Chapter 4
"Spitfire! What are you doing here?"
The golden mare was quick to reply. "Hmm...no squeal, no asking for autographs, gets right to business. Good work there. I just came to ask if you and Twilight have seen somepony recently. A friend of mine is looking for him."
"Really? Must be important to send the Wonderbolts after him. Maybe he's a celebrity? Who could he be..." Spike tapped his chin as he became absorbed in his thoughts.
Spitfire put a hoof on the dragon's shoulder to stop him from getting too carried away in this. "Actually, it's just me. Repaying a favor, that's all. Anyway, he's not famous. His name's Umbra; he's a gray unicorn with a dark mane and...wait a second." She looked behind Spike and saw the gray unicorn levitating a stack of books across the circular room. "Hey Umbra! What are you doing?"
The stallion turned to her with a confused expression. "Um, hi. Do I know you?"
Spitfire was stunned. "Do you...not remember me?"
"Not at all. Should I?"
The three sat down at the table. The gray unicorn explained to Spitfire everything that had happened in the last three days since he woke up in the forest. Spike confirmed it with what Twilight Sparkle had told him the day before, and both waited for the Wonderbolt captain's response. Spitfire adjusted her goggles as she considered this.
"Okay, so you don't know anything about yourself, why you were in the forest, or why you knew about the library." The gray unicorn nodded. Spitfire sighed. Great, now what do I do? "Well, to start, your name is Umbra. You were sent here on a very important assignment, and my friend has been waiting days for you to contact her about it. She's been worried something happened to you, and decided to send me looking around. Neither of us expected this."
Umbra. My name is Umbra. The name sounded right somehow, the unicorn thought. "What should I do? I still don't know what this assignment is."
"I don't know. All I was told was to find you. Hmm...you should wait just a bit longer, see if you can get your memory back. Just don't hit your head like that again and hope you can remember in time." Spitfire exited the library and stretched her wings. "Spike, good to see you. Don't tell Rainbow Dash I was here, okay? I already told her I had to prepare for the race so I couldn't give her any tips, and she's one of my more...determined fans. I need some peace and quiet when I reach Cloudsdale." She leaped and began flying toward the cloud city.
"Goodbye, Spitfire!" Spike waved before the mare disappeared from view.
"No, no, no...this is terrible!" Spitfire thought to herself as she sped through the clear afternoon sky toward Cloudsdale. "He doesn't remember anything? At this rate, he'll never be able to report back in time! What'll I tell Nightshade? That mare's crazy. She'll lose it if she hears what happened to Umbra. Oh, why did I agree to this?"
The city of pegasi appeared in the distance, the cloud-formed buildings rising higher than any surface structure could. This place was normally accessible only to pegasi and other winged creatures, but some had used magic or hot-air balloons to reach it before. The winds between the buildings could sometimes get strong enough to blow away most non-pony intruders, so birds tended to avoid the city. The only sound was the constant noise of the busy main streets, made louder than usual by an argument between two stallions that had collided mid-flight; they seemed very determined to prove exactly who had hit whom, neither wanting to admit his mistake. Spitfire heard them begin to speak louder, and use some more colorful vocabulary, before she moved on to her destination.
To her relief, nopony recognized her without her Wonderbolt costume, the insulated suit that protected the wearer from most weather effects. She had not stayed in any one place long enough to start getting noticed, making it all the way home without having to pose for photos or give signatures. It was actually quite a relaxing way to go about one's day; the flight team captain would have to do this more often, she decided. Now, all that was left was to wait for Umbra to get his memory back, however that would happen, and bring him back to Nightshade within a couple weeks to help with whatever the pale pegasus had planned. Thinking her day's work done, Spitfire reclined on her couch for a much-welcomed nap.
"That was weird," Spike concluded as he closed the wooden door. "What did she mean by 'hope you remember in time?' Is there some big event coming up?"
The gray unicorn had not moved since Spitfire flew off. He sat at the table and stared at a spot on its surface. "I don't know of anything happening soon. There is one thing, though," he said, breaking his stare from the table and standing up. "She called me Umbra, said that was my name. I don't remember anything specific, but that name just sounds...familiar. She must be telling us the truth. And if so, I wonder what the event was that she was worried about."
Spike walked over to pick up a book that had fallen to the floor, straining to reach the book's high perch on the shelf. "Try asking Pinkie Pie. She knows everything happening around here."
