Chapter 3
Dark Clouds
Sky Dive
“Oops,” I let out the involuntary noise as the cloud bundle I was gathering came loose from my grip and flew into straight into the faces of the pegasus ponies next across from me. I heard them began to yell as they became blinded by blanket of thick cloud cover, and then came the part that made me wince.
THUD. THUNK. “OW!” “WHAT IS GOING ON?” THUNK.
“SKY DIVE!”
I heard my name clearly, despite all the sounds of wings crashing against wing and ponies being wrapped up by others just trying to escape the cloud cover.
‘Well that was presumptuous of them,’ I thought, ‘there is no way they saw that I actually flung those clouds over there.’
I gave an exasperated sigh, and began to slowly and covertly remove myself from the scene.
Suddenly a loud, piercing whistle cut through the cacophony of wings beating against each other and stopped me mid-flee. A tan pegasus mare with a dark brown mane flew into view. She gave the scene a quick but thorough scan, taking in the now violently vibrating cloud cover, the large empty patch in the clouds that the mess had originated from, and then me. I still had a hoof raised as if I was going to start running away on the thin air. As the mare locked eyes with me I could only return her narrow, pointed stare, with a small, very sheepish smile.
‘Well I’m already in trouble, mine as well embrace it, and take the punishment. Leaving now might put me out of a job.’
I brought my hooves together and with a small swoop of my wings landed on a cluster of clouds and stood at attention. The pegasus above me, still had a frown around the whistle in her mouth, but her eyes seemed a little less furrowed as she turned away from me.
The mare turned towards the still trembling cloud cover, and began flapping her feathered wings creating a wind that I could feel even from my position behind her. The clouds slowly began to thin and then without warning a she put her head down and surged forward directly over the cloud cover dispersing the thick, white moisture completely with a definite PUFF.
The white curtain moved and I could now see the two mares and the male pegasus weather ponies with their mane wild and their eyes still spinning from their dizzying experience.
“Alright, fall in line team! Now!” The commanding tone, the tan mare flying overhead gave left no room for any disobedience. Snapping to attention the three pegasus recovered quickly at the order and formed up under and in front of the commanding mare.
Giving a sigh, I spread my wide wings and with a few swift pumps, I was able to glide to the end of the formation. I knew that if it weren’t for commanding presences hovering above us, judging all four of us with narrowed eyes, I would be the subject of three angry stares. Currently, though, the pony above of us had our full focus.
“Do you think this is your play time?” the tan mare shouted down at us.
“No, Commander, ma’am!” rung out simultaneously.
“Oh, is that so?” She said landing in front of the four of us. As she began to pace in front of us she was taking it in turn to give each everyone of us a questioning glare.
“So does somepony want to explain what is going on then? Now?”
Silence answered her.
That’s what I had to love about these team things. It’s always the team first then everything else, us against them, true comrades.
“Sky Dive, ma’am!” suddenly rang out from the line to my right. ‘Well so much for the group sleepover later,’ I thought to myself.
“What about Sky Dive, Tornado? Do go on.” The commander had stopped in front of a grey mare with a white mane, two down from me.
“Well,” Tornado started suddenly seeming uncomfortable with the commander’s gaze focused solely on her. “He’s continuously clowning around, an accidental lightning strike every so often is understandable, but mini-thunderstorms on top of our heads? And he is always asleep. If he is not taking a nap he’s searching for a spot to take one. I personally believe this unit, no this entire section would be better off if he was put on some task less involved, like tracking the migrating birds.” She had apparently found her confidence in my mistakes and as she became more resolute in her conviction of me, I found myself sinking deeper into the clouds.
As all the other pegasus nodded in agreement with Tornado’s conviction and the commander began to turn to walk towards me I nearly volunteered for bird tracking duty right there, just so I could escape the judgment that was about to come my way.
“Sky Dive!”
The commander stopped abruptly and turned to face me, and if her eyes could really do what they appeared to be doing I would have had two neat holes from the front to the back of my skull.
“Yes, Commander Ma’am!” I shouted with more resolution and confidence than I felt.
“What do you have to say about your units statement of you and your attitude?”
“Ma’am, it’s not entirely true, ma’am!” I replied aloud, but in my head my thoughts rang, ‘Wait what was I saying? Of course it was!’
“Oh? And what parts did you find untruthful?” The question was shot out like a flinging spear, with no way to dodge or block it.
“The part about my napping. I don’t have to search for a place to nap, any cloud in a storm will do! “
‘Why mouth? WHY?’
