//------------------------------// // Interlude: Scheduled Rain // Story: Dawn of a New Age // by GTthe4th //------------------------------// (Ponyville, Castle of Friendship) Morning in Ponyville --- it never failed to bring about one of two things. A great start to a fine and dandy day, or disaster of untold proportions for the town and untold profits for Filthy Rich’s emergency supplies bargain bin. At the moment, it was teetering somewhere on the edge between the two, as a horde of Ponies stood in front of the Castle of Friendship’s gates holding up signs and chanting Twilight’s name, demanding to see her. Standing in front of the gate was a line of Dusk Watchers, looking rather annoyed at the display, especially since it seemed that half the crowd didn’t get the memo about what they wanted and so brought completely unrelated signs with them, including one that, of all things, demanded that ferns be officially recognized a protected species of plant so that fiddleheads would be off the menu forever. Treehugger, the brave Pony that she was, was never going to win that fight. Leading the crowd, in an almost poignant way, was Mayor Esmarelda, or “Mayor Mare”, as she had been affectionately nicknamed by her voters. She was currently engaged in a long-winded discussion with the Dusk Watcher in charge of the gate about seeing the Princess immediately, demanding to know why she hadn’t returned to Ponyville in over a week, and why Princess Celestia had been away from Canterlot for so long. These were perfectly normal questions that, if directed to a normal Dusk Watcher, would’ve been answered in a normal way. The problem was that she wasn’t talking to a normal Dusk Watcher. Corporal Plucky Guess rubbed his temples and sighed as Mayor Mare glared at him, wishing he was anywhere else at the moment. However, since orders were orders, he had signed the dotted line, and offing oneself was dishonorable (as well as old news for him), that left only one option: smile and attempt to dissuade the nice mare from not giving him increased taxes if she didn’t like his answers. “No, Mayor Mare, you can’t come into the castle right now,” Plucky told her. “Princess Twilight gave Captain Silver Moon orders not to enter until she came back, citing security reasons, and the good captain gave me orders to not let anypony get past.” “Is the good captain aware that, until Ponyville is recognized as an official Crown state within Equestria, he and all the other guards here are still by law required to pay taxes to the mayoral office instead of Princess Twilight, and that I can increase the tax on guards in my town if need-be, citing economical reasons?” Mayor Mare deadpanned. Plucky grimaced. “Painfully so, ma’am.” “Then get him out here, I want to see him.” Plucky sighed again. “That I can do,” he muttered, trotting towards the door as the rest of the Dusk Watchers filled in the gap. Of the two other Earth Pony guards standing on either side of the gate, only one stood alert. The other stood asleep, as per the norm for her. As the gate opened to allow him entry, Plucky tapped Samwise on the shoulder and grabbed onto Prism by the tail, pulling them both inside after him. “Really Pluck? Do you have to drag me?” Prism asked, looking down at the floor with half-lidded eyes. One half of her brain wondered if she was going to make a mark on the floor, and the other half struggled to care. “No,” Plucky replied in a nonchalant tone. “...You gonna let me go?” “It amuses me, so no.” Prism shrugged and relaxed her body. “That’s all I wanted to hear.” Soft snoring could be heard moments later. Plucky smirked. “Samwise?” “On it.” One spear poke later, and Prism was on her hooves and walloping Samwise in the snout repeatedly. Plucky’s grin grew as he approached the captain’s office. “It amuses me greatly,” he murmured as he rapped a hoof against the door three times. “Captain Silver Moon, permission to enter?” “Granted.” Plucky pushed open the door and peered inside. Captain Silver Moon was at his desk, signing reports and sorting through files. To top it off, he looked miserable, and his secretary was nowhere to be seen. Plucky snapped to attention at the doorway and sounded off, “Corporal Plucky Guess, reporting, sir!” “Still under the impression that you’re a soldier, huh?” Silver snarked, signing his name on a leave pass with a slight flourish. “What is it, Pluck?” “It’s the mayor, sir. She wants to know where Princess Twilight is, and she wants you outside of the castle right now.” “So does everypony else in this town, including me,” the captain sighed, motioning to the pile of paperwork on his desk. “Look at this horseapples. It’s the morning reports, afternoon reports, and evening reports for the past five days, as well as supply requisitions, leave passes, and memos from Canterlot. I’ll be lucky to leave this office, much less the castle, in a week at this rate.” “Where’s your secretary, sir?” Plucky asked. “The little twerp sneaked a week’s leave pass into the Tuesday paperwork when I wasn’t looking. She’s now off gambling away my hard-earned, easily-lost tax bits in Las Pegasus while I’m stuck here wasting away until she gets back.” “Rough week, huh?” Silver let his quill