//------------------------------// // Heliotrope // Story: A Song Of Silk And Steel // by SilverNotes //------------------------------// The living room of the farmhouse was small, for seven ponies. It had walls of a dusty colour that could charitably be called a greyish pink--less charitably, one could call it a shade of grey that had met the concept of pink once, at a distance, on a foggy night--with accents of unpainted wood, and the furniture was likely older than all inhabitants and showed the wear and tear to match. The three younger sisters of the family were piled on the couch, each parent had their favourite chair, and Rainbow Dash was left to stand--more often hover--as the eldest sister listened. Maud stood with all four hooves spaced out, eyes seeming to stare directly into a patch of bare wall. Her ears were completely stationary, and not a single muscle twitched. "How many?" came Rainbow's question, and Maud's eyes closed as her power stretched outward, through the farmhouse, across the property, and beyond. Generations of Pies had lived on this land, stretching back to the founding of Rockville. They had been born within its borders, raised among the rocks, and even if they left to pursue their passions and talents--a Pie's heart always roared with passion, throwing themselves into it with all four hooves, ready to move mountains in both figurative and literal senses--they always returned eventually. Many ponies had been buried in the nearby graveyard, returned to the earth, and Maud knew that when her time came, she would be one of them. She was the strongest magical talent of her generation, and so when she closed her eyes and reached down, the earth provided answers. Four quadrupeds, all hoofed. One of them moves correctly. Heavy steps, the kind that isn't trying to stomp, just leaves an impression in the earth due to sheer mass. One of them is light. Steps barely touch the earth, and there's a sense of caution and care. The sort of steps that don't dare risk even crushing a bug underhoof. Another is light, in a different way. Each planting of the hoof is deliberate, each push-off smooth. A gait of a creature who wishes to be able to change direction quickly when the need arises. Two... light, but trying to be heavy. Hooves not just landing but striking down with force, like foals playing pretend and trying to mimic the greater steps of adults. "Five," Maud said simply as her eyes opened again. "Three ponies and two changelings, if I have to guess." Rainbow's eyes widened. "There's ponies working with the changelings!?" Pinkie immediately gave a GASP that seemed to require more lung capacity than a mare her size should have had. Maud, however, merely blinked mechanically before saying, "It's more likely they're travelers, and the changelings tricked them." "Either way, those bugs need swatting," Limestone demanded with a stomp. "Time to go on the offensive!" Rainbow grinned. "Now you're talking! We've got our trap, so we've just gotta get them to follow us in." She opened her wings, giving them a few flaps that blew manes and made Maud's blinking occur point-zero-seven seconds faster. "And you can leave that up to me!" Both parents looked at each other, lifted themselves out of their chairs, and nodded. Nopony and no one could claim their family home but them. And to keep it so, they would fight to their final kick. "And my clients simply insist on the finest taaffeite..." The changeling in the guise of Jawbreaker kept staring at the unicorn, as she strolled ahead of the group, chattering away to the silent earth pony at her side and anyone else who cared to listen. Her emotions were level. Discomfortingly level. The pegasus had emotions like a rabbit, spiking with fear at random intervals, while the the earth pony was roiling with all manner of emotions from anger to guilt and much more. But the unicorn felt almost as she were in meditative state, forcing anything that starting to bubble up back to a calm baseline. She'd never encountered a pony who'd done that before. Ponies who appeared blank while their were emotions in turmoil, certainly, but not one who could smile and chatter while feeling nothing. Her empathy wasn't being blocked, either--unicorns were unpredictable, and there was always a chance they could come up with a trick like that--since she could sense each moment of almost feeling before it was pulled back. "But not just any rock farmer can manage that feat. One thing wrong in the growing process and they'll end up with spinel instead, and we can't have that, can we?" What are you afraid of, that you would do that, little pony? Yourself? ...Or us? It would explain her demeanor, for the little prey animal to think she'd outsmarted them, and she sidestepped over to her companion, her shoulder nudging his. She then twitched one ear, followed by the other, and swished her tail to and fro. His eyes widened at the signal, and he nodded quickly, eyes going back to the unicorn. The mare continued to stroll along the path with them, speaking to her companions, emotions deathly still. "So I work with nothing but the best, darling, and the Pie family are the undisputed best." I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but you're still leading us right to Igneous, and I've been wanting to get a taste of the patriarch's love for his family for ages. So just keep on walking, unicorn, and bring us right to the rest of our prey. Some ponies would say the ground was dead. He knew better. Big Macintosh was a plant-aligned earth pony, but while that was where his talent lay, he wasn't ignorant of the rest of the power his kind could bring to bear. He'd always been the most scholarly of the three Apple siblings, and while he was most known for his knowledge of mathematics and engineering--Applebloom had been starting to pick up some of it from him, and he couldn't be prouder of her--he'd also studied magic. He knew a lot of what the average pegasus could do, along with a few exceptional techniques that no living pony could