//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 – Silver Shoals // Story: The One True King // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Chapter 3 “Both destroyer and victim, the monster inspires terror and empathy—perhaps even admiration.” — J. Hoberman, The Village Voice Silver Shoals Retirement Community The evening fog faded away, unveiling to Bon Bon the coastline village of Silver Shoals Retirement Community. The train she rode upon thundered its horn to announce its arrival, and also to rudely awaken its very few passengers. Bon Bon hardly slept, perhaps dozing off a couple of times. She had been awake to see the village come into view, and now she was fully up and about by the time the train came to a slow and steady stop. The doors were not crowded by the time Bon Bon hopped off, carrying with her just a simple bag resting on her back. Those that visited Silver Shoals were either friends and families checking in on their relatives or spending the weekend in playing an assortment of activities. Be it water skiing, paintball, or even interpretive dance. Bon Bon didn’t know why it was a retirement community if they had so many physical activities, but she wasn’t there to delve on the community’s structure. She was there for private business with the former princesses. When she hopped off the train and slipped by the few ponies entering onto it, Bon Bon gave a long and breathtaking look to the village as a whole. Though also known to many as “Seaward Shoals”, Silver Shoals had earned quite the reputation in recent memory, what with being the retirement home to the former rulers of Equestria. No doubt the village would get a lot of tourists following that announcement. Bon Bon could still appreciate the architecture and design of the entire place either way, because it was a pretty impressive sight regardless of who retired there. The evening sun was falling quicker and quicker, with a warm and gleaming sunset spreading a brilliant orange glow across the ocean waves and overshadowing the numerous buildings and houses. There was a coastline of boats and docks for optimal fishing and boating activities, along with numerous hills and valleys and forests fit for anypony, be they young or old. There was no end to the types of games and relaxing opportunities both the elders and the tourists could engage in. Bon Bon had to give it to the princesses. They chose a pretty awesome place to retire. Maybe she would do the same. Bon Bon almost chortled at the idea, knowing without a doubt that Lyra would absolutely fall in love with the place at first sight. It pained her even more knowing she had to leave her behind. But before she could delve on more insecurities, Bon Bon’s attention was diverted and ripened to the image of six very colorful ponies appearing on a distant hill to her left. She narrowed her eyes, raised a foreleg to block out the sun shining in her face. With those ponies was the familiar purple and green dragon. That sealed the deal. Bon Bon’s smile slowly grew. “No way,” she whispered, tightening her bag’s straps and taking off at a quick trot, which turned into a slow gallop. Just hearing their unmistakable voices arguing already made her heart leap, confirming to Bon Bon that it was truly them. Her friends from Ponyville. “Princess Twilight? Spike?” Bon Bon openly declared, climbing up the hill and meeting their gazes halfway. They all seemed equally surprised to see a familiar face just as well, Bon Bon taking the time to observe and address them all. “Rainbow Dash… Rarity… Fluttershy, Applejack—?!” “And Pinkie Pie!” the pony exclaimed so very loudly and triumphantly, shocking Bon Bon by appearing behind her and crushing her with a classic Pinkie Pie certified hug. Bon Bon nearly fell over, but caught herself and reached back to pat Pinkie. She couldn’t hold back a smile, certainly not when it came from Ponyville’s best party pony. “Whoa! Heh! It’s great to see you guys! Definitely didn’t expect any other royalty here except for Celestia and Luna, and the entire Council of Friendship no less.” Twilight giggled at Pinkie’s antics, the other mares and Spike doing the same. “Good to see you too, Bon Bon. And yeah, well, Celestia and Luna wanted to meet with us specifically,” the Princess of Friendship clarified. Rainbow smirked, hovering above her friends with her forelegs crossed. Applejack nodded, tightening her hat firmly downwards as a subtle greeting towards Bon Bon. Rarity smiled as vibrantly and as beautifully as herself, swaying her mane as she did so. Fluttershy merely offered Bon Bon a sweet smile, face hidden behind half of her mane. Spike waved, but Bon Bon didn’t wave back. “Wait, really?” Bon Bon asked, straightening up as Pinkie slowly slid off and hit the grass beneath her. “You mean I wasn’t the only one who got the letter?” Twilight craned her neck back slightly, narrowing her eyes. “You got the same letter from Celestia?” she asked, hoof pointed Bon Bon’s way. “Yeah!” Bon Bon exclaimed, reaching into her bag and showing it off, glamorizing the official stamp and everything. “Wait… how did you all get here before me? You weren’t on the train.” “We took a private airship,” Twilight said, bashful at that. Her eyes darted quickly to the skies, Bon Bon following the direction and seeing the mighty airship itself taking off into the coming night. Upon its balloon, the cutie mark