The commander’s eyes didn’t leave me. They stayed steady and locked onto mine. My legs were actually beginning to shift under me. Why was this mare so Tartarus-damned scary?
Then just as I was about to give in, when I was on the cusp of accepting fate and sulking off to fly with my fellow feather brains; the commander did something extremely rare. It was so rare in fact, that I believe I had only ever seen the act once before in my entire time in Fillydelphia. She smiled.
It wasn’t a giant ear-to-ear grin, but it held just enough humor to let all of us present see that it was indeed the genuine article.
“You got some mouth Sky Dive. One day it’s going to get you in trouble with somepony that doesn’t have a sense of humor.” She stepped back from me, relinquishing me of her gaze and my body was finally able to relax. I didn’t really know when, but apparently I had locked my knees and practically twisted my feathers into a knot.
“As for the rest of you,” The commander continued now waving a wing at Tornado and the other pegasus. “I’m growing tired of this complaining and excuse making. If I assign you a task I would like it complete sometime before the next change in seasons. Do I make myself clear?”
“Ma’am, Yes, -“
“But ma’am!”
The interruption made the commander whirl on the grey mare, now shrinking into the cloudbank.
“Tornado, I have already exhausted my patience listening to your whining, do you wish to continue to push my limits, and your luck?”
To her credit, Tornado was doing a more remarkable job than I could hold her courage in front of the commander. With what little conviction she had left she got out the words, “But Sky Dive-“
“But, Sky Dive, What? But Sky Dive is the only pegasus in the entire western Fillydelphia squadron to consistently produce the required thunderstorms on time every time. But Sky Dive has the ninth highest wing power score in Fillydelphia. But Sky Dive works himself to exhaustion moving ten times the cloud cover the rest of this unit manages to a day. But Sky Dive what, Tornado?”
With each statement, it was like an invisible hammer was pounding the small grey mare into the clouds like a pony shaped nail. It seemed to be at the point of the commander pegasus was looming over just a grey head with the rest of the poor weather mare buried in the clouds.
“But, n-n-nothing, ma’am. S-s-sorry ma’am.” The grey mare squeaked out, no longer able to meet the tan mares gaze.
“That’s what I thought,” the commander turned away from the cowering pegasus, and then with one last blast of her powerful voice she shouted, “Alright, I want this section cleared yesterday fillies! If this cloud cover isn’t thinned out by the time Princess Luna makes her presentation for the harvest moon tonight. You won’t just have to deal with me, but the Princess of the Night and her Royal Canterlot Voice. If any of you kiddies think you can handle that you’re quite welcome to continue to clown around and keep your head in your tail. Now move!”
“Ma’am, Yes, ma’am!” We shouted in unison.
The other pegasus lifted up and began to move the clouds around us with a sense of urgency, that would have made you believe the Princess of the Night herself was already bearing down on them with her watchful eyes. As I tensed up to take off and join them a strong hoof held me in check.
Turning I saw the commander looking at me and with a shake of her head, she said, “I have another task I believe you would be better suited for. And honestly I would hate to come back here and break up another mess. Even my throat gets sore after having to deal with the amount of disturbances you cause.
“Yes, ma’am.” I replied, immediately becoming downcast. I had had a feeling those things about me being one of the more useful weather ponies was just a way to get Tornado to stop complaining and stop the train of disobedience in its developmental stages. Now it was time for my punishment. ‘Well, maybe if I was lucky, I would only be reassigned to a lesser position. In all honesty, helping the birds with their migration wasn’t so bad. Except for the Geese. Those feather brains were more aggressive than ornery dragon, and more stubborn than a buffalo about their flight formations. And they were not shy about nipping the careless pegasus in the tail.’
I let these thoughts drift through my mind as the Commander led me towards the hazy city center of Fillydelphia.
The one downside to working in many of the cities in the eastern parts of Equestria was the constant haze and smoky air above and around the city. But it came with the territory and this territory was the hub for industry. Rails, horseshoes, farming tools, tea kettles, etc. the vast majority of the products desired and needed by all the working and upper class ponies alike were manufactured in the burning, churning factories below. Fillydelphia wasn’t the only example of this, but it was one of the best.
Many ponies to the west, would dare to call the pegasus of such cities the laziest bunch of featherheads you could ever be tasked to work with. But any citizen of a city like Fillydelphia, unicorn or earth pony (honestly, mostly earth pony) would tell them to stuff it. They were thankful for the pegasus that choked down the foul air, and made their best attempt to clear the smoggy skies, and keep the many chimneys and smokestacks clean.
