//------------------------------// // Don't muddy the issue // Story: House of the Rising Sunflower // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// "Well, Sundance. What did you learn this morning?"  Curiously, Sundance found himself studying his teacher's face and trying to find equine features. Her quivering whiskers fascinated him, distracted him, but finding recognisable equine aspects was very much like spotting landmarks during a long journey. Megara seemed pleased; with him, with how things turned out, with how the entirety of the barony came together for a common goal. This was her job and her neck was on the block, so this had to be a good thing. Perhaps a great thing.  The velvet lining inside of her ears seemed to be quite pony-like.  "Magic moves at the speed of thought."  "Right." The manticoress nodded and her tail twitched thoughtfully.  "A unicorn's intelligence determines how fast magic travels. I can assess how dangerous a unicorn might be by how fast their magic travels. Though, even stupid unicorns with slow magic can be dangerous."  "You were paying attention," she said with an alluring half-smile.  "I like the sound of my teacher's voice," he replied without thinking.  Then, naturally, he thought about what he just said—and cringed, hard.  Before she could respond, he blurted out, "As a pegasus, I can sense danger before it happens. It's how we fly through storms. Lightning bolts move at the speed of lightning, and we pegasus ponies can dodge those, so if I'm in tune with myself, I can evade incoming magical bolts."  "You can." Terrifyingly toothy incisors were visible in the corners of Megara's smile. "Today, you showed some promise. More than I expected, if I'm honest. But all that potential means nothing without lots and lots of practice, so that's what we're gonna work on. When I'm done with you, you'll be almost untouchable. Maybe not Rainbow Dash fast, but good enough."  "And that'll be done with live-fire exercises. Most likely involving unicorns."  "Well, they need practice, and so do you. A few blisters on your hide won't kill you. Didn't kill me. Motivated me to do more."  "Yeah…" There was an overwhelming sinking feeling in Sundance's stomach as he thought about the difficult times ahead. He reminded himself that he was committed to this course of action, and that he trusted Megara to do right by him. After all, if he failed, she failed. So this was best for both of them. The reminder of duty made him sit up a little straighter and he felt better—though he was still apprehensive.  Training was going to hurt.  He took a sip of his apple juice and immediately wished he hadn't. The apple powder mixed with eggy water produced a strange, musky, somewhat off-tasting drink that wasn't at all like apple juice. It was Apple Juice Plus, a powdered concoction loaded with vitamins, protein supplements and aminos for carnivores, and every dietary supplement a young or old body needed to remain healthy. Perhaps it might have tasted better without the egginess of the water, which it weirdly accentuated in the worst possible way.  For some reason, the egginess was barely noticeable in tea.  Or was it?  He spent a moment doubting himself, unsure if his senses had grown dull to eggy tea.  "There'll be lots of armor training and I plan to give you a good clobbering. River Raider might even help. Your wings are vulnerable, but there are a few tricks you can learn that might help. They will always be your weakness so you need to be mindful of them."  His thoughts turned to crashing through the canopy during his delivery to the swamp.  "Hornet is going to get her own training program," Megara said to Sundance. "She is your shield. The two of you as a pair will have powerful defense. I am a bit concerned about offense, but we'll bust through that cloud when we come to it."  Out of the corner of his eye, on the very edge of his vision, Sundance saw Turmeric and Silent Thunder. The small colt was up on the table, perhaps not the best place to be. Hollyhock was laughing, clutching her sides even, and Sundance turned his head to take in the spectacle. Silent Thunder was sitting in front of Turmeric, and the two were mimicking and mocking one another, a near-perfect mirror of each others' actions. Both took everything, every motion, every expression, to dramatic extremes.  Somewhat overcome with emotion, Sundance allowed himself to watch. Laughter spread through the dining area like wildfire and the musky, eggy apple juice no longer mattered. Turmeric didn't make a sound; he was as silent as the mute colt, but his lips moved as if he were speaking. His eyebrows performed complicated facial gymnastics, moving with a fluidity that Sundance did not believe possible, and somehow through it all, little Silent Thunder kept up.  Not only were ponies finding themselves, but they appeared to find each other.  Her voice a mere whisper, Megara said to Sundance, "This is what you are fighting for."  Before he could respond the door burst open and several changelings entered. They appeared agitated, or perhaps excited, and as a group they hurried through the crowded dining hall, making a beeline for Sundance, who sat in the rear corner. Laughter diminished and good cheer turned silent. Hard chitin clattered against the wooden floorboards and one 'ling pulled ahead of the others.  "Milord… you must come at once. We've found something that you should see! Something you must see! You must come with us!"    