//------------------------------// // 12 - Mail Delivery // Story: Storm Of Secrets // by Beware The Carpenter //------------------------------// There was a flash of lightning from the east; and then the clouds gave way and a gray pegasus plummeted toward the Wonderbolts— well, plummeted into them would be more exact. Whoever she was, she was going way too fast, or couldn't see where she was going, or both. Whatever the reason, she came out of nowhere and crashed into Soarin, who crashed into Wave Chill, who crashed into Firestreak, who crashed into Rapidfire, as a wall of spontaneous thunder broke sarcastically over the cloud field. “Sorry.” groaned Derpy, untangling herself from the wondrous mess she had made. “Derpy?” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Hi Rainbow Dash” croaked Derpy as she waved with one hoof and rubbed her head with the other, while her eyes seemed to spin in opposite directions. “What are you doing here? Can't you see we're training?” “I have a letter for you. It’s from Celestia.” Dash spun around for a quarter of a moment, biting her bottom lip while her mind screamed a brief but violent session of profanity. Sending someone out here to find her, rather than wait a few hours for her to get back to Canterlot, meant Celestia was rather eager to see her, presumably about what used to be a nice, shiny theater. She spun back around and pasted on a big fake smile, “What does it say Derpy?” “Hold on, I'll get it for you” Derpy turned around to the mail-bag on her flank and tried several times to open it; failing because she was trying to open it from the bottom. Dash realized before Derpy did that the leather strap connecting the bag to Derpy's harness was twisted, and the mail bag was being worn upside-down with the bag's mouth hanging open. Eventually it dawned on Derpy that she was holding the mail bag upside-down. She unhooked the bag from her harness (almost dropping it in the process) and stuck her mussel inside looking for Dash's letter, finally realizing it was empty. Derpy's ears drooped and her hooves shook slightly as she held out the empty bag for Dash to see. “You idiot!” cried Lightning Streak behind Derpy. “You're a bucking mail-mare and you can't even deliver one letter without losing it?” echoed Misty. “I'm sorry.” pleaded Derpy, “I was just picking up the mail from the Canterlot post office when a pony ran in and said there was a letter from the Princess that had to be given to you right away. I was the only mail-pony there so I took it, but then you weren't at your usual place and so it took me a long time to find you and somewhere between those big clouds over there,” she gestured helplessly, “I must have... dropped your mail.” Dash stared open mouthed, somehow uncertain whether she was having remarkably good or bad luck; then the bag's mouth turned slightly, and Dash noticed two things. The first, was that flying through the clouds had left the inside of the bag very wet. The second, was that there was a letter stuck to the inside of the bag's lip. No one else had seen it. Dash lunged forwards, and pushed the mailbag into Derpy's chest, “Go away!” “I'm sorry,” pleaded Derpy, “Please don't be angry, I was trying to help.” “Forget it! You've done enough, now SHOO!” Derpy slowly attached her mail-bag back to her harness, withered under the judgmental glares of the Wonderbolts and left without another word. Dash tried to swallow back the guilt she was feeling, and after the second or third time she succeeded. After all, she had bigger things to worry about. “We should go back to Canterlot.” suggested Wave Chill, “That letter was probably important. We might need to go back for an emergency performance, or to get our pictures taken or something.” “No.” Dash countered, turning around and pointing to Ponyville, “I have a friend who lives there whose one of Celestia's protégées, with a dragon who can teleport messages. You guys stay here and do two hundred laps of the field, I'll get Spike to send a letter saying hers got lost; and get a repeat in half the time it would take us to reach Canterlot.” This was perfect. Celestia always had a soft spot for Twilight and Spike; so if she knew those two were standing right next to Dash she would probably go really soft on her, right? Besides, Celestia was angry, and didn't believe her about the phosphorous; Dash felt it would be a really good thing that she would be more than a hundred miles from anyone Celestia could get to arrest her except Twilight; but she wouldn't actually hold her against her will, would she? Dash began her decent, trying to think of what she was going to say to Twilight... and... maybe how to apologize to Derpy. …......................................................................................................................................... Shining Armor bounded around the trunk of a large tree, he could see Twilight about thirty paces off but she hadn't seen him yet; if he did this right she never would. Shining Armor picked up speed and zeroed in toward his sister, who turned to face him seconds before he reached her, her sweet lavender eyes filling with terror. “DON'T!” she cried, but it was too late. One of the razor sharp swords Shining Armor was levitating flashed forward and caught her across the neck, cutting the jugular and spraying blood in every direction. She wasn't dead yet though, as she hit the forest floor she screamed with all the strength she had left, “PLEASE, STOP! IT'S ME!” That hateful voice! Shining Armor wouldn't listen to it again; he would end it. “LIAR!” he yelled as he brought his other sword swooping down, severing her head from her body. As the head rolled across the forest floor the purple body went into spasms; Shining Armor began hacking with both swords, rending flesh and gore until it was beyond recognition. He continued trampling his sister’s corpse even after it had stopped moving; splattering layer upon layer of her blood unto his pure white coat. WHAT HAD HE DONE!?! Shining Armor looked down to see his coat had turned a dark red, soaked with his sister's blood! He yelled, and shook and kicked against the sheets, trying to get the awful redness off him. But the red wasn't coming off, it would NEVER come off! He would be guilty of his sister's blood for the rest of his life! “Shining Armor?” Shining Armor looked up; to see the decapitated head was floating off the ground, talking to him, mocking him, accusing him with silent words of death. He