fall to the desk and slowly lowered his head until it was firmly placed on top of his paperwork pile. “Corporal, you don’t know the half of it.” “Anything we can do, sir?” Silver raised his head and glanced past Plucky to see the two brawling Earth Ponies in the castle foyer. He then looked up at Plucky and, with as much emphasis as he could possibly muster, replied, “By Celestia’s holy wrath, NO.” As Silver’s head lowered back down to his desk, somepony cleared their throat behind Plucky. Turning around, he saw the mayor standing at the door, one eyebrow raised and wearing a frown. Evidently the guards at the gate were just as worried about her influence as he was. Plucky gave a sheepish grin and turned back to Silver. “Mayor’s here, boss.” “Tell her to take a hike,” Silver mumbled. “Captain Silver Moon, this is important!” Mayor Mare protested, shoving past Plucky and stamping her forehooves against Silver’s desk. “So is my rest, so with all due respect to your title ma’am, please kindly take your hooves off my desk and get out.” “But Princess Twilight--” “Is not here,” Silver sighed, raising his head and staring at her. “She’s been gone for a week, and I haven’t heard back from her assistant Spike in days. I’ve already checked in with Canterlot on her status, as well as the statuses of everything else you’ve brought to my attention over the past few days, from the situation with the Dragon city to the increased monster activity in the Everfree Forest. I can assure you, everything is under control.” “Captain,” Mayor Mare groused, leaning forward across the desk with a glare. “I’ve got a town full of worried Ponies out there, all demanding to know what has happened to their beloved Princess and her friends, and wondering if they’ll even ever return. What am I supposed to tell them?” “Tell them to go home and stop trampling the daisies in the front, it gives them a bad taste in sandwiches,” Silver replied, leaning back in his chair. “Look mayor, I’m doing the best that I ca--” The purple candle at the edge of his desk suddenly lit up, and a scroll appeared above it suspended in a golden bubble. Both the captain and the mayor glanced at it and studied the seal on the front. The mayor’s eyes widened. “Is that...?” “The seal of Field Marshal Thundershock, yes ma’am,” Silver replied, instantly alert. The Field Marshal of Canterlot never contacted any of the four guard captains directly unless it as an urgent matter. “Sorry ma’am, but this meeting is over. Plucky, I’d ask you to show her the door, but it seems you can’t even do that right.” “To be fair sir, she only got into the castle after I came inside,” Plucky replied. “If anything, that proves that I am the best doorpony you--” “Plucky. Door, now. And break up those two idiots in the foyer already, I think their armor’s been dented enough.” “Yes boss.” As Plucky moved to escort the mayor out of the office, Silver broke the seal on the scroll and began to read the message contained within. As he read, his eyes grew wider and more concerned, and once he reached the end, he held out a hoof and yelled, “Corporal, get back in here, and bring your team too.” He received no reply. Silver glanced up, wondering why it was so quiet, only to slap a hoof against his face. Taking the scroll in one hoof, he dashed out of the office and ran across the foyer to the gate, lighting up his horn and opening it without even slowing. Outside, the mayor was already starting to disperse the crowd, and Plucky was getting a report from one of the other Dusk Watchers when he and his fellow Triplets noticed the captain on approach. Plucky waved the other guard off and called out, “Boss, what is it?” “Get you and your team in here, we’ve got ourselves a situation.” “Soooo, let me see if I’ve got this right,” Plucky said. “You’re sending us?” “Yes.” “To Cloudsdale?” “Right.” “Because somepony tipped off the local guard that there might be some Changeling activity in the area, and not the good kind.” “Got it in one.” Plucky sighed. “Boss, do you see wings on our backs?” “I’ve already thought about that,” Silver replied, grabbing a form from his desk and signing it. “This form is my permission for you three to take out a few cloud-walking bracelets from the storerooms. That should keep you steady on those clouds so you don’t fall through.” “Have they ever failed before?” Samwise asked. “Not in my lifetime, no.” “Charm...ing...” Prism muttered through her snores. “Samwise?” “On it.” Another poke, and Prism was awake and mostly alert, as well as very annoyed. “Why the long faces, I thought you’d be happy to have an actual mission again after that disaster in Farasi?” Silver asked. “Okay, first of all, it wasn’t nearly that bad,” Plucky grumbled. “So there’s a crater in the middle of the desert, who’s gonna notice it?” “Literally every Zebra living in Farasi,” Samwise replied, causing Plucky to roll his eyes skyward. “It’s pretty sizable, and surrounded by charred body parts. Kinda hard to miss actually.” “Not to mention the smell,” Prism added, scrunching up her nose. “I’ll never eat hay bacon again...” “Secondly,” Plucky continued, ignoring both of them. “It’s not that we aren’t happy to have another mission, it’s just