Chapter 4: Lessons Learned
Duke Greengrass narrowed his eyes as he took in the view of the establishment. The street was nearly deserted, it being just a minor side street of the market district and it almost being midday didn't help matters. Given the circumstances, if the sender of the letter had planned anything untoward, this would be an ideal time. He cast his eyes towards his two guards, Ox and Bear. Of course, that was what they were there for.
Things had started out innocuously enough. Greengrass had returned on the first available train from his province upon hearing that his office in the palace had been broken into. He was quite gratified to find that the Royal Guard had already settled the matter before his arrival, although details were still scarce. While Greengrass had come quickly to show his diligence in attending to his affairs, he wasn't overly worried. After all, it wasn't as though he was stupid enough to keep anything actually incriminating in his office of all places. One didn't become a duke of the Night Court by being an idiot.
The letter had been dropped off in his mail slot last evening, the pony delivering it leaving before Greengrass or his guards could identify him or her. It had simply suggested that if he had difficulty coping with the stress caused by the recent break-in that he consider giving this small clinic a try. Greengrass had been more than a little dubious. In fact, he wouldn't have thought it unlikely for the proprietor of this establishment, or someone connected to him, to have arranged the break-in just to draw Greengrass back to Canterlot so that he could be invited here. Of course, since the story of the incident hadn't exactly been top-secret, it could simply be a local business owner trying to cash in on an available client.
In any case, since the Night Court was not yet resuming its sessions and Greengrass had time to kill before the next train back to his fief, he decided he could at least afford to look into the matter. Besides, there was every chance that he could get an advantage out of all of this. If he could bring this therapist or whoever under his influence and then arrange for him to be visited by other nobles, there would be a wealth of opportunities in the future.
Taking a moment to compose himself, Greengrass made sure that his first impression would be suitably imposing before firmly pushing the door open and striding confidently into the clinic's dimly-lit waiting room. Ox and Bear ruined the effect somewhat when the two of them both tried to push through the narrow opening at the same time. It took them an ungainly moment to get unstuck and step in single-file before forming up behind their employer, trying reestablish their intimidating demeanor as they fought off embarrassment.
As it turned out, the effort was unnecessary. The waiting room was empty, save for the single forest green earth pony sitting behind a desk at the far end. As the door swung shut behind the arriving trio, he finally lifted his head, sniffing the air tentatively.
"Ah, I seem to have visitors. Forgive more for asking, but am I in the presence of the esteemed Duke Greengrass?"
"You are," answered Greengrass as his eyes narrowed. Was this pony blind?
"We'll then, welcome to my humble clinic your grace. I am Shadowlight." He slowly got up and moved along the edge of the desk, using a careful hoof to feel his way around the corner before walking slowly through the open room, minding each step carefully.
Greengrass rolled his eyes, briefly glad that Shadowlight couldn't see that. Shadowlight was clearly a dim-witted buffoon; not because he was blind, but rather because he was making such a big show of it. He was desperately trying to get Greengrass to think that he was helpless and clumsy because he couldn't see. Greengrass however, knew better than that. At the very least, Shadowlight probably knew the layout of this room like the back of his hoof, having memorized the dimensions and placement of every piece of furniture. It was clear he was putting on an act to lull the duke into a false sense of security.
But he does put on the helpless act very well, Greengrass had to admit, A pony with that kind of skill might be quite useful.
"I'm honored that you would be willing to visit my clinic, your grace," said Shadowlight, stopping in the middle of the floor to bow, "I hope you find my services satisfactory."
"Indeed. And what will these services be costing?" Translation: What do you get out of this?
"For you, your grace, they are free of charge. I can only hope that if you are happy with my work you recommend my services to some of your colleagues." Shadowlight gave the duke a hopeful smile as he lifted himself out of the bow.
In other words, he was looking for an in-route to clients from the Night Court, like half of the other business owners in the city. He probably hoped that bringing in Nobles would increase his popularity and income as well as drawing more commoners into the clinic. Greengrass had to suppress a chuckle. That must have been what the helpless blind pony act was for. He wanted to obtain Greengrass's patronage without appearing to be a convenient political tool. It was too bad his deception had been so easy to see through.
But it wouldn't hurt to humor Shadowlight a little longer. After all, Greengrass would have a much better idea how to put him to use after he had seen what this blind stallion was capable of. "Then by all means, let us begin."
Shadowlight led the way into the back room, where he directed Greengrass to lie on the padded table. Ox and Bear watched silently, flanking either side of the doorway as Shadowlight prepared a dish of oils to be put on the diffuser, filling the room with a pleasant scent. Then the stallion walked up to the stand next to the table and pulled out a thin needle barely visible in the room's light with his teeth and moved to stand over Greengrass.
