I stepped out of the Tower and, still in Battle Mode, made a beeline for Alice’s mirror practically ignoring everyone I passed. When I got there I saw that I was floating about foot off the ground. How could I have failed to notice something like that, was bleeding really so strange that it had caused the lapse in awareness? I looked around, I could her ponies talking in hushed tones, and they were worried about me. I clamped down on my emotions and immediately stopped projecting confusion. I landed silently and quickly crossed into the Mirror Kingdom. It only took a few seconds for me to find Alice; she was speaking excitedly to a toaster oven. After a few minutes of waiting the toaster oven interrupted her.
“As enjoyable as this conversation is your Majesty,” he sounded like he was speaking through a wide metal pipe “you have more pressing issues to discus with your newest rook.”
She paled as she nervously looked up at me “Oh…right, I had um…forgotten about that.”
The toaster scoffed “Forgotten my hinges. You’ve been sitting there talking my door off for a solid week to try and avoid this. You knew it was unavoidable so why not just get it over and done with eh?” two pats of butter attached to a croissant fluttered past “Excuse me, that is to tasty to pass up.”
A pair of stubby wings sprouted from the toaster’s sides and flew off in pursuit. Alice sat on the grass fidgeting with her crown s I looked at her. Even if the toaster had stayed silent we both knew why I was there. What I didn’t know was why she had supposedly been trying to avoid this meeting. Whatever the case I was long overdue for some important answers.
“Let’s start with something simple. Why am I a girl?”
She twitched “You guessed correctly, it’s a side effect of the magic used to transform you because of who you specified you as your form.”
“I thought the Sovereigns were the ones who changed me.”
“No, I did. I’m your Chess Master, they’re…I guess corporate sponsors would be the best way to put it. They can give you things like equipment or coaches but can’t actually step out into play themselves. I’m not supposed to be able to do anything but because of laws and magic older than you can comprehend I’ve got a lot of wiggle room.”
“These Ancient laws have a superiority clause in them.”
She nodded “I have to honor new laws and agreements unless they interfere with the ancient laws, in which case I can ignore the new stuff. It’s extremely complex and hard enough to keep track of and practically impossible to explain so I won’t elaborate on it but.”
I cut her off “You’re stuck here.” She blinked “It explains why you act the way you do around me. It’s also why you need me to be strong piece. The Sovereigns have a loose end to clean up, buy you’re in it to win it. Every chess tournament has to have a winner and winners get something; a trophy, bragging rights, prize money, something!” bleeding seemed like a minor thing, poor Alice was practically in tears “…so if you win…what do you get?”
She sniffled as her first tears leaked out “Strength, strength enough to leave this endless retched world! It used to be fun, years of strange entertaining fun. But, I’m trapped stuck in a never ending cycle. I don’t want to play anymore, but if I don’t play I’ll disappear!” she was crying in earnest now and I couldn’t blame her.
I could feel that this wasn’t a show of crocodile tears and good acting; she was telling the truth and was in so much despair. It suddenly hit me that she may have lived and for a few hundred years and learned how to act mature but underneath that she was exactly what she appeared to be. She was a seven and a half year old child stuck in a strange world, a perfect reflection of who and what Alice was when she entered the Mirror Kingdom. I degenerated into Travel Mode and carefully pulled her into a comforting hug as she cried out years of sorrow and frustration.
When she finally stopped I asked her about my bleeding cheek and was greeted with mixed news and a lot of technobabble. From what I could understand I could be at ground zero for a MOAB without an inch of clothing and come away without much of a bruise. It would hurt like hell but wouldn’t do much else. If it was infused with some sort of special energy found in magic and Digimon attacks then it would mess me up pretty badly, but on the bright side no broken bones since I technically didn’t have any. But my durability was proportional to my form; meaning my lower digivolutions were less durable. The blood was some sort of technical thing; my actual transformation was done in the Mirror Kingdom an organic world and set my default existence to organic, but I was still as physically powerful and resilient as I would be if I had been transformed in the Digital World. All I had to do to was be in a digital field and I would be digital again instead of organic since. The exception was my Digicore, the very center of my existence, basically my soul. It was constantly switching between the two states. On an unrelated note I learned I could enter and leave the Mirror Kingdom through any reflective surface of sufficient size and could exit any object anywhere in existence if it met the same requirements.
