Two sets of hooves clacked against the sidewalk in a weary canter. This morning, the pair of ponies wore a spotless vigase of prestige as they set out across Canterlot, turning over every rock conceivable in search of something connecting to their quarry.
That was many hours ago.
“Silver, darling, maybe we should take a break? We’ve been searching all across Canterlot for… for… what time is it?” An exhausted Rarity struggled to blow the wet, sweaty strands of hair from her face.
“Three,” Silver replied, scratching underneath his undone and damp shirt collar.
“Sweet Celestia, it is, isn’t it? Darling, I mean it, we should at least eat.”
“Where was the next safehouse? Was it on Perry or Parsnip Boulevard?”
“Parsnip, but… no! No, no, no, no, no!”
With strength enough to surprise him, Rarity wrapped a foreleg around Silver and began pulling him down the street, earning the curious gaze of onlookers gawking at the frazzled couple.
“Rarity? Come on, we have a job to do.”
“And we’ve been doing it for seven hours! We haven’t eaten, you haven’t slept, and my hooves are killing me.”
Rarity stomped straight past Parsnip Boulevard and rounded the corner toward a rather colorful park area. She didn’t even register the eyes of ponies glued to her and her captive as she trudged through the crowd and toward a quaint little shop with a bright yellow awning. With her free hoof she pushed open the door, her firmness punctuated by a soft bell.
“Oh! Miss Rarity! Welcome back. Is everything alright, you look exhausted,” the lemon-colored pegasus said from behind the counter.
“Miss Twist, always so perceptive.” Rarity’s compliment escaped through gritted teeth as she glared at Silver. “I’m so sorry for the state of me and my partner, here. Might we have something cool and refreshing? With cucumber, maybe?”
Miss Twist nodded approvingly and led the duo to a table beside the shop's large bay window. Silver was all but forced into his chair by Rarity before she took hers, and in just a few moments Miss Twist returned to two very tall glasses of sparkling liquid, adorned with cucumber, dripping with a cool condensation that pooled on the table where they landed. Miss Twist then produced a small notebook.
“Anything I can get you two? Oh my, sir, you look famished.”
“He does, doesn’t he? I would die for a rainbow salad with vinaigrette, and my stubborn stallion here will have that outstanding stuffed eggplant sandwich, both with coffee.” Rarity’s smug grin was an inescapable fixture in Silver’s gaze.
“That’s no problem, it’ll all be out in a jiffy. Any preference on the coffee, miss?”
“Strong, the poor boy needs it.”
Miss Twist nodded and smiled before retreating behind the counter and relaying the order to the kitchen, leaving the two across from each other at the small table. Silver found the strength to chuckle before speaking.
“This brings back memories.”
“Doesn’t it? But honestly, Silver, doesn’t it feel refreshing to get out of the sun and stop running around aimlessly?” Rarity’s glass rose from the table and pressed against her lips, releasing its contents to her.
“And not work on the princesses’ case?”
“Like we’ve been doing all day? Silver, please, I know this is your work but even you have limits.”
“Can’t let the bad guys know that.”
“The only one who doesn’t know is you, silly, now drink your water. You’ll drop dead if not.”
The truth in Rarity’s words was written all over his face. He could feel his vision sway across the table as he clumsily guided his hoof the glass. It was heavier than he expected, the condensation threatened his grip, but as he finally managed to pass the cool refreshment through his lips his body immediately reacted, compelling him to hold the glass still and imbibe more. The need for air was all that stopped him.
“Better?”
“Better,” he gasped. He placed the glass down and reached for the collar of his coat, pulling it off and onto the back of the chair.
“Not the shirt?”
“We’re in public, aren’t we?”
“True, but you don’t see me being so prudish.”
“Well, you don’t have a piece of modern art stretched across your back.”
“Hmm, post-modern. I know a pony or two with such tastes who would love the gnarled flesh aesthetic.”
“Maybe I should be getting lunch with them, instead.”
“If you could remind yourself to eat, at all.”
At that Silver gave a light, cheerful laugh, supporting himself with a limp hoof as he tried to control the sudden outburst, hardly noticing that Rarity had joined in. When Miss Twist arrived with their order the two were a tired, giggly mess.
“Here you are, Miss Rarity. Are you two having a good time?”
“The best,” Silver replied. He gently batted Rarity’s hoof aside, passing Miss Twist payment of his own before she left again.
