//------------------------------//
// Voyager's Arc: That Fateful Day 
// Story: Of Laurels & Lace 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

	"What have we got?"

It has been two months since they had first stepped into the Palace. The Voyagers were all holed up in the library, with sheets of papers scattered and spread out all over the table.
Charter sighed at Dresden's question, ruffling through the mess.

"Well," he began.
"We found an extensive history of the family itself," the pegasus raised a book as he said that, "as well as some information about the existence of Sicarius Nox: an organization of assassins trained in academies to show no mercy; in return the assassins were well paid and have a better life than most of the ponies around."

Pinkie just groaned, her head slammed under a mound of paper.
"Can't we do something more fun?" she whined.

"Not now, Pinkie," Charter scolded, his voice somewhat gentle as if he was her father.
"You know we have a lot of work to do."

The pink mare just slumped in her seat, before sliding herself to Primrose's side, the caramel mare absentmindedly leafing through one of the books on the table.
"Whatcha doing?" Pinkie asked.

"Honestly," Primrose said with a sigh.
"I have no idea."

Both mares just glanced around, their boredom slowly crawling up to their heads.
The pink mare turned to Harmony, who was solemnly gazing out of the window. The rest hadn't known of her relationship with the Patriarch, much to the impatience of Pinkie.

Gypsum was busy flipping through the logbook, her head wracking up a storm, before she sighed in defeat.
"There's nothing here to say my cousin's corrupted."

"There must be a reason he was on the top priority! I'm sure of it!"
Charter wanted to spit at all the scattered notes, infuriated and frustrated. Dresden just rolled his eyes, kicking his hooves back onto the table.

"Cheer up, Charter!"
Suddenly, Gypsum hopped onto the table, lifting his chin up, the pegasus only giving her a smug expression. She leaned down, smiling from ear to ear as she spoke with enthusiasm:
"Why not we take a small walk around town? Maybe it can help out with the thinking and stuff!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie added.
"We can have much more fun in town than just sit around all day!"

Everypony held their breath as turned to the pegasus, who was busily pondering over their decision.
He looked at each of them, all with expressions of anticipation, before glancing back at the intimidating text on the books, which only added to his irritation.
"Fine," he finally sighed, much to everypony's delight.

"Well?" Gypsum retorted, the light green mare already galloping to the door.
"What are we standing around here for? The doors can't open by themselves!"

All of them chuckled, one by one trotting out of the door.
Pinkie quickly strode to Harmony's side, whispering in her friend's ear:
"When are you going to tell them?"

"I..." the pink unicorn could only stammer, earning a skeptical look from her friend.
She sighed, fiddling her hooves about with the answer:
"When the time is right."

"Really?" Pinkie scoffed, only making Harmony raise an eyebrow.
"They have to know some way or another, don't they?"

"But once they do, how would I know if they would trust me?"
The mare looked at Pinkie, who was desperately searching an answer.
"How would I know that they wouldn't leave me after knowing that all this time, I was the Patriarch's marefriend?"

"Well..." the pink mare said with a shrug.
"You know what I think? I think you're silly willy!"

"What?"

"I think you're too concerned that we wouldn't be friends anymore, and that's why you don't dare to have the courage to tell the truth!"
Pinkie finished with a smile, her friend deep in thought.

Harmony just sighed.
"I don't know..."

"Trust me, Harmony!" her friend squeaked.
"In fact, I think they'll all be happy to know that you're the Patriarch's marefriend!"

The unicorn just blinked her eyes in surprise and disbelief.
"R-Really?" she muttered.

"Absolutely positively suredy-durdy-do! In fact, I'll bet all of my lifetime supply of cake if it doesn't work out!"

In response, Harmony giggled at her friend with amusement, before replying:
"If you say so..."

"That's the spirit!" Pinkie screeched with delight, nudging the mare.
"Come on! We gotta catch up!"

With a laugh, both mares galloped down the corridor, ruffling the carpet beneath their hooves. Their faces beamed with a wide smile, their hearts throbbing with pure happiness.
Harmony just sighed in her head at her friend. She was right.
"They have to know," her inner voice spoke, somewhat advisably.

