//------------------------------// // The Responsibility Box // Story: SteamPony Express // by SketchIt //------------------------------// "Oh come now what is with that expression North?" Lavender inquired her friend as North expressed utter annoyance. Lavender just turned her head scoffing with an arrogant smile, "We're riding in a train all cozy together just the three of us, you, myself and Sketch." North was being a grump with her hooves crossed as she sat awkwardly in her seat mumbling, "But it's not my train..." "What was that darling I can't hear you, you're mumbling." The two mares were already clashing horns together and the trip was not even half way started. North in response to Lavender's snooty sarcasm leaped up from her seat and yelled, "It's NOT MY TRAIINNN!" North proceeded to slink back in her seat with a snarl. Sketch gave a loud sigh staring off through the window on the other side. "Oh come now did you expect me to arrive in Canterlot on some makeshift circus train? North dear I'm a mare of grace not some common gypsy." North again growled, "You're a mare of something and it's not grace." Lavender just ignored the comment with a loud, "HMMPH!" North refused to take her insult and with her magic decided to give Lavender a good slap to the face. She grabbed some dirt with her levitation spell outside the train and with an insidious grin she threw it across towards an open window ahead. "What's this... EEEKKK!" Lavender felt her face get pummeled by swirls of dirt! She screamed, "MY FACE... MY BEAUTIFUL FACE WHAT IN CELESTIA..." She paused her screaming to notice North laughing behind her uncontrollably. Rubbing her face with her hoof she growled at North, "Oh two can play at that game..." Lavender took to the attack with a light pink powder and began to slap North's face with a levitated powder puff during her laughing fit! "Agghhhkkk ahuahuahuakkk! What the..." She glared at Lavender who in turn smirked at her deed. "HA, HA, HA!" This immediately started a fight which had powder flying every which way! "Ohh ohhh... take this, and that, oohhhh STOP, don't you touch me with that AGGHHH!" Lavender was trying her best to stay clear but she was being beaten left and right with her own powder as she attempted to use other beauty products on North! "Oh you think you can just start something and me not do anything about it, hahaha well you're in for a BIG SURPRISE Agghhhkkk OH GAHHH CELESTIA I think i swallowed perfume Aaggghhhhh!" "HAHA Take that you..." Before North went down in her seat she let out a glorious punch of powder in Lavender's open mouth. "BLEEEECCCHHHHHH.... AHHH I think i'm going to faint! Ooooooohhh!" The drama queen dropped back in her seat leaving Sketch in the corner choking in the thick smelly air! "Would you two..." Coughing she tried to continue, "Ahuahkk... S... STTOP!" North shook her pink powder painted head and acknowledged, "We're done for now, sorry Sketch..." Lavender agreed with her as the primp blue coat and purple maned unicorn was plastered with stains of thick sweet smelling powder. "I agree, Truce North?" "Yeah Truce. Good thing we were given a whole car to ourselves." Lavender smiled nervously agreeing, "I too agree to that as well. We look absolutely horrible." She had to fix herself the best she could with the remaining beauty supplies on hoof. After their small dispute the ride seemed smoother once they started to head up the mountain. As they reached the destination of Canterlot, Sketch glimpsed outside the train car to witness the majestic and beautiful castle looming overhead. "It's more beautiful up close..." Sketch commended. Lavender gave a warm nod as she stared out the other side. "It is the crowning jewel of Equestria, a marvel of beauty and majesty. No other place in the lands could make such a proper home for the royal family." As they approached the train station Sketch had a strange vision in her mind of Deja-vu. Her memory did not unlock any images but she heard a voice of an older stallion in her mind cooing, 'We're going to see Princess Celestia Sketch...' '... Cell....esssia....' a cute foalish voice echoed in her mind. The stallion's voice again responded, 'Yes Celestia... Isn't she just precious dear?' Another voice agreed carrying a beautiful feminine and motherly tone, Sketch's awestruck smile began to disappear as she listened to this audio memory, 'Yes she is most definitely, momma wuvs you sooo muchh... you're the most priceless work of art I've ever had the privilege of making, yes you are.' The foalish voice giggled and laughed. A spunky echo of a colt interrupted, 'What about me mom, Aren't I priceless?' Without pause the stallion voice added, 'That most certainly includes you too, both of you are equally special to us... and you know there just might be a third one as well.' Out of that strange vocal memory she immediately blurted, "PRINCESS CELESTIA... THAT'S WHO THAT WAS!!!" Lavender and North gazed over at her simultaneously asking. "What is it....?" Sketch turned to them joyously as if she had discovered a great mystery, "The alicorn from my dream, that orb was Princess Celestia! I can't believe I forgot!" North and Lavender together began to giggle. Lavender gave a funny remark, "Oh really... I would have never guessed... Kekekekekek..." North nodded with Lavender's response and added as she put her hoof over her mouth, "Woowwww geez, really Sketch? You didn't know who Princess Celestia was. She trapped you in a bubble, Princess Luna was constantly giving away dead on signals that it was Princess Celestia, she's her SISTER...! BWAHAHAHAHAHAA I couldn't hold it in, I'm sorry it's just AHAHHAHAHAHA! Oh that was rich, woooowww that is just too funny. Really you forgot seriously?" Sketch felt completely stupid and inadequate. For Celestia's sakes there was always a reference somewhere to her majesty. "Well I, I knew, I just..." North and Lavender watched as Sketch began to grow frustrated quickly turning her head away from them as she felt her face flush red. North trotted over to her as the train finally stopped. "I was just lost in my thought. I sorta remember coming here as a little foal I guess. I knew, I knew it was her but it just didn't click until now." North could see Sketch was tripping on her words and gave a comforting hoof replying, "It's no big deal Sketch we all have our derpy moments, there's nothing to be upset about." Lavender chimed in behind her, "North is right, why even I have some bad moments with remembering things, it's only natural dear." Sketch turned to them with a smile blushing. Something told her she probably was not the only one who lost themselves in thought and blurted out something completely ignorant. "Thanks girls I guess I'm being too harsh on myself." She commented quietly. They disembarked from the train with a bit of luggage levitating with them making their route straight to a small hotel planted in close vicinity of the castle. The day had drained away during the journey and the sun was setting just over the mountains. Strangely Sketch had a sensation she had been here before. Lavender guided them into the hotel and checked them in. Sketch's eyes widened as she could remember the mansion back in Galloport. Canterlot seemed to spare no loose bit to make the entire contents of the city pristine with elegance and cleanliness. They trotted up the stairs to the room that Luna had made readily available for them. "Ahhh back inside the castle walls, it feels so refreshing to..." A group of ponies caught glimpse of Lavender immediately giving her glares. "Oh right, I completely forgot about that." Lavender suddenly wanted to go back to Ponyville after those trading glances. "This is going to be such an honor