//------------------------------// // Accompaniment // Story: A Tale Never Told // by TimeFactor //------------------------------// "Wow! You can see the entire city from here!" Lyra and her new friends were following Cadance as they ascended a large staircase that twisted around one of the castle's towers. In her excitement, Lyra had been the first to reach the top where she was gazing down at the city. From this height she could make out the numerous buildings, but finding actual ponies proved difficult with patrolling pegasi blocking her vision. "Would you cut that out?" Candance asked behind her in an annoyed tone. "We're not here to sightsee, remember?" "R-Right." Lyra said with a false smile. "My apologies, Princess." “Princess…?” She sighed. "…Princess Mi Amore Cadenza…” Cadance smirked. "Looks like you're finally getting it." Lyra stumbled back, unsure what to think of the princess' first smile since they reunited. It was not a pleasant one and carried a more mischievous vibe. However, Lyra decided to ignore this observation in hopes that Cadance's icy exterior was finally beginning to thaw. After all, the princess did not reprimand her for going ahead. Standing by the entrance to the next room, Cadance waited for Minuette and Twinkleshine to rejoin and line up with Lyra before she magically opened the large double doors with a vibrant green aura. Seeing made Lyra tilt her head. She stared at Cadance's horn for a few seconds and then nudged Twinkleshine. “Hey," she whispered, "how long did you know Cadance again?” Twinkleshine looked towards the princess before turning back to Lyra. “Uh… A few years. Why?” “Wasn’t her magic…blue?” “Hm...I don’t remember. It’s been so long…” "Huh..." The group proceeded inside one of the castle's suites. It was circular in shape with tall arched windows that provided an overhead view of the castle in every direction. A vanity and a queen-sized bed lying beneath a pink-draped tent were to the left while a large wooden wardrobe and the entrance to the bathroom were to the right. The opposite walls were mainly adorned with bright tapestries that complimented the bright chandelier hanging from the center of the spire roof. "Please," a voice said mockingly, unaware of the group’s presence, "call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!" Also here were two unicorn mares currently having a conversation. Lyra immediately recognized them as friends from Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. Technically Lyra did not interact with Twilight often, but she still considered her a friend regardless. Twilight Sparkle was a violet mare with a unique cutie mark. It was a pink six-pointed star surrounded by fives smaller white ones. Provided he knew her, anyone would recognize the violet and pink streaks in her dark indigo mane and tail. Around Ponyville, everypony knew Twilight as the local librarian at Golden Oaks Library and less commonly as Princess Celestia's apprentice. She was also considered one of the main leaders in Ponyville. Saving the town from a rudely awakened Ursa Minor and breaking the town's late spring season streak are among some of her many achievements ever since she moved in from Canterlot. All of Twilight's accomplishments originally surprised Lyra. When both mares still lived in Canterlot, Twilight always had the reputation of being a recluse, an asocial girl who almost always locked herself inside the castle's library and did nothing but study. The news of her moving to Ponyville sounded like a practical joke to Lyra. When she learned of the welcome party being planned for Twilight, Lyra did not hesitate to go see it for herself. She believed witnessing Twilight's progress played a small part in finding a new home in Ponyville. Who would have thought an awkward girl like Twilight could make many new friends and contribute in defeating the returns of Nightmare Moon and Discord? Rarity was a white mare with three blue diamonds for a cutie mark. The ends of her purple mane and tail were always seen curled in a spiral. Rarity was both a fashion designer and seamstress who ran the Carousel Boutique, Ponyville's best and only clothing store specializing in formal attire. It was the common go-to place for anyone in need of a fancy suit or elegant dress. After receiving appraise from famous stars of Equestria's fashion industry such as Sapphire Shores, Photo Finish, and Hoity Toity, business for Carousel Boutique had skyrocketed. Though recently Rarity had been limiting her orders to prevent the job from dominating her personal life. "Did I hear someone say my name?" Cadance asked. “Your Highness!” Rarity exclaimed. In an instant, the seamstress dashed towards the princess. She then bowed before her unaware of her unimpressed glare. "Let me just start by saying what an honor it is to play a role in such a momentous occasion. Ehehe…” “Uhuh… Is my dress ready?” “Oh- Uh- Y- Uh yes! Of course!” Rarity showed Cadance her mannequin wearing a crown of flowers and a newly stitched wedding dress. It currently consisted of an aqua-colored bodice with the straps extending from the waistline and a white skirt lined with golden lace. The finishing touch to the collar was a fake crystal heart perfectly