"Some way or another." 

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The sudden glare of light nearly blinded him as the blindfold tore from his eyes.

The black stallion cried out in searing pain, wriggling in a chair with his hooves bound behind by a thick wire. His vision started to clear, the back of his head still pounding agonizingly.
Looking around the room he was in; the neat bed at the corner of the room, the carpeted floor and the nightstand right beside him. The vanity mirror showed his reflection, who stared back at him with the nervous flicker in his eyes.

"Well, well..."

The unmistakable click of a revolver made him tense up, sweat quickly falling from his forehead.
"If it isn't the Caper Masque himself," the voice chuckled in cold amusement.

From the mirror, he could see the glint of silver from a white hoof, the barrel pointed directly into his head. The knots around his hooves were tight enough to prevent him from wriggling about, only adding into his desperation.
"Who are you?!" he shouted, "What do you want?!"

There was a cruel laugh from behind, the revolver jiggling along.
"I presume you know I can't answer the first question. As for the other one, however..."

Caper felt the barrel twist through his mane, only making him swallow a lump.
"I have a task," his kidnapper stated. "A favor, if you're certain."

"Why me?" he demanded, gritting his teeth.
"I'm just a magician!"

"A famous one," the unknown pony replied.
"I'm aware, however, of the other set of skills you possess."

His chair suddenly jerked around, the magician trying his best to hold his laugh.
"Me?" he scoffed. "Possessing another set of skills? Don't try to be funny. Seriously, if you want money, just say it. I'll get some from my bank account and we'll both act as if nothing happened, alright?"

The comment earned him a brazing smack at the back of his forehead, only worsening the migraine.
"Don't mock me, you sore wretch," the cold voice scowled.
"You and I both clearly know what sort of skills that I'm mentioning right now."

Caper wanted to protest, but feeling the cold ring of the barrel, he sighed in defeat.
"Look, whoever you are, I'm done with that past. I'm done with hit jobs, done with assassinations, done with using any sort of weapon. I'm just here to settle a few things then I'm heading back to the circus and whatsoever."

"You're not the one to give orders, my friend."

The magician's head was forced to the side, glancing at the tidy sheets of the bed. On top of it was a black guitar case, complete with a rubber strap, yet he knew better what's inside.
"See that?" the voice told him.
"I want you to take down one specific mare. Everything you need to know is inside."

The wires around his hooves were suddenly sliced off, releasing him immediately, yet Caper sat still, the barrel of the revolver still aimed behind his head.
"What's in it for me then?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?!"
Caper could only gape in disbelief. What's the point of even killing a pony if he can't even get a Celestia-be-damned reward for his efforts? Why can't this colt do it himself?
"Whoever you are, we need to negotiate a price here. You can't just ask me to perform an assassination without any share, can't you? You get your benefits, what about mine?"

"You're forgetting who's in charge here."
Before the magician could protest, he felt another powerful swing against his face, reinforced with the holster of the revolver itself. He yelped in response, gritting his teeth.
"The only prize I can save for you is your life, Caper Masque, and I know how much you cherish your life, don't you?"

The black stallion held back his scowl, instead giving a blank nod.
He caught a glimpse of his assailant's white coat and black mane, his mind making a mental note of it as the anonymous stallion continued:

"You have five hours to complete the task at hand. Past that deadline and I'll pay you a visit again."
There was a cold chuckle as Caper felt the barrel of his gun nudge him forward, forcing him towards the guitar case. He hesitantly flipped the latches open, hearing the other stallion shout before the door slammed:

"And don't you ever dare back down!"

Caper sighed, wracking his hooves about as he examined the weapon prepared for him.
It was a sniper rifle; a fifty-caliber Barrett, if he could recall correctly, complete with a pedestal fit for a telescope. He gazed at the window shutter, opened specifically just for this occasion.

Lifting the rifle up and placing it aside, he spotted a small, rumpled paper stuffed into the bottom of the case.
Unfolding it, Caper held his breath, looking at the target's name in disbelief as well as the mare's face.