We weren’t lazy so much as we had to make sure to take regular breaks and lie down low for cleaner air, lest we risk suffocating to death or catching black-lung. I shuddered at the thought of the sickness that had caused too many overconfident, and hard working pegasus to be driven to the brink of death. Each breath rattling in them as if it would their last, which so many times it seemed their last breath came too soon. Lazy didn’t describes us, more like suicidal and idiotic, but those of us that wished to live long, miserable lives made sure to bed down low and often, and the habit dies hard, even when some us of went west to help weather storms or bird migrations.
As we broke the dark grey layer to a landing platform with a large covered fan that created a welcoming, air cleaning gust, I noticed that the commander entire body, even her upper legs and hindquarters were covered by her full, dress uniform. Honestly, I had been so focused on her intimidating gaze before, I hadn’t paid that much attention to her attire, but now that I was, my mind staring puzzling over the reason that she would already be in full dress, when we had till tomorrow evening before the Princess arrived.
A surprise inspection by the Chief Weather Officers would explain her impatience. Setting an example ahead of time for the rest of pegasus, no, it was still too early for even that. Expecting a special somepony? I nearly choked at my own thought process.
“Sky Dive, you didn’t breathe too heavily on your down did you?” she questioned at the small noise I had made. Her voice was calm but stern as it cut into my thoughts.
“No ma’am.” I replied swiftly, stifling a cough so hard my throat began to become sore.
“Well, I’m surprised, you were controlling your breathing at all the way you were staring at my hind quarters,” her voice still calm, still even.
I, on the other hoof, barely coughed out a “No ma’am. I wouldn’t,” COUGH, “dare ma’am.”
As I hacked out through my raspy throat, the Commander turned and with that smile that showed only the slightest bit of humor she said, “How disappointing, I used to be able to accidentally give a stallion black lung with a tail twitch.”
I couldn’t breathe.
As the commander turned around I made a quick retching noise, as softly as I could and forced fresh air into my starving lungs. I could only hope I didn’t hear a soft rattle as I breathed out.
“I didn’t mean to stare ma’am,” I finally coughed out, “ I was just curious as to why you are in full dress uniform already.”
“Oh, is that all?”
Did her voice ever break that low, even tone? ‘Oh, yeah, when she shouts us all half to deaf.’ I was beginning to imagine this soft voice was the one she solely practiced away from the pegasus she commanded. ‘Probably so that at the end of her career she still has a voice left to use,’ the thought seemed to make sense, I couldn’t imagine her vocal chords lasting more than a few years at the rate she had to yell at me.
“You’ll see, soon enough,” she said turning inwards towards the door ahead of us. I knew the building we were on was called the Inner Government Building. It was one of three grey, fifteen story buildings that formed a triangle near the East most side of what one would consider the ‘heart’ of Fillydelphia. Of course, this group of buildings was so removed, because Fillydelphia heart was clogged, and choked with a thick cloud of smug and grime no pegasus team could remove. That fact had been proven when one of the largest wings of pegasus ever formed tried to tackle the task and within two months had made so little difference to the city, but caused much more damage to their bodies. Fur missing, teeth falling out; skin practically dyed ash-black, and a never-ending rattling cough.
Hence, the three central building that were the center of order for Fillydelphia, the Inner Government Building, the Inner Industrial Standards Committee Building, and the Inner Equestrian Welfare Building were located East and downwind of the city center.
We silently walked down the hallway to a door that contained a lift that carried ponies (mostly pegasus) down through the smog to the areas of the city below it. As the lift doors closed behind us, our slow descent began; the Commander turned and looked over me quickly.
“I suppose you look decent enough. At least you don’t appear to be too covered in filth.” She said giving dark fur a quick pat at which some of the cities permanent coating of dust lifted softly into the air, seen hovering the dull glow of the lift’s magic, flameless lumo-bulb.
“Advantage of having a dark colored mane, nopony could ever tell my fur was originally pink.” I let out the reply a little more casual than I would have normally around an officer, but this was far from normal, and my awkward and sardonic sense of humor was the only thing keeping me from going mental at the moment.
“There’s the sense of humor again. I’m curious Sky Dive, just how many times have you been bucked in the jaw for what comes out of your mouth?” The commander’s tone implied no answer was needed, but…
“Couldn’t tell you. Lost count one evening at open mic-night at the Swaggering Goose, some ponies can’t take a joke about the redundancy of smoking Zebra-Tobacco, when there’s already enough smoke for everyone to have plenty, without losing money in overseas trade. Of course, I meant no offense to the zebras.” I finished without saying that the joke was, however, directly pointed at a group of too old to be foolish ponies trying to sell their tobacco products to the new workers, just then leaving the stages of childhood, and already experiencing the choking sensation of the factories.