of Twilight Sparkle was plastered brightly and proudly. “Turns out there are quite a lot of perks to becoming the ruler of Equestria. Heh…” “Still think we shoulda taken our old air balloon,” Rainbow said, flying closer to Twilight and nudging the Alicorn’s shoulder. “Woulda been just like old times!” “If you wanted to get to Silver Shoals by next Thursday,” Rarity retorted, smirking slyly. Rainbow’s expression hardened, her lips pursing and brow furrowing, eyes staring off into the distance momentarily. She sighed and murmured, “Point taken.” The Council of Friendship all shared a quick but warm laugh. Bon Bon joined in, chuckling lightly along their giggles. Once they ceased, Twilight’s gaze appeared abnormally distant, her smile fading quicker than the others’ around her. Nopony seemed to notice, and how could they? Her thoughts were her own, and she could only hear Rainbow’s words again and again. Just like old times. Twilight’s smile returned, appearing slightly saddened amidst the group of grins. “So, what are we doing here then, Bon Bon?” Spike asked, breaking the oncoming silence following their laughing break. She had a fairly good idea to know exactly why she was at Silver Shoals and meeting with the former princesses, but Bon Bon dared not tell them that with so many eyewitnesses around. She would rather Celestia do it herself, in a much more private setting. Forcing on a smile and lying through her teeth, Bon Bon replied, “Your guess is as good as mine. Let’s find out, shall we?” Together, all eight of them made their way into Silver Shoals, passing the time by seeing the sights and chatting away their recent adventures. Shockingly, this was the first adventure any of them had been on since Twilight’s coronation. It had been a pretty calm month and a half since then. No news. No big events. No world-ending catastrophes. Things were just normal. It was just… life. Somehow, that seemed crazier than anything else the ponies had been through. Noticing the coming of night, Silver Shoals took on a different shade of atmosphere. Lamp posts flickered on and nearby homes lit their lanterns. The streets were growing quieter despite the summer mood. Though the village was getting tired, outside the village the fun was just getting started. Bonfires were being held near the coastline and picnic tables were being prepared for stargazers within the valleys. There was music and singing and laughing galore, so much so that Pinkie practically begged the rest of the group to check it out before they met with Celestia. Twilight tried to tell Pinkie it would only make them want to stay longer, to which Pinkie had no problem with. Everypony else though—primarily Twilight and Bon Bon—unfortunately did, which is why they kept on moving, practically dragging a sulking Pinkie Pie with them. Pinkie’s depression was quickly uplifted when they came to a familiar house. A much larger home compared to the other meager apartment complexes and buildings. The neighborhood they had entered was where the rich and royal undoubtedly spent their final years. Houses had transformed into mansions, but the home of Celestia and Luna stood taller and mightier than the rest. It stood at the very end of the Silver Shoals Retirement Community, within the small portion of the wealthiest homes. They crowded together and pushed on the front gates, following the path through the grass gardens and up to the doors. It only took three knocks and three seconds for the doors to open to them. And for the friendly faces of Celestia and Luna to appear to them. The reunion was short but sweet. It had not been long since Twilight and her friends had seen the former princesses’ new home in Silver Shoals, but it still felt too long nonetheless. Hugs were shared, the sisters holding each mare and each friend close before moving on to the next. Until all the Council of Friendship had reacquainted themselves with the Alicorns. Until only Bon Bon was left. Her appearing almost made Celestia’s smile fade away, but it did not deter Luna in the slightest. Though not knowing Bon Bon as well, Luna still offered the Earth pony a welcoming embrace nonetheless. Bon Bon returned it, breaking off and holding Luna’s smile with her own. But when the time came to bring her focus onto Celestia—when it was Celestia’s turn to come face to face with Sweetie Drops—both mares simultaneously paused. They looked to one another. They both stared in silence. They both lost their smiles. Both ponies knew why they were there. Neither of them wanted to admit it or say it out loud. They continued to hide under the façade that there were good tidings in her visit, but always held that underlying dread of the truth. The terrible, awful truth to it all. Their silence made Luna’s smile slowly fade, the younger sister turning to the elder with concern riddled in her stare. Celestia shook her head and blinked rapidly, forcing a warm smile in the end and spouting out, “It’s good to see you again… Bon Bon.” Bon Bon forced one, too. “Likewise… Your Majesty.” She bowed her head despite having no need to do so any longer, nor having any need to refer to Celestia in such a manner. Call it old habits. Those always died the hardest anyway. After raising her head, Celestia offered Bon Bon to follow her and her sister to the living room. There, the remaining Council of Friendship had already settled themselves