//------------------------------// // The Conjuration Map, Prologue. // Story: Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 5 // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight Gets a Puppy Season 5 By TDR The Conjuration Map, Prologue. [Ponyville.] “I don't care. I'm not interested in the castle.” Twilight huffed. “And I don't care, that you don't care.“ Spike huffed right back. ”We are going to have a look at it.” “I dun wanna.” Twilight growled from where she was tucked under Rahs' arm as the moon dog rolled his eyes. “Woof.” Rahs offered. “I am not embarrassing myself, you are embarrassing me by carrying me!” Twilight snapped. “The moment Rahs puts you down you're gonna teleport away.” Spike grumbled. ”I've been waiting to check this place out all week.” “Then you should have come out yourself.” Twilight crossed her forelegs, snapping her teeth at Rahs' tail as it thwacked her in the nose. That her brother was carrying her backwards didn't help her mood. “Place is in your name, and I don't want a breaking and entering charge filed against me. ”Spike shrugged. “Why the buck does every one want me to go into this stupid castle?” Twilight demanded. “Why are you trying to avoid going into it so much?” 'Several reasons. The first is the castle seems to really want me to go in, and that screams trap. ”Twilight offered. Spike considered looking up at the towering structure as they approached. “Yeah okay, I'll give you that one. But it could be that it was simply designed for you by Harmony. Probably as a 'please don't break reality' gift, slash, bribe.” Twilight considered. “Okay. That is a possibility after all I did to the box to try and get it open. “Arf.” Rahs added. “Yeah, and him.” Spike shuddered. “What does my old pet fish have to do with this?” Twilight demanded. “ Never mind. Another reason is that thing is a demi god. It's the child of Harmony.” “It's a tree.” Spike frowned. “So is Harmony. That box must have been a seed.” Twilight ranted. “And I refuse to live inside something's child.” Spike and Rahs looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “So who's child do you think Golden Oaks is?” Spike asked. “That's different, Golden Oaks is a tree and trees don't have children like that....fuck you and your damn dragon logic.” Twilight fumed as Spike and Rahs laughed. “Oh come on, this might be fun. You already found a portal, what else might be in there?” Spike smirked. “Is this a bad time?” a voice asked Rahs and Spike looked over to see the Guard Captain of the Ponyville Guard trotting up. The dark gray winged nox-cal was in his armored uniform so this was likely a business call. Rahs was rather surprised he could walk after his mare friend was done with him after the fight and the results for the Guard in Ponyville. A number of the older ones had retired in the last week having had enough finally. “Nah, whatcha need Comet Trail?” Spike asked. Comet Trail regarded the two brothers and the rump of Twilight tucked under Rahs' arm, and decided not to ask. “I actually needed to speak with Twilight if you don't mind.” Comet Trail looked up at Rahs. The Moon Dog simply shrugged and pulled Twilight from under his arm spinning the mare around to face Comet Trail. Upside down of course. “You know. I can kill you now and since you won't die it will be nice and legal.” Twilight glared up at her brother. “Please don't.” Comet Trail sighed. “Fine. For now. What is it you need Captain?” Twilight asked. “Err yes. As you know during the encounter with the Sirens the old stone Guard tower at the edge of the Everfree was destroyed. We've been in the process of designing a new building and considering costs and the like as well, but it seems we may not have to.” the nox-cal offered Why's that?” Spike asked. “We've sent a few investigations to your Crystal Tree since it appeared...” “Not mine. Luna's.” Twilight corrected. “Yours.” Comet Trail corrected right back. “Registered to a one Princess Twilight Tuesday Sparkle. Nice and legal.” “Damn it Luna...... hey since she's a god can I...” Twilight began. “Still regicide.” Comet cut her off. “Plus you'd piss off Sweetiebelle.” Spike added. “And making her mad just snowballs into disaster.” “At any rate we found a structure in one of the massive roots on northern side of the castle, left of the main door facing the town proper. Upon investigating it seems the place was designed to be a guards barracks.” Comet Trail continued. “The lay out of it is pretty much everything we would need and I would like to ask your permission to use it. After the last few major attacks we will be getting a larger contingent of guards. Enough to be an actual force rather than a police unit like we have been and given we are down to only ten guards after all the retirements we need the support. Plus with it out here, it's right between Sweet Apple Acres and the town itself rather than between the town and the Diamond Dog warrens. Since those warrens are abandoned now and the Jade Wolves are friendly this is a better position for the new Guard Post Though we still will have a watch tower or two set up on the other sides of town.” Twilight stared up at Rahs, or down from her perspective. “I told you it was too Princesssy, it's even got guard barracks. And look at the uniform, you cannot tell me that's not someones ideas of my coat for