I got a sideways look from the Commander. Then a sigh, “Like I was saying, big mouth, big talk, get bucked.” She then gave me a soft look like I hadn’t really seen in her eyes in what seemed like ages. The look made me swallow any retort I was going to make and stay silent till she finished speaking, in her softer voice. “Sky Dive, you are all those things I said out there. I wasn’t just yelling at Tornado to shut her trap. Although, I enjoyed it,” a small smirk formed on her lips, “I swear only pony in Equestria with a mouth bigger than yours. But,” she continued a serious look sharpening her features, “They were true.
“You have an amazing amount of strength for a pegasus, even a stallion of your weight class has trouble bearing the loads you can muster up. And your air spinning technique to create the thermal drafts to create a genuine thunderstorm is unparalleled in the Fillydelphia region. You could be a petty officer in the storm front division if you just played your cards right. But instead,” the soft voice took a slightly more sober and sad tone, as if she wasn’t the stern Commander any more, but a concerned elder. “Instead,” she continued, “you mouth off to your superior officers, you take too long to report for duty, you have multiple demerits, plus you’re constantly causing a mess for the ponies that have to work around you. Your reputation with many ponies in some parts of town would have us believing you to be a good, sturdy young stallion. Others, the ones our officers listen to, the ones with influence, say you’re a punk and a troublemaker. Despite my feelings on those ponies,” the way she practically spat the words influence and ponies had me believing she didn’t put much stock into what those types of ponies said about my character.
“Despite that, all you really have sometimes is shut your big mouth and keep your head down from time to time so you don’t end up working in the Dark Sectors for so long you breathe smoke like a dragon and your throat turns to ash. I loved your mother like a sister, and your father-“
She paused for a moment as she caught the slight flinch I gave. I wanted this talk to be over. I wanted her to yell at me again. I wanted off this lift. What the BUCK was taking it so long? I then realized that as I looked back up towards the still sealed doors, that a brown furred hoof was on the door release button. I began to let my frustration show on my face, and was about to ask the hoof’s owner to move out of my way, so I could storm off to Celestia knows where. When I turned to meet the tan face of the mare beside me all I saw were the tears and the pained face of somepony still feeling the hurt of a loss never truly forgotten.
The anger in me melted away. My frustration disintegrated into stuff like the ash that surrounded me, and permanently residing inside me. Now looking at the mare beside me I lost sight of the Commander and saw once again a mare I loved so much. “Aunt Feather,” I said extending a hoof and putting it around her neck. She didn’t say anything as grime transferred from me to her neatly pressed collar. I doubted she really cared at the moment.
“They would be proud of you. You know that Sky Dive,” Feather Duster said looking into my eyes that were on the verge of sharing in her pained tears. “Not of what you’ve done necessarily, but of the character you’ve developed in standing up for what you believe is right. You’re so much like him you know? You have everything but his wings. His were never as large as yours. I know he would be proud. And I know your mother would be proud of both you and Crimson.” She finished speaking and began to wipe away the mess her moment of emotion had left on her face. I removed my hoof from her collar and watched as the mare that had been there, the mare that had looked after Crimson and I so much in times past, the mare that had always ensured that I would have not just a place to rest my wings but a place to call home. I watched that mare, as she slowly replaced her mask and the mare Feather Duster became Commander Feather of the Fillydelphia’s Eastern Weather Division. She was almost gone completely again, but as her hoof left the door release button, she whispered, “After all this Equestrian Royal charade of a parade finishes, you’ll have to tell me all about your time in Canterlot and how Crimson is doing over a pint of hard cider.”
The Commander didn’t wait for a response and began to move from the lift to the left end of the next hallway we found ourselves in at a brisk pace. I simply smiled and fell in line behind the older, tan mare.
As we walked further and further into the building I was reminded on how little the bureaucracy of Fillydelphia put into eye pleasing aesthetics. While the Canterlot Palace seemed to have treasure around every corner and eye grabbing pieces of art, the Inner Government Building was mostly a grey hall, with the occasional obligational pattern thrown in, mostly, I imagined, just so the designer didn’t die halfway through the project out of sheer boredom. Tartarus, I was bored just looking at it! But it was either look at the wall or look at the bored and blank faces of the ponies that worked in the small rooms that stemmed off of every hall. I personally chose the wall even it was less bland. My mind found itself giving thanks for the few obligatory portraits of Chiefs of Staff, ponies that donated a significant amount to the construction of such a depressing building (could it had really been that much besides the lift?), or important ponies in Fillydelphia’s history.
