//------------------------------//
// Ch. 1-19: A Royal Plan 
// Story: Seeking A Quiet Afternoon 
// by Tired Old Man 
//------------------------------//

"Ugh, I was done with that party three hours ago."

Mender was unquestionably tired as he began walking home from the circle of trees where the party finally came to a close. He had to admit, Pinkie knew how to throw a party...almost too well. It dragged on for far longer than he anticipated, and he didn't want to hear anypony else talk to him tonight.

"You're telling me. I got sick of hearing all those voices four hours ago."

...except for Young. Hearing his sympathies was nice.

"I'm surprised you held up that much, Young," Mender remarked.

"I'm surprised you haven't torn off your ears."

Mender had considered that two hours ago, but thought better on it.

"I'm surprised you never asked me to remove this band."

"Hah, you say that as if I could get a word in among all that chatter. Did you know Pinkie was speaking about a thousand words a minute at how fast she was introducing you to the other ponies?"

Mender shuddered. "Please don't remind me of that. I'm having trouble remembering half the ponies' names as is."

"Actually, I'm not that concerned. Odds are that even though the party was thrown for you, I doubt half the ponies remember your name...though they have seen your face, so you should be recognizable in Ponyville now, at least."

That...actually sounded like a good thing. Better a stranger they kind of know than one they don't know at all. Plus, given his job, odds are he would meet everypony in that hospital at least once, so seeing a friendly face would always be guaranteed...he hoped.

"Thanks, Young. That was a useful reminder."

"...was that sarcastic?"

"No, you think it is because I'm tired. I'm being honest, I think this party was a success, despite how much I...WE hated it by its end. That, and you got to hear everypony at least once, so you should be able to distinguish who I'm talking to easy enough, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. It'll take a lot more time for me to get used to recognizing voices than you can recognize ponies by sight. I feel like a blind stallion, you know. It's a terrible handicap."

"Well, it's also your idea, unless you've reconsidered opening that door to see those ponies for yourself?"

"Yeah, nah, I'll pass on that."

Mender shrugged. "Worth a shot."

He heard Young chuckle to himself as Mender approached his home. The front door was open, but the cannon was gone, and so was the string. The rocking chair remained untouched, but Mender was so tired he needed a bed to sleep in, not a chair.

He stepped through the doorway...and realized that there should have been a pet greeting him.

"Crunch? Where are you, bo-"

No sooner had he spoke than a familiar black blur tackled him.

Mender was too tired. He pushed Crunch off of him. He needed to ask his pet something rather important.

"Crunch, how did Pinkie get in here?"

At the mention of Pinkie's name, Crunch's ears wilted slightly, a guilty look plain on his face. Mender then noticed that there were flecks of icing on Crunch's lips. He took a good long look at the floor and noticed crumbs scattered about in a small trail, leading to a paper cupcake holder lying near the bottom of the stairwell in the back of the house.

Mender's emotions were a mixture of amusement and anger. He had only one guess as to what happened, and he was sure he wasn't wrong.

"You were bribed by a cupcake from Pinkie, weren't you?"

Crunch slowly nodded.

Mender sighed. "You're a terrible guard pet...but at least it was Pinkie. You enjoyed it, right?"

Crunch held a smile and nodded again.

"Good, because that's the last one you'll be getting from her while I'm not here. I need to start bringing food here for the both of us now, so no more freebies for a while."

Crunch shrunk a bit, disappointed by the news. Mender smiled, and said one last thing.

"However, if she comes by with more treats while I'm here, you can have some more of them, ok?"

Crunch responded with a smile and a stubby tail wagging. Satisfied with this response, Mender closed the door behind him and cleaned up the crumbs and Crunch's mouth with a rag he hung in the kitchen. The paper cupcake holder near the stairs was discarded as well.

Mender then climbed the stairs to the attic bedroom, and was surprised by one last thing. The bed in the corner opposite the stairs was neatly fixed, with no spring sticking out from underneath it.

Mender spent some time thinking on who fixed the door and his bed. Was it Pinkie? It seemed possible, but she didn't strike him as the handymare type. 