perform. He knew of more spells than many unicorns did, even though he lacked any means to cast them. He'd learned because Ponyville had a little bit of each, and it only seemed practical to know more about one's neighbours, especially for times when the whole town had to work together to solve a problem. It'd snuck its way into his dreams some nights, and he'd fly with wings, or cast with a horn, or sometimes both, only to be left disoriented when he woke up with neither. But he'd also learned more about earth ponies, and so he knew that the land wasn't dead. It was just full of a different kind of life. It was alive with the magic of stone, and while he could not direct the flow, he'd taught himself to recognize the hum. He wondered idly if Rarity could feel it too. A mark for gems could mean all kinds of things, but to him, the idea of having that affinity without ever having heard their call was strange. Perhaps he'd ask her, when the current task was done. Right now it'd be a challenge to get a word in edgewise. "Diamonds are out this season, for the most part. There was a company really pushing them for wedding bands, but the fad died all too quickly. After all, a faceted gemstone so close to one's horn? A pony could blind themselves just lighting it enough to pick up a hairbrush! Much better to stick to a simple metal band." "Eeyup." "But all the same, it's still floating around as a favourite for certain pieces. So I put in an order for some purple diamonds, just in case. It never hurts to be prepared." "Eeyup." He walked the dusty path along the humming ground, keeping one ear pointed toward Rarity's words, to create the illusion that he was paying attention. The occasional vocalization and nod helped sell the illusion that he was at least making a token effort to participate in the mostly one-sided conversation. In truth, his focus was on the changelings following them. Neither of them walked right, and he wondered if, without knowing already they were infiltrators, he would have noticed. Ponies could be easily spooked by the sudden or unusual, but when someone appeared to be exactly like them, it was so easy to overlook the small things. Other ponies were part of the herd, and the herd was safe. Few were equipped to search for threats inside of it. He'd also studied some psychology. The magic may have taken root in his dreams, but those books had fueled nightmares instead. They were in the company of the enemy, and part of Mac itched to start kicking. The chastisement he'd gotten for wanting to rush the nymphs and their caretaker was still ringing in his ears, however, and he kept himself in check. He would wait for the signal from the mares for when it was time to strike. He hoped the family were still there. He hoped they would remember him. He'd been a very small colt the last time Granny had had the Pies over, and he and Maud had played a game of who could stay silent and still the longest. She'd won, and the bit of him that was still that young colt wanted a rematch. The changeling had said daughters. That meant that there were other cousins he had yet to meet. The land's humming grew louder, and that was a good sign. The magic took time to fade, so it wasn't a guarantee they were home, but that it was still strong enough that he dared a moment of optimism and hope. Then he saw the walls of stone rising from the horizon. "Oh my..." The changeling in the guise of Heart Bar watched the unicorn stare up the titanic display of earth pony magic in shock, the two words tumbling off her tongue. The eerie calm was momentarily broken by genuine surprise, and he added that to the information given to him from his companion's signal. It was safe to say, then, that whatever reason she had for seeking out Igneous Pie, she wasn't expecting the fortifications. So why are you here for him? "This is why we worried," he said, mimicking the gruff monotone of the pony whose form he'd stolen. "He's holed up, and won't answer us." Not that anyone had tried. The orders had been to stay in the town, and capture both travelers who came in from the road and any homesteaders who ran out of supplies and tried to make a scavenging run. A slow, boring post that meant being disguised as the same pony an agonizing length of time, but that at least meant they had very little oversight. A nice perk even if it led to certain individuals starting to get cocky and say things that could get them in trouble. It also beat being a firestarter, or worse, combing caves for ponies who'd gone underground. The unicorn tossed her head, and put the confident smile back on her face. "Well, he certainly won't say no to moi." She nudged the hulking red earth pony. "Go on, friend. The sooner we check on the dear old stallion, the better." He bobbed his head in response, and walked over to the wall. He then raised a front leg, pressed his hoof against the stone, and closed his eyes. The drone ground his teeth slightly. It was one of the unfortunate problems with wearing this shape. Pretending to be a winged species meant that he could use his own flight, and pretending to be a horn-casting species meant that he could use his own spells. But when he had to wear the skin of a species whose magic radiated out from their body, interfacing with the world that way... he mostly had to pray that the situation didn't require him to display it. He couldn't feel the land, couldn't tell what was being done right now. Which meant they had to act, now. The unicorn and pegasus were both turning toward them. His companion was already in motion. Rockville was full of gossiping changelings. Word had spread like wildfire about the strange ponies who'd waltzed into the town, and posts had been abandoned as every infiltrator left the homes and businesses they'd stolen to gather in the centre of town. Each one was still wearing their disguises, but they spoke openly, voice taking on buzzing tones as they took turns speculating, arguing, and panicking. "Why were they so calm?" "They wanted the Pie family. Did they get