//------------------------------// // Gathering Storm // Story: Marks of Harmony // by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch //------------------------------// Gdocs Version Marks of Harmony Part 8 It had been over three thousand years since Luna had set a hoof in the Valley of War. Longer still had been the day she could recall it ever being a bustling hive of activity. Yet now, each of these memories was forced out to make room for the one currently being stored in her mind. The valley in question was actually the very same one which was known primarily for Canterlot and Ponyville. However, its northern portion was famed not for any town or grand palace, but a fortress rumored to be guarded by ancient magics put in place by the Princesses themselves. In the minds of most ponies, it was an ancient relic that reminded everypony now and again of the respect their monarchs demanded from power alone. Luna was well aware of Celestia’s sentiments on the issue, but had managed to convince her of the wisdom of not razing the castle to the ground. As it stood, even though they were not necessarily preparing for war, it had proved useful as both a gathering point and a way in which to set the proper tone amongst the armies. These very armies Luna now strode amongst, eliciting stalwart salutes as the ponies scrambled to present themselves in an admirable manner. Luna smiled at each and every one of them. It would do them good to have her well-wishes, especially since both sisters had agreed it would be best if the majority of the armies had no knowledge of their objective. Any mention of Nightmare Moon—even if only tangentially—would be enough to lay to waste any trust the Army of the Moon had in her. That being said of course, while it was clear her soldiers had put their full trust in her militaristic capabilities, Luna could not say the same of herself to her ponies. It was one problem Luna had foreseen even before her regress into Nightmare Moon. With the peace in Equestria stimulated by the Elements of Harmony, the need for a standing army diminished to the point of only a Royal Guard being required. This was certainly less burdensome on the economics of the government, but its consequence was presently rearing its ugly head. As Luna cast warm smiles on ponies gathered in small groups around fires, she hid her concerned frown at the state of their equipment. Under the system Celestia had developed under Luna’s absence, the military was maintained in a rather unorthodox manner. Effectively, there was no standing army. Instead, ponies wishing to serve Equestria in her time of need were given basic training and thereafter sent back home with armor and weapons. These were theirs to maintain and to drag out if the call for the armies was ever sounded. The effects of this—in Luna’s forceful opinion—could be seen in nearly every pony she passed. Rarely did she ever see a full set of steel plate armor like she should have. Even worse, there were cases where the pony wore a left piece, but no right piece. More often than not, the edges of the plate were rusted and even if it had been maintained, it did not gleam bright under the moonlight as in the elder days. The weapons were in even worse shape. The swords of the unicorns were either missing sheaths or had been poorly patched by a local blacksmith; the complex back-mounted, bit-trigger cross-bows of the pegasi were usually missing far too many parts to ever function properly; and the bladed hoof-shoes belonging to the Earth ponies were even more badly rusted than the armor. The only thing that even came close to rectifying their sorry state of upkeep was their firm memory of how to march or fly in sync. But through all of this disappointment, Luna continued to smile at them. She knew her sister was right about visiting her troops to boost their morale, but deep in her heart, she could barely stand to walk amongst ponies who had not taken their dedication seriously. She had taken her nightly tour through the barracks both nights since arriving at the castle and putting out the call for the Army of the Moon, if only to please Celestia so she would not bug Luna over such trivial issues. The downside it seemed, was the gradual tension that had built up inside of Luna as more and more ponies arrived at the castle; each group more ill-prepared than the last. And this night was beginning to strain at her patience and warm smile. Her logical mind told her to just continue on to her war room, where her properly adorned guard and generals awaited; but Luna had never been one to listen ever much to reason. Her emotions—caught up in a tornado over a lack of a prepared army, her past with Aurora Streak, the mystery of Aurora’s escape, and her current intentions—all combined and burst forth as she overheard a pegasus laughing with some fellows over his shabby weapons. Luna’s frustration must have been rolling off her in waves, for the group of young soldiers turned warily toward her as