“I thought I was the one treating you?” Rarity said.
“You’re putting up with me. That’s payment, enough.”
“You’re telling me.” Their chuckles died down after a moment, leaving them in a comfortable silence as they began eating.
“So, what’re you thinking?”
“About the case?”
“Yeah,” he replied through a bite of eggplant. “You don’t find it weird that every safehouse we went to was either empty or destroyed?”
“Oh, I certainly do, but it gives us nothing to go off of. Had they left behind something, like a manifest or report, then we’d at least have a lead.”
“I think we do. I think this only confirms the murderer has been stalking them.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The fact that not all safehouses are destroyed. I think we stumbled upon a few locations the murderer managed to track the Night Guard to, and then firebombed in an attempt to either kill them or smoke them out.”
“But that would destroy any information they could use. Why would the murderer do that?”
“My guess is they don’t care, or maybe they already know what the Night Guard is up to, so there’s no reason to hold onto anything.”
“Wild, premeditated violence certainly sounds like vengeance, but for what? What did the Night Guard do to them?”
“Probably nothing. I don’t think it’s a coincidence the murderer ambushed a prison break where the Night Guard, Midnight Gavel, and Shield Wall would be present. If anypony wronged them, it has to be the conspiracy.”
“And the destroyed safehouses support the notion they’re targeting more than its leader.”
“You know it,” Silver said before downing the rest of his glass.
“To consider a list of Shield Wall’s possible enemies is, well… it’s impossible. He hurt so many, and once it all became public the princesses had to issue protection for those who came out as members, for fear of retaliation. For Celestia’s sake, half of Manehatten fits that description.”
“All we need is a lead. Once we have something more than dead traitors and acidic ooze it’ll just be a matter of time.”
“Of course...”
Rarity’s eyes trailing along Silver’s body, slowly taking in the details. She lingered on his face, watching his eyes dart from the food before him, the window beside him, and the space between them both as a soft tapping from his free hoof put a rhythm to his movements. He held a small smile, but Rarity was perceptive enough to see it was the only part of him holding any stillness.
“Silver, are you all right?”
“I am now,” he grinned, gesturing toward the half eaten plate of food.
“Well, of course, but I mean… how are you feeling? With everything that’s going on?”
“Fine? It’s tragic, yeah, but it’s not the first time we’ve done this… which is actually really sad, now that I think about it.”
“You’re not upset about anything?”
“Like what?”
“You know ‘what’.”
Silver’s chewing halted. Some of his flavorful lunch almost threatened to creep back up his throat, if not for the growing lump keeping the feeling at bay. He swallowed, painfully, placing what food was left in his hoof down onto the plate.
“You mean Gavel, and Shield Wall?”
“Of course. All this talk of victims and I almost forgot you were one of them. They did such horrible things to you, and I know what Abby meant to-”
“They’re both dead, right? If they’re dead then I won’t have to worry about it anymore. It’s not like he’s still hanging around, right? Haunting me.” Silver’s tone became sharp.
“Darling, he’s the reason you’re wearing that shirt.”
“Yeah, well, what do you want me to say?”
“If it’s bothering you I want to know. You know you can talk to me.” Rarity’s hoof traveled across the table to his trembling one.
“About what, Rarity? About getting flogged and dropped in the ocean to die, while he trampled my life into the dirt? About how I can’t actually have ponies call me by my real name anymore?”
“Yes. It’s bothering you, darling, I can tell. Please, Silver, I’m here if you need help.”
“You want to help? If you want to help, Rarity, then how about you dig Shield Wall’s head out of that rubble so I know he’s dead, because if that vile bastard managed to escape he’s going to kill you, and everypony else I love! Just like my father, and just like Darrox!”
The eyes of the cafe followed Silver as his outburst came to an end. Rarity had leaned back in her seat, as if to dodge the heat coming off Silver, but in time she met his gaze and placed a hoof on his seething, reluctant face.
“Silver, look at me,” Rarity whispered, tilting his gaze to her. “It doesn’t matter if he died in the attack, or if he’s out there right now, plotting some horrid scheme. We’re not going anywhere, okay? Please believe that.”
“But if he’s alive-”
“Then we’ll put him right back in his hole, never to see the light of day again.”
“Right. Right, I just… I’m sorry.”
