. The racket the construction team made would have incurred numerous noise fines if they hadn’t been on the Castle grounds. Then again, if they hadn’t fallen behind yet again, Raven wouldn’t have demanded they work nights. Raven shot a look at the foremare, a lumbering hulk of a mare named Trig. Trig took one look at Raven and suddenly found she was needed on the far side of the platform. With a sigh, Raven stopped and gestured at the stage. “What do you think?” Raven asked the musician, her clipboard and quill hovering beside her as they surveyed the site of Coloratura’s next concert. “Coco?” Coloratura deferred to her design manager. “Thoughts?” Raven had learned several things about Coco Pommel in the last few years. One was that the small mare tended to avoid the spotlight when possible. Another was she was a consummate professional. Raven liked her. Though their occupations were radically different, their purposes were much the same: to make sure their charges could do what they do as easily as possible. “The risers on the north side are a little uneven,” Coco murmured, almost to herself. Still, she rubbed her chin and nodded approvingly. “But the fabric choices for curtains, drapes and trim are perfect. They’re not the original design, though. Who picked them?” “Miss Cheerilee recommended two mares she knows from Ponyville. She wanted to make sure the consultant wasn’t somepony trying to curry favor with Sunset… again.” “She still hasn’t forgotten the incident with Dandy Grandeur, has she?” Coco said with a wince as she ran a hoof along the trim of the stage. “No,” Raven replied. “No, she has not. Since then, she doesn’t trust anypony in Canterlot.” “Grandeur was always a bit of a peacock,” Coloratura said. “He tried to bump Coco out of a job two years ago.” Raven coughed to hide her snort. Calling Dandy Grandeur “a bit” of a peacock was like calling Blueblood “a little” full of himself. Coco burst into giggles. “What did you say to him, Rara?” The singer laughed. “I told him I didn’t care if he came with Princess Celestia’s personal guarantee. Nopony takes my Coco away from me.” Coco blushed a little and took some time to adjust the large red and purple flower in her mane. Coloratura didn’t seem to notice as she wrapped a foreleg around Coco and gave her a tight squeeze. Then they both turned to face Raven… and their expressions of joy froze. “What’s wrong, Raven?” Coloratura asked. She let Coco out of her hug and stepped toward the older mare. “You look like…” On the outside, Raven closed her eyes and sighed, but on the inside, she let out a long, frustrated groan. Just a few hours ago, she had been patting herself on the back for her sense of decorum. Now, a single act of friendly banter and affirmation had cracked it to the point where her inner thoughts were visible to the world? Even she was caught in the wake of the complications caused by today’s events. She glanced up at the construction workers and then waved the two mares over to a more secluded section of the courtyard. The grass was still wet here from this morning’s storm. The lights from the construction site glittered off a few small puddles to their right as Raven guided them to a small copse of beech trees. Raven dismissed the clipboard and plopped to the ground, ignoring the wet grass. Without saying a word, she undid her cravat with her magic and pulled it off. Then, she stared at it, studying the fabric from various angles. “Raven?” Coco asked quietly. “What happened? I’ve… I’ve never seen you like this.” Coloratura nodded. She took a seat on the grass, though Coco had to get a look from Coloratura before she gingerly sat down. “If I may ask…” Raven hesitated. This wasn’t her place, yet they deserved to know. There was the distinct possibility the two of them could help Sunset and maybe prevent this whole thing from flying apart at the seams. After all, Raven had already tried to intervene once. There was no harm in trying again. Right? Raven steeled herself and asked the question she didn’t want to ask. “Are you aware of anything going on between Sunset, Twilight and Moon Dancer?” Coloratura and Coco gave each other a look, instantly confirming Raven’s hypothesis. “I see,” Raven whispered. She turned her cravat over in her hooves a few times. “Something happened, didn’t it?” Coco whispered. Raven nodded. Coloratura groaned and put a hoof to her forehead. “I was afraid of this. Once Twilight and Sunny finally got their act together and—” “It’s not Twilight and Sunset,” Raven said quietly, not meeting their eyes. She felt her ears go flat of their own accord. She decided right then she didn’t care. Some things were more important than image. “Wait, what?” Coco sounded lost. “How could it not be them? We’ve seen how they look at one another for months! They’re crazy about each other!” “One of the side effects of the magic they encountered on the day they met is an enhanced emotional connection to one another,” Raven said in a dull tone. It’s not technically a lie, Raven assured herself. It didn’t help much. The words sounded so hollow, as if she were talking about some lab experiment instead of a filly she’d seen Celestia raise and mold into one of the best ponies Raven knew. “That’s… harmonic bonds, right?” Coloratura said, eyeing Raven. “Yes.” Raven nodded. “And they can be… intense.” “You mean they were under some sort of love potion or something?” Coco asked. For some reason, the tone of her voice indicated Coco found that cute. Raven wished she did as well. “No,” Raven replied. “Harmony magic—at least in this context—can only enhance what’s already there.” “So… if they’re already attracted to one another… why didn’t—” “That’s not my place to say.” Raven waved away the question. She didn’t want to deal with that. She couldn’t deal with that. “However, you are their friends and you should know. There’s been… a development. Princess and I found out about it this evening after Sunset and Twilight’s lesson.” “But…” Coco brought out her sketchpad and started flipping through pages, a little nervous tick of the young mare, akin to Twilight nibbling on her bangs. “You’re saying that Twilight