IX: Cruelty
- - -
"Hey, Reckoning, did you see that?" Rainbow pointed to a shadowy corner of the jungle ahead of them.
"It's on my bad side, Dash." Reckoning turned his head slowly, and then stared into the darkness. "Did something move?"
"Yeah... it seemed pretty big."
"You're not gonna see anything that far back in the shadows. Besides, like I told you earlier, most of the stuff here is afraid of us."
"The manticores and the hippogriff didn't seem very scared of us."
"Yeah, but they also aren't exactly the quietest things in the world. As long as it's not a Barghest, it isn't gonna sneak up on us." Despite the theoretically comforting words, Reckoning's wings sat up a few inches from his back, lightly extended. "How are your wings feeling?"
Rainbow extended her trained limbs and gave them a single flap. Nothing. The surge of vigor that always came with taking to the sky wasn't there, nor was the subsequent rise. "No good. I can't even get a good jump."
"I have to admit, I haven't seen many ponies take this long to recover from phage seeds."
Rainbow and Reckoning jumped in tandem when a third voice joined their conversation, seemingly coming from all around at once. "Kuishi kwingi kuona mengi." Dash had barely blinked by the time Reckoning's wings were flared, his machete clenched tightly in his teeth. He held it only for a few seconds, before dropping the weapon in the sight of the other approaching creatures.
There were at least a dozen zebras. Striped bodies emerged from the shadows and the overgrowth one after another. Most carried spears, though a few had long leather cords, with pouches weighed down by heavy stones. Reckoning's tension lightened slightly when they revealed themselves. Rainbow wasn't as convinced.
"What did he say?" she whispered to her more experienced companion. Though quiet, the words were clearly overheard, for their response did not come from Dead Reckoning.
"To ones who live as long as we, few are things we do not see." A zebra mare, unarmed and undecorated, stepped away from the group. Hers had been the voice that spoke out first, though now it seemed less frightening. She was clearly older than Zecora, with strips of gray instead of black, and a weathered expression. Her eyes seemed wizened, though not particularly welcoming. "White Eye do I know and greet, but another I have yet to meet. Help me now to understand, who made you welcome on our land?"
"Kiongozi, this is Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash, this is Kiongozi, of the Marezambian herd." Reckoning gestured with his wings between the two, before turning his full attention to the zebra. "We're traveling to Fallaner, on a mission for Princess Celestia."
The last few words turned Kiongozi's unwelcoming expression into an outright glare. "Your Princess once gave me her word, that none of you would darken my herd. Now I find another here. Her presence gives me cause to fear. Take her now and go away. You'll see your elk another day."
"What?" Rainbow cocked her head. "What's wrong?"
"Old politics, Dash. The zebras don't like foreigners. I'll explain later. We just need to take another path to Fallaner, around the Marezambian land."
Rainbow shrugged. "Fine, whatever. How far is that?"
"It'll add two days to our journey."
The young mare stomped a hoof on the ground. "Hay no! We can't lose two days!"
Kiongozi cut in. "You are not welcome, mare of the west. Go back to the land that you know best. Only White Eye will I trust, to cross our land as we discussed."
"Listen, zebra-"
"Dash, don't-"
"-if we don't get through here, then Princess Luna is going to die-"
"Control yourself!"
"-so we're going through with, or without your permission."
"Rainbow!"
Kiongozi shook her head slowly. "Her words are spoken, eye of white." The zebra mare then turned her attention to her armed escort. "Keep them now within your sight." Rainbow edged closer to Reckoning as a dozen spears were leveled in their direction. Trying to put up a face of courage and defiance, she swatted one out of the way with her hoof. Two more were quick to take its place.
Reckoning offered a stern gaze to Kiongozi. "She's just a filly. Don't think she's like the others."
"Too many times have I heard that said. I often found myself misled. In morning, we shall make you free, but no more shall you cross our country." With a final, cold glance, the mare turned her back and led the group away. A short but painful prod to the side prompted Rainbow to follow.
Their path went away from the rough trail Reckoning had been following, and straight into the dense undergrowth of the jungle. Steam rose clearly in the air, illuminated by tiny pillars of light that broke through the choking grasp of the treetops.
In their earlier travels, Rainbow had joked about Daring Do's descriptions of the jungle. Heading downhill into the thickest of the plants, she realized their truth. Above, the heat had been bearable, kind, and welcome. It was milder even than Appleloosa or Las Pegasus. In the dark and shadowy lowlands, the heat was far harder and far heavier. No wind broke through the trees and the vines. No precious opening let the dew and the heat out into the open blue sky.
They walked for almost an hour in silence. Reckoning held a stiff posture, eyeing each of the zebras around in turn. The machete usually present under his wing had been left behind in the clearing, and the way that his wing covered the empty sheathe made it altogether too clear that he was uncomfortable being at the mercy of the striped ponies.
Rainbow sidled up against him, grabbing his attention by brushing against his shoulder. He glanced her way, and raised the brow of his blind eye. Rainbow whispered to him, hoping not to gather the attention of the armed zebras surrounding them. "What's her problem?"
"It's a long story," the guardspony whispered back. "Ponies haven't always treated the zebras fairly. Some of them, like Kiongozi, still remember that. You shouldn't have pushed her."
"I thought if she knew why we were here, she would have let us go. You'd think nopony actually cares about the Princess."
"As long as the moon comes up, why do the zebras care who was behind it?" Reckoning's blunt words were followed by a slow turn of his head. "I'm sorry, that probably sounded bad. You did your best, but we can't fight off this many zebras. We'll just have to take the three days."
"We only have four days, Reckoning!" Rainbow's whisper had risen to a barely constrained shout. "That's what Princess Celestia said!"
"Then we've already failed." Dead Reckoning looked up at the branches overhead and sighed. "You'll just have to trust Soldier On and White Flag. If they can't save Luna, nopony can."
Rainbow shook her head, stopping in her tracks. One of the zebras pushed at her with a spear, but she stood her ground. "What happens if the elk has the cure, and they don't? I'm not giving up on her now!"
Reckoning slapped away a spear aimed at prodding Rainbow's flank with his wing, and then prodded her to keep walking. As the two pegasi continued, he responded in a whisper. "Maybe if you hadn't been so adamant, I could have talked to Kiongozi. She used to trust me."
"She sure didn't seem like it."
"Bringing you here was breaking our agreement. She let me go through her lands as long as I was alone. I was hoping we just wouldn't run into them."
Rainbow came to a short but steep cliff and leapt down it. Her wings, generally enough to offer her a calm glide, instead left her collapsed on her face. A handful of the zebras found her lack of agility funny, while at least one offered a taunt in their mysterious tongue. A moment later, Reckoning was beside her, helping her up. Irritated, she pushed him away, and climbed to her hooves on her own.
"Just go on without me. When they let me go, I'll head back up to the cabin and wait for you."
The stallion offered half-lidded eyes, guiltily wishing he could tell her better words. "She thinks I've betrayed her, now. I doubt she'd let me through. Even if they let me pass, I wouldn't leave you behind."
"I'll survive." Rainbow pressed, no longer bothering to look at her partner. "You need to go save the Princess. It's not like they can stop you. Just fly off."
Reckoning missed a step at the words. When he recovered his focus, his gaze and voice were tempered steel and cold stone. "They would kill you."
The mare had trouble believing the words. She never got the chance to question the statement, however, as a pair of Zebra guards stepped up between them, separating the two.
- - -
Shining Armor watched over the edge of the balloon's bucket as his home shrunk away into little more than a glint of gold on the side of the immense Mountain of Dawn. He often left Canterlot on business, but it was rare that he didn't know when he would return. He gave himself only a moment of longing, and then crushed the emotion silently. Ever so quickly, the sands were running out.
