//------------------------------// // Act Two: Chapter Four - First Impressions // Story: Turning Points // by Slatewings //------------------------------// Act Two Chapter Four - First Impressions “I don’t want assurances! I want action!” a grey earth pony stallion bellowed from the podium, his voice echoed through the timbers of the newly constructed town hall. “We are very sorry Mr Forest Brook,” Private Pansy answered from her Council chair, “but we just don’t have enough ponies for extra patrols. Please, please understand, you’re not the only one who keeps seeing these.. um.. natives and everypony else needs protection too.” Forest Brook stamped a hoof, “I’ve had four sightings this week alone. The last time was inside my sister’s barn. Inside! Not out in the distance or up in some tree. My crew still has dozens of acres to clear and plow but we can’t do it with these weirdos skulking around all the time.” “I saw one poking around one of the new houses!” somepony called out. “I saw one sniffing around the mill!” “Order!” Hurricane yelled, banging her hoof on the gavel plate. Puddinghead sprang to her hooves, “I saw one in the tree’s by the chicken coop!” Hurricane spun around, “You’re not helping!” “Oops,” she shrunk back into her seat and grinned sheepishly, “Sorry.” “Look,” Forrest said once the town hall quieted down, “I’m not asking for much. Isn’t there any way I could just get a forcefield or something over the farmlands? Just until planting is done, at least.” Clover shook her head, “Doubtful. Every unicorn skilled enough to project a forcefield of that size is already busy working on the river diversion project.” “You can’t spare even one?” “I’m sorry,” she answered. “We must finish the river project before you begin planting. Without that water there will be little reason for you to clear the fields in the first place.” Commander Hurricane spoke up, “Maybe i can arrange for some of my weather ponies to make a few low passes during their patrols. It might not be enough to catch one of these trespassers in the act but at least they’ll know we’re on to them.” “Now Hurricane, we can’t rightly be calling these folks trespassers,” interjected Smart Cookie. “For all we know we just marched on in here and set up shop on their land.” “We found no sign of habitation anywhere within equestrian borders,” voiced one of the survey leaders from the public seating. “Even a migratory population should have left some sign behind.” “Well unless we’ve all be seein’ ghosts, ya’ll never reported these native fellers we got spying on us either,” Smart Cookie retorted. She turned back to the pony at the podium, “The point is, have you even tried to be friendly to these folks? Maybe left a basket of food or a gift where you know they’d find it? Have any of you?” she asked the gathered audience. “Well, uh, we’ve all been, um, so busy trying to get everything ready for, um, you know,” Forest Brook stammered. “And besides, it’s not like they ever tried to be friends either ya know.” “Perhaps not,” Princess Platinum said. “But again,I believe Councillor Smart Cookie has a valid point. If we are to assume the label of civility then perhaps we, as the new arrivals in this land, ought to be the ones to extend the olive branch. It is likely we who are the interlopers here and they are simply trying to learn more about us.” The earth pony grumbled, “Well I don’t know what you expect me to do. I’m in charge of getting a dozen or so farms up and running. I don’t have time to be putting together care packages for a bunch of ponies who are too afraid to just come up and say hello.” “Maybe we could pick somepony to be our ambassador?” Private Pansy suggested. “That’s a great idea!” Puddinghead exclaimed. “Why don’t you do it Pansy? Nopony could ever be afraid of you.” “Me? Oh no...” she flustered. “I don’t think I could do that. I just, um, I dunno, it’s just that I....please don’t make me.” Clover couldn’t help but smile at the timid pegasus. “Maybe we should pick somepony else. Hmm,” she considered. “Miss Tourmaline?” Tourmaline stood, “Yes magus?” “Do you know of somepony you could spare from the quarry?” Clover asked. “Preferably one with a diplomatic touch.” Tourmaline thought it over, “I’m not sure. Every pony on my crew is the hard working honest type but most of them are a bit gruff,” She answered before whispering over her shoulder, “No offense guys. “Non taken,” somepony