The world outside the cabin’s bay window swayed slightly with the rocking of the airship as it glided through the calm night air. Gentle gusts could be heard echoing through the wooden walls. Flickering candles illuminated the table around which they sat, and upon it sat sheafs of paper, stained cloth, the Nine Nights letter, and every scrap of information the trio could scrounge up to be put on display, all surrounding a map of Equestria. An uncomfortable silence filled the captain’s cabin.
Green flames burst from just in front of Rarity. A scroll produced itself from the embers and landed softly onto the packed table, bouncing before she caught the letter and broke the ornate wax seal. Azure eyes scanned each line of the missive. Gilda and Silver fidgeted where they sat, glancing between each other, resisting the compulsion to demand explanation before Rarity was done. The scroll was placed on the table.
“She was right,” Rarity finally said.
“No shit?”
“I can’t believe it.”
“It’s been confirmed, I’m afraid. After Twilight received my letter, she was able to conduct her own investigation and confirm Abby’s claims. An express train has been commandeered from Ponyville. It’s heading for the Crystal Empire.”
Gilda slumped in her chair and hissed, ignoring Silver as he slipped his face deeper into his hooves. The scroll joined the pile of evidence between the three as Rarity retook her seat.
“We’ve just been chasing somepony... chasing somepony else,” Silver groaned.
“That appears to be the case, dear.”
“So, Tightwad and his goons hop a train and beeline it for the Crystal Empire, why?”
“We don’t know what his plan is, Gilda,” Silver said, lifting his face from his hooves.
“Well, he must be looking for something,” Rarity interjected. “Twilight’s notes say the scroll he took is part of some tracking ritual, something that would allow him to find dark artifacts. I haven’t the slightest idea what that could be, though.”
“Twilight didn’t happen to mention any possibilities?”
“The Crystal Heart is the only object of note, but that’s in the center of the palace and the most pure object in the empire, so I’d hardly call it dark.”
“So, another dead end?”
“It would seem so, but at least we know where they’re headed.”
“What about Alate?” Gilda leaned over the table to face Rarity. “So far, everywhere Tightwad’s gone, she’s gone, too. She probably knew where he was going before we did.”
“I hate to admit you may be right, Gilda, and I shudder to think what havoc they may wreak in the Crystal Empire.” Rarity paused for a moment, sending a careful glance over to Silver. “Silver, dear, I know you aren’t comfortable with the idea, but if Shining Armor and Princess Cadence knew about the situation then they may be able to help us.”
“Cadence and Shining are already safe from anything Shield Wall could do. Bringing them in might force his hoof, or Alate’s. That’s something I won’t risk.”
“Yeah, what’s up with that? Why is the pretty-boy up north that jerk’s favorite?”
“I don’t know, G, something about ‘unicorn purity’... what matters is he hasn’t hurt either of them and I want to keep it that way.”
“We might not have a choice, darling. If Shield Wall’s plan, however illusive, is half of what his plans were for Manehatten they’ll have to know.”
Rarity could feel the tension in Silver and he fumbled his hooves over each other, eyes drifting across the table, aimlessly. His silence preceded a long sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his muzzle.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Rarity. Now, about Alate.”
“What about her?” Gilda scoffed.
“She’s Darrox’s sister. Even if she’s killed ponies, I can’t just ignore that.”
“Well, we can’t do nothing,” Rarity interjected. “She’s a fugitive, wanted by Luna, herself. I doubt any familial ties will do her good in court. She’s melting ponies, remember?”
“Vividly.”
“Yo, what if we teamed up with her?” Gilda’s suggestion drew all other eyes straight on her.
“What?” Silver balked.
“Yeah, it’s crazy, but hear me out. Shield Wall’s got dozens of dudes with him, maybe more if he had to steal a whole frickin’ train to escape Ponyville. We know Alate hates his guts, kicks flank, and doesn’t actually want to kill us, too. If she’s been smackin’ him around everywhere he goes then maybe she can help us stay on top of him.”
“It’s not a terrible suggestion, Gilda,” Rarity said, earning Silver’s astonishment.
“And who’s going to take responsibility when she kills somepony on our watch? I want to help her, not give her permission.”
“Darling, I agree, we all do, but with every encounter we have, with either of them, we’re reminded just how little we actually know. Alate, however, has been keeping pace with Shield Wall since the start. She must have access to something we don’t.”
“Like what, exactly?”
“Information, resources, and somepony covering the cost of her crimes. Twilight made it abundantly clear the solvent she uses is too potent for one pony to brew, alone. Alate may have somepony working with her, and Gilda’s suggestion, however risky, might be the only way we can figure out who.”
“Yeah, dude, there’s no way an old changeling like her is gonna get all that hardware alone, and I bet anypony who hates Shield Wall half as much as she does would help off him.”
