Chapter 23: Rollercoasters of Emotion
“We would calm down Vegeta. Your heart monitor is elevated,” Luna said.
“And your tail is twitching,” Discord added. “You’re a pacer, aren’t you?”
“You know how big a shot in the dark this is?” Vegeta shot back. “But it’s all we got.”
“And it has brought fruit,” Celestia suddenly came into the room. “Vegeta, black powder exists. It is just unknown to the wider public. The Golden Circle syndicate has only just started importation from our version of the Far East.”
“That’s great!”
“Unfortunately, it’s not so clear cut. As revealing this would easily lead to the blaming of the syndicate. There also seems to be instability in the recipe they use that makes it unpredictable. It cannot be used in the gun you identified. There is too little metal to contain the explosion. But they did leave open the possibility that other nations could find the flaw’s source and correct it.”
“Sister, I know that face. Something has happened?”
Celestia hung her head and chuckled. “You know me too well…”
“Ok who’s dead?” Vegeta asked.
“Bocce’s parents. And although his aunt and uncle are alive, much of Millionaire Row is dead or sickened from poisoned wine at a banquet.”
Every Equestrian in the room gasped.
“Well fuck…” was Vegeta’s only response. “Anything else we should know?”
“Bocce’s father is a member of the Gleaning through his stillborn father.”
“Abandoned baby?” Vegeta asked.
“Correct.”
“Then Bocce is already of noble blood?” Luna said excitedly.
“Proof will be impossible to find so many generations on, Luna.”
“What about a DNA test?” Vegeta asked.
“A what?”
“DNA. It’s a part of a cell that is inherited from the parents. Without that molecule, life would not exist.”
“What is a molecule?” Celestia asked.
“Oh, my fucking gods… You people are so fucking primitive it’s not even funny!”
“If this had been even four days ago,” Celestia said. “I would take great offense to that… But it is clear now there is much we don’t know,” she said disheartened.
A guard poked his head in, “Excuse me, Princess Celestia. Prince Blueblood is here. He says you wanted him to contact you if he discovered anything.”
“Sister, have you employed young Blueblood as well?”
“Yes, his family has their own connections,” she said before exiting the room.
“So, who’s this guy?” Vegeta asked.
“The rightful heir to the old unicorn royal family,” Luna said. “The nobles we are facing are off branches through second sons.”
“Couldn’t he order his relatives around?” Vegeta said.
Luna shook her head, “He and Celestia are extremely close. They even call each other aunt and nephew in the open to show their emotional ties despite the lack of shared blood.”
“So he would be considered a puppet… great…”
~~***~~
Out in the hallway, Celestia and Blueblood were talking in a sound proof bubble spell.
“One of the pirate guards was a ki user?”
Blueblood nodded, then poofed a notebook. “Everything we transcribed from the meeting. We also went over black powder as well.”
Celestia flipped through the book as he kept talking.
“Wu has strong trade ties with the griffons along something they call the silk road going back a thousand years. It passes from Wu, through Weigh, then the Golden Herd into the Griffon Empire. There is also a sea route that passes through the Garuda archipelago, along the Ashtavinayaka coast then through Saddle Arabia and Feligypt into the Mareterranean Sea.”
“Blueblood, this is amazing information.” She hugged him, “Thank you. This will help immensely.”
Celestia dropped the shield and hurried back down the hall.
Blueblood turned and walked out of the wing. Suddenly he threw himself against the wall to avoid getting hit by Twilight erratically flying down the hall. Cadence was right behind her.
He used his magic to straighten his collar and left.
~~***~~
“Sister, this is wonderful. There are even maps and city names,” Luna looked at her over the notebook. “I had no idea that arrogant stallion was so useful.”
Celestia smiled, clearly proud of her nephew.
“Wait, there’s the recipe for black powder. Boiled bird or bat droppings?!” Luna stuck out her tongue in disgust.
“You people are still using that?” Vegeta asked, confused.
“Is there another way?”
“I know there’s a way to not use poop, but don’t ask me how. I remember a documentary about Earth running out of poop to make the gunpowder for their internal wars, so they put their best minds to find another method.”
“Your planet was so warlike; it ran out of poop?” Discord stifled a giggle.
“Humans can be nice, but don’t push them into a corner. They can get quite psycho.”
