Chapter 4: Exchanging Pleasantries
The train slid into the Ponyville station with a whistle of escaping steam. As was the norm for the town that was the final stop on the way to Canterlot, the passengers disembarked from the train to make the most of their extended layover as the staff went about loading coal and water to prepare the train for the climb to the mountain city. While it wasn't the most extensive leg of the journey, it was almost entirely uphill.
Amongst the ponies milling about the platform before going out to wander the quaint town was a single colt. Perlin Bluestreak smiled as he stepped away from the station and took a deep breath of the fresh, country air. Well, he thought, I have two hours before I have to be onboard again. Might as well make the most of them.
As he trotted along Ponyville's streets, he kept one eye trained upwards. While his signature wings were covered, there was still always the possibility of Rainbow Dash, or any of her friends who had been in Cloudsdale with her, recognizing his coloration if she were somewhere in the area. While he was interested in checking in on his rival, Perlin wasn't exactly keen on starting a confrontation with anypony else, especially as it would probably cause him undue trouble when he was on his way to Canterlot for a job.
Taking to the air would have made things easier, but that would have meant shedding his cloak and spreading his wings for everypony to see. Even if Rainbow Dash and Dawn inexplicably hadn't shared their story with their friends and others around town, the resulting commotion would still make things difficult for him.
He noticed that many of the ponies that had arrived on the train with him were gravitating towards the market. Wondering if he might find some leads over there, Perlin began to amble in the direction of the stalls. If I were a younger kid, where would I be at this time of day?
A chiming bell suddenly bestowed the answer upon him. Of course! I'd be in school. I wonder what I missed out on during all those years of in-home training.
A new destination fixed in his mind, Perlin began to look about for any signs that might tell him where Ponyville's school could be found. However, before he could make much in the way of progress, his keen ears caught the sound of a sharp intake of breath.
Horseapples, thought the cream-colored colt as he turned towards the source of the noise. If his guess was right, he'd probably been recognized. That would put a damper on his hopes of finding Dawn Lightwing. It might also make getting out of Ponyville problematic. As he turned, Perlin's hawklike eyes zeroed in on the alabaster unicorn mare with a rich, curled, purple mane staring at him, aghast.
Perlin wasn't sure what she was upset about. He saw no sign of recognition on her face, nor the horror that was likely to accompany such recognition. As far as he could tell, she had no idea who he was. However, he could quite plainly tell that she was staring at him. If he had to place her emotional condition, Perlin would have speculated that she seemed...affronted. Just to be on the safe side, he checked behind him to see if it was something in that space that was the cause of her ire. However, he couldn't see anything.
"Is everything alright miss?" he asked.
“How can you ask me such a question?” she demanded, “Honestly, I can’t imagine how you could even go outside in such ridiculous attire. That thing looks hideous on you!”
Perlin turned to survey the cloak the doctor had provided him with. I guess it’s a good thing he won’t ever hear that.
Back in Trottingham, a certain unicorn stallion sneezed abruptly.
“Ah, well,” said Perilin, “It’s the best I could manage on short notice. I had a bit of a trip to make-“
“Yes, I understand perfectly,” said the mare, cutting him off, “But being in a hurry is no excuse for skimping on the important things. Proper attire is an essential component for a journey.” She leaned in towards him. “How long are you here?”
“What?”
“How long are you supposed to be here in Ponyville?” clarified the mare.
“Um…probably another hour and a half,” said Perlin, leaving allowance for the time he needed to get back to the train station.
“Perfect!” declared the mare, “Then, in one hour, I shall have a suitable outfit prepared for you.”
“Um…I appreciate your generosity, but I had other plans-“
Once again, he was cut off. “Come now,” said the mare, her horn lighting with a blue aura, “I only need to take your measurements and then you can come back in an hour to claim your new garment.”
His sharply honed reflexes kicking in, Perlin slipped sideways slightly, escaping the mare’s telekinesis before it could properly manifest and grab ahold of him. “That isn’t necessary,” he said firmly, “I appreciate your concern, but you needn’t worry about what I’m wearing.”
“Oh, why must you stallions and colts be so stubborn?” whined the mare, stamping her hoof in agitation. Then she changed her strategy. Shifting gears, she pouted at Perlin, fixing him with a quivering gaze that overflowed with sorrow. “Please! I promise it won’t take long."