girls, I feel so weak in my hooves. Does my badge look off or anything?" North shrugged. "You suddenly are worried about the way you look now?" Sketch gave North an awkward look. "Well I may have not thought this through thoroughly but I'm just feeling anxious, we're going to be officially meeting Princess Luna this time and I just don't want to look bad." North Took her carrying saddle and plopped it on her bed. She turned her head back around to Sketch assuring her, "Look, Princess Luna is not going to care what you look like Sketch don't sweat it mare." Of course Lavender had to add in the conversation, "Well that may be so North, but you should always prepare yourself accordingly to the situation, if you're meeting royalty you must dress..." Lavender opened up one of her trunks and slipped on a dress ornamented with dazzling gems of quartz and sapphire. "For royalty." "Of course Lavender you of all ponies would know how to dress for the occasion..." North turned to Sketch and started mocking, "Oh look at me I'm Lavenderrrrr Roosssseeee, I like to speak as if I'm better than everypony..." Lavender interjected her with a sharp, "Stop that..." "Oh and I like to wear gaudy dresses to impress everypony because my attitude IS UGLY!" "I DARE SAY NORTH, what is with all the hostility? You were being so nice and considerate of late and now you're just..." Lavender didn't take but a second to think of one reason why she'd be so bitter. "Oh don't tell me you are still angry about not riding in your horrendous contraption?" "Blah blee bloo bluh bluh blerrgghhhhh!" North continued to make strange noises with her mouth and Sketch couldn't help but giggle at both of them as they were picking at one another in such a silly manner. Lavender struggled to talk over North's babbling, "Stop that now, CUT IT OUT, WOULD YOU STOP...!" As she opened one of her trunks a wild haired pony flopped out. "EEEEEK! BUBBLEGUM WHAT ARE YOU!?" Bubblegum shook her head around and hit the floor in a sneaky crawl murmuring, "Shhhhhh, I'm on the hunt. Beee vewy vewy quiet." She rolled across the floor towards North's bags and peered at them with an intense focus. "Bingo." With a grin she pulled out a pie from her mane and leaped in the air screaming, "PREPARE TO BE CREAMED!" North watched as the perplexing pony plowed her pack with PIE! "What in all that is swag did you do that for Bubblegum!?" North barked at her friend who was being such a confounded weirdo. Bubblegum just smiled back pulling out none other than Spike from the saddlebag. "SPIKEE?" Spike huffed and puffed with a peeved expression. "What are you doing here?" North inquired him. Spike shook off some of the pie from his face and threw the tin off his head growling, "I was trying to get away from Bubblegum because she wouldn't leave me alone all day. She always wants to go bowling jeez!" "Because it's the most awesomest headrushingest game EVER! You roll it and it ZWOOMS down the lane and BOOM KERPLOWY!" She threw her hooves wildly in the air to further express her rushing sensation when she makes a strike! Spike just directed his fingers at the bedazzling pony proving his point! "See what I mean?" The girls giggled at his comment. Sketch glimpsed through the window upon the castle and spotted a dark coated alicorn peering down at her. Luna was apparently expecting them very soon which caused more anxiety to rush in her mind. "I suppose we should go see Princess Luna?" Sketch questioned. Lavender being as curious as she was asked, "What is the rush dear? We just got here." Sketch-It shrugged and proceeded to cast her gaze back to the tower where she caught sight of Princess Luna and mumbled, "I'm just, never mind I guess If I say it anymore you all will get sick of it." Sketch sensed she was only going to repeat herself over and over about her nervous feelings. The sun dipped down beneath the horizon and the moon proceeded its rising cycle. The girls were personally summoned by Princess Luna right as the night begun with two royal guards escorting them from the hotel. In the basking moonlight Sketch's eyes gazed to the dark veiled sky. Turmoil raged on as she could not help but feel a memory was trying to shatter an invisible barrier in her mind. Her racing speculations halted by a cool voice echoing through a castle hall, "Welcome girls, I'm glad you could make it." Sketch bounced back to reality to lock eyes on Princess Luna. "Ohhh..." She noticed Spike and Bubblegum were tagging along. "Well I see some of the others have come too." Spike scratched the back of his scales sensing he was being awkward with his presence. Bubblegum just followed behind the mares and Luna blissfully. The palace was not like it was long ago, inside the girls could see military staff and several servants running rampant. They followed Princess Luna up to her tower but not before passing a room where they could hear the frantic sounds of another princess. Sketch and her companions threw a quick glance by the door to see Princess Cadance attempting to write something on parchment with a worrisome expression. Princess Luna satiated the girls' curiosity and mumbled, "She's been distraught ever since Shining Armor journeyed overseas with the Royal Army..." Luna gave a long pause to travel further out of earshot before continuing, "I fear the worst for Cadance, I tried several times to summon the prince back but he refuses even knowing he's making her ill with worry. This is just one of the many reasons why I want this war to end soon. Shining Armor's duties is to the Empire and its people, he refused to grieve for his sister and he refuses to put Cadance first. As much as it pains me to say, I'd prefer him to be back here." Realizing she was rambling about things the girls didn't require knowledge about she switched the subject, "By the way girls, you three have probably already guessed that this meeting is magic related right?" Sketch, Lavender and North presented a nod to her and she smiled. "Good, that means you all are prepared for what I'm about to show you." They entered her room one by one lining up in a group in front of her. Luna seemed a bit mysterious as if she was trying to hide a secret. "Before we go back down for a small training exercise, I was ordered by my sister to give Sketch-It a little present." Sketch took a step forward. Princess Luna levitated a strange box to Sketch which the little unicorn secured it in her magic field. "My sister said this box will be a great responsibility for you Sketch. It contains a very valuable treasure inside for you, but be warned..." Her words halted as she gazed into Sketch's eyes with a foreboding expression. "You can only open this box when you are absolutely sure you can handle the responsibility that it comes with. If you have any ounce of doubt in your mind and you open the box, you will unleash Discord!" The girls gasped in a sense of hysteria as they eyed the box in horror. "Why would Princess Celestia give me something that could harm all of Equestria? That makes no sense!?" Sketch whimpered. The reasoning seemed completely farfetched, but Princess Luna clarified the logic for Celestia's actions. "This is all to prepare you for the greater responsibility. Ponies across Equestria will be counting on you girls to prevent harmony from descending into discord." She gallantly turned to the window and gazed into the sky. "Nopony said this would be easy..." She turned to the girls with a strange grin on her face and without warning a flash enveloped them all and teleported the group over a small open field out of the way of pony civilization! "WOOOOO!!! I love it when she does that!" Bubblegum threw her hooves in the air expressing her excitement! Spike just shook his