said from the crowd “The only pony I can think of is Luna but I really can’t spare her and she is a little young to be an ambassador.” “What about you?” Clover asked. “Me? Well I...maybe,” Tourmaline answered. She looked down at the two fillies by her side. Celestia and Luna were looking over some of the plans they had drawn up of the cave. Even the normally hyper Celestia was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t notice what was being discussed. “Actually, I think they might be able to spare me. At least for a couple of weeks. Celestia and Luna can handle things while I’m gone.” “Excellent!” said Clover, “Then, with the rest of the Council's approval,” she was met with nods from the other councillors, “I hereby name you as Equestria’s first ambassador and task you with opening diplomatic relations with our new neighbors.” Tourmaline swallowed and nodded, “Thank you Magus. I’ll do my best.” “I have no doubt. Now, I believe that is enough for today. I move that we adjourn until next week,” Clover proposed. The other counselors agreed. “But what about the..” somepony started. “Please direct all further concerns to the Lord High Horse,” said Princess Platinum. “I promise, we will do our best to issue a response as quickly as we can. Or you can simply wait until next week’s meeting.” With that, the town hall meeting was over and everypony filed out into the evening. Tourmaline waited with Celestia and Luna until the grumbling overworked crowd emptied through the door and closed it behind them. “Care to offer me a hoof, my dear?” asked High Horse from his desk. Piled high all around him were stacks of inquires, requests, orders, and requisitions. “Did you know I once believed that the more work one completed the less there was left to do?” he said as he levitated a stack of forms and packed them away in a box. “I swear, each meeting produces more paperwork than the last.” “Welcome to the bureaucracy,” Tourmaline chuckled as she helped him pack up his forms. “I think I prefer the aristocracy, thank you,” he huffed as Tourmaline loaded the boxes onto his back. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you can get back to sipping sparkling cider and betting on the jousting matches,” Tourmaline joked as she loaded a box onto her own back and followed High Horse back to his office. High horse grunted as he levitated the heavy packages off his back and onto the desk. “We can only hope.” “So, um, High Horse,” Tourmaline started, “Are you going to be able to make it tonight?” “Tonight?” He winced, “Oh my, Tourmaline. I’m sorry I completely forgot. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to dinner tonight. I simply have too much work to do. I do hope you can forgive me.” “Hmm...” She made a show of thinking it over. “I suppose I can forgive you this time... but only one one condition. You get to take me to dinner tomorrow night and,” she pointed a hoof at him, “I want you to cook it, yourself.” High Horse smiled tiredly, “If that’s what it takes to earn your forgiveness then I shall treat you to my greatest of culinary masterpieces.” “And what would that be?” Tourmaline asked. “Parboiled avena sativa with sun cured currants.” “Wow, sounds fancy...” she gave him a sidelong look, “so in other words.” “Oatmeal with raisins.” Tourmaline laughed and nuzzled his cheek before backing out of into the hallway, “Well it better be the best oatmeal I’ve ever had, mister.” “You shan't be disappointed milady. Until tomorrow?” Tourmaline bowed dramatically, “Until tomorrow.” She walked down the hall back to the meeting room to collect the fillies. “So... where’s your colt friend?” Celestia teased. “Tia.. I don’t think it bugs her any more,” said Luna. “Pretty sure you’re just stating the obvious. You’re probably just reminding her to be happy.” Celestia pouted, “Well thats no fair! How am I suppose to make fun of you when it cheers you up?” “You’re just going to have to find something else I guess,” Tourmaline stuck her tongue out at the filly. Celestia tapped her head, thinking. “Give it up Celestia,” Tourmaline needled. “There’s nothing you can say about it to get to me anymore. He’s even making me dinner tomorrow.” Tourmaline started collecting up the girls blueprints. Celestia smiled evilly, “You sure that’s a good idea?” “Um.. ya,” Tourmaline answered. “Free food and good company. What’s not to like.” “Well.. okay. As long as you don’t think