"Are you familiar with acupuncture?" Shadowlight asked as he stood over the duke.
"A little. You use the needles to stimulate pressure points, right?"
"That is correct," agreed Shadowlight, "But not a full explanation." leaning his head down, he slid the first needle into the skin of Greengrass's back.
"You see, the magical energy or mana that all ponies, regardless of the their tribe, possess flows through channels in the body. In our line of work, these channels are called meridians. This flow is meant to be balanced and even throughout our bodies. But, for a variety of reasons, it can be thrown into disorder." Shadowlight paused in his explanation as he gently inserted a second needle.
"Injuries, illness, even simple stress; these things all have the potential to cause disorder in the pathways of energy through our bodies. Simply put, acupuncture is a technique used to restore that order. With order restored to the body's meridians, you can recover from injuries and illnesses more quickly and can release built up stress. It's all quite helpful."
"I see," murmured Greengrass, who was beginning to feel some slightly euphoric effects from the needles.
"Of course," continued Shadowlight after inserting the third needle, "I need to be very careful about where I place my needles. After all, a tool restore order in the body can also be used to bring about disorder. If I place my needles in the wrong points or stimulate them incorrectly, I could do a great deal of harm to my patients. You could say that anypony who undergoes my treatments is quite literally placing their lives in my hooves. For example..."
Shadowlight took another needle and inserted it directly above Greengrass's liver. "If I insert one of my needles here and manipulate it like so..." There was a faint tugging sensation on the duke's back. "...then I can set into motion a process that will ultimately end with your messy and painful death via massive organ failure."
"That's not very funny," muttered Greengrass, trying to fight his way out of the incredibly relaxed state he was in as his sense of danger warned that he was in imminent peril. He was getting nervous. Where were Ox and Bear? They should have jumped Shadowlight the moment he had made that last remark.
"Perhaps not," agreed Shadowlight blithely, "But neither is having your life and future destroyed by a pony just so he can manipulate the situation for political gain."
"What?"
"I'm sure you're quite familiar with a certain Captain Lightning, who was stripped of his position as a direct result of your manipulations. He was the one responsible for the break-in in your office. None of this exempts him from responsibility for what he went on to do, but it seems troubling to me that your only fallout from this is a little minor vandalism."
"Ox! Bear!" Greengrass's voice was barely more than a whisper in spite of his efforts to yell. His gaze flicked over to the door where his two guards stood, only to find them remaining in place, unmoving. There was a certain rigidness to them that immediately set the duke's senses on edge.
"They can't help you right now," explained Shadowlight, "They have been restrained."
Greengrass's mind immediately settled upon the most viable explanation. "That scent!"
"Close," said Shadowlight with an amused smile, "But not quite. By itself the scent is nothing more than a pleasant odor. But with a dash of magic..."
"Impossible," whispered Greengrass, "Bear would have..."
Shadowlight chuckled slightly, reaching out with a hoof to nudge one of the needles imbedded in his victim's body slightly. "Detect Magic is useful for finding unicorn magic, but the innate magic of us earth ponies is not visible to that spell."
Greengrass was stupefied.
"I am a little disappointed in you, your grace. Somepony as well-informed as you should be more thoroughly aware of what your own kind is capable of." Shadowlight tilted his head to one side in thought. "Although this form of earth pony magic is one of our most well kept secrets. Technically, it would not be beyond your ability to learn. But since you do not seem to be a pony who likes to relinquish what belongs to you unless it is no longer of any use, I can't seeing you making the sacrifice necessary to truly master our magic." His eyelids opened ever so slightly, revealing the milky orbs behind them.
"You mean...?" Greengrass couldn't bring himself to finish. Shadowlight's slight nod confirmed his suspicions however.
"Indeed. But now, setting small matters aside, let us come back to the reason you are here."
"Who are you working for? Nobility? Fischer?"
"No one," answered Shadowlight, "In fact, you could say that this is my payment for a job already done. I was responsible for helping to clean up the mess you left behind when your self-serving ways cost another pony his livelihood. I helped on the condition that I be given this opportunity to express my displeasure.
"Because you, in your heedless ambition, ruined the life of a pony for the sake of political gain, several innocent ponies who simply had the bad luck of being strong-armed into working to further your aims, were very nearly killed. And now, you get to reap what you have sown."
"Listen, I don't know what you want, but surely we can come to some kind of agreement..." Greengrass was beginning to feel more than a little desperate.
