The colorful tent from before is gone, and Smart’s words return to me as we finally reach the unicorn’s home.
‘Big castles’, she said unicorns lived within.
The castle that now rises from the Everfree is certainly big. It towers quite high, and is a sight to behold.
I feel Smart shift slightly atop me, and hear her whisper, “Kitty?”
“Yes, Smart?” I ask, looking back at Emerald, to ensure I don’t run into anything.
“Promise me that if anything happens, you’ll get away.”
“…What?”
“Unicorns have magic. Lots of magic. If they want to, they could… do lots of stuff.” I wonder, hearing her mild fear. “If anything happens, I’ll try to stop it and you just get away.”
“Smart,”
“No, Kitty.” Smart says. “I mean it. Unicorns can be dangerous, an I don’t want ta see anything happen ta you. If they try anything, I’ll try to stop them and you get away. Promise me.”
I can hear the strength of her determination. As well as the depths of her fear. It seems Smart fears unicorns, which I did not expect, especially after her anger towards Emerald.
I am tempted to agree, to set her mind at ease; I am certain that nothing like that will happen. However, to do so seems wrong.
Instead, I tell her, “Smart, I will not promise you that.”
“Kitty!” she hisses.
Before she can say more, I tell her, “I would never abandon you.”
I feel her hesitation, and then hear her faint sigh. I feel her rub at my head again, and hold onto my mane a bit tighter as the castle comes more into view.
It is truly magnificent. It stands in its own clearing, the walls high and strong, the towers tall and regal. A massive gate stands at the entrance, strong and unyielding, large enough to admit me with ease. Unicorns in armor stand atop the walls, watching as we approach. Princess’ banners hang from the same, declaring the castle to be her own.
I very much approve.
As we near, one of the unicorns atop the walls gives off a bright, blue spark of sorts that lingers in the cold air. Emerald gives off his own, green version, and I note that it seems to have a distinct shape to it. An answering green spark appears atop the walls, and Emerald nods, finally stopping outside the gates and turning to look at me.
“This will take just a moment, oh… Kitty.” he tells me.
I nod, though I do feel a little impatient. The wind seems to have worsened, and I shiver in its frigid touch.
Then the great doors shine with magic, and creak open, allowing us entry. Emerald moves, and startles when I move past him, eager to get out of the winds. I feel Smart’s grip increase as we enter a rather small and unremarkable room that, oddly, has another gate the same as the first. A few magical lights cast their shine on nothing but stone.
I see Emerald walk past, and hear the gate behind us shut. Smart startles atop me as it does so, making the comfort of the wind finally stopping a bit less. I feel her slowly shifting atop me as the other gate shines and opens.
I can only stare as it does so, though Emerald seems unaffected as he trots forward.
The room beyond is a grand entry hall, thrice the size of my den if not more. A great fire burns in the far back, a pile of red crystals the source of it, hugged by a twined staircase that end at a beautiful pair of double doors at their peak. Magical lights are set along the walls, competing with the fire’s red glow with their own colorful shine. I recognize some of Princess’ furniture placed around the room, the gold reflecting the fire and the wood shining with polish. A long red carpet lines the center of the hall, leading to the fire, where my gaze is captured.
A very large, plush, white carpet sits in front of the fire, large enough to admit even my size. Above the doors at the top of the stairs is a great portrait of Princess herself, sitting regal and proud.
Seeing Emerald looking back finally snaps me out of my admiring Princess’ home, and I follow after him. It is a delight to move toward the fire, its heat radiating out. I spot a few other unicorns watching from the far end of the room; nervous and fearful, they retreat away into pony sized doors as I near.
“My Princess will be here shortly.” Emerald tells me as we reach the far end of the room. “Please, make yourself at home, Kitty.”
I nod, and very happily settle onto the white carpet. It is soft and warm and the fire’s heat is incredible against my side. Emerald heads away and I relax, settling down, starting to give a gentle purr. The fire is so very wonderful, its heat against my side.
After a brief time, a unicorn appears from the upper doors, and announces, “Her royal princess, Princess Platinum.” Before he bows and moves aside to allow Princess to enter.
“Princess Platinum.” I greet warmly, smiling as she heads down the stairs. She has regained her finery since I last saw her, and stands regal and strong once again. “It is good to see you once more.”
“As it is you, Kitty.” she says, smiling back as she approaches, followed by another unicorn in a simple dress I recognize, in part. She was the one who was near Princess before, when I first saw Princess; the purple one. “It has been a long time.”
“It has.” I agree, sighing. “I have been absent for far too long. I heard that you took Mirage under your own care, Princess?”
“I have.” Princess tells me. “She is here as my honored guest, Kitty.” I nod, my smile increasing for what Princess has done. “I’ve much to tell you, Kitty, but first I must ask you where you got that… necklace.”
I am left at a loss as to what she means before I realize that she is talking about the collar on me. I note that the unicorn behind her lights their horn as I ponder why she would choose to call it a necklace, instead of what it actually is.