He knew this mare very well; in fact, the whole of Pendant Lakes does. Her cheerful personality, her bright mood... it's a crime against Celestia herself to even touch the mare with the barrel of a gun.
The stallion just bit his lip. He knew this would never end well. But a job's still a job, not to mention his life is still on the line.

Positioning the rifle onto the pedestal, Caper peeped through the lens with undying guilt, the name of his target echoing in his mind faintly yet painfully:

Gypsum Palgiot

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"...and there's so much to see! There's Palladium Beach, just down the forest path from the courtyard. There's Market Street and Harbor Street: both places are excellent places to go to. And there's the recently opened Starlet Avenue! There's so much exquisite things to choose from over there and I'm just so excited to..."

Pinkie couldn't help but giggle at her friend's enthusiasm, the light-green mare rambling on and on about the spots they would be visiting.
The Voyagers were walking across Fountain Square, the large plaza being the designated center of Pendant Lakes, heading towards one of the many junctions spreading out from it.

"So, I was thinking... since we're finding out whatever my cousin's doing and such, I thought of a place we can go to!"
Gypsum's wide smile caught all of her friends' attention, tossing the map towards Primrose.

"What place?" Dresden asked.

"Foster Archives!" she answered with a grin. "Down in Standard and Dale!"
The rest listened attentively, stopping in their tracks as she explained:
"It is an orphanage, as well as a storage for archives as well. I know the bookkeeper there; she always tells and writes the most interesting stories when I was young!"

"Hold it," Primrose cut in.
"You think the Patriarch would keep track of any crazy things if he even did any?"

"Sure! Foster Archives is like the top spot for records and such! Most of my family would store their things inside, sometimes even their own belongings!"
The light-green mare grinned widely, her hoof pointing down at the map of Pendant Lakes spread out on the pavement, marking the location.
"It's a great place and I suggest we should go here! What do you say, guys?"

Charter raised his hoof, the expression of doubt clearly written on his face.
"I'm not entirely sure about this. I mean, I know your family lives here, but you do realize what he would do if he found out who we really are?"

Gypsum giggled, nudging the pegasus meekly.
"They won't mind, of course! If I know them well, they wouldn't even bother finding out why we come here!"

"Well," Primrose piped in.
"At least we hope so..."

"I mean, come on! It isn't that bad!"

The six of them continued their journey through the plaza. As usual, it was filled with ponies of all ages, clearly enjoying the spacious area and the swirling breeze blowing clusters of dry leaves around.
Pinkie breathed in, letting the cold air rush into her lungs, nourishing them with energy. She bounced with a giggle, glancing about the baroque structures standing all around.

She glanced up, looking at the wrought iron lamppost before her, the flame flickering in its glass casing.
The faint sound of laughter echoed in her head, reminding her of her parents and her sisters. Both Inkie and Blinkie had moved out of Canterlot together, and she had never seen them since.
The pink mare sighed with nostalgia. To reminisce about the past...

"You miss them, don't you?" Primrose's voice broke into her thoughts, the caramel mare looking at her friend with a warm, assuring smile.

"I guess..." Pinkie could only reply, gazing up into the sky.
"Sometimes I forget how it feels like to see them again. It's like they're here with me, but they're... not really here with me... you know?"

Her friend just nodded.
"I understand. The same goes for my sister."

"We were always watching each other's backs since our parents passed on," she continued.
"I always looked up to her, like she's my idol or something. When she fell ill, I swore that I would always stay by her side and help her, no matter what."

"It was one day, I came into her room..."
There was a small sniffle, prompting Pinkie to huddle closer to her friend.
"She... s-she had the most peaceful smile I had ever seen..."

"It's alright," the pink mare hushed, before glancing with uncertainty at the slate floor.
"I still miss them though."

"You'll see them again," Primrose responded, instantly cheering up her friend.
"Maybe one day, when this is all over..."

Pinkie's eyes suddenly gleamed, pointing across the square.
"Look who it is, Gypsum!" she called to her friend with a mischievous giggle.