He turned around to observe the other two passengers of his balloon. As a means to escape Canterlot, and Red Ink's clutches, both had agreed (insisted, in fact) on accompanying him to Cloudsdale. Grizzaloo sat with a sour expression, picking the powder out of his coat. Going Solo, who had already cleaned herself with the help of a passing cloud, stared off just as wistfully as Shining had, in the opposite direction.
Hoping not to interrupt her thoughts, Shining directed a question at the disgruntled earth pony. "Now that we're out of Canterlot, what's the name of this contact in Cloudsdale?"
"Go Between. Big pegger, with a dirty zeb beard and beady little eyes."
Shining raised an eyebrow, but decided not to give attention to the issue. Instead, he pushed further. "Do you know where we can find him?"
"Do I look like I've got wings? Don't ask bucking stupid questions. I've never been to Cloudsdale. And for the record, I don't trust your voodoo."
"It's perfectly safe," Shining protested, though Grizzaloo seemed not to be listening. The pony offered a tentative glance over the edge of the balloon's little bucket, and then pulled back quickly. "Afraid of heights?"
"Kiss my mark, guardspony!"
"Fine, fine. Forget I asked." Shining Armor rolled his eyes, and turned toward Going Solo. "Uh, Solo, you wouldn't happen to..."
"Not by name, no." She shook her head. "But Cloudsdale's home, even if I haven't been back in a few years. We can track him down."
"We? I thought you were done."
Solo shook her head, and then cracked a massive grin. "I thought so too. Then you picked a fight with that Stalliongradi pony. I want you to win. Call it... casting my vote for the Guard."
Shining nodded. "Thanks."
"It was a real dumb move, by the way," Grizzaloo piped up. "Since we're bringing that up."
Solo glared at the other stallion. "Nopony asked you, Grizz."
"Doesn't mean it isn't true. You don't go risking your whole damn life just 'cause somepony pisses you off."
"I'm not risking anything. I know I'm going to win."
"Look, Captain, just because you're a fairy tale character doesn't mean the whole world is a bucking fairy tale. One way or another, this isn't gonna have a happy ending."
Shining had intended to respond, somehow, but Going Solo grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over to her side of the bucket. Their coats rubbed roughly against one another, as Solo put her forehooves up on the railing of the bucket and gazed out into the open sky.
There in front of them was Cloudsdale in all of its ivory glory. Structures of raw cloud defined by slender pillars and wide swooping curves gave the city an air of majesty and age. To Shining Armor, it seemed almost lost in time, hearkening back to an era only recalled in history books and the foal's stories of Hearth's Warming Eve.
"I used to be a mailmare," Solo told him quietly. "I still know some ponies we can talk to."
Shining spared Cloudsdale his attention to look over the wistful mare beside him. "Why'd you quit?"
"You mean why'd I turn to dealing?" She pulled back a hoof from the edge long enough to gently punch him in the shoulder. "You're not exactly subtle, Captain. I needed the money."
"Debt?"
Solo shook her head, still smiling. "Nothing so poetic. There was a stallion I liked, a guardspony, and I wanted to impress him. He loved the Wonderbolts, so I figured I'd get him box seats. That doesn't come cheap, though."
"I can imagine."
"Nine hundred bits a seat." Solo shook her head. "The show wasn't even that good. I told him I won them in a contest, but he just kept prying. Eventually, he found out."
"Did he leave you?"
"He turned me in. It wasn't a big deal, since I was only carrying nightshade and rainbow juice. Two months and I was out. Good behavior."
"And you went back?"
"Well, the post office wasn't gonna take me. My coltfriend was gone. I didn't have anything else to lose." She stretched her wings momentarily, producing an audible and satisfying cracking noise. "Since we're on the topic, though, what's your story? How'd you end up Captain of the Royal Guard?"
The question had been asked by a thousand bright-eyed hopefuls standing the training yard of the Canterlot guardhouse. He gave the same answer every time. "I worked my flank off."
"Yeah, I bet." She glanced back at him. "It's a pretty nice flank."
He snorted back a laugh, and then shoved her shoulder with his own soft hit. "I'm a married stallion."
"Doesn't stop pictures of you from showing up on all sorts of calendars..." She let the implications of the phrase hang in the air, and then burst out laughing as a broad blush broke over the captain's face. The sound would carry on nearly until they reached their destination.
- - -
It had been almost five years since Princess Celestia set hoof in the little ivory tower on the edge of her school's grounds. Though she had not come alone, the companions she longed for could not be present. Twilight wasn't there, with kindly questions and friendship. Her stoic gray guardian was absent, leaving the room without the comforting security of his ever-present attention. Worst, though, was Luna, whose absence had brought the meeting about in the first place.
"How long has it been, Celestia? Eighty years?"
Celestia smiled at the griffon emperor, one of a very few beings in the world who could truly be said to tower over her. Though she hoped the expression would make him welcome, she could not be said to be anywhere near happiness. "I'm afraid not, Magnus. We spoke after the border issue in Zebrica. That was only seven years ago."
Magnus, your memory is failing. The third voice did not come from a throat, but rather rang out in Celestia's mind without passing through the air of the quiet sunroom.
The Princess looked between her two guests, silently wondering why she had chosen Twilight's tower for her rendezvous with her so-called 'friends'. It was certainly true that the wide glass and marble structure was one of only a few sites that could comfortably accommodate the trio of massive beings. It seemed, however, that everywhere she looked, Celestia saw a reminder of those she wished were present in the place of her peers.
Unable to find respite on anything else, Celestia looked over her guests. Magnus was as proud and potent as ever, with young and regal feathers and a perfectly sculpted physique. His beak idly sampled a few strips of raw beef that the princess had provided with some degree of unmentioned reluctance.
The other guest was always one to unnerve Celestia. Lady Valdria, ruler of the Elk, was not altogether much larger than her kin. Indeed, even without the sheer height of her usual radiant form, Celestia stood a head taller than the hind. The difference was somewhat mitigated by the curiosity of her skull. Elkish stags were known for their proud and many-spurred antlers, each point of which could manage magic in the same manner as a unicorn's horn. Valdria and her line made up the rare few females of the species to bear the glorious curved antlers that gave the species their magical might. Hers in particular were enormous, made up of swooping curves and tiny prongs that often gave the false impression that they were of little threat.
Like most Elk, Valdria did not speak with her tongue. The mouth was considered a private, intimate body part, and to open it in public was rude. Instead, she spoke into Celestia's mind with magic, an effect which always left the ruler of the ponies feeling as though some level of her privacy, along with her constant mask of calm and control, had been stripped away.
It has been many years, however, since so many of us were gathered.
"So many?" Magnus' ensuing chuckle sent books spilling from the shelves. "We are only half our number, Valdria. Krenn still rests in his fiery hole, no doubt counting his hoard, though I know not why Khagan has not joined us."
You truly pay no mind to the world beyond your borders, then, Magnus. Khagan tried to claim Celestia's southern lands, and she crushed him. While it was a somewhat cruel interpretation of the facts, the thoughts were true. Unlike the griffons and the dragons, the most recent conflict between Equestria and the boars had not escalated into war. Instead, it was resolved by three carefully chosen ponies, with the utmost discretion. Celestia was surprised Valdria knew, but few secrets could be kept from a creature who so easily read the minds of those around her.
I was most troubled to learn of Princess Luna's misfortune. I had hoped to speak with her, after her return.
