Anorax and his two changeling charges arrived in the city by four in the afternoon. It had been a cold day, and it had snowed for nearly the whole trip. By now, all six pairs of hooves were chilled to the core. Changelings weren't usually meant to be exposed to the cold. Their kind had spent hundreds of years being in warm, dry and dark environments, not cold, bright and snowy.
"Well, now that we're here, what's the next step?" Kecnik asked. He'd never been to Canterlot before, for obvious reasons. For the last five years, he'd spent his time in the changeling caves, gathering intel on the life forms surrounding the hive. He'd seen the city before, but he'd never been inside. "Is there a place we can rest before we continue?"
Anorax, his right wing draped over a shivering Madalah, put a hoof to his chin in thought. He hadn't really put it all into perspective, this coming to Canterlot thing. Their purpose was to find somepony that could take them to the western shore and ferry them across the sea. It might've made more sense to simply travel to the western shore themselves, but...why hadn't they done that? It suddenly came to him why they'd come this way. Of course! Spark Storm. He was in good with the princess, surely one of them would have some connections to get them across the sea.
"Ok, first thing's first, we've gotta find a place to stay for the night, and I have a pretty good idea where to find a friend who'll take us in."
"Your cousin?" Madalah asked. Of course, this hadn't really registered with Anorax. Of course, Vinyl would probably take them in, but her place was always a mess. Plus, she probably didn't know the princess like Spark did.
"Uh, no, I was actually thinking of Spark Storm. He's probably got the best connections we could hope for on such short notice. His place isn't that big, but we're not really looking to get comfortable, just a place to stay the night and then hopefully get an audience with Princess Celestia in the morning." He paused once more. Now that he really thought about it, a letter in advance probably would've helped. This just hadn't been a month of thinking ahead. He'd spent the whole thing with Madalah and Kecnik, he didn't really think he'd need to keep in contact with the others.
"It's a good a plan as any, I suppose," Madalah said more to herself than to either of her companions. "Really, I just want to get out of this cold..."
"Then we're all in agreement," Kecnic told them, shivering as well. "Let's find Spark Storm and ask if he'd be willing to share his space for the night."
Anorax and Madalah nodded, all three shivering in the cold. Finally, they set out with Anorax in the lead. It'd been a little while since he'd visited Spark in Canterlot, but he was still familiar with the last time he'd been to his apartment, shortly before the last night of the big party.
The trio had barely gotten halfway down the road when there was a flurry of sounds emerging from the gardens in Canterlot. They all stopped and watched as a ball of fire launched into the sky, surrounded by a tall, branching column of lightning. It surrounded the ball of fire, consumed it, then exploded like fireworks over the town of Canterlot. It was an amazing, impressive display of light and power that brought a crowd to watch in the streets, but the yelling and furious screaming coming from the gardens did not leave a positive feeling among the three travellers. They exchanged glances wordlessly, then changed directions and discreetly headed for the palace.
Flash Fire sighed with great annoyance as she glared holes in the back of Spark Storm's head, who sat away from the others in their small circle. Training today, like every day for the last two months, had been so strange and weird for everypony involved. Not only that, but Spark Storm was depressed. He moped about, he didn't put his all into his training, and it was costing the team precious time and effort.
Of course, it wasn't just Spark Storm that was causing problems. Sapphire Snow and even Flash Fire were feeling tense around Spark. Sapphire had very obvious, glaring reasons for not getting along with the big pegasus, but Flash Fire had been the only one of the Fighters to give Spark Storm a 'no' on returning to the team. It was very awkward for her to interact with Spark Storm, and it was awkward for her to interact with the others, as well. It was like voicing her opinion had been the first nail in her coffin in putting her on the outside of the team, as the others had all been for Spark returning. It had been a very bad decision for her to voice her complaints at that meeting first.