“So, any ideas on how I can get to Luna’s moon?” I had degenerated into my default form of Antylamon and Alice was lying on her stomach between my ears.
“Ask about backup sites and the original elevator, it’ll give you a good place to start. You’ll have to make more use of that Key so if you think you need to use don’t hesitate or it could end badly. Before you ask, no it can’t help me. I know because the one you have is the one that appeared in this world when someone examined the original in front of a reflective surface. I found it and gave it a try even though I remembered it wouldn’t work.”
“So did you put it into Equestria?”
She shook her head “No, it fell into Equestria because its walls are weakening. It’s happened in previous games, or so I’m told, because of the power of all the Chess Masters who participate. They're…well, siting on the wall or leaning against it so they can watch. The barriers between dimensions are strong but even they have their limits. There is a natural phenomenon that is similar, dimensional soft spots occasionally form and something from one dimension sort of slides into an adjacent one and the soft spot collapses and solidifies behind it. Equestria was full of them before but it’s starting to get out of hand. The Key can do something about that problem.”
“Is that how most of the pieces are getting there?”
She snorted “It is now. This place is the only truly stable path that can be used to travel safely between dimensions. After the first two dozen Chess Masters trampled through here smashing everything up I shut them all out, only those given permission can enter and leave now. So yes Chess Masters are creating artificial soft spots by forcing their pieces onto the board. The Key won’t be able to stop that but it should be able to keep Equestria from collapsing in on itself because of collective stupidity. I know it could be avoided if I let them through but like I said they were destroying everything.”
I leaned my head back forcing her to grab my ears or hit the ground. She slid almost to the ends and I whipped forward and caught her in my cupped hands.
"I'd better get going. People are probably worried because of how I was acting. If there's one thing I've learned it's that most ponies seem to enjoy panicking over little things."
I set her down "Just so you know Celestia doesn't really like you very much right now. It has everything to do with you brushing her off right in front of several nobles. Informality is one thing but you completely ignored her authority."
"I had already explained that I was there by mistake and that a proper explanation would have to wait until a latter time. It's not my fault they didn't want to listen to me."
"True but you'll have to deal with her in a few weeks, so try not to make a complete ads of yourself when you do. Be careful she is very strong and resilient so don't be afraid to actually lash out with your spear...without any rings...just to be safe."
"That's still a lot of power. Not that I mind fighting her I just hope that whatever our issue is we at least try to talk it out first."
"I know and you do. But the Nanoha method will work wonders for the two of you. Just remember that it doesn't always work so it's important to have good communication skills. Okay?"
I nodded; while we spoke we had made our way to a reflective lake so I could leave. Water walking here was just as easy in this place as it had been in the Digital World. Even though I passed through the water feet first my head was the first thing to emerge on the other side. After looking around for a few seconds I realized I was at the bottom of a large rain barrel, the cloud scattered sky above his perfect match of the one below.
With a short bound I was atop the rim and saw potatoes fields reaching for several miles around. Now that I knew my location it took only a few careful bounds to be outside the planted fields and onto the grass. It was easy enough to make my way back to Trotingham once I spotted the Rippling Walls. Dimensional soft spots explained how everything non-Equis arrived and why thing would continue to do so. I jumped over the Walls when I was close enough, startling a few tourists who had just come into town. I carefully made my way home nodding and waving to Anthony who recognized me, despite the fact that I could remember three of them.
Grey Main greeted me when I opened the door before I degenerated to fit through it. Either I was gone longer than I thought or word traveled much faster, either way I had to reassure him that I was alright. I made quick use of the Key to reinforce the walls of the world; I had to trust that it would work since there was no way to tell. With the possibility of a dimensional collapse averted it was time to focus on a more immediate problem. The Mancers had a leak and it needed to be patched and damage control needed to be run.
"Ya'll are probably wondering why I've gathered everyone here." My yellow sun dress squished as I paced across the stage in the meeting room of The Mancers public HQ in front of about 600 ponies "If you are not it's either because I've told you or for a far less savory reason. I'll be blunt someone or a group of someone's is leaking information, in this case it was to a Unicorn supremacy group with powerful political connections." This was greeted by worried muttering which I quickly silenced "Who it was leaked to is only part of the issue, I'm going to give y'all a chance, if the people responsible will step forward I promise that we will be lenient. You have ten minutes to come forward, starting...now."
