Chapter 7
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Day’s End
Some time ago...
Twilight walked down the streets of Clopstantinople, finally having a decent idea of where she was headed. She struggled to maintain a collected outward appearance as her thoughts bounced around her mind.
Gossip said, “Follow the road outside my shop towards the barracks.”
Twilight passed a building with two pegasi standing guard beside its entrance. They were clad in emerald armor made of gems.
That’s got to be the barracks, then. So now…
The road continued into an area with noticeably less ponies than the market area she had just left. Here and there was a guard whose hawk-like gaze would follow Twilight. She swallowed hard.
I just need to get to the palace entrance without any trouble. Remember what Gossip recommended.
Twilight met eyes with the guard and made a grumpy face. She scrunched her features towards the middle of her face. The guard looked away.
When in Roam, do as the Roamans do!
The streets were beginning to become nicer the closer Twilight got to the center of the city. What used to be dirt paths and uncared-for lamp posts had become immaculate white stone roads and tall, black gas lanterns. The few ponies that were on the streets were clean and well-dressed.
On either side of Twilight were row on row of interconnected brick buildings. Some had little planters on the windowsills with off-colour roses and tulips in them. While the air did not seem as foul there, Twilight still noticed its effects on the “upper class” part of the city. The bricks of the homes were worn, not by time, but by pollution. The windows were dirty at their edges. A stallion on the road was sweeping away clouds of dust.
I’m not surprised at all. This really is worse than Manehatten!
Twilight continued until she found a left turn down another nice road. A sign on the corner had an arrow and a picture of a building with a domed roof on it.
“Turn left at the sign; you’ll know which one.” This has got to be the one.
It was more of the same as Twilight walked. Occasionally, an airship would whoosh by overhead. Whenever somepony gave her a dirty look, Twilight forced herself to return it. Even when the occasional pony tentatively smiled at her, Twilight glared in response. It broke her heart, but it was necessary.
Eventually the road opened into a huge plaza. Straight ahead, taking up most of Twilight’s vision, was a huge building with a domed roof. The setting sun behind it helped it cast a dark shadow on the plaza below, which was littered with ponies.
The harsh twang of metal pounding on metal drew Twilight’s gaze to her left. One portion of the plaza was dedicated to soot-covered stallions hammering unformed blobs and slates of colored metal into shape. The hiss of air being blown by great big blowers stoked intimidating fires. Stallions were constantly moving forms of metal from one stage of the operation to the next. Off to one corner were finished products: stacks and stacks of colorful armor, most of the pieces being a deep green.
It was then that Twilight realized the stallions were not hitting metal with their hammers, but big pieces of gem. Twilight’s mouth dropped.
That’s impossible! A normal stallion can’t just form gems into armor like that! There has to be some kind of magic at work here.
It was hard for Twilight to ignore such a mystery and move on, but her duty called. She shoved past the masses of ponies as she moved towards the palace. Minarets stood like elevators to the sky atop the imposing structure. Great big off-white columns held up the front façade of the palace, which was ornately sculpted and showed off various scenes of Clopstantinople’s history along the top.
As Twilight got to the other side of the plaza and could see in front of her better, she noticed that to the right of the palace was a fenced off area filled with stallions. Some wore gem armour, others did not. The ones that were not were copying the actions of ponies in amethyst armor. These ponies had big crests on their helmets.
A training camp for new soldiers, Twilight reasoned. Some of the ponies were shouting battle cries and others, pegasi, were practicing lifting huge sandbags while in flight, from one end of the enclosed area to the other. Several stallions were watching her as she broke free from the masses of pedestrians and began to ascend the vast stairs to the palace doors.
At the top of the steps, in front of two huge double doors, was a soldier dressed in the same amethyst armor Twilight had seen the stallions in the enclosed area wear. This soldier was a female, but wore the crested helmet of, what Twilight assumed was, a commanding officer.
“Halt!” the officer shouted, holding out a hoof as Twilight came to a stop. Two regular guards stepped beside the officer, glaring at Twilight.
“Who goes there?”
Twilight took a deep breath.
I really hope THIS works…
“I seek an audience with Prince Tsunami. It is urgent business.”
The officer scoffed, and the guards chuckled.
“That’s not happening,” the officer said. “Only those with appointments get to see the prince. And there are no appointments today. There are NEVER any appointments.”
Twilight frowned from beneath her hood.
Okay, what about THIS?
“But the prince’s life is in danger! Please, you must allow me to see him!”
The guards looked at each other with some worry, but the officer shook her head.
“Lies. His life would only be in danger if we let you in. Now move on!”
Ponies back in the plaza began to take notice of Twilight’s presence at the front doors and watched with awe as somepony attempted to gain entry into the palace. Twilight bit her lip.
Then… I guess there’s no choice!
Twilight sighed. Her horn began to glow violet and envelop her entire robe. The magical field lifted off her robe and revealed the alicorn underneath.
The ponies below, in the plaza, gasped and murmured among themselves. Some shouted at Twilight.
“One of the princesses from Equestria!”
“Look, that’s a Cutie Mark!”
The officer took a step back and the guards’ mouths dropped. They looked expectantly at their officer, who was speechless.
“Now,” Twilight began, with a firm tone. “Please take me to Prince Tsunami. I come on behalf of Equestria and I — ahh!”
Twilight was cut off as the two guards grabbed hold of her. The officer pointed a hoof at Twilight and took another step back.
“All guards on deck! Seize her!”
More guards streamed out of a smaller door to the left of the entrance and surrounded Twilight. She did not struggle as she was dragged off through yet another door further along the wall of the palace. As much as she wanted to use her magic to take control of the situation, she couldn't risk causing an incident that could ruin potential Clopstantinople-Equestria relations. Twilight heard more ponies below shouting.
“So it’s true! Equestria is trying to spy on us!”
“What’re you up to, witch?!”
A guard threw a burlap sack over Twilight’s head and tightened it with a draw string. Twilight started to panic. She threw her head from side to side and grunted with disdain.
“This isn’t necessary! I am not here to spy or cause any—”
“Quiet!” shouted the voice of the officer pony. “Prince Tsunami will be the judge of that—”
Then something hit the side of Twilight’s head so hard she saw stars. The noise around her became foggy and she was walking less and less on her own accord. Twilight heard the officer one more time before she lost consciousness.
“—when he gets to you, that is.”