Unstated in words, but made clear by her thoughts, was that Valdria blamed Celestia not only for Luna's absence, but her current peril. Luna had always been more accepting of the Elk, and their ruler. She found less fault in their sudden shifts of nature, and their duplicitous love of half-truths. Perhaps that was why Celestia had not spoken to the Elkish ruler in over a millennium. Both, it seemed, were happy with that arrangement.
"We all have, Valdria. Celestia, though I admire your efforts, I must say you aren't half the artist she is." Magnus gestured vaguely upward. "Looking at the same night sky for a thousand years was less than inspiring."
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps if you had actually told her your opinions a thousand years ago, I would not have had to... do what I did."
Perhaps. Valdria's unspoken tone was almost painful, bringing further wrinkles to the brow of the already angered alicorn princess. Tell us, then, what we can do to help her.
"Unless you know of a poison that causes one to age magically, very little." Celestia forced the doubt out of her voice for a moment. "My subjects will save my sister." With every passing moment, her faith in those words drained away.
"Do you speak of the blood-colored male who greeted us? Though he speaks poorly, he stands like a proud warrior."
Krenn led me to believe you had taken a gray pony for a mate, not one of red coat. She did not smile, and no laughter rang out in their minds, but somehow both Celestia and Magnus could both find a teasing tone in the words. I had hoped to meet the pony who finally broke your will.
"You must be kidding. We all know that Celestia hasn't taken a mate in at least eight millennia." Magnus shot a look of piqued curiosity toward Celestia, who nodded slowly. "We would have heard."
Rumor had it that he would be the one to join us if Luna were to pass.
"I do not bear foals," the Princess stated, as a matter of fact. "I have no interest in watching children die while I remain behind. The question is moot. He's dead." She looked over the library's walls of books, expecting to find a mantle of statues emulating his shape. Perhaps she should not have let herself grow so attached. Most of her bodyguards didn't last as long as he had.
You get too attached, Celestia. You would not be so lonely, if you could only learn to let go.
Celestia glared at the elk, bringing forth the hidden statement of yet another callous thought. "Are you saying I ought to let go of Luna as well?"
"Of course not!"
Yes.
"What?" Magnus drew back, wings flared. "I have no desire to see one of our number pass. What hatred do you harbor for Luna?"
All die in time, Magnus. Even our kind. I would rather Luna be allowed to move on and enjoy peace in the next world, than be forced to suffer here further, for her sake. Or do you forget Discord's reign? The silence that followed the harsh thought seemed not only to lack noise, but to hunt it down and butcher it, that even the memory of sound might be forgotten.
Celestia finally could not stand it anymore. She did not break the silence, but instead, broke down herself. No tears were necessary, or bidden. She had spilt more in the past week than in the hundred years preceding it. Instead she simply crumpled, laying down her head on her forehooves and allowing her half-illuminated mane to spread out around her like ink.
"Are you well, Celestia?"
Her heart aches, Valdria explained. The guilt is hers, and she wishes for- The elk's unspoken words dropped off suddenly, and then picked up again only a moment later. I can grant your unimagined wish, Celestia. The mind is open to me, even hers, but I do not promise that you will like what you discover.
"What are you talking about?"
"She can let me speak to Luna." Celestia rose to her hooves, weary but excited. "Please, Valdria. If nothing else, I need the chance to say goodbye."
- - -
The Zebra village was constructed in a sinkhole that to Rainbow seemed like it must have been made by some titanic dragon or ursa major. From their place on the cliff overlooking the hole, Rainbow could see the almost twelve miles of terrain separating her from the opposite wall. Dozens of waterfalls poured down the edges, bouncing in little pools on the cliffs, before finally crashing down into rivers on the jungle floor. There, the winding snakes of water gathered into a massive lake, on whose shores the Zebras had made their home. The hamlet seemed too small to even house the gathering of warriors surrounding the pegasus, let alone a full town. Only a few rough huts and a little pillar of smoke from some sort of fire were visible over the distance. The intervening terrain, like all else that could be seen in every direction, was covered in dense overgrowth and massive trees.
"How do we get down?" Rainbow asked, before realizing that without Reckoning by her side, common Equestria was unlikely to get her any answers. Two of the zebra warriors offered quick glances to one another, before the larger of the two gestured with head to the side. They walked along the rim, and with every step Rainbow wondered if she could summon up enough magic to fly. If she could, escape was nothing more than a quick jump to the right away. If she couldn't, nopony could survive that high of a fall, wings or no.
She tried to rustle her wings and catch the air, but she had to do so without drawing the zebras' attention. Her restricted movements gave no sign, though it wasn't clear if the lack of effect came from a lack of magic, or a lack of motion. Normally, Dash wasn't one for taking the safe and cautious choice, but recent experiences had taught her that jumping off cliffs and towers tended to end poorly. She wasn't particularly inclined to dive face-first into the ground at mach one a second time in her life, even if the first had turned out better than expected. Thus, she was left to walk along with the zebra escort.
Only a minute of walking later, one of the zebras pulled aside some bushes to reveal... well, Rainbow wasn't really sure what it was called. The structure was basically an enormous version of the bucket to Twilight's hot air balloon, decorated in jungle wood and brightly colored zebra masks. Instead of a balloon, though, it hung from a thick rope which traveled to a pulley over the edge of the cliff, before dropping down the sheer height.
The 'bucket' was big enough to hold probably a dozen ponies, if they squeezed. Only half that number actually made it on board, with Rainbow pressed into the middle. Finally given the chance to look back at the rest of the group, the pegasus saw Dead Reckoning surrounded by his own set of zebra warriors. Kiongozi was behind them all, judgmental eyes shifting between the two pegasi and watching both closely.
With a sudden lurch, the bucket began to move. Its travel was slow, but not painfully so. In only a few seconds, it had lurched completely over the edge of the cliff. All that was left holding it up was a rope that Rainbow wasn't completely sure she trusted. Nevertheless, without a choice in the matter, she could do nothing more than hope the strange vehicle would hold.
The ride down was smoother than the pegasus expected, when all was said and done. The smoothness of the ride did little to alleviate the discomfort of her company, however, When they reached the jungle floor, the warriors once more encircled her and prodded her to move.
"Aren't we gonna wait for the others to get down?" The answer to her question came in the incomprehensible zebra tongue, but when words failed, the point of a spear communicated perfectly that the answer was a solid 'no'.
Instead, they continued on for another half an hour or so, making a brisk pace along cleanly cut trails, until at last the village was visible. Rainbow realized why, from afar, the place had seemed so small. Nearly half of all the nearby trees had been adapted into homes, carved out and fitted with doors, windows, and glowing lights. Between the structures, zebras of all ages and sizes went about their business, carrying foodstuffs, crafts, and a thousand other aspects of life as they encouraged their home to thrive. Without exception, they all stopped to look in awe and confusion at the strangely colored, winged creature that entered their midst. Even surrounded by guards, Rainbow was surprised that she was enough to cause some of the little zebra foals to duck behind their parents, and peek out at her only with the most frightened of eyes. She was used to younger ponies being struck into awe by her awesomeness (and occasionally, her radicalness as well), but never before had she really been something to fear. It wasn't a situation she was altogether comfortable with.
As she passed, the older zebras spoke in hushed, poetic words that Rainbow couldn't understand or guess at. Even their opinion, good or ill, was unclear from their tones. All she could be sure of was that she was the topic of their conversation. The whispering was already getting under her coat and making her question their intentions, when the gentle tap of a tiny hoof pressed against her left wing.
She turned suddenly to find a little zebra foal standing with her leg outstretched. A few gold rings covered her neck and ankles, though far fewer than Rainbow usually saw on Zecora. The filly couldn't have been any older than Scootaloo or her friends. She opened her mouth and spoke with another instance of their curious language. "Ambayo mzazi ni ndege?"