When the time ran out a single unicorn mare, leaf green with a long fire engine red mane, was the only one who stood on the stage with me. I was surprised; I hadn't expected anyone to step forward. Even still she might be a scapegoat or something so I wasn't going to take any chances. Scipio was waiting in the next room and he would be my insurance. The mate's name was Anemone and she was a botanist specializing in strengthening plants. I had her escorted to a different side room.
"Only one, thank God." several seemed to relax "How fucking stupid do you think I am?!" they all flinched "The specific information is something she wouldn't have had access to. Since the remaining perpetrators have not come forward we're going to have to do some digging. Now, as I said before who the information went to is only part of the issue. The other part is that leaking it is a breach of the non-disclosure agreement that each and every one of you has signed. When your name is called please proceed into the next room for questioning, The Marshals will ensure none of you...misbehave while I'm gone."
Scipio would try to be as gentle as possible while still being through when he searched their memories. If all went well everypony could be home before 10 o'clock, if they were innocent. If they weren't they'd be having a long talk with The Marshals and would find themselves looking for a new job. I sat down to wait at a table in the next room; Anemone had to be examined by Scipio first to see if she knew of any other moles. A door leading to a back hallway opened and a shaking Anemone was led in.
"I thought you might use him, anypony can lie but it's pointless if someone can pull the information directly from your brain." She shuddered and made to continue but she seemed weak kneed.
"Please," I gestured to a cushion beside me "have a seat. I wish I could've just taken your word for it but I'd rather be safe than sorry. You wouldn't have been brought back here if you had known about other informants and refused to tell me earlier so you're mostly in the clear. We'll still have to take punitive measures but I can get them reduced because you came forward willingly and you were honest about how much you know."
She sighed as she flopped down "Thank you, this is the first good thing to happen to me in months. I should've known that invitation to give a seminar on my research in Canterlot was to good to be true."
"Forgive my ignorance but what are you researching, you said you said you were in the Botany Department but other than identifying some inter-planer specimens I've had little contact with that area so a little enlightenment would be welcome."
She smiled "My research is about magically stimulating botanical growth, specifically understanding and attempting to mimic or enhance the effect without causing instability."
I blinked "So...Earth Pony magic and how to do it or make it stronger without killing the plants?"
She giggled "That's simplifying it a bit but yes. Most ponies don't find it terribly interesting but one of the higher ups in the EI apparently did. I had no idea what they would want my research for but I think I do now and it has me worried." She jumped as I uninvolved to Travel Mode and gestured for her to continue "Now that I know what their final goal is I think they're going to use my research to do something to Earth Ponies that will force them under their hoof."
"Tell me everything bout you're research and your seminar in Canterlot."
"I don't think you'll understand most of it."
"That's fine; If I get confused I've got an expert right here. Please, I want to know what your plans and goals for it are." I also wanted to make see if she was acting or not.
While my understanding of pony magic was less than perfect I had no trouble grasping the science behind what she was doing. When she realized that she hit her stride, the joy she felt at explaining it to someone who was genuinely interested felt like it could warm the room. I had to ask her to explain something every few minutes but by the time she began telling me about her trip I was confident that she had only been sharing her research because she was under some form of duress. She was focusing on the domestic and infrastructural possibilities; growing bridges, self repairing homes, stuff like that. I raised a few questions about military applications which she was able to shoot down as being ineffective.
“Princess Luna asked many of the same questions.” She saddened “I hope she doesn’t support them.”
“I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty that she opposes them. When I was in Ponyville we managed to turn one of their more reluctant followers to our side.” A Marshal came in to give me a folder ‘You still haven’t told me why you started sending them information.” I started skimming
“That’s…complicated, part of it deals with personal finance and the other is well, just personal.”
“Student loans right? College is expensive Dr. Anemone Ph.Ds. I’m guessing they said they’ll help or hinder based on your actions. How’s your father doing in the hospice facility?”