To say that Perlin wasn’t moved by her begging wasn’t necessarily true. Though he was still a colt by some standards, he was old enough to appreciate mares, particularly ones as beautiful as the specimen before him. Now that she was through with being insistent and was turning on the charm, Perlin couldn’t help but acquiesce. With a defeated sigh, he sagged in surrender. “Fine.”
“Oh marvelous!” exclaimed the mare, “Please follow me then!”
“Alright.”
As the Perlin fell into step next to the mare, she turned a critical eye towards him once again. “By the way, my name is Rarity. May I ask yours?”
"P-Merlin," the colt said, hastily correcting to avoid giving his real name. Of course, the fake one wasn't much better, as his brain was quick to remind him. You might as well straight up and tell her, it snapped irritably, Maybe I need to put more work into an alias. His little stopover was getting troublingly complicated.
"Hmm," mused the mare for a moment, "That name sounds vaguely familiar. Oh well. My name is Rarity and I run the Carousel Boutique. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise," agreed Perlin.
As they walked, Perlin mused over why he was taking so much trouble to go incognito. He hadn't been particularly bothered by the idea of attracting trouble. He didn't even mind the idea that a causing a commotion would make it more difficult for him to get into Canterlot. However, he had come to see Dawn and that remained his primary objective.
However, he now recognized the mare he was with. Rarity was supposed to be another of the Element Bearers, meaning she was a friend to Rainbow Dash, and probably Dawn as well. It was a minor miracle that she hadn't recognized him right off the bat, given that she'd probably heard at least a few descriptions of him. Perhaps the fact that she couldn't see his wings was keeping her from connecting the dots.
"If I may ask, what is somepony as young as yourself doing traveling unattended?" asked Rarity, cutting through Perlin's reverie.
"I was on my way to Canterlot," replied Perlin truthfully enough, "I may not be considered a full adult yet, but I am actually going there to take a job."
"But, my dear, shouldn't you still be in school?"
"Not necessarily," replied Perlin, "After all, the only school for ponies my age is trade school. Since I haven't opted to take one of the trades that requires a formal education, I instead get to take jobs like the one I'm doing in Canterlot."
"I see..." said Rarity uncertainly, "I suppose I can understand that. I was in trade school myself when I was your age. May I ask what work you have in Canterlot?"
"Nothing special," Perlin demurred. That was true enough, as it seemed a perfectly innocuous request for his particular skillset. The only thing that seemed to indicate that it was anything other than a typical job (for him anyway) was the item that had accompanied the job offer.
"I see," said Rarity again, "I'm sorry. I suppose I should know better than to pry. You just remind me of another pony I know. He's just a little bit younger than you, but he also has that quality that makes him seem older than he really is."
A slight smile spread across Perlin's face. "Is that so?"
A few minutes later, they arrived at the boutique. Rarity led him through the front room, with all its dresses on display, to the back workroom, where she could work on his new garment.
"Now then, let's get that atrocious thing off of you," said Rarity decisively her horn already glowing.
"Wait-" Perlin's protest went unheeded as her magic grasped the hem of his cloak and pulled it off his body, putting his wings on full display.
A sharp gasp escaped Rarity as her magic failed altogether, the cloak now fluttering limply to the floor.
"Oh dear," said Perlin, smiling in spite of the situation, "Now you've done it."
The ringing of the school bell signaled the end of the day's classes as the foals in Cheerilee's charge bolted through the door. One could scarcely tell that, a few days ago, they'd been through a particularly trying ordeal. However, foals could be surprisingly resilient at times and Cheerilee's quick thinking had shielded all but two from the most traumatic aspects of the situation. For now, they were nothing more than a bunch of young ponies gleefully fleeing out the door to enjoy the remainder of the day before they had to go and do homework and chores.
"Well, what should we do fer today?" asked Apple Bloom as she stepped out the door, followed by the other Crusaders, "Scootaloo got her cutie mark, so what about the rest of us?"
