//------------------------------// // Chapter. 22 - Clearing Skies // Story: My Most Faithful Mortifer // by hamishwarfare //------------------------------// Chapter. 22 – Clearing Skies It had been a long night, and there was still so much to do. Celestia was slowly walking along a familiar corridor to her; bright marble floor covered in a single plush, vibrant rug depicting the colours of a sunrise. All of this was leading to a set of golden doors detailed with the image of both the sun and moon circling each other. She was all on her own as this passageway was deep within the private residential area of the castle; the base of her own royal tower suit was just off to the right of this long corridor. Her hoofsteps were sluggish and she raised one to cover a powerful yawn; a gentle squeak escaped her attempt to cover it up. Between the entertainment, the banquet afterwards, and even some light testing of the waters over some after dinner drinks; it was quite a bit after midnight before Celestia managed to retire, and unlike the ambassadors she still had to raise the sun. She silently thanked herself for altering the day/night cycle long ago; the longer nights over winter had never been as needed as they were right now. Well no other time that she could think of off the top of her sleep deprived mind, anyway. Still the reports she had managed to receive of the previous day were reassuring; as well as disappointing. It appeared her faith in Sunset Shimmer was a little missed placed; the Violent Rose had managed to capture Spike, and lure her student into a life or death situation, yet Sunset Shimmer was nowhere to be found. But then Trixie had come leaps and bounds over the incident; she had managed to find ponies she could call friends. Her quick thinking and ability to read the situation proved she was so very close to where Celestia believed she was; the ember of hope bloomed slightly more in her chest. Trixie was well on her way to the destiny Celestia was certain she could achieve. But still after all that her student had achieved yesterday, the violent Rose still managed to escape. The quick report she managed to receive from Prince Shining Armor when he returned to the castle left her feeling positive overall; a threat to the stability of Equestria was still at large, but the awakening of the Elements felt closer than ever. She would receive the full report of the incident later this afternoon, but for now she had more pressing matters to address; raising the sun and bringing forth the day for her ponies. Her golden magic surrounded the two large doors and they opened silently on well-oiled hinges; allowing her access to a balcony facing east. This was the balcony that she has been raising the sun from for as long as the castle had been built. It was raised up high and nestled deep within the structure of the castle. There were no windows or balconies overlooking this small sanctuary; giving it the most amount of privacy possible, but it wasn’t unguarded. Just like the rest of the castle, its wards were old, tied to the leyline found under the mountain itself and had been refined and improved upon over the centuries. They were the crowning achievements of the past ten Archmages, even Celestia herself was impressed with their work and saw no need to reactivate her own protective wards. Until now. Her balcony was not as she had left it yesterday; lying in the centre and being flanked by two scrolls – one significantly larger than the other – was an earth pony stallion. His coat was deep red, his mane and tail were a bluish grey in colour and his cutie mark was of a flower being shined upon by the sun. His eyes were closed and her keen eyes could only just make out his chest rising and falling. Whoever it was wasn’t dead; but had to be on Deaths door, or at least his porch. The two scrolls were both tied by a ribbon; the smaller one’s ribbon was coloured blue, while the thicker one’s was an unassuming shade of orange. A light breeze ruffled the two scrolls, but they otherwise were stuck firm to the white stone of the balcony. With careful steps, Celestia crept towards the disturbing sight. The stallion in front of her had clearly seen better days; blood was pooling in areas around his body. There were clear signs of bruising, and strategically placed were thin metal needles embedded into him like a pin cushion. Gold magic washed over the area revealing nothing else; no traps, active spells, strange signatures, nothing. But it affected the stallion, his body started to twitch and spasm almost as if it was in pain. His breathing became even more ragged to the point Celestia actually thought he would stop. With care to keep her magic away from the suffering stallion, she drew the smaller of the two scrolls over to herself to see if it held any clues. It was a report, a detailed one of what