matching Cadance’s cutie mark. It was currently serving as a placeholder for the real treasure. “I’ve been working on it ever since I was given the assignment. I think you’ll be pleased with the results~!” Cadance did not bother looking at it for more than two seconds before walking away. “I was looking for something with more beading and a longer train...” “Oh! Yes… Of course!” Rarity raised a notepad and quill with her light blue magic to write down Cadance’s comments. “And those should be a different color.” Cadance was indicating another row of nearby mannequins wearing the dresses created for the bridesmaids. They were basic designs, consisting of only the skirt portion and a necklace of either pearls or a flower bud. What they all shared, however, was the crown of aquamarine pearls and a set of jungle green flowers with a pink center. “I think they’re lovely!” Twinkleshine remarked with the others soon joining in. “Me too!” “I love them!” Cadance immediately glared back. Twinkleshine and Minuette looked away, pretending to not have said anything. Lyra cringed back but still kept her eyes on the princess. It seemed Cadance “opening up” was still a false hope to her. “Make them a different color.” Cadance told Rarity. The Princess turned back and exited the room with Twinkleshine and Minuette following. However, Lyra decided to stay behind for a moment to examine the dresses more closely. She at least wanted a better idea of what she was going to wear for the ceremony. “Gee,” Twilight began, “maybe her name should be Princess Demandypants.” “Oh, she’s not that bad...” Lyra muttered. “Not bad? Have you seen the way she’s been acting? I don’t know when she changed, but she changed...! Wait…didn’t I say that already...?” “Changed? So I’m not the only one? Hey, Twilight-! Huh? Where did she go?” It seemed Twilight had already left before Lyra could notice. “Oh, don’t mind her.” Rarity told her as she began stitching a new bodice with a golden sheet roll of fabric. “Twilight’s probably just a little upset her about her brother.” “Didn’t really look like that to me…” Rarity continued speaking as she worked on the dress. “Trust me… By the way, Lyra, you should’ve told me you were one the bridesmaids! I would’ve put extra work into your dress if I knew!” “Hehe… Well, this was kind of a last minute thing.” “Oh, I understand. Is Bon Bon here with you too?” “Yeah, but we split up once we got to the castle. She’s with a friend we met on the train.” “I see… Well, I do hope you like the dress.” “This one, right?” Lyra walked up to the left-most mannequin wearing a cold violet pearl necklace and a yellow skirt with a red waistline. Rarity quickly turned her head before going back to work on the wedding dress. “Yes. What color would you like it?” Lyra rotated the mannequin trying to picture herself wearing it at certain angles. “But I really like this though… I guess turquoise so it matches my body?” “Alright... I’ll get on it once I finish this. Tell Bon Bon I said ‘Hello’.” “See ya.” Lyra headed back towards the exited but quickly stopped when she gripped the door handle. “Oh, do you know where Twilight was heading?” “Uh… Either Pinkie Pie’s reception in the castle ballroom or Fluttershy’s musical choir in the wedding chamber.” “Fluttershy it is! Thanks!” Dashing out the door and running down the staircase, Lyra headed towards the castle’s central audience chamber since it was much closer. As she was about to turn left at a corner, a mare suddenly appeared dragging something from the right. Unable to stop, Lyra was forced to crash into her. Upon impact, the pair slid across the floor and knocked over a marble stand. Luckily nothing had been placed on it, but Lyra was unfortunate enough to have it fall on top of her hind legs. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Ooooooow! That huuuuurts!” “Hold still. I’ll move it.” The unknown mare quickly lifted the stand and moved Lyra’s legs out of the way before setting it down. “Ugh… Thanks and…sorry about crashing into you like that. Hehe…” “Don’t worry.” she replied in an accent similar to the Doctor. Lyra was surprised to finally hear a pony with an exotic accent like his. She had started to believe the Doctor was the only pony who spoke like that. “I’m quite used to it, believe or not. Are you all right though? You were screaming in pain.” She was a grey earth pony with a gravel-colored mane and an amethyst treble clef for a cutie mark. Lyra assumed she was one of Canterlot’s nobility since they were in the castle, but this pony did not dress in elaborate outfits that most noblemares used. She only wore a simple white collar with a pink bowtie. The longer Lyra looked at her, she noticed that this mare never fully opened her eyes, keeping them half-open as if she was bored looking at her. “Oh! No, I’m fine! Really sorry about that!” Lyra faked a smile once again and stood up ignoring the pain. The new mare did not respond and stepped forward. She lowered her head to examine Lyra’s injury. The unicorn's legs were trembling, almost as if they were ready to collapse at any moment. “Lie back.” she commanded. “Huh?” “You’re hind legs are obviously in deep pain. Let me test them.” “But-“ Lyra was physically forced down