The rest of the Voyagers turned their heads, immediately realizing who their friend was pointing at.
There was Winter Palgiot walking from the corner, smiling benevolently at Autumn, who was prancing cheekily right beside her.

The two siblings seemed to have spotted them as well, with the pale-yellow mare waving happily at her cousin.
"GP!" she called her name, a wide grin curling up her cheeks.

"There they are!" Gypsum exclaimed to her friends.
"I gotta go!"

Before the rest could respond, the light-green mare had already galloped towards her relatives, leaving them to chuckle at her happy-go-lucky personality.
Pinkie turned to Charter, who had a peculiar smile on his face. She and Primrose had already speculated that there was something going on between him and the mare, despite their age difference.
"What is it, Charty Warty?" she teased the pegasus.
"Missing her already?"

The rest of the group laughed as the stallion just rolled his eyes.
"Very funny, Pinkie."

*BANG*

Time slowed, the loud, clear sound of the gunshot ringing in each of their ears.
Ponies started to scatter about, with terrified shouts echoing all around.

Pinkie watched in horror as Gypsum tensed up, with blood starting to stream from her sides.
The mare somehow seemed to smile sadly, before collapsing onto the pavement.

"Gypsum!"

The five of them galloped instantly, rushing through the crowd towards their friend sprawled onto the floor, lying in her own blood.
Primrose could only gasp, covering her mouth with a small tear as they reached their friend, with Autumn already shaking the mare desperately.
"Gypsum! Don't do this to me! Don't do this to me!!"

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Pinkie shouted above all the chaos.

"She's not going to make it, Pinkie!" Harmony responded, her voice almost as loud.
"She's not!"

"She is! She's still alive-"

"Pinkie!" Dresden's voice boomed.
"She lost too much blood! She won't make it!"

"Just because you're always right doesn't mean you have to spit it out!"

"Pinkie!" Primrose cried to her friend. The pink mare was ventilating, her hooves clenched in pure, cold rage, her teeth grinding with fury. Her mane had flattened, covering a part of her wrinkling snout.
"Listen to yourself!"

"Go to Hell!" the mare just shouted, nearly throwing all of them off.
"She's ALIVE, because I know she WILL BE!!"

"STOP IT!" Charter's voice boomed even louder, immediately silencing them.
"Just... get her to the hospital..."

"No!! No!!" Autumn screamed, flailing her hooves about as both Charter and Dresden lifted her cousin up, quickly galloping off with the bleeding mare coughing on their backs.
"You can't take her!! She's not dead!!"

Before she could chase after them, the Patriarch hugged her sister tightly, gripping him into his embrace.
Pinkie could only watch helplessly, tears flowing down her cheeks as well before the mare herself broke down in the middle of the plaza.
Despair thrashed her head around, her eyes flaring red with anger. She cried and cried, her teeth wrenching up before glancing at her friends angrily, her hooves pointing accusingly at them.

"YOU GUYS ARE USELESS!!"

"Pinkie!" Primrose cried, watching the pink mare galloping away.
"Pinkie! Wait!"

Harmony could only look on helplessly as the caramel mare chased after her friend, her heart bleeding with anxiousness and grief.
She turned to Winter, the Patriarch only giving her a look of worry, his sister sobbing loudly in his hooves, pounding angrily onto the pavement.
"She'll be alright," he could only mutter to Autumn, his marefriend wishing for the same.

"At least..." Harmony though to herself. "I hope she'll be..."

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"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life."

Rain pattered onto the black umbrella in his white hoof as Winter Palgiot watched the pristine, white marble coffin being lowered into the muddy ground, his black suit slightly stained with brown splatters across his sleeves.
Through the glass panel on the marble coffin, there laid Gypsum, her eyes closed in eternal peace with colorful flowers aligned around the top of her head. A smile froze onto her lips, nearly outshining the sullen looks of remorse everypony attending the funeral was giving.

The Patriarch sighed. Merry even in the hooves of death.

Autumn stood across him, her face devoid of any emotion. Her black lace veil covered over her eyes, refraining anypony to spot the tears trickling down her face.
Summer didn't attend the funeral, their brother already demanding the police to seek out the murderer.