"Unfortunately not," said Shadowlight, "You see, you misunderstand your position here. There is no negotiation, no appeals. This is not a ploy for leverage. This is your judgment. You lie here, completely at my mercy. You have no power, no authority, your influence and your wealth are worthless. There is nothing here for you but death."
"My secretary knows exactly where I am," hissed Greengrass, "She know's I went here. You'll have no way to avoid suspicion."
Shadowlight let out a small sigh, sounding a little miffed. "I may have skipped out on Equicide 101, but I will have you know that this is not my first time."
Shadowlight's voice sounded distant, as though he was speaking from across an empty room. Greengrass's vision was beginning to fade. I don't want to die.
Shadowlight's voice came, caressing his ears gently. "You feel it, don't you? That feeling of the bottom dropping out of your stomach, that tingle of terror that works its way across your spine, the realization that there is nothing you can do to affect your own fate. That is helplessness. That is what you have inspired in so many ponies until now, taking their futures, their hopes and dreams and holding them hostage lest they not do your bidding. It is time for you to experience what it is to be helpless, your grace. Savor it. Wallow in it. Drown in it."
The darkness seeped in and Greengrass's eyes drifted closed. He could barely hear Shadowlight's final words to him.
"Sleep well your grace. Perhaps you will find greener pastures on the other side."
The darkness became absolute.
Greengrass slowly felt sensation returning to his body. Feeling was flowing into his limbs. Surprisingly, he didn't feel heavy, considering that was what he expected being dead to feel like. Instead, he felt light, as though some weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Perhaps dying wasn't so bad.
Slowly, Greengrass's eyes creeped open to reveal...the back room of Shadowlight's clinic. Shadowlight was there, straight in his field of view, gently depositing needles into a small canister. Ox and Bear were still there as well, still held fast by the green stallion's mysterious power.
"Ah, you're awake," remarked Shadowlight idly, "You smell a little surprised. This probably isn't what you expected the netherworld to look like."
"You...could say that," Greengrass admitted, completely flummoxed, "What did you do to me?"
A slender, silvery needle dropped into the canister with the faintest ting. "I completed my treatment as I promised. Having the flow of energy through your meridians stabilized is actually quite a soothing feeling. You aren't the first patient I've had to fall asleep during my treatment. By the way, you need to avoid stressing yourself for the next six hours while my treatment sets in."
"But you said you would..." Greengrass wasn't sure he could finish that statement.
"I lied," admitted Shadowlight easily enough, "And in fact, if you remember, I told you that I had planned a particularly messy and painful death for you. Did you happen to feel any pain?"
Greengrass blinked. He was a little annoyed at himself that he hadn't realized if sooner. Shadowlight had skillfully distracted him with that conversation to keep the duke from realizing that something was off. "Then what was all of this?"
"This," said Shadowlight, placing a lid on the canister and setting it onto a desk on the other side of the room, "Was a warning your grace. Your carelessness and callousness in pursuit of influence and power created a substantial mess, a mess that I had to help clean up. You need to be more careful when considering the consequences of your actions in the future."
"Do you really think this changes anything?" said Greengrass, anger humming through his veins, "I can make it so that you never practice medicine, or anything else, in Caterlot ever again. I will ruin you."
"By all means, do go ahead." Duke Greengrass blinked. There was no tone of challenge in that answer. There was no fear or intimidation either. Shadowlight's voice was as cool and politely pleasant as always, as though he was doing nothing more than reading out a prescription or reciting a line he had given over a thousand times.
"This clinic is more of a hobby to me than anything else," admitted Shadowlight, sounding slightly sheepish, as though he were letting the duke in on a mildly embarrassing secret.
"Anyway," Shadowlight went on, cutting Greengrass off before he could protest, "You disappoint me a little, your grace. You jump straight to threats when you should be contemplating the point of today's lesson."
"That is none of my business," replied Greengrass brusquely, "If anything, this was probably a scheme by Nobility to get back at me for making her look foolish in front of the rest of the Night Court."
"Do you truly believe that?" wondered Shadowlight, "Or is that simply an expedient way of explaining the situation; a way that would allow you to ready your next move in the Court?"
"What does it matter?" asked Greengrass, growing more irritable.
"It matters because of what you are claiming." Shadowlight's hoof lashed out in a green blur that terminated scant inches away from Greengrass's face. To his credit, the duke didn't flinch, but his eyes did focus quite intensely on that hoof. "Ponies were hurt because of this incident. Ponies could have died because of this incident. Manipulation, scheming and deceiving are all well and good I'm sure. But once blood is shed, it becomes a very different matter.