head about mumbling, "I can never get used to that..." Spike always hated the teleport trick, it just felt so out of his will to stop. He regained his thoughts and scanned the area. "Where are we anyway?" Bubblegum's eyes were fixed on the scene dead ahead in the open field. "What's so... WHOAAA!" The two unicorns and their alicorn friend were teleported into the middle of a field right in the heat of a skirmish! The box appeared in front of Spike as Princess Celestia popped in indiscriminately. "Hello Spike." Spike jumped back in surprise. The floating orb laughed as the little dragon hopped back up. "Aghhh you nearly scared the scales off me! What's going on over there Princess Celestia?" He directed her attention to the dark mare in the sky firing down on his three friends. Celestia just gave an unnerving smile retorting, "I'm a bit surprised myself. Luna has her own way of doing things, though I think sometimes she can be a little excessive." They observed Luna cackling in the air yelling, "HAHAHAHAHA, fight ponies, don't run don't dodge... fight me!" "Your majesty you can't possibly be serious can... GAHHHH!" Lavender felt her tail ignite. "OH SWEET CELESTIA SHE'S SERIOUS!" "HAHAHAHA look at you all, how are you going to protect harmony when you can't even fight huh!?" Luna did not mess around when she was using her magic. Celestia started to giggle through her cautious smile, "I think this is the first time I've seen her enjoy her work... it's not often I see her wearing a genuine smile." Bubblegum pulled out a chair from nowhere and slapped it on the ground and shared another with Spike. "Frosty buttons?" Bubblegum extended her hoof holding a box of sugar frosted gummy buttons. "Don't mind if I do." Spike grabbed a claw full and relaxed in the chair overlooking the entertaining scene unfold. Lavender could not bear to shoot anything or attempt to hurt the Princess. How could she fight her? North was holding out trying to figure out what she could do. Spellfire was dropping in droves around them. "Hmmm, I wonder If I can..." North took this moment to try her growth magic. "Before I start thinking i'm going to need cover." She grew the grass and wild wheat stalks above her and crawled slyly around. She figured slinking away from sight could give her enough time to decide her next move. "This is sorta just out of the blue but I guess this is an underlying lesson in this training session. Expect the unexpected heh." The third mare seemed out of her wits as she wondered where the box went. "What, where's the box? Am I supposed to find and protect it, what's going on I'm confused!" Sketch ran around in circles flustered. A voice rang overhead as Luna soared about shooting blasts of magical energy at them, "That's the point Sketch, you never know when a fight will start, it could be a direct conflict or you could be in the middle of something AND BAM!" She fired what seemed to feel like a heatwave right at Sketch's hooves! "Now you have to decide what to do. Sooo many decisions but so little time!" North threw her hoof to her face whispering, "Once again I hit the hammer on the nail precisely." "AGGHHH!" Sketch bolted away from the center of the field. The three mares were separated which Luna had planned in her attack. Luna landed firmly on the ground in between the three and with a strong royal voice she stated, "If you wish to stop me you cannot simply run, you must fight back!" She turned her attention into the tall grass and blasted the air with a powerful telekinesis hitting North! "AGGHHHH!!" North was forced into the air and she flapped her wings trying to stay up. She failed to catch herself and fell flat on her face. Luna just rolled her eyes and laughed, "Don't hide to make your tactics, you have to make quick witted decisions now or you all will die! You have to fight back!" "I will not fight back, especially with royalty, fighting is absolutely low and barbari..." SHPLAT! A pie somehow found its way into her face. She traced a voice over in the background crying out, "LIARRR!" Bubblegum was on the call with her pies yet again. Spike and Princess Celestia exploded into a giggle fit. "As I was saying!" She snapped. "I do not fight, I'm sorry Princess Luna but I'm just not a fighter." With a cocky smile trying to talk her way out of conflict, Luna just gave her a slick smile back as she replied, "Oh so you're one of those kind of ponies huh, well let me just fix that for you." Lavender didn't realize what she meant and agreed blindly, "Well I'm glad you finally respect my..." A magical energy shot down with the intent of harming Lavender. She had no warning given when a shock of energy threw her flying backwards into the dirty ground! Everypony gasped. North's eyes widened as she could see a smokey aura where the energy had burned Lavender's coat. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Luna's eyes darted to North with a furious glow as she roared, "STOP ME IF YOU CAN!" Celestia's eyes grew concerned as she examined the mares. "Nooo, what are... NOOO!" North could not just sit around and watch her continue to hurt a friend of hers. Lavender may have been annoying but she didn't deserve to be pummeled like that. "Come onnn, do something. Don't just stand there." Celestia quietly murmured. Luna prepared another spell to quite possibly end Lavender's life. There was no sign of which pony would take the stand for Lavender. Luna prolonged her blast waiting to see if a pony would even stand against her. She was about to send the wave down when North attempted to throw up a wave of growth around Lavender! "Gotcha." She fell for the trap and in an instant Luna spun her spell and fired at the one pony nopony would expect! Sketch and North's expressions were froze in an instant as Luna fired at none other than... Bubblegum! Spike leaped out of his chair as Bubblegum just sat wide eyed as she chewed on her frosty buttons innocently. "Ooohhhh..." Suddenly before anypony could react a flash popped in front of her! "Ahhhhhhh!" Bubblegum gawked. Sketch used all of her energy to pull off this spell she had yet to practice fully. Bubblegum in an instant realized who it was and flipped out of her chair. "HOLY SUGAR FROSTED BITFLAKES!" She cried out staring upon the figure of Sketch. The unicorn's thoughts raced in her head, "What am I doing, this could kill me!" She closed her eyes from the bright light and concentrated all she could to conjure something to protect her. "Shield, barrier, something, anything!!! Think brain I can't just!" She suddenly had an idea and with haste put it to action! Bubblegum's sight was filled with a blinding pulse of light with a silhouette casting across her body. Sketch gritted her teeth as the spellfire felt like it was burning her face crisp! "WHOAAAAAAAAA..." Bubblegum and Spike had mouth gaped wide in astonishment! As the spellfire dissipated slowly around them, they could see Sketch still standing. Luna took a deep breath and calmed herself grinning. "Well would you look at that." Luna's mild spellfire attack was only a fraction of what she possessed, normally it would've sent a pony to collapse but this pony stood, for a few moments anyway. Before Sketch levitated two magical fields in the form of a pencil and brush. Her face burning red and eyes glowing from the strain on her magic. Trembling hooves and heavy breath she instantly collapsed with her magic field tools vanishing. Spike and Bubblegum ran over to her. "Sketch..." Spike waved his claw over her face. "Sketch hey wake up..." Bubblegum pulled out a soda bottle and drenched her face! "Agghhk!" Sketch spluttered soda out of her nose and shook her head coughing. "Aghhh... what the..." Too weak to get up she gazed her hazy eyes at