on the lush couches and warmed up by the fireplace. Bon Bon gazed to it all, turning back to see both Celestia and Luna casting the room one last glance before they broke away down the hall. “We’ll fetch some refreshments! You all make yourselves at home in the meantime!” Luna called. Bon Bon watched their retreat in the hallway, saw their flowing tails disappear around the corner and into the kitchen. With nothing more to stare to, Bon Bon sighed and entered the living room. The entire room had its own feel to it. It felt much homier rather than royal, with bookshelves that would have made Twilight’s own collection look meager in comparison. Cozy couches and welcoming chairs were scattered about, all either resting near or around the roaring fireplace. Each pony occupied their space either upon the chairs, the couches, or the fluffy carpeted floors. Rainbow flew around the spacious living room, not even nearing the ceiling despite how high she got. Rarity absolutely gushed about the architecture and design of nearly every aspect she could gaze to, Fluttershy unpacking her bags and settling into the couch while barely hanging on to a single word the unicorn said. Pinkie Pie bounded around while Twilight, Applejack, and Spike took their seats either on chairs or directly in front of the fire. Spike chose the fire with Pinkie bounding right behind him, AJ and Twilight sitting in extremely comfortable chairs as evident by their expressions. It was enough to get a smile back on Bon Bon’s face. Taking her seat in the only available position on the couch left—with Rainbow Dash fluttering down and sitting next to her—Bon Bon slid her bag onto the floor and turned appropriately to the room’s entrance. Everypony did. The thousand-year-old Alicorns entered the living room with plates hovering beside them. Pinkie hopped onto the same couch as Fluttershy and Rarity, while Spike sat next to Bon Bon, who welcomed the young dragon with a slick grin. They were each given a cup of tea, the cups and plates levitated to each mare and dragon. Taking hold of the refreshment and breathing in the sweet aroma, Twilight sighed contently and thanked the former princesses for their hospitality. Celestia and Luna merely smiled, each taking their seats in the only remaining chairs. They waited for everypony to settle in, letting them take a sip from their tea. But through it all, only one pony refused to move. Celestia met her gaze and was not surprised when it was Bon Bon who hadn’t even stared to her cup. She had kept her eyes locked with Celestia’s, that increasing pressure pushing the Alicorn into the real reason why she had brought them to their home in the first place. She held nothing back, knowing they were truly alone and in private. No one else could hear it except them. Celestia began by saying, “We would like to thank you all for coming in such short notice. We know you all have your own lives, your own kingdoms to rule… but we appreciate it nonetheless that you would sacrifice your time to meet with us now.” “Eh, don’t worry about it, Your Highness,” Rainbow Dash said with a shrug, leaning deeply into the couch cushions and sighing heavenly. “If it means kickin’ back and enjoyin’ just a taste of the retired life… then I’d sacrifice all the time in the world. Beats scheduling practices and drawing up Wonderbolt formation runs any day.” “I did need to get out of Carousel Boutique as well,” Rarity exclaimed, sighing and waving her mane out of her eye. “It was getting quite cramped in there. Oh, why does the summer season always have to be the most popular?” “Big Mac and Apple Bloom can handle the farm well an’ good while Ah’m gone, so no worries there,” Applejack said with a wide grin, the farm pony leaning back in her chair. “Discord says he can take care of my house… but I left Angel Bunny in charge just in case. You never… really know,” Fluttershy murmured, sipping from her tea while staring to the carpet. “Yeah, and no parties to schedule for a few weeks! You got us just in the right time!” Pinkie cheered, hooves and hind legs splaying wide from her position on the couch. Luna smiled to see such enthusiasm, but couldn’t bear to look any of them in the eye. She prayed they wouldn’t be taken from their lives for very long. “It appears we did,” she said. Twilight added, “And your kingdom is holding well since your departure… er, my kingdom. Sorry, it’s still kinda hard to take it in that I’m actually running Canterlot and not you or Luna anymore. But it’s fine! Everything’s totally fine! No news to report.” Celestia chuckled warmly. She definitely missed Twilight’s worrisome tirades. She bowed her head gently, replying, “We’re glad to see you are holding the position well, Your Highness.” “As well as I can,” Twilight sighed, leaning forward with that relaxed expression joining her smile. “So… what is all of this about, Celestia?” “Yeah,” Bon Bon added, turning appropriately to the mare in question. “What is this about?” And just like that, the mood in the room changed. The temperature dropped from warm and welcoming to cold and foreboding. Especially when neither Celestia or Luna responded for nearly fifteen seconds. It grew so cold that soon everypony was faced in the same direction. They had all lost interest in their tea and turned to the former rulers. Spike included, his cup hitting his plate and making the loudest sound in the