clamped his eyes shut and hid his face under his hooves. “Shining Armor, are you alright?” He forced himself to look again. The head looked concerned, had regrown a body, and was standing in the doorway next to Spike. The head spoke again, “Are you OK? You look like you've seen a ghost?” A dream… ? But if his sister was still alive, whose blood was he covered in? “You’re not dead?” he gasped. Twilight's eyes showed she was worried, but she tried to make her voice sound calm and comforting. “I'm alright B.B., you were having a nightmare.” “Then why am I covered in blood?” Twilight looked confused for a moment; then tried to explain, “You’re not covered in blood you’re covered in sweat. Your fur is red because you swapped bodies with your friend, remember? You’re in Ponyville now, it's Wednesday, and everything's OK; it was just a nightmare. Princess Celestia said there might be unforeseen side effects, you do remember, don't you?” Shining Armor was slowly starting to remember, but the dream had seemed so real. For now it seemed he hadn't murdered his only sister and that was enough for him. With his heart still pounding, he checked one more time and realized he wasn't really covered in blood. Getting up from the floor beside the bed he threw his trembling hooves around his younger sister's neck. “Thank you for not being dead.” “You're welcome, I'm glad I'm not dead too.” Twilight's fear was giving way to relief but it was nothing compared to what her brother was feeling. “I love you Twilight.” “I love you too.” Suddenly there was a crashing sound and a vaguely familiar rainbow-maned pegasus fell through an open window, talking quickly. She shouted something about needing to borrow a spike; took one look at them, and her eyes went wild, “WHAT!? HOW COULD YOU!? LIAR!” That was all Shining Armor could make out before she threw the nearest book at them, and then left in tears. “...Well that was random,” he said finally, closing the window and turning to Twily; “Have you got any idea what-” Twily was already running to the front door, then stopped only briefly to look at him; “I don't know what's wrong, but Rainbow Dash was obviously upset and so she needs our help.” Shining Armor watched his sister gallop out the door, sighed and took three steps to canter after her and then Spike stopped him at the door, holding out a parchment. “A letter came for you when you were sleeping; don't know who it's from though.” Shining Armor ripped off the seal from Mute Wind and his eyes began breezing over the scroll then stopped, and he started again more slowly, reading every word carefully as his lips pressed together in a hard line and his ears flattened against his head. He finished the letter; then threw it into a corner. “Spike, stay here; start packing saddlebags with food—whatever you can find that can be eaten on the move, will last a few days, and won't require preparation. Pack as much as you’re able and keep doing that until we get back, and get some blankets as well.” He thew the door back open and began galloping, “Twily!” he called, glimpsing her tail disappear down the end of the street, “Twily!” …............................................................................................................................................ Storm felt as though he was spinning, not just one way, but like his organs were spinning clockwise, his bones counter-clockwise, and his skin was doing somersaults. Ponies couldn’t vomit, but Storm still felt like he was emptying his stomach into his lungs, bladder and brain simultaneously. Nevertheless, he would gladly have felt that way for as long as possible, if it meant delaying his arrival at the destination on the other side of his portgem. The sensation of spinning stopped almost as suddenly as it had begun and Storm felt moist earth under his body. He closed his eyes, hoping against hope that he was still in the palace or even Fillydelphia, but the smell of the rotting trees was unmistakable. He was home. After a long moment he opened his eyes, to see an endless sea of dense trees stretching in every direction. Their branches were twisted into cruel, demented shapes, but Storm knew that they were just coverings for the things that hid behind them. They had to get inside before they were seen. Storm looked beside him to where Cadance sat dumbly, looking around at the trees as though she were expecting to find Fillydelphia hidden under a branch or inside one of the tree hollows. Storm tried to speak but she didn't hear, instead she rose on shaky hooves and started spinning in slow circles, trying in vain to take in their surroundings, then looked back at Storm as if hoping for some sort of answer. Storm steadied himself and tried to push to his hooves, but sharp pains ran up his legs and he collapsed. Again he tried to rise, this time he almost made it until the hawk of one of his front legs gave way underneath him. He began falling forwards and braced himself for agony knowing that any one of the twigs beneath him could easily tear open the fragile flesh on his chin or throat. But before he hit the ground Cadance was suddenly under him; supporting his chest with her neck, she slowly raised him to his hooves and helped steady him. Not taking the time or effort to try to thank her, Storm took one shaky step and then another toward a large hill crowned with several dead trees. He probably wouldn't have made it if Cadance hadn't walked beside him every step of the way, supporting him with her own body. Storm stopped at the foot of the hill and tried to muster his telekinetic energy, but failed. His heart sank in despair but then he remembered the confused mare by his side. At least now she was paying attention; if he couldn’t give her verbal instructions, maybe there was another way he could tell her what to do. Storm mustered his energy once again; it was faint, but just enough to make a little light dance along the forest floor. She didn't see it. He tried again and this time the small light caught her attention. Finally, when Storm had almost passed out from exhaustion, Cadance finally realized that the light was moving up and down a length of rope, hidden under the fallen leaves. Cadance's horn glowed brightly as she raised the rope and, seeing nothing better to do, pulled; making a section of the hill rolled back like a canvas, revealing a gaping black mouth that led into the side of the hill. “Inside.” whispered Storm, hoping they hadn't already been spotted.