and Sunset aren’t together, that must mean…” Coloratura groaned again and rubbed her face with her hooves. “That… that idiot mare…” “Please don’t.” Raven looked up sharply and met the singer’s eyes. “I won’t presume to tell you how to be a friend, but do not go in there with preconceptions. Neither of them are handling this all that well.” “Why are you telling us this?” Coco asked, her eyes narrowing. “It seems a little strange for Princess Celestia’s personal aide to be so worried about one of our best friends.” Raven almost smiled at the faint hint of reproach in Coco’s voice. “Because you deserve to know. I suspect all three of them will need your help come morning,” Raven replied. “And I’m asking that you do your best to help them. I’ve already said something similar to Minuette and Cheerilee. Though, I will admit, they appeared to already know.” “Is this just you asking?” Coloratura asked with a raised eyebrow. “Or is this… coming from a higher authority?” “Let’s skip the pretenses.” Raven sighed with a shake of her head. “If you’re under the impression that I’m acting on behalf of the Princess, I am… after a fashion. Princess Celestia is very close to Sunset and considers all of you to be friends. Sunset’s actions… I’m just... “ She took another breath and steadied herself. “Let’s just say she—and I—have a vested interest in all of you.” “That doesn’t answer my question,” Coloratura said, her eyes hardening. “No, I suppose it doesn’t.” Raven closed her eyes, fighting the desire to twitch her ears in annoyance. “And the answer to your question is no. This isn’t coming from the Princess. This is me and me alone.” “What, did you think we wouldn’t help our friends?” Coco demanded. She sounded a little hurt. “You should know us better than that.” “I do,” Raven replied as she affixed her cravat back around her neck. She always felt… wrong without it, but it had felt so tight a few minutes ago. “But, Sunset also asked me to pass along a message to the two of you, requesting you to meet her at her house at nine in the morning. She needs your help with… something. She wouldn’t say what.” Coloratura’s tail lashed back and forth against the wet grass, almost as if she were an annoyed cat. “Knowing Sunset… I might have a few ideas. If this is really what I think it is.” “Please,” Raven asked. Despite her best efforts, desperation slipped into her voice. “Help them. All three of them. But… make sure Sunset is okay. At the very least, be there for her.” “Of course we will,” Coco said. She flipped through a few more pages in her sketchbook and glanced between it and Raven. “She’s our friend.” Coloratura nodded. “So… are Moon Dancer and Twilight—” Raven lifted a hoof to stop her. “I don’t know the details. All I do know is when one has worked for Princess Celestia as long as I have, you learn to read ponies. And what I’m reading from both of them is they need their friends. Now, more than ever. What you do with that information is up to you. I likely shouldn’t even be saying this but…” Comprehension dawned in Coloratura’s eyes and she smiled gently. “You care about her, don’t you? Almost as much as the Princess does.” Raven hesitated and stared at a few water droplets caught on a fallen leaf. “She… I’ve watched her grow up. And I’ve seen what sort of effect she has on Princess Celestia. She’s… she’s a good pony.” And she deserves to be free of her demons, no matter how tightly she clings to them. Raven shivered with the effort it took to pull herself back together. “I don’t think you’re telling us the whole truth with that,” Coloratura said quietly. “Your feelings—” “My feelings aren’t important here,” Raven said and pushed herself to her hooves. It was time to be the Aide again. “Sunset’s feelings are. So are Moon Dancer’s and Twilight’s. I’m asking that you try and be there to help. That’s all I really want from you.” Coco and Coloratura both stood as well. Coco’s sketchpad vanished in a saddlebag. “Thank you for telling us this, Raven,” Coloratura said, her voice filled with more warmth than Raven expected. Then, to her shock, the singer stepped forward and hugged her tight. Raven stiffened for an instant. She didn’t know what to do, so she just did what felt natural. She had thought that would be to push Coloratura away. After all, being familiar with the Princess was one thing, but she had spent so long hiding behind the persona of the Aide that sometimes she was worried there wasn’t much else there. So, Raven was rather surprised when she found herself collapsing into the hug. It had been a very long time since she had slowed down long enough to let a pony hug her in anything resembling a friendly manner. All too briefly, the moment passed. Then it repeated itself again when Coco followed Coloratura’s example, though Coco was a bit smaller than Raven herself. It made it a little awkward, but no less heartfelt. The ghost of the hug stayed with her even as a cold winter wind began to blow through the courtyard. “We’ll do our best,” Coloratura said with a smile, though Raven couldn’t help but notice it didn’t meet the singer’s eyes. “Though… with Sunset…” “I know.” Raven nodded and blinked, surprised to find a bit of wetness on her cheeks. Probably water from the trees above. “Believe me… I know.” Coloratura and Coco nodded. Coco reached a hoof and gently touched Raven on the shoulder. “You’re a good friend, Raven. Not just to Sunset. To all of us.” “With respect, Miss Pommel,” Raven said, trying to recapture some semblance of her composure. “I don’t know you all that well.” “You know Sunset,” Coloratura said with a glance at Coco. “And you’re her friend. Aren’t you?” Raven was quiet for a moment. “I like to think so.” “Then I think we can count you among our friends, too,” Coco replied. Coloratura nodded emphatically. Raven smiled and they headed back toward the city proper so the two mares could get some sleep. “Sunset is a very lucky pony,” Raven whispered as they stepped onto the cobblestones of Canterlot itself. “I hope she remembers that.” As they turned a corner and left the castle behind, neither Coloratura nor Coco seemed to have a response. Raven didn’t blame them.