The Visiting Team -- Part II

by Lets Do This


Take Charge

The Golden Chariot, with Twilight and the others aboard, made excellent time back to the Royal City. Shortly thereafter it was touching down on the broad sweep of lawn in front of the grand staircase leading up to the doors of the Royal Palace.

And straight into the midst of bedlam.

Noble ponies and commoners alike were thronging the streets. They stared up at the divided sky, wide-eyed and trembling. The Royal Guard were nearly overwhelmed trying to keep the frightened ponies back from the Palace itself.

"Great Celestia," moaned a silver-haired dowager, "would you look at that sky!"

"Never seen anything like it!" a velvet-jacketed financier yelled. "What do you think it means?"

"There's Princess Twilight!" called a blue-bonneted heiress. "She'll know!"

There was a minor stampede on the Chariot, dozens of ponies trying to crowd close, shouting questions and demands for answers. Twilight and the others descended from the platform, staring about themselves in wordless shock.

All except for Tempest. She rapped an armored hoof, whistled sharply. Several Guard ponies swiftly gathered, and under her watchful eye began gently but firmly clearing a path through the crowd, up the steps to the Palace. As they did so, the doors of the Palace itself burst open. Shining Armor came charging down the steps towards them.

"Twilight! I'm glad you're safe." The blue-maned stallion was practically dancing with agitation, eyes wide and staring. "It's Cadance! And Celestia and Luna! They're..."

"Ehem!" Tempest growled warningly. "You have a report to make, Captain?"

The steel in her tone got through his panic. Getting control of himself, Shining Armor deliberately snapped to attention. "Right. Sorry about that, uh, Commander. It's been a little, well, hectic here -- as you can see."

Twilight put a steadying hoof on his chest-plate. "Take it easy, big brother. We're here to help, but you're going to have to fill us in, okay?"

"Right. Okay... right. We should head inside and discuss it. Detail, fall in!"

With Shining Armor leading the way, the Guard ponies on all sides holding back the crowds, and Tempest herself chaperoning Twilight closely, glaring at anypony who got too close, the ponies trooped up the stairs and into the Palace. The guards shut the doors behind them.

And Shining Armor all but melted into a puddle of anxiety on the carpet.

"Twily! Nopony here has any idea what's happened to the Princesses. None of them have been seen since late last night. I was talking with Cadance myself, not half an hour before they all disappeared. And when I stopped by to check on her later, she was just... gone!"

Twilight stared at him, frightened herself. "There's no clue what happened?"

"Well, there is one thing. This way."

Shining Armor turned and led them up into the Palace corridors. He brought them to one corridor in particular, a long stretch of marble-floored hallway leading towards the Royal Suite. And right in the middle of it, one of the black, twisting vines was poking up through the floor, shoving aside the tiles.

"We've been finding these weird, invasive vines all over the place. In the cellars, the kitchens, the Audience Hall -- even here in the Royal Suite. They seem to be charged with some kind of dark magic, which keeps us from using our own magic to block them or drive them back."

"We've seen them too," Starlight said, edging closer to examining the black tendril. "Though much more invasively, down in Ponyville. It looks like they're coming from the Everfree Forest."

"That's a long ways from here," said Moondancer. "Why would these vines come all the way up the mountain unless --"

"Unless," Tempest finished for her, "they were specifically after the Princesses." She glared around at the guards. "Has anypony else gone missing, apart from their Highnesses?"

The guards shook their heads. "Not that we know of, ma'am."

"Somepony... or something," Twilight said, "wanted to take out all the alicorn Princesses in Equestria."

Moondancer chucked Twilight's shoulder. "Good thing they didn't count on there being a unicorn Princess, huh?"

"Yeah, good thing..." Twilight agreed tensely.

"But... all the Princesses are gone?" Trixie squeaked, looking panicky. "Then... what do we do?"

"Excuse me... Miss Sparkle?"

The group looked round. They found a small, professional-looking white mare standing before them. She had a dark brown mane, thick-framed glasses and a bright red lace jabot. She held a clipboard, tucked in one forehoof. And she simply radiated efficient organization.

"Raven Inkwell," the mare said, nodding briskly. "The Princesses' chief of staff. May I be of assistance?"

"Oh yes, please!" Twilight said. "We've only just arrived, and we need get to the bottom of whatever's been happening here."