Applejack, then? She did promise to help him on any affairs regarding improving his home, but might have had trouble with Crunch...unless she brought apples. Regardless, he never took up that offer, so he saw no reason why she would extend such a gesture to him without his permission first.

Hmm...Fluttershy, perhaps? Again possible, she would no doubt have gotten past Crunch easily with how kind she was, and she met Crunch here at Mender's home, making her all the more welcome. However, he couldn't see her fixing his bed or the door for similar reasons to Pinkie.

He immediately dismissed the thought of Rarity coming by to fix his home. That was obvious, as she had made her distaste for filthy places clear at the party, and tension between him and her hadn't quite settled yet on account of her cat attacking his changeling back at the gathering.

What about the Crusaders? Mender briefly laughed...though he admitted it was possible for them to fix the door. Maybe not the bed, as Crunch hadn't met those three fillies yet and would likely be protective, and he never saw the fillies bring food with them whenever they arrived.

That left just one suspect. One pony who had plenty of time to fix the door and his bed, and could reasonably get past Crunch ever since the gathering happened. Princess Twilight. He made a mental note to ask her that tomorrow as he climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

---------------------------- Canterlot Castle ----------------------------------

Celestia had sent a letter back to Princess Twilight Sparkle a few hours ago after receiving her letter detailing what she learned about the assassin, and notifying her of Mender's recovery. Naturally, the assassin information was not important to her considering Luna had filled her in on the details already (although the information that the assassin was a pegasus was new, she admitted,) though she admired her former student's attention to detail in taking down most of his words in verbatim in the letter.

However, after learning about the date in which the duel was to take place, Celestia sent a response back stating she and Luna would be there tomorrow afternoon, requesting that the other Elements of Harmony be there when they arrive. It wasn't a day's notice like she wanted, but Twilight accounted for her late response by detailing the events of her escorting Mender home. She giggled upon reading that Mender was shot into a party the moment he opened his door.

She and her sister Luna had spent the next few hours getting their affairs in order in order to make time to visit Ponyville. Celestia gave permission to one of her most trusted advisers to oversee her daytime affairs, while Luna had done the same with one of her loyal Night Guards to keep an eye on the evening sky. Both of them would still coordinate the rise and fall of the sun and moon in Canterlot, but as far as any other plans or duties, they had all the bases covered to enjoy the afternoon and the next day without any notable concerns.

Celestia, however, tasked one of the Day Guards with the job of relaying any important matters the adviser would have trouble resolving. Being away from the castle did not excuse her from her duties as a benevolent and just ruler. Should the news be important enough, Celestia would return to handle matters herself while Luna stayed behind to keep an eye on Mender. Both of them agreed this was the best course of action should that situation arise.

However, if things went according to their plan, then they would have little to worry about. Mender would be safe and none the wiser to the magic they'll use to aid him in his fight.

A bigger concern still remained, however. Both Princesses were concerned as to whether or not Discord was up to his old tricks again. They had hoped this was not the case, but if so, everypony needed to be prepared.

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Mender had a fantastic rest that night. Ever since he spoke with Luna in his dreams, the nightmares had not come to him once. It felt great waking up not in a cold sweat, though it took Mender longer to wake up today on account of having survived one of Pinkie's parties.

He heard Young yawning through the band. Hm, so he had slept as well.

"Morning Young."

"Morning, Mender. Whew, that was quite a party last night."

"I agree. Pinkie may be an odd pony, but she knows how to throw parties."

Upon thinking about Pinkie, a detail came to him last night regarding something Young did concerning her. Mender figured now was as good a time as any.

"Say, Young, what did you figure out last night about Pinkie?"

He heard Young clearing his throat for a moment.

"Well, I didn't learn anything about her specifically...but from what you described, I think I figured out what happened to my Versabox."

"...what kind of box?"

"Versabox, Mender. It's another invention I made, like the band you're wearing to talk to me."

"Ah...and what does this Versabox thing do?"

"Anything you can imagine."

Mender was confused. "What?"