before she could finish her objection. The earth pony performed a basic inspection, mainly checking for any broken bones. Lyra gave small yelps from the mare’s poking, but did not dare move just in case. “Well, nothing serious. You’ll probably have two big bruises soon, but since you're a unicorn magic will be able to mask that. Just don’t put too much stress on those legs.” “Thanks…” she said looking away. “…Octavia.” “What?” “That is the proper way to thank somepony's hospitality, is it not? By their name?” “Oh… Right… Thanks, Octavia.” “You seem troubled.” Lyra laughed, though the fact she knew it was hours since the last time she felt amused disturbed her. “Well, yeah. I just had a heavy stand fall on me!” “Is this how you deal with all your problems? Laugh them off?” Lyra regain self-control and looked up at Octavia who still stared at her with a bored expression. “You wouldn’t understand…” “I understand enough to know something is bothering you.” “...It’s Cadance.” “The bride, correct?” “I’m one of her bridesmaids…and what I thought was her friend…” “Well, why don’t you start from the beginning?” Lyra turned her head to see Octavia sit back against the wall next to her. “Uh, weren’t you in the middle of going somewhere though?” “It can wait.” Octavia replied staring off into space. “Besides…that nutter is the reason I’m here…” ----- “He-Hey! If it ain’t the Doctor himself!” The Doctor and Derpy had entered one of Canterlot’s many dining establishments where they were immediately greeted by the store’s owner, Joe. He was a light amber, brown-maned unicorn with a sprinkle-covered strawberry donut for a cutie mark. Around the more common citizens of Canterlot, this stallion was known by the nickname, Pony Joe, which inspired the name for his bakery. He was almost always seen wearing his usual working uniform, a simple white baker shirt and vendor hat, even when he was not working. The interior of Joe’s shop was designed in a fancy Canterlot style. White and gray checkerboard tiles, parallel rows of numerous pointed arch glass windows, and hanging paper lanterns made this room seem like part of Canterlot Castle. But now it was customized to house a bakery. Round wooden tables were scattered across the room, some of them already occupied by ponies stopping by to eat. Yellow portraits of various pastries such as cookies and donuts decorated the pistachio green walls. And across from the entrance was the main counter that displayed Joe’s grand selection of donuts within a glass casing. “Hello, Joe.” the Doctor greeted him as he approached the counter. He quickly glanced at Derpy who was examining what was currently available, mainly the muffins on the tray racks lined up against the back wall. “Business as usual, I see?” “Heh. Tell me about it. Ever since word got out about the wedding, I’ve been getting customers from all over Equestria. Hay, I even got some griffons and a pair of teenage dragons. You won’t believe how much of racket those last two caused.” “Haha! Well, I do hope you can still manage this place by yourself.” “Hey, if I’ve been doin’ this for twenty years, I can do it for twenty more!” “Trust me. You will.” “Uh, Doc?” Derpy meekly interrupted. “I thought you said we weren’t going to Pony Joe’s.” “No. I falsely told Bon Bon that we were meeting an important friend at Pony Joe’s in a quarter of an hour. We were going to meet him at the quarter of the fourth hour…plus I got hungry!” Derpy sighed. "You really need to stop doing that…” “So I’m important now?” Joe asked in an amused tone. “Hehe! Now that’s a first!” “Oh, come now.” the Doctor told him as he turned his head to the dining ponies. “Everypony’s important in some way or another, even that dashing fellow right over ther-Wait a minute, is that a pear pie?” The stallion had a look of disgust on his face. "You actually serve those now?" Joe laughed once again before shifting into a serious expression. “Alright, Doc. What is it that you want?” “Ten of your finest donuts, a large muffin for the mare, and access to that secret passage of yours.” Joe’s eyes widened and nervously stepped back. He quickly examined the room, worriedly twisting his head in all directions to make sure nopony else had been listening. Thankfully, they were all still chatting amongst themselves. Not wishing to continue the conversation here, Joe motioned the pair to hop over the counter and enter the kitchen through a metal door. Inside was a simple white space, medium in size and furnished with all the necessary equipment a bakery needed. “Who told you about that?” Joe asked. He was clearly angry that somepony knew about his apparent secret. The Doctor did not react to this sudden change of mood and casually inspected his hoof. “I know certain ponies. They know certain stories. Those stories know certain histories.” Joe remained quiet, unsure of what to do. He considered forcing the information out of the Doctor but deemed that action as too rash. He turned his attention to Derpy for a moment, but she just seemed deeply confused about the situation. “Well?” Joe sighed as he walked over to the nearby oven. It was quite large compared to a regular oven, almost double in size. Gripping one side, Joe pushed the machine until