"We've got to do something about this situation," Sapphire was saying. All eyes were on her, but more than a few of them were angry. Not just with her, not just with Spark, but for this situation that was costing them all. "It feels like we haven't been a complete team since the night Spark walked out on us and-"
"And that right there is part of the problem," Lemon Pop interrupted, a steely glare on Sapphire. "You can't keep blaming him for that! Things happen, ponies change, they made decisions and they have to live with them. Making them remember those decisions and throwing it in their faces isn't going to fix anything."
Sapphire and Lemon Pop glared at each other for a moment. Ever since Spark Storm's return, it seemed that Lemon had switched sides. At least, that's what Sapphire wanted to think. She thought she wanted to be furious with her best friend, but really she just wanted her best friend to be angry with her at Spark. Lemon had always had Sapphire's back before, and it was killing her to be on opposite sides. It was killing them both.
"Look...we've all got a stake in this..." Sapphire continued, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a hoof. She hesitated a moment longer, then looked beyond the circle, at Spark Storm. "Spark...we need you here...please?"
Spark tensed as he sat with his back to the group, then slowly stood and faced his teammates, revealing his burned face and mane. He wore an angry scowl, and it was directed at Flash Fire. Finally, he made his way over to the group and sat down beside Lemon Pop. "Spark, I know things have been tense between all of us - especially the two of us, and between you and Flash Fire, but we've got to make this work," Sapphire told him, trying to hold in the amused grin at the state of her ex-boyfriend. She let out a breath, deciding this situation called for being serious.
"Hmph. I'm not part of the problem here, it's not my fault he can't concentrate," Flash Fire remarked, not even bothering to lower her voice or hide her distaste for Spark.
Lemon Pop opened her mouth to say something, but Sapphire Snow beat her to it. "Flash Fire, your attitude has..." she paused, hardly able to believe what she was about to say. "...it's been as bad as mine, if not worse, and that's saying something! Lemon Pop's right...our anger and lack of trust for Spark Storm has been tearing this group apart. We're not the only ones suffering...Spark Storm needs..." she turned her gaze on Spark then. "Spark, you need help, and I haven't wanted to help you. Normally I'd say 'for obvious reasons', but...it's been two months and it's time to move on, so...what can we do for you?"
Spark, and the entire group stared at Sapphire Snow in surprise. It was the first kind thing she'd said to him this entire time. It wasn't that she was a bad pony, but her resentment of Spark wasn't something that they just expected her to ignore enough to reach out to him. Spark could feel tears of guilt and relief mixing together, and he didn't know what to say. Before he could put anything intelligent to say, though, Flash Fire stood, a furious look on her face. "You've got to be joking, Sapphire. After everything that he's done to you, how can you just sit there and take his downer crap? This is outrageous!"
"Oy..." Frostbite and Gunslinger said in unison as Spark Storm, Flash Fire and Sapphire Snow suddenly stood, all bristling with anger at each other. Electricity danced and crackled on Spark's back, and a fierce fire spell began building on Flash Fire's horn.
"Enough!" a voice boomed from above. All ponies stood at attention as the princess herself drifted down from above. Her patience regarding this situation had grown thin, and despite her reservations on letting the Fighters sort this out themselves, had given them a chance to. Now it was out of their hooves, and in hers. "My friends, this is unacceptable! Your infighting and grudges have crippled both your judgement and your effectiveness as a team! You must find a way to heal yourselves, or...or I'm afraid that the Fighters will have to -"
Celestia and the Fighters, all suddenly aware of eyes on them, turned in unison to see three figures, having stumbled upon this meeting in the garden. Anorax, Madalah and Kecnik stared at the tense scene. The two changelings quietly took a step back, while Anorax awkwardly continued to stare for a moment longer until he came to his senses. "Uh...sorry. We came looking for Spark Storm," he said, offering a wave to his friend. "We're obviously...uh, we came at a bad time. We're gonna go...catch ya later." he finished, then turned tail and ushered his companions away from the garden.