"Imagine, if you will, that you had the ability to place anything, of any size, into a small box you carry on your person. Imagine that you can also take out those objects of any size at will. Imagine that this box has a universe in it that can compact or expand at your desire, to hold as much or as little as you need, at the time you need it. The ultimate storage container."

"Okay..." Mender wasn't sure where he was going with this, it already sounded impossible.

"Now imagine that you yourself can enter that little universe box anywhere, and exit anywhere else you wish to be. Like if you could enter it now and whisk yourself away to Twilight's Library in an instant, without using the slightest inkling of magic. A whole new kind of teleportation."

This time Mender voiced his thoughts. "That's impossible!"

"Mender, I live in a space where it is only limited by my imagination. In here, one can willingly break the rules of reality imposed on the world, and unlearn everything one thought they knew. In here, one can make the impossible...possible. Under such a mindset, I have created many things, like the communication band you wear that substitutes for telepathy. Is it not possible, then, for me to create a box that has a universe tucked away in it?"

"I...I can't even begin to fathom how such a thing can exist."

"That's because you're thinking differently. You're thinking in a way where reality determines how much you can fully understand. I told you, in here, reality doesn't matter. It's not a limit anymore."

Mender was still woefully confused, but decided to pass on figuring it out considering he still couldn't figure out Pinkie.

"So...this box...what's it called, a Versabox? What happened to it?"

"...you remember how I told you about that third key that's outside of this room?"

Mender came to a realization. "You didn't."

Young sighed. "I did...and I think Pinkie found it."

At that moment, everything Pinkie was doing started to make sense to Mender, in a way. He still didn't fully understand this Versabox, but from how Young described it, it seemed to match up with how Pinkie was able to summon things from nowhere, most notably those Party Cannons and all the surprises stored within them.

"So...what's your plan? You want me to do something concerning this Versabox thing?"

"As much as I want it back...I think she's grown too attached to it now. It's a dangerous object in the wrong hooves, but from the sound of things it's in the hooves of the happiest pony in the world. That, and it's incredibly unlikely you'll be able to take it from her anyway, since you know how it works. Plus, removing it from her would probably break her spirit...and we wouldn't want to break the spirit of the happiest pony, would we?"

Mender shuddered at the thought of Pinkie not being her cheerful self. He briefly imagined her hair straight like it was in the hospital, but her color was dark and faded and she had a crazy look in her eyes. That was something he did NOT want to deal with.

"Nope nope nope, don't want that at all."

"Glad you understand now...oh! I left something for you down in the basement. Another one of the nifty tools I made while I was in here. After hearing about your little duel coming up, I think you needed an...appropriate edge."

"I don't need any help, Young. I got this all planned out." Mender was slightly irritated that Young thought he would die.

"Well, I don't want you to go off and die on me. Just...just humor me, if you will. I promise it won't hurt to at least look at the thing."

Mender sighed. "Fine fine, I'll take a look. I hate having an unfair advantage, though."

Mender walked down the two sets of stairs to the basement. Sitting in front of the door was a small black knife, no larger than four inches altogether. It reminded him of the knives he had seen some ponies in the war use for stealth operations. Easily concealable, and versatile for most close combat situations.

"A knife? Young, I have knives already, in my chopping block in the kitchen."

"That's no ordinary knife, Mender. It's made out of a material that's directly attuned to the willpower of anypony that holds it. The more willpower you project into the knife, the longer it gets, the more it changes shape, and the more powerful it becomes."

"So...it's that kind of knife?" Mender asked suggestively with a smirk plain on his face.

"What do you mea-OH SHUT UP, that's not what it's like!"

"I disagree. That's totally what it's like."

"SHUT...UP!"

Mender laughed, considering the implications of such a weapon.

"You know that if Dash gets wind that I have a blade that can extend and retract at will, I'm never going to hear the end of it."

"That's YOUR problem, not mine, remember? Sheesh, I'm trying to help you here, but you're just busy cracking jokes about a weapon that's as long and strong as you want it to be!"

"That's what she said," Mender said in a voice he tried to make sound like Dash's.

"...you know what? Just leave the blade at the door. I thought you were mature enough to wield such a thing, but I was clearly wrong."