her hooves crunched dangerously on the gravel path. They immediately ceased their banter and saluted, but it was not near enough to quell Luna’s overflowing emotions. “THOU DAREST TO MOCK THY POSITION!?” she hurled the Royal Canterlot Voice upon them. “HAST THOU SO LITTLE RESPECT FOR US AND OUR SISTER THAT THOU WOULD MOCK THE DUTY WE HAST GIVEN TO THEE!?” Despite the questions being completely rhetorical, the soldiers before her quaked in fear while at the same time trying to force their lips into a response. “DO NOT BURDEN OUR EARS WITH THY MUTTERINGS!” Luna roared at them. “IF THOU CANST NOT HAVE DIGNITY, THEN WE SHALL DISCHARGE THEE DISHONORABLY ALONG WITH ANY OF THY FELLOWS THAT TAKE THEIR POSITION SO LIGHTLY! NOW BEGONE FROM OUR SIGHT BEFORE WE DECIDEST THAT THEE DESERVEST MORE PUNISHMENT! SPREADEST THE WORD THAT WE EXPECTEST PERFECTION AMONGST OUR RANKS! ARE WE UNDERSTOOD!?” “Ye... ye... yes...your Highness,” one of the offending pony’s friends trembled. They hastily gathered their belongings and galloped away in the direction Luna had come, their eyes shrunken to mere pricks and fearfully glancing back at Luna. She glared and fumed at their fleeing backsides until they disappeared around a corner, anything left from her outburst sparking out through her pupils. Once they had vanished, she lowered her head and breathed out a heavy sigh. Though she now felt a little better, the issues that were the source were still firmly embedded in her mind. It would be unbecoming of her as a princess to have another such outburst, and further still she knew it was not good for her health to keep so many emotions bottled up. She made a mental note to read more often, as this had a pleasant way of straining out much of her raw sentiments. She was still breathing out the last of her anxiety when she entered into the fortress proper. It was a cold building, constructed in an age when even magic was limited in its ability to make a place more comfortable. A single carpet ran through the center of every hall and stairwell, split down the middle between a deep navy blue for Luna and a vibrant orange for Celestia. This was the extension of decoration in the fortress. Even the bedrooms for Luna and Celestia contained only a small bed. The huge space was instead taken up by ponies whose talent lay in crafting the machines and weapons of war as well as storage chambers for those that had been finished. Even now, in the middle of her night, Luna could hear the perpetual clanging of metal being shaped into the desired form. These many forges and warehouses were not Luna’s objective. She strode quietly and confidently up several stairwells and through an apparent maze of hallways until she came to a massive arched doorway filled by two stone slabs. Upon these gray monoliths were etched depictions of two upright blades: the hilt of one ending in a sun motif pommel, and the other in a crescent moon pommel. It was the Equestrian War Room. Seven guards stood on either side of the entrance, the finest of the Sun Guard on the side of Celestia’s blade, and Luna’s hoof-picked best on her weapon’s side. Unlike the soldiers outside who only saluted because doing so was required of them, the guards snapped a hoof to their armored brow out of devotion to the princess whom they were sworn to protect. “At ease,” Luna said calmly, the sight of some measure of order having leveled out her mood. “How hast the night been for thee?” “Peaceful, your Highness,” the leader of her guards responded. “Nothing out of the ordinary has happened.” “We are pleased at this,” Luna replied. “However, we would ask a favor of thee.” “Your Highness,” the captain said. “Forgive me for sounding so blunt, but you never have to ask any of us for a favor. We are here to serve you.” “We are well aware of this captain,” Luna said, “but what we wilt ask of thee and the other Moon Guards goeth beyond thy duties and encroacheth upon the duties of others.” “Speak the word, your Highness,” the captain said without hesitation. “We are not sure of the state of our sister’s training methods, but wilt implement a new one for ours,” Luna said. “We would ask that thee carry the message to the commander of the Moon Guards that we art placing him in charge of all training of our army. We art only satisfied with the appearance of our Guard and wilt have this efficiency transposed onto our army. Thou mayest assure Commander Spearhead that we wilt handle the outrage of the official generals. He is ordered to proceed as if they didst not exist.” “Is there anything else you would like the Commander to know your Highness?” the captain asked, his face—despite its general impassiveness—revealing his lack of surprise at the development. Luna took this as a sign of confirmation that what she was initiating would be toward the benefit of her army; if even the Guard could so clearly see the problems plaguing the army, then her own perceptions could not be wrong. “That is all,” Luna nodded to the captain. “Though we