"Escalation is a very dangerous card to play. And once it is played, it is nearly impossible to take back. Once violence becomes perceived as a potential tool for politics, you and your colleagues will descend into a mire of bloodletting as you seek to outdo one another and will eventually bring about the destruction of the Night Court itself. And it will be a miracle if the rest of Equestria does not follow you into the abyss.
"It also means that your affairs will be spilling over into my area of influence again and leave me with more of your messes to clean up, which, if you will recall, is the very reason we are having this conversation in the first place." Shadowlight lowered his hoof slowly.
"This was a warning your grace. It was painless and nothing has been damaged, aside from your pride, which will remain between you and me. If I have to clean up another of your messes, I will be forced to be more stern the next time around and I will ensure that there are lasting consequences."
"All I did was take a few actions to manipulate a vote," protested Greengrass, "Meanwhile, you abducted me and threatened my life while you paralyzed my guards. Do you really think you can justify your behavior here."
"You can protest your innocence if you like," replied Shadowlightt coolly, "But the whole point of this discussion was to show that you are not exempt from the Law of Unintended consequences. Part of the problem was that your little scheme showed all the grace and subtlety of a manticore in a gala dress. If you had been more practiced in discretion, you might have actually gotten away with it.
"As for my abducting you, I would like to point out that I merely carried out the promised treatment. After all, it's not as though we earth ponies have something like magic. How on earth could I have paralyzed your guards as you claimed? It certainly couldn't have been any airborne chemical. The two of us would have been affected as well."
Greengrass frowned. "I know the Royal Guards were a part of this investigation. Now I know you are the reason that it was wrapped up so quickly. You clearly have contacts, maybe even friends on the Guard. I can simply look into who was involved with you and have them punished in your stead."
"You could certainly look into it," admitted Shadowlight, "You might also try sticking your snout into a hornet's nest and see what that does for you. You of all ponies should be aware of what can happen if you start meddling in things that you weren't meant to know. Despair awaits those who reached beyond their station."
For a moment, Greengrass said nothing. There was something about Shadowlight's statement that struck him as off. As he considered it, The pieces found into place. Just as his talent usually did, Greengrass zeroed in directly on Shadowlight's weakness. "So that's why you didn't kill me," he said, "Not because you didn't want to. You can't kill me, because I am...how did you say it...beyond your station. You aren't allowed to interfere in the affairs of the Night Court, are you? Otherwise you could have used threats like this one to affect the vote at any time. But you haven't, have you? You can't actually do me any harm."
Shadowlight grinned slightly. "Very clever your grace. You are correct. I am not permitted to play any role in affecting the Night Court. You are out of my purview. It was only because of certain special circumstances that I got the opportunity to have this session with you now. But, your grace, bear in mind that if you continue as you have done, you could very well be bringing up the very same set of special circumstances that led to your lesson this time. And do keep in mind that, while I may not be permitted to do you any lasting harm, I am very capable of making your next lesson sting. Students who do not learn their lesson the first time are generally in need of stronger reinforcement."
Ox and Bear slumped suddenly as they were released from Shadowlight's intangible hold. Before they could react, the blind stallion had already swept past them through the door and back out into his waiting room. Greengrass got to his own hooves and followed trailed by the two bodyguards. As the three of them stepped into the waiting room, Ox's lips pulled back and he began to move forward past Greengrass, but the duke stopped him with a raised hoof.
"Mister Shadowlight," said Greengrass, working very hard to keep his voice under control, "I don't think that I can recommend you to my colleagues on the Night Court."
Shadowlight shrugged indifferently. "Oh well. I was actually planning on relocating anyway. Of course, if things continue as they have been, I have no doubt that you will be a repeat customer, your grace."
Greengrass gulped. The faintest twitch of Shadowlight's polite smile indicated that the blind pony had heard the sound all too clearly. Without another word, Greengrass walked past Shadowlight, heading for the door, having to stop himself from increasing his pace with each passing step. Ox and Bear naturally followed suit.
Just as Greengrass reached out to push the door open, Shadowlight's voice stopped him. "Your grace..." Greengrass paused and looked back to see that Shadowlight was still wearing the same disarming smile as always. "...Please keep in mind that even if you never stop by my clinic again, I am perfectly happy to make house calls."
Greengrass didn't need to translate that one. He opened the door and was gone, leaving Shadowlight alone in his dimly lit clinic, that same smile still fixed on his face.
Greengrass stifled his frustration as he walked away from the clinic, trying his very hardest to maintain his composure. He had to walk. Even breaking out into a light canter at this point would eventually progress into a full run as his mind screamed at him to get away from that terrifying stallion as quickly as possible.