the both of them. "What was that for?" She feebly asked. "SHE LIVES OMAGOSH!" Bubblegum and Spike together gave Sketch a big hug. "We thought you were toast Sketch that was awesome how you like teleported in and was like HYAHHHH!! and the whole SHHPLOOSH!" Bubblegum cheered! North trotted over to Lavender who was in a meek state as she tried to hop to her hooves. "You ok prissy hooves?" North couldn't help but ask. Lavender was oh too happy to whine in a weak voice, "My mane is mutilated, my tail incinerated, my clothes completely obliterated, and my coat smells like burned spellfire which contrary to what others may think still stinks like regular fire..." North rolled her eyes interrupting her, "Yeah hehehe, you're going to be fine." Luna summoned the two mares over with the others. "I hope you learned from this lesson to always be prepared. Even the most mundane thing can incur conflict. Lavender..." "Yes your majesty?" Lavender looked up to Luna a bit fearful of what she had to tell her. "You have to learn to use your magic not just for small tasks but to also defend yourself. You can't just run and hide like some scaredymare whenever a fight starts..." Bubblegum interrupted with a retort, "Pffftt, her be a scaredymare? She just didn't want to show off her eye of the tiger right Lavender?" Lavender felt Bubblegum truly didn't know anything about who she was. With an unnerved smile she mumbled, "Yes well, I have to admit I was very scared for a moment. That blast sure did wake me up to the startling reality that I might need to start learning some self defense." She could still feel the burning sensation brought by the princess' spellfire. Luna focused her attention back around to Sketch and North. "Tomorrow, I want another session with you three and this time. You all must fight, I will not accept any excuses..." Celestia gave Luna a strange expression. Luna rubbed a hoof behind her neck nervously. "I will admit I may have gotten carried away with the surprise attack so tomorrow, it will be straightforward so you don't have to worry." Celestia gave her a nod and looked surprised as she heard something the others couldn't. "I have to go again girls, I shall see you on a later date if I can." The orb popped out of the air as Celestia left them. Luna in an instant teleported them and the box back to the hotel. "I'll see you three tomorrow, rest easy girls." She left the room obscurely with the girls thrown about in confusion. Sketch's fatigue made her the first to lay in bed, she appeared to be completely shaken up by what hit her just moments ago. "Well looks like she's out for the count a second time." North mumbled glancing towards the window above Sketch's bed. North felt the quick incursion was a good lesson to learn first, but it felt as though she rushed it in too quick. On the other hoof they didn't really last long against Luna's attacks. "That all happened so fast, almost in an instant even." Spike and Bubblegum were presently awake while Lavender limped her way into the showers. "I know right there was just no mercy for you ponies she was like RAAWWRRR, I'ma zzappp you with my ZAPPY POWA, and all of you were like AHHHHH noooo not the zappy powa... AAAHHHHHH!" Bubblegum galloped around the room hollering. "Yeah and she just in three hits she KO's Lavender and Sketch leaving you North." Spike commented. North trotted by her bedside peeking through the window towards Luna's tower. A long silence loomed which was rather odd for Bubblegum to be so silent. "Wow Bubblegum you're being pretty..." As she turned around Bubblegum was laying on the floor on her back kicking the air with weird whistling snores, Spike too was laying on the floor. "Pffftt, you guys are weak heheheh!" North snickered to herself as she hopped up on her bed. "Goodnight everypony." Lavender finally situated herself in her bed, and the group was sound asleep for a good hour when a strange figure pierced the moonlight with its silhouette across Sketch's bed. It seemed fixed on the box as it slithered to the side reaching closer to the prize. It paused when Sketch begun to stir in her bed, though Sketch was silent compared to what Bubblegum suddenly did! "COTTON CANDY!" She shot her legs up in the air and kicked furiously without warning! With a deep sigh she flopped over leaving the startled figure exhaling quietly. The figure wasted no more time and in an instant snatched the box trying to escape the room. Unfortunately its plan was foiled when Bubblegum's action had woke up a certain pony who was floating over by the window. "Where do you think you're going?" The figure's eyes widened as it turned to see North's growling expression. Several vines from nearby potted plants shot across the room at the figure. The windows were a no go as she sealed them up with overgrowth. "Drop the box and I might let you leave in one piece." Its eyes threw glances at the box and back to her with an inquisitive expression. "What's it going to be?" She threw a series of vines at the figure who responded by galloping to the doorway. North nabbed their hind legs with tangling vine growth and proceeded to pull them closer. The figure unsheathed a dagger quickly snapping the vines through the silver blade with its free hoof. It seemed unwilling to fight her head on but was intent on looting the box from them. "AGHHH!" The figure dashed to the door and plowed it open leaping over the stair rail to the ground floor! Oddly the others were still as a rock even from the disturbing door crashing noise. "What in Equestria?" The innkeeper ducked behind his desk as North dashed by blowing loose objects everywhere! She seemed fixed to take on this thieving punk without backup. Whatever this pony was he or she was able to jump to building tops! "This creep's pretty swag I'll give them that, but not enough to stop me!" She mused confidently as she ascended above the buildings to track them easier. The figure scanned around for the alicorn, but she quickly took refuge in a dark cloud. Sensing it was clear it dropped in a small basement window near an old dilapidated structure. North could see overhead that Canterlot was not all clean buildings and pristine marble walls like Lavender stated. Deeper within hid poverty enriched backstreets that nestled nicely out of general public sight of the cityscape. North dove towards the building and grounded on a rather trashy rooftop. At that time Lavender felt a vine tickle her nose and this suddenly awoke the mare as she sneezed! "Ahhh... what in Equestria is touching me, Bubblegum if you're pulling a prank I..." As she pulled her sleep mask off the dim light in the room silhouetted a thick web of vines and overgrowth into her alert eyes! "I, I, I..." In a long pause she darted her eyes around to see nothing but vines, leaves, plant life grown rampant. "WHAT IS GOING ON!?" She yelled instantly. "AHHH!" Spike jumped under Sketch's bed startling Bubblegum and Sketch. "What's going on, what?" As Sketch-It raised her head a vine halted her movement. "Huh?" Curiously she raised a hoof to feel what it was. "A vine?" Lavender lit the room with her magic to reveal nothing but greenery! "The box... It's gone!" Spike pointed a claw at the empty space previously occupied by said container! In shock Lavender quickly made the accusation, "This must be North's doing, she couldn't stand the fact that Sketch was given something special and not her... or worse!" She gasped. "She plans to unleash discord on Equestria! This is absolutely terrifying!" Spike tried to assure her, "North wouldn't do that, I've known her for years. There is no way she would..." Spike's mind started to worry that she may have just played coy all this time. "I mean she wouldn't we've been friends for so long, but if she knew Princess Celestia's plan then she would've had to play the best friend to get close enough to take the box, which contains discord inside in which she knew all along that Sketch was going to get!" Lavender turned to Spike and with her mind convinced she growled, "That no good sneaky mare, I knew there was something I hated about her!" Sketch felt disillusioned but more so worried sick. "This is horrible, my first royal responsibility and it goes right under my nose! While I'm sleeping even. Agghhhhh, what do I do?" She paced the floor in a state of utter confusion. 