Sweetie Belle's attempt to think of things to try for their cutie marks was cut short when she saw the familiar pink coat of Diamond Tiara. The once snotty filly was making her way down the road towards the Carousel Boutique for her regular session with Rarity. Sweetie Belle was more than a little jealous that one of their greatest sources of torment was now getting to spend so much time with her big sister. However, she'd been mollified to learn that it was a joint effort on the part of Rarity and Filthy Rich to correct Diamond's behavior and put an end to her bullying ways.
Shaking off the distraction, she turned her mind towards trying to figure out an activity that the group could do to get their cutie marks. However, everything she came up with just didn't seem to appeal to her. Even the whole idea of Crusading for their cutie marks seemed to be getting stale to Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo had gotten hers, but it hadn't been on one of their crusades. She'd gotten it while working on her own on something very important to her.
And speaking of Scootaloo...
"Come on Dawn, let's go!" shouted the orange filly as she bounded out past them, Dawn Lightwing coming behind her at a more sedate pace.
The sight of Scootaloo's swan cutie mark made Sweetie Belle sigh in envy.
"Somethin' wrong?" asked Apple Bloom as they followed Scootaloo and Dawn into the yard, Rumble coming up behind them.
"It's just..." said Sweetie Belle, "I don't think we're getting anywhere with this Crusading. We've been doing this for a few years now and it hasn't gotten us any cutie marks. Scootaloo didn't even get hers on one of our crusades. I'm just wondering if we're going about it all wrong."
"Ah guess," admitted Apple Bloom, looking down, "Ah mean, Ah guess it's a bit silly to keep at it like this." She'd once confided in Spike that she already had an idea of what her cutie mark might be related to. However, that didn't mean she wanted to give up her time with her friends.
Surprisingly enough, it was Rumble who provided them with an answer. "Why don't we go hang out in the park for a little while," the gray colt suggested, "Dawn and Scootaloo have to go to their practice in a little bit anyway, so why don't we just have some fun until then."
Sweetie and Bloom turned to look at each other before looking back at Rumble. "That sounds like a plan," said the yellow filly.
"I like it," agreed Sweetie Belle.
They turned to tell inform Dawn and Scootaloo about their plans. However, they paused when they noticed that Dawn was strangely still, with Scootaloo watching him closely. His wings remained folded, but his feathers were fluffed out slightly, his eyes surveying the area around him warily.
"Something wrong?" asked Scootaloo.
Dawn looked around, but couldn't identify anything as the source of his discomfort. "I'm not sure," he replied, "It's just a feeling. Maybe it's nothing. I seem to be getting a little paranoid lately."
"Why don't we just go to the park," proposed Rumble, "You'll probably feel better."
Dawn shrugged. "I suppose," he said, "It's probably nothing anyway."
Perlin looked to his discarded cloak, then to a horrified Rarity as she stood frozen, transfixed by the sight of his mithril-feathered wings. "Well," he said, "This is awkward."
Rarity was struggling to put her thoughts into some form of coherency. "Y-y-y-you...You're..."
"Perlin Bluestreak, at your service." The colt swept into an overly formal bow, spreading his wings wide and giving Rarity a good view of their razor-sharp edges. "I see that your friends Rainbow Dash and Dawn Lightwing have said a fair bit about me."
"Why are you here?" demanded Rarity, slowly backing away from him.
Perlin smirked. Within this enclosed space, no matter how far she backed away, she was still within his reach. "Nothing too important really. As I said, I'm on my way to a job in Canterlot. I thought that I would make a quick stop here in Ponyville and say hello to Dawn before continuing on my way. You did decide to complicate things though." Perlin sighed. "Now then, what to do?"
Rarity gulped nervously. Her horn started to glitter with the beginnings of a spell.
"Ah ah," Perlin chided, his wing flickering out in a silvery blur. Before Rarity could react, something drew a stinging line across her left cheek. The light on her horn died immediately.
Raising a hoof, Rarity brushed it against her cheek and held it up to see. She wasn't all that surprised to see the blood smeared across it, though the sight of the red liquid still sent a nauseating shiver through her body. It wasn’t all that much, nothing more than a paper cut. It wouldn’t even leave a scar once it healed. Under normal circumstances, the thought of something marring her natural beauty in such a way would have sent Rarity into screaming hysterics. However, she had enough situational awareness to realize that panicking would be a bad idea right now.