happened yesterday. Her eyes darted back to the stallion, no longer filled with sorrow and compassion; instead they were conflicted. Here was the Violent Rose, the most deranged and deadly pony of modern times; the pony who has remained elusive and impossible to capture. The pony who, just last night, managed to escape out of magic dampening shackles; the pony who had poisoned dear Spike and tried to kill her student. Celestia was at a loss of what to think right at that moment. She did her duty and brought the sun out for the day, if for no other reason than to have some more light to read the report from Sunset Shimmer. It was the sensation of comfort and warmth that interrupted the wonderful feeling that surrounded Spike. He still felt tired and weak; it took far too much effort for him to open his eyes. The room was bright and lavish, rich in white’s, gold’s, pink’s and purples; and that was just what he could see of the ceiling and top parts of the wall. His body was slow to respond to his brains demands to move and look around more; the feeling of pins and needles was still prevalent. But the signals from his back and claws was eventually received, telling him that he was lying on a comfortable mattress; not the cloud he had been sleeping on the past few nights. The next blink came easier to him and his head was more willing to follow commands as well; a faint gentle humming could be made out from somewhere, but he still could not locate the source. But he did recognise it. ‘How did I get back to Canterlot? What am I doing in Shining and Cadance’s bed? I remember, not getting to that stall in time…then, nothing. Wait, I saw light. And there was a voice. It was comforting, familiar? Wait.’ “Mum. It was mum.” Her voice was horse and wisp, the fact his throat was desperate for water didn’t help his situation. But he was heard, at least to a point. “Spike? Spike! Your awake.” There was a trotting of hooves on wood, before they disappeared onto carpet and he felt the bed shift. It took him an embarrassing amount of time for him to move his head and look at Cadance as she moved over to him. “Easy Spike, you were badly poisoned with a powdered version of Deep Sleep; according to the physician you’re going to feel tired, weak, and you might struggle for a few days.” She used her magic to bring over a glass of water; he wanted it all, but had to accept the slower pace that she fed it to him. “It’s lucky that you weren’t exposed to any more, your heart had signs it was close to giving out. So please, take it easy; Shiny’s gone to the kitchens to make sure they have something that’ll make you feel better.” Spike got settled into the alicorn worthy bed by the magical aura from Cadance. He was confused and it appeared to be obvious. “Is everything ok Spike?” “…I think mum saved me.” Shock was evident on Cadances face, but he continued on before she could say anything. “I remember feeling really cold, like beyond painful cold. It was hard to breathe and I couldn’t move or feel anything. But then, there was light, and a voice. It was saying everything was going to be ok.” She whispered his name in fear; her eyes were watering a little. “And it was. I was warmer. I could feel things again. It felt ok to fall asleep. The next thing I know, I’m waking up here.” He was gently embraced by his aunt/sister in law; it was here Spike realised that he had been crying, but he only found out by the pink feather wiping his cheek. “It sounds like we were closer to losing you than we thought. Spike what you went through was your body fighting to stay alive, giving you something to live for. The connection of love between yourself and Twilight is still there, your side is nice and healthy; hers, I’m afraid, is still very frail. She knows you exist out there somewhere; as in you being her child, but she has forgotten who you are. She could have walked right past you and not realised you were her missing child. “I can see she does still love you; she is alive and no doubt looking for you. It’s why we have Eye Spy looking over enquiries about missing children. If there is one thing about Twilight we can be sure of; its looking out for the ones she loves.” Spike tried, he really tried to fight back the tears; he managed to bring up his lead filled arms and wrapped them around Cadance’s neck and quietly wept into the crook of her neck. “It’s ok, Spike. We all miss her. We’re working all the time to find her, and we will find her. Just keep being the big brave dragon you always are; after the Summer Sun Festival, things will get better. I promise.” She kissed him lightly on the top of his head while his arms slackened and his breathing slowed. He clearly tried to say something; but between his exhaustion and her own neck, his words just could not be made out. Clearly he was still suffering from the whole ordeal he had went