Chapter Four - Schemes and Plans
The Canterlot Palace guards on duty the next morning must have been off duty at the party because I detected a certain redness in their eyes even through their uniform spells. I'm sure I saw one of them wince at the sound of my echoing hooffalls on the marble floor of the entrance hall, too. It seemed a bit unfair, but the observation made me doubly thankful that my alicorn metabolism had flushed all the toxins out of my system well before I awoke.
"Your plan succeeded, then?" Celestia asked as I entered the small parlor in her private chambers. I had scrawled a quick note requesting the meeting before tumbling into bed with Luna around midnight, significantly more inebriated than I was accustomed to being.
I covered my mouth with a wingtip as I yawned. "Sorry! I was up pretty late last night."
"You could have slept in."
"No, I wanted to talk with you as soon as possible. There's a lot to get started on."
Her horn flashed and a large carafe of coffee and a platter of croissants appeared on a tray between us. I wasn't in such a rush that I couldn't spare the time to fill a mug while stuffing one of the rolls into my mouth.
Celestia graciously filled the gap in the conversation while I chewed and swallowed. "Your note would suggest that Tempest Shadow is not only willing to give you all the information she can, but would be glad to actively assist you against the Storm King's armada. That is quite an amazing change of attitude. I would like to know how you managed it."
I washed my croissant down with a gulp of coffee and sighed in happiness before I answered. "It's not really a change at all. Tempest is solidly on Tempest's side, and Team Tempest has one primary goal: getting her horn back. I just provided a framework for her to work out a new strategy."
Celestia nodded thoughtfully. "Would giving an amoral, dangerous pony the ability to apply her magic as anything more than a blunt instrument be a wise thing? To say nothing of the cost. I have to point out that Equestria[1] would not cover the fees and materials even if she were not an enemy. What guarantee do you have that she won't betray you once she has what she wants?"
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[1] i.e. Celestia herself. In theory, the Upper House of Parliament could deny any "request" she made, but not many of the comfortable nobles were inclined to commit political suicide.
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She caught me with another mouthful, and I had to make a "not-at-all" gesture with my wings. "Oh yesgh… I mean yes, she probably would double-cross us if it meant she could get an extra biscuit with her tea. Believe me, I understand that her damage only begins with that broken horn! But I'm working the old friendship mojo on her, and I think she could eventually be—" I almost said "a nice pony" and the stupidity of that stuck in my throat like an unchewed bit of croissant. "—a valuable ally. Besides, I've arranged it so that she won’t get what she wants until after we get rid of her old boss."
"Won't she see your withholding her greatest desire as coercion? An unwilling—"
"Oh, no, no no! She knows the cost. I've promised to cover the procedural stuff but that still leaves an enormous fortune in orichalcum and a suitable crystal to somehow get hold of. You see, one of the things that I learned about the Storm King's armada was that it has acquired a large amount of orichalcum. Certainly more than is required for a horn restoration. Tempest is only going to get what she wants after the Storm King is defeated and his treasury thoroughly looted. Our goals are now the same, which leaves no motivation for betrayal. Not immediate betrayal, anyway."
I have to admit that I was feeling fairly smug at that moment.
Celestia bent over her coffee for a moment and then gave me a particular little sideways glance. That told me she was probably going to allude to a subject that we had mutually agreed to avoid at some time in the past. "And the rest of the Storm King's treasury?"
Of course I had plans for it, but I thought that simply blurting out, "I'm keeping it!" wouldn't go over very well with Celestia. I hesitated for so long that her expression became one of slightly worried curiosity. "Twilight?"
I took another croissant and stuffed the whole thing into my mouth to buy a few more seconds to think. I darn near choked on it and had to take a big slug of coffee to wash it down.
"Twilight."
"Uh… ahh… Yes, yes, sorry about that. I… You know my little item acquisition project?[2] Well, it turns out that maybe I shouldn't have been as organized and methodical about pursuing it as I have been up to now."
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[2] The world is littered with powerful magical items that could wreak havoc in the wrong hooves. My "little project" was a concerted effort to locate, acquire,[3] and lock away those items in order to make the world a safer place.
[3] i.e., appropriate, steal, loot, rob, or even buy on rare occasions. Creatures or nations in possession of such items were hardly ever willing to give them up, and that's why basing operations in a lawless free city and flying a pirate flag when necessary was so convenient. When you consider the matter carefully, flying le joli rouge and outright pilfering items is a lot less deceitful than the way that most imperial powers go about acquiring artifacts.
