Chapter 12
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The Tail Never Lies
Present Time
Canterlot’s Royal Courtyard crackled with pony electricity, which was palpable for Pinkie and Spike. Young and old alike were talking to one another excitedly as the princess and “The Storm” were tended to by agents and make-up artists. A crew set up at the foot of the stage with machines and microphones. Loudspeakers around the courtyard turned on with an audible hiss.
“Helllllloooo sportsfans!” shouted a voice familiar to most in the crowd, “Tele-P right back atcha once again! I’m not gonna go off on a tangent here — let’s leave that to the celebrities, huh?” – He paused for anticipated laughter, which did come from some – “One of the princesses and leaders of our country, Princess Celestia, is going to address the massive crowd at Canterlot any moment now, in advance of the race announcement from Maelstrom!”
Princess Celestia looked uncomfortable surrounded by ponies trying to make her look her best. Maelstrom, beside her, turned to her and shrugged. They exchanged inaudible words then laughed. The princess approached a microphone, cleared her throat, and addressed the crowd.
“Citizens of Equestria, locals of Canterlot, and of course, our cherished guests from abroad! Welcome to my home! Welcome to Canterlot!”
Cheering and hoof clapping could be heard all the way to the gates of the city. Spike was trying to get onto Pinkie’s back, but his newly acquired girth made it impossible. He had to shout for Pinkie to hear him.
“I CAN’T SEE, WHAT’S GOING ON?”
“NOTHING SPIKE DON’T WORRY!” was the explosion of a reply. It made several ponies nearby flick their ears in displeasure. Princess Celestia continued when given a minute of near-silence and turned to Maelstrom. His ruby-red armor, in color and material, had a gold trim and made him look nearly as regal as the princess herself.
“I was asked by Maelstrom to give an opening speech before his announcement today, and while I think his own words will do much justice to the purpose of these great races coming to the nation’s capital, there is something I feel needs to be addressed by myself specifically.”
The princess turned back to the crowd.
“Let’s keep in mind as this week progresses that all of us are here for one thing: to enjoy the spectacle of the races! We do not all come from the same place, or even the same land, but we share a love for entertainment, and togetherness. Let’s keep that spirit well in our heads and never forget the power of unity!”
The crowd blew up once more and Maelstrom turned to the princess. There was a gleam in his eye, which Pinkie caught even through the shimmer from his armor. Something not quite right. He spoke when the noise dampened.
“Yes, well, princess, you of all ponies would appreciate unity and the necessity for it, being the ruling monarch and all!”
Pinkie felt a strange twinge overtake her haunches as everypony around her started to laugh. Even Spike took part in the fun, although he couldn’t see much of anything. Pinkie looked back at herself and noticed that her body was shuddering, almost imperceptibly.
“Hmm…” she mumbled with a sad inflection. Princess Celestia stuck out her tongue at Maelstrom and he humbly bowed before continuing.
“Let’s all give the princess a big round of applause!”
More cheering. Pinkie ignored her nagging thoughts of the twinge in her behind and focused on Maelstrom as he made his speech.
He spoke mostly the same words he had used the day before in Ponyville, not that Pinkie or any of her friends present in the courtyard knew that. It wasn’t altogether clear that it was a rehearsed speech, except to ponies who had been to other events where he had given it. The ending of the speech, however, was unique to Canterlot.
“My dear ponies and other flyers,” Maelstrom bellowed, moving away from the princess and closer to the edge of the stage. He walked along it and made eye contact with as many ponies as he could as he finished with theatrical flair. “I promise to each and every one of you that I shall put on a show you will never forget!”
With that he ended his speech with the same send off as in Ponyville, with fireworks and flying into the air with outstretched hooves. The crowd, of course, went berserk. Spike had jumped up and down so much to try and get a better view that he worked off most of his fat. Pinkie, however, stared wide eyed at Maelstrom. She was frozen, except for movement coming from the base of her spine.
Her tail was vibrating madly like a flag caught in a windstorm.
“That’s… not good.”
- - -
Rarity clapped and cheered.
“Oh my, what a performance!” She turned to VeeVee with praise in her azure eyes. “That Maelstrom fellow must be from the theatre! Excellent, wasn’t it? Really gets you pumped up!”
VeeVee nodded with a big smile. “Jes! He is a master of zhe words! He is a freund of mine, you know.”
Rarity nearly fainted. She maintained her composure, however, and gripped VeeVee’s shoulders.
“You’re kidding me, darling! Why didn’t you say so earlier? I could have used that in my praise of you!”
VeeVee waved a dismissive hoof in front of Rarity. "Nonsense, RarRar. Vee are just zhe freunds. Sometimes we meet at races and such. It's blah!"
Tele-P's voice once again reverberated out of the speakers.
"Alright, sportsfans! Keep your ears open for this announcement and tell your friends! The first race of the Storm's Challenge will take place at noon the day after tomorrow! Make sure to be back in Canterlot tomorrow afternoon when the Saddlebred Citadel moves into our airspace for the first time ever! This is Tele-P, signing off once again!"
The energy in the courtyard returned to normal and ponies brought their attention back to Rarity and her shop. The fashionista found herself swamped once again with customers, and Sweetie Belle looked absolutely overwhelmed. Rarity felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.
“Rarity?” It was VeeVee, in mid-stride. “My Schwester und I have to go. Just for a few of zhe minutes.” Rarity looked crestfallen and VeeVee continued as she trotted away, her sister visible in the distance behind the crowds. “Have no fear! Vee shall return!”