through; to add emotional exhaustion on top of it all, it was surprising he stayed awake that long. “He acts so cheerful and strong for all of us; but he shouldn’t need to.” The masculine voice came from the doorway; Cadance didn’t even turn around, she knew who it was. “He keeps these burdens to himself because he knows we are all suffering. He really is a wonderful dragon with such a kind heart.” She finished tucking him back in to her bed, setting aside the empty glass and watching as a tray of oatmeal with pieces of fruit and gems was levitated next to the glass. “Come on, let him sleep. I’ll tell you what he just said to me.” The two left the room, closing the thick green curtains to block out a lot of the sun, and the door to help keep the peace. The young dragon slept on; his frown turning to a small smile as a sleepy mumble repeated what he had tried to say earlier. “I smelt her, I remember her scent.” It was nine-o-clock on the dot and the sign was magically changed upon the libraries door from closed to open. Truthfully it was the latest it has been since the new librarian took up her position, but no pony noticed that day. Inside the library was perfectly presentable; all the selves were organised, any and all returns were put back to their rightful places and even the sitting cushions and chairs were properly arranged. Everything was as it should be for the first few ponies to bring themselves in to a place of learning. Which was rather strange; considering the librarian had not a single wink of sleep the previous night. In fact she looked as fresh as a daisy; her mane and tail perfectly presentable in its wavy flame patterns. Her coat fully washed and presentably brushed for any occasion, and even her eyes and slight smile radiated readiness to help any pony out. If it wasn’t for the extra-large mug placed just so right next to her as she worked through an old book of runes, nothing would be out of place. Sitting at her reception desk, Sunset Shimmer worked away at a relentless pace; her mind working on a brand new project, while her magic jotted down rough sketches of the most complex looking of runic formulae. It was only last night that she had discovered where her biggest challenge will be faced. It was last night that she had delved deep enough into the Everfree Forest to see the ruins of the two sisters. It was last night where she located the arena where she will most likely be defending Equestria, if not the whole world. The bell above the door jingled, bringing Sunset out of her work and faced the new arrival. She blinked and got up when she saw it was one of her house guests Trixie Lulamoon; looking relatively fine for the most part, all things considered, but in need of a good bath. “Good Morning Miss Lulamoon; did you have a good night?” The small smile on Trixie’s face did not diminish in the slightest as her eyes settled on the taller mare walking around her desk to greet her. “I had a very good night, thank you Sunset. You really have managed to get yourself some very good friends in those five girls.” “Yes, they are good ponies. I noticed you heading off with them when you were dropped off by chariot. Umm, where is your assistant Spike?” Trixie winced slightly at the mention of Spike, as well as the professional tone of Sunset. Throughout her time here Sunset has been a very accommodating host; and while Trixie had not gone out of her way to make things difficult, she hadn’t exactly been friendly either. That was going to change. “Spike was taken back to Canterlot early, with the chariots. He wasn’t feeling so good. But listen I wanted to apologise to you; you have been very helpful and have gone above and beyond for us. You even got Spike that cloud bed when he wasn’t happy with his previous one.” Sunset’s face did not change in appearance, but Trixie felt there was hints about her that suggested confusion. “But you have nothing to apologise for?” “But I do. You have offered to help me with my studies, both the theory as well as the practical; and I shoved it back into your face and demanded we duel each other. I was wrong, and I apologise for it.” She closed her eyes and held her breath for a moment, confessing the reasons why were always the hardest for her. “It’s just that I’ve never had a peer before, you know? Never had somepony to rate myself against that was my age; it just got to me all at once and I was kind of a bitch because of it. It’s not an excuse, I’m just explaining myself.” The sorrowful look that Trixie was sending to Sunset was clear as day, even to a pony who had stunted emotions. Sunset shifted her face to one of understanding and accompanied it with a slight smile. She closed the distance between the two and gave the blue mare a quick hug. “I forgive you Miss Lulamoon. I understand how you feel and can get your logic; however it was the opposite