//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: "There’s no better pair of eyes in all of Canterlot.” // Story: The Ghost of Coltistrano: Restless Peace // by EthanClark //------------------------------// The stillness of Canterlot’s streets were shattered by the first beam of warm, glittering light from over the horizon beyond. Then another, and another joined the race to paint the city of brilliance as the sun took its first steps into the morning sky, pushing the stars back with its light. The city below began to stir and its dark streets became dotted by weary ponies, ready to start the day. One such street guided a carriage along its neat cobblestone. The transport traveled through rows of sleek white buildings, all adorned with as many styles and decorations as there are stars in the now diminished night sky, and its occupant took a few sacred moments to lean his head out the window and breathed deep of the fresh mountain air. The city was just as he left it. “I forgot you don’t sleep,” Gilda grumbled from her corner of the carriage, huddled in her own feathers. “I basically live at night. You know, Darrox once tried to condition me to stay awake for two days at a time.” “I would’ve eaten his changeling hide if he made me do that.” “It was awful at first, but this morning air is to die for… I miss him.” “Me too, raghead,” Gilda said, managing to shoot a weary smile to Silver from beneath her wing. “How do you think he’d react? You know, to Shield Wall being dead.” “I think even he would get himself wasted on cider. Ain’t no celebration too great for that psycho’s death.” “Right...” Silver returned to peering out the carriage window. It was a few moments more before the carriage made its way into the east quarter of the city. The deeper the carriage went, the less life lined the city streets, replaced by regular guard posts and cloaked agents Silver could just barely see skulking on nearby rooftops. With a jerk forward the carriage was brought to a halt before a knock reached the door. “Halt! There is to be no traffic through these parts, by orders of her majesty, Princess Luna.” Silver leaned out of the carriage to see a guard standing on the street, dressed in standard issue gold armor and sporting a scowl.  “I am Lord Aristo,” Silver said in a nasally tone, flipping his mane with a dainty hoof. “And I am the personal guest of the Nine Night Company upon their invitation.” “Nine what? My lord, forgive me for the inconvenience, but there is to be no traffic through this quarter. An escort will take you-” “Crafty? What are you doing, you lummox?”  Another guard stepped over to the scene, sporting the red plumage of an officer, and slapped Crafty in the back of his helmet. “Forgive me, my lord, Princess Luna sent word of you this early today, and this halfwit decided to join us after this morning’s assembly.” Silver waved his hoof again and the officer quickly opened the door to the carriage and led both him and Gilda into the commotion. Through an alleyway populated with guards and unicorn investigators, the trio arrived at the center of a devastating scene littered with debris, scorch marks, and tarps laid out along the ground producing the outlines of pony-shaped bodies beneath them. Silver’s eyes followed the grizzly display toward the sight of cracked stone along the mountainside.  “The princess will be here soon, my lord. Is there anything I can assist you with?” “What are we looking at, sergeant?” “Well, I’ll be frank in saying it’s a right mess. Four dead in the center there, along with four more on the surrounding buildings, not to mention the big pile of rock where the prison entrance used to be.” “Any witnesses?” “None, I’m afraid, but the princess has already been briefed. She’ll be able to help you.” “Thank you, sergeant.” Silver watched as the pony walked back through the alleyway and out toward the checkpoints. Gilda leaned into his ear. “How’d you know his rank?” “The feather on his helmet, city sergeants get red. I was in the military once, you know?” “Heh, right, I forget you were a regular ‘G.I. Jerk’. So, uh… where do we start?” Gilda’s coarse laugh diminished as she returned her attention to the not-so-hidden bodies before her. “Maybe with the cause of death? At the very least, we can tell if it was magical or not. From there we should probably scan the area for traces of the killer.” “So just pull back the bedsheets and play with the dead guys, huh?” “Pretty much,” Silver groaned. “Guh, I should’ve had more coffee.” “Darling!” Silver and Gilda spun around to see a stark white unicorn frantically waving to them. Her violet curls bounced in rhythm over the straps of her saddlebag with each step as she nearly sprinted from her escort, wrapping a foreleg around Silver’s neck. “Rarity?” Silver blurted out, returning Rarity’s affectionate embrace. “Luna brought you here, too?” “Of course! I received the Nine Night letter and came as soon as I could. Oh heavens, Silver, to think something so tragic could happen here. In Canterlot, of all places.” “I didn’t think you would come.” “Why not? This isn’t the first time you and I have worked together, now is it?” “You know I love your work,” Silver said with a smirk, which quickly faded. “But this is different., ponies are dead. It’s pure carnage.” “I know, it’s horrible… oh! I’m so sorry, I tuned out there for a second. Gilda, dear, how are you doing?” “Groggy. Good to see you, Rarity.” Gilda managed to give Rarity a weary smile.  “It’s wonderful to have you both here, though I wish it were under better circumstances. I take it you also received a letter, Gilda?” “What? Oh, no, the whole ‘secret code with the princess’ deal is Silver’s game, I’m here to see how much of General Tightwad’s body they’re able to dig up. Gorn and I got a running bet.” “There were issues back home,” Silver interjected. “Some of the remnants of Shield Wall’s conspiracy attacked the house looking for Aristo. They looked like the Night Guard.” “They attacked the house? Oh gracious, Silver, is everypony unharmed?” “Thankfully. Their commander managed to escape, but just looking around tells me these two attacks might be connected.” “What makes you say that?” Rarity asked. “Well…” Silver’s comment fizzled out as he turned his gaze toward one of the covered bodies. He led Rarity and Gilda over to the tarp, reached out a hoof, and pulled away the sheet to reveal the mangled body of a bat pony in dark blue armor. “Oh, goodness.” “Yikes. Is that a hole in his… yeesh.” “Verily. ‘Tis a most unpleasant sight.” The trio lurched at the sudden comment. Behind them stood a tall and dark blue pony, sporting both wings and a horn and shrouded in a wispy, starry mane that swirled in the breeze. Rarity immediately took a knee before the pony, with Gilda and Silver soon following suit. Even surrounding guards and investigators took notice. After a moment of silent reverence, the three rose to their hooves. “Princess Luna,” Silver said. “Still light on your hooves, I see.” “As we assert thee of similar aptitude. It calms us to know you received our missive, albeit with delay. Pray tell, why?” “Coltistrano recently had its own problems with our nocturnal friends here. They were stalking me, intercepting my mail, and assaulted the house just last night.” “Beyond coincidence, methinks.” “I agree. Can you tell us what happened here?” Silver watched as Luna slowly approached the bodies of her fallen followers. “Of course. We, who guard the dream realm, know of many plots against us and our station. Most are mere triflings of imagination. Others, however, entertain a far more involved role in our demise. ‘Twas one night we peered into the minds of our subjects, these Night Guard, to prune the poisonous tree before its fruit be borne. ‘Tis no mystery our reaction to such designs of treachery.” “The Night Guard were defecting,” Silver stated. “Truly a disturbing proposition.” Luna sent a firm glare toward the bodies, with traces of a scowl forming at the corners of her mouth. “Had you ever suspected such a thing before?” Rarity inquired. “The Night Guard are your personal soldiers. To think they would betray you is difficult to imagine.” “Never before hath these notions been entertained. Our servants are loyal, cunning, and possess the hearts of true warriors, and yet here they lie.” “Could you tell us why Midnight Gavel was here? Was he sent on your order?” “Verily. ‘Tis Gavel’s duty to make penance for his many crimes, and his task to us and dear sister was to uncover the elusive remnants of his blighted accomplice’s conspiracy against us and Equestria. He was no stranger to this place, though not a resident, yet he hasn’t the gall to turn thrice traitor. His escorts would ensure his cooperation” “Did you know they would attack the prison?” “Nay. Though loyal and ideally honest, the Night Guard possess strong minds. We could only sense their intent, not their methods.” “A pity, but no matter, if you two could step aside. Silver, darling, would you help me with this?” Silver stood next to Rarity as she guided him around the scene of the crime. Investigators recognized Princess Luna’s personal guests before vacating the area, and the two began to unveil the corpses. Silver immediately recognized the deep indigo fur of Midnight Gavel, now stained in blood. Rarity, however, made her displeasure with the image far more obvious to the group, allowing a hoof to rise toward her mouth in anticipation of what might escape it. Silver came to her side once all tarps were removed. “Are you okay? You don’t have to be here.” “No. No, I want to be here, just… bad memories of the tunnels... and Serenade.” “Right.” Silver placed a hoof around her shoulders. He gently rubbed her fur until Rarity managed to summon her resolve and face the scene before her. It was an assortment of bodies. Two wore sets Night Guard armor scoured in blemishes and jagged holes along the dark metal. Rarity leaned closer and found deformed skin and burnt fur toward their flanks and sides. Some areas were bleached white and twisted around themselves, while others were missing completely from the bodies. As she scanned the surrounding area she found other, smaller streaks along the stone forming a ring of white lines.  “It’s hard to say exactly what killed them, but I would guess some sort of spell. Powerful, too, judging by the radius.” “Are you familiar with such a spell?” Silver asked. “No, but I know a pony or two who-” Her comment was soon lost as another gag crept up her throat, her eyes making contact with a dried puddle of a dark green substance. She turned her head into Silver’s shoulder to save her sight. “And I have no idea what that is.” Silver peered over Rarity’s mane to inspect the puddle for himself. At a glance, it seemed to form a solid substance where it landed. Silver abandoned Rarity where she stood and leaned closer. A horrid aroma hit his nostrils and nearly knocked his head back with its stench as he forced himself closer, and he was able to spy small divots in the ground where the substance had landed, sinking just slightly into the stone around it. Peering around the edge of the puddle, Silver spotted four hooves still sitting in place, uneaten by the substance. “It’s some kind of acid. It melted this pony, most likely another Night Guard, but it’s not a weapon.” “What do you mean?” Rarity asked as she managed to look back at the scene. “It only hit one target, namely this poor fellow, but the pool didn’t spread. Risky to use at close range like this.” “Or was it a sneak attack? Something to scare or at least deter the other guards here.” “You’re probably right, but it seems… familiar. Specific.”  His hoof swiftly probed his ornate tailcoat and produced a smooth leather case from within which, when unrolled, revealed a series of instruments and tools of an alchemical nature. Silver glided his hoof over them and grasped a thin rod and collected a sample of the ooze, carefully scooping it into a vial, corking it, and stowing it away before shifting his focus beyond the horrid scene and toward the indigo pony in the center.  “Now that just leaves you, doesn’t it?” Both he and Rarity scrutinized Gavel’s corpse. Blood was splattered across his fur and coat, covering most of his torso, and a small hole connected both sides of his head in a clean passage through. Silver gently prodded the body. Some parts were still firm and only slightly damp, while a few spots around the barrel of his chest gave way to Silver’s touch. “He was beaten.” “Yes, he certainly gives that impression, doesn’t he? It’s curious, though, why did none of the prison guards interfere?” Rarity hesitantly guided a hoof towards Gavel’s face, pushing away stray hairs. “I’m trying to piece that together, myself.” Rarity once more scanned the scene around her, lingering for a moment on the placement of the bodies around Gavel. She leaned down and inspected their hooves. Silver merely watched  as she scrutinized each forehoof still attached to a body before moving on toward the demolished section of mountainside. She found traces of metal bars protruding from the stone, and as she ignited her horn a magnifying glass drifted to her eye. The rubble was inspected for a few moments more. Silver’s mouth opened to call her, but was stifled as Rarity quickly began patrolling the crime scene itself. She peered through the glass and along the ground before returning to the group of eager ponies in the center of the alleyway. “Most unusual,” she hummed. “Uh huh?” Silver looked to Rarity expectantly, gesturing for her to continue. “At first, I wondered if these traitorous ruffians were responsible for Gavel’s sorry state. They surround him, you see, and one would suspect they did this to intimidate him, but none of their hooves are bloodied. Well, save for his, or what’s left… but they weren’t to blame for his killing. Now, if we stand just like so, we can see the Night Guard surround him in almost a triangular fashion, but Gavel is facing toward this empty spot, here. Somepony must have stood here to deliver his beating.” “So, there’s another one?” Silver asked as he followed her gesturing hooves with his eyes. “Indeed, but here’s where things become truly strange. Gavel collapsed here, yes, but there’s a wound through his head that couldn’t have been caused by his aggressor. Do you see?” Rarity guided Silver’s gaze toward the wound and he quickly saw one hole sat higher on Gavel’s skull than the other. “It’s coming from the side, but not the prison. It came from the buildings?” “Precisely. Yes, Gavel must’ve been pulled from the prison and assaulted in this very spot, but somepony else killed him.” “What do you mean ‘pulled’? He would've been ambushed.” “If he were attacked why didn’t he call for help, or why aren’t his escorts out here, as well? The door must’ve been left open, otherwise the entrance wouldn’t have collapsed the way it did and broken the mechanism.” “They snuck in. They snuck in and pulled Gavel out, like you said, and then… blew the prison?” “Maybe, I’m not sure at this point.”  