//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Volans // Story: Hour of Twilight // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Star Orchid had never flown before. It wasn’t just that she was a bit of a homebody, never venturing too far from the capital district and all the ponies who lived there—though that was certainly the case. It was, rather, that almost no one flew unless they’d done something wrong. Flying meant you had somewhere to go, and there was nowhere to go from Concord that wasn’t worse. Now she perched near the bow of the little transport cruiser, feeling the deck rumble and shake as they moved. A thick cloud of chemical smoke followed them—air quality didn’t matter when you weren’t operating inside city limits. But so long as they kept moving, the black smoke would be behind them, slowly dispersing into a faint orange haze. There were other reasons not to fly: get anywhere near the edges of Concord, and you would see what the city left behind. Even from altitude Star could see the wilderness that the princess called “processed.” It was a little like a father turning over the soil on their field, except Concord was the plow and it didn’t care about the health of the field. From the look of it, a healthy forest had been down there once. Now it was turned up, chunks of rock bigger than a house scattered and tossed roughly back into place. She could spy thick sections of roots emerging from within, and whole copses of dead trees. Over many years, perhaps new soil would develop here, and eventually new plants.  Just in time for Concord to come back and kill it all again. “I see you’re appreciating the scale of what we have accomplished,” Geist said from behind her. He spoke casually, almost friendly now that they were out of the city. Maybe it was just the contrast of the Unification sailors manning the ship. “To think our ancestors once lived without the magic of Concord to sustain us… and some of the unfortunates still do.” “Do you know what all this… does?” she asked. “Even in the court, I never heard anypony say anything we didn’t already know. Gathers resources, destroys the enemies of Harmony.” “Precisely true,” Geist said. “Both of those things. More killing than resources, these days. The city doesn’t take much, except when we’re expanding. Only a certain gemstone, one among hundreds of worthless rocks.” He spread one bat wing, tensing a little. “Don’t ask me which it is. I would have to lie even if I knew. Those details of how Concord flies are entirely secret. The royal technicians know, and they aren’t telling.” She tensed reflexively, shivering all over. She’d seen plenty of royal technicians while living in the castle, all with nearly the same scars. “They can still write without tongues though, can’t they?” Geist actually smiled. “Grim humor for a unicorn who spends all her life in a gilded cage. They’re from the Magic district too, aren’t they? You’ve probably known ponies destined for royal service.” “A few,” she admitted. “There was this little stallion, when I was younger. He thought it would be the most amazing thing in the world—nothing but learning from the princess herself for the rest of his life. Guess he got what he wanted.” Far below, a lone rabbit hopped precariously over chunks of rubble, fighting its way towards their destination. Not much further now, the ground went from torn in irregular chunks to suddenly flat again, and pristine. Green grass, perfectly regular flowers in the most harmonious colors. The landing platform for the Immortal City.  As they neared the landing field, a crewman on her left tossed a heavy rope over the edge, where royal guardsponies waited to catch it. None of the precision of the Unification Army, but Concord wasn’t usually this close. This post would be stationed long after the city flew on, just as it had been stationed long before. Star turned back towards the ship, watching the crew at their mechanical work. Every single one of them had that same flat expression, eyes barely seeming to see anything around them. She shivered, wondering if even their breathing was synchronized.  Every family gave ponies to the Unification Army eventually. The question wasn’t if they would serve, but when. A second later, and they came to a bumpy stop. She waited patiently near the railing as crew shoved a ramp down, and the ship’s captain approached. Like many older-looking Unification soldiers, he had a slightly shriveled look to him, a faint suggestion of his age. But he didn’t move clumsily the way elderly ponies often did, he didn’t seem slower or weaker. And there were those ubiquitous saddlebags… “Your travel is concluded,” the captain said. “If there’s anything additionally you require before we return to our patrol, you may say so now.” Geist shook his head. “Thank you for a pleasant journey, Captain. Your loyalty to Concord is all we require.” “It is given,” the captain intoned.  “It is given,” said every other pony on the deck, in perfect unison. Star only nodded to the captain, making her way down the ramp as quickly as she could. She slowed as she neared the bottom of the ramp, body beginning to shake. This was the ground—a place of disharmony and evil. A place of disease and want. Everything that Concord wasn’t. “It won’t bite you,” Geist said, almost mocking. “It’s not that different from the gardens on Concord. Especially here. These are tended just the same. The Immortal City has to be perfect.” She glanced behind her, and saw a dozen eyes on her. They’re all gray, she realized, horrified. All except for Geist, whose eyes sparkled green in the morning sun. But every soldier of Unification. Why does nopony talk about that? Star hurried onto the grass, before the soldiers of Unification could decide she wasn’t allowed to leave after all. It didn’t burn her hooves on contact, or feel any different than other grass she’d felt before. Maybe if she was an earth pony this would be different? Just before her was a squat barracks of sturdy concrete, with a training ground to one side and several large storage buildings on the other. And beyond it all, a glowing purple barrier, rising up into the sky. A perfect sphere, that included the Immortal City and the landmarks around it. Held in perfection forever. “Making your pilgrimage to the Immortal City?” asked one of the guards. “We’ll need to see your permit if you want to step inside.” “Sadly no pilgrimages for us today,” Geist said, not even trying to be sincere. “We’re headed to the train station, and destinations further afield.” Every one of them seemed to relax at that. Why would you be afraid of pilgrims? “I know that face,” said another guard, emerging from inside the building. His armor was half off, and the pieces he was wearing weren’t polished and perfect like the others. Their officer, then. “Geist, you old raccoon. You’re still spry enough to hunt traitors?”   Geist smiled slightly, extending a hoof to bump. “You’re young enough to keep guarding, Buckler. Why would my duty rest?” Buckler laughed. “True enough. Service ends when we’re one with Harmony, I suppose.” He glanced between them, eyes narrowing. “Don’t you think of taking advantage of your little sapling here.” “Sapling?” she repeated, puffing out her chest. “I’ll have you know, I’m—” “Nopony,” Geist said, glaring back at her. “She’s nopony.” She grumbled loudly, then fell silent. Twilight hadn’t ever said, but she could understand even without that. She would’ve put him in charge. She probably shouldn’t start out their trip by challenging his authority. “Right.” She looked away. “Nopony.” “That’s what you’ll be if you don’t learn to listen to Geist here, right quick,” Buckler said, walking past him and offering a much friendlier hoof. “He’s as shriveled and heartless as a griffon with a wet nest. But that makes him just the set of eyes you want watching your back. Trust me on it, miss.” “I will,” she said, accepting the hoof with a little more grace. “Supplies for the road, Geist?” he went on. “For her,” Geist said, flicking his tail and turning towards the trail. “I can see her saddlebags are too light, she doesn’t have food. Make it something a city pony can eat.” She waited impatiently for a messenger-colt to run it out to her, then had to trot herself to catch up with Geist’s retreating back. The weight of her saddlebags ground just a little against her back, but she wasn’t going to argue. He was right, after all. She’d packed lunch for the trip, thanks to her parents, but that was all. “You knew him?” she asked, only slightly winded. “I guess a pony as important as you must get to make a pilgrimage… every year.” Geist laughed loudly, clasping her on the shoulder with an energetic hoof. “You really are a court pony, Star. Pilgrimage, Spymaster of the court…” He wiped the tears from his eyes. “What?” She raised an indignant eyebrow. “You aren’t allowed?” He took another few seconds laughing before he finally recovered enough to speak. “I’m the Spymaster,” he said again, sounding out each syllable like a foal’s teacher. “You know how much blood is on these hooves?” He held one out to his right, where ten paces or so the barrier touched down. “If I touched this shield, I’d be ashes. Maybe a courtly snowflake like you could make a trip like that—but what does that prove? Your morality means nothing when it’s unchallenged. See if you still feel like visiting after we finish our work.” “I will,” she argued, puffing out her chest again. “Just you wait, Geist. Once I’m returned to my position, I’ll ask a boon for the trip, and take a sacred pilgrimage back here. I’ll say hi to your old friend for you.” He laughed again, though he didn’t seem particularly upset. He touched her on the shoulder again. “I think I’m going to enjoy this trip, Star. Putting an end to the treacherous forces of disharmony infecting the kingdom, seeing you get your first taste of real opposition… I don’t know which will be more fun.” Just ahead she could see their destination, the train station. It looked nothing at all like Grand Central, this was just a rickety wooden building with tracks running up to it and