"Uh... I don't speak zebra..." Rainbow told her, rather reluctantly.
"She asks only a simple word. Which of your parents was a bird?"
Rainbow shook suddenly when one of the warriors escorting her translated the phrase. "You speak Equestrian? Why didn't you say anything?"
"There is no poetry to your tongue. We would not share it with our young."
Rainbow raised a brow, before deciding that the full meaning of the rhyme wasn't worth her time. "Look, uh, kid... I'm a pegasus. Both of my parents were pegasi too. I didn't have a-"
Before she had even properly finished, the same zebra warrior began speaking at a thousand miles an hour in rich zebra. Rainbow caught the word 'pegasus' used twice, bluntly, and both times the child made a face like she had tasted something sour. When the explanation was over, however, she giggled to herself, and ran off.
"Hey, wait!" Dash called, but her words came too late.
Instead of speaking his directions, the zebra stallion guiding her went back to his stalwart practice of pointing directions with the tip of his spear. Rainbow was thankful that she had yet to suffer a real wound, but the pain was still very real, and quite uncomfortable.
Eventually, the prodding led to the side of the lake that Rainbow had seen from above, where a handful of large mud huts existed without trees to support and disguise them. In their center was a large open space, surrounding an enormous fire pit. Here, more than anywhere else in the village, were countless Zebras simply standing about, speaking to one another and engaging in what could only be called life.
All at once, as Rainbow was forced into the open space, everything stopped. The zebras turned, and stared. The pegasus stared back, before her ever present guide prodded her to a seat on a stump near the fire.
"A place for guests. Here, you may rest." Having said his peace, the stallion sat down beside her, spear still in hoof.
With nothing else to do, Rainbow sat, and waited. Thankfully, said waiting did not last long. Little more than ten minutes later, the sound of arguing could be clearly heard in the distance, approaching the fire circle. She turned toward the approaching sound, and saw Dead Reckoning surrounded by dozens of spears. Ignoring the blatantly obvious threat, he was shouting quite loudly at Kiongozi, who herself seemed barely interested in his words.
"She isn't like them! She's barely even a mare!"
"Do you expect me to be so naive? I know what will happen if I let her leave."
"Don't punish her for something that happened before her lifetime!"
"Why should I not trouble her? Old actions still punish my herd. I will speak no more of this today. Rest now, and be on your way. But know forever, eye of white, you are no longer welcome within our sight."
Reckoning clearly had more to say, but Kiongozi turned her back on him and strode off into the center of the village. The scout stared for some time as the zebra wandered away. Finally, in anger, he stomped a hoof against the ground. Rainbow's wings unfurled when the motion was accompanied by the clear crack of thunder. The motion surprised a great many zebras as well, judging by the number of spears that were immediately pointed Reckoning's way. He muttered a half-dozen words in zebra, which Rainbow had not expected, and the weapons were lowered. From there, it took only a few moments to see him seated on the stump next to his young partner. "Well, that didn't work."
"You're telling me." Rainbow laughed, just a little. "You speak zebra?"
"Really, really badly. I usually offend them, since I'm terrible at organizing the poetry."
"Their language doesn't rhyme, though."
"Not all poetry is rhyming. The zebra language is a language of poetry, and it’s considered rude not to take the time to organize your words. Zebras believe Equestrian is a rude language because the way our words are built make a lot of their usual ways of speaking impossible. They just use rhymes because it's the best they can do."
"Really? Well, I'm not much for the sappy poetry stuff. Are you gonna tell me what's up with her now?"
"Huh?" Reckoning cocked an eyebrow, until Rainbow gestured in the direction that the zebra herd leader had wandered off. "Kiongozi? Oh, sure, I guess. It happened probably thirty-eight years ago, when I was first made a proper scout in the Royal Guard. I still had my eye back then; not too much older than you, really. Anyway, after the war with the griffons, we put up a whole bunch of outposts in the jungle. 'We' being the guard. We put a whole bunch of National Guard ponies there, and they brought their families. After a few years, these outposts turned more into trading posts, hunting and mining out the jungle, and paying off zebra labor with 'cultural advancement'. Basically, they were telling the zebras that all this," he gestured widely to the fire pit and the trees, and the village in general, "was wrong, and our way of living was right."
"What, like the buffalo in Appleloosa?" Rainbow smiled, thinking back to the peaceful (if entirely silly) solution to their little war.
"I don't know a lot about the buffalo, but what I have heard sounds similar. The difference is that the zebras welcomed us... at first. So lots of ponies showed up, with pony ideals and pony traditions. Slowly but surely, the zebras stopped really being zebras, and started looking like just another breed of pony. Some of them were alright with this, but quite a few herds, like the Marezambian herd here, took it as a threat to their way of life. They started fighting back."
"What happened? A war?"
"That's what a lot of ponies wanted, including the military governor of Zebrica at the time. Princess Celestia wouldn't have it though, so instead, she gave the tribes a choice. They could join Equestria, and enjoy the comforts of our protection in exchange for the risk that they'd lose their individuality and their tradition, or they could remain as they were, protected from Equestria's influence but isolated. When a lot of tribes chose the latter, we had to get our ponies off their lands. I was sent into get one of the last stragglers. An ivory trader, named Curt Nod."
"So, what, did you screw up or something?"
Reckoning shook his head slowly. "Things were screwed up a long time before I got there." He was clearly about to continue his story when a motion within the village circle caught his eye. He gestured with a wing toward the far side of the fire pit. "Look at this."
Rainbow followed his direction, and saw a mare not much younger than herself stepping up to the edge of the bonfire. She wore a skirt of dried grass reeds, while numerous golden rings surrounded her neck and fetlocks.
"What does this have to do with your story?"
"You'll understand when I get to it. Even if it didn't, I'd want you to see this. It doesn't happen every day." Reckoning twisted on his stump, turning his body to face the mare at the other side of the fire. Rainbow looked around the gathering and noticed that all motion had stopped. Everypony, or rather, everyzebra, was looking intently at the young mare, who stood tall with closed eyes and intense focus.
Without any sort of warning, she began to hum, and stomp her hooves in an intense rhythm against the packed dirt. The music had an alien beat, which entranced the pegasus mare and found her hooves tapping along. The accompaniment, however, was short lived, as Dash's surprise at the next development left her frozen in place.
The zebra mare leapt into the fire. The flames danced around her coat and mane, even as her hooves navigated the burning wood. Her song continued as her dried skirt caught flame, and the gold rings covering her body melted away. Seemingly unharmed, she continued until the molten metal had peeled away from her flesh, before finally leaping out of the fire. In her new place, she was no more than ten feet from the two pegasi guests. She offered them a confused glance, as if seeing them for the first time, before turning to walk away.
As she passed out of the circle and back into the trees of the rest of the village, all the assembled zebras, along with Dead Reckoning, spoke a single clear word. "Karibu."
"Uh, what about caribou?"
"It means 'welcome' in zebra. That young mare just passed her rite of passage, and became a full member of the herd, as a shaman. We were congratulating her."
"So that was earth pony magic? I thought you said earth pony magic couldn't do crazy stuff like that. They just got strong and grew things."
Reckoning nodded. "That's what proves that zebras are actually a different breed of ponies than earth ponies. They have totally different magic. I'd tell you more, but I don't know very much about how it works. It's always impressive though. Without those gold bands, she's recognized as a full adult, and she has a say in the way the herd makes decisions."
"So... do all the zebras jump in the fire like that?"
"Nope. Just the shamans. A zebra’s rite of passage is meant to prove that they'll contribute to the herd, doing whatever it is they're best at. You could say it's like a test of your special talent. It's a special treat, seeing a shaman's test, though. They don't happen often."