"Oh no, you left it outside the door, it's mine now. You want it back, open it and get it yourself." Mender snatched the blade up into his hoof.

Suddenly the blade of the knife extended outward and molded itself into a sharply pointed dagger about eight inches in length. The handle of the knife also molded itself into a more comfortable shape within his hoof, and he swung the dagger forward, surprised at how natural it felt in his grasp. The black coloration seemed to give off a light sheen of reflection in the blade itself.

"Whoa."

"What, you didn't believe me when I said it could do all of that? After I just told you about the Versabox?"

"Well, I didn't think this would be such an interesting weapon until I held it. You got any more of these?"

"No, I don't, and I won't be giving any more to you, even if I had any. Frankly, I still don't think you're ready to wield that blade, but now that you have it...I guess we'll have to wait and see. Fair warning though, anypony else can use that blade as well, so you better keep a good eye on it."

"Very well." He thought about putting the blade away, and as if responding to his thoughts, the blade returned to its normal shape.

"Say, what did you call this blade, anyway?"

"A Versablade!"

Mender groaned, but an idea struck him for one last jab. "Lemme guess, you sleep on a Versabed too?"

"Why yes, it's one of the best comfort inventions I've ever ma-...oh, you're joking, aren't you?"

"Your naming of things is terrible."

"No it's not! Everything I make in here is versatile in some way or another!"

"And that gives you the excuse to name things like a Versacube, Versabed, or Versablade? Do you have a Versadesk in there? Are you writing notes on a Versanotepad with a Versapencil?"

"Agh, shut up. You think you have a better name for the Versablade then?"

Mender thought about it for a minute. The shape-shifting ability of the blade was no doubt its unique feature...so what would be a good name that expressed that? Shifter? Forme? Morphus? 

Wait, the blade would be nothing but ordinary without willpower. Maybe a name more internally empowering? One that's personal to him?

The name came to him in a flash of inspiration so fast he spoke it out loud. "Celle."

"You plan on selling that blade? Are you insane?!"

"No, not that kind of 'sell.'"

"Well, it's not a biological living thing, either, although cells are quite versatile in their morphing capabiliti-"

Mender interrupted. "No, not that kind of 'cell' either...actually, it's spelled like that, but with a silent 'e' at the end, like a name. Celle."

"...I don't get it. Is it a name important to you?"

"It is. It was the name of one of my daughters. Celle Mender."

At this, Young was silent for a moment. Mender had described his dreams to him in the hospital, and the image of Mender's burning home from his description hit him in an instant.

"I...I'm sorry, Mender."

"What are you apologizing for? You didn't know until I brought it up. Plus...it's fine. It's a name that I still hold dear to me, like the rest of my family. I don't mind passing it onto a blade that feels like an extension of me...like she was."

Suddenly, Young thought Mender was capable of holding that blade if he gave it enough sentimental value to name it after his daughter.

"I understand. It's a fine name, easily outclassing that Versa tag I seem to throw on everything."

Mender chuckled. "Good. Well then, I'll just be going n-"

"Now wait just a minute. Did I say that I was giving that to you for free?"

No, he didn't. "What, so you want me to trade you something then?"

"Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. There is a book I am seeking, a journal belonging to my grandfather."

"Old Mindly?"

"Correct. I believed that since the experiment with the door, Mindly had taken all of his research away from Canterlot and ran off with it here. I have most of it with me, but his journal was not among the items he brought. I'm positive it was something I didn't send away via teleporting, so it's probably somewhere in Canterlot. Much like you have sentimental value in that blade, I have sentimental value in that journal. I wish to ask that you locate it and bring it to me when you visit Canterlot."

"What makes you think I'll be visiting Canterlot?" Mender wasn't sure about this request at all. Something about it seemed...off.

"You've spoken with Princess Luna about an assassin after your life. What makes you think you WON'T be going at some point?"

Damn, he had him there. "That is true...but I still don't know when I'll be going. Could be days, could be months."

"I've been waiting for over half a millennium, Mender. What's a few more months to me?"

Bah, he was good. Now he really had no reason to refuse. "Fair point...very well, I accept. When I go, I will look for your grandfather's journal."