I made sure to snide at Big Bucks’ portrait, the founder of the system that allowed for young ponies, nearly foals, to be lowered into the small vents and clean them. Of course, he hadn’t been too concerned about black lung for the young ones, or worse that they made sure to remove the burning coals before the ponies were lowered into the chimneys. “In the name of Industry,” he liked to declare, “what shouldn’t be allowed.” Of course, now that he was off in Canterlot with the rest of the successful ponies of the elite class, we didn’t see much him, just his infamous slogan and wide, smug portrait.
After passing a lone Equestrian flag at the end of yet another hall, with its golden sun and white moon split down the middle at its center and the shadows Princess of the Sun and the Moon in their respective field, we were at a large door. I had personally not been this deep in any of the inner three bureaucratic buildings, but it still came as a shock to me that I was looking at not just a large door abruptly ending a hall instead of a further maze of halls and office areas, but that the door was also ornate.
At least in the sense it had a pattern that was supposed to just let your eyes wander over it, but instead, carved deep within the wood was the same pattern as the Equestrian flag. I turned to the Commander, now she had my full attention. She gave a smile. Not the one that had been Feather Duster’s friendly, loving smile before, but the Commander’s sardonic smirk, “Looks like you made a big impression with one of the big ponies. Warned you about that mouth of yours, and you might really want to watch it now.”
The giant door began to swing open with a slow creaking moan, and my eyes nearly gave free of their sockets, as they fell on the giant, dark figure within. Her mane still shimmering like the beautiful night sky I had laid eyes on in Canterlot, and her entire presence seemed to force the focus of the entire room on her majestic demeanor. I found myself once again before the Princess of the Night, in all her beauty and awful splendor. She parted her dark lips as if to say something, but a sudden flutter of wings came from another side of the room, and cut her off. With a voice that carried the full boredom and anticipation to be doing literally anything else of the teal pegasus that owned it; Rainbow Dash, blowing her seven hued hair from her face, said, “Finally, the only weather pony in Equestria with a worst cloud clearing time than my pet tortoise, has arrived. Can we please get on with this? This place is lame!”
….
The room unfortunately did not live up to the door it had boasted at its entrance; it too possessed the same grey color and uninspiring patterns as the rest of the building. However, its shape was quite unique.
While the vast majority of the Inner Government Building focused on sharp right angles, this room was particularly oval in layout. This allowed for me to see all five of the ponies in the room with me, each one’s presence more mind blowing than the next.
The Commander was not included among this count, of course. After Rainbow Dash’s stellar introduction of myself Commander Feather shoved me into the room in the general direction of an empty seat and closed the door with a soft click behind her departing tail.
That number did, however, include Rainbow Dash, one of the single fastest ponies to ever fly in Equestria, and of course my old flight school dropout fellow. Speaking of flight school dropouts, the other of our number had graced us with her presence as well. Fluttershy was currently sitting so low in her rotating chair that her ears were barely visible over the table that dominated the center of the room. It was quite interesting to see both the docile, yellow pegasus and over anxious, teal pegasus together. It truly showed the level of difference in their individual personalities, as well as, exemplified the bonds of their friendship. I could never see myself being a friend with a pony so polar opposite of my sarcastic and relaxed attitude, at least Crimson (despite being a busy, know-it-all) had a fair sense of humor, and could roll with sardonic sense of humor, and even give as good as he got. But those two were another level of commitment.
The other pony coupling that was to my left and not so immediately across from me consisted of one glorious pony I had seen at a distance and another I had only ever heard of. I looked over to the regal, and tall figure of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and to the shorter but strongly built, white furred unicorn beside her. I knew full well the unicorn was Princess Twilight’s older brother, the ex-commander of the entire Royal Guard, Prince Shining Armor. The look in his eyes seemed mellow, like he was at a completely relaxed state, but I recognized the slight tension of muscles under the neck. He was a pony of action and should anything happen in this small, rounded room I had a feeling he would be the fastest to react, not Rainbow Dash.