are expected in the War Room.” “Flick, get the Princess’s message to the Commander and make it snappy,” the captain instructed a pegasus harshly before turning back to Luna. “Of course your Majesty.” With a quick signal to the Sun Guards opposite them, every guard pony at the door smashed the hafts of their spears into the floor twice as Luna approached the stone. She slid her horn into a perfectly sized hole in the crescent of the engraving, feeding it energy. When she removed herself from the doors, her half was ablaze with a magical aura as it swung inward to admit her. The War Room was just as bare as the rest of the fortress, barring a long wooden table running down its center. Celestia sat at the head of the assembly in a wooden seat only just managing to capture the glory of her throne in Canterlot. On the sides of the table were seated six ponies, three to a side. Celestia’s generals were adorned with gold-plated armor similar to that of the Sun Guard, but with added etching and with more flare. Luna’s generals, by decree, wore exactly what the common soldier wore for whatever division they supervised. Luna afforded them to wear their medals, as was every warrior’s right, but no more. Celestia smiled lovingly as her sister took her seat, and Luna was glad to see it was genuine and not faked like hers to the soldiers had been. She returned the grin, her mind already looking forward to the improvements the army would receive under her Commander Spearhead. “How was your walk sister?” Celestia asked once Luna had situated herself satisfactorily. “Eventful, and its resolution we wish to be the first topic of conversation,” Luna pressed, wanting her dismissal of her inept generals to be over as quickly as possible. “Oh?” Celestia wondered, intrigued. “Go on then.” “You three of our generals,” she said forcefully, turning her gaze upon them. “In these past two nights of our tours through the ranks of our Army of the Moon, we have become increasingly agitated with the state in which thou hast allowed it to fall. We could excuseth much the first night. It was the first night after all. But we had been expecting some form of improvement by the second night. We hath seen none. Therefore, we hath made our decision to taketh command of the Army of the Moon away from thee, and giveth it instead to our only trusted leader, Commander Spearhead.” For a moment, there was stunned, motionless silence. Celestia recovered from the revelation most quickly, having an intimate understanding of her sister’s tendencies. “Princess Luna has spoken, and as her word is law in the governance of the Army of the Moon, you may all now remove yourselves from the War Room,” Celestia commanded. “But Princess—” the unicorn general began to plead to Celestaia. “This decision does not rest with me,” Celestia cut him off sharply. “If you have any grievance, take it up with your Princess.” They tried turning then to Luna, but before they could speak, she said irritably, “We came to this decision because we hath a grievance with thy leadership. Making a plea will not change our mind. NOW REMOVE THYSELF!” Unlike the soldiers, who had been unable to control their trembling when Luna had spoken in her Royal Canterlot Voice, the generals stepped from their seats, bowed to each Princess, and with heads hung low, exited the room. “I had hoped you would not come to such a decision,” Celestia said once the doors had banged shut once again. “Being that it is true that the armies are in disrepair, I had hoped you would have some patience with your generals.” “We wouldst have had patience,” Luna replied defensively, “if we had seen any signs of them trying to improve the state of our army.” “You are not displeased with us are you, your Majesty, are you?” Celestia’s pegasi general inquired of her. “No,” Celestia said in her soothing voice. “I have personally seen you out and about with the ponies, making changes where they were necessary. I am perfectly satisfied.” “But what bothereth thou, sister?” Luna asked, having picked up on Celestia’s unease. “I finally received a letter from the ponies I sent to find Aurora Streak’s guards,” Celestia said, her voice already heavy. “There were no ponies to rescue,” she said gravely. “Each one of them had been... slaughtered. Slaughtered by a variety of spells and other armaments. A few had even been crushed beneath mounds of sand.” Though her voice remained steady, Celestia dropped a tear for the dead. “How detailed wast the report?” Luna asked, half of her not truly wanting to know the answer. “More violence was described on those pages than Equestria has in the annals of the past thousand years,” Celestia replied. “I am glad you suggested we call out the armies Luna. I am sorry, but it seems the overly inquisitive and ambitious Aurora Streak we once knew no longer exists. The report indicates there was machine-like precision in the deaths.” “She mayest be misguided,” Luna said distantly, “but... thou dost believe we mighteth still be