Chapter 9
“So... um... you sell apples, correct?”
“Uhh...” Braeburn paused to think a second. “Ah think so.”
“How very... pedestrian. I mean, peasant-like. I mean, interesting!” Blueblood examined his hooves busily, his white coat turning slightly pink.
The farmer pony didn’t notice, and continued watching a speck of dust on the floor very carefully.
Blueblood moved a bit closer, extending his hoof to within a few centimeters of Braeburn’s. Braeburn didn’t notice, but the prince leaned in closer still, slightly confused by what he found himself doing.
His lips were almost touching the other stallion’s ears when he whispered, “I must confess I’ve never done anything like this.”
Braeburn continued to stare intently at his dust. “Uh-huh.”
Blueblood pressed himself closer still. “I know you’re just a lowly farmer, and I’m- well, royalty, but...”
The dust shifted slightly. Braeburn’s eyes widened in alarm for a moment before it settled and his expression calmed.
“...but I think we could possibly make a bit of an arrangement that would suit us both. How would you like to-”
“Ooohhhhhhhh, TAVI! Are you seein’ this?”
Blueblood lurched backwards faster than his leaning position would allow, and fell off the bed with a loud thump. As he stood up, stammering out every sort of explanation, he saw the blasted white unicorn standing in the doorway with the biggest smirk he’d ever seen, her grey friend behind her.
“Bluegills, you got the blues for some... stallion company?”
Blueblood turned an ironic shade of red. “No! No, I was simply, ah, inquiring if there were, ah, the slightest possibility that, ah, this wretched peasant, ah-”
“Can it, Blueballs. We need you, unfortunately.”
“What? Why me? What could you horrid mares possibly want from me now?”
Vinyl’s smirk got bigger. “‘Horrid’? That’s not very nice. Play nice, or I’ll tell “Auntie” what you were about to get up to... in her room.”
“I- I- I wasn’t- but- now, listen here-”
Octavia stepped forward. “We don’t care. The tradesponies are here to set up for the Gala, and your aunt is still missing. We need you to reassemble what little ‘royal’ dignity you ever had and deal with them.”
Blueblood drew himself up to full height, opening his mouth in protest. Before he could, Braeburn cut in, looking at the mares.
“Heyyyyy... you wanna buy some-” He cut off, looking down in alarm.
“WHERE’S MY DUST?”
*** *** ***
Back on the stairs down, Octavia was nearly bowled over by a maid who galloping, head down. The pony was blushing fiercely and disappeared around a corner before the cellist could let out an indignant “Excuse you!”
Vinyl laughed. “Don’t mind her. I’ve seen this before. That’s the trot of shame.”
“Pardon me?”
“Oh, Tavi, it’s simple. Most of the ponies here spent last night in part of the castle that was new to them, with a certain part of another pony who was also new to them. Then this morning rolls along, and they’ve got one hell of a headache to go with the fact that they can’t remember the name of whoever they woke up next to after a night of-” Vinyl stopped to make a few gestures- “and they’re so embarrassed they don’t want anypony to see them until they get back to their own place.”
“You sound particularly learned on the subject.”
“No comment.”
“I thought as mu- What in Celestia?”
They had emerged into the large entrance hall once again. Octavia gaped. The huge caravan of ponies that had been waiting outside were now inside, and setting up their various trailers in any possible space. Ponies ran to and fro, tripping over each other, spilling things, and generally creating chaos.
The trio spoke simultaneously.
“How in the world are we going to get this in order for the Gala?”
“Look at all these peasants!”
“But what about my gold...?”
They looked at each other. Blueblood shuddered.
“We need to find the Princesses.”
*** *** ***
Upstairs, the Princesses, Lyra, and the musicians had ventured carefully out into the hallway. It seemed quiet enough, and the little group began to make its way towards a staircase at the end of the hall.
As they neared, a large rumbling began to grow beneath them. Luna held up a hoof.