Then, of course, was the metaphorical dragon in the room; although, in fairness to the Princess of the Night, she was significantly more intimidating than any dragon I had ever known to exist. No dragon had come to rule a kingdom, because it was strong enough to literally move the celestial bodies in the heavens and change the entire world’s state of night and day. Princess Cadence had a beautiful, regal air about her. Fluttershy, though small, gave off an easy going feel of that whatever was on your mind concerned her just as much as it did you. Rainbow Dash felt like she was radiating with energy, and just the way she sat on the edge of her seat made my heart start to race too. And Shining Armor’s calm demeanor, and body like a coiled spring, put a little anticipation in every breath I took.
But none of those four ponies came close to matching the towering, dark figure of Princess Luna. Her regal attitude and persona were a natural state for her, and her poise and grace were unmatched by any pony this side of Canterlot. The way her eyes gazed around the room, it was as if when her eyes met yours she could see into your very soul; and all your burdens and desires and concerns and hopes became hers as well, like she took them into herself after she had been so close to you that you could have sworn your minds were, for an instant, one. The aura her mane gave off alone seemed to radiate enough energy to outshine a star. She caused the room to pulse with a low hum as the just the excess of magical energy she radiated, buzzed off into the atmosphere and coursed through those around the circular table, causing our hearts not to race, but skip beats with the rhythmic pulse of her energy. And though Shining would have been the fastest to react at the table physically, with Rainbow Dash a split second behind, it was clear that should the entire table erupt into flames, that before the Prince of the Crystal Kingdom could blink in shock, the Princess of the Night would have suppressed the fire and asked for everypony to continue as if nothing had happened. It probably, wouldn’t be even a reaction for her, just her natural ambient power controlling something infinitely small compared to what her normal burden was.
So naturally, my eyes were focused on the dark figure, with blue and starlit, flowing mane, that dominated the room in both size and sheer ambient presence. What I couldn’t understand was why every other pair of eyes around the table rested on my dark furred, dirty plot.
“Hey, Fluttershy, feeling alright? I tell you, I had quite the headache after that night, you?” I asked turning to the petite yellow pegasus across and to the right of me. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a nervous- half smile and a slight nod. I could barely see her head, though as deeply sunk into her chair as she was. Rainbow Dash gave her a sideways look, confirming that she did indeed know Fluttershy had quite the headache the next morning, and when her violet eyes turned to me, it was clear I was the pony to blame.
“How have you been doing Rainbow? I didn’t get speak with you at the party, and it’s been awhile. Oh, congratulations on becoming the element of loyalty by the way.” I knew it sounded lame, but I was nervous and deep silences were not comfortable for me.
Fortunately the compliment caused the teal pegasus to relax her gaze on me and actually began to wear that same overly confident smirk she had practically patented.
“Thanks,” she replied. “Although, it doesn’t really mean that much without the rest of my friends representing the other elements. But it is nice to be part of the action in Equestria from time to time.” Her tone held pride (how could it not, this was Rainbow Dash), but it didn’t seem focused on her so much, as a pride in what she was part of.
‘I guess she had matured too, I guess none of us are the same foals that dropped out of flight school.’
“Of course, I’ve been practicing flying though too. Did you hear about my Sonic Rainboom? I would venture to say that for a awesome flier like myself, being a part of the action, was something like my destiny.” She said with an air of confidence I was sure was only achievable by her, as she brushed aside some her multi-colored mane out of her face.
‘Well, matured might be too strong a word, perhaps grown up?’
“Yeah, quite the show from what I’ve heard. I heard you can do the practically on demand now,” I said letting her know I had been told of her talented showcase both in Cloudsdale as well as Canterlot, and that I recognized it as something special.
“You haven’t seen one?” She asked looking over to me. Something in her voice actually made it seem like she was a little disheartened by the concept of a pegasus missing out on seeing her splendid feat.
“Umm… No, been busy here mostly. I was too swamped with the rainy season to go to the fliers competition in Cloudsdale and I wasn’t invited to the Canterlot wedding, although I’m sure it was lovely,” I turned to the pink alicorn and white unicorn on my left giving them a smile. “Except for the army of Changelings, and getting kidnapped, and the city almost getting taken over… Yeah other than that it must have been great. I would have loved to have attended.” I finished a little lamely, my smile starting to falter.
“Indeed,” the Princess of the Crystal Kingdom spoke with a gentle smile. “Save for those minor hindrances, it was an amazing affair. So sorry you missed it.”
The funny part about the way she had said the last part was that it sounded as if she was genuinely serious, that she was in some way sorrowful not everypony in Equestria could have been present. ‘Interesting,’ I thought to myself as I noted Shining Armor rolling his eyes. He looked like he had heard this a thousand times before and wasn’t capable of giving the same reaction his wife was still giving, over a year later.