“She has a family,” Silver began. “Alate was the youngest changeling in her group, and her siblings all knew what Darrox was doing when he left the hive. It’s possible they heard about his death and came looking for vengeance. When I was in the EUP, we would send units into the mountains to hunt down changeling hideouts and clear them out, so there may be a network Alate’s using.”
“Goodness, I hope not. Could you imagine what happened in Canterlot happening in the Crystal Empire?”
“That’s what I’m saying! If we find her and team up, we have a shot at taking both her and the anti-Tightwad squad in. Silver, come on, it’s a good plan.” Gilda watched Silver glare at the table, almost sensing the gears turning in his head with each passing second.
“Yeah, it’s a good plan,” Silver finally said. “We offer a trade. Tell her what we know of Shield Wall’s plan and offer to help undo it, in exchange for the names of her contacts. Use her obsession against her.”
“Thank you!” Gilda happily leaned back in her chair with a grin, licking a talon and marking the air before folding her claws behind her head.
“But there’s still the matter of what to do once we’re in the Crystal Empire. Shield Wall got the drop on us last time, and if he tries again, well… Silver, dear, I haven’t enough thread to stitch you up again.”
Silver couldn’t help but chuckle at the comment, earning a smile from Rarity, too.
“I’ll be careful. I don’t know too much about Night Guard tactics, but it’s clear they never go anywhere alone. A smart move, but the numbers they travel in are enough to attract attention, especially if Shield Wall is bringing more into the Crystal Empire.”
“How many do you think he could summon?” Rarity asked.
“Well, what I do know is Night Guard have outposts all throughout Equestria, even in the wild. Just between us and the Crystal Mountains, I’d guess there are a dozen or so such camps with five to ten troops stationed there, but we can’t count out the possibility that Shield Wall called for reinforcements from other parts of the country.”
“A rough estimate, then?”
“Regiment size, that’s over one thousand soldiers… maybe more.”
Rarity and Gilda stared at each other, refusing to accept Silver’s words before the other did, first. Gilda cursed under her breath as she stood and walked from the table, gazing out the window. Rarity managed to catch her breath.
“He… goodness, he wouldn’t be so bold as to attack with such a force, would he?”
Silver gave her a look.
“Ah, yes… of course.”
“This is, literally, the second time he’s done this,” Gilda blurted out, coarsely. “I’m about this close to killing that psycho, myself.”
“We are not entertaining that notion, Gilda,” Silver declared.
“Why not? This corrupt bastard keeps finding excuses to be a colossal prick, and it always ends in someone dead. You don’t even have to do it, I will. Just once, okay? I’ll only kill him once.”
“I said, no!”
His hoof slammed against the table and shook every object upon it, even giving Rarity a start at the impact. Fierce amber eyes lost their fire as Silver soon glanced downwards to the floor. Gilda, however, locked her gaze onto the argent pony.
“What is your problem? Ever since we started this little field trip you’ve been going from one bad mood to the next. Always jabbing back, always skulking away like you do when you think we aren’t looking. You pulled this crap back home, too, so what is up?!”
“‘What is up’ is the most evil pony I know is loose out there and I don’t know how to stop him!” Silver stood from his seat, meeting Gilda’s eyes.
“Well, no duh, none of us know what to do, why does that mean you get to be such a little twerp about it?”
“Because I’m not the one talking about killing ponies like Alate’s been doing for the past week!”
“Are you serious? Okay, fine, I won’t kill him. Happy? Jeez, bite my wings off, too, why don’t ya?”
“This isn’t abo-”
“I think it’s high time we all went to bed, hm?” Rarity interjected, jabbing her hooves into Gilda and Silver. “It is, clearly, too late in the night to be having such serious discussions. We’ll pick this up tomorrow.”
“Rarity, there’s work to-”
“Tomorrow.” The word stabbed Silver in the chest, and her firm expression held whatever thoughts he had at bay.
Wordlessly, Rarity led Gilda out of the cabin and onto the deck, not even looking back as the door closed, leaving Silver alone. He let out a sigh. Heavy steps made their way around the cabin as Silver snuffed out the candles, allowing only the moonbeams from outside to illuminate the room. Falling into his small bed along the bay window reminded him how tired he was. Then, he heard a click.
From beneath the bed flew a bolt of black fabric that wound around Silver hooves. He rolled into a low stance, carefully scanning the darkness. An open segment of the window clacked against itself. Something looked at him from a distance.
“It's true what they say… nopony can sneak up on you.”
“Alate.” Silver watched the rag-covered changeling step into the moonlight. “How long have you been following us?”
“Since Canterlot. I’m not here to fight.”
“Then don’t be here at all.”
“I heard what you three were discussing. A smart plan, offering me the weapon of my enemy in return for the source of my own.”
“Too bad the cat’s out of the bag.”
“‘Too bad’, indeed,” she said, pulling back the tattered hood.
There was something disturbingly calm in her tone. Small cracks formed along the farthest edges of her chitin, and the exposed flesh of her tired eyelids wrinkled with each careful movement, silently watching Silver. Like any changeling, she had no mane to speak of, and nothing more than the layered plates of her carapace draped in her signature tattered cloth.
