Chapter 3 - Rogue on the Run
He watched as the guards took his mate back to the farmhouse and their foal. He could feel her frustration even from this distance.
She wants answers. Answers I cannot yet give. He frowned. I can still feel the Nightmare's taint on her. She is a fighter, though. He smiled and slipped back into the forest. Something I definitely like about her.
.....
The next morning, he donned a cloak he stole off a wash line on the edge of the town. He needed more information about what was going on in Equestria, and to do that he needed to check the town itself. After dropping a few bits off to pay for his borrowing of the traveling cloak, he concealed his noticeable colors and trotted into town.
Spying doesn't normally consist of breaking into places to steal information locked in a safe behind countless armed guards. The best sources of information are acquired simply by walking in a public place and listening. Thus, this was his start. It paid off; by the time he made one circuit of the town square he had a general idea that Princess Celestia was still around, and her sister Princess Luna was nearly defeated by a mind-controlled Twilight not two months ago. That would put it generally around when the Nightmare took Twilight from him.
It still did not confirm that the Nightmare wasn't ruling Equestria - the Royal Guard were still out for him, and he did attack a pony looking remarkably like the Nightmare in what he was assuming to be Canterlot Palace.
This did not bode well, for him at least.
He made a few discreet inquiries of the occasional passing pony. An emerald unicorn mare with a lyre cutie mark lounging on a park bench beside a cream-colored earth pony... a pair of Pegasi teasing each other... his best bet came from a chestnut earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie mark who just chuckled at him before pointing him down a side street toward the library.
Confusing, but helpful, especially when he saw the sign in front of it...
"Twilight..." He muttered. "So she was that Twilight... no wonder the Nightmare wanted her." He shook his head at the irony of fate before trotting inside. Certainly the most powerful unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded would make the perfect mother. Still, it was yet another reason he had to protect her.
"Welcome to Books and Branches." An older Earthpony mare answered from behind a desk. Her russet fur wasn't wrinkled, but the way she carried herself and the look in her steel grey eyes behind wire-frame reading glasses gave testament to her age. "Can I be of assistance?"
"Hello there. I am Mr. Key from Canterlot, here doing some research on some of the most powerful Unicorns."
"Heh. You're here to learn about Lady Sparkle, aren't you?" The pale green mare smiled up at him.
"Naturally. Celestia's star pupil, defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord? She's the standard by which all unicorns are now matched against!" He gleefully smiled, laying it on thick, of course, but he had to play the part.
The Librarian smiled, standing and stretching. "You young-in's today. Especially you unicorns. Of course, I knew I'd have to deal with you all when I took this job, I consider it doing my part." She motioned for him to follow, leading him to a nook in the back of the main floor. "This here's the Twilight Sparkle shelf. A lot of the spells and research she worked on were confiscated by the Royal Guard when she was declared dead, But we have some of her stuff that was released by the Princesses. We also have a fair number of her Friendship Reports."
"Friendship Reports?" He asked, genuinely confused.
"Of course. When Princess Celestia first stationed her here, she managed to find and use the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon." The Librarian went into lecture mode. "The key component that enabled her to use such powerful artifacts was friendship, but young Twilight didn't really know the first thing about friendship. So, the Princess ordered her to stay here and study the magic of friendship that allowed her to use the Elements. She became quite the town hero over the two years she was here."
"Sounds like you are quite fond of this one particular Canterlot unicorn." He smirked.
The mare nodded shyly. "Well, we did have our problems with her once or twice... but her heart was in the right place. When her antics did cause damage, she helped pay for it from her royal stipend."
He nodded, walking down the shelves and plucking a random scroll and reading it.
"I'll let you get to your research, Mr. Key. I'll be by the front desk if you need me."
"Thank you, Ma'am." He smiled politely and eagerly got to work.
.....
"... ugh... your turn, Pinkie..."
Twilight rolled over, pulling the blankets close as soft crying filled her ears.
"Nope-Nope, Miss Sleepy-Sleepy-Head!"
The blankets disappeared, and Twilight sat upright. "Wha-huh?"
The crying stopped and Twilight beheld Pinkie Pie standing at the foot of her bed, a bouncing baby unicorn literally bouncing on the pink party pony's posterior.
With a bounce, a giggle, and a slide, Moonlight slipped into her mother's hooves.
"It's time to get up. 'shy wants you outside getting some fresh air today. Even Dashie promised not to let any mind-controlled-meany-pony disturb you."