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Celestia was clearly surprised if not shocked by my statement. I hurried on, in order to avoid any discussion of my state of mind. "Since I started out in Zebrica, I've been concentrating my efforts mainly in that area of the world, trying not to leave any isolated spots 'behind the lines,' so to speak. So, I've been completely neglecting places in other regions, mainly to the south and southeast of us." I paused and took a deep breath. "Which is where the Storm King comes from."
I took another big gulp of coffee before I continued. "From what Tempest has told me, the Storm King had the same idea for a little project as I did, and his treasury contains a lot of questionable magical devices. The main difference is that he intends to use the items he acquires for conquest.
"So… The King has collected a lot of things so far, like the staff he wanted to power with our magic. The problem—well, a problem is that I don't know exactly what other unpleasant things he has in reserve, and removing him as a threat is going to be a lot more difficult and dangerous than the little battle we fought here, particularly if I try to take him head-on."
Celestia nodded again. "I take it Tempest didn't provide an itemized list of these things?"
"Unfortunately, she can't. He isn't exactly the trusting sort, and she wasn't with him for all that long. I'll have to deal with them as I encounter them." I let Celestia think it over while I poured myself another half-cup of coffee.
"Tempest thinks that the Storm King will avoid Equestria after this defeat, but I can't afford to rely on her judgment, Twilight. I'm afraid I will have to prepare for another, more powerful attack while appearing to be completely unconcerned."
Over the years I have learned to think through any of Celestia's odd statements before replying. I took a small sip of coffee and then said, without looking up from the cup, "The other monarchs are pretty impressed with Equestria[4] right now. Seeing you scrambling to strengthen our defenses would undermine that." I looked up. "Might even put thoughts in their heads."
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[4] See footnote 1.
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Celestia smiled. "And…?"
"And—" Curse it! That mare always played five moves ahead. "—gearing up for a battle might spur the Storm King into a preemptive attack." She opened her mouth to comment, but I held up a hoof to stop her. "And, a business-as-usual atmosphere will let me easily slip quietly into his territory for the little mission I've planned but haven't told you about yet, but which you've suspected ever since I set hoof in here."
She gave me a sly smile and tapped the floor gently with one hoof in barely audible applause. Then, she teleported away the food and replaced it with a very large map of Equestria and the lands to the south, along with an inkwell and quill holder. "I would love to know the details," she said calmly.
"Well, first I'm going to head back—" I almost said home, but continued on with only the tiniest of pauses which I hoped (no doubt futilely) that Celestia hadn't noticed. "—to Twilight Town, so that I can set out for the south as Captain Blackmane. The fact that Tempest mistook Rarity for Cadance, and seems to have thought that I and Queen Twilight were two different ponies[5] means we have a hayloft full of plausible deniability. No need to drag Equestria's name in the mud if I mess up badly."
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[5] Not as uncommon a mistake as it seems. Even now, Twilight Twinkle of Fillydelphia and The Mad Sorceress of the Blighted Forest occasionally get some of my mail.
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"Or if you succeed in a spectacularly noticeable fashion."
I looked at her over the top of my coffee cup and raised an eyebrow.
"You do intend to make an example of him, don't you? One impressive enough to serve as a warning to future would-be conquerors?"
I sighed. "If blasting a centaur the size of a mountain to Tartarus didn't do the trick, what else could I possibly do to get the point across?"
"The answer to that question is exactly what I'm concerned about, Twilight."
"Testing a hypothesis through experimentation is the only way to find out for sure," I replied with faux cheerfulness. She said nothing. "That was a joke."
She stared at me for a long moment and then it was her turn to sigh. "They don't learn, Twilight. Believe me, there will be an endless supply of avaricious, brutal creatures that will think that they are the exception—that they will be the one to win the world by destroying or devouring everything that stands against them."
I nodded. "That's why I intend to eliminate him as a threat in the most direct and efficient way possible. No need to be showy about it, but if the best way to do that happens to be big and loud, I'm not going to hold back."
Celestia stared into her tea. "Fear leads to hate, Twilight."
I felt a little twinge of resentment at that. "Good ponies have nothing to fear from me—or Captain Blackmane, or Queen Twilight."
She looked up and gave me a completely artificial smile. "That's good to know."
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After my planning session with Celestia, I went back to the embassy and called for a meeting with Nebula's officers. I had a big table set up in the reception hall because I knew that the five creatures I had invited would be outnumbered by the gate-crashers.
I wasn't wrong, but I had still underestimated the number of self-invitees that would be able to get past the embassy's guards.I had expected Luna, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and even Queen Csharreee, but those were only the first to arrive.
When Discord popped in (literally) with Fluttershy in tow, I began to suspect that things were getting out of hoof.
"—and don't think I won't, mister!" Fluttershy appeared in mid rant, pointing a foreleg at Discord's misshapen snoot.
