Under Hooves
Chapter two: Metal against magic
Steele launched from building to building, hovering over and behind the strange ponies below him. He saw two hooded ponies leave the cafe without a word, nor a payment. Even if they weren’t related to Light’s poisoning they must be brought to justice! For there is no such thing as delicious free food in Canterlot! Except for his great grandmamas apple strudel; at least in Steele’s experience.
The mysterious ponies looked over their shoulders every few seconds. These guys were definitely baddies. Steele flew closer to the ground as they entered a donut shop. What’s with shady characters and donut shops these days? Steele sighed and landed in front of the building, then opened the door after a few seconds. The room smelled of warm coffee and sugar. There were a few tables full, but donut shops weren’t very popular in the daytime. He saw the two ponies ahead of him sit down at a table with another; most likely their boss. He needed a disguise. He looked around, there were a few hats on a hat rack to his left. Who uses a hat rack?! He donned a felt fedora and covered his eyes.
He sat down at a table within hearing distance of the ponies and strained his ears. Too bad Zane wasn’t here, he could just read their minds and be done with it. That whole natural ability to dive into your mind and peek around always creeped Steele out, but he was who he was. He can’t change that.
He heard the boss pony talk, “Is it done?”
“Celestia found us out, sir. Light is still equine.”
The leader sighed. “Great, now what are we supposed to do? I’ll speak with the Shades, they’ll know what our next move will be. What of our informant?”
“She was present at the meeting, and did her job well. We were merely a second too late.”
He grunted, Celestia wasn’t going to believe this. The next sentence spoken by their leader caught Steele by surprise. “Did they figure out what to do with Zane?”
“Light Praise was against the idea, but apparently Celestia said otherwise.”
“We have to watch out for him in the future... or just get rid of him.” He chuckled slightly, his minions doing the same.
Wow... These guys were classic bad. They even had the evil capes n’ all. Steele stood, he had to tell Celestia about this news. He was walking out of the shop when one of the hooded ponies pointed at him and yelled to his comrades, “Hey, it’s one of the guys that helped Celestia!”
Aw snap.
He rushed out the door and launched into the air. Ha! They couldn’t follow him now! He looked back to see both of the minions take off their cloaks to reveal bald heads... and wings. Steele’s eyelids closed partially. “Really?” He said mock questioningly.
They shot off in the air, Steele weaving and diving in between buildings to get rid of his pursuers. One broke off from the other, flying high into the air. Steele turned swiftly around a corner and stopped abruptly. The flyer behind him screamed around the corner, not noticing Steele behind a crate of apples. He smirked and turned around, launching off down the street.
The other pegasus flew down behind Steele, catching him off guard. He flew faster, his trail of sparks raining down behind him. He saw a tall white pony with three others gathered around her in the street. Was that Celestia? He whizzed past them violently, “Get this freak off of me!”
Zane and everypony else looked to see Steele and his spark stream shoot past them across the street and into an alleyway. He laughed once, “There’s Steele, but what’s he running from?” The answer to his question flew by a second later. Zane growled and raced after them, “There’s gotta be a way to help him!” He activated his magic and connected Steele’s mind to his own. He was getting out of range, he had to turn around! Zane screamed in his head, and even though there was no way of Steele hearing him, his thoughts ran anyway. He could feel the connection growing; did it work? Could Steele hear him?
Steele swiftly landed in front of Celestia and dashed out of the way of the incoming pegasus. He almost landed when a barrier of magic appeared around him, stopping his momentum completely. Celestia walked forward with her horn aglow. “And who might you be?”
The bald pony didn’t respond, but Steele was more than happy to. “One of ‘em said they were going to talk to the ‘Shades’ or whatever. You know anything about that?”
Celestia’s eyes widened, then she regained her composure and turned to the pony in her magical grasp, “Are the Shades of Gray behind this?”
He didn’t speak again, but Luna stepped in and took a hold of him with her magic, “If you’re a part of the Shades, I’m going to make you wish you were never bor-”
“Okay fine!” The pony screamed.
Zane and Steele were speechless. The princesses were acting quite strange, aggressive even. Would they hurt another pony?
The bald one spoke again in fright, “The Shades of Gray are back- well, they never left! It’s been passed down from generation to generation until now. We’re getting bigger, that’s all I know! I swear!”
Celestia looked him deep in the eye, “You know anything about trying to poison Light Praise?”
The pony nodded, “Yes! Just please don’t hurt me!”
Celestia chuckled, “He’s been told about the past, Luna. You know what to do.”
Luna nodded and teleported away with the prisoner. Celestia turned to the two friends, “You musn’t speak of this to anypony. This is strictly between you two and us, you understand?”
Zane and Steele nodded, and Celestia smiled. “Now, for your education Zane.” Woah, she changed topics easily. “You’ll be at the Castle at six in the morning tomorrow, yes?”