Rarity pressed a hoof to her chin, nervously rubbing it as she stared at the rubble. Silence drifted like a breeze through the alleyway, causing everyone to shift in place, until Silver’s once drifting gaze began to dart across the scene. He clasped a frantic hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Wait! Whoa, hold on a second, you said there was another attacker, right?” “Yes...” “And this attacker killed Gavel?” “Yes?” “Who is the only pony Gavel would be here to see?” “Well, I suppose… Shield Wall. Gavel’s been interrogating him for months, and… Oh! You said Night Guard were in Coltistrano just recently, working for Shield Wall.” “Yes, and I’d bet my bottom bit these bat ponies were, too. That’s why they targeted Gavel. For the same reason they targeted Aristo.” “They must’ve wanted to free their employer, but just these three and one possible fourth couldn’t be enough to storm the prison.” “There were others found on the surrounding buildings, so these ponies here had to be the team inside the prison trying to bust Shield Wall out.” “How horrifying,” Rarity said. “How many do you think ambushed them? Five? Maybe a squad of nine?” “One.” Rarity’s comment earned a double take from Silver. “Look around, darling. No damage to the buildings, no crossfire, and one, very clinical strike against Gavel. You were a soldier once, is that a common outcome in warfare?” “Not against the Night Guard… okay, so one pony. They probably took a position on that rooftop, zapped Gavel, melted one of them, and hit them with whatever kind of spell that leaves a blast mark like this. Why not just zap Gavel and… holy horseshoes.” “What? Silver, what is it?” “Do you think it’s odd that whoever this murderer is, they just happen to stage this execution on the same night a massive team of Night Guard also target Gavel? The same night Coltistrano is also invaded by the Night Guard, looking to kill its governor? Because I do.” “You’re saying this pony was hunting them?” “I’m saying this pony was waiting for the perfect time to strike. Whoever they are, they waited for this exact moment, when they were planning to bust Shield Wall out, to kill as many of his followers as they could, execute his former right hoof pony, and then bury Shield Wall in his own cage. The murderer’s been stalking them.” “But why kill Gavel, then? He was working with us. If the murderer knew all this they would’ve at least known of Gavel’s turn to our side, yes?” “It’s vengeance, Rarity. I can’t be sure, but it takes a lot more than good community spirit to do all of this.” “Then they’ve claimed it, yes? If Shield Wall is dead then what’s left?” “Fancy Pants, Vice General Stratos, half of Canterlot’s nobility, and anypony else who’s been tied to the conspiracy.” “So, a large group of Night Guard, loyal to Shield Wall, possibly have a plan to break him out and kill Midnight Gavel. They storm the prison and, potentially, kill everypony inside, but they’re intercepted. One pony attacks from the rooftops and manages to not only kill the Gavel and the team who captured him, but destroy the prison and everypony inside... I’m not sure I’m entirely sold.” “What do you mean?” “That prison was built into the side of a mountain, darling, you would need far more explosives than one pony could carry to accomplish this. It’s more logical that Shield Wall’s followers planned to destroy the prison, instead.” “Okay, fair point, but if they were going to blow the prison… to what end?” “Damn, you two are smart,” Gilda said with a low whistle. “Unquestionably. Prithee, what shall be thy next step? If there is some murderous marauder loose in the city, then they must be dealt with, posthaste.” Princess Luna and Gilda approached the two before taking one final look around the crime scene.  “I’m afraid there isn’t much more we can do, princess,” Rarity said. “Much of what we know is based on informed suspicion, and I hate to admit that, without another muder, we won’t have anything more to go on.” “But these are Night Guard, right?” Gilda asked. “Well, yes.” “And we, like, know for sure they’re defecting now, uh huh?” “‘Tis the conclusion which befalls us,” Luna sighed. “That means if Gavel and General Tightwad are the only ones this killer-weirdo wanted offed, then we won’t see them again. But what if they’re hunting Night Guard, too?” “Whatever for, darling? The Night Guard are foul, to be sure, but not complicit in the conspiracy.” “Cuz they’re Tightwad’s goons? Dude, you said this whacko was on a vengeance trip, yeah? That means going after everypony who helped him, including these guys, including the nobility, and including you-know-who.” “‘Everypony who helped him’… Abby. Sweet Celestia, we have to warn her. She’s the one Shield Wall tricked into keeping the nobles’ support.” “Then we haven’t a moment to lose,” Rarity said, hurriedly. “Princess, can