//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: It's About Location // Story: Heart of Raven Black // by Vin Diesels Go-Kart //------------------------------// Al never cared much for visitors. They usually brought unwanted drama with them, since only those with particularly checkered pasts ever found themselves in his neck of the woods. His old house was falling apart and his lawn had grown into a forest all its own, weeds and vines grew, unhindered by pony intervention. Al always liked nature, so he didn't mind the vegetation too much. The earth pony had chosen to set up his home just outside of Winsome Falls, in a darker part of the surrounding woods. He knew that few people traveled in that particular area, but the hikers usually kept onto the path and rarely strayed off into the forest unless they were looking to get gone. Wearing a greasy tank top and blue baseball cap, he sat in his rocking chair on the wooden porch of his cabin, banjo in one hoof and mug of cider in the other. The creaks of his old rocker matched the surrounding chirps of the crickets perfectly, making a nice beat that he felt compelled to play a song to. "Hello Al, long time no see." a pony said, causing him to pause as he tuned his instrument. "Who's there?" he demanded, ready to reach for the club he kept tucked behind his chair. A blue figure stepped out of the shadows. "Well I'll be, if it ain't my favorite mare, the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie. It's been a mighty long time since you graced my sore eyes." The magician walked up onto the porch. "What brings you all way out to my place of solitude?" "Remember that favor you owe me, Al?" the unicorn asked. "Well Trixie finally has a use for you." The earth pony stopped smiling. His missing teeth covered by a frown that now displayed his hesitant curiosity. "Well I'm all ears Ms. Trixie, lay it on me." Trixie smiled, setting her eyes on the hot air balloon that swayed back and forth behind the cabin, tethered to the ground. The dirigible had seen better days. It had shady patch work and a wicker basket that looked like it couldn't support a small animal let alone a full grown pony, but since Cherry Berry decided that she was going to disappear with Ponyville's only hot air balloon, this was Trixie's next best option. How pathetic is that? She thought. Ten minutes later and the show mare was floating over Equestria with the cloud formation in her sights. The balloon swayed precariously in the wind, causing Trixie to grow uneasy. There were two things in Equestria that she couldn't stand: wheels and heights. Now she was going even higher, trying desperately not to look down as the balloon steadily climbed into the upper atmosphere. The unicorn felt slightly annoyed by her fear of heights. No doubt the view from the balloon was amazing at that altitude. She could probably see most of Equestria painted like a picture under her hooves. Sadly though, she knew that looking down would result in dizziness, vomiting, and probably passing out. "Just don't look down, don't look down, don't look down." she kept repeating, occasionally activating the burner and providing the balloon with more hot air. When the unicorn finally reached the clouds, she was already on her last container of fuel. If this city is much higher than the clouds, then this is going to be a very short trip. She thought. Trixie could feel the moisture in the air as she passed through the thick layer of fog. Her visibility was effectively reduced to zero, but she could hear things just fine. There were strange sounds that the pony had never heard before. Some cities like Manehatten had industrial areas, and that was the only thing that came to mind when she thought of things to compare the noises to, but even this was not an ideal comparison. There were other things as well, not just the sounds of steam and machine. But music? Was that what she could hear? It was elegant, festive even. The sound traveled through her ears and filled her with memories of carnivals and fairs that she'd attended and performed at in the past. She had told Daniel that her life was dull and uneventful, but thinking back on the places she'd seen and the ponies she'd met, perhaps the magician hadn't given her life enough credit. The balloon broke through the clouds, and immediately Trixie was torn from thoughts of the past and thrust into the future. The first thing she saw was bright light. Shielding her eyes from the intense sunlight which had suddenly been unhindered by cloud cover, the mare had to allow her irises to adjust to the sudden influx of light particles that were now bombarding her retinas. Once she was able to see, Trixie looked out at the city that floated before her. Her jaw dropped at the shear size of it. The buildings and structures reached well beyond her scope, causing the illusion of being endless, an expanse of artificial landscape that continued on into infinity. The unicorn was still well below most of Columbia. While some of the statues and buildings were visible, much of her view consisted of the undersides of the districts. However, even the few objects she could see were enough to give her a clear idea of what the rest of the city looked like. The architecture itself was incredible, its breath-taking designs flowing together in a beautiful constancy that blended well with the foundations. Colors seemed to pop and make themselves known without being too obvious or demanding. It all came together perfectly to create structures of intimidating beauty. Statues dotted the streets with humans in various poses, both heroic and distinguished. Trixie could only assume they portrayed figures of great importance that must have received the same kind of respect and admiration that their stone variants now demanded. The show pony had little time to take in the sights however, as she spotted a Security Zeppelin slowly floating in her direction. Panic struck Trixie like lightning as she was now completely out in the open, not noticing the distance she had now gained from the clouds. She was now in an empty divider that separated two different worlds. The dark clouds of Equestria now floated below her like a sea of white and grey, while the city of Columbia hung above her. She now found herself sandwiched between the two, with the hounds of one world closing in. "Shoot! What do I do, where should I go?" she asked out loud, desperate for a plan. The Zeppelin now turned to her, heading right for her slower moving and considerably smaller dirigible. The pony didn't know if she'd been spotted, but at the speed the airship was travelling, it couldn't be long now. "You might want to think about ascending to the city." a female voice called out. Startled, Trixie turned to see the two humans she had met on the surface. They were once again standing side by side in a formal pose. The woman was now pointing to a break in the districts that