Twilight yawned, levitating her daughter onto her back as she slipped from bed. "Ah. Pinkie, what would I do without you?"
"Go even more crazy?"
The mother shot a glance at her friend who just smiled innocently. "Pinkie... we're both certifiable."
"I know! Mine came in the mail today!" Out of nowhere, she produced a certificate. Sure enough, it stated that Pinkie Pie was legally insane.
Twilight wasn't even surprised anymore.
"Come on, Twilight! Gotta get you and little moonie out on the front porch for breakfast! I wanted to make waffles with strawberries, but we didn't have any strawberries, so I spent an hour looking for strawberries, but then I thought what about blueberries? But it's better to put the blueberries IN the waffles, and I got to thinking what about blueberry waffles with strawberries?"
Pinkie followed Twilight as she went through her morning routine. After two years of being Pinkie's friend, she had long ago learned how to turn her out when she went on a long-winded rant like this.
"But then I remembered we didn't have any strawberries, so I started looking for more strawberries, and I did find some cherries all the way out from Dodge City, but there is supposed to be the word 'straw' in front, but then I remembered that while they sound the same cherries are cherries and strawberries are berries, so I went looking for the straw to put in the berries."
Moonlight did find Pinkie's droning entertaining, however, so the unicorn could only smile as she stepped outside and slipped into Granny Smith's old rocking chair, cradling Moonlight for her morning feed.
"Pinkie."
"... and then I told Gummy that what he was doing was NOT how you make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake... Huh?"
"Breakfast." She tapped an armrest with a forehoof, before motioning to the content Moonlight.
"Oh. Here ya go." She produced waffles... with strawberries and honey.
"Thank you, Pinkie."
"No problem!" She bounced back inside, leaving Twilight to enjoy her breakfast and watch the sun climb into the sky.
In the front yard of the farm, Big Mac and Applebloom were working on one of the old plows, with the large stallion holding one side of it up, and the young mare nosed underneath it doing something to the blade.
Farther out in the distance, Applejack could be seen pointing several farmhands toward several trees that needed tending too.
And still further out, Rainbow Dash was lazily flying a circuit with a pair of armored Guards.
"I saw them bring you in, last night." The soft, kind voice spoke from behind her.
Twilight said nothing.
"You went to look for him, didn't you?" The voice of Kindness continued.
"Yes. I had to know. For Moonlight's sake."
"Did you get your answer?" Fluttershy sat beside her.
"I did. It is Moonlight's father." She nodded slowly.
"Do you know what he's after?"
Twilight frowned, thinking back to the dream she had last night.
"Twilight?"
"He said he wants to ensure our daughter is safe. He was quiet, evasive. I still can't remember him, but there was definitely something familiar about his voice."
Fluttershy placed a hoof on her side when she paused.
"I think he might be suffering from some sort of brainwashing as well."
"Could he be dangerous?"
Twilight set the tray aside and held her daughter close. "I don't know."
.....
Dear Princess Celestia,
I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala.
"Heh..." The Stallion rolled the scroll back up and replaced it on the bookshelf, plucking down another further down the line. He smiled as he read;
Dear Princess Celestia, I have learned a very valuable lesson about friendship: I was so afraid of being thought of as a showoff that I was hiding a part of who I am. My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off... Especially when you're standing up for your friends.
It was rather hard for him to imagine the quiet, determined mare being shy and reclusive. But of course, in all the time that he knew her, they were both under the control of one of the most evil entities in Equestria.
Then again, becoming a mother does tend to change a mare.
He read another;
Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; It's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
"Too true..." He muttered to himself. Replacing the scroll, he opened a book and began reading several of the spells Twilight created over the years. He didn't mind that he had been distracted - entering town to learn about the current situation between Celestia and Nightmare Moon - he was now learning about Twilight Sparkle.
He paused. Yes, he had to admit it. He not only felt responsible for his daughter, he was falling for her.
He shook his head, snapping the book shut and replacing it just as the front door opened. A quick glance confirmed it wasn't a guard looking for him, but another unicorn mare. A rather properly dressed one, with what could only be a hoof-made dress adorning her.
"Good morning! How can I help you, sweetie?" The Librarian politely greeted the visitor.
"Oh, Darling, I'm quite fine for the moment. It's just been so long since I've been here." The white unicorn looked around. "The place has changed, I must confess."
"Well, there had to be some renovations after the Library was renamed."