'What if they're right?' She thought. 'What if she took the box, all this time she knew about it... I still hardly know her, it could've been possible.' "We have to go find her and the box Sketch." Spike stated slamming one fist into his other claw! he pointed to the open doorway. "We can't let Princess Luna down." Sketch agreed with him but replied, "Where do we start, she could be anywhere." Bubblegum unexpectedly started sniffing the floor when she darted her nose out the door barking, "RAWRF RAWRF... I got her scent girls, followwwww MEEEEEE!" Lavender and Sketch exchanged glances to one another shrugging. They followed Bubblegum as she jumped over the rail and started to sniff onward into the street. As the girls departed from the inn into the streets a strange sensation loomed over them. Bubblegum sniffed the air and mumbled, "Smells like trouble ahoof." Back at the old building North decided to descend into the depths of the structure by starting from the top floor. The first hall she passed through seemed as though makeshift wallpaper were put up to cover the damaged old infrastructure. This feeling of dread she never felt before in her life. 'How is this even in Canterlot? I figured the capital of Equestria would sorta be, you know, cleaner than this?' She pondered. Further into the hall she trotted with slow careful steps. The constant creaking noises echoing on the walls made her fidgety. In some places in the floor it felt as if she would fall right through. Sounds began to erupt below her of a few voices exchanging to one another. "That was too easy." A voice commented. "So what if it was too easy, we got the box quit worrying." Another replied in an amusing voice. North cautiously approached the other stairway and descended slowly. "So kid you're pretty neato with that magic of yours..." Before the voice could continue the sound of a young filly struggling echoed, "I told you what you wanted, now let me go!" "HA. Kid you actually thought we would let you go? You have something anypony would kill for, and now that we have a box holding discord inside, we can have anything we want!" North began to grow weary as she stepped further below into the bowels of the building. "Now I just need to know how, to, opennnn, this thing Aghhhh!" The girls outside met a snag finally in Bubblegum's sniffing progress. "BLEECHHH, what's that smell... my sniffer's been sniffed out." Bubblegum twitched her nose as the scent of the Canterlot backstreets lofted right up both nostrils. Lavender flipped out, "No, no, no I'm not going there. There is absolutely nothing that will make me go into those twisted streets..." "I thought Canterlot was supposed to be perfect, sheesh!" Spike complained as he smelled the disgusting filth of poverty at its worst. "Canterlot sure has grown more since I was here last." Lavender nodded to Spike with a brief explanation, "The royalty here has had no time to deal with poverty in their own city, they are just too busy. There are only three areas like this in Canterlot, you should see Manehatten. Sketch Galloport is no different either." Sketch knew that fact oh too well. "Well either way we have to find that box Lavender. Bubblegum can you try and catch her scent again?" Sketch inquired her bubbly friend. "I can try but there's no promises... this is like smelly to the extreme smelly!" Bubblegum managed to continue her sniffing quest while Lavender reluctantly followed. "I'm only going because I don't want to trot back alone." Back at the old building North was right at the ground floor peering down the dark stairway to the basement. "So what do we do with the filly?" asked a dopey voice. "I don't know just get her out of my mane for now." North bolted into the pitch black darkness behind the stairs as she heard the door abruptly open. "Let me go you dummy, LET GO!" "She's pretty feisty today!" North watched the stairs as two stallions with hoods over their faces brought up a little filly unicorn. Her left eye was green while the other glowed grayish white. Strangely the girl stared at North through the darkness with desperate and scared eyes. "Well there's ways to deal with feisty children, you whip the snot out of them HAHAHAHA!" In an instant the little filly started to plead, "Noo, noo please don't, Noooo, Noooo!" "Keep saying no all you want it's happening, you should know this by now since you predict stuff and all." North felt an overwhelming desire to save the girl first no matter the consequences. The thought of some stranger whipping a child with no reason other than cruelty was on the top list of things that would set her off. Before she could make a move the sound of knocking alerted her to stay. "What was that, a visitor at this hour? This means trouble..." A voice growled from within the basement. "It's a group of mares and some baby dragon!? What?..." The voice appeared to sound in shock by the interruption. Breaking the silence the voice commanded, "Keep the door barred. Don't open unless I say so." Two more stallions and a zebra quietly trotted up the stairs towards the doorway. North felt a strong curiosity come over her, but she didn't want to budge fearing her cover would be blown and she'd have to deal with six or more stallions. "You sure she's in there Bubblegum?" North felt a fear rush through bones. "I'm sure as sure can be Sketch, she's in there, I can smell her!" Bubblegum answered. Sketch tried to open the door but to no avail. Sketch sighed and turned her attention towards the windows. "Well if you are positive Bubblegum we're going to need another way in." Sketch glanced left to right. "I don't see why she would stay here, she can fly." The leader scrambled up the stairs and told them to hide. "NOOOO DON'T GO I.... Mmm... mmphhhh...!" Before the girl could scream a warning she was muffled by a hoof. Her squeals began to die down as the stallion choked her to sleep. "Time for you to go night, night you little brat." The stallion proceeded to take her upstairs out of the way. Lavender backed up from the building. "I have gone as far as I will go, I am not going into that dusty old rotten moldy building." Sketch, Bubblegum and Spike just shrugged and continued around the windows. Sketch told her to at least keep a lookout for North if she tries to escape and Lavender just responded with a loathsome sigh, "I suppose I could..." As the thieves were busy North crept her way up the stairs to retrieve the filly from the hooves of those creeps. "Alright, you two go get the one out front, the rest of you watch for those others coming around the side." The groups split up leaving a stallion and the zebra to unbar the door. "Dear Celestia the night feels sooo nasty. It must be this disgusting background it's slowly pulling towards me like some sort of creeping filth monster." Her description was not far off as just behind her two figures were approaching her. "Strangely I do get the sensation something is looming overhead just to snatch me up." One of the figures turned to the other whispering, "You think she knows?" Lavender's face turned grim with fright as she spun around to see the