"And we need to figure out where the Princesses have gone," Moondancer said. "And how to stop these vines from taking over Equestria."

"We should probably also figure out," Starlight suggested, "what to tell everypony -- before things get really crazy out there."

Raven made a quietly polite noise. It was not exactly a cough or clearing of the throat, more a sort of studied, efficient punctuation mark. "If I may suggest, Miss Sparkle? We should make an official announcement, as quickly as possible, so the citizenry know the situation is under control."

"Yes... uh, right." Twilight replied. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Raven nodded. "I have a contingency proclamation prepared, stating that the Princesses are currently... indisposed? And the Palace staff is working at top efficiency to keep things in order. Further announcements will follow, that sort of thing."

"Sounds reasonable to me." Twilight glanced at her friends. "What do the rest of you think?"

The others nodded in agreement. All except for Trixie. She drew herself up haughtily, set her jaw, shoved her hat forward on her mane, crossed her forehooves.

"No," she said flatly. "That won't do at all."

"Trixie..." Starlight warned. But the showpony put up a hoof for silence. Then she leaned forward, eyeing Raven narrowly.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she said. "Why do you keep calling Twilight 'Miss Sparkle'?"

"What? Uh, Miss --"

"Trixie Luna Moon!" the showpony snapped loftily. "Minister of Propaganda and the Performing Arts. And you haven't answered my question. Is Twilight's proper title not 'Acting Princess'?"

"Well, of course it is, but --"

"And is she not in charge, under the current emergency?"

"According to official protocol, yes. Although --"

"And," Trixie interrupted forcefully, "until one of the other Princesses returns from..." She waved a hoof. "Wherever it is they've been spirited off to, is Twilight not effectively the Princess here?"

Raven stared at the showpony, her mouth open. And Twilight winced, readying an apology for Trixie's behavior...

Then Raven bowed, humbly and unreservedly.

"My deepest apologies, Princess Twilight," she said. "I spoke improperly. How would Your Highness prefer I word the announcement?

Before Twilight could react, Trixie went on. "The first part is... all right," she said grudgingly. "About the Princesses being, uh, held up returning from some conference or other, that's how I'd put it. But as for the rest, it should say Princess Twilight is in charge of the situation. And she and her team are working on resolving it, pending the Princesses' return. Aided of course, by her able and capable staff." Trixie turned and added a curtsey in Twilight's direction for good measure. "If that suits you, Your Highness?"

"That... sounds fine to me," Twilight said cautiously. "But Raven, could you also announce that if anypony has immediate questions or concerns, they can be directed to the Palace staff?"

"Absolutely, Highness." Raven bowed. "I'll have that put out at once." She turned her attention to her clipboard, quickly jotting a few notes with a quill.

And Twilight looked at Trixie in surprise. "Where did all that come from?"

"Huh." Trixie lofted her snout. "Rule one of showbiz, Twilight. There's only room for one act on stage. So make sure they all know it's you."

"A press release isn't going to hold things for long," Starlight fretted. "We'll need to follow it up with some action."

"Like, for instance?" Moondancer asked.

Twilight suddenly realized everypony was looking at her. She cleared her throat, drawing herself up formally.

"Captain Shining Armor," she said.

"Huh?" The Captain quickly came to attention as well. "I mean yes, Your Highness?"

"I want you and the other guards to keep looking for the Princesses. We have to find them quickly, before ponies really start to panic. If you find anything, even the smallest thing, let me know immediately... okay?"

"Of course!" For form's sake, he glanced at Tempest. "Uh, Commander?"

Tempest raised an eyebrow. "You heard the order, Captain."

Shining Armor saluted. Then he and several of the Guard ponies galloped off at once.

"Way to take charge, Twi!" Spike said, and elbowed her proudly.

But Twilight wasn't finished. "Trixie," she said. "As my Minister of Propaganda and Performing Arts, I'll want you to advise me on messaging. And to work on organizing entertainments and diversions, to help take ponies' minds off the crisis."

"Uh, sure," Trixie stared at her uneasily. "This is a different side of you, you know?"

Twilight wasn't listening. "Cheese," she said next. "I'm appointing you my official Court Jester. I want you to work with Trixie to help keep spirits up, particularly inside the Palace. We need to make sure everypony here keeps it together, so they can do their jobs properly."