her balloon would easily fit through. "And I would strongly recommend landing immediately upon your ascension." the man added. The two seemed to be standing on top of the clouds, with nothing supporting them, or perhaps something was supporting them and was simply concealed by the clouds. The unicorn didn't have time to figure it out, if that Zeppelin spotted her, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Trixie quickly activated the burner, quickening her climb to the lower level of the city. This particular part of the city was dark and foggy, and the mare quickly realized this was due to several smoke stacks that were spouting out smoke, giving off a thick haze that smelled of coal and waste. The magician considered this a lucky break, as it made her stealthy entrance that much easier. The hot air balloon easily reached the street, landing softly on a sidewalk that appeared desolate and unused, perfect for sneaking into the city unnoticed. The mare wasted no time, quickly hopping out of the basket and tying a rope to a nearby railing, she made her way to the closest alleyway. The first thing she noticed was the slums. This part of the city looked nothing like what she'd seen coming in. It was grimy and trashed, looking more like a war torn village than a Utopian city. Trixie stayed low as she made her way past a burning barrel and some scattered newspapers. She made a left and started down a narrow passage, careful not to run into any humans. * * * "Twilight, it is good to see you, even under these circumstances." Princess Luna said, meeting the fellow alicorn in front of Canterlot Castle and walking her into the main reception room. "Likewise." Twilight replied. "By now I'm sure you know of the event that took place in the Everfree Forest?" "I saw the occurrence with my own eyes, but I know nothing about it other than the fact that it happened." she said, shaking her head. "It is my hope that you know more than I do." "Fortunately, I do." Twilight nodded in reassurance. "I'll gladly fill you in, but first I need to know how many delegates are currently in Canterlot." the princess knew there were always a few representatives from other kingdoms and governments in Canterlot. It was widely known as the political capital of the world, an embassy in its own right. "In the city itself? There is an ambassador from Saddle Arabia, and a military liaison here on behalf of the Griffons." Luna responded. Twilight frowned. "That's it? There aren't any other representatives present?" she asked, disappointed. "I'm afraid not." Luna said. She looked up in thought. "Oh! I do believe that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is on her way here from the Crystal Empire. She should be arriving anytime now." The lavender alicorn's ears perked up. "Cadence is coming here!? That's great!" she said excitedly. Ever since Twilight had ascended to royalty, she and Princess Cadence had become very close. Taking up a "master and apprentice" relationship, Cadence often gave the new princess lessons and tips on how to effectively rule. This relationship consequently strengthened their bond as in-laws and as friends. Luna nodded in agreement. "Though I would very much like to know what the situation is. What exactly happened in the Everfree Forest?" Twilight's excitement was dampened a little, and her facial expression became much more serious. "You remember Thomas, right?" she asked. The dark princess frowned. Thoughts of the human's valor and sacrifice had weighed heavily on her since the events at the mountain. She had connected with the Fireman on a level that not even Twilight had. "Of course." "His brother is now in Equestria, as are other humans. They have performed some type of spell or ritual that has allowed them to bring an entire human city into our world." she walked over to a nearby window and pointed at the swirling clouds in the sky. "That is what floats just above the cloud line." Luna regarded her fellow princess with shock and disbelief, saying nothing in response. Suddenly a guard approached the two, bowing politely. Excuse the interruption your majesties, but I have just received word that Princess Cadence has arrived in Canterlot. Twilight looked away from Luna. "Excellent, thank you for informing us. I ask that you send somepony to collect her, the Saddle Arabian ambassador, and the Griffon liaison. Please bring them to the conference center of the castle." she instructed. The guard nodded and ran off while Twilight turned back to Luna. "We should probably get to the conference center as well." The older alicorn seemed lost in thought. "Luna?" She blinked a few times before snapping back to attention. "Oh, um yes. Let us go to the conference hall." she said, a little weary. Luna started walking with Twilight right behind her. What was that all about? Twilight thought to herself. * * * It was the late afternoon and the sun had just passed over the clouds that were still over and near the Everfree. It's light now shined down on Canterlot, illuminating the capital and casting its shadow over the valley below. Jakab observed the city with envious eyes. He had never seen such a place, but even now through his binoculars, he could tell it was unique. The demolitions expert had no idea what could have possessed any creature to construct such a magnificent city in such a terrible location. The capital sat right on the side of a large mountain, not all the way up at the peak, but high enough to cause quite a show if it were to...... "Can we go now?" his pilot asked. Jakab grunted as he stood up from the crouching position he had been in at the bow of the airship. It now floated above a wooded area, far enough away from any settlement that the likelihood of contact with any locals was minimal. "Are you in some kind of hurry?" he asked, annoyed. "Well its happy hour at Maguire's, and I'm stuck here taxiing around some Hungarian runt who gets his jollies blowing shit up with his little boom sticks." the pilot hotly replied. Jakab shot him a look before peering through his binoculars again. The city almost brought a tear to his eye. His fingers twitched with anticipation and his heart beat with excitement. It was definitely a successful recon mission. Even from the distance the airship was ordered to stay at, the explosives enthusiast saw three flawed points in the capital's design. These points, once exploited, would render useless any structural integrity that the foundations provided. He predicted at most a thirty second period upon detonation before the entire city sat at the bottom of the mountain in a pile of mangled concrete and plywood. The very thought exhilarated him. It would be the easiest job he'd ever done, but also the most satisfying. "Alright, we can go now. Just make sure you drop me off in Emporia." Jakab said, turning from the city and looking at the clouds. He smiled, "I don't want to be late for the briefing."