that...well, we’re not exactly the best choice for this mission.” “Aaaand, here comes the self-depreciation,” Samwise muttered. “Come on guys, let’s face it, we’re not exactly SMILE agents here,” Plucky said, turning to his team. “You’re an idiot, and Prism can barely keep her eyes open for five seconds, much less an entire mission, and she’s our navigator!” Oh look, it has become self-aware, Silver thought with a smirk. “Don’t sell yourself short here, Pluck,” Samwise retorted. “I’m pretty sure with all the scams and stunts you’ve pulled, they’ve got two dossiers on you.” “Three, actually,” Silver admitted with a sideways glance at the filing cabinet. “I rest my case,” Samwise finished. “And so do I,” Plucky emphasized, turning back to Silver. “So, again, why send us?” “Because at the moment you three are the only Dusk Watchers available for this mission.” The Triplets paused and stared at their commanding officer, bewildered by his response. Even Prism’s eyes were wide open for once. “...Really?” she asked. Silver nodded. “It’s not a joke. All the other teams are either running training exercises with the Legion, have been dispersed throughout Equestrian towns to help out where needed, or have been sent into the Everfree Forest for a bit of pest control. Besides the guards at the castle here, who aren’t yet qualified to go off on long-term missions across Equestria, you three are the only ones I can depend on. Ergo, you’re it.” Plucky raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think we’ll even stand a chance at finding the Changelings, if they’re even there?” “Because, despite being idiots, when push comes to shove, you three are surprisingly competent at working as a team to solve a problem,” Silver replied. “Who told you that?” Samwise wondered aloud. “Princess Twilight,” Silver said with a shrug. “Personally, I’ve yet to see any evidence that supports this wild claim, but I’m sure there’s a modicum of potential within the one brain cell the three of you share to prove me wrong someday.” “Well, with a challenge like that, how can we refuse?” Plucky said, giving a salute. “We’ll do our best sir.” “No! By Discord, your ‘best’ blew up the desert in Farasi,” the captain hissed. “So help me, if a single cloud goes missing, or if I hear word of a single explosion going off in Cloudsdale while you three are in it, I will shave all of your butts and teach you to walk backwards for the rest of your lives.” “Eh, ten on the tone, four on the threat, but you’re getting there, keep at it sir,” Samwise said, swinging a dangling hoof from side to side. “OOOOUUUUT!” The force of Silver’s magically-enchanced voice sent all three Triplets reeling backwards, and without another word they scampered out of his office, closing the door on the way out. Silver sat back in his chair and gave a satisfied smirk at the empty spot where three idiots once stood, only for his gaze to fall upon a piece of paper fluttering down in the air. His face went pale, and he looked up, seeing every last form and requisition he had so carefully piled up on his desk floating down to the floor after his forceful scream had sent them spinning up into the air. As they drifted like snowflakes in winter, covering his entire office in paper, all Silver could do was stare in defeat and contemplate how he could get away with murder. (Meanwhile, on the edge of Cloudsdale...) Summer Glow was in Elysium, and nothing could take that from her. Everything had been carefully prepared the night before. She had searched far and wide for the perfect cloud, and then to her eternal joy and good fortune, the Cloudsdale weather team had given her one, just on the outskirts of the city. It was the perfect size, and in the perfect location, just far enough away from the city to get a good view of it, and still see the sun peeking out over the summit of Mount Everhoof far to the north. The morning came, and she gathered up all she needed: a picnic basket, a lovely red blanket, and a small box, within which was the most important object in her life. It represented the next stage in her life, she hoped. Today would be the day. Today, under Celestia’s sun, she would propose to the one Pony that meant the world to her; the one mare that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. “Hey Summer!” a lilting voice called out. Summer Glow let out a soft sigh and smiled. There she was, in all her glory, with fur as white as the snow and a mane as fiery as the sun: Velvet Melody, the most beautiful mare in the world. Summer waved happily with a wing as the white Pegasus landed on the cloud, trying desperately to hide her nervous blush. “Good morning, Velvet! I-I hope I didn’t interrupt anything in your schedule for today.” “Oh, no worries there, the factory gave me a day off today, so I had plenty of time,” Velvet replied with a grin. She glanced around. “So, where’s this surprise you mentioned in your letter?” “O-Oh, that’ll come soon,” Summer answered with a chuckle. By Celestia, her heart was racing! “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?” Velvet shook her head. “Nope, just woke up a few minutes ago.” “Awesome! I-I-I mean, that’s good, heheh...” Velvet smirked and leaned forward. “Summer, are