"Absolutely!" Cheese replied, and he bumped hooves with Trixie.

"Moondancer." Twilight turned to her. "You're my Minister of Research. I want you to check with the ponies at the Archives, see if there's any precedent here. Anything like these vines, anything at all that we can do to contain them, or drive them back."

"I'm on it, Twilight -- I mean, Your Highness!"

Twilight paused and glanced around.

"Gosh, I wish Sunset was here. I've gotten used to having her as my second-in-command."

"Well hey, what about me?" Starlight offered. "I'm pretty good at organizing things."

"Okay," Twilight nodded readily. "You're my second. And my Minister of Magic. I want you to look into how these vines interfere with our spellcasting. See if there are any counter-spells, like Tempest's armor, that we can use to stop that from happening."

"Gotcha." Starlight nodded. "I'll do my best."

Raven made her punctuation-mark noise. "Is there anything that I or the rest of the staff can provide you with right now, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight found she was running out of steam. "Uhh... a quiet room, someplace?" she asked. "Where we can make plans?"

"And maybe breakfast while we work?" Moondancer added. "We haven't eaten yet this morning."

"Of course." Raven nodded. "The Princess's private audience chamber is always kept in readiness. This way, please." Turning, she led the way at a brisk trot, swiftly dispatching orders left and right to other staff ponies as she passed them.

In very short order, Twilight and her friends had been ushered into a small but well-appointed audience room, their breakfast orders taken, and the doors closed behind them.

And Twilight gave a small, helpless-sounding sob. She turned, flung her forehooves around Tempest, hugging her tightly, her eyes tight shut.

Surprised, Tempest put a hoof around her, resting her chin comfortingly on Twilight's mane.

"I'm sorry," said Twilight, after a bit. "I'm not being very grown-up about this, am I?"

"Twilight..." Tempest said, "right now, you're being more grown-up than most grown-ups I know."

"Definitely!" Starlight came over to put a comforting hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, Twi. Sure, it's scary -- I mean, I'm scared spitless right now! But you're not alone here."

"That's right," Moondancer said. "You've always been there for us. So now we're here for you."

"Absolutely!" said Spike.

"All of us," Trixie agreed.

"Like cheese on crackers!" Cheese said, riffing a cheerful tune on his accordion, which finally got Twilight smiling gratefully.

Then Starlight smirked at Trixie, nudging her shoulder. "Minister of Propaganda, eh, Lady Trixie?"

The showpony sniffed. "Trixie thought it appropriate, as well as sufficiently authoritative. That is, pending Your Highness's approval, of course." She touched her hat brim in Twilight's direction.

Then she looked over her shoulder. "Hey, Moondancer?"

"Yeah, Trixie?"

"What does 'propaganda' mean, anyways?"

------------------------------

Back in Ponyville, Sunset and the other five ponies had regrouped at Sugarcube Corner, in the bakery's front room.

"All right," Sunset said. "We've got everypony safely tucked up in their homes, and guard ponies patrolling the streets in case of trouble. So let's focus on the vines themselves. They're still overgrowing everything, still messing up our magic."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's take 'em out!" Rainbow shouted. "Get out the weed-whackers, and go to town!"

"We can't go to town, silly!" Pinkie Pie laughed. "We're already here."

"And we need a plan, Rainbow," Sunset said. "We need to understand what we're up against, how to deal with it."

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow crossed her hooves grumpily. "Whatever."

"Now, from what you told me," Sunset said, "the vines first appeared at Sweet Apple Acres, which is nearest to the forest. And at Fluttershy's, which is also close to it. Then Rainbow notices the clouds moving in."

"Right!" Rainbow nodded eagerly. "Lucky thing I had the dawn shift, or I'd have still been asleep and missed the whole thing."

Sunset gave her a look. "You and I have very different ideas about luck, Rainbow. Okay, so Rarity was first to notice their debilitating influence on magic. Or maybe it's on spellcasting? I wish Starlight was here, she'd know. Then Pinkie sees the vines at Sugarcube Corner, when they've reached the center of town."

"But what does that tell us, Sunset?" Rarity asked.

"For one thing, it says the vines weren't after Twilight, or any of us in particular. They're overrunning Ponyville mostly because it was in the way. Rainbow, did you check the borders of the town?"