for me. I too have never had somepony my age to compare with; only my mentor who is a good few years my senior. Say, since the library is quiet, why don’t we demonstrate to each other what we know?” The two broke apart quickly, and by the look on Trixie’s face, Sunset had judged correctly. She was looking much more composed and the small content smile had returned. “Please, call me Trixie. But alas I am almost out of time here I’m afraid. I desperately need a bath and then I’ve got to wrap up the few lingering standing orders for the ponies helping out with the Summer Sun Celebration. All of that before packing Spike’s and my stuff up, and getting a quick lunch with the friends you introduced me to. All that before my chariot comes just after lunch. You are of course welcome to join us for lunch. We’re meeting at Sugarcube Corner at midday.” “Well I am glad your time here was good, and sure I’d love to have lunch with everyone, Trixie.” The smile on Trixie’s face widened just a smidge more at hearing her first name; before it calmed down slightly and a hoof scratched at the back of her neck. “Listen, Sunset. I am hoping to come back to Ponyville before the Celebration, just to hang out and get to know everyone a bit better…Do you think it’s possible for me, and maybe Spike as well, to…” It surprised Sunset that her own smile became almost natural feeling upon her face. “Sure Trixie, I don’t see any problem with hosting you and Spike again. Just give me a little notice is all I ask. A day or two at least.” It looked like Trixie was trying to imitate Pinkie Pie as she skipped up the stairs to the private bathroom. Sunset shook her head before going back to her work. Strangely the small smile refused to leave her face. “Ah, Ambassador Daniela; I was most impressed with your dancers last night. I must once again thank you for bringing them with you.” The predominantly white cow turned to see the ruler of the lands, Princess Celestia, walking down the same corridor as she was. The ambassador smiled, her brown head bowing graciously before raising itself back up. She was a cow getting on in her years, and was clear that she enjoyed her life as an ambassador a little too well. Standing a head taller than most ponies, and wielding a pair of small horns; she was a formidable lady. “Ah, I am glad you enjoyed them. Yes your Dressage has been most popular for our citizens. It lacks the passion and fire of the flamenco, but I thought seeing how popular Dressage has become in our lands would be a nice surprise to you.” Her accent was exotic, but a little course from use; however Celestia thought it suited the stubborn cow. “I certainly was. Though I also enjoyed what you were able to achieve with simple mana crystals; the wind effects were most entertaining.” By now the two were walking side by side at a leisurely pace; it appeared that neither had pressing matters at the moment. “Yes, there are a number of schools of dance that used the crystals to generate the wind; helps lift some of the more exuberant dresses and allows them to spin and flaunt. I am told it is very complex to get so much from such a small source of mana storage.” “I would believe it; the rune work must be incredibly intricate and precise. Tell me is it possible to see the crafting of such crystals, or perhaps even receive a sample?” “I am afraid I cannot answer that. It is up to the individual schools who craft the gems to decide. I warn you Princess, the head masters and mistresses are even more stubborn than I.” The sly smirk on the cows face took away any bite that might have been in the sentence. Princess Celestia chuckled good naturally, before the eyes of the two people were drawn to an incoming messenger pony. “It appears your rest has come to an end. Mayhaps we can continue our friendly discussion later on, when we officially meet to discuss the proposal I am burdened with.” “I would like that Ambassador Daniela; until then.” The cow continued on down the corridor; eventually finding her way out into the gardens. It was significantly chillier than she was used to, but then the colours of the leaves were not nearly as dominant back home as they were here in the colder climates. She continued on with her sedate pace admiring the statue garden as well as all the colours. Her eyes never staying in a single place; always looking at the wonders of nature before her, or the skills on show from the detailed statues. Eventually she came to a stop at a, questionable, piece of art. By all means the sculpture was unquestionably talented; there were details so fine it looked like the statue could start moving at any moment. It was just the subject, why have such an amalgamation of different creatures in one subject? “He is here; incarcerated within the medical bay.” The voice was as quiet as a whisper, and was spoken in the cow’s own native tongue. “Finally found him. Has he been interrogated yet?” “Unlikely, as they are currently fighting to save his life. Looks like he finally found someone he couldn’t handle.” The voice had a feminine air to it, though it could have easily belonged to a stallion. What was clear was that it was trying not to laugh. The “good riddance” was as clear as day. “Make sure he does not speak.” The cow sighed, before continuing on her walk through the gardens. ‘Looks like the reports were accurate; he went after Celestia’s student, but she managed to fend him off; very well from the sounds of things. At least that’s one big thread tidied up; we’ve spent far too long looking for that rogue agent.’ Celestia sighed as she returned to her office after an eventful day. The initial meeting between the Moodrid ambassador and herself appeared to go rather smoothly; she seemed open to the idea of pegasus aid at least. But her mind returned to the soul within her castle, fighting to stay alive. She shuddered at the thought of what Sunset had done to the stallion; that he deserved it or not was not even the question. The interrogation report was incredibly extensive and went so far as to state the stallion known as the Violent Rose was responsible for the disappearance of Twilight Sparkle; let alone the dozens of deaths covering his hooves. If that were true then it would explain the anniversary he was talking about in the letter sent to the castle; but that’s the problem, if it was true. Torture is more than capable of loosening lips, but then they could say anything just to stop the torture. They condemn themselves simply to stop the horrific actions being forced upon them; a potential endless loop of bad information and horrible actions. Sunset shimmer had used needles that reacted with magic; the two separate metals would react together and emit a large spark when exposed to magical energy. Those were stabbed in every single nerve bundle and pressure point on his entire body. At least half of the crimes on the interrogation list turned into very public affairs, and he could have just said that he did them to satisfy his torturer. That is why she has told no one of the second report when the guards were eventually called. She wanted a non-biased report done by her ponies that are actually trained in extracting information by use of words, emotional manipulation or at worst magic. It’ll take time, but the information will be more reliable and in the end save them a lot more of it by not having to double check fake leads. ‘Still if even a third of this report is correct, then Sunset Shimmer has still done a very big service to Equestria by capturing him; that he is still alive also tells me that she has actually listened to me. She also saved Spikes life in her intervention with his poisoning, as well as kept an eye on all six of those mares as they ran around that old castle. Her description of it all makes it sound more like a comedy sketch than an actual life or death situation.’ She groaned into her hooves in an attempt to settle her nerves. “Oh Sunset Shimmer, you really are a pain in my flank, aren’t you. You torture a pony to the point of death in an attempt to please me. You rescue Spike when he is moments away from death; and then you keep an eye out to make sure my student and her new friends are safe. I cannot decide to have you arrested, or give you a medal.” A flash of heat was registered to her left before Celestia felt the warm wings of her longest living friend. “Oh Philomena, sometimes I wonder if Sunset Shimmer is nothing but one of your more egregious pranks.” There was a loud squawk of clear indignation from the phoenix before Celestia felt the sharp beak find her forehead. “Ok, ok; she’s not one of your pranks.” There was a clear whumph of acceptance, before she cooed and rubbed her head against Celestia’s hoof. The two sat in silence for a moment; one clearly lost in thought, the other doing what little she could to help her friend. The moment was broken when there was a knock on her office doors. She bayed them entry before the door was opened by a guard. “Princess Celestia, Trixie Lulamoon has just returned to the castle.” “Thank you for informing me; please let her know I would like to see her at her earliest convenience. I shall be located in my quarters.” The guard nodded, before closing the door with their departure. “Well Philomena, let’s see what Trixie has to say about Sunset Shimmer. Maybe my student’s opinion will help settle my nerves. Besides,” Celestia chuckled, “Trixie got some new friends. I’ve been looking forward to teasing her about this for so long.” The phoenix cawed in agreement, before flashing away to get a good spot. Celestia got up and headed to the door. The prospect of getting Trixie’s thoughts on Sunset Shimmer was at war with the fun idea of teasing her student.