Umbra recalled the party Pinkie had thrown for him, and the two mares he fell on while trying to escape it. He didn't want to repeat such an incident. "Do we have any other options?" Spike did not respond, and had already begun walking toward the door. Letting out a defeated sigh, he followed the dragon outside.
Sugarcube Corner was nearly empty, the majority of customers having just left with their orders. Pinkie Pie was wiping clean the countertop "A big event? There's nothing on my calendar except birthdays, but I don't have yours here, um...what did you say your name was?"
"Umbra." the gray stallion replied.
"Umbra. Okay, now I just..." Pinkie paused. "Wait, I can't put it in here yet." She put down her calendar and pen, her smile diminishing for a moment. "I hope you remember your birthday soon, Umbra. I don't want to miss it, and you don't want to miss the party you'll have then!"
"Oh, I'm not sure about that. I couldn't even enjoy all of the last party. Such a shame you all had fun without me," the unicorn lied.
"Oh, right. You messed up a spell and accidentally left the party before you could play any games."
Accidentally left. "Um...yeah, that's what happened. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there, Pinkie. Maybe next time, alright?"
The pink pony's ears perked up at this. "Of course! Next time, it'll be bigger than ever! I'll make sure everypony in Ponyville's there to celebrate with us!" She was bouncing around the room in excitement, miraculously avoiding the ceiling fan with her cotton-candy mane. She finally landed back behind the counter, facing Spike and Umbra with a wide grin that unnerved the unicorn a bit.
"Well, Pinkie, it was...nice to see you again. I'll tell you my birthday as soon as I remember it, and we can get started on the preparations then. Bye now!" Umbra didn't look to Pinkie once as he said this, heading straight for the door before he could be drawn into promising another party he would give anything to avoid.
Pinkie waved them off, her flour-covered hoof leaving a cloud that soon settled on the once-clean countertop. "Okey-dokey then. Bye, you two!"
Umbra looked over his shoulder once to make sure Pinkie wasn't behind him. "She's... not so bad, I guess. A little overexcited, but it's growing on me."
Spike laughed at the unicorn's change in attitude. "That's how it is with whoever Pinkie Pie meets. Nearly everypony's friends with her for the same reason."
"I think I'm starting to see why. Now, we should head over to the spa soon. Twilight will want to hear what we've learned today."
Torches lined the great room, their flickering flames casting eerie shadows that shifted across the stone walls. Nightshade had assembled all of her remaining soldiers to inform them of the current situation. She stood at the end of the room opposite the entrance, flanked by two black-armored guards. The white pegasus noisily cleared her throat and looked around the room, waiting a few seconds before those in front caught her gesture and warned the others to be silent.
"Welcome, everypony. As many of you know, there has been some concern with one of our scouts disappearing. Some think that this is no major issue, and that we are in no great danger." Whispers ran through the crowd, none of which were loud enough for Nightshade to make out.
"I would like to point out some flaws in this argument. First, it is no ordinary scout we are missing. The unicorn Umbra was sent to Ponyville and told to report back on his findings four days ago. His disappearance means that he may have been captured. Now, with Umbra's magical abilities, it would be difficult just to track him when he doesn't want to be tracked, and capturing him is nearly impossible. Whoever managed this was powerful, possibly even Celestia herself; that alone could endanger us, as he would have no choice but to reveal our plans, and that would mean our end.
"Some may now wonder why Ponyville is of such importance to me. Surely, Canterlot would be my main concern, the home of Princesses Celestia and Luna. However, I wish to point out that Ponyville is home to Celestia's most powerful allies, the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony, the six ponies who defeated Luna during the Summer Sun Celebration." Another rumble through the crowd as they considered the news. "They may be the ones responsible for Umbra's disappearance, and if so, they could already be making their way here to stop us. The risk is great; we must prepare for a possible attack on the complex. I want all guards to remain attentive at all times. Pegasi will be sent out to survey the area for activity. No additional scouts will be sent to Ponyville, as I have a contact there who will search the town for us. Unicorns, you stay here; there is one more task I need you for. The rest of you can return to your usual duties. That is all."
The earth ponies and pegasi filed out of the great room. No longer in hushed tones, their voices echoed down the halls as they discussed the speech. Meanwhile, the unicorns all gathered around Nightshade, listening carefully as she unrolled the large paper outlining her latest plan for the upcoming attack.