“He was doing alright the last time I saw him, but he barely remembers me any…is that my personnel record and background check?”
“Maaaaaybe.” I pressed on “I know what’s wrong with your father and I THINK we might have a way to return his memory to normal.”
She sagged “It’s Second Foalhoad Syndrome.”
“Where I’m from its called Alzheimer’s Disease. I know patients don’t recover from it they just have good days and bad days. It’s a cruel, sick, vicious disease with no universally known cause and it tears families apart. My Grandpa had it and one of my Dad’s good friends has it in its early onset form. But Scipio might be able to restore your father’s memory to working order. I don’t know much about how it works but isn’t a chance better than none at all?” I snapped the folder shut.
She thought about it for a few minutes “what about my loans, unless they can be paid off all at once the EI will use them to make my life a living Tartarus”
“We’ll let legal work it out if it becomes an issue. If they encounter too much trouble I’ll see if I can’t call in one of the favors I’m owed.”
“What do you want from me in exchange for all this?”
“Well hopefully you’ll be moving into a new office on Monday.”
“Another new project, what will I be doing?”
“Leading it.”
“I…I don’t understand, why me?”
“Because it’ll be using your research. The new position will come with a large paycheck, but more importantly access to certain things that can help accelerate research and improve the already amazing results. You also have a Ph. D in Architectural Engineering and a Masters in logistics. Tonight I’ll leave for Canterlot and I’ll pitch my idea to the powers that be, if they’ll approve it we can get started sooner rather than later.” I stood up indicating we were done.
“That’s not the only reason you’re going is it?” it was a statement not a question.
I hesitated, reminding myself she had been proven trustworthy “No, but it does give me a legitimate excuse to make the trip. Something bad is supposed to happen in that city and I’d rather not get caught up in it until I’ve got some monster power that I can throw around.”
I opened the door indicating a refusal to elaborate further. Unlike most of the openly secret projects we had this one’s existence was on a need to know basis, read Scipio and I. Reprogramming XANA’s monsters to serve someone else was hard, even with Scipio’s encyclopedic knowledge of their code and how to manipulate it. So far we’d only managed to get the Kankrelats working properly and while Zerg rushing is an effective tactic it’s also very limited. I wanted to at least have Hornets before I tried openly using the monsters for anything; I also wanted to add those Combine Striders and Hunters to my line-up if I could.
We had spent almost three hours talking and Scipio had now gone through most of the personnel and all of the senior and executive staff. I tracked down Sunny and told her the good news about finding a director and method to make the interstate project feasible. She agreed with my choice and told me her letter should have reached the Princesses by now and they had likely read it. My plan to visit them would save time by cutting out the need for a pair of response letters. She wrote me a brief letter of introduction which would get me an immediate audience with one or both of the Princesses.
The night sky was breathtakingly beautiful, the moon was a tiny waxing crescent and what was clearly the Milky Way stretched across the center of the night sky. I flew upside down admiring its beauty as I flew at supersonic speed towards Canterlot going over my mental checklist of dos and don’ts. The Royal Wedding would probably be held soon and I didn’t want to be involved in that incident if I could avoid it. I would arrive, meet with Luna, get the project approved (hopefully), find Clear Psyche and say hello/crash while I found a good place for Tower 40. Once the main two were completed I’d warn him not to attend the wedding and GTFO at Ludicrous Speed.
All too soon Canterlot came into view and, unfortunately for me, it was encased in a giant magenta bubble barrier. I flew over towards a pegasi patrol and managed to get their attention so I could land and present my letter and be allowed in. They didn’t even bother to open it, as soon as they saw The Mancers’ emblem they had a ground crew open the barrier for me and called a guide to bring me to a room where Luna would meet with me in private per HER request. My guide was surprised with how easily I kept up with him since I had degenerated into Lopmon immediately upon landing. Even with the city on lock down ponies still filled the nighttime streets as though everything were normal, eavesdropping on a few conversations revealed that the citizens thought it was all just a drill because of Sunday’s impending wedding. It took a while for us to reach the castle gates and pass through another security checkpoint to enter the castle proper.