stallions over her! They wrestled her to the ground struggling to keep her quiet as she pulled out every dirty trick in the book, "Hold still we just... want to... ouch!" "Get.. mmmmphh Off mee, grrrrrrr RAWRMPH!" With a snarl she bit one in the hoof and let loose squealing, "Eewwwwww, you haven't bathed in weeks you disgusting... MMMPH!" "Ha, don't want to bite down anymore huh?" He could feel her breath growl as she bucked the other right between his hind legs. The stallion dropped holding his mouth closed. "MMMMMM! Right in the golden apples! Oooohhh..." The zebra quickly rectified the situation by wrapping his hooves around her head and neck. "Unless you want to feel your neck snap I suggest you stop struggling." Lavender's struggle stopped cold and she allowed them to escort her inside. "Take her upstairs." The leader directed them to the staircase. North heard the hoofsteps coming up and she impulsively ran to the nearest room. "You stay and watch her in here, I'm going back down..." "What are you kidding she kicked me between my legs you think i'm gonna watch her? You watch her I'm not gonna do it." The stallion quickly dropped the duty on the zebra and trotted back downstairs. The zebra looked at Lavender with a cocky smile as he trotted up to her. "You may have scared him..." He gave a sinister pause as Lavender began to back up towards a nasty old bed full of dust and debris. "But that foalish behavior just provokes me to fight even harder. Tell me miss, have you ever, been physically promiscuous?" North's eyes widened as Lavender began to grow red in the face. Flustered and angry she barked, "MY WORD! You smell like garbage, you threaten to kill me on the streets, you even have the nerve to touch me with your dirty hooves and now you have the guts to make advances on me! You obviously learned that word somewhere in an old dictionary or something because you sir are no gentlecolt of the kind to use that language in any filthy sentence you utter out of that gross mouth!" North laughed quietly to herself. Her laugh quickly halted when she noticed he was advancing her to the bed. "You rich types are all the same, just all talk and no action. It won't matter for me I'll have you in that bed all to myself tonight one way or another, I'll enjoy it when you struggle!" Lavender's face suddenly flared. Instantly she hopped up with her horn sporadically blazing. "YOUUUU!" At that instant Bubblegum felt her bones chill. "I sense somepony is about to have a very bad day." Spike and Sketch seemed fixed to look up at one of the windows when they heard a strange noise at the second floor. "PUTRID STINKING ABOMINATION, YOU DIRTY NO GOOD PILE OF GARBAGE, YOU DAFT DUMBFOUNDED IMBECILE, YOU... YOU STUPID, CHEAP, PATHETIC INSIGNIFICANT MORON! YOU..." She continued her massive ranting as she grabbed anything not bolted to the floor and launched it at him! "AHHHH!" He attempted to run around in limited space as she launched an end table, small pieces of sharp wood and eventually tossing the mattress and the bed itself at him! Successfully he dodged everything and he took a deep breath. "Wow, I sensed you had fight but not that much, well you don't have anything left to throw at me sooo..." North felt the curtain she hid behind tear from her grip! "Whaaaa?" She wrapped him in a huge tight ball with the fabric and left his head poking out! "You dirty little!" He struggled for a brief moment only to have North plow his noggin with a potted plant! "Oohhhhhh..." He groaned. "What was that?" The stallion holding the little filly hostage heard the pot break and wondered what was going on. He took the handle of a blade by his mouth and reached for the doorknob. "Let's get out of here North..." "Not yet Lavender, there's a little filly that needs our help come on!" At the same time Sketch and her small troop found the small basement window. "They're coming from the basement stallions go, go, go!" They armed themselves with bit guns and daggers as they charged down the stairs! "Slowly, carefully guys... watch your scales Spike." As they hopped down into the basement Sketch could see the box still nestled on the table with a clutter of tools they were planning to use to open the container. "There it is let's just get it and..." "Where do you think you're going with MY BOX?" Sketch froze in place as a shadowy stallion waltzed into the moonlight. Behind him the sound of guns cocking scared Sketch stiff. "It's not your box!" She exclaimed as she stomped a hoof. Her attempt to stand against him was a failure. Without a fight she allowed him in her personal space frightened of what he would do to her. "Such a pretty thing, what is it with all these mares and putting their noses in our business guys, are they begging for trouble?" The stallions all exchanged sinister chuckles with one another. He brought his head over her shoulder and whispered, "This little present of yours is just too much of a responsibility for you, so we decided to take it off your hooves, put it to some good use. You know like getting what we want and all that jazz." His hoof ran across her back towards her flank making her shiver at the thought. "It seems to already make us popular with the ladies soooo I guess we're off to a good start." His breath was gagging her as it smelled like he had been chewing on stinkplant for ages. Above them, North spotted the would be challenger and before he could even think she had plastered his face with a loose plank! With a broken nose he flew backwards and slammed into wallpaper hiding a dangerous opening in the wall. He cracked his rib in the gaping hole in the wall and fell unconscious from the impact. "North..." Lavender felt a bit of guilt for accusing North that she stole the box, but North was preoccupied in saving that filly. Lavender closed her mouth and allowed North to focus on her work. North took her magic and threw the door open to see a little filly laying on the bed. "Noooo." North ran over to the child to see if she was still alive. Holding her hoof to her mouth she could feel a faint breath. "Thank Celestia she's still..." Out from the shadows the thief she fought with briefly leaped on her back and attempted to break her neck! North jerked about trying to keep her head from giving up to thief's grip. She slammed into the wall several times growling and she flew up into the ceiling yelling! "GET OFFFF!" The figure finally let loose and dropped to the ground. It turned its attention to Lavender. "AAHHH!" Sensing the menace in the figure's eyes she ran out into the hall! It slung what seemed to be a smoke bomb right behind her. The bomb exploded into a thick cloud of strange smoke forcing Lavender to choke and cough! "What in Equestria is..." Her eyes burned and she felt her nose begin to run as it burned her throat each time she inhaled. "WHAAAAaK... ISSSS THISSS!" She struggled and bounced from side to side in the hall until she pushed through a door. She quickly closed the door trying to keep the smoke from following her. "Pretty fancy toys for somepony to be having when they're working for derp headed scum like those guys..." North felt there was more to this story. "I take it you were not planning on letting them keep it huh?" She hit the assumption right on the money as the figure seemed intrigued and threatened by her guess. Instantly the figure jumped at her with the dagger in mouth! She jumped back using her wings to loft in the air. The sudden attack left a pain in her hoof. Looking down she could see it had nicked her. With adrenaline built inside she sent wave after wave of telekinetic blasts! The figure just dodged them as if they were child's play. He launched into the air for her throat when a fragment of wood blew out