able to speaketh with her of her folly.” “I will never rule out negotiation for peaceful resolution,” Celestia consoled Luna, “but I am also saying that we might very well have to actually use the armies for more than intimidation.” “I hate to sound uncaring for the loss of an old friend, Princess Luna,” the Earth pony general inserted, “but there is something that you mentioned in the report that bothers me your Highness.” “I assume you mean besides the killings,” Celestia answered. “Yes your Majesty,” the general replied. “It spoke of ‘machine-like’ precision. If Ms. Streak is only one pony, I find it difficult to believe she could have killed them all so efficiently: especially after the fight began. And she was a scientist you say. Are you sure she did not have some automatons fighting for her?” “We find this to be possible, Celly,” Luna said, perking up despite the circumstances. “She always didst speak of her desire to work on designs for magic-powered machines.” “Even if it absolves her character somewhat,” Celestia said, “automatons still brings up the necessity of the armies even further. We must begin planning for a true battle either way.” The talk gradually dwindled and shifted to Celestia’s generals discussing various tactics that were being reviewed and retaught. Luna herself ignored much of it. Her mind was instead busy attempting to reconcile her fond memories of the eccentric young unicorn she had known before the experiment with the pony who had killed or caused the deaths of at least three dozen other ponies. Aurora had been such an eager pony, willing to break the rules just to see how far she could push a theory. Her enthusiasm and radical notions on magic theory had captured Luna’s attention like no other mage of the time. As a result, Luna had become close friends with Aurora, and had helped bring in the funds to continue the research. But as Luna remembered descending into her jealousy of Celestia, she also remembered how she had taken advantage of both her friendship with Aurora and Aurora’s enthusiasm. She had insisted that Aurora use her as the subject of a new experiment devised to bring out and even alter the powers of a pony’s cutie mark. Luna, in her crazed quest for equality with her older sister, had envisioned the experiment as a way to gain the extra power she needed to draw the attention of the ponies of Equestria. Only, it had gone horribly wrong. Oh, Luna had Ascended just as Aurora had described, but the surge in power mixed with her already volatile emotional state had unleashed her Nightmare Moon alter ego upon Equestria. And now Luna could not help but think that perhaps some of that negative energy had leaked into Aurora and she was now possessed of the same rage as Nightmare Moon. Luna forcefully threw away this idea. Had this been true, Aurora would have killed her guards long ago. So what had transformed her into a pony that had motivated her to commit murder, either directly or through machines? The answer presented itself quite randomly. Luna was seeking solace in the embrace of the power of the moon when she realized what Aurora’s motive was. It was not speculation, but a truth put together from her friendship with Aurora and her own experience. Aurora was an idealist whose greatest goal into which went all of her ambition was equality and freedom from Celestia’s overarching power. That last portion was a secret Luna had long hidden from her sister, and was not one she was about to break to her now. So, with Aurora being an idealist of freedom and equality—however hypocritical her position in those ideals was—Luna understood where her motivation lay. Luna herself, even as Nightmare Moon while trapped in her namesake, had felt horrible that her work with the moon was not hers to control and complete. Aurora was in the same position, and she was returned to see her vision through no matter the cost. “Sister!” Luna nearly shouted, for having been quiet for so long. She blushed slightly when all four of the other ponies turned to her with questioning faces. “Sister,” Luna brought her voice down, “we art in agreeance with thee that a true battle might taketh place. However, we art also in full confidence of our friendship with Aurora Streak. That wilt not have diminished We would ask an assurance of thee.” “I can only promise so much Luna, even for you,” Celestia said warily. “We ask that no matter what hath occurred in Ponyville, no matter how horrible the events that may hath transpired; that we art guaranteed a chance to speak with her,” Luna declared. “Some things are beyond reconciliation my dear sister,” Celestia said gravely. “I understand your desire to save your friend from the only punishment that may be befitting of her at this point, but she may not be able to escape it.” “Sister please,” Luna implored her. “Thou gavest us another chance to atone for our sins. Allow us to extend the same mercy.” Celestia’s brows furrowed, no doubt attempting to find a way to deny Luna’s