There was one particular thing that Greengrass took away from Shadowlight's little "lesson." He now knew what it was to be helpless. And he did not like it at all. If it took every resource at his disposal, Duke Greengrass swore that he would never experience such a sensation again. The first thing he needed to do was ensure that he could trust the ponies who worked for him.
When I get back to my fief, I'll have to make sure Notary is ready, he thought, It's time I cleaned house. I cannot afford to leave any more loose ends lying around. I need to make sure that there is no chance for betrayal from my people. Now that ai think about it, Trixie has been a little too wise to my plans lately. There's no way she could accomplish that on her own. One of my agents must be feeding her information. I'll find out how she's getting her information and then I'll get rid of the problem's source. And then, I won't have to worry about experiencing that feeling ever again.
His mind set, Greengrass continued along his way.
"So, you're leaving?" Shining Armor was very uncertain what to make of this. "After what you did to Duke Greengrass, you turn around and head out of Canterlot. And you don't expect Greengrass to think you're afraid of him?"
"Not really," answered Shadowlight nonchalantly as he packed the few belongings he cared to bring with him into a single set of saddlebags. He had never been one to put much stock in material possessions, which made it very easy to relocate when the mood struck him. Of course, even when it did, there were extenuating circumstances that prevented him from doing so. But recent developments had finally afforded him that opportunity.
"And now this Scorpan thing is out there somewhere," muttered Shining darkly, "He could pop up anywhere and you're just leaving."
"That is the primary reason for my departure," replied Shadowlight, "Princess Luna and the Elements of Harmony are currently focused on Celestia and her return. While Princess Luna has been apprised of the situation, you and I both know that she is currently more concerned with her sister at the moment.
"Power's weakness is that it moves in but a single direction at a time and is vulnerable to attack from the flanks. That is why, while the Princess and the Elements focus their 'power' on Celestia, it is up to us to guard them from this and other threats."
"So you're going to Ponyville?" asked Shining, "To guard the Elements?"
"Eventually." Shadowlight draped his saddlebags across his back and trotted out the door, walking right past the "For Sale" sign by the entrance. "I want to follow up some leads and do some research first. I strongly suspect that this little incident in Canterlot is not the first time that this Scorpan fellow has manipulated other ponies to his own ends."
"What makes you say that?" Shining was taken aback by the very serious expression that Shadowlight gave in response to his question.
"Scorpan mentioned that this was an experiment. Furthermore, he also showed dissatisfaction with the results. When you experiment and don't get the results you want, you run another and simply adjust the variables in play. Not only has Scorpan done this before, but he intends to continue until he gets the results that he wants, or at least results that he can live with."
"He'll try again," muttered Shining Armor, shivering at the thought, "Not only that, but he could be anywhere. We know that he preys on the anger ponies feel at their situation and turns them on a scapegoat to get them to fight..." Shining Armor paused, a horrible thought rushing into his mind. "Twiley! What if he goes after my sister?"
Shadowlight thought for a moment. "Your sister would certainly be in an excellent position to be open for such manipulation. Her current circumstances must seem quite bleak to her imagination and since it largely started with that altercation she had with Trixie Lulamoon, she also has an easy scapegoat that Scorpan can use."
Shining Armor trembled at the thought of his sister in the clutches of that thing. He had seen the examination of Spark Lightning's body and the damage that Scorpan's presence had caused. The thought that something like that could happen to his sister chilled him to the bone.
"But I wouldn't worry." Shining turned up at Shadowlight's words and blinked. Shadowlight was smiling, as usual, but there was something Shining couldn't describe about it. His smile seemed more...sincere than usual. "You love your sister dearly. As do your parents. Call it a hunch, but I suspect that Scorpan may have a harder time than you think sinking his hooks into Twilight Sparkle. Just continue to look for her and wish earnestly for her safe return."
Shining Armor blinked. Shadowlight's intuition could be terrifyingly accurate at times. There was something strangely reassuring about his words of comfort. Even so, Shining had to stop himself from flinching as Shadowlight rested a gentle hoof on his shoulder.
"You've been a good friend to me, Shining Armor. I hope to see you again soon." Turning around, Shadowlight trotted off down the street, heading Luna knew where. Shining watched him go until the dark green earth pony turned a corner and was gone from sight. Shining stood there for a moment, before turning his head to look at where Shadowlight's clinic used to be. The sign had already been removed. It was as though he had vanished from the face of the earth. Shining had been here many times before, but he could feel no trace of Shadowlight's presence in the building. It was as though he had packed up the very suggestion of his existence and taken it on the road with him.
Shining Armor shivered and moved on with his day.