//------------------------------// // One if By Land: Part 12 // Story: Spike of All Trades // by Ariamaki //------------------------------// Despite what felt like a dozen disparate conversations keeping everypony spread across the platform in the early-morning light, as soon as the first whistle blew they all snapped back into place. Shining Armor and Cadance said their (very temporary) goodbyes, promising to return to Canterlot within the next two moons. Their guard detail went with them, trading begrudging nods of respect with the Ammunitions on the way out. Twilight was basking in the joy of another sibling struggle well-won, Rarity was exhausted by the early hour and Cadance's scrutiny, Luna was clearly shaking off her own schedule issues... Spike and Pinkie were, if anything, feeling fresher and more active than when they started! He chalked his extra energy up to the Gamer's nature, and if he had to guess Pinkie had her own reasons. Their group continued to splinter apart from there; starting when the Ammos took their luggage and went down a side street towards the conference site. Before they left, Piercing gave Spike a small flyer: Apparently this gaming industry event was the precursor to a much larger public show that anypony could visit... And the timing would line up almost perfectly with their trip back up here in a few months! Spike thanked him for the tip and waved them off, head buzzing with ideas. Some were about the idea of a games conference, but the other part of his mind was already making other plans: Plans for how to work on his magical combat training before they met back up again. He had aspirations to really impress Rarity and Arcane next time... That left five of them travelling together (technically six, but the Tantabus had long since returned to Luna's shadow) up to Canterlot Castle. The streets of Equestria's capital were active this early, but far from bustling: Apart from a few joggers and early-risers, most of the traffic they passed seemed to be runners for large businesses and workers from the bigger houses in the city. That made a lot of sense seeing as their path was taking them through the markets and shopping centers. What was unusual about it was how calm it was compared to the same kind of morning in Ponyville: Everypony was professional and self-contained, and carried themselves calmly. The idea of a quiet market district would surprise plenty of ponies back home, although the members in their own group were used to seeing Canterlot at all hours of the day. Despite the other ponies on the streets, Princess Luna's presence didn't cause the uproar Spike had feared or expected: Maybe she was leaning into the subtlety she'd mentioned before? Some ponies nodded and a few bowed, but their group was mostly undisturbed. It was easier than it had been in a long time to get through the streets of Canterlot: Admittedly, neither he nor Twilight were on the best of terms with 'mornings', so they didn't get out this early too often... and when they did, it was from the other side of the night before. Even though it was currently the achingly early hours of the morning, it definitively was morning. The Castle came into view over the last set of buildings before the royal courtyards began, and he could already see how it was bathed in light that turned white walls gold and painted the entire scene. Pinkie and Twilight didn't audibly react, but Luna let out a contented sigh just as Rarity had her own squeal of joy and reverence. An unusual pair of guards came up to greet them as soon as they came into view. Rather than the pair of Celestia's retinue you would expect this early they were met by a mixed set: A Day Guard unicorn and a Night Guard pegasus trotted up side by side, in clean lockstep. The Day Guard was thinner and a little taller than most, the Night Guard almost stocky by comparison, both stallions. They saluted their group immediately, the unicorn with a hoof and the pegasus with a wing. "Welcome back, Princess!" Luna nodded to the pair of them and fluffed her wings out for a moment. "Well met to you both: Are we to assume my sister has sent you to retrieve me?" That got a smile from the Night Guard even as their counterpart tried to keep stone-faced. "Close enough: When you informed us you would be returning to continue your projects, a room was arranged for your guest. I made sure cooler heads prevailed so that our newest Crown Tailor could get herself settled without too much fuss." The idea of her becoming titled (even temporarily) during all this had clearly not crossed Rarity's mind: She whipped her head back and forth quickly before raising one hoof to cover a gasp. "Oh! I-" The bat-winged pony winked at her. "-would prefer to keep it on the down-low for now? Completely understood! I used to work in the fashion field myself: La Lune only knows how vicious the industry rumor mill can be." Spike looked over the Guards' heads: He didn't recognize either of them, but there was plenty of evidence here that they were the real deal, and probably high rankers to boot. [By Incisive Horn] Zenith Flair LV 40 [With Protective Wings] Gibbous Trace LV 40 Luna rolled her eyes at the casual deification (and subsequent taking-in-vain) of her name. Spike had to wonder just how often the new breed of Night Guards treated her like a living relic, for that to be such a practiced reaction. He definitely couldn't blame them: The Princesses were a huge part of Equestria's existence, doubly so now that they were plural again. Maybe in a few more years (or decades) Cadance would be getting the same treatment? "W-well yes then, I suppose I will come along quietly, Officer." That jab from Rarity was enough to get both Guards to break character: Gibbous had a faint pink blush scattered across his muzzle while Zenith outright laughed, a surprisingly booming tone for such a lithe unicorn. Twilight nodded to the guards and stepped forward. "In which case the three of us will head to meet with Princess Celestia-" Spike raised a claw. "Two of you, actually, Twilight! I kind of need to talk to Luna about something real quick." Luna quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected name drop and request for an audience... but she also decided to go along with it, raising a hoof up to his shoulder. "Well that divvies things just fine then, gentlecolts: Trace will take Ms. Belle to her new quarters, our Solar friend will present Celestia's student and her friend, and I will stay back with Spike." The Guards took that as a direct order and immediately split up to move back towards the castle: The rest of the girls followed them without any questions, although Pinkie shot him a look as she walked away. Spike winked and blew her a kiss, hoping that would settle her concerns. He'd just figured that, with what he saw with the Tantabus last night, it might be better to raise