request, and struggling with her own sentiments on Aurora. “You have my promise,” she finally said, though she sounded as she had just given herself a death blow. “Thank you sister,” Luna replied, sincerely grateful that she would not have to fight her sister on the issue. She inclined her head respectfully to Celestia’s generals before turning to leave the War Room. Spearhead was likely just now receiving the news of his new position and had probably attempted to drown his panic in hard cider. If he was to perform as Luna trusted him to, she would need to lay out exactly what she wanted done. “And Celly,” she said as the stone slab ground open, “try to remember what Cadance always says. There is never too much forgiveness.” ______________________________________________________________________________ “That went well,” Inky Jay said, his tone heavy with cynicism. “I will admit that the town will not be wholly devoted to me until my next reveal,” Aurora replied, unhitching herself from the considerably lighter cart for a Changeling to take to storage later. “But as they did not begin to hurl rotten produce at us, I would say most of the ponies have been convinced.” “A few would have liked to, if they had any guts left,” Inky replied, “but that’s not what I meant.” “You refer to your lateness Inky Jay,” Aurora spoke. It was not a question. “I do,” Inky answered. “The ponies you identified as the wielders of the Elements of Harmony suspect something bigger. I was held up trying to escape from Loyalty. She’s a dang fast pegasus, if not resilient against Changeling stun blasts.” “So my precautions for your security did not go unwasted,” Aurora muttered to herself. “Come, we may talk on our way to dinner.” “I think they were trying to catch me to interrogate me for information,” Inky continued as they strode through the ship, its lights coming to life then as they approached then dimming as they left them behind. “What is that?” Inky interrupted himself, switching his head around to watch as the lights flickered away. “Are they conserving energy?” “No, Chrysalis requested that I increase the security of the House of a Thousand Fangs. To do so, I have connected myself to the various networks and have priority control over them. Now, continue on.” Inky shrugged at her explanation, concluding, “I had nothing else to say.” “The Element of Magic was not satisfied with her visit. If anything, I took a step backward with her. I will keep you in the dark about my more weighty plans and experiments, as I imagine she will not stop chasing you at only one failure,” Aurora cautioned him. “I would expect nothing less,” Inky said, “but I do need to know what you intend to do with me once your plans are accomplished.” “Nothing,” Aurora said blankly. “Even now you could leave me forever and I would not have any emotion in the matter. You only know that which I intend to reveal soon, and your knowledge of the Changelings here is as much a danger to you as it would be to me. As Equestria stands now, revealing oneself to have ever been in the content company of Changelings is a prison sentence.” “Then you would be open to arranging transport for me back home,” Inky said, though the tension in his voice betrayed his concern for Aurora’s reaction. “That is neither impossible nor difficult,” Aurora answered. “Though it might take more time than either of us would like. I find it amusing that you have already taken the measure of these with only a limited visit of a single town.” “You yourself described them as all ignorant, Celestia-devoted fools,” Inky Jay defended himself. “And they are,” Aurora stated somewhat forcefully, “but I know this from the stories my guards would tell along with my experience with them in a past life. Little has changed. You however are making a subjective judgment based only upon your upbringing in Caedmon.” “I had nothing like an upbringing back home,” Inky spat. “And aren’t all judgements based upon some past experience, no matter what it is?” “You are correct, and while your position is true, you acquired it not from direct dealings with the subjects,” Aurora restated herself. “I will not argue this point with you. Be content that you possess a sharp enough mind to see such things at such an early age.” “Thank you Lady Aurora, for the compliment,” Inky said in a rare moment of sincerity. “I do not give it for sentiment’s sake,” Aurora brushed it aside. “It is a simple fact. Now, so our meals are not interrupted with speech, there is an undertaking I am assigning you to.” “What needs cataloging?” Inky asked, assuming his skill with a pen was once again required. “Nothing,” Aurora said simply, tonelessly describing her confrontation with Chrysalis over the death of one of the Changelings at the hand of an as yet unknown assailant. “I am now concerned that the culprit is the Element of Loyalty, as she was the one to chase you down. She would also be in close contact with Magic, and since the Elements likely share a collective