Fourth Lesson- Forward to Fort Dash!
“Oh my word!” Posey gasped, looking at all of the massive buildings all around her. “This place is so big!”
Having outrun the apodian swarm that had been chasing them, the six girls had followed the rail tracks on to Fort Rainbow Dash. Having had a tense run-in with the merry-go-round ponies who guarded the city (Twilight still couldn’t believe Applejack had started a fight over the captain’s remark about the length of the filly’s tailbow), the six harmony candidates had been granted access to the city.
“Well, whatddya think of my home, girls?” Firefly asked proudly. “It’s the safest, most efficiently run community in all of Ponyland!”
“Yep, just the place anyone would want to live!” Applejack snorted, watching a squadron of earth pony hoplites march by in lock-step formation. “Your senate and your Acherons doing all of your thinking for you, don’t have to waste time thinking for yourself.”
“You just watch yer trap, AJ!” Firefly snorted, her mane bristling up. “You don’t hear me insulting your home town, now do you?”
“That’s because I’ve never told you where my hometown is,” the orange filly snapped back, narrowing her eyes. “And don’t think I’m about to, now!”
“Calm down, girls!” Twilight told them, desperately trying to keep some peace amongst the group. “We’re not here to argue! We need to make our way to the Rainbow Crystal Castle to meet up with Cadence!”
The six fillies trotted through the open pathway of the forum, passing the stalls of several traders with all sorts of exotic goods at their stalls. Ponies haggled over everything from vegetables to tools, swapping one set of goods they needed for another.
“Ohhh, all this arguing doesn’t seem like any fun!” Surprise sighed, watching as to ponies bickered over the value of a bushel of corn. “No way a pony can have a good time fighting all the time!”
“It’s called bargaining, Surprise,” Glory explained, as the hyper Pegasus zipped around above her head. “They haggle over the value of each of their goods, until both sides come to an agreement on their product’s value so they can trade. My mum does it all the time with her dresses.”
“Still sounds boring!” The white filly snorted. “Guess that’s why mom said I should never go into business!”
As they continued walking, Posey noticed about two dozen ponies in the forum off in a tent by themselves, surrounding a set of small statues of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The ponies bowed their heads to the statues in reverence, closing their eyes in humblest prayer.
“Twilight?” Posey asked, pointing a hoof at the equines at their odd little ritual. “What are those ponies doing over there?”
“Ponygans, Posey. Worshipers of Celestia and Luna, followers of the old Equestrian religion. They aren't Zorypothian Horsemastists, like the rest of us are,” she replied, looking at the pitiful gathering sadly. “So few of their kind is left now, it’ll be sad to see their faith die out.”
"Eh, they all just look weird to me," Firefly shrugged, "but whatever they wanna believe is cool."
They continued on for a short while longer, before arriving at the steps of the Rainbow Crystal castle. As they began to ascend the pathway to the acropolis, a familiar Pegasus pony flew down the steps to greet them.
"Firefly?" the filly asked, flapping down beside the pink Pegasus. "Firefly, is that you?"
"Medley!" Firefly exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the other pony. "I'm so glad you came down here ta see us in!"
"Hello old friend!" Medley smiled, slowly pulling away. "It is so wonderful to see you again!"
"Friend of yours, Firefly?" Glory asked. "You two seem to know each other!"
"Huh? Oh!" the pink Pegasus asked, looking back at her friends. "Girls, this Medley. She and I have been friends since we were fillies." She gestured towards the group with her hoof. "Medley, this is Twilight, Posey, Surprise, Glory, and Applejack! They're my fellow harmony candidates, and my friends.
"Salutations." Twilight Shine replied.
"Hi!" Surprise giggled.
"Hello." Glory whinnied politely.
"Yo." Applejack greeted simply.
"Um, uh, hello..." Posey replied quietly.
"Hiya!" She waved to the five of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, though I didn't realize the candidate of kindness was a flutter."
"Uh, yeah, about that..." Twilight replied, as the yellow flutter blushed and looked away. "It's kind of a long story, and I really think we should go see the Margrave and the Princess right now."
"Come right this way, they've been expecting you," Medley motioned them up the stairs, "and boy do they have a doozy to talk to you girls about."
The six girls followed the Pegasus up and through the large bronze doors. As they trotted inside, a large domed chamber carved of crystal quartz spread out before them. Beautiful translucent columns lined the sides of the circular chamber, while sunlight poured in from the open oculus above, bathing the light in rainbow colors that reflected off the crystal walls.
"Great Horsemaster..." Twilight whispered, almost speechless. "It's so beautiful..."
"Yes, a marvelous tribute to our city's high culture, and refined civilization!" a Pegasus noted, coming down the steps on the far side of the room. "Although we may not have built it, we have maintained and improved upon the rainbow Crystal Castle for centuries!"
Even though Twilight had never met this pony before, the Pegasus's reputation preceded her.
"Margrave Starshine! It is an honor to meet you!" The pink unicorn trotted up to meet her at the bottom of the staircase, bowing politely. "We are truly grateful to be in your city, and will be happy to assist you with whatever problems are being inflicted upon your noble herd."
"Very well said, my good Twilight!" a pleased margrave replied. "And we are pleased to have the celebrated harmony bearers amongst us. And even more pleased that our own good Firefly is among your number!"