you hiding something from me?” “What? No, of course not!” Summer exclaimed, her blush growing. “Buuuut, since you haven’t eaten anything yet, why not join me? I was just about to get started.” Velvet peered past her friend and finally noticed the picnic blanket spread out over the cloud, hidden just behind a fluffy white curl of mist. She shook her head in disbelief and smiled. “You cheeky bugger, you...” she said, walking past Summer and lightly brushing Summer’s Cutie Mark with a wing. “I’d love to.” Summer’s yellow face was now colored a deep orange, and she laid down on the blanket alongside Velvet, opening up the basket and pulling out several daisy sandwiches, prepared just the way Velvet liked them. So far so good. For a few minutes the two of them talked. Neither of them really cared about what topic, they simply enjoyed one another’s company. Summer kept glancing towards the north with a nervous smile on her face. Velvet knew that the other hoof was about to drop, but she figured that she’d play along. Summer had clearly gone through a lot of trouble for this moment, and she wasn’t about to ruin it for her. The sandwiches were soon finished off, with a few extra left inside the basket for later, and the two descended into silence as they watched Celestia’s sun begin cresting over Mount Everhoof’s summit, bathing Cloudsdale in a golden glow. It was a wondrous sight to behold, and further cemented Velvet’s belief that she lived in the best city in all of Equestria. “Velvet...” Summer whispered, a slight twinge of emotion hidden in her voice. “Yes Summer?” “I...you know I love you, right?” And there it is, Velvet thought. She smiled and closed her eyes. “Yeah, I had a feeling.” “And, well...we’ve been friends for so long, a-and...oh, buck it...” Summer’s voice trailed off, and Velvet heard rummaging around in the basket. Eventually, the rummaging stopped, and there was a swift swishing sound, followed by a squeak, and then silence. Followed by more silence. Velvet cracked an eye open and raised an eyebrow. “Summer?” She received no reply. Glancing to her left, she saw that the side of the blanket where Summer was sitting was now empty, and a small wooden box lay in her place. Curious, Velvet reached out and picked it up, admiring the stunning detail in the carvings. It must’ve cost Summer a fortune in bits, and the maker at least a week to create it. And then she opened it, revealing the golden chain and the heart-shaped silver medallion inside. Her eyes went wide, and with a trembling hoof she reached out and held the necklace aloft, dropping the box onto the blanket with a small gasp. It was an engagement necklace. “Oh, sweet Luna...!” she whispered in stunned joy. Once more, only silence greeted her ears, and she looked around, her smile beaming. “Summer, you can come out now! Yes! Yes, for the love of Celestia, YES!” But Summer was gone. The soft glow of the sun passed over her, and the cloud she was sitting on suddenly felt very cold and clammy. Frowning, Velvet stood up, feeling an odd stickiness on her hooves as she did. She looked down and saw that a vein of bright red was seeping through the cloud, emerging from underneath the blanket. Blinking in confusion, she took a step back and lifted up a hoof,. The red liquid on it was clear as day, and fell in small droplets onto the cloud, seeping into it like a sponge. Her jaw trembled, her eyes widened, and her pupils shrunk in horror. “Summer...?” “She’s in here,” hissed a voice from underneath her. Before Velvet could utter a word, a massive, black, scythe-like claw sliced through the cloud and stabbed her through the heart, and another punctured her lung, emerging out the other end through her back. Velvet gasped as she was suddenly lifted off her hooves by inequine strength and then yanked into the cloud. The sounds of slicing and cutting were heard, followed by still silence. Moments later, two Changelings with purple crystals embedded in their bodies emerged from the cloud, licking blood off their tusks. They stared out over the city of Cloudsdale with equal parts disdain and excitement, watching with red and yellow eyes as the sun continued to rise. That was close, the female hissed over the Hivemind. And yet we still remain undiscovered, the male replied. These Ponies are as blind as moles and as soft and fat as the clouds they build on. Kinda wish we could’ve sapped a little more love from them before they died, it was too quick and too clean. You’re no fun. The male rolled his eyes. Yeah, well, we can do it your way next time. Now, inform the Queen of our progress, I’ll dispose of the bodies. How? The nearby forest has a pack of Timberwolves in it, might as well give them some chow. Who knows? It might even make them more aggressive in the future. The female nodded. Now you’re talking. What shall I tell the Queen? His tongue clicked in eager anticipation. Tell her we’re on schedule. All the slipstream canals are ready, and the communication jamming runes are set to be activated at her command. Very soon Cloudsdale will know the wrath of the Everhoof Hive. The female licked her tusks and her red and yellow eyes glinted in the light. Glory to Chrysalis! Glory to Chrysalis.