"You've seen this before?"
"Thirty eight years ago, I saw the rite get failed." Rainbow's focus shifted to the fire, and then back to Reckoning's apathetic face. The scout was staring into the fire, seeming altogether unaware of the mare sitting beside him. "You pass, and you're part of the herd. You fail, and you're part of the land."
"That's terrible!"
"It's life, Dash." Reckoning took a long slow breath, and curled down onto his log. "but your reaction is the same as a lot of ponies. That's why they wanted to change the zebras in the first place." Reckoning shrugged. "They only respect their own traditions now. Anyway, you might as well catch up on that sleep you missed. If what you said about four days is true, then this is already over. We can start heading back to Canterlot in the morning."
Rainbow Dash watched as Dead Reckoning followed his own advice and descended into slumber. Then, with pointed attention, she stood up off her log and started walking into the village. Her guard tried to stop her, but she brushed away his spear with a wing. "Let me talk to Kiongozi."
- - -
The infirmary was quiet. Doctors had removed much of the monitoring equipment surrounding the dying princess, knowing at least in theory what condition plagued their patient. Her form reclined on the bed, sad yet serene.
"Your majesty." The Princess turned suddenly, not expecting another presence in the room. Nevertheless, in a bed on the wall opposite her sister lay a fairly familiar face.
"Sergeant Crack. Is your wing healing well?"
"It'll fly again in a few weeks," the sergeant answered with a smile.
"Good," the Princess responded vacantly. She was about to disregard him completely when another nagging thought popped into her mind. "Sergeant, Captain Armor gave me a very curious report on your treatment of Rainbow Dash."
The soldier's face turned surprisingly red, before resuming its olive tint. "I was given a very difficult assignment, to ensure she was prepared for duty in a very short period of time. With respect, I felt that... unconventional methods were called for."
Celestia looked the pony square in the eye. He certainly wasn't like Soldier On or Red Ink; the stallion squirmed under her gaze, knowing he was being judged. "We will speak on this matter in the future, Sergeant. Until then, I have other matters to attend to. Please do not interrupt us."
Celestia then turned back to the doors of the room, and pulled them open with a gentle burst of magic. She'd left the Elk ruler outside thinking to clear the room of medical staff, but the pause had been just as useful for dealing with the Honor Guard. Having resolved the issue, Celestia welcomed Valdria inside.
This place remembers death.
"It has seen many of my little ponies healed, Valdria."
Instead of another move in their game of barbed daggers, the Elk ruler simply changed the topic. Seeing Luna's defeated form at the far end of the room, the hind walked slowly forward. Remember, Celestia, that the mind wanders in a dream. She may not know what has happened. Be gentle to her.
"Please, Valdria, I have no intention of hurting my sister further."
The tips of four points on Valdria's antlers ignited with golden-white mana. A thousand years of history disagree.
Before Celestia could find words for a rebuttal, the world suddenly changed. The Princess was overcome by a sudden sensation of vertigo, as the colors of the infirmary were washed away like ink by a splash of water. Everything blurred together, before fading slowly into darkness.
The next sensation was cold. The heat was sucked away from Celestia's coat, leaving her icy and shivering. Her body felt weightless, floating aimlessly in eternal darkness. She gasped for breath, and found none. Even the sound of her desperate search for air was absent.
This silence continued only for a few spare moments, before pinpricks of light appeared amidst the inky veil surrounding her. Just when her mind recognized them as stars, the feeling of weightlessness faded. All at once, she was falling, and then the ground hit her. Everything was the wrong way up, or so it seemed. The dirt below her felt dry and dusty.
She rose to her hooves slowly, struggling to regain her equilibrium. The world around her was a plane of nearly featureless chalk, stretching on in minor hills and ditches on to the inky horizon. Overhead, amidst the stars, a ball of blue and green hovered low.
Ahead, on a little mound of chalky dirt, a mare sat in a very particular spot. To anypony else looking at it, that place might well have been simply another patch of dust, but to her it was special. From there, she could stare up at the bountiful ball of colors that hovered over her head, offering the only glimpse of life in an endless sea of stars and darkness.
"Luna?"
The mare turned slowly, and Celestia broke into a gallop. Tears were frozen to her sister's face. "Celestia? Why are you here?"
"I came to see you, Luna." Celestia wrapped her hooves tightly around her sister, unfurling her wings to complete the embrace.
Luna simply collapsed into the welcome contact. Between sobs and gasps for breath, she spoke. "What did I do?"
Celestia looked down at her sister in shock, and then embraced her tightly. "What do you mean, Luna? You've done nothing."
"Why are we here again?"
No sooner were the words spoken then Celestia realized the extent of Luna's sorrow. Without releasing her sister, her eyes swept over the lunar plains. Everywhere were tiny marks of pain, torment, and the long slow battle of patience. A small boulder's tiny scratches were in fact tally marks number in the millions. Amidst the loose rock of the plains, one stone was an effigy of her own head. Raw magic had shattered the rest into a thousand pieces, scattered with the wind.
"Luna, you're not-"
"Do not lie to us, sister," Luna wailed, burying her face into Celestia's coat. Even in the icy void, the elder sister felt the fresh tears. "Did we succumb again to the Nightmare? Was it because we killed Rainbow Dash?"
"Luna, no." Celestia pushed Luna away, far enough that they could look into one another's eyes. "You did nothing wrong."
"Then why, Celestia? Why this-" she callously swept a hoof over the barren landscape, "-again?"
"Luna, listen to me. This... this is all a dream."
"A dream?" Luna shook her head. "Our dreams would not do this to us."
"It is all in your mind, sister. Please, believe me."
Clearly, Luna did not believe the words. She turned her head away and gazed up at the floating ball that was the world, in all its color and vibrancy. "You do not have the courage to even admit our sin?"
"Luna, please believe me."
A third voice broke into her pleas. "She will not waste her time with your words, Celestia. Not after the last time she was here." When it spoke, she knew the voice. It remained unchanged, likened unto a diamond razor, coated in ash. For all its refinement, it was both bladed and bitter
The creature that shambled toward her was broken and beaten. Its jet black coat had been roughed and cut into callous hideousness. Its mane hung limply by its sides. It struggled to walk on four broken legs, as a single crippled wing hung limply at its side. Above its tired teal eyes, a shattered stump was all that remained of a once proud horn. Whatever the pitiful creature had been, it was now only a thing of suffering and pain, struggling to continue what little life it had left.
"You?" Celestia shifted herself to stand for battle, horn pointed forward and wings flared. "How are you here?"
"Do you really fear me like this, Celestia?" In the cold of the empty void, it echoed. "Perhaps that is easy to understand. To answer your question, this is what your so-called Harmony has wrought. At first, Magic simply shattered us, pulling us apart bit by bit. When it faltered, Honesty was there to remind it that we deserved every ounce of pain we were suffering. Loyalty called to mind every time we had wronged them. And the Laughter..." Slitted eyes stared off into the void. "...the Laughter."
"And yet here you are." Celestia looked away from the broken monstrosity, and back to her sister. "Luna, believe me, this isn't some terrible punishment. I never wanted to do that to you a thousand years ago, and I would never do it again."
Luna stared at the Nightmare as it approached, and her misty eyes slowly dried. "Sister, we... I would never give in to that jealousy again. Not even if I am forced to endure this place for a millennium more." She elevated her tone, calling upon all the courage she could muster in her time of trouble. "Foul beast, how is it that you still survive?"
