//------------------------------// // The calm before the storm // Story: A Turret's Serenade // by Silent Flash //------------------------------// Song Serenade could see a dim light start to fill the room. The Sun slowly rose, marking the day of the trial. Song thought of what could have happened to Aperture when she was gone, What if Wheatley exploded the place? What if everyone's dead because I wasn't there to warn them... To save them. It wasn't like all the test subjects died before GLaDOS was overthrown for the second time. Song swore that there was some left. She hoped. She wouldn't want to see Aperture burnt to the crisp if she did return. Somehow... She turned her head when she heard a noise, then realized it was Vinyl awakening her. "Morning Vinyl!" She greeted her friend. Twilight Sparkle awoke, getting up and looking out her small window. "It's early," She said to herself. "I think I'll round up the girls so I we can catch the first train. Spike are you coming with us?" Spike groaned. "Five more minutes." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine I'll come back to get you last." She went downstairs and exited the library. Twilight decided to go to Pinkie first, as her house wasn't that far away and she would probably be the first one up. Her assumptions were right, as she was greeted by Pinkie as she walked in the door. "Hiya Twi, I'm, just going to pack and I'll take a few minutes!" She exclaimed as she galloped back to her room. Pinkie reappeared in seconds. "Done!" Twilight resisted the urge to facehoof and decided against questioning Pinkie's logic again. She started out again, heading towards Rarity's Carousel Boutique. "Pinkie, do you want to split up?" She asked her friend. Pinkie nodded. "I'll get Applejack!" She told Twilight before happily bouncing away. "That pony." Twilight said while facehooving. She then continued the walkway to Rarity's and politely knocked on the door. "Coming, darling!" A voice responded from inside the house. Rarity opened the door with her light blue magical aura. "Ready?" Twilight asked, stepping into the house. "Why of course darling, just let me grab my saddlebags and some bits." Rarity said, turning around to get her saddlebags. "Just in case we have time to explore Canterlot's finest shops." She added, waving a hoof in the air. A certain white filly sneaked out of her bed and had her ears pressed against the floor. "They're going now!" She whispered to herself, her voice squeaking mid-sentence. Now's my chance. The little filly opened up the window slowly and looked down. She gulped at the long fall, then remembered that the spell she was studying may have helped her. She crawled to the outside ledge of the window and shut it. The filly's horn started to shine a dim green as she jumped off the ledge. I.. did it! Sweeitie Belle thought to herself as she started to gallop around the town, towards Sweet Apple Acres. Both Vinyl and Song's heads turned as a dim light lit up the dungeon. A unicorn guard was marching towards them, a different one than the ones that arrested them. He carefully put down the torch he was carrying in a holder and used his magic to bring forward two small trays with some carrots on them. "Our courtroom wishes for the offenders to be at full mental state." The guard spoke in an emotionless voice as he slipped the trays into the cell. "Excuse me sir." Song requested. "Make it quick." The guard ordered. "Will Feathered Spear be visiting anytime soon?" She asked, wondering of the other, more friendly guard. The guard shook his head. "For all I know, she took the day off." He said, turning around. "I'll be back to fetch you for the court session at the appropriate time. For now rest and get in a good mental state." The light got dimmer as the guard left. Vinyl Scratch started on her carrots, Song rather just stared blankly at them. Once Vinyl was done she pointed at Song's tray since Song didn't take any. "Gonna eat that?" Song shook her head. "You can have them." She told Vinyl. Vinyl hugged Song briefly before continuing to eat the carrots. Song shrugged.I was going to warn her about those spores on the carrots, mold I believe. Song thought, remembering the small untreated corners of Aperture Science that had mold starting to form on them. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were heading back into town, to meet up with Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. All of a second Pinkie stopped. "Hiya Sweetie Belle!" she said into dead air. "Uh.. Pinkie, are you okay Sugah Cube?" Applejack asked, genuinely concerned. Pinkie nodded. "Just saying hi to Sweetie Belle" Applejack sighed as the two continued into the town. "Hey Applebloom" A voice whispered from the bushes. "Sweetiebelle? Why are you here so early?" Applebloom questioned. "Cutiemark Crusaders meeting now, in the clubhouse." Sweetiebelle told her friend. "But why?" Applebloom asked. "No time for answers. Grab Scoot's I need to get something first." Sweetiebelle ordered. By the time most normal ponies were just starting to go out to shop for food at the market, six friends were already assembled by the library. "Are you sure it's this serious?" Rainbow Dash asked again. "I could have stayed up till Noon if you didn't wake me." Applejack nodded. "Song's our friend isn't she?" Rainbow Dash groaned. "Darling, I believe in beauty sleep as much as you love sleep, but I think Song's situation is worth more." Rarity reasoned with her. "Um, Rarity is right." Fluttershy added in. Twilight Sparkle trotted down the stairs with a bag in her aura. "I've got the bits girls, we can start to head out now." "So where are we going again?" Applejack asked Twilight. "I reckon we will go straight to the Canterlot Castle and pay Shining Armour a visit." Twilight responded, levitating the door open. "That's a wonderful plan darling." Rarity said, trotting out the door. Applebloom ran towards the tree house that housed the Cutie Mark Crusaders Club, with Scootaloo on her tail. The two fillies rushed into the club and met face-to-face with Sweetiebelle. "Can you explain now?" Applebloom asked. "We're going on a rescue mission at Canterlot to save one of our sister's friends!" Sweetiebelle said, waving her hooves for dramatic effect. "But isn't that a bit risky?" Applebloom asked Sweetiebelle. "What if someone recognizes us or our sisters realize we are gone?" "Our sisters will be going on a similar mission." Sweetiebelle told them. "And it's always a step towards potentially getting our cutiemarks." Scootaloo