“Princess Celestia! AHHHHH!” Twilight screamed as she failed her landing and ricocheted off the floor and walls of the hallway before sliding to a stop. “Owe…”
Cadence came into the room, “Celestia! We have a miracle. There is a master ki user in Equestria. And they have connections to Vegeta’s home. They worship a human named Buddha. Twilight recognized their idol’s race.”
Twilight finally got into the room. “Pixiu will be here any minute! Said he was gathering something before he flew here. Sounded like the word croutons.”
Suddenly there was a knock at the window.
A very large being was riding a cloud.
“That’s him!” Twilight threw open the window.
The being floated in.
“Holy fuck a Kinto’un,” Vegeta said.
“Yes,” he said, stepping off the cloud. He then flipped his hood off.
“Holy fuck, a talking panda.”
The Panda laughed heartily. “Ah yes, the famous first words Lord Hui Fen said when he greeted us.” He calmed down. “You must be Prince Vegeta.”
“I didn’t know Pandas could control clouds like pegasus!” Twilight ran over. “I’ve never seen a yellow one,” she went to touch it.
The cloud reared up and slapped her.
“Owe. Why did you do that?” Twilight looked at Pixiu. “You could have just said not to touch.”
“Kinto’uns are living things, not water vapor,” Vegeta glared at her.
“It’s alive?!” Twilight excitedly got close to it again. “How?! Does it just cover itself in clouds? Is this some kind of magical wool?”
The Kinto’un reared back again, partially split and made a copy of a mouth with fangs…
Before turning around, grasping her with a long tail and violently throwing her out the window screaming.
The panda laughed, then petted the cloud. “Calm down, Feiyu. I know you don’t like the unclean touching you.”
“Feiyu, huh?” Vegeta chuckled. “Kakarot’s family’s kinto’un is named Nimbus.”
“Must be a pure and honorable family if all the members can ride him.”
“Yeah…” Vegeta said as his eyebrows fell, “and highly annoying…”
“I’m sure one of your disposition would find a good being annoying.”
Vegeta’s ears pinned back. “It’s not that I hate them. It’s mostly Kakarot. He’s just unbearably stupid. I’ve died for his kids.”
Pixiu raised his palm, “I’m sure you would. Your magic is not all you can’t control. Your ki is quite open. You are a savage beast like I have never felt before, but with unwavering pack loyalty.”
He looked at Celestia. “And you all have joined his pack, and I have no doubt his pack members will respond in kind. You now have many ki warriors at your disposal, princesses. Keep them well.”
Celestia nodded her head. “I intend to.”
Pixiu turned to face her. “Now Princess Celestia, on behalf of all Buddhists, I must say I am very—”
Twilight climbed through the window with twigs in her mane and feathers. She spit leaves from her mouth. “Why did you bring such a dangerous animal with you?!”
“They’re not dangerous if you treat them with respect!” Vegeta snapped. “Good goddess, Twilight. How would you like it if someone did that to you?!”
The kinto’un tapped Pixiu and the rolling pattern of its clouds changed.
“No, I’m not repeating that.”
It changed again.
“Princess Twilight, Feiyu says you are insulting him by calling him a lowly animal. He is a sacred being of the highest temple. And will not stand for such disrespect in his presence.”
“Wait, it’s sentient?!”
The cloud flew over and nodded.
Twilight threw herself on the ground. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry Mr. Cloud!”
“His name is Feiyu, Princess Twilight,” Pixiu said gently.
“I’m sorry Mr. Feiyu!”
The cloud flew back behind the panda.
“I’m afraid once a kinto’un turns its back to you, the judgment stands. He already did not like you as an impure being.”
“Impure?” Luna asked.
“Someone who has never sinned in their entire life,” Vegeta said. “In thoughts and actions. Only people like that can ride one.”
“Not quite that strict, but that is the gist of it. The kinto’un does not experience the world through the mortal shell, but exists on a plane of pure energy and souls. While being rejected does not necessarily mean an unpleasant fate after death, it is not an indorsement.”
“May I try and ride you, Mr. Feiyu?” Pinkie asked excitedly.
“Pinkie, I understand your unending enthusiasm…” Celestia started, but stopped as Feiyu flew over to her.
It seemed to look her over. Then it dove under her blanket.
Pinkie lifted in the air laughing. “Your clouds are tickling me!”
“Why am I not surprised…” Vegeta rolled his eyes.
“You must be Lady Pinkie Pie,” Pixiu came over. “Feiyu, you have made your point. Place the poor girl down.”