deathly-silent living room. Celestia always knew reaching that point would be the hardest. She just didn’t know how hard it would be. But she had faced greater storms. She would push through this one all the same. Gathering herself, and turning to Luna for support, they both nodded and the eldest began. “Formalities aside, it would seem some interesting anomalies have been unearthed in the south,” Celestia started. The wording of “anomalies” perked up several ears among the crowd of mares. The wording of “unearthed” made Bon Bon’s expression grow even colder. Luna picked up for her sister, saying, “We knew we could trust you eight out of anypony else. The authorities of Equestria… and of the old systems of power. We trust nopony else with this information because nopony else can know of it. They cannot know what has been found.” “What… has been found?” Twilight asked. Celestia exhaled heavily through her nostrils, gazing to the carpet. “How should I put this? One of our… secret agents has discovered something.” Applejack nearly choked on her tea, earning the eyes of the living room. She pondered on that, asking, “Ah’m sorry, ‘secret agents’?” Celestia turned to Luna once more. The youngest nodded. With another sigh, Celestia admitted, “A… T.I.T.A.N. agent, to be specific.” The name hit everypony differently. Most of them hadn’t even heard of what a T.I.T.A.N. agent was or the organization. Bon Bon, however, knew exactly what Celestia and Luna were referring to. It was as she feared. It was her worst possible fear come to light. She didn’t speak nor did she make any sudden movements, other than the drop in her head and the shaking hoof rising to her mouth. Celestia stared to the Earth pony, holding the heaviest look she could offer the mare. Unfortunately, Bon Bon was not fully there to receive it. She was lost in a time she would rather forget. Twilight tilted her head. “Titan?” she asked aloud. Pinkie gasped, zipping over to Twilight and mushing her face between her hooves. “Twilight, you never told me that Celestia and Luna had a secret agency!” the party pony exclaimed. “Yeah, ‘cause I didn’t know about it!” Twilight argued with mushed cheeks. “That’s kinda what makes it a secret, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. Luna shook her head, quickly explaining, “We apologize for not informing Princess Twilight about the T.I.T.A.N. agency sooner. We intended to, but… time and other national crises took priority. Then came her coronation, our retirement… and now here we are, faced with the one threat we prayed would never arise again. Certainly not during your rule, Your Majesty.” Celestia nodded at that, forcing her eyes away from Bon Bon and turning them to where she was needed. To Twilight. She said, “It is our fault, and our burden to carry. We will not let you handle this problem on your own.” She had so many more questions. Her mind was practically running wild, not even knowing where to begin. Twilight’s eyes darted across the carpet, to the fireplace, and then finally, slowly, back to the former princesses. “Celestia… Luna, I—” Pinkie fell from the ceiling with a bungie cord tied around her waist, allowing her to hang above everypony’s heads. She wore what appeared to be an expensive pair of night vision goggles while her body was covered in a skin-tight black jumpsuit. Twilight flinched back into her chair. Everypony else lifted their heads and watched Pinkie’s antics unfold. But not Bon Bon. “Awww yeah! Secret agent time! So, do we get to join?! Do we get any special privileges being the Council of Friendship and all?! Do we get to be our own task force?! Oh, oh, I call all the awesome spy gadgets! I’m already a pro with the sleeper darts!” Out of her mane, she whipped out a blow dart and brought it to her lips, breathing in deeply and fully intending to fire off a dart of who knows what to who knows where. Thankfully, that device was teleported out of her dangerous grasp, Pinkie blowing nothing but air and spittle onto her hooves. Using her magic, Twilight wrapped Pinkie in a tangled mesh of her own bungie cords, tightening it firmly over her mouth and hooves and plopping the pink menace on the floor. Ripping off her goggles, Twilight glared at Pinkie for interrupting them. Pinkie merely smiled innocently beneath the cords, waving at Twilight. With that out of the way, Twilight took a deep breath in with a hoof to her heart and a deep breath out. A classic move Cadance had taught her. Worked every single time, and because of it, Twilight was able to recollect her thoughts in a precise and orderly manner. The most important question first and foremost, with more surely to come… “Now… about this secret agent you mentioned…” Twilight said. Celestia opened her mouth, raised her hoof, but stopped. She considered her own thoughts, stating with a shrug, “Well, to be honest, she is not quite so secret after all. To you, your friends, or her adoring public, that is.” That certainly caught them off guard. A secret agent that wasn’t even hiding the fact that she was a celebrity of sorts? An alias, maybe, a perfect way to hide in plain sight. To blend in. With their interests at an all-time high, Twilight asked the question they were all thinking. “Who is she?” It was Luna who answered. “Most call her ‘A. K. Yearling’… but you all know her as Daring Do.” Rainbow Dash promptly spit out every drop of her tea.