that note in advance of all the awkward questions he was going to be asking anyways... Paradoxically, he felt like a large open plaza was probably the best place to have a private conversation. Inside of the palace there could be all sorts of ponies listening from all kinds of angles, not to mention interruptions from the workers or dignitaries, visiting ponies... Here they were outdoors, but the space was so open on every side that nopony could approach without getting noticed. So Spike decided to spring his question and hope he didn't get sent off to some random celestial body for his trouble. "So back on the train car when we met the Tantabus..." Back in the meditation dreamscape, he had explained his abilities to Princess Luna in a fair bit of detail. Still, he walked back over the logic of everything that happened, since this was a strange case... By the time Spike finished awkwardly pointing out what he learned Luna's expression had settled into a grim and tight-lipped frown. "So, uh, yeah. I think it's pretty cool! Like, I don't... I had my crush on her and that didn't work out obviously, but it also means I can totally understand what somepony might see in her. She's a really special pony, and if it were going to be anypony interested in her I would want-" "Dearest nephew, be quiet for a moment." He shut his mouth and braced himself. A slap? A binding spell to never speak the truth to any other pony? Banishment? ...Or a hoof on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, Luna was looking at him with a strangely sad expression. "I really do worry about how my sister has taught you over these years, and it seems like even Twilight's influence wasn't sufficiently tempering." "What?" Luna raised her head to look up at the sky, where her sister's sun was still cresting the mountains. "Spike, your concerns here are clear. And I am a little mad, and most certainly disappointed. But it is likely not for the reason you think. My infatuation is a matter of great potential interest to others, and you took precautions before telling me... But why tell me at all?" He blinked a few times and looked around to make sure there wasn't an audience or something: Maybe this was a play? It was also possible he had completely lost the plot. "I feel certain Celestia taught you that Honesty is a virtue: It is one of the Elements of Harmony after all. One of my elements in fact, back when the two of us were challenging Discord for control of the realm. The problem is that she fails to approach Honesty with any sense of nuance outside of the hours when she holds court." Spike didn't want to interrupt what seemed like a long-bottled-up concern, so he let Princess Luna continue without asking any questions. "Not long ago you asked me about battles of life and death. To bring our conversation back onto that topic... Too much of anything can kill. Too much magic can overload the system, water can flood the body, Kindness can smother and patronize... Honesty can kill as well. Holding nothing back and speaking only the truth diminishes the self, hurts others with blunt and tactless words, and cuts off options and paths to the future." "...But you're not telling me to just lie all the time either, right?" She smiled, albeit barely. "Forbid the thought: Lies kill too, in ways slow and insidious as well as fast and tragic. But what I am saying need not require you to lie at all! No need for lies or truths, no half-truths either. If the truth would cause undue injury, and a lie would not help guide things onto the right path... then why tell anything at all? That made sense to Spike, in a way. Doubly so because it was coming from the Princess of the Night, and who better to know? Warden of dreams for all of Equestria, watcher in the darkness... "You're saying I should have just kept it a secret." "Indeed. Sister would tell you, how would she say it..." Luna stiffened and stood tall, stretching up onto her hooftips and flaring her wings to catch the sunlight, liminal across the edges of her feathers. The words that followed felt holy. "Honesty, my little pony, shows that you are both mature and responsible." He couldn't help but laugh, at least until she cut him off. "And one of our dear enemies these past few years, she would probably claim..." Abruptly her back twisted, her head arched, her horn cracked with a sickening light... She struck a perfect parody of Queen Chrysalis' posture and stance. Even her voice came out ragged. "Lies are how we sculpt the world to turn the way we want it." She dropped back down into her usual stance and grinned again, wider this time, her smile almost glowing as the light above her faded. "What I will tell you is that neither of these ways are wrong: But that doesn't make them right." Alone in the plaza before the palace, it almost felt like time was crawling backwards to the night before, darkness encroaching as the sun plunged into the clouds. Luna's mane sparkled and even sparked, throwing off faint traces of light as she locked eyes with him. The stars spun in the air behind her, and everything she said felt enormous and important. "To be honest is a sign of being mature and responsible. To lie well shows you are prudent and adaptable. But to keep secrets means that you are cunning and capable." She cleared her throat and the spell (literal or metaphorical) was broken, the sun peeking back through the clouds to shine on the two of them. "I am sure you can guess which side finds my favor." Spike thought back to his own most-recent secret, keeping his slow and constant rot hidden from Twilight until he was able to solve the problem himself. There were definitely times that could have backfired, situations where it would have caused far more harm than good... That was the trick though, knowing the when and the where and the why. Honesty has its place, deceit plays a role, and secrets have work to do as well: It's all about the context and the content. "...Thank you, Auntie Luna." For the briefest fraction of a second it looked like her eyes began to tear up... then it was gone, whisked away by a blink or a glamour or a trick of the light. "You are very welcome, Spike. Now I do believe you have other business to which you must attend?" In all the chaos and complexity of the last few weeks, he hadn't actually gotten the chance to tell the Princesses about his quest, his goal to seek the Benediction... But in light (or dark, as the case may be) of what they'd just discussed? Spike decided to save that for later. He could make plenty of progress without explaining his reasons, and there might even be some benefit to being a little more secretive about his goals. So instead, he clapped his claws and then pointed past Luna to the castle. "You and me both: Take it from an expert, Rarity might claim otherwise to be polite? But she really doesn't like to be kept waiting." "...Noted."