it revealed a wooden door hidden amongst the floor panels. It seemed quite old and unused for years. Joe then gripped the faded gold handle and pulled it with all his strength. Once it was open and the dust cleared, it revealed an old staircase leading into a dark underground tunnel. “The castle armory’s at the other side.” Joe plainly told the Doctor. “Make sure nopony’s at the other end or I’ll have to bail you out of the dungeon…again...” “Oh, that was an accident,” the Doctor replied, “but thank you, Joe!” “Again. What’s all this about, Doc?” “Oh, the usual business. Now about those donuts and that muffin…?” Joe sighed once again and walked out of the room. He soon returned with a large paper bag filled with his pastries. He then hoofed it to Derpy who immediately removed the sticker seal to retrieve the large muffin resting atop the donut pile and tossed the entire delicacy into her mouth. “Thanks!” Derpy said with a full mouth. “So, uh... What’s wiff the secret passage?” “Well, uh… Too put things simple-“ “He and Celestia have a history together.” the Doctor quickly finished for him. This statement made Derpy suddenly swallow her food and grin with delight. “Dog!” “Would you just take the donuts and go?” Joe angrily asked blushing. “I have customers waiting at the counter!” “Hehe! Alright!” Derpy followed the Doctor down the staircase as Joe closed the door behind them and sealed it once again with the oven. Inside the tunnel, the only light to guide the way was the Doctor’s special tool, a sonic screwdriver. It was a small pen-like device with multiple functions though the Doctor was only making use of the blue light attached to the end. The tunnel itself was straightforward, no branching paths that could possibly lead the pair astray. Its size was actually quite larger than the entrance implied, large enough for Derpy to spread her wings and even take flight if she desired. Expecting this walk to take some time, the Doctor exchanged the screwdriver for the paper bag. Rummaging through his selection, he pulled out a powdered donut and began eating. “Blast. I should’ve told Joe to hold off on the powdered ones. I was never fond of this world’s-Oh, who am I kidding? Joe’s donuts even make the powdered ones taste heavenly! Would you like one, Derpy?” “Uh, no thanks. I’m good.” “Suit yourself. More for me!” ----- Bon Bon and Vinyl entered one of the castle's outdoor gardens where the reception was to take place. It was located just outside the ballroom in the south eastern portion of the castle where it had a clear view over the main courtyard and the city. The garden had a simple design, a large circular shape. Two black archways, each placed at opposite ends and decorated with thornless red, pink, and violet roses, served as the entrance. Large rose bushes formed the perimeter along with black metal fencing shaped like vines and golden street lamps for good measure. The area was mostly a large field of grass, normally used by Canterlot’s nobility and upper class to play crochet. In the center was the end of a close walkway leading to the southern exit. Not many materials had been prepared yet besides a few streamers. And the only pony around was a lone pink earth pony with wild puffy hair and three balloons for a cutie mark. Bon Bon and Vinyl immediately recognized Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's 'Party Extraordinaire'. When not running around Ponyville or hopping over rooftops bringing smiles to everypony's face, she was usually found working at Sugarcube Croner, a bakery near the town's marketplace. There was not a single pony (or any creature) in Ponyville that did not know Pinkie Pie's name. Pinkie did not take notice of the pair as she seemed too preoccupied with her Party Cannon, a small wheeled cannon that could fire everything party-related anypony could imagine from confetti to candle-lit birthday cake. Bon Bon wondered how the mechanics of this weapon made sense, but since this was Pinkie Pie, it was best not to question it. "Something wrong, Pinkie?" Vinyl asked as she approached the mare. "My Party Cannon isn't working right. It's only firing the confetti and nothing else..." "Here. Let me take a look at it..." Vinyl stuck her head and hooves inside of the cannon to find the problem. One could overhear her shuffling through the cannon's seemingly endless supply. This alarmed Bon Bon as she was about to speak up on how dangerous this seemed. "Oh! There's the problem!" Vinyl came out with a small baby alligator biting her hoof. She tried removing it multiple times, but the creature continually grasped onto another part of her body. Bon Bon was surprised Vinyl was not reacting in any motion that resembled pain; the disc jockey just seemed annoyed. In truth, the alligator completely lacked any teeth to pierce skin. "Gummy!" Pinkie exclaimed as she easily grabbed the alligator and tightly hugged him with glee. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you, mister! Thanks a lot, Vinyl!" "No prob. So did they drop off my special surprise yet?” “Oh, uh…” Pinkie seemed unsure of what to tell her. “I’m really sorry! Princess Cadance told me to get rid of it…” Vinyl stood dumbfounded with her mouth agape. “She…what?” “I swear! I tried to keep it, but it was the only thing she didn’t like!” “How could anypony not like it? Where did you put it?” “She got some guards to take it away. I don’t know where though…” Vinyl seemed extremely upset now. By the furious expression on her face, Bon Bon thought she was going to rampage throughout the castle. Pinkie was almost cowering in fear. Apparently seeing an angry Vinyl was something she had never seen before. Desperately trying to ignore this, the scared mare put on the best smile she could manage. “Ugh! Do you know how much time I spent working on that?" Vinyl angrily asked. "Years, Pinkie!” “I-… I’m sorry, Vinyl. But hey! I’ve still got all your speakers and turntables set up! We can use one of your crazy awesome tunes!” “Uh, Vinyl?” Bon Bon worriedly called out. “If you want, we can go look for it.” The earth pony hoped this would calm down her before the situation escalated beyond anyone's control. “Maybe Lyra could convince Cadance to get it back. Or maybe we could get the guards to give it back to us?” “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!” Pinkie exclaimed. Clearly Vinyl was still angry, but she soon backed away and turned towards the castle. “Fine. Let’s go, Bon Bon...” Now caught in the middle, Bon Bon looked back and forth between Vinyl and Pinkie Pie. Technically she did not know Pinkie that well past her glorified reputation, but she still wanted to comfort the poor mare. Going with Vinyl was no different. Bon Bon barely knew this mare and what the repercussions for letting her anger get out of hand would be. “Sorry, Pinkie…” ----- “She’s just really different now… I don’t know why…” Lyra had just finished recounting her story to Octavia. She began with her first meeting in the castle courtyard and continued to the point where she bumped into Octavia. The pair was still sitting in the hallway, barely having shifted from their original position. It was strange that not a single pony had found them yet, not even a patrolling guard, though they just assumed most of them were busy outside. Octavia proved to be a good listener. She never looked away, even when Lyra was disturbed by the loud, echoing sound of a door closing somewhere down the hallway. She always kept eye contact, nodded and agreed at appropriate times, and occasionally asked questions when clarification was needed. “Everypony changes," she said, "…just not that much. Do you know anypony who might help support your claim?” "Are you saying you believe me?" Lyra asked surprised. She found strange how Octavia was this quick to trust her story. "You have that honest look in your eyes. Not many ponies can fake that." “...Well, there’s Twilight. I told you about that. And maybe Shining Armor, that's her brother and Cadance’s groom.” “Any idea where I might be able to find them?” “Rarity said she would be either at the wedding chamber or the ballroom, but she might be gone now since we spent this much time talking to each other. And Shining Armor-” “What about my husband?” a voice interrupted. The mares looked up to see Cadance standing over them. Lyra was a little worried that Cadance would scold her for not rejoining her and the others bridesmaids. In contrast, Octavia remained calm and helped Lyra to her hooves. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” “I got hurt.” Lyra responded. “Can’t exactly move when your legs are in pain...” Cadance lowered her head and examined the injury. “It’s just a few bruises! You can walk just fine, right?” The princess then looked towards her right where Octavia had originally come from before meeting Lyra. She immediately saw a large object parked in the hallway. “And why is that there? I thought I told those guards to get rid of it!” “I’m disposing of it personally.” Octavia told her. “Is there a problem?” Cadance was obviously annoyed to see Octavia. “Oh… It’s you…” “Yes. The mare who had the ‘audacity’ to attempt poking your eye out…” “You’re just lucky it didn’t. Otherwise, I would’ve gotten you kicked out of here!” “Apparently you’re not aware about the concept of accidental mishaps…” “Just shut it before I change my mind. And make sure you really do get rid of that thing.” Cadance then turned her attention to Lyra again. “Since I don’t have much time and you have your…minor hindrance, meet me at my bridal chamber tomorrow morning fully dressed and don’t be late.” Cadance walked off, disappearing through a set of doors that lead back to the courtyard. Meanwhile Lyra followed Octavia to the large cart parked in the hallway. She did not know what it contained as it was covered by a giant white sheet, but it was clearly a massive piece almost four or five times her size. “What is this?” Lyra asked as she was about to lift the sheet. She was able to catch a glimpse inside, but Octavia quickly smacked her hoof away before she could determine its identity. Whatever it was, Lyra could tell light was reflecting off a shiny plate. “Sorry, but I have my reasons. I stumbled upon some guards arguing when I was leaving the castle. Seeing what’s inside, I managed to convince them to let me have it.” “What are you gonna do with it?” “Find its rightful owner, I suppose. That is…assuming I can find her in this city...”