Celestia sighed quietly, the interruption having broken her train of thought. If only Spark's friend hadn't - wait. Spark's friend! The princess's eyes lit up. Spark Storm hadn't had friends or family visit him this whole time, perhaps this was what he needed to perk up. She turned to the group, her eyes on the pegasus in question. "Spark Storm, we'll talk more later, I promise. Why don't you go see what your friends have come for? We mustn't be rude to guests of Canterlot."
Spark and group exchanged glances, then gave a collective shrug. They'd all been looking for excuses to get out of this meeting, anyway. Spark Storm bowed before the princess, then cantered off after Anorax.
It didn't take him long to find the trio waiting for him, not far around the corner. Spark smiled when he saw his friend, a real, excited smile that he hadn't worn for some time now. "Anorax!" He called, trotting up to his old friend, then gave a warm smile and nod to Kecnik and Madalah. "What are you guys doing here? Do you all have a place to stay?"
Anorax stared at Spark in surprise. If he'd known that Spark Storm was depressed, he wouldn't be able to tell it by the way his friend was acting so enthusiastically. "Well, we were actually going to ask you if you had some space to spare. If you could maybe-"
"Of course!" Spark interrupted. "My home is your home, all three of you, however long you need."
Madalah and Kecnik shared an uncertain smile, the big pegasus seemed a little off. The emotions he was giving off were shaky, at least. He seemed desperate for some kind of change, and there was another, stronger emotion he was doing his best to keep hidden, a heavy, looming sadness. Even now, with his big friendly smile, it threatened to crush him. All three could sense this.
"Well...really we'd really appreciate it if we could crash at your place just until we can hire someone to take us to the western borders and take us across the sea..." Anorax told him cautiously.
Spark's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Wait, what? What's this all about?"
Madalah glanced between her two comrades. They both nodded, giving her the go-ahead to explain. "Spark, Kecnik and I can't stay in Equestria anymore. We've been called home, to our original hive."
Spark Storm stared at the three of them. His brows furrowed as he stared thoughtfully beyond the three of them. This visit was quickly turning into a point of interest. "I...think I can help you," he finally told his friends.
Celestia sighed as she sat at her desk. Politics, nothing but politics, everywhere she turned, and it was all spread out across her desk. Documents, court papers, letters of appeal. Whose idea was it that the princess would oversee 90% of all legal documents? She sighed heavily for the second time as she realized that this was, of course, her fault. She was the one who made the big decisions. She was just about to begin when a knock at the door brought her out of business mode and into 'I'm saved!' mode, even if she knew it would only last for a moment. "Please come in," she called.
However, as Spark Storm stepped inside, followed by her dear subject Anorax, she sat up straight. This was more than just a little break for her - this was probably a full-blown issue. "Anorax, Spark Storm," she said in greeting as she stood and rounded her desk to approach the two. "What can I do for you?"
Anorax cleared his throat quietly. "Uh, your majesty-"
"My friends may call me Celestia, Anorax, you know that," the princess told him with a warm smile.
Anorax smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes...thank you, Celestia. Um...I'm in need of a ship. I apologize if I should've sent this through a note instead, honestly I feel kind of bad about cutting in line..."
"Nonsense," the princess said. She glanced back and forth about her office, making sure there was no others listening, then leaned in and said quietly, "To be honest, I was hoping for a brief escape from that mountain of paperwork over there on my desk. Now," she said, raising her voice to normal volume, "what do you need with a ship?"
The halfling sighed quietly. In truth, he was hoping he would run into some kind of snag, and he wouldn't be able to take his friends home and they'd be stuck with him forever, but this whole trip had been running entirely too smoothly and too quickly. "Well...the thing is, Madalah and Kecnik have been called home...they need to cross the western sea, and...and I'm going to go with them."
"Whoa, what?" Spark interjected. "You didn't tell me that part!"