Feiyu placed her back on the bed and returned to Pixiu’s side.
“I’ve been feeling a huge power since I first entered Equestria five years ago,” Pixiu smiled, “I see it has been you this whole time. And I can see why you’re so powerful.”
“Care to elaborate?” Vegeta asked.
“This pony has no native magic,” he said before turning back to her. “I’m surprised you even have a cutie mark. Have you had magic infused into you? Your mana heart seems artificial compared to the other ponies I’ve met.” He looked at Twilight, “Even moreso than our youngest princess here.”
“Wait… What do you mean by artificial?!”
“He’s referring to the elements, little Twilight,” Discord said. “You weren’t born an alicorn, were you?”
“I’m the element of laughter,” Pinkie answered.
“I see,” he nodded. “For a piece of the harmonies to latch onto you means you are a great spirit indeed. You are as pure as the crystal that originally housed it.”
Suddenly Pinkie Pie started to cough and grip her stomach.
“Sorry…” she coughed. “I guess… I let… myself… get a little… too excited…”
“May I see this wound the city is gossiping about?”
Pinkie looked at Celestia.
“Yes,” Celestia said, “But we must put the corset back on immediately.”
Celestia lit her horn and pulled off the sheet. Then she undid the hooks, keeping pressure on her barrel with her magic.
Pixiu laid his hand on the wound, then ran his hand along the path.
“You can tell where it is inside?” Luna asked, surprised.
“Yes,” his eyes narrowed. “This is a huo qiang wound.”
“Hoe kang?” Twilight tried to wrap her mouth around the word.
“Fire lance, in Equestrian.”
“Monk Pixiu…” Celestia said hesitantly, “Does the word gun mean anything to you?”
“Yes, gonne is the Golden Herds pronunciation of chong. It is a lance made completely from metal and takes great strength to wield.”
Celestia put her hoof to her chin. “Then that would be the next word in the chain to look for,” Celestia muttered. She put her hoof down. “Twilight, Cadence, head to the Ashtavinayaka, Arabian and Feligypt embassies. Start with the elephas first.”
“Yes!” Twilight shouted and ran from the room, slipping on her hooves in her haste. Candance quickly followed.
“So, the word gun is how chong evolved in the Middle Kingdom?” Pixiu looked at Vegeta.
“Buddhism isn’t the only thing that crossed over, was it?”
“No, but the joy fire crackers brought was quickly soured by the hearts of the cruel.”
“So, guns came directly from Vegeta’s world?” Celestia asked.
Pixiu shook his head. “No, only the black powder. But only in the forms that bring joy and celebration. But it has never been able to behave the same as when it was brought from beyond the mirror. Speaking of which, did Star Swirl not convey the agreement he and Teabit had concerning the reopening of the mirror?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Celestia shook her head.
“I see. We were to be informed when the portal to the middle kingdom would reopen. Lord Hui Fen and the other great teachers that became trapped by the closing preserved themselves in meditation so that one day they could be returned.”
“Are they still alive after fifteen hundred years?” Luna asked.
“Not in a way others would recognize. But yes, they are.”
“What do you mean?”
“Self-mummification?” Vegeta asked, “And encased in statues?”
“Why yes. You know about the meditation?”
“A few years ago, a museum was doing restoration work on a group of statues that were taken as trophies during a conquest a few hundred years prior. They x-rayed them and discovered they were hollow with bodies in them. Made global news. Stories of self-mummification and encasement while alive were considered myths.”
“Does the Middle Kingdom no longer exist?” Pixiu said, shocked.
“It does, but the rulers forced everyone to convert after they became communist. Wiped out every trace there and the places they conquered and annexed, animate and inanimate, hundreds of years ago.”
“Are you saying they slaughtered their own people?” Celestia gasped.
“Why are you surprised at this point?!” Vegeta said exasperated.
“Does the teaching still exist at all?” Pixiu asked calmly, barely hiding his emotions.
“Oh, yeah. Just not there anymore. It’s one of the largest religions on the planet, even after the genocide.”
Pixiu sighed in relief. “While my heart grieves for the Middle Kingdom, I am glad the teachings are not lost.” He turned back to Celestia, “Now. The four kingdoms and myself as representative of the hermit kingdom have agreed that the time is right to prove our teaching true in front of the world by revealing the power of ki.” He looked at Pinkie Pie, “We will defend our spirit sister to our greatest ability.”
Celestia bowed her head, “Your assistance is greatly appreciated.”