Palace would probably have been a better term for it than castle. The halls were very wide with high arched ceilings; I could easily have walked around as Antylamon without my ears brushing against anything. It was all made of gleaming polished marble and massive windows of plain and stained glass. The hallway’s width was divided into thirds by large columns set about ten feet apart; they would be perfect for hiding behind. In short it was a defender’s nightmare; enemies would swarm down the halls with ease and efficiency.
Thankfully the meeting room was far more practical for the “castle” than the hallways were and probably ever would be. The room was circular and probably about thirty feet in diameter with two normal sized doors. There were symbols etched into the marble walls, possibly as some sort of magical soundproofing or something, the floor was also had a soft thick rug to help mute any echoes. In the center of the room there was a low table with a small assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables to snack on. I sat down on one of the cushions, careful not to rumple my dress, and waited for Luna to arrive. I had enough time to eat one of the peaches from the bowl before Luna entered from the opposite door and I had to stand.
I gave my best curtsey; this was not a social call “Good evening your majesty. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice during this difficult time. I hope I will not distract you from your duties for too long.”
She smiled and lay down on one of the largest cushions “Hopefully long enough for a much needed snack. While I appreciate the formality of your greeting a simple hello would have been fine. We are, after all, friends are we not?” she bit into an apple as I sat again.
“If you so say. I never made friends this quickly when I was human; maybe it’s a Digimon thing or just something to do with this world. Anyway, I’m here about the Interstate System Project that Sunny told you about in her letter.”
"Yes!" Linda's eyes sparkled "Many members of the Barn of Lords were extremely displeased at having portions of 'their' property repossessed, never mind the fact that the land is actually on perpetual , and currently unpaid, lease to them from Celestia and I. I wonder how they would react if we chose to have them pay for all those years the lands have been under their jurisdiction?"
I smiled "I'd guess that about ninety percent of them would be completely bankrupt, if the didn't die of cardiac arrest first. They all seem to be interested in spending money only on themselves instead of aiding the people."
She frowned "Please refrain from making such generalizations about ponies you don't know." She started on a second apple "The actual number is somewhere just over the majority. Many of the Nobles keep their wealth, and vote, directed solely at their own interests or the advancement of the nobility. It makes it hard for the government to be productive when those running it only do so for personal gain. But that is a matter for another time, who have you chosen to head the project?"
"Dr. Anemone, she's."
"A botanist yes, I remember the seminar she gave a few months ago. a truly fascinating subject matter and an interesting choice, Clear Psyche listed her as an informant of the EI."
"Not anymore, she was being coerced through financial threats. Her father has SFS and she has some rather sizable student loans to pay. If our legal department can't deal with it I as hoping you might be able to help."
She started on a second bowl with a nod "I would be happy to. Psyche can provide a list of banks and employees who are under the EI's hoof so that they can be...dealt with."
Her small smokeless me shiver "So...how go the wedding preparations?"
"Twilight Sparkle and the other Elements of Harmony will be arriving in the morning to help finalize everything before the events the next day. Do you...?"
"Yes I know about the attack. No, I can't tell you anything and I don't intend to be here when it occurs. If I were to participate it would be in a support capacity; protecting citizens, assisting in evacuation, et cetera, et cetera. If I took the offensive, then in a worst case scenario the city, and everything in it, would likely be severely or completely destroyed."
"While rebuilding is time consuming it is not impossible."
I shook my head "You don't understand. I don't mean destroyed as in ruins, I mean destroyed as in gone, with the only signs that it was ever here being memories, vitrified ground, and the tears I would shed for allowing myself to do something so terrible."
"That was not an attempt at humor was it."
"No, you know I wouldn't joke about something like this...okay maybe I would but not under the current circumstances."
She sighed "Inaba, just how strong are you?"
"Honestly? I don't know. The only way to really measure my strength is against other Digimon and even then it's skewed because Alice did something to increase my strength. Even if she hasn't I would still be very strong." I gave her a brief summary of everything Digimon and my right weeks of training "When they saw how much destruction I could cause they took me to see the real Cherubimon who said I'm at least thirty percent stronger than he is."
"How much of an increase do those five you?"
"I don't know, I don't think anyone really does, but it is by a significant degree. Now, I have some questions for you that might be a little...personal."