"The same reason I was destroyed," the Nightmare responded. "When the damage was finally done, and I had learned to long for death, only then did Kindness speak up. All could be saved, if given a chance. The words were painful, but Generosity insisted I get that chance. And so, instead of destroying me completely, I was left, broken but alive, longing with every minute for darkness to claim me, but it would not come." The Nightmare shambled to Luna's side, and did not sit so much as collapse on shattered knees. "Your loneliness now gave me the strength to come forth."
Luna shook her head. "Do not expect our pity. Whatever we did to be banished once more, we harbor no hatred for our sister."
"You are so young, Luna. So forgiving." The Nightmare shook its head. "So blind to the world around you."
"And in turn, thou art bitter and cold and unable to forgive. We prefer our own illusions." The Princess looked up at Equestria, floating high overhead. "It is no longer our sister's power to force us here. Our judges were six others. If they called down Harmony upon us, it is because we did some evil to deserve it. We shall endure our punishment nobly, and without you."
To Celestia's surprise and happiness, the creature began to fade at those words. Its dark body blurred, and its eyes lost their sharp and hateful focus. Even as its body began to be whisked away by an ethereal wind, however, it spoke up once more.
"Say what you like, Luna, but we both know that we are one. You will never truly be rid of us, as long as you live."
For some time, the two sisters sat staring at the place that their oldest foe had once stood. Celestia occasionally spared a glance at her sister, but Luna's sorrow had turned to a vacant stare, unaware even of her sister's presence. This continued even as the moon spun, bringing other parts of the world above into plain view. Then, without warning, the silence shattered.
"Sister, tell me the truth. What has happened to us?"
Celestia took the time gather her words. Her neck turned, to look once more into the sad and empty eyes of her only true companion. "Luna, you were poisoned."
"Poison?"
"Yes. An assassin tried to kill you while you were bringing out the stars. Rainbow Dash saved you from falling to your death, but the poison was already within you."
Luna's vacant stare was broken by a flash of thought. "I remember... a rainbow, in the night, and a massive sound."
"Her Sonic Rainboom, yes."
Luna turned away from Celestia's gaze, but not fast enough to avoid the elder seeing the sadness that spread over her face. "She gave her life for me? Truly, I did not take her life?"
"No, Luna, she lived through-" the words were cut off by a far harsher tone.
"You said you would not lie to me, sister. I already know she died. Her life passed beneath my moon. I judged her soul." The venom in the younger sister's voice faded in an instant. "I led her to the Summer Lands."
Celestia regretted her words. "Forgive me, Luna. I got so used to saying that. Yes, of course. In any case, the poison has placed you in a coma, Luna. You're dreaming this. It is all within your mind."
"If 'tis truly my mind that bestows this suffering upon me, surely you are no more than a figment of my imagination as well."
"No, Luna. Valdria let me come here, to speak with you."
I cannot join you, Celestia. To enter myself is beyond my power. Do not make her expect me to appear.
Electing not to acknowledge the voice of the elk aloud, Celestia stepped closer to Luna and changed the subject. "Our subjects are working to find a cure, Luna."
"Who, sister? Which of our subjects could forgive us enough to truly do such work?"
Sensing the pain and the guilt in her sister's words, Celestia answered with the most comforting name she could produce. "Rainbow Dash is searching for a cure as we speak."
Realization dawned over Luna's expression, and her wide eyes turned to her sister. "Surely, Celestia, you didn't steal her reward from her?"
Celestia's response was to guiltily look away. For no small time, silence held their conversation. When the elder sister finally spoke, it was after a long breath, and it came in quiet words. "Luna, she knew about the assassin. I needed to hear what she had learned. I needed her help."
"Did you at least tell her friends?" Celestia's response was only to look away further, earning an even more emotional question in return. "Didst thou tell her?"
"I..." Celestia sighed, and forced herself to look back into her sister's eyes. "I wanted to keep attention on saving you, Luna. Rainbow was so willing to help. She even agreed to be your new bodyguard."
Luna clearly wasn't sure how to feel about the revelation. Her eyes closed, but not in sorrow. Instead, she retreated into introspection, wondering to herself about what she had learned. Finally, an answer of sorts came into her mind, and left her mouth slowly. "Tell her I said thank you."
Their conversation was cut off momentarily by a voice in the elder sister's mind. Celestia, she cannot hear me, but I warn you that my magic can only hold a short while longer. Finish whatever words you have left.
Celestia shook her head. "You'll have to tell her yourself."
"Then why are you here at all? Why not simply cure this poison and pull me from my slumber?" Luna almost immediately realized how her tone must have sounded, for she recoiled upon herself and hid her face behind the flow of her cosmic mane. "Forgive me, sister, I merely meant to say that if all goes wrong, remind her that her efforts hath not been in vain."
"Luna, we will save you. I will."
Luna's response nearly shattered Celestia's heart. "I am not the only pony in the world, sister. If we have to leave the world, do not forget our subjects in mourning." She smiled. It was a bittersweet thing. "Do not think I forgot Hurricane."
The humor of the statement fell in sorrow. "Luna, I love you."
"I love you too, big sister. Thank you."
As the world began to blur again, and the stars and the moon faded into colors, one more of Luna's words reached her sister's ears.
"Goodbye."
- - -
Rainbow Dash found herself in a large room, not unlike Zecora's residence in the Everfree forest. Colorful masks adorned the walls, along with a bed in the corner, and nearly a half-dozen seats. In the largest of these, centered against the far wall, Kiongozi sat, her weathered face judging Rainbow before she could even speak.
There were no other zebras present. Even the guard had remained at the door. Only the old mare and the young pegasus were there, watching each other coldly. The zebra elected to speak first.
"Rainbow Dash, your words are more? Why is it that you darken my door?"
"I wanted to make a deal with you. Reckoning and I need to keep going so we can save Princess Luna."
"We will not let outsiders go. Our lands are closed, our answer 'no'."
"Yeah, that's what you said earlier. I get it." Rainbow broke a cocky smile. She had a plan. "So you only let members of your herd walk around on your land. Is that right?"
"Yes, young mare devoid of rhyme. Now speak your mind, and stop wasting my time."
Rainbow hadn't expected such a harsh response. "Okay, geez. I want to take a Rite of Passage."
"What?"
The pegasus waited for only a moment, but apparently, there was some unspoken Zebra rule that single words were not required to rhyme. Either that, or Rainbow's proposal had been offense enough to warrant an answer devoid of 'poetry', as if that would somehow offend her. "I want to join your herd. Then you'll let me and Dead Reckoning go on, right?"
"The words you speak are right and true, but why should my herd welcome you?"
"Uh, because I'm awesome?" Clearly, that particular reason wasn't a winner for the zebras any more than the Wonderbolts. "Well, for starters, you don't have anypony who can fly, and I'm the best flier in Equestria. Well, right now, I'm the best flier in Zebrica, but that's sort of a picky way to-"
"Shut your mouth, please, Rainbow Dash. I'll hear no more of your self-obsessed trash. I see no reason to let you try, and join our herd, so no say I."
Seeing her proposal failing, Rainbow broke out her last-ditch plan. "So you're just going to judge me before you even get to know me? I guess I should have expected that. That's pretty much what happened to Zecora, before my friends and I met her." She waited for a moment, and then turned to leave.
Her hooves were no more than a single stride from the doorway when Kiongozi spoke up. "Wait!" To Rainbow's shock and immense satisfaction, the name worked. Though she was still unsure what had caused Zecora to leave, she was grateful that it wasn't something that would cause trouble at the mention of her name. Instead, Kiongozi spoke up again. "Tell me, then, o mare of the sky, what is it that we shall judge you by?"
"Well, didn't I just say? Flying! You know, looking up high! Plus, I can do tons of cool moves!"