"Awww, ya don't have ta be so nice, yer Excellency..." Firefly blushed from embarrassment. "I don't deserve that kinda praise!"
"Nonsense, my dear! It is your ancestor's bravery and courage that inspires us all!" Starshine replied, looking up and a crystalline engraving of the rainbow maned harmony bearer on the side of the dome. "From the House of Rainbow Dash has sprung proud senators and soldiers, ponies who gave their all for horsemaster and country! And you are the latest of that proud line, who will represent our herd amongst the new harmony bearers!"
"Not to interrupt, my lady," Glory inquired politely, "but where is Princess Cadence and her entourage? We thought they would be here."
"They have gone ahead to look into this matter, which I shall ask all of you to do, as well," the Margrave sighed wearily. "As you may or may not have heard, several dozen colts and fillies have gone missing over on the western side of Fort Rainbow Dash."
"What? They just vanished?" Applejack asked in shock. "Those poor children!"
"Disappeared without a trace, miss Applejack." Starshine nodded. "It began about six months ago- several foals began to vanish on their way to and from school, never arriving for their classes or back home for supper in the evening."
"Are there any clues to what might have happened to them?" Twilight Shine inquired. "Have your hoplites or centurions found any leads?"
"Not much, I'm afraid." The margrave shook her mane. "The only thing we've been able to correlate is that most of them disappeared around the stickleway."
"The what now?" AJ asked, confused.
"The stickleway, it's Fort Rainbow Dash's black market district," Medley offered. "Ponies can go down there and barter for things that we do not speak of in polite society.
"The district is full of goblins and diamond dogs and other n'er do wells prowling about," Starshine told them. "We fear that it might be some evil mage, capturing young ponies for their own sinister purposes."
"How simply dreadful!" Posey exclaimed, horrified. "Oh Twilight, we simply must rescue those poor foals!"
"Ugh, I cannot stand the thought of helpless children suffering- we'll do whatever we can," Twilight told the Margrave. "Where are the Princess and the stallions right now?"
"They went to question the parents of the two latest fillies to vanish- two teens named Magic Hat and Jingle Pocket," Starshine whinnied. "I shall have one of my guards escort you there, if you wish."
"I'd love to help your harmony bearers out too, miss Shine," Medley told her. "I would be honored to assist you in rescuing those missing foals."
"Posey, Glory, Medley... you three go with the guard, see if you can be of any assistance to the princess and the boys." Twilight turned to the other girls. "Firefly, Applejack, and I will trot our way down to the stickleway, and see if we can learn anything in the black market."
"It's a rough neighborhood down there, Twilight. We need ta be careful," Firefly warned her. "But I know of a dive in the stickleway we can get some info... a place called the Whispering Whirlgig."
"You frequent places like that a lot, Firefly?" Glory inquired sarcastically. "Anything else we should know about you?"
"Hey, just because I'm a goody-good, doesn't mean I haven't gotten my hooves dirty," the pink Pegasus snorted. "And these two will need my help in they're gonna survive down there!"
"Thanks, Firefly." Twilight continued. "While we're doing that, Surprise, you-" The pink unicorn suddenly looked around. "Hey, just where exactly is Surprise?"
"Oh great." Applejack snorted. "She's gone again."
"Why am I not surprised?" Firefly asked, rolling her eyes. "She's probably in some poor trader's stall, hopping around and smashing his flugal horns."
"Don't be so mean to her, Firefly," Posey replied softly, gently flexing her flutter wings. "She may be a little flighty, but Surprise mean well."
"Girls, we really don't have time to worry about that," Twilight snorted. "Let's all head to where we need to be. She'll be safe here in town."
"Good luck to all of you, ladies!" Starshine called out as the two groups trotted off in different directions. "And may the horsemaster watch over you all!"
…
“La-la-la-la! Wheee! This is fun!” the white Pegasus giggled. “I really wish the other girls had come with me!”
Surprise zipped happily along through the streets of Fort Rainbow Dash, flying in small loops, and laughing at all the funny looking ponies she saw. Flapping her way into a back alleyway, the ditzy blonde landed near a graffiti-covered brick wall.
“Gee, I really don’t know where I am,” the carefree pony whinnied, starting to get a bit concerned. “I wonder where he other girls went…”
“Hello there, little pony….” a voice hissed as several of the bricks in the wall slipped open, revealing a hidden passage. “Would you care to come inside and have some fun?”
“I’m always up for fun, yeah!” the white Pegasus looked at the doorway suspiciously. “But who the heck are you?”
Suddenly, a hideous humanoid with green skin stepped into the doorway, dressed in the red and green outfit of a jester.
“I’m the apple-cross goblin!” the malformed horror hissed at her. “And I’d just love to have you in for dinner!”
The fillies eyes suddenly went wide with horror.
“Aiieeeeeeee! Somebody help me!” Surprise screamed, spinning around and horse-kicking the goblin backwards through the doorway. “Some weirdo in a wall is trying to EAT MEEEE!”
The white Pegasus zoomed away from the alley as the goblin pulled itself back to its feet.
“Baaah! Foolish pony!” the creature scowled, remembering how stupid his pony employers accused goblins of being. “She was too old to be a sacrifice to the cult of Celestia anyway!”
Grumbling at the unfairness of the world, the foul creature closed up the passageway once more.