My mom, Katana, Flash and I all sat around the dinner table putting food on our plates. Sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and salad. Now this brought me back. I hadn’t had my mom’s cooking in… two years? Even that felt like a lifetime ago.
“So, tell me what you’ve been up to these past couple months, Swordulan,” Mom said. “We need to catch up.”
I was too busy stuffing my mouth to answer, but I nodded and spoke after taking a drink. “Well… during that disaster that happened before the Summer Sun Celebration, I led the evacuation of Ponyville, since it was being attacked by the Everfree Forest.”
“Goodness! Was everypony okay?”
“Oh yeah, Twilight saved the day as usual.”
“That whole event was pretty boring here,” Katana said. “It was like, wow, the sun and moon next to each other in the sky… and everypony going about their day business as usual, maybe stopping to look up for a moment to think, ‘huh, neat’.”
“That’s Manehattan for you,” Mom said. “The city that never slows down for anything.”
“I don’t understand how anypony can live here,” I said, shaking my head. “So crowded. Any major disaster would be amplified. Evacuating Ponyville took maybe an hour. Imagine trying to evacuate this place.”
Mom smiled. “Are you trying to tell me I should move?”
“It’d make me feel better. Though not to Ponyville or Canterlot… too many bad things happen there. The Crystal Empire is nice.”
“I have yet to visit it. Perhaps I’ll go for the Equestria Games. Cadance even sent me a ticket, she’s such a dear. I couldn’t leave Manehattan though, not when your father is buried here.”
I nodded shortly. “I understand. Maybe I’ll see you at the Games if you go. Cadance is getting tickets for me and a friend of mine.”
“Oh? Who’s the friend?”
Katana rolled her eyes.
“Summer Dawn.”
Mom’s eyes widened. “Really? I haven’t spoken with the Dawns in… oh, I don’t know how long. So, is this a date sort of thing, or is she just a friend?”
I felt my face heat up. “Uh… date. Not our first one, but… well, it may as well be considered a first. It’s complicated.”
“Well, now I’m curious.”
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
“She lost her memory,” Katana blurted.
I gave Katana a cold glare, which she returned unfazed.
“Oh dear,” Mom said. “I’m sorry to hear that. I won’t bother you for details, Swordulan, but you know I’m always willing to listen if you need to talk.”
I nodded. “I know.”
Mom turned to Flash. “What about you, Flash Sentry? What have you been up to? You haven’t spoken a word.”
Flash swallowed his food and cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to be any bother. Besides my duties to protect and serve, your family’s life isn’t any of my business.”
Katana snorted. “I don’t even know why Swordulan brought him along. We don’t need extra help.”
Mom gave her a sharp look. “Katana, that’s very rude. He’s come to help find your brother, and we should be grateful for any extra hooves.”
Katana refused to look at anypony. “Yeah, thanks, whatever.” She got up from the table and moved to the balcony door. “I need to stretch my wings a bit.”
And out she went, slamming the sliding door behind her.
“Well,” Mom said, a tad flustered, “I have never seen her behave like that before. I wonder what’s wrong.”
“I’m sorry, it must have to do with me,” Flash said, ears drooping. “I can go if she really wants.”
“Nonsense, nonsense. Swordulan can talk some sense into her, he’s good at that.”
I nearly choked on my next bite. “Good at that? She barely listens to a word I say.”
“Maybe, but besides Stonehenge you’re the closest thing to a brother she has. That has to count for something. Let’s just let her cool off for now. So, Flash, what have you been doing lately?”
“Ahh, not that much,” Flash said. “I patrol the Crystal Castle, stand guard for Princess Cadance, sometimes escort her, and help Shining Armor with whatever assignments he has for me. Outside of that, I spend a lot of time collecting and playing instruments. Guitars and flutes, mostly.”
That was the last thing I had expected of Flash. Mom seemed impressed.
“Oh, how interesting!” she said. “Which instrument do you play the best?”
Flash gave an embarrassed shrug. “I don’t know if I’m really good at any of them. Probably the flute, but I like to think I’m not too bad at guitar either.”
“You know what, I think I have an old wooden flute around here somewhere.” Mom got up from the table and disappeared down a hall for a minute. She came back holding what looked like a plain wooden tube in her magic. “I got it from an old traveling earth pony some time ago. I’m no good, but it makes a nice sound. I’d love to hear you play.”
She levitated it up to Flash, who hesitantly took it into his hooves. On closer inspection, the flute had six holes and a little wooden figurine of some sort of bird strapped near the front. An eagle?
“Oh, wow,” Flash said, looking over it. “Did the earth pony say where he got it?”