She was silent for a moment "I have moved on, the past is the past. Please ask your questions."
I nodded " Listen closely, were you banished to the moon or into it?"
She frowned "Into it, I could neither see more hear. I was only aware of the passage of time."
"If you had the chance to go to the moon and return here at anytime, would you be willing to?"
"Perhaps, as long as I was not being imprisoned again.I have always wanted to see Equis from there." She finished the last of the food "If there's nothing else, then I must return to watching over the city."
"Of course, thank you for your time Luna."
Both doors opened and a guard led me back down into the main hallways where we were intercepted by another guard. It seems I had not gone as unnoticed as I had hoped I would. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had ordered that I be brought before her immediately for a private audience. The newcomer told me that because it was an order from the one of the Princesses I was not allowed to refuse. Rather than waste time explaining that I wasn't a citizen and therefore exempt from having to follow royal edicts since I had been dubbed a diplomat, I just decided to follow him after my original guide agreed to locate Clear Psyche and have him meet me at the castle gates. After being led down another series of hallways the guard brought me to a second meeting room. Inside Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, AKA Queen Chrysalis in disguise, sat on a cushion looking haughtily down her muzzle at us.
"Thank you guard, you may leave now." the door snapped shut "I don't know who, or even what, you are but you must have some influence of you can get a private meeting with Princess Luna during such a heavy security lock down. I don't want any interruptions during my wedding so whatever urgent news you brought will have to wait a few days. So sorry."
She didn't sound it in the least "I was stopping by to get final approval on a civil work's project we submitted a few weeks ago. I have it now and plan to leave as soon as I finish some other business. So if you would please excuse me, I deal with that business and hopefully be gone by tomorrow night." I made to leave.
"What is this 'other business'?"
Now it was my turn to sound insincere "My deepest apologies but that information is need to know. Good night." as I turned my back I was enveloped in a green aura, spun around and yanked before her.
"Do you know who I am? I am a Princess of Equestria and you will tell me what this other business is."
Fuck subtlety, Chrysalis suddenly found herself dangling a foot off the ground as I held her by the throat and projected that she should be terrified of me "See, that's the problem, I know exactly who you are. I have no intention of interfering with your plan and frankly would rather not be here when it starts. So, you stay out of my business, I stay out of yous, and you don't turn into a green smear on the top of the barrier." I gave a light squeeze "Understand?" She nodded and I degenerated "Good, have a pleasant rest of the night Princess."
With that I opened the door and was led back to the main entrance and my first guide calmly stood chatting to somepony. With a nod the pegasus took off, the guards exchanged greetings and I was led out of the castle and back into town. We made our way to a nearby cafe and got a table to wait for the runner to return with Clear Psyche. While the guard received only the occasional look nopony seemed able to pass up the opportunity to stare or, in some cases, glare at me. We only had to wait about ten minutes for them to arrive, I was lucky Clear Psyche was already in the area getting an obscure dish of leeks and beets to bring home to his wife. Missions completed the guard and runner headed back to the castle and their normal routines.
I stood and gave a curtsey "Lord Clear Psyche, I'm glad to see you well."
He bowed "And I you, your Grace."
"You don't need to call me that."
He grinned "Very well so long as you agree to call me Psyche, I've stopped using my title except in very formal occasions."
"Alright."
"Now that we have that out of the way, what business brings you to Canterlot this evening?"
"A Mancers project that we needed to get final approval for."
"Ah, the Interstate and Defensive Highway System, it caused quite a stir in the Barn when both Princesses announced it. The funny thing is most of the land they are taking is currently going unused and unoccupied, the nobles are more upset about the fact that the unused plots are being taken from them despite the fact that they're squandering it by letting it remain unused."
"So I heard."
"I take it you will be staying for the Royal Wedding, I mean why else would wait till now to come to Canterlot."
I shook my head "It is coincidence, nothing more. I'd rather not be here during this time but I didn't know exactly when the wedding was being held. I suggest that you and your wife leave when I do."
"Why, does this have something to do with these rumors about the city being in danger?"
"They aren't rumors. The city will be attacked during the wedding, b but everything will turn out alright in the end...at least for the Mane Six but I don't know how it turns out for anyone else. So better safe than sorry right?" he gulped "If I haven't finished my other reason for being here by the time of the attack I'll protect y'all."