Anorax frowned at Spark Storm. "Dude, you don't know what it's like to be a halfling, living your life all alone because you can't have a girlfriend. You try, and sometimes she's nice, but you keep sucking up that affection she has for you and she gets sick. Or maybe you get another one and you think she's great, but you can tell she's only faking it! You have no idea what it's like to finally find somepony that's totally honest, and...it was instant. We fell in love instantly, Spark, and that doesn't just happen, not even with ponies. It's an extremely rare occurrence that's so rare it almost never happens, except for queens."
Spark and Celestia stared at Anorax in shocked silence. Anorax glanced back and forth between them, his frown turning into a confused blank stare. "...What? What did I say?"
"Uh, Anorax, repeat what you just said. Just that last sentence," Spark told him.
"I said it's an extremely rare occurrence that's so rare it usually never happens except for queen...queens..." he said, trailing off as he realized what he'd just said. He glanced between Spark Storm and the princess, feeling an unusual heat rising in his chest. "Uh...th-that's not possible, though, I mean, it's not, they can't-"
Spark Storm carefully rested a hoof on his friend's shoulder. "Dude. Think about it. They were sent over here as a treaty, or a sign of trust, right? Why would they send everyday workers that the hive over here had an everyday use for? What if Madalah's hive sent their prince's and princess's, or whatever they use for royalty? It'd make a lot more sense."
During this exchange, Celestia had been thinking. Here, in her castle, was a future changeling queen, and possibly a king. It had been so long since she'd been this close to a queen, and the last time she'd seen one, she had never wanted to see one again. Still, if giving Anorax a ship would take these creatures far away from Equestria, it would be worth the paperwork, not to mention that this situation presented a possible solution to other pressing matters.
"Anorax, I've decided. I'll help you and your friends get over the sea." Anorax smiled gratefully up at the princess, but before he could thank her, she held up a hoof and turned her attention to Spark Storm. "And I want you to help them get there, Spark Storm."
Spark Storm stared in shock up at the princess. Him? A trip across the sea? When he'd seen his friend Anorax, his friends and their plight, he'd felt that heavy feeling weighing down on him lift a little. But the thought of crossing the sea and leaving behind everything he knew suddenly brought that weight down on him again. The stress and the guilt of the past two months was now itself weight down with more stress.
"Dude...calm down, what's wrong with you?" Anorax asked him, unable to help sensing the emotions that Spark tried to keep hidden. Spark ducked his head, feeling exposed by Anorax' inquiry.
Celestia sighed gently and reached down to rest a hoof on Spark's shoulder and turned her attention to Anorax. "Our friend has been very upset these last few months, Anorax. I'm afraid he's been feeling very under the weather, and I think it has to do with the sudden departure of one of his close friends. I believe, Spark," she continued, addressing the pegasus, "that getting out of Canterlot - Equestria, even, could be good for you. Take yourself out of this place, at least for a little while, and take some time to heal."
Spark Storm sighed quietly. The thought of going on this trip scared him, but why would it? He'd been trapped in this heavy sadness for so long now, perhaps it was change he was scared of, scared of getting better. That thought didn't make much sense to him, but it was the only thing he could think of, and if that was the case, then maybe getting away from Equestria would help. "Yeah, I...I guess. That would probably help," he finally said, holding his head up again.
"It's settled, then," Celestia said with a gentle smile, stepping back to give Spark Storm his space. "I will arrange for a carriage to take you and your friends to the western borders of Equestria, and one of the kingdom's own ships will ferry you all to Madalah's home country." She paused, then glanced down at Anorax. "Which I trust she'll provide information for?" Anorax nodded affirmatively. "Good. Then, I suggest, gentlemen, that you both head back to Ponyville."