mindset, she would certainly have the motivation to sneak aboard my vessel if Magic is a suspicious as I believe. Suffice it to say that I cannot allow any debilitating harm to come to any of the Elements, by Chrysalis’s hoof or otherwise. Initially, you were to travel into the town with a disguised Chrysalis and search out and kill this infiltrator. Now, with the very real possibility that it is Loyalty, you are now to protect the Elements at all costs while simultaneously ‘hunting’ a suspect with Chrysalis. Can you do this?” “I may be an author by talent,” Inky Jay said, “but you don’t survive in the Land of Red Dunes without learning how to fight a few powerful creatures. Of course, Chrysalis is not as stupid as a beast no matter how she acts at times, so I won’t be able to fight her indefinitely. I can promise my ability to help any of the Elements out of her reach.” “Good. You both will depart separately and meet at a café I have chosen. Though I have continually reiterated to her that she is remain inconspicuous—” “Say no more Lady Aurora,” Inky waved a hoof. “Rest assured that I will keep her in line.” “I rest assured in nothing until it is completed,” Aurora said rather sagely. “However, I am putting far more trust in you than I ever put in any of my old associates. Be sure not to disappoint me.” Inky nodded, sliding back the door that led to the small dining table just outside the galley where a small contingent of Changelings worked. The food was already out on the table: the exact kind they each liked. In silence they each took their seats, Inky Jay working in his personal notebook while Aurora Streak considered how best to return the Elements of Harmony to her side. ______________________________________________________________________________ Both Spike and Twilight Sparkle had wanted a decent night’s sleep the night of Aurora’s two demonstrations. But as fate was often a cruel master even in the little things, they were not allowed it. While the older and thus more reasoned ponies of Ponyville like Twilight herself were only impressed with Aurora’s technology, the younger crowd was singing her praises as the great pony of their age. Even the unicorns, whom Aurora had all but berated for lording over the other pony races, shouted and clamored for their voices to be heard that they would soon be flying like the pegasi. The night had gone by like the whole of the town was hosting a drunken festival. By the time Twilight could no longer stand the noise and had cast a spell to block it out, much of the hollering in the streets did sound partially intoxicated. The morning did not reveal anything encouraging, as there were more than one empty cider tankards in the street. Luckily, this also meant the early hours of the morning would be quieter than normal. The boisterous types were all hung-over and wouldn’t be out and about until noon or later. It gave Twilight and Spike plenty of time to go over her plan to lure Inky Jay close without having to worry about Aurora noticing he was gone. “So, um, Twilight,” Spike said while she meditated over a fiction novel: a morning ritual when she could manage it. “It sounds like catching this Inky Jay guy’s gonna be tough. How am I supposed to help exactly?” “Spike,” Twilight replied absently, as she was finishing up a chapter. “How many times have you told me to calm down when I get stressed?” “Honestly?” Spike asked, hesitant about what a truthful answer might bring. “All the time.” “Mmhm,” Twilight answered, stowing the book away in the fiction section. “So if anypony is going to help me see where I’m making a mistake, it’s you.” “Thanks Twilight!” Spike beamed at the praise. “I don’t call you my number one assistant for nothing,” she replied with a smile and affectionate rub on Spike’s head. “Now, I want to work on how to corner Inky first. There’s no point in even thinking about how to get him down here if aren’t completely positive we can capture him.” “Okay,” Spike said, a claw scratching at his chin as always when he was in deep thought. “So what went wrong this time?” “The time limit,” Twilight spouted off immediately. “Things wouldn’t have been as dangerous for Rainbow Dash if we had had more time.” “And we had no idea where he was going to be,” Spike mentioned. “We were just lucky that Fluttershy saw him.” “Oh no,” Twilight gasped, stopping where she had been pacing. “And now he knows that we were after him. That has to mean that Aurora Streak knows too, and that also means he won’t be tricked very easily.” “Okay, cool it Twilight,” Spike said, motioning with his claws for her to sit down. “She’s using Changelings on her ship and she probably knows that one of them is dead. She’s not making an issue about that, so why would she freak over this?” “She’s playing dumb to keep Ponyville happy,” the realization dawned on Twilight. “But that only means we’ll have to be extra careful. She’ll know now that we don’t trust her, and she’ll be more cautious around us because of it.” “What