The newcomer put a hoof to her chin. "Well, I am spending a few bits on charity to make up for leaving my friends, I might be able to do something with this place. Perhaps some tapestries, new rugs (I can't believe Twilight even kept that one)..." She muttered on about redecorating the place.
Both the Stallion and the Librarian exchanged looks.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "I do apologize for intruding, but did you know Miss Sparkle?"
The white mare with cobalt blue mane practically beamed at him. "Oh, of course, darling! I was one of her close friends. Lady Rarity, Owner of Carousel Boutiques, and Bearer of the Element of Generosity." She held out a hoof which he took and politely kissed. "Oh! Such refinement, you're not from around here, are you?"
"Mr. Key is from Canterlot." The Librarian answered for him. "He's here doing research on famous unicorn sorcerers."
He just nodded in agreement.
"Well, I don't mean to brag." Rarity smiled. "But Twilight was perhaps the most powerful unicorn in existence. The things I've seen her do... well, as you know she did challenge Nightmare Moon not once, but twice! And she even stood up to Discord!" She frowned. "Saved me from one of his stupid spells..."
"I've been reading her study on the magic of friendship." He regained her attention with a soft smile. "I'm fascinated by such a concept."
"Oh, I've never really understood it myself." She walked among the bookshelves. "I'm a dressmaker, not a scholar like Twilight. But what I've understood is that ponies don't give friendship the respect it deserves. It has certainly helped me quite a bit over the years." She smiled. "Helped me to understand and respect my baby sister, helped me overcome some of my own faults, and allowed me to successfully help my own friends in turn."
"Did it help you in your own battles alongside Twilight?"
"Oh, most assuredly." She beamed. "Without us working together, the Elements wouldn't even function!"
He nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. That would be another explanation why the Nightmare targeted Twilight. Remove the lynchpin, and the only weapon able to fight her wouldn't function.
Inwardly, Rarity was thinking the same thing. It would explain why the Nightmare was so sure of herself when she allowed Twilight to attack Princess Luna. She expected to win.
"I do thank you for your time, Lady Rarity. You've given me some wonderful insight for my research." He smiled politely.
"Oh, of course, Mr. Key! I am only too glad to be of help!"
He once again took her hoof and gave it a gentle kiss, before giving the Librarian his goodbyes.
.....
"You know I've never been one for waiting." Rainbow grumbled aloud.
"Yes, sugercube, we know." Applejack replied, poking the wooden supports to the cover of a nearby well. Not only did it need a new coat of paint, but the entire thing might need replaced. She made a mental note to ask Caramel about it later.
"We just got Twilight back, she's got a foal now, and here comes this Stallion who wants to do Celestia-knows-what to her!" The guard officer snarled.
"I figured they'd teach ya some patience in that high'n'mighty school the Royal Guard have."
The cyan pegasus mare shot her old friend a glare. "They also taught us not to fight on the enemy's terms. He's out there, right now, planning something. I can feel it! We need to nail him before he can do whatever he wants to Moonlight!"
She merely shook her head and limped off, continuing her rounds of the farm. "Dunno why you're confiding all this in me. We haven't exactly been on speaking terms in a long while."
"Yeah, well, I remember you're the only one who could even come close to my awesomeness." Dash shrugged, hovering slightly over Applejack's right.. "It's not like I can tell my squadron. I gotta maintain distance, yanno?"
"Umhmm..." Applejack nodded slowly. "So, what could that stallion be up to?"
"I dunno, but that's the whole point!" The armored mare shook her head in frustration. "He could be one of the Nightmare's backup plans, out to grab Moonlight and take her to the moon so the Nightmare can still get her new body!"
"That does sound logical." Applejack conceded the point.
"Yeah, or he could be out for revenge... to do something bad to Twilight and Moonlight for defeating her!"
"Now you're sounding paranoid."
"I'm a Royal Guard now, A.J., I'm paid to be paranoid!"
The earth pony shrugged. "Or, he could be another prisoner who's broken loose, and is struggling to make sense of his newfound freedom like Twilight."
"... that too..." Rainbow finally settled to the ground. "But the point is we don't know and that's what's getting to me."
"Princess said to wait." A.J. pointed out. "And Fluttershy says that leaving Twilight alone for any length of time is dangerous. She's still strugglin' to make sense of those memories rattling loose in her head, and we don't know what other surprises the Nightmare left in her noggin'."
Her friend nodded slowly. "Well I don't like it."
"But you'll obey. Kinda comes with that whole military thing." A.J. smirked.
"Yeah, well, I still don't have to like it." Rainbow humphed.