you warn the rest of the nobility?” “We shall gather what aid we trust and dispatch them, though the countess hath not yet returned to Canterlot. Her vessel shall make port by sunset.” “‘Vessel’? She’s on an airship? Who knows? Is it public knowledge?” Silver quickly closed the distance between him and the princess, eyes locked onto hers. “‘Tis no secret, for the countess travels to and from the city regularly, but you fear the murderer might intercept her?” “I’m afraid they might blow her ship out of the sky. Gilda, I need you to get back to Gorn and tell him to keep an eye out for her ship. Find its name if you can. Rarity, we need to find another lead, any lead, we’ll brainstorm on the way. Princess… uh…” Luna stared at Silver with a curious look, anticipating his next word as it hung on the tip of the earth pony’s tongue. Silver looked to the guards surrounding the scene then stepped closer to the princess, enough to safely speak with a hushed tone. “We have some help we can call in. He, um, has his own way of doing things and… Luna, I can’t let something happen to Abby, or anypony else, and my friend can-” “You have our permission, noble rogue, to enlist both sides of your identity.”  Her words came through a soft chuckle and covered Silver’s face in bewilderment before she continued.  “We hath seen your dreams, Silver Spade, so worry not our judgement. Go forth and do what needest be done.” “Oh… w-well, thank you, princess. Gilda, take the sending stone and let me know when you and Gorn are ready. Rarity, do you know a good place to start?” “There must be Night Guard outposts in the city, yes? Someplace they rest and plan?” “Aye,” Luna said. “We shall have a map procured for thee.” Luna waved down one of the guards and ushered him over to the group. Though Gilda made a grand display of spreading her wings and taking to the sky with a forceful flap, Rarity kept her gaze on Silver as his eyes darted everywhere and nowhere, fidgeting in place and tapping his hoof. She approached him, slowly. “Silver, are you alright?” “Yeah. Yeah, I just… thinking about what you said with the prison, and now Abby’s in danger and… well, I’m sure I’d be in better sorts if I slept last night.” Silver released a low, rhaspy chuckle. They shared a laugh, one that managed to curl the corners of Silver’s growing smile. “That’s something we need to fix as soon as possible. Do you think we missed something? I can’t stomach the thought of misreading something obvious.” “No, I think you were amazing. There’s no better pair of eyes in all of Canterlot.” “Pfft, flatterer,” Rarity scoffed, a thin line forming along her cheeks. “Will you be in Canterlot long?” “As long as the murderer is, I suppose.” “I do hate how we always meet when something terrible has happened. It’s almost routine with us, at this point.” “I would hardly call Baltimare ‘routine’.” “Oh, please! You walked right into my boutique, bloody and covered in Celestia knows what, carrying some device that had no right to be in a dress shop, and you had the nerve to ask if I would ‘inspect’ it! I always adore when you visit me, but perhaps next time you could leave the bombs at home, yes?” “Got it, no mystery weapons, but what about dinner? Once the case is closed?” “Silver Spade! Only you could ask a lady to dinner just steps away from a corpse.” “Is that a ‘no’?” Rarity shoved a playful hoof in Silver’s face. Soon after, one of the guards delivered the marked map to them before leading them out of the alleyway, back toward the carriage. Silver held open the door for Rarity. She gave a mocking bow before accepting the gesture and climbing into the carriage, and once Silver entered they were off down the street, leading toward the massive clocktower at the heart of the city. Rarity produced a violet notebook from her bag and pressed a quill to its pages. It appears as though tragedy has struck. Silver’s visit is hardly the teasing little escapade I had hoped, but a request for my aid in finding a murderer. A most terrible crime has befallen Canterlot. Several are dead, Midnight Gavel among them, and the prison where that vile Shield Wall resided has been reduced to rubble. Now, we seek to warn Abundant Glow of whatever danger this murderer poses to her. She’s lucky to have a friend such as Silver. Speaking of whom, the poor dear looks completely drained. He’s brave to put on his display, and he may fool everypony else, but I can tell just by looking that he’s beside himself. I know how much Abby meant to him. Now, with her at risk and so much going on I can only imagine the maelstrom of worry brewing beneath that mane of his. I wish he would talk to me, but that’s my dear Silver Spade. Hiding everything except infuriatingly cute witticisms behind a mask. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but I take comfort in the probability Shield Wall has finally met his end. Although, for as much a monster as Shield Wall was, I shudder to imagine who could kill him.