“Alright.” Zane said uneasily. The princesses were acting very strange indeed.
“Good day to you two.” she said quickly before teleporting away.
Strangely enough nopony else was present at the time to witness the scene. Must have been after closing time. Zane raised an eyebrow to Steele. “So, what compelled you double back?”
“Oh, right, that. I don’t know, I just felt like I should. I definitely wouldn’t have normally, but it’s like somepony else put the idea into my head...”
“Right...” Zane dug his hoof in the ground in thought. “Well, did you notice what I noticed about the princesses?”
“What, that Celestia and Luna are going insane over this Shades thing?”
“Yeah. Whatever it is, they’re scared of it.”
Steele glared at Zane. “Dude, did you read their minds?”
“No! No no no, I would never!” He grinned wide, his teeth shining brightly in the sunlight.
Steele didn’t take it, he stared at his friend and sighed. “Seriously Zane, that’s starting to creep me out.”
“Took you long enough. It’s only been about a decade.”
The pegasus chuckled, “Let’s go home, our parents might be a tad worried.”
“Maybe just yours, mine are used to me going out late at ni-”
Steele interrupted, “Oh, Zane.”
Zane grunted in annoyance, “What...”
“That wasn’t the only pegasus following me, so we might want to get home... quickly.”
“Alright, not a word of this to our parents.”
“I get it, I get it. We have to follow Celestia’s every word...” Steele’s ears pricked up as if he had come to a great realization. “Wait, that thought in my head earlier. Was that you?!”
Zane kept on walking without a word, but a grin was plastered to his face the whole way home.
***
“Where are they?!” Zane’s mother, Mari SparkSpur ran about her house collecting Zane’s items. Her son came through the door with Steele. She ran up to them with a distraught look, “Where have you been? I’ve been so worried! You’re leaving tomorrow!”
Zane gave a questioning grunt, “Wait, I’m leaving?”
Mari scoffed at the ponies, “You’ve been asked by Princess Celestia herself to open a new forge in Ponyville!”
Zane laughed, “Mom, you might not believe us, but we just spoke with Celestia. She didn-”
“You what?!” Mari reared her head back, “Oh my goodness, my son speaks to the princess without telling his own mother?!”
Zane lowered his eyelids, “It was an emergency.”
“An emergency? You didn’t bother to tell me?”
“No, I didn’t!” Zane yelled, “Now what’s going on?”
Mari took a scroll from atop a dresser next to her and gave it to Zane. He opened it slowly, fearing the words he would read.
Dear Sparkspur family,
The guardians of the sun and moon cordially ask you to expand your business to Ponyville as they do not have a metal works business of their own. This would also continue Zane’s education under the instruction of Princess Luna. He will meet with the Princess tomorrow morning at six o’clock for his instructions.
Your princess and friend,
Princess Celestia
Zane’s mouth was partially open for the entire letter. He rolled it back up and set the parchment on the dresser. Apparently this was his first order of training. Celestia didn’t tell him he’d be moving; this was a big surprise. He’d grown up in Canterlot all his life, what would living in the boonies be like? Well, Twilight Sparkle was there, so what could go wrong? He could learn a plethora of magic from her mind!
No, he would do it traditionally; like every other pony. He would listen to his teachers and not cheat. He had gotten past his whole life with his talent, but no more. He would work hard for Luna, and learn what he could.
Steele moved back from looking over Zane’s shoulder, “Moving to Ponyville?! Who’ll I hang out with?”
Zane looked back at him with a confidence in his eyes. “Hey, it just says to expand the business. It doesn’t say I can’t bring a friend. Plus, I think I’ll need your expertise.”
“Well Duh! You couldn’t pound that metal into shape yourself!” Steele put his hooves on his hips, head high and grinned.
Zane laughed. “Yeah yeah, don’t get too puffed up. You still need me to move everything.”
“Well not everything. I can handle the smaller stuff my self. Y’know, like plows, and stuff. Just can’t make the big stuff, like statues and whatnot without your horn.” Steele replied indignantly.
Zane chuckled. “Alright he-pony. Go pack, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Steele nodded and said his goodbyes. Zane sighed as he flung himself onto his bed. What would tomorrow bring? Did Celestia expect him to work with the great Twilight Sparkle herself? Perhaps Zane would take a peek into the princess’s mind tomorrow, just to see what was going on in the big picture.
But for now, he would dream of Ponyville.
***
The sunlight felt like it was boring through his skull as it shafted through crack in his window shutters. He turned over to face his pillow, then the memory hit him. He shot up instantly, launching out of bed. He ran out of his room to see his mother and father standing in the kitchen preparing what looked like oats and fried grass. He danced in place, talking to his parents, “Good morning mum, g’morning dad!” He ran back into his room and flung what was in his closet into a suitcase. He was going to miss his insanely large bed and table full of knick knacks he’s collected over the years... good thing he’s bringing the knick knacks so he wouldn’t miss those too. He cleared the table off with one sweep of his hoof, knocking everything into the suitcase. He wasn’t much of an organizer, that was sure.