"B-but I'm only thinking of your safety, sweetums!" he protested. From his whining tone, I figured he had already lost the argument, and was trying to weasel into an excuse-laden apology.
"If I stay safe while my friends go into danger, then what does that make me? A coward, that's what! Do you think I'm a coward, Discord?"
Wow. I had seen my tiny, delicate pegasus friend face down some ugly customers in my time, but watching the large and twisty "Lord of Chaos" try to squeeze himself down into a knotted lump beneath her anger was something unique. I briefly considered teleporting in a tub of popcorn.
"No, of course not! But can I at least come along? I want to protect you, darling!"
Fluttershy could recognise abject surrender when she saw it, and she relented immediately. "Oh dear, I know you mean well, but we'll be in disguise and trying to be quiet. You have such a wonderful outgoing and creative personality, that it just wouldn't be fair to you or the mission."
I marveled at the positive spin Fluttershy put on her evaluation of his character. I would have said his prudence and good judgment ranked somewhere south of that of an enraged howler monkey, and that I didn't fancy being exposed because he decided to belch up a school of winged piranha at exactly the wrong moment.
Discord seemed mollified. Evidently, Fluttershy knew what she was doing. She also somehow knew that there was a clandestine mission before most of the rest of the crew. I really needed to improve my security measures. Speaking of which—
I turned to the server who was setting out glasses and pitchers of water and knocked her half-way across the room with an energetic horn blast.
Everyone gasped and silence fell over the room for one blessed instant. Then, the exposed changeling sat up and shook her spinning head, and the excited chatter was even louder than before.
The changeling hadn't even gotten back onto her hooves before I teleported her to a spot a pony length above the reflecting pool in the formal garden on the Blueblood estate. I would normally be a little more tolerant of Princess Chrysalis attempting to poke a spy's snout in my private business, but the events of the past couple of days had frayed my temper a bit.
Khaatarrekket was by my side immediately, saying, "I'm very sorry, Captain! I didn't spot her. Must have had some additional stealth spells on her. How did you know?"
I pointed to the water pitchers and glasses that had been plunked down, seemingly at random, on the sideboard against the wall.
"Ah." Ket nodded, and went to rearrange the glassware into neat, orderly rows. She's the best Third Officer flying, and I won't be told differently.
"Now..." I looked around the overcrowded table and asked, "Is that all, or should I send for more chairs?"
There was a crash from the doorway and a guard gasped out, "I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I couldn't stop her!" as a very upset Cadance strode into the room.
"Twilight!" she called out to me, ignoring everyone else in the room. "We're in danger!"
With a titanic effort, I managed to prevent myself from rolling my eyes. "Could you be a little more specific, please?"
"The Empire! My family, you, we're all in deadly danger. I've seen it!"
"Wait—like a vision? You get visions? Since when?"
She balked at that and looked around the room, as if only then realizing how many creatures were witnessing her outburst. "I… Perhaps we should speak privately."
"Alright. Give me just a second." I turned to the crowd and used my quarterdeck voice, which is slightly less percussive than the Royal Canterlot version. Since Cadance had derailed my meeting I vocally ran down my checklist headings as quickly as possible.
"Ao, Ket, get Nebula resupplied and rearmed as soon as possible for a voyage of indeterminate length and—" I flicked a glance over my shoulder at Cadance. "—indeterminate destination.
"Queen Csharreee, I am honored by your kind offer and I gladly accept your support.
"Girls, pack whatever you think you'll need if you're coming along. This may be a long, unproductive trip, so don't feel obligated. Make sure Tempest gets shown around aboard and settled in. Let Pinkie Pie know that—"
"Oh, she already knows," Applejack interrupted me. "She's aboard right now, stowing supplies in the galley. She'da been here, but she ain't much for this kinda plannin’."
"Uh… Right." I shouldn't have expected anything different. "Now, Sultana Rarity, I know you have your royal duties, and I'm sure Sultan Xahjir wouldn't want—"
Rarity effectively stopped me in my tracks with a single dismissive tsk. "I am not going to miss out on an opportunity to introduce an entirely new hemisphere to the swashbuckling fabulousity that is Silver Mask! My darling husband and I have an agreement on such matters, and he will not object."
Okay then. I gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement. All the necessary boxes had been checked. Except one.
I caught Luna's eye, and made a slight motion of my head. She nodded and stepped back into the shadow behind a tapestry, vanishing like a wisp of smoke.
I trusted the rest of them to work out all the small details without my having gone over them as exhaustively as I had planned. Perhaps my sister-in-law's interruption had been for the best.
"Be prepared to sail tomorrow, an hour after sunset." I turned and strode toward the door to the private wing of the embassy. "Spike, Cadence, with me."
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