from the side of a wall. The wise veiled thief put their hooves up and braced themselves as North plowed them with a plank of wood straight into the wall across! "I'm not in the mood to play games!" North managed to find more loose fragments and ferociously started to pelt the other side of the room with everything from arm length planks to splinters! With lightning reflexes the figure darted out of the way in a zigzag as she hosed the area with debris! Dagger ready it made another lunge for her chest this time. "FORGET THIS!" She countered the thief's lunge by flying up out of their reach and bucking them straight in the back of the head. It crashed into the weak wall into another room. The filly began to stir a little which alerted North. She flew down and retrieved the little filly and placed her over her shoulders. "You're safe with me kid." She whispered warmly. She focused her attention to the gaping hole in the wall. Dust, rotting wood and mold whirled in the moonlight. Peering through the dancing debris she could see the figure had disappeared. Striking her gaze back down at her hoof she could see a trail of blood. It had been a long time since she ever had such a wound before and it was never this messy. The pain seethed through her nerves and forced her to limp. "NORTH!" When Lavender took a look out the doorway she spotted the hobbling alicorn. The smoke still dissipating the two ponies joined together. "Thank Celestia you are ok." Lavender expressed how thankful she was to see her in one piece with a smile. "And why wouldn't I be?" North tried to joke it off as she held her hoof from the ground. Lavender noticed the little wound and gasped, "We need to get you out of here, that wound could trap no end of dirt and mold in this Celestia forsaken deathtrap." "What about the others?" Lavender couldn't think about them at the moment, North's health and the filly's safety was her primary concern for now. "They'll be fine come on." Sketch, Spike and Bubblegum were forced in a corner to watch the thief leader start poking at the box. "Stop you don't know what you're doing!" Sketch cried out. If anything malicious came out of that box she would feel fully responsible. She tried to think of something she could do. She was too afraid to attempt a spell seeing as she strained during that instance with the princess. "Let's see, possess a powerful weapon to bring nations to their hooves groveling, or let it go and wait for the next opportunity? That is such a hard decision." He twiddled the lock pick in his hoof for a moment and laughed, "Ha, yeah there's no way I'm passing up on this." Sketch's mind raced but this was a point in time she couldn't sit and take it. The fate of lives were at stake. 'Quick think, think, I can't strain my magic again, I need something that will spread easily, Something strong and unexpected, something like...' Her thoughts were distracted by the sound of gum chewing. 'BUBBLEGUM OF COURSE!' Sketch felt like a genius as she put the pieces together. She grabbed a hold of her friend and yelled, "ALRIGHT, NOPONY MOVE!" For a brief second they aimed their guns at her, but she looked rather stupid holding her friend hostage. "Look, the purple one's starting to crack, she donno what to do hahahahaha!" They just laughed it up. Spike jerked his finger at them and retorted, "You guys are in big trouble now heh!" Bubblegum was oblivious to the plan. Sketch reached into Bubblegum's mane and she giggled and squirmed, "Hyahahahah that tickles, what are you doing HAHAHA... OOOHPPP!" "I'm not afraid to use..." Sketch rummaged through and pulled out Celestia knows what from Bubblegum's mane and pointed it at them. "THIS!" She exclaimed as she aimed a pie at them. The leader threw himself to the floor in a fit of laughter as the thieves guffawed with him. "Ahhhhhh, that's funny what are ya gonna do with that, pie me to death!?" Sketch grew a small grin as she knew exactly what to say back. "Bubblegum, I think it's time for a good old fashioned Berry Swirl, PIE FIGHT!" The thieves didn't think much of it, but this little swirly maned clown jolted into hyperactive mode as she squealed, "PIEEEEE FIGGGHHTTTT!" Bubblegum in an instant pulled out a funky looking cannon with some sort of pie holding magazine in the side! "What the..." "AVAST YE, EAT CREAMY FILLING!" BA BA BA BA BA BOOM! Pies launched at high velocity. The fast moving pies threw every stallion to the floor back flipping with their faces imprinted in the tins. "Always count on Bubblegum to have something in her MA..." Sketch felt herself get smacked by the pie she was holding. "Mane..." "HAAHAHAHAHA, too slow Sketch." Sketch shook the pie tin off and grabbed the box. "Let's go!" Spike hopped up on Sketch's back and held the box as she levitated it to him. "I don't care if I have to carry this thing as long as I don't have to walk I'm good." Spike sighed. Despite the box being as big as him he was just far too tired to hoof it all the way back. Bubblegum followed behind dragging her auto pie cannon. "Boss maybe we should've picked something less valuable next time?" A voice muffled through one of the pie tins. The thief leader just growled, "Ehhhhhh... Shaddup." The group galloped off to the safety of the inn. They met up with North and Lavender who were just making their way inside. North felt completely tired and unlike the others, her and Lavender were completely filthy. "Come here North." Lavender beckoned. It was just amazing how helpful Lavender was when somepony was injured. She could be rolled in filth and covered in nasty mold and grime, but if another pony is hurt she would go out of her way to fix them up before herself. "Lavender you are some mare..." "Hold still, this may sting." Lavender insisted to work quickly and thoroughly on the wound to prevent any infections. North placed the little filly on her bed quietly as Lavender continued to treat her. "We're back!" Sketch triumphantly exclaimed as Spike added, "And we have the box!" North acknowledged with a nod and turned her head to the filly. "We should report to Princess Luna right away, I don't feel particularly safe having the little filly and the box in a room where they know we were." "I agree I'd feel much safer in the castle..." Sketch replied. The girls wasted no time, Lavender fixed North's wound and they galloped back to the castle. The guards halted them at the entrance asking, "What is your business in the castle?" They appeared to be a wreck with dust in their coats. They all looked as if they were not meant to be anywhere near the palace. Spike lifted his finger over the box and replied, "We're here to see Princess Luna..." "Not looking like that." One of the guards scoffed. Sketch attempted to reason, "Look we were in here a couple of hours ago, we're..." Sketch didn't have to waste her breath. Princess Luna's voice boomed, "Let them through." The guards awkwardly smiled as they allowed the messy bunch through. Sketch-It graciously thanked Luna for being there for them. "No trouble at all Sketch, come walk with me." Princess Luna realized by the state of disarray they arrived in that they were in no position to be wandering in the streets. Sketch explained that the box went missing and they had to deal with a group of thieves. At first they thought it could've been North, but they found out otherwise. "Mainly my fault for jumping to conclusions, I should've trusted you more than saying those silly accusations North." Apologizing was not her cup of tea, but before she could say her official apology, North answered. "It's ok Lavender..." She showed her bandaged hoof smiling, "It's implied, you don't have to say it." The girls giggled together as they felt another bonding moment was