Before the confused sounds of the two could form into coherent words, Celestia explained, "Well, these orders aren't going to be made overnight, I'm afraid. There are protocols that I must follow - my own rules, of course - and it may be two or three days before this request goes out to the shipyards of Vanhoover. All in all, I'd say you'd have about a week to wait. I apologize for this delay. Spark Storm, this might be a good time to assemble a team."
"A team?" he asked. "Why would I need a team for this? I thought you were sending me on vacation."
"A vacation that will take you to unknown places, Spark Storm. If my suspicions are right, and you're headed to the Northwest, then you're headed for the land of Breen. It's a dangerous, brutal place that has been home to some of the most blood-thirsty creatures in the history of the world. The military of that country is very ambitious. It is a place I've had to keep my eyes on for some time."
Spark stared up at Celestia, a surprised look in his eyes. "...So I'm going on vacation, but it's not so much a vacation as it is an armed escort to protect my friends from an entire pony army?"
Celestia chuckled quietly, then shook her head. "Of course not, Spark Storm." Spark sighed with relief. "It's not a pony army."
Spark frowned, a hoof brought to his chin in thought. "...Griffons?" Celestia shook her head, which baffled Spark. If they weren't ponies, and they weren't griffons, then...
"They're kirin," the princess told him. Both Spark and Anorax glanced at each other, and both shrugged. Neither had heard this name before. "They're dragons. They take the form of equines, unicorns, actually. Their magic is very powerful, Spark Storm. Their abilities vary, but one thing they all share in common is their affinity for water magic. The country of Breen is mostly temperate, and water is abundant throughout. The country is renowned throughout the world for having the most pure water anywhere. If only they could learn to use their abilities to help others..." she trailed off, then shook her head. "Anyway, my friends, as I said before I think you should head back to Ponyville, all of you. I will send a carriage to you when everything is ready."
Spark and Anorax glanced at each other, then turned to Celestia and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, pr-Celestia," Anorax said, then turned to leave. Spark Storm hesitated. He was starting to feel a little better at this point, and questions he hadn't bothered to ask earlier in the year were beginning to surface. Something told him he wasn't quite ready to ask them, though. He gave the princess another nod before he followed Anorax out the door.
"So what happens now?" Madalah asked the two as they emerged from the castle. She and Kecnik turned to walk on either side of them.
"Well, we've got ourselves a ship, but it'll take about a week for the order to get processed and sent to the west coast. Do you think you can wait that long?" Anorax asked her. She was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she walked. Finally, she nodded. "Oh, good. Uh...I think we're gonna go back to Ponyville. The princess has arranged it so that a carriage'll come for us when it's time."
Before the group got much further, a carriage being pulled by two large white pegasi pulled up before them. "Sirs, ma'am, we're to take you to Ponyville, by request of Princess Celestia." The pegasus on the left announced.
Spark thought for a moment, then waved a hoof dismissively. "Anorax, why don't you guys go? I have some things to take care of before I go. I'll just wing it from here and I'll see you guys later, probably tomorrow, ok?"
"Yeah, all right. You gonna be ok?" Anorax asked him as Madalah and Kecnik stepped into the carriage.
"Yeah, no, it's fine," Spark told him. "I need to talk to some ponies, and...non-ponies." This statement gathered the attention of all five present, though none said anything.
"All right...See you there, then," Anorax said with a final wave, and got into the carriage. The pegasi guards took off, and Spark Storm finally made his way back to his apartment. He had to tell the nymphs and Amacia what was going to happen. Now that he thought about it, he still hadn't apologized to Ampelus for attacking her earlier.
A knock at the door told Celestia that her guest had arrived. A small grin of anticipation crossed her lips before she put on her serious discussion face and called, "Come in."
The door opened, and the unicorn Flash Fire stepped inside, closed the door, then approached and saluted. "Ma'am, you called for me?"
Celestia smiled warmly and nodded, a small file with the title 'Mission To Breen' sitting on her desk. "Yes, I did, Flash Fire. I have a very special assignment for you, and I do believe it will be very good for the team..."