he’s going to mind,” Celestia baited. “Mind what?” “Well you’ve put on a couple of pounds already....” Tourmaline turned bright red, “I have not!!” she yelled as she spun around trying to get a look at her self. Celestia burst out laughing. Tourmaline stopped and squinted at the giggling filly, “Have I mentioned before that you’re evil.” Once Celestia stopped laughing and Tourmaline stopped glowing they gathered up the rest of the quarry plans and headed out Despite Celestia’s pranking and teasing, Tourmaline had to admit she was proud of her. Many, Clover included, thought they might be too immature to handle the responsibility she had undertaken, but she had managed to impress everypony. She and her sister had a real gift for management and practically ran the quarry themselves. The three walked along the torch lit path to the girls’ home. Along the way, Tourmaline explained that they would be on their own for a bit but that she had every confidence in them. Luna just nodded but Celestia practically beamed. Sometimes Tourmaline forgot how much the filly looked up to her. They reached the front walkway and shared a quick goodbye before Tourmaline headed back home. Unfortunately, for Tourmaline, home still consisted of a couple of pushed together covered wagons and High Horse’s carriage. After a small, and decidedly lonely, dinner, she curled up in the carriage with a scroll and quill to make her plans for meeting these mysterious visitors. She woke early the next morning and set out to fulfill her new duties. She decided that Smart Cookie had the right idea. If they were going to make friends with these ponies they had to show them that they meant no harm. A stop by the supply tent and several requisition forms later, most of which she had to go get notarized as ‘special circumstances’ from the council, Tourmaline found herself with a small cart full of little welcome packages. She didn’t know what these strange feather wearing ponies ate so she tried to find things that nopony could say no to: bundles of sweet grasses, candied apples and carrots, nut and honey treats, packs of white bark tea, and just about any other treat and sweet she could pry from the supply manager’s hooves. If all went well they might be able to open up trade anyway, it seemed a small price to pay. Tourmaline towed her cart around the border, leaving baskets where she remembered ponies said they had seen the visitors. By the time the sun sat and he felt the choirs begin to raise the moon she only had a single basket left. She placed it on the stone where she and Clover had the first sighting a few weeks ago and turned back to camp. She smiled as she walked. High Horse should be in the kitchen right now preparing diner. “With any luck,” she said to herself happily, “I’ll make it back before the oatmeal is cold.” Tourmaline laughed to herself. High Horse was a wonderful stallion, intelligent, passionate, caring, filled with dreams and a love for history and art. Most importantly he really cared about other ponies. Even back in the homeland he did everything he could to help the poor and downtrodden, even to the point of losing position in court. The aristocrats and changed a lot in the past few months, being forced to work side by side with those you once lorded over will do that, but at the time they used to shun anypony who dared associate with the low born. Even an acclaimed artists like herself was never considered quite couth. Tourmaline trotted along, optimistic but still unsure of the plans success, she hoped that the visitors would see the baskets for what they were. Settling a new land was proving to be harder than they thought, no one clan could have done it alone, finding new friends could make all the difference. She had stopped to tighten the strap on her shoulder when she heard a scuff behind her, like a hoof against stone. Startled, Tourmaline spun around, toppling her cart in the process. A few yards from her stood a teenage earth pony. She had a tawny mane and a white spotted brown coat and she was dressed in a long earth colored cloak made entirely from woven bird feathers. “Oh! Um..hi there,” Tourmaline said in surprise. The pony set the basket she was carrying on the ground. “I see you found one of my basket. I hope you found something you liked. I wasn’t sure what you ponies liked to eat so I tried to include a little bit of everything.” The young mare didn’t