openings that ended in a series of loops. A few trains were parked here, with military markings. Of course, the Pilgrim’s Path. Ponies from all over the kingdom can come here, even if they’re from the ground. It was their sacred right to go at least once, no matter how poor they were. That was probably why the princess even bothered to maintain the tracks. As they approached, another train pulled into the station, hissing and belching white smoke. A thick crowd of ponies flooded out, pushing towards the buildings around the Immortal City. There was another guard post beyond, much better staffed than the other. But as they climbed up onto the platform, Star couldn’t see a crowd of ponies waiting to go home with their new harmonious wisdom. There were less than a dozen left behind once the crowd finally made their way out. Geist made his way over from the ticket booth a moment later, holding a dense roll under one wing. “Hopefully Concord sends the army to deal with whatever we find,” he said casually. “Because otherwise we’re going to have quite the adventure getting back.” She glanced nervously around the train station. There might not be very many ponies waiting for the return trip, but there were a few. A few that might be listening in. “Remind me what you said before about keeping quiet?” He shrugged his wings, or at least it looked like he did from under his cloak. “I got us a private compartment. Not so hard to get, on the outbound. Probably won’t be any as far as we’re going, but it will make most of the trip easier. Unicorn like you ought to know some spells for privacy.” She did, in fact. Soon enough they were climbing onto the train, following the conductor’s gestures to a luxury car near the front. Luxury down here meant that half the lights still worked, and there was food waiting in a little lobby. A thin layer of dust on some of the plates suggested it wasn’t eaten often, though. Their private compartment was smaller than she might’ve expected, smaller than some closets back home. But there were four cots overhead, suggesting just how many could use it on a standard trip.  “Go on and cast your spells,” Geist said. “I know you’ll have questions. And now that you’re past the point of no return, I might answer some of them.” He climbed up into the lowest cot, pulling his hood down over his face and probably closing his eyes. “It’s all crown loyalists up here, promise you that. But you’ve probably got the right idea keeping quiet. Can’t be too careful who will spread things around, even with the best intentions.” Of course, he’s a bat. No wonder he’s so grumpy all the time. She cast her spells anyway, even pulling the window-shade closed for good measure. Only when the slow rumble of the engine fell abruptly silent did she finally relax onto the cramped wooden bench, shrugging out of her saddlebags and sighing deeply. “On the ground,” she muttered to herself. “Disharmony and wickedness, here we come.” Geist laughed quietly under his hood, then flopped onto his side, looking down. “You’ve got a lot to learn, filly. Life in Concord… it’s theory. Life down here, it’s the real thing. Up there everypony lives exactly by Harmony’s precepts, praising every minute… not so much here. No room for black and white, it’s all gray.” She thought about arguing that—how could the will of Harmony be ignored? It didn’t matter how far away from Concord they were. The princess’s will was absolute. Her power raised the sun! But Geist said it, as though he were remarking on the color of the wallpaper. Gray too, though it had several brown stains. “Where are we going, anyway? Now that we’re out of Concord… can you tell me?” “Hollow Shades,” he answered. “City of dreams, city of nightmares. There sleep the evils of the past, slain and slain again. Or however the stories go.” She struggled with her saddlebags, pulling out a densely packed book. It was her personal spell book, along with all the records she kept in the court. She removed the map from within, squinting down until she saw the name of the town.  “Course it would be there,” she muttered. “That’s… pretty far from Concord. I wonder when the last time was we flew anywhere close.” Geist shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. City being close wouldn’t root out rebellion on its own. It’s on a hallowed foundation, so it stays.” “I know that!” she snapped, probably harsher than she should have. “I might’ve spent my whole life in the court, but I’m not stupid. I know where the towns are. And how basic construction law works.” He chuckled, but didn’t argue. “Then you know we’ve got a long trip ahead of us. Hollow Shades is far enough that it isn’t actually connected. But a walk through the jungle will help us seem more authentic. Desperate survivors, on the run from the stifling laws of Concord. The perfect story to get us into this rebellion. And once we’re there…” He made an exaggerated slashing sound, then rolled back over. “Wake me when we’re in Dodge Junction. I haven’t got to sleep during the day in weeks.” Soon enough, he was snoring.