"Stunts and tricks do not benefit the herd. We have no interest in welcoming a bird."
"Huh, well, okay then. I guess I'm also a guardspony."
Kiongozi's brow rose, and then settled, in the span of no more than a second. A little glint hit the corner of her eye as she nodded. "Very well, miss Rainbow Dash, I see you wish to make a splash. I warn you though, that danger lurks, high above, on crested perch. Look to the north, at great Kilimarejaro. There you will find the site of our sorrow. A wyrm of hunger most uncouth has stolen from us a most promising youth. Rescue her, and bring her home, and then you will be free to roam."
Rainbow pumped a leg, smiling as widely as she could. "All right. I'll get Reckoning, and we can-"
"If you intend to show you are grown, on a Rite of Passage, you must go alone."
The mare shrugged. "Fine. Just go rescue a zebra filly from a giant worm monster, and we're on our way. Got it!" She ran out the door and began to speak rapidly to the warrior stallion there, before Kiongozi could correct her deadly misunderstanding.
- - -
Shining Armor's hoof trembled. This was the moment of fate. Failure would spell his death. Victory was only the first step on a long and dangerous road.
"Oh, come on! I can catch you if it doesn't work!" The captain lurched forward out of the hot air balloon after a sudden shove from Going Solo. To his infinite relief, the clouds remained solid beneath his footing.
"You could have killed me!"
"Please, Shining, there are like a thousand pegasi here. You'd be fine."
"Well it still would have been safer to take this slowly." He picked his hooves up and down, feeling the spongy material that had no reasonable business holding his body weight. "Okay, come here, Grizzaloo. I'll need to do your hooves to."
"Yeah, I'd bet you'd like that." Grizzaloo growled, before stepping up to the edge of the bucket. As Shining began to work his magic, the crude stallion shot an angry glare at the all-too-innocent grin decorating Going Solo's face. "Solo, if you touch me, I'll rip your wings off."
"You're no fun, Grizzaloo."
"I have tons of fun," he answered bluntly. "Buy it behind the foundry for ten bits. Guess that's behind me, now that the crazy Stalliongradi pegger-"
"Watch your language!" Solo protested. "This is Cloudsdale."
Grizzaloo retorted by rolling his eyes. "-wants my head."
"Right." Shining Armor awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck. "Well, uh, Solo, you know Cloudsdale better than we do. Where are we headed?"
"The central post office is this way. Follow me."
Thus, a pegasus, a unicorn, and an earth pony set off on a path that ought to have been completely impossible for two of their party. Along the way, Going Solo pointed out structures of note, from tourist attractions like the Cloudosseum and the Weather Factory to more mundane but significant structures like Cloudsdale General Hospital, or the City Council Building. All the while, the captain afforded himself the time for basic questions, satisfying his curiosity while keeping the group moving at a brisk pace. Pulling up the rear, Grizzaloo muttered a steady stream of commentary under his breath, none of which would bore the intellectual or moral significance to be worth repeating.
At last, at the end of the long strip of clouds that was Mane Street, the trio reached a towering structure emblazoned with a blue and white logo of an envelope, stamped with a pegasus wing.
"And this is it. Equestria's central post office. Tons of mail goes through here every day." Solo held the door open. "After you."
Shining Armor walked in first, rolling his amethyst-armored shoulders as he looked around. He'd been expecting something administrative and impressive. Instead, it was just a particularly pale, puffy version of a totally normal post office. It even had one of the obnoxious numbered-ticket dispensers that always seemed to dispense two tickets when you pulled one out. Fortunately, for whatever reason, the building was almost totally empty. Only a single clerk was working at the counter. A middle-aged pegasus mare, she flicked a hoof toward her patron without looking up from her work. "Welcome to the post office. Letter or package?"
Shining was always astounded at the level of apathy that could find its way into voices of public servants. "Actually, I was just hoping to get some directions."
"Look, sir, we're not the tourism office. This..." Her voice trailed off when she finally looked up. "You're, uh, a unicorn."
"Yes, ma'am, I am." Shining told her, in the most pleasant voice he could manage. "I am Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard. I'm here on an investigation, and I was hoping you could let my companions and I speak to some of the workers here."
"Oh, uh, yes, of course, uh, Captain, sir." She stumbled on her words nearly as badly as she stumbled over her own hooves, trying to make her way to the access door that led into the rest of the structure. Finally, after a great deal of fumbling, she managed to get the passage cleared. "Have a nice day."
"I hope so," Shining responded, before heading back into the building proper.
The next room was something of a culture shock to Shining Armor, for one simple feature. The entire towering structure, from floor to ceiling, consisted of that single room. Stacked along the walls, layers of terraces made up the various 'floors', but rather than a staircase and walls, a central column of open space was designed to allow access between the various floors. Dozens of pegasi darted up and down in the free air, moving from floor to floor with packages and bags of letters. The sheer quantity of activity was staggering.
Shining only broke his gaze from the amazing scene when a hoof tapped him on the shoulder. "Huh?"
"I thought it was pretty crazy my first day too," Going Solo explained. "I'm gonna go find somepony we can talk to. I guess just sit tight, since you can't follow me."
"Yeah, go ahead." The captain watched as Solo flew up into the mass of wings and mail and was immediately lost in the crowd.
"Living this high does something to their brains," Grizzaloo stated rather bluntly. "They're all morons. Especially the mares."
"Sometimes I wonder why anypony even puts up with you, Grizzaloo. Anyway, you won't need to worry about it. As soon as we have Go Between's information, we can get back on solid land."
Grizzaloo shot Shining Armor a weird look. "You think I'm bucking helping you with this? I'm not in it for a good time, unich. I like my life just the way it is, and sticking around with you just means I'm more likely to run into that filthy bucking guard that almost broke my jaw."
Shining Armor returned the words with a rather unfeeling glance. "I'm not holding anything against you, Grizzaloo. You gave me the information I wanted. If you want to charter another balloon back down to the ground, you're welcome to."
"Yeah, well, thanks for the bucking permission." Muttering something else under his breath, the earth pony wandered away. Left to himself, Shining Armor was content to watch the winged ponies flit back and forth overhead, until Going Solo returned alongside a gray mare.
"Shining Armor, this is, uh, Derpy. Derpy, this is Captain Armor."
The captain nodded. "Have I... met you before?"
"Oh, yeah!" A wide smile broke over the gray pegasus' face, as one of her eyes wandered away. "I was at your wedding. Well, at least, the one that didn't go so well." She glanced away hurriedly, and for a moment, her gaze aligned with itself. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you for real. How can I help? Do you need something delivered?"
"Actually, I was just hoping to get some directions." Derpy seemed to deflate at the words. "We need to find a pony named Go Between. Do you know anypony by that name?"
"Mr. Between? Yeah, I do mail for him every once in a while. He gets lots of big packages; they're real heavy." The mail-mare's face scrunched up, as she pantomimed the carrying of a heavy package.
"Uh, yeah, I can imagine," Solo muttered, humoring her friend. "Anyway, where does he live?"
"I don't know where he lives, but he has a big warehouse next to the weather factory. I think that's what all the packages are for; most of them are funny chemicals like what they use to make clouds and snow and stuff." Derpy nodded. "Like, one time, I had to bring him this huge box of cotton candy powder, and I wondered what it would taste like." She looked straight down at the floor, clearly saddened by the memory. "When it doesn't look like cotton, it isn't very tasty."
"I imagine not." Shining Armor smiled. "Well, you've been very helpful, miss Derpy."
"Oh, it's no problem. I love helping. Oh, do you want me to tell your sister anything?"