“Princess Cele—” a palace guard entered. His jaw dropped before he regained his composure and drew his spear.
His actions caused the other guards to race over and draw their weapons or light their horns.
Celestia and Luna extended their wings blocking the door.
“Lord Pixiu is a guest. Stand down.” Celestia ordered.
The guards stood down, and Raven came forward with a wagon stacked high with papers and scrolls. “Princesses, the papers you ordered from Judge Blackstone.
“Thank you, Raven.” She turned to Pinkie, “I’m sorry Pinkie Pie but you will need to leave the room for now.” She then turned to Pixiu, “I’m sorry, but you will need to leave us temporarily as well, Monk Pixiu.”
He nodded. “I will gladly spend time conversing with Pinkie Pie in the interim.”
She turned back to the guards, “Fetch Duke Fancy Pants as well.”
After the doctors removed Pinkie Pie to her own room and Pixiu and Feiyu followed, Celestia divided the papers between her and Luna.
“It seems they are conflating the incident at Donut Joe’s with Pinkie’s injuries,” Celestia said. She shuffled papers in her magic, “These are sworn statements by Viscount Trident’s employees. That must mean he is cooperating with this.”
Luna gasped. “Sister! This says Donut Joe is dead!”
“What?!” Celestia grabbed the paper.
Luna then turned green and put her hoof to her mouth.
“Sister…” she levitated them over. “His autopsy.”
Celestia took the papers, and also turned green.
“How does that work with fur?” Vegeta thought. “Can I see that? There must be drawings.”
Celestia floated over four pieces of paper and held them up so he could see them all at once.
“That’s an assault rifle death if I ever saw one.”
“Assault rifle?” Luna asked.
“A type of gun. Specifically, the type of gun I saw in the dream walk. It turns an unarmored body into paste like this.”
Luna turned as white as Celestia.
Discord also blanched. “I think the word ‘paste’ is all I need to hear. You don’t have to show me that,” his words raced out of his mouth.
“They seem to know of Bocce’s special talent,” Celestia said looking at another paper. “This said he picked up stones in the street and flung them at Donut Joe and Pinkie Pie.”
“Then cut the lead bullet out of Pinkie Pie,” Vegeta said. “Simple enough to disprove.”
“True…” Celestia said. “Though I would have preferred to wait. There is no guarantee that the wound will actually heal under magic this time.”
“I am still here, you know…” Vegeta lowered his eyebrows.
“Prince Vegeta! We cannot risk you so quickly after the last trauma!” Luna shouted.
Vegeta rolled his eyes.
“Take your life much more seriously!” Luna stood and spread her wings, knocking many things over. “Even if Cadenza had never brought you so close to death! You almost broke your mind to the point you would never wake up again!”
Vegeta’s ears pinned back instinctively. “Ok. Ok. Just chill.”
“Luna…” Celestia said softly as she began picking up everything she knocked over.
Luna looked at the mess and shuffled her wings embarrassed.
“Princesses,” a guard poked his head in. “Fancy Pants is here.”
“Send him in,” Celestia said, finishing straightening the room.
Fancy Pants came into the room. “Princesses,” he bowed.
“Duke,” Celestia said. “Steel your heart. Our adversities have killed innocents in their pursuit of corruption.”
~~***~~
“This is horrible…" Fancy Pants said flipping through the papers. “There are 84 testimonials. And they all take place after the Wonderbolts left the scene. Wait…” He looked at Celestia, “an earth pony can fly?”
“Yes,” Celestia said. “Pinkie learned from Vegeta.”
“Then these are real, and of course they include no time estimates. This will make things difficult as there are honest witnesses mixed in with the frauds.”
“Considering our dearest Joe is dead,” Celestia said with tears welling in her eyes, “Many poor civilians must be forced.”
“That’s obviously illegal,” Vegeta said. “Get one to confess to the death threats or even witnessing this Joe’s death, and you have grounds for an arrest for witness tampering at the very least.”
Everypony glanced at each other, then at him.
Vegeta glared at Celestia. “Witness tampering and intimidation are illegal here, riiiiiiight?” Vegeta snared with venom in his voice.
“Such techniques are commonplace, especially in cases involving the nobility.” Fancy Pants answered. “If anything, confessions and witness statements obtained under them are given greater weight.”
“So, torturing someone until they tell you what they want is perfectly legal?!”