“A collar of command!” the unicorn behind her yelps, startling. Princess does as well, and I hesitate, seeing her grow agitated and fearful swiftly, looking back to the unicorn.
“Clover, find the holder, quickly!” Princess yells, Clover refocusing with an almost urgent appearance to her.
They can identify the collar then? It has to be a unicorn’s magical nature, but why are they so upset? It… oh.
“I have them!”
I just realize why they are so agitated when I spot Smart float past me, encased in a lavender bubble. I can see her yelling, but I hear nothing from her as she goes past.
I snap forward, seizing onto the bubble and slamming it down, struggling to hold it in place. I see Clover flinch as I do so, but she continues trying to tug Smart away from me. I dare not use more force to try and pop the bubble; I would inevitably hurt Smart in the process.
“Kitty, Kitty, you must let her go!” Princess tells me quickly, still agitated as Clover continues to struggle with me. “You must understand, a single word from her can cause you to act, regardless of your will!”
“I… know that.” I say, struggling with Clover, making Princess hesitate just a little. “But she has… earned my trust…”
Clover finally ceases pulling, and the pair of us stop struggling as Princess stares at me, gravely concerned. I see other unicorns nearby, all watching her, waiting, several with horns already alight.
“I am very well educated of the collar’s command.” I say, looking at Princess, thinking about how I might convince her that Smart is no threat to either myself or her. “I spent five days under its domination, the slave to a group of earth ponies. It was this one who tried to help me during that time, and the same who ultimately freed me from that servitude in the only way she knew how; by making herself the sole pony able to command me.”
“In so doing, she saved me, at the cost of her place amongst her own kind. It does not matter that she might command me; I trust her with that power, and she has proven that trust many times over.”
I see Smart looking at me, her expression hard to see through the bubble; I do not know if she can hear within it. Princess looks thoughtful and worried, and Clover is looking to her with her own expression of worry. I remain focused on Princess; it is she who will decide to listen or not.
I can only hope that she might hear my truth.
“…Clover.” Princess says at long last, looking to the unicorn. “…Release the earth pony.”
“What?” Clover asks, stunned. “But, but Princess, she can,”
“I know what she can.” Princess interrupts. “But did you not listen to him?”
“…But she could have just ordered him to say that, Princess.”
“Clover, could you imagine some way to command Kitty behave in such a particular fashion and tell us such an explanation, and yet deny him the chance to alert us that he is not acting under his own free will?” Princess asks.
Clover doesn’t answer at first, a small frown appearing on her. After a few moments, she slowly shakes her head.
“For that matter, did you sense the collar activating when Kitty acted, or when he spoke?” Princess asks further, and Clover’s frown doesn’t change as she again shakes her head.
“Thus, we can only imagine that his words are his own, and not placed in his mouth, and that his actions are of his own free will.” Princess says.
“…What if they tricked him?” Clover asks after a few moments, making Princess hesitate, confused. “What if the earth ponies worked together to create a giant lie for him to believe, so that he would trust one of their own beyond doubt?”
“To what end, Clover?” Princess asks, thoughtful, seriously considering Clover’s proposal.
Clover thinks for a moment before she begins speaking again, “They could try to demand something from us. They could want to worry us or intimidate us. They might just want to prove something.”
“Conjecture, Clover, and nothing more.” Princess says. “I have already realized why that is so as well:”
“That earth pony has been with Kitty this entire time, including the time before we realized that he wore the collar. She had more than enough opportunity to enact any plot she could wish to enact long before you identified the collar and captured her.”
Clover stares as Princess explains, her frown increasing at first before that slowly gives way, and leaves her simply concerned.
“…But she still might,” Clover begins.
“I must side with Kitty on this, Clover.” Princess interrupts. “He has clearly shown that he trusts her, and explained why he does so as well. I might only imagine the sort of trust that has him believing in her despite the power of the collar.”
“And that trust, at the very least, merits that we not condemn a pony just for what she is able to do.” Princess finishes, and I catch the slight emphasis, and Clover’s nearly invisible flinch, at those last words. “You do agree, do you not?”
“Yes, Princess.” Clover sighs, retaining her concerned look, but no longer having any refusal in her.
“Your worry serves you very well, Clover.” Princess tells her, smiling. “It is why you are my most favored of assistants.”
“…Thank you, Princess.” Clover answers back, giving a tiny sigh and gaining a small smile to match Princess’ own.
“Now, let the earth pony go, Clover, and we shall swiftly discover if Kitty’s trust is well placed.” Princess says, looking back to me. I can barely notice her tension, she hides it so well.
Her words have made me tense a little myself. I do trust Smart with the collar; nothing can change that, but… How might she react to this? Did she hear anything in that bubble, or was she incapable of hearing anypony, as she was unable to be heard herself?
I am very aware that the collar can react to anything that could be understood as an order. Smart has been careful speaking near me, I am certain, but with her fear and anger of unicorns, would she manage to continue to do so?
I glance at her, and find her still watching me. Her expression is still hidden behind the magic, but I take hope in her still and calm appearance. She won’t do anything rash.
Clover takes a long, slow breath, and then releases her spell.