"Yeah, and you were right, Sunset! Beyond Ponyville, the vines are thickest to the northeast."

"Towards Canterlot," Sunset whispered, "and the Princesses..."

"Okay, makes sense," Applejack said. "But we still don't know what's causing these vines to run wild like this."

"Um." Fluttershy looked uncomfortable. "I did see Discord walking into the Everfree Forest yesterday. But --"

"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow interrupted. "Discord! This crazy mess has his cloven hoofprints all over it!"

"But, he's reformed, right?" Fluttershy objected. "And after everything he's been through, I don't think he'd do something like this."

"Are you kidding me?" Rainbow challenged. "You actually believe him?"

Fluttershy looked briefly cowed. Then she nodded, firmly.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I do."

Flummoxed, Rainbow tossed her hooves in frustration. "Well, who else could it be?"

"Loathe though I am to defend him," Sunset said, "I think Fluttershy has a point."

"How so?" Applejack asked.

"Think about it," Sunset replied. "What's the one thing Discord loves to do? Gloat! If these vines were Discord's doing, he'd be right here the whole time, watching the fun and laughing at us as we struggle with it. But look around." She gestured with a hoof. "No Discord!"

"He wasn't at dinner yesterday," Fluttershy pointed out. "Oooh... maybe whatever got the Princesses got him too?"

"Hmm." Applejack nodded. "Reckon you might be right, Sunset. And here I was all ready to accuse him myself. Huh, just goes to show, I guess." Shaking her head, she turned to look out through the shop's window-door.

And froze, wide-eyed in terror.

"So?" Rainbow demanded. "Who's really behind all this?" She smacked her forehooves together. "Who do we go after, huh?"

"M-m-maybe it's... her!" Applejack pointed out the window, trembling like a leaf. The other ponies quickly joined her. And all of them gasped, shivering in terror.

All of them except Sunset, who was behind them all and couldn't see.

"Oh!" Rarity gasped. "She's the cause of this, no question." She sounded as nervous as Fluttershy. And Fluttershy, of course was completely silent, cowering on the floor with her hooves over her face. Even Rainbow was warily quiet, staring angrily out the window.

"Who? Who is it?" Sunset shoved through the group to the window, and looked out herself. And saw, coming up a side road, a cloaked pony-like figure hauling a cart laden with bottles, jars, native masks, and other items. The cloaked figure strained to haul the heavy cart, finally coming to a stop, utterly spent. Tossing its head the figure flipped back its hood, and revealed a striped face, brush-like mane, and bright blue, intelligent eyes that stared miserably around at the dwellings and shops, as if searching for something and not finding it.

"Zecora!" Applejack spat, as if Doomsday itself had walked into town.

"Oh, yeah!" Rainbow nodded grimly. "Her showing up, right now? That can't be coincidence!"

Sunset looked around at them all, confused.

"Uh, what am I missing here, gang? Why are you all flipping out at the sight of a zebra?"

"A what now?" Rainbow asked.

"A zebra," Sunset repeated. "From the Zebralands? It's a large continent, south of -- Abyssynia, I think. Ugh, I wish Moondancer was here. She knows this stuff backwards and forwards."

"Well, wherever she may be from," Rarity said archly, "She lives somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest."

"So?" Sunset shrugged. "Zebra are plains-dwellers. Maybe she's more comfortable in a natural environment, rather than here in town."

Applejack shook her head. "There ain't nothin' natural about the Forest -- that place is cursed!"

"Cursed?" Sunset echoed, scornfully.

The farm pony nodded. "The plants and trees grow, all by themselves..."

"The clouds move around," Rainbow added, "all on their own."

"And the animals," Fluttershy managed to squeak. "Ooh... they're definitely not nice."

"The Everfree Forest is eeeevilll!" Pinkie shouted. "And so's Zecora! She's an evil enchantress! In fact, she's so evil I made up a song about how evil she is. It goes like this..."

Sunset stoppered Pinkie's mouth with a hoof.

"I don't believe this!" she snapped. "Ponyville's under seige, it's up to us to figure out how to save it. And you're all jumping at shadows, and looking for somepony to blame it on? What is wrong with you? You're behaving like a bunch of paranoid, short-sighted hicks from the sticks!"