“It’s meant to stop them from lying.” Fancy Pants got defensive.
“I used to torture people for FUN,” Vegeta stressed. “You can get anyone to say anything you want. I know, because I’ve been tortured too! And I broke!”
“Stop calling it torture,” he said. “It is a perfectly legitimate legal technique.”
“So, if a peasant did those things to another peasant, it would be a crime.”
“It is a crime when not done by a specialty trained and licensed professional.”
“So if a licensed peasant did it to another peasant just to get his jollies off, it would be perfectly legal?”
“A peasant cannot be trained or licensed.”
“Ah, there it is… A two-tiered justice system. Peasants are fodder while the nobility cook their meals on their burning corpses.”
“That’s a horrific analogy!”
“Well, you’re a bunch of fucking vegetarians so I couldn’t use EATING their corpses.”
“That’s even worse! I see why that amulet turned you into a dark mage!”
“Don’t give me that! I have better morals than this whole fucking PLANET! The last time laws like this were in place, those centuries are called THE DARK AGES. When civilization and reason collapsed leaving primitive and base instincts to reign unimpeded. What’s next? Trial by combat? Duels to the death?!”
“STALLIONS! ENOUGH!” Luna suddenly shouted at full volume spreading her wings again.
Everyone but Celestia shrank at her Canterlot voice.
“Holy fuck, Luna. That was loud,” Vegeta said.
Celestia began picking everything up again. “This is not a debate on whose legal system is better, but how to rescue Bocce from within it.”
A voice came from the hallway. “Forgive me, Princesses! I heard shouting.”
Celestia stuck her head out the door. “Everything is alright, Monk Pixiu. Just Vegeta and the lawyer quibbling. We’ll call you back when we are ready.”
Celestia came back in the door.
“Who is that, princess?” Fancy Pants asked.
“A native Equus Ki Master. We have discovered Vegeta’s abilities are commonplace in other parts of the planet, as everyday as magic is to us. We have full backing of four ambassadors and their nations to clear Pinkie’s and Vegeta’s names. The same goes with the weapon that was used on Pinkie. I currently have Cadence and Twilight heading to the embassies of the other nations they mentioned. We will have this gun’s existence fully encircled around the Gryphon Empire without revealing our intelligence sources.”
“While wonderful for public opinion, it does nothing to help Bocce. We have to prove every individual witness statement a fabrication. An alternate narrative won’t even be admissible in court, irregardless of the judge presiding.”
“Even with our own herd of witnesses? What about your servants?” Vegeta asked.
“I have had my law license suspended pending disbarment due to being tied publicly to you in the article. Anyone tied to me is now automatically perjured by association. Even if they volunteer for interrogation, it will not be offered. They could have all been arrested as far as I know.”
A guard poked his head in.
“Princess, Dutchess Fleur dis Lee is looking for her husband. She is quite distraught and is crying.”
Fancy Pants turned around, but caught himself before he spoke and looked at Celestia.
“Bring her in.”
Fleur entered the room holding an instant scroll in her magic. She threw herself on her husband and just bawled.
Fancy Pants gently took the scroll from her grasp and read it over her shoulder.
The princesses were speechless as the stiffest lip in Canterlot teared up and hugged his wife tightly.
Celestia took the scroll. She gasped. “This is horrible! Oh my dear Fancy, Fleur.” She put her wing over them. “You two have a home in the palace.”
Celestia floated the scroll to Luna.
“Buck…”
“Luna, language,” Discord scolded.
She floated over the scroll.
Discord made dolphin noises.
“Summary since I can’t read your language?” Vegeta asked.
“My wife received that instant magic scroll from a neighbor. My mansion and all my possessions have been seized and my staff walked off in chains. She questioned a stallion in a suit who seemed to be in charge of everything being loaded into carts. He said my bank account was frozen and at the same time all my loans were called due. The judge in my sector signed the forfeit and seizure approval from his home after hours. He was probably waiting for it, damn him.”
“So, you’re broke and powerless and all your staff have been arrested,” Vegeta summarized.
“No, they were taken as part of the debt, but they—”
“SLAVERY EXISTS ON THIS FUCKING PLANET?!”
“Slavery is illegal in Equestria,” Celestia said sternly.
“But indentured servitude is still used, and even worse after a thousand years, sister,” Luna scowled. “You made me sign magical indentured contracts with my servants after I returned. They are legally mine until I choose to release them, death or are reassigned by court order.” She looked at Vegeta, “In my day, the contract simply teleported the servant back if they tried to run. But now these contracts can be used to cause pain and even kill at the master’s whims.”