a message out somehow?" "Who cares! There's just three of them, and more of us." "What if there's more coming?!" "They're still just ponies!" The stoicism of their identities was easily shed, and faces cycled between expressions as tails lashed and legs gestured wildly. In the dusty main street of the town, they reared, snapped at each other, and each one tried to shout over the last, the chaotic cacophony nearly shifting into a brawl. "Did anyone hear from the scouts?" "They didn't check in today. No one warned us they were coming." "What if they were captured? What if the ponies raised an army and they're taking the town back!?" "You're all crazy!" "When was the last time we got word from the queen? The general?" "THE SWARM LEFT US HERE TO DIE!" Then all words died as the sky burned with light. There'd been very few clouds in the sky for the last several days, a few patches of white hanging in a sea of pale blue. But as all of them looked up, a new colour joined blue and white. A beam of raw green soared upward, and erupted with a roar as if the sky itself had been set aflame. Every changeling stopped, and stared, the display of magic quelling the chaos in an instant. Then gouts of flame of the same shade engulfed each of them, and wings buzzed in a cacophony as every last drone took to the air. A lady wasn't supposed to curse, but Rarity allowed herself to hiss out a few as the signal flare went up. The two drones had been sent tumbling by the blast of magic from her own and Fluttershy's gems, but they'd reacted just that bit faster, and now it was only a matter of time before the rest of the changelings were upon them. She glanced at Big Macintosh, his hoof still against the stone, and she didn't know if he'd found what he was looking for, but they were running out of time-- "Up here!" Her head snapped up at the shout, and saw a blue pegasus just above the stony barrier, her multicoloured mane immediately drawing the eye. "Come on! Hurry!" Blue pegasus... Multicoloured... She was at-- There was no time for that. Fluttershy heeded the words immediately, and Rarity felt the rush of wind as her wings flared open and she took to the air. She'd rarely seen Fluttershy fly very high or very far, but it seemed that adrenaline was her best friend right now, as she streaked upward in a blur of yellow and pink, meeting the other winged pony in the air. Her necklace didn't react to the newcomer, and Rarity took that as reason enough to trust her, for now. I'll just question how she ended up here later. The two changelings were righting themselves, and Rarity's gem and horn both lit. Then Big Mac, next to her, broke contact with the wall and moved. Rarity could safely say that she'd never seen an earth pony jump like that. His back legs sent him rocketing upward, well over her head and slamming his hooves into the barrier. The impact sent him springing even higher, and she watched him twist his body in a manner better suited to a feline than an equine to ensure his hooves met stone again. Hop after hop sent him up until he'd leaped over the top, leaving her as the last with hooves on the ground. But not for long. The drone who'd been disguised as the stallion lunged for her, jaws snapping, and was sent stumbling from a spray of dust and gravel into his eyes for the trouble. The one who'd been disguised as the mare lit her horn, only for a strike to one of the holes of her legs to send her blast off course. Then her own horn blazed brighter. Unicorns could levitate objects, but the levitation of oneself... It was more weight than most could manage in a casual effort, and added the extra difficulty of maneuvering an object that one couldn't completely see. The pegasi looked like they were going to swoop down and try to grab her, but if either of changelings managed to ground either of them, then they'd all really be in trouble. Rarity focused, let the magic flow backward, and envisioned flight. "Don't let them get away!" And she soared. The stone was humming with the call of his kin. It was clumsy, similar to the way a foal would test their magic out by sending it out in a direction and then trying to detect its echoes. No attempt to shape the stone, and no real attempt to leave a mark on the magic it was saturated with. But despite it being far from a rock farmer's expert touch, there was something in it just a hair familiar. Igneous Pie had felt it right before Rainbow Dash had soared up through the cloud barrier above them, and as his family found their best defensive positions, Igneous kept his gaze skyward, awaiting her return and signal. What he saw instead surprised him, enough to have his eyebrows to shift a fraction upward. A hurtling cannonball of red earth pony, passing through the cloud as it were naught but air--and to land dwellers like them, it was--and slamming into the ground, sending up a spray of gravel. Shortly afterward was an unfamiliar pegasus, with much fewer bright colours to keep track of than Rainbow Dash. She landed with much more care, and then held out a wing to help the red stallion up. The last was a unicorn, bathed in magic glow, who maneuvered herself into a relatively steady landing. It was she who spoke first, offering him a smile. "Igneous Pie, I presume? Pleasure to meet you. We bring word from Ponyville." The big red stallion offered a more understated smile, if still far wider than typical Rockville company. "Been a long time, Uncle Pie." Thunder cracked beyond the wall, and they could hear Rainbow Dash's whoop, right before she went barreling through the cloud, keeping airborne and circling around the newcomer's heads. "There's more on the horizon. Looks like they're looking for a fight!" Igneous nodded. "Big Macintosh. Thou and thy friends can grant us this message once these intruders hath been removed." The unicorn's smile widened, to something still a few levels below what he'd grown accustomed to from Pinkamena. "Trust me, my good stallion, fighting changelings is our specialty." "Then let us not waste any more time."