"Thank you, Mender. Now then, don't you have anything to do today?"

"Well, I do need to run some errands in Ponyville, like securing an advance pay before my first day of work. Haven't picked up food for this place in over a month, and I barely have twenty bits left after all my travel expenses."

"I'll let you get to that, then. I've some more things to tinker with myself."

Mender ascended out of the basement still holding his newly named blade. He went to his suitcase and found a leather holster for the knife in his uniform's pocket. He unfolded it and slung it around his neck and chest, placed Celle carefully inside the holster, and braced it against the right side of his chest with another leather strap. It wasn't subtle. As it stands, most ponies would know he was carrying a weapon. Maybe Rarity could help it blend in with his grey coat better.

...speaking of Rarity, she still wanted to spruce up his medic uniform. He took that out of the suitcase and set it into a saddlebag that was still in the suitcase. He heard bits jingle in a small bag inside the saddlebag, the twenty bits he still had from coming here. He was set as he placed the saddlebag on his left side, saying goodbye to Crunch as he left his home.

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Twilight had a rough time that morning. She had dreamed about this dangerous assassin slaughtering Mender in his home before waking up out of shock. She almost screamed.

She descended the stairs, then entered the kitchen. Spike was busy making a breakfast of toast and leafy greens when she entered, and noticed her enter. She had bags under her eyes, a sign that she had a hard time sleeping.

"Not a good night, huh?"

"One of the worst in a long time, Spike."

Spike took a guess as to why she couldn't sleep that well. "The assassin?"

Twilight nodded. Spike didn't ask anything else as he began to prepare some lavender tea for her. It was a remedy he had learned Twilight liked to drink after times of stress.

Spike set the table with toast, leafy greens, and some apple juice to start her off while he continued to work on the tea.

"Thanks, Spike," Twilight acknowledged before she began to eat.

"You're welcome, Twi...er, not to further pile on the stress, but the Princesses sent a letter while you were still resting. They're going to be coming in less than half an hour."

Twilight's eyes shot open, as wide as the moon. "SPIKE! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

"I didn't want you to panic! Plus, you needed the rest. Don't worry, I asked all of your friends to come over as per Celestia's request in the letter. What she wants to say is very important to all of you."

"Ohgoshohgosh my friends are coming too?!" She looked up at her mane, a tangled mess from last night. "I have to get ready!"

Before Spike could object, having just finished with the lavender tea, Twilight vanished back to her room, trying to get herself prepared for Celestia, Luna, and her friends. Spike sighed in frustration, and began cleaning up the table.

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Spike had finished up cleaning the kitchen when the first knock on the door came. He opened the door to see Fluttershy and Applejack waiting outside. He greeted them and had them both walk inside to gather around the table.

They asked where Twilight was, and Spike simply gestured to the bathroom to the right, where Twilight was still getting herself ready. They all giggled, quietly enough so she wouldn't hear.

A few minutes later, another knock came. This time it was Pinkie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, who was walking instead of flying. Rarity explained that she was released from the hospital today. Spike breathed a small sigh of relief that she was released at a good time, but was still concerned for her considering she wasn't flying. Dash seemed to dodge his questioning gaze, though he decided not to press her.

Finally, enough commotion was happening in the main room for Twilight to open the door and see her five friends gathered around the table. She had finished getting ready by then, and was walking out of the bathroom, greeting her friends as she took her place at the center table.

A brilliant flash of golden light happened outside the library at that moment, followed by a final knock at the door. Twilight answered immediately, and there stood Princesses Celestia and Luna. She bowed slightly and greeted them both, and the Princesses repeated Twilight's gesture to her. She was slightly stunned, but remembered she was a Princess now as well.

"Good afternoon, my little ponies. I'm glad you could all make it this afternoon." Celestia's voice was soothing, removing any tension the Elements of Harmony had from their entrance.

"Indeed, thou hast come in a timely manner befitting us." Luna's voice boomed slightly.

"Luna, there's no need to speak the Royal Tone in a library," Celestia teased.

"Aw, Tia, I was just trying to have some fun," Luna pouted slightly. All the ponies giggled.