“Yep, I’m in the fucking dark ages… I’m sure the morgues must be overflowing with all the stillborn babies coming out of the female staff,” he said sarcastically.
“Modern contracts have sterility magic clauses,” Celestia said. “Special permission must be given to allow a servant to have a family. Stillborns are subject only to daughters, and only if her parents are so inclined to allow things to proceed that far.”
“So, the reason Bocce’s kid was born early was most likely deliberate… at least she’s a stubborn little bitch.”
“Yes,” Celestia said, “Seaswirl hid the pregnancy well for it to get so far along.”
Vegeta turned to Luna. “Not like it will matter if we don’t get this right.”
“Are you still going along with his plan?!” she snapped at Luna, “After everything you just shouted at him?”
“It’s either that or hope Kakarot finds me and teleports here in time,” Vegeta said.
“If this is about an abduction, we shouldn’t be here anymore. By your leave, princess.” Fancy Pants bowed.
“Fleur can leave if she so desires, but you need to stay. It is about time we call Monk Pixiu back.”
Fleur stepped away from her husband. “By your leave,” she bowed to Celestia.
“You may go,” she nodded.
Fleur left the room.
~~***~~
Twilight and Cadence came to the main entrance, and found a crowd of civilians being held back by the guards.
The pegasis guards were having their own problems.
“Looks like we are going to have to fly, Twilie,” Cadence said, spreading her wings.
“Ohhh…” she moaned, then taking to the air herself.
As soon as they were past the walls, they became surrounded in a sphere of reporters.
“Why hasn’t Celestia set the sun? It is past 10 pm.”
“What do you say about Duke Fancy Pants’ estate being seized by the courts and Duke Poppycock bringing unennobling and banishing petitions to the House of Lords to be voted on tomorrow morning?”
“Why is the terrorist and murderer Bocce being hidden in the palace instead of the proper prison? What are you hiding?”
Twilight began to panic.
“Get away!” she shouted as she formed a shield and pushed the reporters back.
“Assault! Assault! The Princesses have assaulted reporters!” they all began to scream.
The crowd below became even more uncontrolled.
“Twilight,” Cadence said as she lit her horn and teleported.
“Wait!” Twilight quickly followed.
They reappeared some distance away.
“There they are!” someone pointed from below.
“Twilight, don’t worry about landing,” Cadence said darting off.
“Wait!”
Twilight put all the magic she could into her wings. Ungraceful was an understatement. A screaming, uncontrolled mass of six flailing limbs that somehow was moving in the general direction of forward was much more accurate.
But she was keeping up with Cadence, that’s all that mattered.
More reporters appeared from the ground. Cadence gracefully dodged.
The screaming mass curled into a ball and made a shield.
She bounced off a roof, skidded across the road, then crashed through a clothing store’s store front.
The reporters quickly pounced as birds danced around Twilight’s head. The blinding flashes from the cameras snapped her out of it enough that she screamed again, pushed them back, then teleported.
She teleported in front of Cadence, who smashed into her.
They fell on a roof.
“Where the hay are the embassies?!” Twilight shouted.
“Twilight, follow me.” Cadence teleported.
Twilight followed.
They landed at the shine, startling the horses, ponies, and peacocks.
“We’re here?” Twilight panted. “Why didn’t we come here in the first place?”
“Because we’re on the opposite side of the city…” Cadence panted. “And I don’t know that street well enough for a blind jump to not to cause an international incident.”
~~***~~
The two found themselves taking tea in the Weigh embassy again.
“Sounds like quite the ordeal,” Ferghana said, watching Twilight’s tea cup shake in her magic. The other three ambassadors were at his side. “You are safe here.”
“Would you like us to send scrolls to the embassies you were trying to reach?” Gyeongjuma asked.
“Your generosity warms my heart,” Cadence said. “Equestria thanks you.”
“If memory serves me, the four of us only have direct relations with Ashtavinayaka,” Kongque said, “So they are the only ones from that list we can use a teleport circle for. They would have to pass them along.”
“What type of teleportation circle?” Twilight asked.
“Just the standard one provided to all embassies.”
“Can I see it?”
~~***~~
“This is the circle,” Ferghana said, leading them to a room. The design was embedded into the floor in solid gold. He then walked over to an altar, “This is a smaller version for papers and scrolls. They are powered by a magic crystal provided by the palace. An amulet controls its destination.”