We made good time as we walked through the city, bypassing the residential district favored by most of the nobles. Psyche explained that they had sold his family's old manor and purchased a home big enough that they could continue to employ the servants who's families had served his for generations. They were as much family to him as his wife was and his parents had been before they passed. When we entered the equivalent of a large middle class neighborhood ponies started to greet us more warmly, apparently Psyche had endeared himself to many living here by providing financial advice. He said it's was tradition for the stallion of the house to handle any financial investments without bringing in outside help, something about rival nobles trying to cheat them or something.
The house was still quite large, easily marking it as one of upper-middle class. Psyche said it was less than a quarter the size of the old manor and they still had more space than any of them knew what to do with. The building itself was built of plain stone bricks and the front side was filled with windows, the front door was glass paned and painted a deep shade of green. The front yard was fairly small but was extremely well kept by a pegasus, surprisingly enough. Once inside I was introduced to about a dozen different ponies and their families, far to many names for me to keep track of at once. He wouldn't be able to leave the city quickly enough, not with so many ponies who would need a better explanation than just "the city is going to be attacked" and there was no way he would leave without them.
"You must be Inaba, thank you for talking some sense into my husband." The speaker was a heavily pregnant earth pony with deep red fur and dark purple mane. As she turned I could see that she had an open book for her Cutie Mark.
Psyche walked over and muzzled her "Yes she is. Inaba, this is my wife, Romance Dawn."
I made to curtsey but was quickly snapped up into a bone crushing hug "There's no need for such formality you've done us all a great service."
"Umm..."
"Psyche has told me everything about you, you're very brave for coming to this world." She whispered in my ear.
"I'd call it cowardly or stupid personally." I whispered back.
She let go " But were are our manners, have you eaten anything? I'm sure we could whip something up for you how about a strawberry tart? Or ooh!" she stumbled and everypony flinched "I'm alright, still a few days to go just yet. Well come along everyone to the kitchen we go!"
As most of the group followed after her I turned to Psyche "She usually like this?"
He sighed "Yes and that's why I love her she's always trying to find something to do. She writes adventure fantasy novels and devours them quicker than a parasprite."
"Do any of her works include crazy pirates and the high seas?"
"A few why?"
I shrugged "No reason."
As it turned out the kitchen pulled double duty as the dining room with a single large table dominating the majority of the floor space and surrounded by an array of mismatched chairs. Dawn was unhappily seated at the table and her every attempt to help was given a kind but firm refusal followed by insistence that she continue to rest. A meal was quickly scraped together, mostly from desserts, as the guest of honor I ended up being seated to Psyche' s right. As we ate discussion topics ranged from the upcoming wedding to which mare had the best hooficure, the entire thing would've felt surreal if it weren't for the simple fact that I could do nonsense and weirdness, hell I could live and breath that shit. I hated having to restrain my actions on Earth and never being aloud to act on my strange whims. Everyone took the news that the impending attack was real in different manners but there was, surprisingly, not a single pony who panicked.
"Which brings me to the second reason I'm here. I need to find an out of the way place to put up a twenty foot tower. It needs to be off the beaten path but still easy to reach in an emergency." I scratched my head "That didn't make any sense did it?"
There were a few chuckles before Psyche responded "No but we understood what you meant and THAT'S the important thing. I can't say that I know of anyplace that fits what you're looking for. But, I have a friend coming over in the morning who might, is this something you can tell us about or...?"
I nodded "You prove that I can trust you so I have no reason to hide it from y'all." a brief explanation and a set of hanging jaws later "And that's why I need it to be out of the way, don't want to have any old random person stumbling upon it and winding up at Mancers HQ or one of the Towers that's literally in the middle of nowhere."
There were nod of agreement all around "It's decided then." Dawn said "We'll speak to Fancy Pants tomorrow morning and everypony else will make discreet inquires when they go about town, the more potential locations the better her options are. Any questions?"
"No." everypony said in unison
Dawn clapped her hooves "Then off to bed everyone busy weekend ahead of us."
With that everything got up and started to clean or make their way to bed excitedly discussing what promises to be a truly unique weekend.