“Stop. Do you hear that?” The rest of the group listened intently.
The musicians caught on first. Beauty Brass took a step back. A second later, Frederic did the same. Lyra glanced at them.
“What? What is it?”
Frederic pointed with a hoof. “Run!”
Lyra and the Princesses whipped their heads around in time to see a massive mob of royal guards swarm over the top of the stairs and head down the hall towards them, yelling things like “We’re right behind them! Forward, guards!” and “Faster, faster!”
Celestia stood tall. “Finally! My guards! Halt!”
The guards kept coming, oblivious. They were focused on the chase, and the combination of mob mentality and hangovers blinded them to their liege’s presence. They flowed forward, getting closer and closer, until-
“Come on! Luna shoved her sister in the opposite direction with her magic. They fell in behind Lyra, who was right on top of the three musicians. The group pounded down the hall, taking corners on two hooves, the guards yelling orders right on their tail.
“Where are we going?” yelled Lyra.
From behind, Luna shouted “Take the next right, and into the first room on the left!”
The words had just left her mouth as Frederic made a pinpoint turn into a side hallway, then threw himself into an open door on the left. The rest of the group followed suit, with Luna slamming the door with her magic as she landed.
The party lay there, breathing heavily and listening to the sound of the guards trampling by outside. Celestia looked at her companions and shook her head.
“Remind me to fire their flanks.”
*** *** ***
“Uh...Where are we now?”
“I don’t know! You’re the one who teleported us!”
“Well, you said ‘anywhere’!”
“Well, I meant somewhere we’d been!”
“How was I supposed to know-”
“Nevermind! Let’s just find out what’s outside this door.”
Snips magicked the door open and stuck his head out. Down the hall, he saw a maid trotting quickly away from him, her gaze fixed on the ground.
“Excuse me? Miss?” he called to her.
The maid pony started suddenly, letting out a small “eep!”. She spun around, her cheeks reddening several shades in a few seconds. Her gaze swept the hallway wildly before they settled on Snips, just his head still sticking out of the doorway.
She screamed.
“A ghost! A ghost! Get AWAY!”
Still screaming, she ran off down the hall. Snips looked after her, more than a little confused.
Snails, behind him, asked “Who was that?”
“I... I don’t know. Hey, come out here for a second.”
“Uh, okay.” Snails trotted out next to Snips and stuck his head out. The two of them looked up and down the hallway. No other ponies in sight.
Snips trotted out into the middle of the hall, glancing around to get his bearings. Nothing came to mind, so he turned back to Snails and-
“Huh?”
Snips’ eyes bulged out of his head. Before him, Snails’ head appeared out of a solid wall. He seemed unaware of this fact, and blinked a few times, confused.
“Uh, what do you mean, huh?”
“Your head! What happened to your body?”
“I- It’s right here! Why? Is it missing? Where is it? Where is it?” Snails started spinning around in circles where he stood. To Snips, it appeared as if his head and butt were alternating showing up out of the wall. It was bizarre.
“No, Snails! Stop. Stop!”
The head reappeared. “What?”
Snips stretched out his hoof cautiously, reaching for a point a few inches to the right of Snails’ head. He paused right above the surface of the wall, then plunged it forward. It sank into the wall with no resistance. He closed his eyes and took a step forward, and when he had reopened them, he found himself back in the room he had started in.
Snails blinked at him, extremely confused. “Uh, what is it??”
Snips grinned, his mind working. “I’ve got an idea. Go outside for a second...”
*** *** ***
Bonbon considered herself to be a reasonable pony. And kind. And not to brag, but a pretty kickflank cook. So she was proud to show off her talents, making breakfast for the guardsponies. She was easygoing about it when they asked for seconds. She could even deal with it when they made a mess, tussling with those strange-looking alicorns (Bonbon didn’t know who they were, but she had every confidence that the Princesses would sort it out. It was the kind of thing they did). But after making one giant, final batch of french toast for herself and cleaning the entire kitchen just to come back and find it gone, she had had enough.
“WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT WAS FOR YOU?”
The stallion in front of her with the bloodshot eyes blinked a few times. “Ah.... ah was hungry...”
“SO AM I!”
“Well... uh... See, ah was following this piece o’ dust, because it got away, and then ah smelled something just oh-so-tasty, and kinduh followed my nose down this way...”
“YOU-” Bonbon stopped and took in his eyes again, his confusion, and his extreme hunger. “Oh Celestia. You’re higher than a pegasus pony placing cirriform clouds. What am I going to do with you?”
“Uh... cirri- cirr- cinnamon?”
Bonbon sighed, her compassion returning. “Come on, let’s get some coffee into you.”
*** *** ***
“Tavi! Check this out!”
“Vinyl, I’ve already seen you slide down the railing. It’s impressive, but I don’t think I need to-”
The trio was frantically searching the castle, looking for any signs of the princesses.There were still sections unsearched, and stairs still unclimbed, but Octavia had the sneaking suspicion that they’d been past this area already.
“No, not that. Look, it’s the map!”
“What?”
It was indeed the map the two had tossed aside earlier. Vinyl picked it up in her magic and studied it. “Hey! That hidden room is still here!”
Blueblood’s ears perked up a bit. “What did you say?”
“Hidden room, Bluesy, what’s it to you?”
“Be silent for once and let me see that.”
“Give me a bit first.”
“We don’t have the time-”
“I meant the money, dipstick.”
“Why?”
Octavia, who had trotted on a few steps, looked back at them. “Just give her the bit, Bluesy.”
“That had better not catch on. And why?”
“Would you kindly just do it? So we might get on with finding the princesses?”
Blueblood grimaced and tossed Vinyl a bit. She smirked and handed him the map.
“I don’t see anything.”
“No, see, there’s a room... there. But it only shows up when you’re wearing my glasses.”
“That’s preposterous. Let me see them.”
“Give me another bit.”
“You vulgar little prosaic filly, my royal blood allows me-”
“Kidding. Here.” She removed and flipped the shades to him. He caught them in his magic and held them in front of his face, being careful not to actually come into contact with them.
“Hmm. You’re correct, which may be a rare event. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall overhearing a servant about a few passages and rooms of the castle which are indiscernible with the naked eye.”
Vinyl started to giggle at ‘naked’. Octavia shot her a look.
“I can’t imagine why your ‘shades’ make them visible, when they are unseen to even me, of royal descent, but perhaps we might search some of them.
Octavia nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. And coming from you, it may even be quite impressive.”
“And just what does that mea-”
Vinyl took her shades back, settling them on her face. “Nobody wants to hear about your blood again, Bluesy. Let’s go.”
*** *** ***
Far below the castle, a meeting of tribal ponies had come to order. In truth, it was a more of a group of them hell bent on mischief making, but as the leader called it to order, they considered it a meeting.
“This is unacceptable. Two foals wander down here and give us what may be the optimal chance to make problems for the royalty. To make things better, apparently they somehow gain control of the heavenly bodies. A few short hours later, the leaders themselves wander down here blindly, giving us an even better opportunity, and not only do we give them the information they need, they waltz out freely? Unacceptable!” He stomped his front hoof.
The creature to the right of him raised his hoof.
“Yes?” What is it?”
“Ahem. Could it be time to use... you know...”
“No, that’s-” Eyes widened in inspiration. “That’s perfect. Bring it out.”
“We’re going to the surface.”
*** *** ***
***Author’s Note:
Again, sorry about the long break, guys. At the risk of sounding cliche, I’ve had a lot of stuff going on. ANYWAY. No more long breaks like that, I’m going to finish this fic or die trying. I promise.
By the way, if you got the reference with the “give her a bit for the map”, you win 10 free internet points. Redeemable at an internet by you!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Favorite, comment, all that good stuff. See you next time.
Aryn
*** *** ***