answer, she just stood and stared, half smiling. “Well... oh, maybe you can’t understand me,” Tourmaline rubbed the side of her head, wishing Clover was here. The magus spoke a dozen old languages, maybe they could understand one. “I hope our people can be friends. We’re new here and we didn’t know there was anypony living in these lands. I hope we didn’t intude.” Again, the mare said nothing. Tourmaline was getting nervous. Taking a chance, she held out a hoof, “My name is Tourmlaine, I’m very happy to meet you. What’s your name.” The pony smiled and pointed past Tourmaline. Tourmaline felt a chill up her spine as she slowly turned her head. Standing just behind her was an orange mare and a red stallion. They stared as silently as the first mare. In a panic, Tourmaline spun back to the first visitor only to find her a bare few steps away. She felt a cloth back go over her head and the scent of strange herbs filled her nose. Before she could even react, Tourmaline fell fast asleep. Some time later she woke. The bag was gone but a blindfold still covered her eyes and her head still swam with the scent of whatever herbs they had pressed to her muzzle. Eyes still fuzzy, she tried to stand but found that he legs couldn’t move. The hard surface she lay on tilted and rumbled. She guessed she was in a cart of some kind but couldn’t get her eyes to focus long enough to tell. “Wh.. who are you?” Tourmaline asked groggily, but got no answer. The effort of talking made her stomach turn, dissuading her from attempting it again. A few minutes later she swooned again and fell back asleep. She woke to a steadily growing pain in her ears. She swallowed and was greeted by a loud pop as the pressure in her eyes released. She noticed the cart was tilted, as if they were traveling uphill. She wondered how high they must be for her ears to have to pop. Her heart began to hammer as visions of being carried off to some sacrificial cliff danced through her mind. “Let me go!” Tourmaline screamed hoarsely She struggled to rise against her bonds but found hooves holding her down. “Please! You can’t just kidnap ponies!” Tourmaline kicked as she yelled. “I just wanted to meet you! I didn’t mean any harm! Please!” The struggle cleared her head and Tourmaline remembered her magic. She enveloped her bindings in her magic and pulled. Her captors tried to held them on but even the strength of earth ponies is nothing against levitation magic that can lift multiton marble blocks with ease.She tore them away and slipped the blindfold off. The ponies holding her down scattered as she sprang to her hooves. Tourmaline jumped off the cart and found herself surrounded by feather clad ponies. She was in some kind of village of small earthen huts build high in a mountainside. The ponies surrounding her began to step forward as one. Tourmaline picked up the cart in her magic and swung it back and forth, the unfortunate ponies pulling the cart swung with it. “Everypony get back!” she yelled, “Nopony come close.” Her aggressors stopped moving toward her but didn’t step back. “I mean it! I don’t want any trouble! I just want to go home!” she pleaded. “I left out those baskets because I wanted to meet you! We were hoping we could be friends!” Like a bolt of thunder came a voice that roared like an earthquake splitting a mountain. So great was its volume that Tourmaline felt the very pebbles at her hooves quiver as it spoke. “FRIENDS!?! FRIENDS DO NOT INVADE THE LAND OF FRIENDS! FRIENDS DO NOT BUILD THEIR HOMES UNINVITED IN THE LANDS OF THEIR FRIENDS!” Tourmaline spun to see one of the largest stallions she had ever seen striding confidently toward him. he was dressed neck to hoof in pure white feathers woven into an intricate vest and cape. upon his brow he wore a headdress of carved ebony. “DID YOU THINK WE HAD FORGOTTEN THE TALES? DID YOU THINK WE FORGOT WHAT YOUR KIND DID IN THE FIRST DAYS? I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! BETRAYER! ENEMY OF HARMONY! UNICORN! YOU WILL BRING RUIN ON US ALL! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR KIND TO ROUSE THE FELL ONE!” Tourmaline felt something soft strike the back of her head. There was a puff of dust and the air filled with the scent of herbs. She felt her knees begin to weaken and slumped to the ground as the effects of the powder overtook her. The stallion leaned in close but spoke with no less force. “DISCORD WILL NOT BE WOKEN!”