Shining pulled back his neck in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Well, one of my main jobs is to deliver all of the mail to Ponyville that comes through here. That's where I live, after all." She smiled. "So if you want me to tell Twilight anything, just give me a message."
"Oh." Shining closed his eyes, and thought for a moment. "Just tell her I said hello, I guess. Tell her I'll come visit her soon, when things quiet down." Derpy gave an overenthusiastic nod, falling forward onto her face. Shining smiled. "Thanks."
"It's no problem!" With refreshed vigor and apparently no sense of embarrassment, the curious mare darted back up into the thick of things.
"She was a nice mare," Shining observed.
"Probably the nicest pony here, but you have no idea how much trouble she causes." Going Solo shook her head. "We should get going, right?"
The captain gave a short but serious nod, and then adjusted his armor. A sinking feeling in his gut told him that he might shortly be needing it.
- - -
Thunder Crack watched the Elk leave alongside the Princess, feeling rather concerned for his continued job security. On the one hoof, he knew he had done what was clearly best for Equestria. The Elements of Harmony would have been protected, Rainbow Dash would have been out of the Honor Guard for good, and everypony would be back to trying to catch Masquerade. On the other hoof, he had basically put not only a trainee recruit, but one of the Bearers of Harmony in danger, in a drunken brawl with a bunch of guardsponies. Sure, there was no way she was going to get permanently injured with him watching, but somehow he felt like he was going to have a hard time getting Princess Celestia to believe that.
He gritted his teeth. It shouldn't have even been an issue; the Honor Guard did worse things on an almost weekly basis. It wasn't just permitted; it was expected. Of course, the whole point was that Princess Celestia didn't find out about what was going on, but what else was going to happen when Shining Armor started shoving his muzzle in their business?
Finally, he came to a conclusion. The entire situation had hit the fan when the Commander died. He wouldn't have let any of this happen. Tartarus, he probably could have just convinced the Princess not to let the filly on the guard himself. Of course, if he or Morning Star were still around, the assassination plot would probably have failed too and the whole thing would be a moot point.
Crack rolled his eyes. He wasn't much of a deep thinker anyway. 'What if' was for White Flag and the Commander to deal with. He hated being stuck in bed, waiting for his wing to heal while the rest of the Honor Guard was out getting things done. He wondered if Corporal Reckoning had snapped at the filly's annoying stunt flying obsession yet.
The sergeant's particularly shallow introspection was interrupted when the doors to the palace infirmary opened, revealing a familiar and welcome face.
"Marathon!" He sat upright, before momentarily regretting the action when his wing gave a surge of pain.
"I heard you were awake, Sarge. I just got back from Neighples."
Crack groaned aloud. "Don't call me Sarge, Marathon."
"Had to take the opportunity while you were too bandaged up to do anything about it." Marathon let out a soft laugh. "I brought you some real Bitalian wine, though the doctors said I couldn't bring it in here."
The sergeant shook his head disappointedly. "Stupid civilian doctors. Do they think I keep my liver in my wing? Well, thanks anyway. How was Corporal Reckoning?"
"You don't have to be so stiff about his name, Crack. Deadeye's doing well. Rainbow didn't take too kindly to him killing a manticore when we showed up, though."
A minor chuckle issued from the sergeant. "I bet she didn't. He didn't eat it, did he?"
Marathon shook her head, before donning a rather predatory grin. "Manticore tail is actually a Griffon delicacy, though."
"Disgusting." Crack's nose furrowed, trying to keep out an imagined smell. "I was kidding, Marathon."
"I know. I didn't care much for it, but when you're an ambassador..." She let the thought linger just long enough to earn a reaction from Crack. Then, smiling, she focused on him. "What happened to you while I was gone? Finally lose a bar fight?"
"Maybe." The stallion shrugged, and then found himself again regretting the motion. "Last I recall was trailing somepony back from Grizzaloo's hideout. You know who got into me?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Marathon was worried at the statement. "Soldier On found you like that. We were hoping you could tell us."
"If he could remember, he would not being alive." Crack's head shifted suddenly toward the new voice as it entered the infirmary. Into the room walked a bulky pegasus with a blood red coat and a long black jacket. Beneath the garment, his chest was covered by a standard issue golden breastplate, covered in a dozen medals and decorations.
"Who're you?" Crack asked as the other pony approached.
The other pony's accent identified him nearly as clearly as his name. "Captain Red Ink."
The name was familiar enough when paired with the knowledge that he was from Stalliongrad. "You're the Czar's son, right?"
"Tsar," Ink corrected, ignoring the hypocrisy of his own broken Equestrian. "Now, though, my family do not matter. I need one thing from you, Sergeant. Where is Soldier On?"
"I don't know. I've been out for almost a day now. Even if I did know, why should I tell you?"
Marathon butted in. "Uh, Crack, you see, apparently Shining Armor figured out that there was a traitor on the Honor Guard."
"Yeah, I know. Masquerade impersonated Morning Star, and then the Commander." Crack nodded. "Doesn't explain why Stalliongrad here is going after the new Captain."
"No, besides her," Marathon continued, only to be cut off by a far stronger voice.
"Stoikaja-" He spat on the floor. "Soldier On is traitor. She betrayed the Princess, and hid Masquerade. I am replacing her."
"Soldier On betray the Honor Guard?" Thunder Crack was dumbfounded. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he actually laughed. "I'm not sure who you think you are, Red Ink, but you're pretty far off the mark if you expect me to believe that."
"I don't care if believing. You want to prove to me she isn't traitor, you point the way. I know how to find where she runs when pressure rises. I just need to know starting point. Where are friends in Equestria?"
Crack forced himself to sit upright. "Well, sir, if that's what you're looking for, she's probably somewhere in the palace. Seeing as we're her friends, if you even have that word in Stalliongradi."
"Crack, I think-" Once more, Marathon's words were stolen by her commanding officer.
"No, Private," Ink interrupted. "Leave us. I will explain." Crack stared in confusion as Marathon heeded the other pony's command, leaving the two angry pegasi alone in the infirmary. Everything was silent as the swinging doors twisted, back and forth, back and forth. Only when they had truly stopped did the Stalliongrad soldier speak up. "You are very mistake about me, Sergeant Crack. I know from past that Soldier On is criminal, but I am not deciding she is traitor. Princess decided that. Shining Armor decided that. Soldier On proved it herself when she disappear. So now, I catch her, to save Princess." He gestured with a foreleg at Luna's comatose form. "This is one warning. Only warning. I am Captain of the Honor Guard now."
"Yeah. Right."
"Believe or don't. I can be dismissing you easily. No concern of mine. You will tell me where Soldier On goes in Canterlot in time of trouble, and we are done."
Crack shook his head defiantly. "I don't know what you think, Red Ink, but Soldier On is not the traitor you're looking for. She wouldn't do something like that. I know her."
Red Ink shook his head, and walked closer, stopping directly at Thunder Crack's bedside. "You are being blind, and I do not care. Justify how you wish. You will be telling me the truth, easy way or hard way."
"I'm not stabbing Soldier On in the back for you, Ink. She was a great guardspony."
Ink's patience was waning; it showed in the crease on his brow. "My brother plays politik." Ink rubbed a forehoof against the breast of his coat. "I prefer a blade to words, but I do not like to be hurting my own troops."
"You don't scare me." Thunder Crack stated plainly.
Red Ink smiled, and gestured to the far side of the room. Without looking, the sergeant knew that Luna's comatose form occupied the space in question. "Princess is sick and sleeping. Try not to wake her."
Then the Stalliongradi soldier lifted a hoof, and leaned down on Thunder Crack's left wing.
Special thanks to SatoshiKyu for prereading.