“Anyways,” I said turning back to the teal pegasus, still bearing a nervous smile, “You’ll have to show me some time. For old time’s sake, after all, I got my cutie mark as a result of you practicing your Sonic Rainboom all those years ago.” My smile got a little bigger as I saw the cheeks of rainbow haired pegasus turn a slight shade of red at my last statement.
“Indeed, it should be fun.”
I froze, in my seat as the dark figure of Princess Luna spoke her first words. I had forgotten that outside of the Royal Canterlot Voice, her natural tone was a soft, nearly rhythmic stream that flowed gently into one’s ears. But despite its softness, the five words she had spoken had drawn the attention of every pony in the circular room. When she opened her mouth, the rest of us listened.
“I am sure you are all wondering why I have gathered you here, especially when the Harvest Moon is not till tomorrow night.” She turned her head encompassing the entirety of the room in her starry gaze.
I was especially curious, considering I didn’t belong to any group of noteworthy importance. I wasn’t a member of the Royal Party, relative/friend to a pony in the Royal Party, or a wielder of an Element of Harmony.
“My friends and subjects,” she continued (guess which category I was), “There has been a grave threat made against the Honored Guest for the Harvest Moon Raising festival.”
Fluttershy, seemed to nearly faint into her chair. Rainbow Dash was already leaning out of hers as if to pounce on some invisible threat. Princess Cadence, though wearing a shocked expression kept a calm demeanor. To her side, Shining Armor moved visibly closer to his wife and his narrowed and a small frown formed on his lips. I, however, was so frozen in place I doubt my heart was beating when Princess Luna finished speaking.
“We don’t know who yet, hath made this threat against us, but of my Honored Guest, you are my most trusted and I felt that If any were to be targeted it would be one of us in this room. I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter which is why we are gathered here today.” The Princess of the Night finished again taking in the entire room, and letting her gaze carry the full weight of her words made eye contact with each pony around the table. When it came my turn, my reaction was only for a sharp chill to course down through my spine and for the rest of my frozen body to shiver slightly as it passed through me.
Silence weighed down on the room, as if a word spoken might break so fragile object that rested on the table before all of us. The silence itself was fragile and cool, like a thin layer of ice that was a wall dividing everypony from everypony else. And then, like such ice it was shattered by a torrent of questions and statements from the ponies around the table
“Do we have any idea where the information about the threat originated?” Shining Armor spoke up for the first time. It was then that I noticed that his voice though deep and masculine, held notes of someone used to speaking in a distinctly light-hearted way.
“If anyone tries anything, we’ll beat them into next week!” declared Rainbow Dash as she violently flapped her wings, threatening to launch herself into the air within the small confines of the room.
“Is it possibly some communication error?” Princess Cadence asked. “It has happened before, especially in foreign communications. Zebra channels in particular.”
“Why would Zebras come after Royalty?” Rainbow Dash asked in a way that implied it was more statement of disbelief rather than a question.
“Nopony is saying anything about a Zebra attack.” Shining Armor declared, raising a hoof to cut off Rainbow Dash.
“Exactly,” Princess Cadence said, “my point was that it could be nothing. But-“
“Nothing!” Rainbow Dash shouted from across the room. “Nothing doesn’t make a threat against royalty, nothing doesn’t try to put you on edge with fear and forces you to look outwards for some great threat, or have you forgotten Canterlot already?” Rainbow Dash’s way of speaking to royalty in her own way made me question, exactly how trustworthy she was with this secret. I was sure her intentions may have been good, but she was already causing frustration within the party that was supposed to be trying to control the situation calmly.
“I beg your pardon?” the pink alicorn let out in a high-pitched voice. Princess Cadence was clearly offended and now had lost focus on the threat that had been made and was about to argue about the threats of the past.
“Excuse me,” a soft voice squeaked from over near where Rainbow Dash looked ready to leap forward. If it hadn’t been for a brief moment of quiet, I was sure I never would have heard the voice of Fluttershy as she said, “Should, we maybe shorten the festival to give less time for an attack, and maybe move the schedule around to throw off any pre planned attacks?”
As I looked around the table at the other arguing ponies, I was sure I was the only one to have heard Fluttershy.
“How do we know it isn’t a spy already amongst the guest?” Rainbow Dash asked. I was sure she believed her tone to imply that she knew she was smart and had said something ingenious by her standards. However, I wasn’t sure that’s how it was taken though as Shining replied accusingly with, “What are you implying?”