put a hoof in. "If it's getting me closer to a Cutie Mark, I'm in." "That settles it then." Sweetiebelle said as she grabbed some of the bits she saved up for clubhouse renovations. "Let's get the tickets!" The three fillies rushed out of the tree house and down the winding path towards the train station to start their next adventure. The six ponies and one dragon were stationed at the Train station before any other pony was. They all took a step back as the train came into their visual range, allowing it to pull in without any problems. The train itself only had a few other passengers, giving the six friends a wide variety of seats as they made their way on. Rainbow Dash took a window seat as always, Fluttershy sat next to her. Across from the pegasi, Pinkie Pie was next to the window with Twilight sitting next to her and behind them sat Applejack and Rarity. Spike had somehow managed to wander off in search of food. Rarity took a glimpse out of the window as she saw a small white blur. "Is that Sweetiebelle?" She thought outloud. "Ah reckon it ain't" Applejack told Rarity. "Wouldn't she be getting ready for school at this time?" Applejack asked. "Ofcourse not, darling." Rarity told Applejack. "Why would you even think of her going out now?" "Well Applebloom leaves about this time in the morning." Applejack pointed out. Rarity rolled her eyes before flinching from a cold draft. She turned her head to see that Rainbow Dash had opened the window. "Rainbow." "What?" Rainbow Dash asked, returning her hoof from outside the window. "Could you please close that window, it's getting freezing in here." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and closed it half-way. The train started to approach the huge mountains of Canterlot. "Hello Mister!" Sweetiebelle called out to the Ticket Seller. The ticket seller looked from left to right, than down at the trio of fillies. "Huh?" "Can we get some tickets to Canterlot?" Sweetiebelle asked, her voice squeaking again. "Aren't you a little young to be going alone?" The seller asked. "Well. Um, Our sisters said they would meet us on the platform." Scootaloo lied. "Sure thing?" The salespony was confused, but her got three filly tickets anyways. "That will be fifteen bits." He told them. Sweetiebelle levitated her bits onto the counter and the salespony and in return got three tickets, which she split accordingly among her friends. The three fillies continued onto the boarding platform and were disappointed to see that they didn't catch the train. "Just great." Scootaloo complained. The caves got brighter once again, this time a familiar face happened to appear at the twisting stares. "Hey, um Song, Vinyl?" Stone called over to the only two ponies in the dungeon, hoping he got their names right. "Yes?" Song responded, now getting up to face the Guard. "Your official court session will start soon. They didn't give me many details except its just a formal interrogation in front of some of the nobles and highest court members, as well as Princess Celestia and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor." He explained to the two ponies. "The only reason why Royalty is involved is since Changeling cases are one of the most dangerous." He rolled one of his front hooves in a circle. "And you." He said, stopping to point at Song. "Me?" the white mare asked. "Feathered Spear wishes to meet you outside of the courtroom once you're done." Stone told her. "And you better not disappoint her." He added. Song Serenade nodded to the guard before he slid the giant barred gate open to lead the two ponies up to the courtroom. "Whatever you do, don't break down or show any emotions." Stone Wall added. "It may be the best to stay emotionless and reasonable. Be honest." The three ponies started on the spiraling staircase and started to climb it. The walk wasn't as long as it was thought to be and the three reached the top fairly quickly. The three entered the Castle from a door and started to walk down the long decorative halls. Stone Wall flared his wings out to keep the two mares on task, as it was either a magic barrier, or a wing-barrier that ensured the prisoners to get to their designated area intact and safely. Guards and servants alike stared at the trio as they passed, the rumor of changelings quickly spread and many ponies were in awe from the unusual colours of Song's coat and mane. The three soon approached what seemed like a huge foyer with magnificent doors leading outside to the main gardens and the streets of Canterlot. The area, in fact was crowded, filled with various politicians, farmers and just sightseers alike. The mixed, scrambled array of ponies, that seemed to place their selves randomly were actually in a line for the court, many wishing to propose tax cuts or new ideas for the farmlands. Stone Wall and the other two passed all and got to the front of the line. An almost-white coloured pegasus with a light pink mane stood at the entrance to the main courtroom, holding a clipboard. "Vinyl Scratch and ..." The pony squinted her eyes at the clipboard as she reread it. The clipboard just had a number on it. She shrugged it off and awaited the guard's reply. Stone Wall nodded. "That's them, Cherry Note." He confirmed. "Just in time." She said smiling, allowing the ponies in. The other ponies in the front of the line groaned, as they expected to get called in first. The court room was empty, giving the accused time to get to their spots and settled in. Cherry Note flew over the group and started to lead them to a spot, in the middle of the half-circle of seats and in front of the thrones. "You will be here for today." Cherry Note said, flipping the pages on her clipboard. She looked up to Stone Wall. "Are you going to be here for the court?" She asked him. He nodded. "I'm on duty incase anything gets out of hand." he told her. "Good, you can keep an eye on them until everyone files in. I have to deal with the impatient ponies outside." Cherry Note said, before returning to the exit and starting to yell at the mob to quiet down. A train pulled into the station, Scootaloo jumped up, her wings buzzing with excitement as it pulled to a halt. The three fillies held their tickets in their mouths as they ran past one of the Train's employees and grabbed a seat. Sweetiebelle and Scootaloo battled against each other for a window seat, while Applebloom took a vacant seat away from the window. When the three were finally settled in, they each put a hoof in and yelled "Cutie Mark Crusader's Pony Saver!"