Rarity leaned up and placed a soft peck in Silver’s forehead, gently leading him from the table before signalling Miss Twist from the counter. She arrived, packaged the food to go, and passed it off to Rarity as Silver once more donned his tailcoat and followed Rarity out the front door. The sun still sent its rays to them, glittering from above. Silver turned to Rarity, searching for something to say before a forehoof reached around his neck and pulled him in.
“Don’t ever be afraid to talk, okay?” Rarity whispered.
“Maybe next time at a party, or a coronation, or somewhere ten times more embarrassing for you than here.”
“Yo? Yo! Raghead, answer the magic rock!”
Silver lurched at the sudden interruption. With the tender moment now broken, Silver cursed and fumbled around in his coat pocket, finally producing the pulsating stone before he waved his hoof over the glowing sigil.
“Gilda? What’s going on?”
“Finally, ‘bout time you answered,” said Gilda’s magically simulated voice. “Look, your ex’s ship made it in, still in one piece. She and her entourage are on their way home.”
“Thanks for the heads up, we’ll head over there now.”
“Yeah-huh, but make it quick, will ya? Gorn’s popped the cork on another bottle and I won’t sit through another of his war stories.”
“I believe in you, Gilda,” Silver said. “We’ll be there soon.”
He swiped over the sigil again as it lost it’s glow. Rarity laughed at the exchange, playfully pushing Silver’s foreleg away as he flagged down a carriage. Once the carriage arrived, he opened the door and led Rarity in before turning to the driver.
“Where ya going, sir?”
“The Glow Estate.”
--
Silver and Rarity could almost see themselves in the mirror-like surface of the floor. Every inch of the estate’s lobby was immaculate, with its circular construction framed by the two curving staircases leading up a towering stain-glass window in the second level, depicting the crest of the House of Glow. Sunlight danced across clean white walls adorned with roses and tulips of deep red and brilliant yellow. Though they stood in silence, the sheer size of the room was enough to carry the faint echo of servants from other parts of the house.
“Surely lives up to its name, doesn’t it?” Rarity said as her eyes trailed off around the room.
“Yeah, it’s a lot brighter than I remember.”
A third pony descended the stairs to join them. He was a wrinkled, mustard-yellow stallion sporting a dress coat and bowtie, approaching them with trained poise.
“Lord Aristo and Miss Rarity, I presume?”
“Yes,” the duo said in unison, whipping their heads around to the source of the question as he gave them an amused stare.
“If you both would be so kind, the countess has retired to the study upstairs. Follow me, please.”
Together, the three ponies climbed the marble stairs to the second floor, hooves clacking against the polished stone, filling the lobby with a soft echo. They traveled down the large, open hallway beside them decorated with white walls and marble statues, the calm breeze fluttering from open windows that rippled the thin drapery. Only once they reached the study did Silver’s pace begin to slow. Just over the top of a large sofa in the center of the room was a familiar tangle of deep red curls that spilled over the edge. The elderly servant cleared his throat.
“My lady, if I may present to you two visitors. Miss Rarity and Lord Aristo of Coltistrano.”
The curls flailed around the back of the sofa as a pair of vibrant, sea green orbs locked onto Silver. Slowly, she stood. She only took a few steps to join them but Silver’s mind had frozen, lingering on the image of the creamy yellow mare walking towards him for the first time in what felt like eternity.
“Silver.”
“Abby.”
Silence weighed down on them both, carefully watching each other’s movements to not interrupt the other. Silver stepped forward, slowly, hesitating at the slight backstep Abby took before returning the gesture, and when the two finally crossed the room to each other the silence between them was palpable.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Silver,” Abby said, finally
“You, too. How have you been?” Silver found the courage to return his gaze to Abby’s sea green eyes.
“Oh, well enough, a bit tired from the trip home. Yourself?”
“Well enough.”
The silence returned. Rarity cautiously stepped up to the two ponies, clearing her throat as she did.
“Countess Glow? I’m Rarity, we met at the gala last year. Do you remember?”
“Oh? Oh! Oh, Rarity, yes I remember, your gown was absolutely gorgeous. I never managed to ask Cadence about scheduling a commission with you afterwards because of… well, you remember.”
“Yes, I’m sure we all do.” Rarity nudged Silver, shooting him a grin. “Do you mind if we join you? I’m sure we all would love to catch up.”