She glared around at them. And realized that they were all staring back at her, astonished and more than a little hurt.

"Uhhh... let me take that back," Sunset said, embarassed. "Look gang, I know this seems like a tight spot, and we don't have a lot of answers yet. Which... is all the more reason to go find some, and maybe by trying things we wouldn't normally do. Now, if Zecora lives in the Everfree, she may know something about these vines that we don't. I'm gonna go talk to her."

The others gasped, staring at her in astonishment.

Rolling her eyes, Sunset turned and pulled open the front door of the bakery, then trotted outside. Behind her, she could hear the others following behind her... reluctantly, at a distance.

Sunset walked straight over to the zebra, who was checking over the contents of her cart. Hearing Sunset approach, the zebra turned to face her. The expression on her striped face was miserable, yet stoically proud, as if she was prepared to face whatever new catastrophe befell her.

Bowing respectfully, Sunset struggled to recall a brief lesson in diplomatic etiquette that seemed like ages ago. "That... seems a heavy load." She nodded to the cart, taking care to keep her tone neutral and non-judgmental. "Have you been long on the road?"

Zecora stared at her, in astonished delight.

// Ah! Oft have I visited, //
// out of the wild. //
// Yet rare has my reception //
// been so mild. //

"My name's Sunset. And if I may, uh... can we be of help in some way?"

Zecora's face fell as she looked at her cartload of belongings.

// From my home //
// I have had to flee! //
// The Forest grows too wild, //
// even for me. //

"Sunset," said Applejack, coming up behind her. "Do you understand that weird jabber of hers?"

"Well, of course I do!" Sunset swung crossly on them. Then seeing their puzzled looks, she got hold of her anger. "Look, it's a social convention. Zebra culture was originally tribal and warlike, right? Over time they learned to be more peaceful and inclusive. The rhyming speech is part of that. It's a kind of social signaling. It tells whomever you're talking to that you value them enough to take care in choosing your words."

Zecora nodded placidly.

// Zebra take care //
// to speak in rhyme, //
// so others will know //
// we take the time. //

"I see..." Applejack said. "I think."

"Zecora," Sunset asked, turning to her, "these vines from the forest... uh... do you know..." She hurriedly searched for words. "What it is that makes them grow... er, like this?" she finished lamely.

In return, Zecora smiled in unoffended amusement.

// Thy kindness is clear, //
// and pleasing, and good. //
// So I say to thee, Sunset, //
// do speak as thou would! //

Then she glanced worriedly at the black, thorned vines covering everything around them.

// These plants to me //
// are new as well. //
// As are their effects //
// on potion and spell. //
// They seem unnatural, //
// in their unruly greed, //
// so I think they are more //
// than merely a weed. //

"We feel the same way." Sunset nodded. "They seem to be coming from the Everfree Forest, along with these dark clouds, and everything else that's going on." She looked at the others. "We need to find out where they're coming from, and how to stop them. Which means... we need to go in there and find their source." Ignoring the shocked looks on the other ponies' faces, Sunset turned back to Zecora.

"You're much more familiar with the Forest than we are. Could we ask you to guide us?" Sunset gestured to the cart. "If you'd like, we can store your belongings in the town's Library. The guards can make sure they're not messed with."

Zecora nodded, smiling warmly.

// Guide you, I will, //
// and with great pleasure. //
// For friends such as this //
// are rare, and a treasure! //

Then the zebra glanced worriedly at the day/night sky, the gathering clouds, the steadily-encroaching vines.

// I think we should //
// make haste on our way. //
// For the world seems a war //
// 'Twixt night and day. //
// Its source we must find, //
// And right soon, in sooth, //
// Or else things will remain //
// Forever uncouth. //

"Glad you can follow what she's sayin'," Applejack said, as Zecora moved to rehitch herself to the wagon, and Rainbow and Applejack moved to give it a push as well. "We cain't hardly make mane nor tail of her, half the time."

Sunset shrugged. "Celestia once assigned me to read an entire book of pre-classical poetry. At the time I thought it was a total bore, but now I'm finding it helps a lot. Just goes to show, eh?"

The party set out towards the Library, and the other ponies followed along behind the cart, uncertain and perplexed. And all of them occasionally glanced up, worriedly, at the green wall of the Everfree looming over the rooftops nearby.