made that night. North looked to her friend and wisecracked, "You know Lavender you are a pain but you're alright I suppose." "Likewise North." Lavender responded. Luna allowed the girls to clean themselves up and retire to her quarters. "I'm sorry if we're causing any trouble your majesty." Sketch again tried to express her apologies for being a burden. Luna noticed the filly laying by North. "I see you made a new friend." Luna commented. North nodded as she snuggled up by the sleeping filly. "I found her held against her will by those bozos. Why, I don't really know but it has something to do with her seeing stuff or something. One of the thieves was talking about how she led them to the box." Luna grew an intrigued expression across her face. The princess stood up from the small pad of pillows she placed for the girls and strolled by her window. She gazed down at the inn to see shadows moving around. Princess Luna's expression instantly shifted to concern. In her mind she was sensing that her relationship with these ponies would have to be distant seeing as the threats of the empire were in her own backyard. Wasting no time she ordered, "Pack your things girls, I'll have a personal chariot readied for your departure." Princess Luna hurried them out of the tower. "What is going on?" North and the others attempted to grasp what it was she was doing. "You all have been through enough for now, I'll contact you soon enough if anything comes up, but for now you shouldn't be lingering here with me. It may not be safe for thieves to associate you with me." North attempted to ask what she planned to do with the child. "Don't you worry about her, I'll take care of her." The chariot was drawn and the girls one by one hopped on with Spike holding the box once again. "Goodbye for now girls, keep training your magic and Sketch..." Sketch-It focused her eyes to Luna. "Yes your majesty?" Luna levitated a special key for the box explaining, "You are to guard this box at all cost, when you truly are ready for the responsibility of what is inside you may open it with this key, otherwise do not open it, is that clear?" Sketch accepted the key and nodded affirming she would only open when she met the responsibility to do so. Cadance was still in the small room filled with letters and paper strewn everywhere. She still had her same stressful expression with the same piece of blank paper. Strangely fixed on writing she could not help but feel an ill presence pass by her room. "What was that?" In her state of stress she was about to toss the feeling aside when it continued to bug her. Staring down at the paper she sensed a strong agitation come over her. "I'll never be able to think of the words to say to my beloved with that dread in my mind!" She slapped the paper down. "I'm sure it was probably Luna, she brings about that gloomy sensation sometimes, yeah I'm sure of it." Cadance paused by the doorway and peered up the stairs to the creeping shadow. "Luna is that you?" She stated her question clearly, but instead of a response the shadow seemed to disappear quicker. "That's, not like her." Cadance felt a growing fear it could be an assassin, anypony a part of the castle's servant staff would have paused and stated who they were. Cadance started to follow up the stairs quietly in hopes to sneak up on the assassin. In a heart pounding anxiety Cadance made it to the top of the tower. She took a quiet peek inside to find a masked pony with a strange vial in its mouth. Immediately she felt confused seeing a little filly of unknown origin laying in Luna's room and some shadowy assassin about to pour liquid in her mouth! Cadance was not one to sit and do nothing. Without warning to the assassin a bolt of spellfire shot across its face and sent it flinging to the side of the wall. "Step away from the child you, you...!" Cadance's face turned grim. Her spellfire dissolved the mask but the figure's face revealed the most disturbing image she would ever see. "Whhhh... whaaatt arreee you." The eye was like a dark hole with webs of black ooze that coursed through a florescent yellow glow. Down the eye and across a leathery skinned face dripped the ooze. It seemed the ooze was dissolving and burning as it left the eye. The snarling grin on its face seemed like something beyond the nightmare of even a changelings dreams. Crooked toothy jaw and in a deep disgusting voice it echoed a dialect that didn't seem to make sense. Cadance attempted to make herself authoritative and ordered, "By order of the royal family I hereby place you under arrest assassin!!" Not amused by her formal declaration the figure tossed another choking smoke bomb and disappeared through the window leaving Cadance coughing and hacking. The abrupt explosion sent guards on high alert to the tower. Cadance managed to find the little filly and bring her to safety from the smoke. When Luna finally arrived at the stairs she asked if the filly was alright. Cadance nodded with reddened eyes, "Yeah... some masked assassin was trying to poison her, I got to see its face. It's unlike anything I have ever seen." Luna looked to the filly on Cadance's back and again she felt interested in knowing what is so important about this pony. To further protect the child she ordered, "I want every guard on patrol, leave no nook and cranny open. Summon Shining Armor back to the palace. Canterlot will once more need full protection. Cadance I leave you in charge of seeing after the child." She turned abruptly and stormed off towards the royal chamber. "Assassins are among us, we must prepare accordingly." Cadance felt a breath of relief to know her beloved would be returning, but the news came at a price. She looked over her shoulder to the child and wondered the same question Luna was. Among the pandemonium the girls were back in Ponyville safe and sound. Sketch bid goodnight to the other mares and Spike. As she trotted back to her home she began to compose another message in her mind to her brother, 'Dear brother of mine, how's it going? Finally got a royal responsibility. Taking care of some special box. It was a gift from Celestia and Luna so it must be something important! Luna did say it could unleash discord if opened too early so yeah. I had a close call with some weirdos who stole the box but we managed to cream them so to speak hehehe, so no worries i'm fine. It appears my friend Lavender learned not to jump to conclusions without having facts straight. North was actually just protecting us by getting the box back alone. Her and Lavender seem to be growing on each other. Looks like despite having strange encounters we seem to grow closer each time so I'm feeling really positive. Today's lessons were pretty short, everything tonight had happened so fast. Luna was right to tell us to expect the unexpected. I guess I'll leave it short for tonight and talk to you later when I have more to well, discuss to you brother, love you and hope to speak again soon.' All these constant surprises happening just before the Autumn season just made Sketch feel she was never going to have a moment to rest. Before entering her home her wandering eyes glanced upward to the cloudy sky. "I hope everything is ok back at Canterlot, I feel we were only there for a few hours and yet it felt longer." Sketch didn't dwell on it when she opened the door. Seeing her big sister's lazy smile made her feel right at home. Lounging on the sofa with her radio on, she was listening to the war front media as usual. "Hey DaisyChain." "Oh wow you got back home pretty quick, I wasn't expecting your flank to be here until like tomorrow night. What happened?" Sketch let out a big sigh and mumbled, "If you really want to know, here's what happened."