‘What the hay is going on,’ I found myself thinking. These were supposed to be ponies of the upper tier, the elite, the ponies knew how the world worked.
The only one really like I expected her to, was Rainbow Dash, and although she was being a bit of a mule about it, she was bringing up some good points. Fluttershy, though, was too quiet to get involved to any point, where her one piece of sound contribution could be heard and the Royal couple seemed to be too defensive about the whole situation.
Not like I had much room to talk. I was so quiet and still, I might as well have been as stone pony decoration in the room. Which now that I thought about it, would actually have been a nice touch, particularly for a centerpiece on the table. As I looked towards the table, I saw the only pony in the room that was acting like a member of the Royal Party. The towering figure of Princess Luna looked calmly out at the room, like she was weighing every item that was said, and through the bickering was keeping her crowned head level.
As I looked at her, she met my eyes, and gave me a small smile. It was such a small gesture and so unexpected, that out of pure reflex I naturally, smiled back and said, “Kind of loud in here, huh?”
‘Yes, it is.’ the deep yet feminine voice that radiated into my head would have had me sprawled on the floor in fear, had the rest of my body not already conceded to being so petrified in terror, that I couldn’t breathe. ‘I planned to let them get it out of their systems but they are delaying too long. I wish to overlook the festival hall today and the rest of city this evening before the actual festival tomorrow.’
The dark alicorn must have seen the terror in my eyes, and how I was visibly shaking from the sudden penetration of my thoughts, because her next thought to me was, ‘I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you. I was simply trying to communicate with you in a way that would enable you to hear me without interrupting the others.
I was amazed, awestruck, and terrified. This was yet another example of the level of power that an alicorn princess held, and it was one I had not at all been prepared for.
‘Can you read my mind?’ I thought at the dark figure. I waited, but all that I heard was the cacophony of the room of ponies arguing around me. ‘Maybe…’
“Can you read my mind?” I said aloud, but it was barely a whisper, inaudible in the din around me beyond my own lips. At least so I thought.
‘Not at present, but I can project some of my worded thoughts to you’
“Cool,” I replied aloud. The terror still present but not dominating the forefront of my mind anymore, curiosity had pushed panic further back and was encouraging me to ask questions now. Alas, the Princess of the Night’s next thought to me was, ‘Indeed. But I grow impatient with this trivial bickering. You may want to cover your ears, you know what comes next.’
‘Uh Oh’
I instinctively cringed as I put my fore hooves to my ears, and braced myself for what was coming. And sure enough, soon every pony in confined, reverberating room was clutching for their ears as well and trying to not pass out from a headache when the mighty Royal Canterlot Voice erupted with, “SILENCE! IT IS TIME WE STOPPED BICKERING LIKE FOALS IN THE SCHOOLYARD AND BEGAN TO THINK OF WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PREVENT DISASTER. ONCE WE HAVE THE CULPRIT, WE’LL SEE WHOM THE THREAT IS FROM. FOR NOW, THOUGH, I NEED IDEAS TO KEEP PONIES SAFE.”
Even braced as I had been, I was still shaken by the loud, reverberations that shook every bone in my body. I could only imagine how the other four in the room were coping at the moment, without warning. Looking around, I saw dazed eyes and hooves massaging ears as if trying to comfort them and let them know the pain was over. Poor Fluttershy was on the ground, shaking. But the way she wasn’t massaging her skull told me, she must have received a warning too. She just hadn’t quite let go of her ears in fright that there would be a second wave of vocalized thunder.
“Now, “ Princess Luna began, once again in her soft, rhythmic voice. “Does anypony have any thoughts to share?”
She turned her starry gaze once more around the room, towards all the trembling ponies, that were all silently praying for the pain in their heads to go away.
“Umm…” I spoke up quietly raising a hoof, ”What if we shortened the festival, to keep there from being less time to stage an attack, and perhaps moved some of the minor events around to keep the party making the threat from being able to act according to a preplanned form of attack?” As I spoke I looked over at the meek, yellow mare that had been ignored earlier. She was still trembling softly on the ground, and I found myself feeling horrible for her. Especially since I had just stated her idea, albeit a good one, as if it were my own. I opened my mouth to tell the room that I had heard Fluttershy’s plan when I was interrupted by a loud, but not booming version of Princess Luna’s voice.
“Yes!” She said raising a silver adorned hoof in my direction. Looking around the room she declared to all the bewildered ponies in the room, “This is why I asked Fluttershy about you! I knew you would be a good choice Sky Dive!”
‘What in Equestria have I gotten myself into?’