about a fake contest?” Spike asked. “That’s pretty innocent looking.” “It would be too public,” Twilight said, shooting down his idea and resuming her pacing. “There has to be something—!” “Oh no, I know that look!” Spike cringed worriedly as Twilight’s face lit up with an idea. “That means you’re thinking of something crazy! Something so crazy it might actually work! Why do you have to do this all the time Twilight?” “Wait, there’s a look?” Twilight asked curiously, her face dropping into its normal self once again. “Yes,” Spike replied flatly. Waving his hand, irritated with himself, he asked, “So what did you come up with?” “Pinkie Pie,” Twilight grinned. “This is worse than I thought,” Spike moaned. “Go on.” “If we can somehow invite him for a lunch with Pinkie Pie or something,” Twilight elaborated, “we can hide in SugarCube Corner until just the right moment. Pinkie has tons of trap doors and fake walls built in for all of her parties that she hosts there; they’d be perfect for ambushing him. And... to top it all off, Pinkie Pie is just random enough that she would do something like that.” “Okay... um... the whole trap door thing freaks me out a bit, well it freaks me out a lot,” Spike said, “but even if that is a good idea, what in Celestia makes you think he would accept an invitation for lunch with Pinkie Pie?” “Because Aurora won’t want to cause trouble!” Twilight answered enthusiastically. “We’ll turn her strategy against her. Even if he doesn’t want to accept, she won’t risk the town thinking badly of anypony associated with her and will make him go.” “As scary as this sounds,” Spike said, still slightly apprehensive, “you’re probably right. Why are you so good at this?” “See, reading lots of books pays off,” Twilight replied, not without a little pride. “You wouldn’t believe the number of ways the royalty have been kidnapped before.” “Thinking about what we’re about to try, yeah I do,” Spike said sarcastically. “Should I fetch Pinkie Pie so we can brief her on this crazy idea?” “That’d be great Spike,” Twilight said, nodding her approval. “But don’t try taking any shortcuts. I don’t want you running into drunk ponies without me.” “Okay Twilight,” Spike breathed out, mildly irritated by her mothering as he stepped into the cool morning. ______________________________________________________________________________ Chrysalis tapped her hoof against the opaque, green glass that was the tabletop for a coffee house with outdoor seating. Not for the first time, her eyes were distracted by the color contrast that Aurora’s chosen disguise had wrought in her normal complexion. Her coat was now a pearly-white, with a soft pink and forest-green mane and a pink tail with a black stripe in its center. Both the mane and tail were—as best she could describe—fluffy. It was not the worst unicorn form she had ever taken, lessened more so by Aurora consenting to allow her to keep her natural two-toned eye color. Her hoof-tapping was not impatience for Inky Jay’s arrival; she would have been glad to hear the insufferable desert pegasus had fallen into a bottomless pit. No, her impatience was with the waiters at the café. Much against her better judgment and much to her displeasure with herself, she had developed a taste for cappuccino while disguised as the Princess Cadance in her previous attempt to dispose Celestia. She wanted some before Inky Jay arrived so she might enjoy it in the peace of nopony’s company. “Your order Miss...” a young Earth pony came up with a small tray balanced on a hoof. “Serena,” Chrysalis grated over the name in a falsely kind voice. “I ordered a cappuccino.” “Well here you are then,” he placed a single, steaming cup before her. “Just call for me if you need anything else.” Chrysalis only nodded tersely in response, hoping to have to maintain a fake voice as little as was necessary. She inhaled over the cup blissfully, eyes closed at the scent. If ever there was any food or drink able to replicate the soothing taste of the best kind of love, these little coffees were it. Chrysalis’s green magic grabbed hold of the cup and lifted its warm contents into her mouth. The taste was delicious, if not as creamy as those in Canterlot had been, but it would suffice. “Indulging a bit are we?” the scratching voice of her least favorite pony in existence said from close behind. “It smells good at least,” Inky Jay added, not removing his white jacket before sitting opposite her. Chrysalis wasted no words on him, instead glaring menacingly over the rim of her raised cup. “The last thing I expected you to do down here was actually interact with these pathetic excuses for ponies. Considering our mission anyway. For all you know, any of these ponies around us could be the killer.” “And they are not leaving,” Chrysalis hissed upon taking another sip. “I have all the time in the world.” “That’s what you think,” Inky huffed, leaning in more closely. “Keep in mind this isn’t just about you and your little revenge trip. Quelling