Princess colors.” Rahs raised an eyebrow looking at the purple and dark blue armor trimmed in a brighter green the nox-cal wore, then back at the purple and magenta mare he held “Woof.” “What do you mean you don't see it? I know you're not color blind.” Twilight ranted. “Twilight. The Mayor chose these colors. The green is to represent the founding of the town based on farms. The purple is representative of the royal grant that allowed the town to flourish and the blue is one of three colors chosen by the design team after the Guard flat out refused to wear red.” “Red?” Spike asked. “Red clothing is considered bad luck in the guard, or any security field in truth.” Comet Trail pointed out. “Shirts in particular.” Twilight grumbled to herself a moment. “You know what fine, go ahead, if it means the mayor gets off my case about reinforcing everything again, plus I'm sure she'll be happy with the tax bits saved that she doesn't need to pay for a new Guard post. Rahs let's get this over with.” Twilight waved a hoof and Rahs shook his head walking off towards the castle. Spike stood there a moment more before glancing at Comet Trail. “So how long did it take you to come up with that string of bull shit?” “About six seconds, I didn't think she would ask about the uniform color.” Comet Trail smirked. “Seems you figured it out though.” “Please, it's not that hard. All the Guards watching us and trying to hide suddenly vanish and you get fancy new uniforms and armor?” Spike grinned. “Clearly the Princesses decided it would be easier to simply post more guards around.” “And we got a bunch of 'new' recruits as well. Though Rarity has been asking for a male Guard as well for some reason.” Comet Trail considered. “She needs a new dress horse I expect.” Spike nodded sagely. “I thought that was what Sombra was for?” Comet Trail chuckled. “He's put on some muscle since he started blacksmithing ,she needs a different body type.” Spike offered. “SPIKE, get your lizard tail over here if you wanna see this thing so bad!” Twilight bellowed. “She's a bit pissy today isn't she?” Comet Trail sighed. “It's been quite a week for everyone.” Spike nodded lopeing after his siblings. “Ain't that the truth.” Comet Trail nodded, taking to the air with a snap of leathery wings to head off and start the paperwork. The inside of the crystal castle was immense. Far bigger than it should have been. Despite her reluctance Twilight was quite curious about this place. So far she had found her brothers could all get in as could the other Element Bearers though none of them had seen the same rooms when they came in. Rahs claimed he could smell magic, but he couldn't taste it, as if the power was being kept just out of his reach. Spike at some point either licked the wall or bit it as he complained for a while that the castle tasted like wood rather than some tasty gem. The living quarters of the place were bigger than Golden Oaks, and even though the glowing crystal walls and floor made it seem like the rooms would be bad to sleep in, the crystal dimmed at the tap of a button making the room dark. There was a kitchen, some rather modern bathrooms, a fairly large dining area, rooms that almost seemed tailored to the other Element Bearers in design, even if the furnishings were not there. There were also a number of extra bedrooms and store rooms. Twilight took note that the castle was clearly trying to entice them to stay. Spike was already enthralled with some of the rooms, many seemed perfect for his games and storage of other game things. Her youngest brother was already talking about hosting a gaming con with all the space. The massive empty book shelves of a library, that some how dwarfed the size of Canterlot Library, coupled with numerous smaller libraries every where she looked made things tempting. But it also made her certain there was something at work here. Spike had gone nuts over the odd holographic table of the world. Given how the shadows and light moved, the map updated in real time, though none of them could figure out how to control or do anything with it. In the end, it was a large set of doors just off the main hall that spelled the end of her resistance. Mostly as she wasn't going to be given a choice. Opening the massive double doors lead into a fair sized lobby area with what looked like a booth for a teller you would find at a bank or information kiosk, to either side of the booth were another set of doors. Opening these was when Twilight realized she had lost any argument she tired about moving into this place before it even began. The doors opened into a massive auditorium, with a large stage at the front. While there was no equipment, the riggings for curtains and lights were all present. Twilight was certain the squee her brother let out hurt the ears of the diamond dogs in the warrens outside of town. She had hardly seen him move before Rahs seemed to be every where at once checking out everything. When he finally came back to where she was , he was targeting her with a set of puppy dog eyes that he hadn't used since they were younger. That he had pulled two moon dog puppies from the Oneiroi. Their parents were probably going to be mad at him when he brought them back, though both of them were also doing the cute begging look, one even had a quivering lip. “Stars damn it.” Twilight growled .