Harmony was just beside him, the mare staring somberly at her deceased friend. Winter could see it in her eyes: the ferocity of a multiple emotions flaring within her.
The rest of Gypsum's friend held their head in a mournful silence, with the one they call Primrose already breaking down in the cyan one's mane. The pegasus suddenly excused himself, drifting from the group and settling under one of the trees nearby, silently sobbing in the rain.

The pink one, however, was nowhere to be seen.

The Patriarch bit his lip. Winter had seen her powerful, enraged outburst two days ago, which only frightened him a little bit on the inside. He glanced around the black, despairing crowd, unable to spot the tinkle of pink anywhere.
Soon, the crowd parted, the stallion following them back into the palace as well. He turned back, watching solemnly as Harmony huddled along with her friends, gathering around the coffin to say their last prayers.

Climbing up the stairs to the courtyard, the white stallion quickly trotted back into his palace, swerving through the huddling crowd in the process.
There were a few errands he had to solve, particularly to seek out and arrest their cousin's killer.

As he strode down the corridor, his ears perked at the sound of quiet sniffling in the corner, only beckoning him to get closer to it.
Peering from a wall, he let out a silent gasp at the pony before him.

There was the pink mare: the one he was eagerly searching for. Her mane had flattened, losing all of its natural fluff she had retained. The usual bright, energetic aura wasn't there, instead replaced by one of dead sorrow.
Winter felt his cheeks flush. For some reason, she seemed to look more... beautiful this way.

He smacked himself on the forehead. What the heck was he thinking?

"Umm.... miss?" he called out to her, the mare turning towards him instantly.

"W-What do you want?" she asked, almost threateningly.

"I was just seeing... if you're alright."
The Patriarch crept cautiously towards her, holding his breath with his hooves crossed.
"Your friends were looking for you."

"Don't. Talk to me about them!"

Her shout nearly threw him off his hooves, the stallion stopping in his tracks.
"May I ask for your name, at least?"

"P.... Pinkie..."

"Pinkie, huh..."
Winter stood, watching her gazing out of the window, before doing the same. She seemed to have noticed it, as she was now giving him a skeptical look, her eyebrow raised.
"I've seen you around lately."

Pinkie just mumbled something under her breath, her hooves nervously fidgeting about.

The Patriarch sighed. This wasn't going the way he expected it to be.
"Well," he finally said in defeat.
"If there's nothing else, I best be off then."

"Wait!"

He stopped his tracks, turning around as Pinkie fumbled around with her words.
"I mean... um... I.... you..."
She inhaled deeply, calming herself down with a quiver before asking:
"Can you stay here? For a little longer?"

"Well..."
Winter bit his lip. If Harmony ever saw this...
"If you insist then, Miss Pinkie."

The two stood there, gazing out into the courtyard. The mellow drizzle of rain still fell from the sky, the clouds puffed and gray without a single ray of light.
"You're Winter Palgiot, right?" the pink mare suddenly spoke up.
"The one that Harmony said that she was together with."

The Patriarch nearly stumbled, blinking in surprise.
"W-Well... did she t-tell you?"

"Don't worry," she replied nonchalantly.
"I promised I won't tell the rest of them."

"That's good," he said with a relieved sigh.

Silence filled the air once more, the two of them just glancing about awkwardly. There were times where they would meet each other's gaze, only to quickly look away then.
Pinkie suddenly stepped away, turning back to the Patriarch with a grin; the first Winter had ever seen since two days ago.

"Thank you."

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Present Day





"Are you sure about this, Applejack?"

Kanov'hin's uneasiness made the orange mare chuckle, though she understood why.
"Ya'll be fine, Kane. Ya just had to answer a few questions, that's all."

The dragon just glanced around from the center of the ministry boardroom, the chains around his paws attached to an iron post at the side of the pedestal.
His eyes darted around the room, looking at all the ponies frowning down at him. They were the ministers; the same ones he had seen when he had humiliated their Princess.

"All ya have to do is state why ya... well... came to Equestria."
Applejack's voice eased his tenseness, his shoulders relaxing immediately.
The mare turned his chin, her eyes staring into his. He suddenly smiled, prompting her to ask:
"Why the smile, loverboy?"