The younger changelings acted just like foals, overly excited as they pronked to and fro. As for the somewhat older changeling, he was a bit more quiet, a bit more reserved—but also excited. His restraint was admirable, incredible, but his barely-withheld energy proved infectious. Sundance, now outside and standing near the door to the dining hall, waited patiently for the messenger to compose himself.  "We found a temple," the messenger 'ling said to Sundance. "It's been sealed off and it is in beautiful condition.  "Is it next to a different temple… with a love spring?" asked Sundance.  "How did you know?" The 'ling's emerald-faceted eyes glittered with a soft internal glow. "The love spring has been quite beneficial to us. We bask in its magic like lizard-creatures in the sun and we even bathe in it. It's proven to be quite restorative… it supercharges our magic, which has hastened our construction efforts and—"  "About this new temple," Sundance said.  "Well, the new temple is a ways further up the old road. Which isn't much of a road at all. The forest has consumed it. We sensed strange magic… unfamiliar magic that is completely unknown to us. We younglings were sent out to scout, and we found a complex of unknown purpose, ruins mostly, and then we found the entrance in the mountainside. It was difficult to open, but not beyond our combined skill. We did a primary investigation to see if it was safe, and then I was sent to fetch you."  "Huh," Sundance said, a low murmur in his throat.  "You say it is a temple." Brows furrowed, Paradox Sunflower moved a single step closer to the mostly composed 'ling. "Any markings? Symbols? Glyphs?"  "There are phoenixes everywhere," the 'ling replied. "And statues of Princess Celestia. It appears to be far more modern than the old temple. More advanced construction techniques. We found still-burning fires inside."  "Fires?" Paradox's eyes narrowed with concern. "I cannot help but wonder if this hidden temple still has visitors."  "That seems unlikely," the changeling said. "It is old. Musty. A bit dusty. Undisturbed. There are no trails. No place to land. The entrance was locked."  This got a doubtful nod from Paradox, who said, "So you say."  For the first time, Sundance noticed Fudge Turnover, who stood nearby with her ears fully pricked. Her eyes were bright, inquisitive, and she seemed eager about something. Why had she followed them out? Some ponies, it seemed, failed to overcome the curiousness of youth. Argyle too, had come out, and while Sundance stood staring, Cherry Turnover—with Liberty slung from her neck—joined them. The whole family had come out, but only Fudge seemed interested in what was said. "Sundance, we should go have a look at this. If it is what I think it is"—Paradox paused, pondering—"it could answer a lot of questions."  "Questions?" Sundance questioned, though his questioning was rather questionable.  "Yes, questions. You know, those sentences of inquiry you ask when you want to know something. Very often you get no answers, and you remain frustrated."  Amused—perhaps too much so for his own good—Sundance found himself smiling. He liked Paradox's snark, and took it as a sign that she trusted him. A change had come over Paradox though, like a shadow, a subtle shift in behaviour that could not be ignored. Something bothered her and he assumed it was because she knew something. This was a good thing; she was the barony's wizard, the resident expert in magic. There was a hungry look in her eye that had nothing to do with food—and Sundance suspected that it was some kind of unicorn lust for power. Or perhaps not. Maybe it wasn't fair to judge his friend and helpmate in such a way.  "One of Equestria's great mysteries might be soon answered."  Frustrated by this cryptic statement, Sundance let go an unsettled huff.  "It makes sense though… they returned to Princess Celestia's ancestral lands. We should go… sooner the better. Sundance?"  "Yes?"  "Will you prepare my chariot?"  He snortled. Her chariot? His sky truck.  "There is no place to land," the 'ling interjected. "We'll have to carry you."  "That is less than ideal," Paradox replied.  "I want to go!"  Almost mechanically, Sundance's head swiveled so that he might look right at Fudge Turnover. He was not alone; Argyle stared at his wife with open-mouthed shock, or perhaps horror. Maybe both. It was difficult to read his expression. Cherry Turnover was smirking, but did so outside of her husband's field of vision, standing just behind him. Argyle was recovering, rapidly, and his lower jaw waggled as he began to inhale.  "Absolutely not," Argyle said, and there was no trace of his cultured charm to be found in his words.  "Why not?" asked Fudge, who seemed downright annoyed with her husband.  "Respectable ponies do not adventure."  For some strange reason, Sundance was deeply offended, but he kept his mouth shut—for now.  "Still worried about our public image—"  "I am," Argyle said, and he drew in a deep breath. "We can still salvage something of our—"  "I think not," Fudge said, cutting her husband off. "Our names might as well be Mud. Mister Mud, and his Mudwives. Our situation cannot possibly get any worse."  "But it can… it can, and it will. We must maintain whatever shred of respectability that we have. And that means we don't go galavanting off on… adventure." Argyle spat out the last word as if it had a terrible taste.  "Since when do you tell me what to do, you—"  "Since the mother of my dearest, darling filly has taken leave of her senses, that's when!"  "We had our home burned down and we fled in the night like unwanted grifters," Fudge said to her husband, her tone one of eerie calm. "We've allied ourselves with the Crown, because what else could we possibly do? Now we've lost everything that was dear to us, except for ourselves… and my beloved husband, father of my daughter, now acts like a boorish gadfly. He's telling me what to do for my own good… have you become a stranger to me, Husband?"  Sundance's ears pricked at the sound of Paradox swallowing.  "We shouldn't make things worse for ourselves—"  "This is our chance to be free," Fudge said to her husband, her eyes narrow, pleading. "We can finally stop caring about what others think. It doesn't mean that we become villains, and stop caring about what others think completely… but we can be happy. We can't lose our jobs. Can't be voted out. We don't have to please the city of Fillydelphia and bow and scrape for our own existence."  "Fudgy… I…"  "You're sorry, I know."  "That wasn't what I was about to say—oh." His sentence self-terminated and Argyle practically withered from Fudge Turnover's glower power.  "Cherry, tell him."  "Fudge… no. This is something the two of you need to sort out. But… he does need to apologise." Taking a step backwards, Cherry Turnover excused herself from the spat. "We've never told each other what to do in such an uncouth way. That's not us."  "Yeah, we passively-aggressively snipe one another and make awful jokes," Fudge Turnover said. "Or we have a moment of theatre. But we never just outright make commands like—"  "But I am being commanded to apologise." Ears back, brows crinkled, Argyle shook his head from side to side.  "You don't have to apologise." Irked, Fudge Turnover turned up her nose in her husband's general direction. "Just like I don't have to listen to what you say."  "I object—" "So do I," Fudge spat out in response. "Tensions are high right now, but you are being completely unreasonable."  "Unreasonable… unreasonable? I am not the one about to besmirch my good name by going on an… an… adventure!"  "Listen to yourself." Drawing herself up to her full height, Fudge Turnover scowled at her husband. "You're besmirching your good name right now with how you're acting! Sundance, our kind and gracious host, is clearly an adventurer!"  For a few seconds, Sundance discovered what the sound of a pony swallowing their own tongue sounded like. He maintained his steadfast silence however, and didn't stick his nose where it didn't belong. Was he an adventurer? Well, yes, yes he was. He'd taken part in the slaying of an ogre, and if that didn't make one an adventurer, then what did? Oh bother. What might his mother say?  Princess Celestia had once adventured, but had given it up to become respectable.  Was he a respectable lord?  Would others have something awful to say beneath their breath upon encountering him?  Was he a… barbarian?  "For whatever it's worth"—the apprehension was apparent in Paradox's hesitant words—"this seems like a good starter adventure. Nice and safe."  "I don't want my daughter teased because of her mother's… unseemly actions." Tail swishing, every muscle tense, Argyle shook his head from side to side. "This is the sort of thing that stays with you… a stain upon your reputation. A mark. A brand. It doesn't wash off."  "That's a little unfair of you," Paradox replied. "I've gone on adventure, and I consider myself to be completely and totally respectable. I'm a wholesome unicorn, sound of mind and body."  "I can't win, can I?" asked Argyle. After a moment, it dawned upon him that this battle could not be won, and his proud withers sagged as his neck bowed. "Go then. Go off and get eaten. I shall mourn your passing." Then, with a dramatic sniffle, Argyle turned tail so that he might retreat, and he took off at a rapid gallop.  "Argyle, wait, hear me out if you—"  "Sundance, let him go." Cherry Turnover's words were soft. Kind. Pleasant. Maternal, even. "He's not well right now. Not himself. We really shouldn't hold this against him. Honestly, I think his refusal to allow Fudgy to go adventuring is more about clinging to the life we once had. He just wants things to stay the same." She sighed, then turned to her sister. "Fudgy, go have an adventure. I'll stay here to clean up the mess and see what I can do to get Argyle sorted out. Just… just don't hold this against him, please?"  A non-committal harrumph was all that Fudge Turnover had to offer in return.  "I think… I think I understand." For a brief moment, Paradox turned to look in the direction of Argyle's retreat. "It can be difficult to face new things and sometimes you just want to keep what's familiar. I've been struggling with that myself."  "Just keep my sister safe, please?" Cherry flexed her knees and this caused Liberty to bounce in her sling. "Fudgy… she's Argyle's solid rock. More so than I am. She's his comfort… his lighthouse when seas are stormy."  "He takes me for granted—"  "Maybe he does, Sister. Anyhow… go have a good time. You deserve it. Between Libby and Argyle, you've been caring for two big babies, so go have fun."  "Those are some nice sister-words," Fudge Turnover said.  "I'll see to it that she is kept safe. We should get going… I'm eager to see what's been found. You lot" —Sundance now spoke to the younglings directly— "you're going to escort our esteemed guest, Fudge Turnover. We want her returned to her family without any missing pieces. Got that, gigglebugs?"  "Righto!" one of the pronking 'lings replied mid-pronk.  "Well… let's be off on our adventure!"