He turned and saw Twilight looking closely at the circle on the ground.
“Twilight, what are you doing?” Cadence asked.
“Looking to see if anything in the line work would prevent something living going through.”
“I would not think the palace would back such an error,” Cadence said, “That is an espionage dream.”
“I don’t see anything, though,” Twilight lifted her head, “What is the power source?”
He opened a cabinet on the wall that was connected to both circles by lines of gold.
“This is the bottle neck then,” Twilight said. She looked carefully at the gold lines. “Even if we would super charge the crystal, the gold lines connecting them to the circles are not thick enough for the current and would melt.” She looked back at the floor, “But the circle itself is more than robust enough. It’s just a matter of power.”
“Can we power it ourselves?” Cadence asked.
“Maybe?” she said, uncertain. She turned to Ferghana, “What do the amulets look like?”
A gelding presented a box.
Twilight pulled one out. “These look like they can only be stuck to non living things…” she said disappointed.
The door opened again, and Kouma came in followed by several geldings bringing a cage of wrens and large crates.
“What are those for?” Twilight asked.
“Practice.”
Twilight’s ears fell looking at the birds.
~~***~~
A scroll zapped into existence on the altar.
“The bird survived this time as well, princess,” Ferghana said reading it. “And no injury according to the healer.”
Twilight sighed and looked at the cage.
Three out of the 25 birds were left.
Cadence put her hoof over Twilight’s shoulder as the empty crate was returned.
“Twilie, the last 12 were completely unharmed. I think you got this spell down.”
“But… but I killed the first five!” she stuttered. “Just… Just a few more.”
“Twilight,” she said, walking over and climbing in the crate. “Send me over,” she said, closing the lid.
The geldings quickly switched the amulet.
Twilight started to cry. Then she lit her horn and touched it to the entrance of the circle.
The crate vanished.
Twilight ran to the altar and tap danced as she nervously waited.
Shortly a scroll appeared in Cadence’s hoof writing.
“I’m fine. Teleport to me.”
Twilight started to cry, “She’s ok. Oh, thank goodness.”
“That is good to hear,” Ferghana said. “Farewell, young princess. We all await our summoning to the palace.”
The three men bowed, soon followed by the servants.
Twilight bowed her head back, then lit her horn and vanished.
The four looked at each other. “Such a young child,” Gyeongjuma said. “Perhaps Celestia raised her up too soon? She is weak and emotional.”
“Yes, talent does not equal skill,” Kongque said. “But if it wasn’t for this chaos, I doubt Princess Celestia would have let her out of the palace.”
“Yes,” Kouma said. “This was at least a few hundred years before her debut. Completely unsuited for diplomacy.”
The three nodded.
“But this is greatly advantageous to our kingdoms,” Ferghana smiled. “Let’s press this fully. We now have Equestria of all nations at our whims and its rulers in considerable debt.”
~~***~~
Twilight poofed into the courtyard.
Cadence was waiting with several pony guards.
“You’re hair!” Twilight shouted seeing the frayed mess.
“It’ll be fine, Twilight,” Cadence smiled. “It’s not important.”
“Please come with us,” one of the pony’s asked in a very thick accent.
Twilight’s ears twitched and a small zip happened at the tip of her horn. Her rational brain was telling her these ponies did not speak Equestrian natively while her instincts told her it was a severe speech impediment. She bit her tongue to stop her from exclaiming and suppressed her subconsciousness stringing together a healing spell’s base lines.
“Ouch!”
Everyone looked back at her as she rubbed her cheek.
~~***~~
Inside, Twilight saw her first Elephases. They were a tall, minotaur-like race but with flat feet and an elephant-like head with a short trunk that only reached down from slightly below their shoulder to mid-chest depending on the individual. Skin tone, they varied all shades of red from an almost white pink to a deep, almost purple maroon.
They were led to an office. Its walls were decorated with a myriad of weapons and shields. But some looked haphazardly laid out.
Long thick metal poles.
The being behind the desk stood and walked around. They looked young compared to the others.
They were as white as Celestia dressed in gold and gems from the top of their head to the anklets and extravagant embroidery on their shoes.
“Greetings princesses of Equestria! I am Lord Nanda, grandson of Maharaja Bimbisara by his eighth wife.”
Cadence nodded a bow. “May the peaceful reign of your family be eternal.”