"I love your accent," he replied.
"It always seemed to amuse me."

"Shut it!" the orange mare nudged, the two laughing quietly.
"Remember. Just answer what they ask and that's it."

Kano'vhin sighed, watching the mare return to the side of the room, accompanied by the yellow pegasus and the stallion, whom he just found out it was her brother. It seemed easy when she said it out like that.
Glancing around the room one more time, he held his breath as a white-maned stallion ruffled his papers. He looked like the oldest out of the group, clearing his throat as he asked his first question:

"Name?"

The dragon couldn't help but snicker under his breath.
"Kanov'hin Selterblade."

"Origin?"

"Badlands. Vohakiin Sector."

The minister wrinkled his nose, before finally asking a question Kano'vhin deemed it as worthy:
"Last week, the Coalition, commanded by you, breached through the borders and invade the imperial city of Canterlot. You forced our great Highness, Princess Celestia, to sign a contract that would bound a firm alliance, yet an unwanted one as well. Is it true?"

"Guilty as charged."

There was a pause, before he asked:
"Is there any main reason behind your invasion?"

The dragon hesitated, before he answered nonchalantly:
"The monarchy in our nation is collapsing. They were weak and crumbling and the Coalition decided to-"

A loud beep interrupted him, signaling him to turn around.
He glanced at his tail, surprised to see something wrapped around it. The rubber appendage was wired to a large machine at the end of the room, making him blink in realization.

"We don't tolerate lies in interrogations, especially major ones."

Kanov'hin wanted to scowl at their face, but he held back.
He turned to Applejack at the side of the room, who gave him an uncertain and apologetic look.

"Now, I shall repeat it one more time."
The minister ruffled his papers, his hooves clenched tighter. He could see the veins bulging out from the stallion's forehead, only telling him how much pressure they were under.
"What is the main intent of your invasion?"

Applejack's nod made him sigh in defeat.
"The Coalition was built by a bunch of dragons, but their elected leader was anonymous."

The stallion moved to the edge of the seat.
"He doesn't have any sort of identity?"

"He never revealed his name and never mentioned anything further than the missions at hand."
Kanov'hin's lips trembled a bit, before continuing:
"This... our leader was still him, whoever or whatever he was. He ordered most of our attacks against the monarchy, as well as providing a systematical way in our movement. It made our movement more powerful than before, yet more defiant as well."

"I was assigned as Commander of the Army a year ago, and was ordered to invade the royal castle a few months ago. We had captured the monarchy successfully, and were planning to propose a government."
"He declined," the dragon continued, "saying it was foolish to even do that. I had to defy though; why not set up a new system when you're powerful enough to overthrow the old one? I requested an audience from the Princess so that, if we win her support, our leader had no choice but to comply."

"Looks like I was wrong at that part then," he finished, almost jokingly.
At the side, Applejack was laughing quietly, earning a hiss from her brother. Kanov'hin smiled at that, feeling content in his heart.

"This leader..."
The ministers, now interested, ruffled the papers in their hooves, discussing among each other.
"Have you had a glimpse of him before?"

"No."

Another loud beep made them raise their eyebrows.
"Fine," Kanov'hin grumbled.
"There was this one time. I had to pass him a report."

"And?"

"He usually doesn't accept things like that, but that time it was different."
The dragon held his breath, fuddling his claws about. He wasn't sure about what he was going to say next.
"I had a small glimpse of him. He was a pony."

That immediately made the whole room gasp, shock filling the already tense atmosphere.
Applejack could only gape in disbelief, the dragon now looking down with doubt.

"Silence!" the leading minister demanded, slamming his gavel on the podium.
The whole room fell quiet, all eyes gazing back at Kanov'hin once more, before the stallion asked:
"Can you describe him?"

"As I said," he clarified, "I only had a glimpse, so I can only give you a brief one."

All the ministers began their notes, their horns glowing brightly with pens lifted into the air.
"Go on," the stallion beckoned, in which the dragon did:

"White coat. Black mane."