“Hmm, I don’t remember for sure. Somewhere down south I believe.”
Flash nodded. “I think this must’ve been made by the native buffalo near Appleloosa. I have one that’s similar. Let’s see…” He covered the holes using the feathers on both his wings and played a low, hypnotizing droning note. “Nice, bass tones are my favorite.”
He began playing a simple harmonious melody, and it was like being transported to a crackling campfire in a native buffalo village as one of their Elders told stories about their ancestors, the stars glimmering brightly above in the night sky. And then it was over.
“That was beautiful,” Mom said.
“Yeah,” I said, blinking as I tried to remember I was at a dinner table. “I never knew you played so well.”
Flash blushed. “Nah… that was a really simple piece. I’m nowhere near as good as those with a special talent for it, or the buffalo themselves.”
“I quite enjoyed it nonetheless,” Mom said. “Thank you for sharing.”
“You’re too kind, Mrs. Shield. Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.”
“Yeah, thanks Mom,” I said, levitating the final remains from my plate into my mouth and swallowing. “Real good.”
Mom began to clean up the table, levitating our plates together. “I’m glad you both liked it. Hopefully Katana did too, I’ll have to save the rest for her. I sure hope she’s alright.”
I grimaced. “We should probably go look for her. She says she can take care of herself, but… she’s Katana.”
“I can help you look,” Flash said, stretching his wings.
“Let me check on the friend we met earlier first.” I sensed for my sword using magic and found it in a heartbeat. Discord’s power up really did make it easy. With a cast of a sight spell, I could see the point of view of that pegasus Katana caught. No weird explosions, thank Celestia.
“What’s he doing?” Flash asked.
“Nothing, as far as I can tell. He’s alone in what looks like a hotel room. Smart. Wonder what he’s thinking. I’ll give him a little scare to keep him motivated.” I cast a spell to broadcast and hear my voice through the sword, though when I spoke it sounded like some old grandmare scolding a filly. “That’s right, no funny business, I’m watching you.”
My vision jumped and twisted around as the pegasus moved in confusion. I cut my magic and spells and smiled. “I don’t think he’ll try anything soon. Let’s go, hopefully Katana hasn’t gotten herself into any trouble.”
“You two be safe,” Mom said. “I know you’re Royal Guards, but still.”
I nodded. “It shouldn’t take too long. Flash, you search from the skies, I’ll do a patrol around the neighborhood. Meet back here in an hour.”
*
Some ponies probably considered sitting around waiting for a report to arrive to be a complete bore and waste of time. Odd how only a few months in the Royal Guard gave me such a high tolerance of it. Perhaps it was made easier from knowing what I was waiting for instead of just standing around or patrolling not knowing what on earth could happen. Having a view of Manehattan’s cityscape from the crown of the Statue of Liberty also probably helped. Hard to get tired of a good view.
A stallion’s voice came from behind; it was my assistant, Stargazer. “Stonehenge, we spotted Dandelion coming in.”
I nodded without looking back. “Bring me his report and direct him onto Canterlot for the next.”
“Of course.”
I continued to watch the city’s lights turning on, but it was only a minute before a letter levitated into view. I opened it and began to read. Good news, it looked like.
“Are you gonna tell us what happened in the Crystal Empire?” Stargazer asked.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Some of my family got involved and the plan backfired, so I left early. At least Fillydelphia seems to be clear, for now.”
“Why would your family get involved?”
“I think my sister found out where I was and got my cousin to help look for me. Didn’t take long for Fate to catch on and go after them. Hopefully they’re okay.”
“Your cousin is with the Royal Guard, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, I hear he’s a Lieutenant now.”
“I received a report that two Royal Guards checked into Buckler Library a few hours ago.”
“What?” I stopped reading and turned around. “Was it Swordulan?”
Stargazer shrugged. “Couldn’t get the names, but one was a confirmed Lieutenant.”
“Ponyfeathers, that’s got to be him, there’s no way it’s a coincidence. And he walked right into their base, hah. Well, that might have them scared. Maybe we can use it to our advantage. If Swordulan and Katana are still looking for me, they’ll likely be staying with my aunt.”
“Would Fate know about her?”
“Possibly, but I feel certain that my uncle never let them know where he lived. My family has always been very private.”
If only Steadfast had managed to be just a little more private, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten him. I never should’ve asked for his help.
“What are you going to do?” Stargazer asked.
I took a deep breath. “They’re going to find me eventually, and if Swordulan really walked right into Buckler Library, they’re going to go after him. It’s time I let them know what’s really going on, or else risk losing them too.”
“Should I get my paper and quill?”
“No, I’m not sending a letter. I’m going to pay my aunt a visit.”