"So then, Princess Celestia, what news do ya bring regarding the situation with Mender?" asked Applejack.

"There is much to discuss, Applejack, but the first thing we should speak about concerns something Luna found in Mender's dreams," spoke Celestia.

"His dreams? Hah, that's gotta be a snorefest. What's so important about his dreams, anyway?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We believe his dreams have been tampered with by Discord," Luna said.

All the ponies fell silent at the mention of his name. Fluttershy spoke up first.

"Discord? But Princesses, he's been reformed! I am certain of that ever since I became his friend."

"Yeah? Well, he wasn't so helpful when his thorny plants nearly took over all of Equestria," Applejack hissed.

"And forced us to give up all of our Elements of Harmony!" Dash added.

Tension was building in the room, and Twilight stomped her hooves on the table. "Everypony, calm down!"

They all stopped bickering, and Twilight continued. "I don't trust Discord myself, but I also trust Fluttershy's judgment. Luna, how are you so sure of this?"

"I heard Discord's laughter as I left Mender's dream that night. I was not mistaken in hearing this."

"Then if that is true..." Twilight paused, "...we'll need to summon Discord and ask him ourselves."

"Twilight, how are we going to accomplish that? We lost those fabulous Elements of Harmony by giving them to the Tree, remember? That's how we summoned Discord last time, if I recall," Rarity chimed in.

"Um..." Fluttershy spoke up quietly, almost unheard by the other ponies. "Actually, Discord has been staying with me for the past week now."

Everypony stared at Fluttershy, earning an "eep!" as she tried to take cover under the edge of the table.

However, Twilight smiled at the news. At least Discord was close by. "Then we have a plan. We'll ask Discord what this means after this meeting is over."

"Actually, Princess Twilight," spoke Celestia, "we have another matter to discuss. The original one we came here to talk about. This assassin."

"Oh yes. You mentioned that you two have a plan for dealing with them?" Twilight asked.

"Not directly, no." Luna spoke. "We'll just be assisting Mender discreetly using magic."

Twilight's eyes shot open. "But you can't do that! Mender said that this assassin has killed unicorns who used offensive magic against them! They can close gaps at frighteningly fast speeds since they're a pegasus!"

"A fast pegasus, eh? Hah, not with me around, they aren't!" Dash boasted. She earned hard looks from everypony except the co-rulers of Equestria.

Celestia simply grinned and said, "Twilight, we're alicorns, not unicorns. We've lived for over a thousand years and haven't died. Also, when did I say we were going to use offensive magic?"

Twilight bit her lip. "You...you didn't say that."

"No," Luna spoke next, "we plan on using illusion magic to assist him indirectly. For this, we'll need to get a good look at his home so we can properly cast the spell to help him."

"Therefore," Celestia added, "when you all go speak with Discord, Luna and I will get the dimensions to Mender's home at that time."

Twilight was baffled. She didn't expect the Princesses to set aside this much time just to deal with an assassin in Ponyville. However, stranger things have happened, she reminded herself.

There was one last thing Twilight had to bring up, however. "Alright, that sounds like a plan. However, do you remember how in my first letter I mentioned Mender's pet?"

"Oh, you mean his changeling named Crunch?" Pinkie Pie finally spoke up.

At the sound of the word "changeling" Celestia's coat bristled slightly. She remembered the attack on Canterlot in an instant, and how she failed to protect her subjects from their queen. Luna wasn't as shaken, but she remembered the attack as well, and was also visibly distressed, though not as badly as her sister was.

"Mender has a CHANGELING?!" Celestia's voice boomed, and shook a few loose books off the shelves. All the ponies around the table quivered in fear.

Twilight was the one caught off guard the most, however. Suddenly, she thought she wasn't going to be able to explain this to her at all.

She didn't have to. A knock at the door came, followed by Mender's voice.

"Hello? Twilight, you in there? I'm looking for Rarity and she wasn't in her boutique. You know where she i-"

Celestia's horn glowed, and Mender found himself floating in a yellow cloud of magic as he was pulled into the library by force.

"Oh buck."