“Please sit,” he gestured to the oversized chairs.
The two climbed up.
He sat back down.
“How has Equestria been treating you the past two years?” Cadence asked. “We have not spoken since your arrival feast.”
“I’ve greatly enjoyed your hospitality,” he smiled. “I am sorry it has to come to an end so soon.”
“Are you leaving us?” Cadence asked.
He nodded. “After the recent internal conflicts Equestria has suffered, my nation thought a more experienced ambassador would be more appropriate. The letter arrived shortly before the magic scroll from the Weigh Embassy.” He opened the scroll that was laying on his desk.
“He said you are seeking the history of chongs passing through our country. My interpreter said these chongs are what we call bundooks.” He motioned to the poles, “So I had ours collected.”
Twilight hopped off the chair and ran over, “So these are the fire lances Pixiu mentioned?”
“Twilight,” Cadence snapped.
“What?” she looked at her confused.
“Yes,” he said walking over. “We first got these from Saddle Arabia a few hundred years ago. While a two-horse weapon, we are large enough to hold by ourselves.” He picked one up effortlessly to showcase.
Then he knelt. “The first few feet are hollow. You shove black powder in, then the ball wrapped in cloth, then you shoot it by setting fire to this hole,” he pointed at the hole drilled in the metal.
“And these are commonplace in your army?” Cadence said walking over.
“It helps our elite Elephas units keep up with the unicorns, but other than bringing down war elephants, bows and crossbows are still used by the peasant units. The amount of metal isn’t worth it on a wide scale.” He put down the one he was holding and picked up another.
This one has a huge crack and a chip missing from the hollow end. Then he took three fragments out of a bag that was tied to the bundook. “Pravir, come here.”
An Elephas guard with a sword hanging from his belt stepped out from behind a screen.
The right side of his face was scarred. And he was missing an eye.
“This bundook exploded during fire practice two months ago,” Lord Nanda said, “These were taken out of his face.”
Twilight put her hoof to her mouth as her fur tinged green.
Pravir suddenly spoke. He did not sound happy.
“He said do not insult a warrior.” Lord Nanda said.
“Twilight,” Cadence scolded.
Twilight, however, glanced around then dashed for what she hoped was a trash can.
The guard began drawing his sword.
Lord Nanda got in-between and spoke to him. He put the sword back and sounded completely shocked.
He pointed at Cadence shyly.
Lord Nanda turned around. “Pravir wishes to confirm that Princess Twilight is underage.”
Cadence turned to Pravir and nodded. “The pony equivalent of that, yes. She would be underage by Elephas’ aging standards.”
“(The most renowned hero in Equestria is no greater than an infant.)”
“(A highly overpowered infant, but yes.)”
“(You are only 19 years yourself, my lord.)”
“(At least I am of age,)” he said proudly.
~~***~~
Twilight was presented with tea to calm her stomach.
“Thank you,” Twilight said.
“Would you like some as well?” Lord Nanda asked Cadence.
“I am afraid I have no more room after all of my recent visits, but thank you for your hospitality.”
“I hope this visit has been useful,” Lord Nanda said.
“Yes. It has been very illuminating. Thank you.”
“The introduction scroll said you also planned to visit the Saddle Arabia and Feligypt embassies next.”
“Yes. Since you said that you were introduced to these weapons by Saddle Arabia, it will be our next stop.”
“I will compose an introductory letter at once,” Lord Nanda said.
He stood, “Excuse me.” He left the room.
Cadence looked at a clock. “I hope you calm down quickly, Twilight. It is already close to midnight.”
~~***~~
In the Arabian embassy, the ambassador and his wife are woken up.
He squints at the open curtains. “Good gods, don’t tell me she hasn’t set the sun yet…”
“My lord. Word from young Lord Nanda. The Equestrian princesses Mi Amore Cadenza and Twilight Sparkle are making their way secretly through the embassies via the luggage portals. We are their next stop.”
“Those can transport beings?” his wife blinked.
“Some kind of modification with alicorn magic. It can’t be replicated according to him. They are searching for bunduq, sir. The letter he received from Weigh said Lady Pinkie Pie was shot with one protecting another named Bocce from assassination.”
This got Ambassador Rasheed to sit up, “You mean from the newspaper?”
“Most likely.”
“That means everything in there was a lie…” He jumped out of bed and shook himself. “Wake Mido as well. There’s only one race capable of such a feat.”