Rarity protested. “But we had a deal! Where are you going?!”
VeeVee’s magic stave brought all of the articles of clothes and dresses it was connected with through its black beams onto mannequins. Customers followed VeeVee as she left. VeeVee called back to Rarity one last time, “I vill tell you vhen I return, sweet RarRar!”
The magic stave shot a black bolt at Arnold. The beam of black started to pulse and fluctuate as the form of Arnold slowly dissipated into thin air. With that, VeeVee met up with her sister and the two headed off towards Canterlot Castle. Rarity groaned.
“Well, okay then…” she had little time to lament as business did not dissipate, though a particularly large group of males had wandered off in the direction of VeeVee.
By now Princess Celestia and Maelstrom had left the stage in the middle of the courtyard, and on the opposite side of the part of the courtyard where Rarity was located, Applejack was juggling bits and payment stubs like a pro. She occasionally chomped down on one of the bits as if to test its authenticity, then dropped it into her register, which was quickly filling up. Boozebeard was off on a tangent in front of a crowd of excited race fans.
“…thar I was, surrounded by 200 dragons! Mean ones, too! Tall Tale dragons, they were!” Colts in the crowd covered their eyes. Stallions were enraptured and couldn’t tear their eyes away from the tank of a stallion, Boozebeard being a surprisingly good storyteller. “The dragons from my land are brutal savages! An’ they wanted one thing and one thing only — a taste of ol’ Boozebeard, if I had to make a reckoning of it!”
He rose his hooves and dangled them down. “Great big fangs like this they had! Breath tha’ could melt the gold off the princess’s chariot in a second! I’d one choice, ponies,” – Boozebeard rose a hoof to dozens of eyes hooked onto him – “I had to fly away, of course! But where would I go? I was surrounded!”
Applejack half-listened to Boozebeard as she worked away. Ponies munching on Sweet Apple Acres apples were now the norm in the courtyard.
Boozebeard pointed up, and his fans looked up in result. “Why, I figured out right then tha’ my only path was up! Sos I tightened” – Boozebeard pantomimed tightening something between his hooves – “my muscles and steeled myself. I breathed in deep and long, blew out in a great big gasp, stretched ou’ my wings, then shot into the air like never before!”
The whole performance had colts as well as stallions cheering and clapping. Boozebeard finished with a loud belch and a shout.
“Tha’ was the birth of my Rocket Jump!” He slammed back a barrel of cider and all of his fans cheered.
* * *
“Everypony will be flying at a high altitude, which means the weather might be a bit iffy.”
Rainbow flew through a fluffy cloud, feeling the refreshing mist travel through her feathers. She continued to play through the words of Fleetfoot as she scanned the skies for any adverse weather.
“You’re one of the best weather ponies around and being the vanguard for the exercise means you can go as slow or fast as you want!”
Rainbow flapped her wings furiously and blew the cloud apart. At her height above the ground, the land below could no longer be seen but the imposing sun sat in the sky appearing larger than normal. The bright light illuminated the kingdom of clouds that Rainbow was now alone in. She moved from cloud to cloud, dispelling the potential obstacle for the flyers far behind.
♫ Doo, doo, doo ♪
Rainbow started singing as she worked.
♫ I’m kicking the clouds awaayy. It’s not super excitinggggg but it’s practice. ♪
Something whizzed by in the corner of her eye and disappeared into a cloud. Rainbow raised an eyebrow and flew over to check it out.
“Helllooo? Did you get lost from the other flyers?”
Rainbow investigated behind a few different clouds and stuck her head into others. There was nothing, and nothing made a sound that high above the ground either. It was just her and silence. And clouds.
“Come on, I saw you already! Stop playing games! I’m the vanguard, I don’t have time for hide and go seek!”
Again a dark blue blur streaked away, just visible in Rainbow’s peripheral vision. She was less than pleased at that point and called out in a tone that made it obvious.
“Listen, bub, you’re not scaring me so just cut the theatrics! I’m going back to work!” And so she did. Rainbow found her bearings and resumed her cloud busting. At one point a tiny dark storm cloud got carried by a breeze and headed right for her. She rushed it with a grin and kicked it into oblivion.
“Not today, Mr. Storm Cloud!”
Like a lightning bolt a figure shot out of a nearby nimbus and flew right up to Rainbow’s face.
“BOO!”
Rainbow screamed and darted for the first thick cloud she laid eyes on. The figure howled with laughter. Holding her heaving chest, Rainbow went from scared to angry as she realized what had happened.
“Okay, okay, nice one, whoever you are, very funny! Happy now?”
Rainbow left the cloud and beheld the figure. He was a pegasus and had a darker shade of blue than her as his fur coat – more of a cornflower blue. His mane was long for a stallion’s, a bright, fluorescent pink that made Pinkie Pie look dull in comparison, and it was done in a ponytail. His face was full of mirth and he was as carefree as Rainbow looked on a sleepy Sunday morning.
“You should have seen your face when I scared you! What a sight! Now THAT was hilarious!”
The stallion adjusted his goggles. They were well-worn and of a style Rainbow hadn't seen before. They looked... old timey. She blinked rapidly a few times as she traced her eyes over a forest green race outfit complete with white wings in the front and white, accenting lines throughout. The stallion wore a silver EFL medallion. Rainbow tilted her head.
“No, seriously, who are you? You don’t look like one of Lovey Dovey’s gang.”
“How rude of me,” the stallion said, fluttering over and extending a hoof to Rainbow.
“Name’s Zephyr. Nice to finally meet you, Rainbow Dash.”