The suit case was to the brim when he was finished. Good, only one suitcase of stuff. He trotted out of his room and past the picture of himself graduating the magic school with his older brother behind him and into the dining room to his right. The unicorn smiled, his brother hadn’t been around for a long time. His family was just starting to get over his absence about a year ago.
His home wasn’t like most ponies in Canterlot. It opened into a main hallway with doors branching off, the hall ending up in the kitchen with the dining room next to it. Most pony’s houses (especially in Canterlot) involved a single large room first, then either a staircase or a single room off to the side. Luckily, business had been booming with the Griffons building with steel and iron instead of wood.
Zane sat down at the table with his family and chowed down on the meal before him; which gave him time to think about today. What was Celestia planning with the whole Ponyville thing? Wasn’t Canterlot full of magical professors? Wouldn’t he learn more from the theorists and thinkers than from the rough n’ tumble in Ponyville? He didn’t disagree with Celestia, how could he? He just wanted something a bit more grand. It must have been the inner Canterlot in him.
He finished and lifted his suitcase into the air. His father, a gray coated dark blue maned stallion hugged him tight. “You do well to expand, alright son? I just got back from Ponyville, it’s a nice town!”
Zane smiled, “I’ll make you proud.” He turned to his mother who was about to go to tears, “Don’t worry mum, I’ll be fine on my own.”
She hugged him as well, “You probably already know this, but I love you son.”
He chuckled, “Yup, I did.”
The trip to the castle was uneventful. Steele just had to buy an apple on the way there, or else he would have “starved.” He slurped up the rest of the juice from his hooves as he hovered next to Zane. “Mm, that was good... I’m still hungry.”
Zane glared at his companion, “Then why didn’t you eat at home?!”
“Well, I wasn’t hungry then!” He folded his front legs accusingly, “Would you eat if you weren’t hungry?”
Zane shook his head, “Whatever, just don’t go complaining to the princess, alright?”
The rest of the walk was in silence as both the ponies were deep in thought. What would Ponyville be like? Were the elements of harmony as good as everypony else say they are? Steele stopped Zane from running into the castle’s gate, “Hey, we’re here.” They both looked up at the large gate in front of them, two guards to their sides. They looked at each other, then back at the gate. Steele grinned, “You ready?”
Zane nodded silently, “Yeah...”
“Don’t be such a scaredy pony!”
Zane glared at Steele again, “Don’t tempt me.” He looked up at his horn then back down at his friend. Steele merely smiled wide as the front gate opened slowly
“Welcome, Zane.” The voice of Celestia echoed through the main hall. Stained glass pictures fascinated Zane each time he walked through the castle. The latest one, of the Elements of Harmony defeating Discord was the one he stared at. Celestia walked up beside him, “Trust me, there’s a lot worse than him sealed away in stone.”
Zane looked up at Celestia with a fake smile and a drop of sweat on his head, “I can’t really imagine much worse.”
The princess smiled as Steele flew past, “Dude! Paintings in the glass! Check it out...”
Zane laughed, “You’ve never seen stained glass before?”
“I work in a metal shop, not a... glass... making place.”
Celestia laughed as Luna entered the room, “Hello Celestia.” She yawned, “Oh, hello Zane, Steele...” Her eyes bugged out as she flew a couple inches into the air, “Oh! I’m so sorry, I just woke up.” She landed and straightened herself to look as regal as possible, but the image of her buzzing around yawning was enough to make Zane laugh inwardly. “Anyway,” She continued, “as you know, I’m going to be your new teacher, Zane.” She smiled wide, her royal teeth shining in the dawn light.
Zane nodded, bowing to the floor, “I’m honored to be taught by such a learned pony.”
Luna shook her hoof in his face, “Hey hey, none of that “honored teacher” stuff. Our students are more friends than strict pupils. We teach as we go about, but this way you’ll eventually learn more than the average pony.”
“And Luna still has a bit to learn about common speaking nowadays.” Celestia added.
“Yes, actually I was hoping if you wouldn’t mind if I practiced on you. At least until we’re in public.”
Zane nodded. He knew about Luna’s speech, and he was worried about it for a moment yesterday. He didn’t know much in the way of the old proper language. He only knew just enough to get by in the poshiest of posh in Canterlot.
Celestia’s eyes grew dark and her mouth curled downwards. “With that said, about yesterday...” She walked off behind them, her voice as cold as ice. “You have to know something. Come with me.”
Zane and Steele followed like animals to the slaughter. Which was not a very welcome thought.