the subversion is the primary goal.” “That may be true for you,” Chrysalis retorted, removing the cup from between them, “but bear in mind that I am the one leading. You are following.” “Since when and on whose authority?” Inky spat. “You call yourself a queen, yet you have had to stoop to another with arguably fewer powers than yourself just to provide for your dying race. You can’t legitimately invoke your right of leadership on that basis.” In a minimal flash of green light, the very end of one of Chrysalis’s hooves reverted to its Changeling form. She lashed out at Inky Jay with it, hooking his neck in one of the holes and dragging his face straight to her own. The few patrons of the coffee house gasped collectively, though would be unable to see Chrysalis’s natural hoof so close to Inky’s dark coat. “Can’t I?” she growled lethally soft to him. With a disgusted shake, she tossed a shocked Inky Jay back into his seat. A quick flash of magic before anypony could notice and her hoof was back to ‘normal’ as she fiercely glowered at the other ponies now staring shocked at their table. “Don’t be angry with me for what she said about unicorns,” Inky covered for Chrysalis’s identity. Comprehension dawned upon several faces, and a certain level of talk resumed. “Are you trying to make a scene!?” Inky hissed angrily, though he still massaged his neck. “You are supposed to keep a low profile!” “The key word is low,” Chrysalis said, draining the last of her cup. “While you may be content to serve her every whim, I am not some peasant she happened to pick up off the street. And let us not forget that she came to me for assistance, not the other way around. I will not allow you to twist my history like one of your novels.” Inky scowled at her jab at his origins, but did not retaliate, as there was not a shred of inaccuracy in her description. “I lead us,” Chrysalis forcefully stated again. “Only as long as you remain... contained,” Inky consented grudgingly. “I know the pressure point that causes a Changeling to switch back from a disguise, and if you do anything to draw attention to Lady Aurora, I will not hesitate to turn that attention elsewhere.” “If you can reach it,” Chrysalis countered, fuming inside that Inky knew about their pressure nerve. “We’ll never have to figure out if you keep yourself in check,” Inky said, his tone indicating a clear end to their tossing of threats. There were several moments of silence between them, in which neither looked the other in the eye.” Chrysalis took the moment to levitate out a mess of stray papers sticking obtrusively from the pocket of Inky’s jacket. As he did not object and merely turned a single eye to the moving sheets, she assumed she was supposed to see them anyway. As it so happened, the parchment was not filled with words, but each was covered with a photograph of various pegasi from Ponyville. “What are these?” Chrysalis asked, sounding accusatory for her short temper with Inky. “All of these are ponies with the right physiology and physical build to have infiltrated the House of Thousand Fangs,” Inky said, toneless. “These are our suspects. This stallion is the most promising.” He shifted the images all over the table until he revealed a stocky dark gray stallion with a carefully cropped silvery mane and tail. “And what gives you reason to suspect him over the rest?” Chrysalis inquired. “If you want to keep things quiet, my killing the wrong pony won’t help in that.” “You killing anypony won’t help,” Inky Jay murmured only loud enough for Chrysalis to hear. “But excitement over Aurora’s new inventions ought to be heightened enough to give us time to hide any evidence. This pegasus is suspect over the rest because he clearly has the strength needed to fight a Changeling. And if there were anypony who would attempt a foray into ‘enemy’ territory, it would be a former guard. His mane cut indicates he might have been one of them. That enough reasoning for you?” “Only just,” Chrysalis replied. “Where do we find him?” “His house would be optimal,” Inky continued to explain, his voice beginning to regain some of its usual condescension. “But it’s either in the skies outside the town or out of reach of the ship’s image gathering Devices. The only silver lining is that he works part-time at his own business. It’s only a start-up by the looks of it, so there shouldn’t be any ponies there when we arrive.” “Then get up so we can leave,” Chrysalis said, standing while grasping the photos with magic. “I have never let my rightful vengeance grow stale, and I will not start with this.” Inky Jay joined her only after a defiant pause, tossing a Grane beside Chrysalis’s empty cup. Chrysalis did not hear the all of what he said, so she refrained from speaking lest she have to listen to his full voice directed at her, but as they twisted through Ponyville’s streets, she heard Inky Jay whisper to himself, “Why Serena...?” Then, for no reason she could see that would warrant it, he burst into hearty mirth.