“Who told you? About me?” Silver’s gaze narrowed.
“I’m a changeling. I get around.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the one you’re getting,” she shot back with a soft chuckle. “Don’t think I would reveal everything to you just because you knew my brother. This way, I keep you vulnerable.”
“My identity is very secret, and I’m not the only one you’ve made vulnerable.”
“You think I would kill your friends? Your family? Don’t insult me, Silver, I only hunt Shield Wall’s allies, not yours.”
“Like you’ve been doing tonight?” He pointed a hoof to the stains of blood along her hooves and the rags that covered them. “You’ve been busy.”
“Busy doing your job.”
“My job doesn’t include killing my enemies, and neither should yours.”
“Empty words, considering what you almost did in Ponyville. How close you were to avenging yourself and my brother.”
“I’m not the murderer here, Alate.”
“And you think I want to be?” There was a tremble in her voice. “Darrox was a hero. I know how disgusted he would be with me, but don’t you try taking the high ground when it was your cloak around Shield Wall’s neck.”
“It’s not just my stance, Alate, it's your brother’s.”
“Don’t use him like that! Like a cloak to hide behind. You want Shield Wall dead just as much as I do.”
“If you’re here to convince me to kill him, you’ll be leaving disappointed.”
“I don’t have to. I know now how far you want to go. That’s something we share. We would do anything to uphold Darrox’s memory, the only difference is I don’t have the weight of the Ghost on my conscience. That’s why you’re here, on this ship, hunting a madpony instead of living a life with the mare you once loved.”
“I won’t spit on Darrox’s memory to do it.”
“All evidence to the contrary,” she seethed. “I saw you. I could almost feel how much you wanted to kill him, and you were so close. All you needed to do was twist!”
Silver was silent. From the darkness, he could feel her pale eyes upon him, gazing into his soul, and with each passing second Alate’s smile grew.
“It was plain as day. You had him. If it were anypony else, you would choke them out and leave them for the guards, but he isn’t just ‘somepony’, is he? He’s the one who killed your mentor, my brother, after he left you in the ocean to die. He ruined your life, why not ruin his?”
“Because it’s not what Darrox would want.”
“Darrox doesn’t want anything… he’s dead.”
“But you love him, just like I do.”
“No!” She stamped the floor with a furious hoof. “I love him enough to leave the hive. I love him enough to become a monster so he won’t die in vain! You only love him as much as you love pretending to be him! You only know the Ghost, you don’t know my brother!”
“I know your brother saved my life and gave me a chance to undo Shield Wall’s evil,” Silver shouted back, closing the distance. “Nopony asked him, but he did, and I vowed to uphold his mission in honor of his death.”
“Because of ‘the discourse’, right? Darrox never stopped talking about ‘the discourse’, like it was his excuse to abandon us, his family, to go play hero with ponies, and now you're doing the same thing!”
“Because it’s what’s right!”
“Then why doesn’t it work?! What did Darrox ever accomplish by preaching ‘the discourse’? Decades of fights and plots and plenty of praise from ponies he never knew, but the only threat that ever mattered is still out there, ruining more lives every day. Shield Wall doesn’t heed ‘the discourse’, Silver, because he doesn’t care about it. He stamped it out like he did Darrox, and he’ll do it to you, too.”
Silver was stunned. His eyes were fixed on Alate as her chest heaved with exhilaration, slowly calming herself as the electricity in the air dissipated, leaving only silence.
“Silver, we have the chance to find real justice, and not even Shield Wall with all of his troops could stop us. We can do it together. I’m not asking you to kill every criminal you meet, Silver, just him.”
“I… I can’t do that… not to him.”
“Why not? Because of ‘the discourse’? Because you made an oath to him?”
“A promise.”
“And you’d let Darrox die, in vain, for something as silly as that?” Alate’s voice trembled as her eyes watered. “I’m giving you the opportunity to stop him for good. No more attacks, no more broken families, but you would let them all suffer because you made a promise?!”
The echo of her words suck in Silver’s mind, ringing like church bells. He could only watch as she slowly neared the open window. Moonlight washed over her and revealed just how worn and tarnished her carapace was, with sullen and aged eyes still looking at Silver, her fresh tears holding his gaze in place as a shiver ran through Silver’s entire body.
“Decades of this fight, Silver, and for what? My brother is dead, your father is dead, and soon your entire life will join you in the grave because you let that cloak tell you right from wrong instead of your own heart.” She broke her gaze and silently placed her hoof on the windowsill. “Shield Wall killed Darrox, but the Ghost dug his grave.”
Her insectoid wings buzzed and lifted her from the floor. She flew from the cabin and into the night, rags fluttering behind her as she disappeared in a wispy flash of green magic. Silver looked on. An inescapable fog filled his senses as he fumbled back toward the bed, still draped in the cloak.
The airship continued to rock as it travelled north.