“Please do! Berry, would you fetch us some tea?” Her request earned a bow from the aging servant, exiting just as the trio sat beside the study’s large bay window, coated in the soothing rays of the setting sun.
“I’m sure you hear this often, Countess-”
“‘Abby’, please. I think pleasantries are far behind us after all we’ve been through.”
“I suppose you’re right, but you have a magnificent home. I’ve only ever seen it from the outside, which hardly does it any justice.”
“Oh, gosh! I’ve never invited you over, have I? Forgive me, I forget these things, between the trial and work, and all the travelling in between. I’ll have Cadence take a break sometime so you can join us.”
“Oh, that would be so lovely, right Silver?”
“Definitely.” His quick, soft comment brought Abby’s attention back to him, and once again he felt the burden of the growing silence.
“How is Ms. Hearts, Silver? I haven’t been able to write to her in months, but from what she tells me Coltistrano is back on its hooves.” Abby’s words were followed by attentive eyes.
“It’s getting there, but there’s only so much a pile of gold can do.”
“And what about your more mysterious business?”
“That’s… actually why we’re here. There-”
Silver’s words were cut off sharply by the arrival of Berry, carrying with him a pewter tray of tea, biscuits and sweets that clacked against the table between them. Abby nodded to him, ushering him away and returning to Silver with rapt attention.
“Forgive him, Berry’s very prompt.”
“Very… just last night, Rarity and I received the Nine Night letter from Princess Luna, and I suspect yours is waiting for you in the mail. There was an attack on Shield Wall’s prison.”
“Did he get out?!” Abby lurched forward from her seat, nearly knocking the tea cups over and shaking the small table between them. Silver reached out for her, trying his best to calm the fear painted across her face.
“No, no, the prison was destroyed. There’s no sign of him.”
“Thank goodness. I’m sorry, Silver, I didn’t mean to, um… oh, this is embarrassing.”
“It’s okay, but there’s a problem. Gavel’s been murdered. We’ve found evidence to suggest Luna’s Night Guard have defected. Somepony killed eight ponies last night, and we think they might be coming for you.”
“What, me? Why would they want such a thing?”
“So far, it seems the killer is targeting ponies connected to Shield Wall’s conspiracy,” Rarity said, sipping from her tea. “We don’t have a whole lot to go off of, but what we can determine is, whoever the killer is, they’re very resourceful and quite dangerous.”
“We’re working on finding a lead, but Luna will be stationing guards around the house until further notice.”
“Is he dead?”
Abby’s pained voice tugged at Silver as she looked on with strained, almost hopeful eyes. His mouth hung open slightly, searching for his words before Rarity interjected.
“We don’t have any reason to suspect he escaped, but we won’t know for sure until the prison’s been uncovered.”
“If there’s any way I can help, please let me know… will you be staying long?”
“Until they’re caught,” Silver said.
“Will you… will you need a place to stay?”
Her words forced Silver to sit up straight in his chair. There was a noticeable blush across Abby’s muzzle as her eyes locked onto him, and even Rarity blinked at the brazenness of the offer.
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Right. Of course.”
“In the meantime, Abby,” Rarity interrupted, nervously looking between the others. “I know you haven’t been back for long, but have you heard or noticed anything unusual? Anything at all?”
“Nothing beyond the usual, I’m afraid. We returned to Canterlot hardly more than an hour ago, and I spent most of the time back home in a carriage.”
Abby sipped again from her tea with a focused look on her face, trying to recall the events of the day before she turned to look out the window at the setting sun.
“The killer; did anypony see who they were?”
“Not that we know of,” Silver returned.
“Nothing about a figure in a dark grey robe?”
“Pardon?” Rarity cocked an eyebrow.
“Maybe with a faint green glow about them? Because if they did, it would look an awful lot like that.”
Silver and Rarity shared an incredulous look before peering out the window, themselves. Just as they did, a quick flash of green spilled over the bay window, forming a large crack along the glass pane before a mass of worn grey cloth smashed against it. Shards of glass exploded from the impact. Rarity hardly had enough time to form a shield, if only a partial one, before the thud of hooves cracked against the table between the trio. Silver’s vision recovered to see the figure Abby described.
Tall, draped in tarnished grey rags, with the glow of a sickening green power seeping from beneath the large hood, the pony he could only guess was the killer stood between them all like a terrifying obelisk.
The hood turned, and Silver’s heart stopped as he found Abby caught in its glare.