"Please, no tricks," chided Perlin gently, as though he were admonishing a misbehaving foal, "I've been trained to kill unicorns, among other things. I can read your intent when you cast your spells. So I can tell perfectly well when you are about to try something...unwise."
Rarity's hind legs were unable to keep holding her up and she fell back into a sitting position. Perlin, meanwhile, returned to his musings regarding the situation.
"Well, it seems that my cloak won't do me much good," he theorized, "Perhaps I might make use of your skills while I have the chance."
"Wh-what do you mean?" stammered Rarity.
"I was just thinking," said Perlin, lifting up his cloak with a hoof to inspect it, "You seem particularly skilled with a needle and thread. Perhaps you could provide a solution to a little problem that I have.
"You see, this cloak was something the doctor and I threw together to help me make this trip without attracting too much attention. I hardly need to point out to you the issues that would accompany me trying to open my wings with this thing on."
Rarity nodded. While pegasi could fly with cloaks on, Perlin's razor-edged feathers were just as likely to shred the garment as anything else, making it useless for concealing his wings after he'd spread them once.
Perlin continued. "I wonder if there was something you could craft that would perhaps alleviate this problem. I've heard that you're wonderfully creative when it comes to making clothes." He smiled politely. "I can also pay for your work if you are willing."
"And if I say no?" asked Rarity.
Perlin shrugged. "Then the answer is no."
"You wouldn't threaten me?"
Perlin cocked his head. "Not really. I'm not particularly interested in killing you, so it wouldn't really be worth the effort."
Rarity smacked her lips, her mouth feeling dry. "I...see..." She honestly wasn't sure what to make of this colt. Rainbow's description of his oddities hadn't really done him justice. He wasn't sparing her because of any moral compunction, but rather because he found the idea of killing her inconvenient, even if letting her live might have been more inconvenient in the long run. "I...suppose I could."
It went against the grain to offer her services to a pony who so disturbed her, much less one whom she couldn’t help but consider…evil. But Rarity was even less enamored with the idea of letting him run loose. If he found Dawn, a battle was likely to break out. And if Dawn was with the other foals when Perlin found him...Rarity shuddered at the thought. Certainly Dawn would be quick to try and lead the fight away from where anypony might get hurt, but it was probably better to keep him and Perlin from meeting at all. The mithril-winged colt was only in town for a short time before he had to get back onto the train for his trip to Canterlot. If she could keep him busy until then...
The amused look in Perlin’s face told her that he had divine her intent. “I see,” he said, “Stalling for time. Well, that makes sense, I suppose. You may not be much for fighting, but you are strong in your own way.” His body relaxed. “I look forward to seeing what a pony like you can create under these circumstances.”
Oh my, thought Rarity with a gulp. In its own way, having Perlin there, watching her as she worked was little different from the scrutiny she’d gotten from her most demanding clients. Ironically, the admittedly dangerous colt was actually more well-mannered than some of the upper-class ponies she’d designed for.
Using her magic, Rarity began to call upon the elements of her work as she began to go through the process of designing something to meet with Perlin’s approval. She gave one last sidelong glance at the colt, who simply nodded politely at her, and went to work.
“I had no idea you’d been to Sweet Apple Acres,” said Twilight as Arkenstone led her up the path towards the farmhouse. She’d walked this path countless times in the past, but had never realized that her coltfriend knew it so well.
“It was brief, but I did spend some time here,” said Arkenstone, “It helped heal both my heart and mind after what I’d done in Canterlot.”
Twilight paused as the other horseshoe dropped. She remembered Celestia telling her that she’d sent Arkenstone to a friend in a nearby town. She also remembered what Blueblood had told her about Arkenstone studying under another Knight.
A familiar cackle drew Twilight out of her thoughts as she turned to see the familiar form of Granny Smith waiting on the farmhouse porch. “Ah don’t see ya fer years at a time, now yer droppin’ by every single day,” the wrinkled, green mare teased, “Ah see ya brought her on up. Ya think she’s ready to learn?”
“I think so,” replied Arkenstone. Turning, he smiled at Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, allow me to introduce my teacher. This is Dame Granny Smith, matriarch of the Apple Family, master of the Mountain Root, and holder of the Siege Perilous of the Celestial Order of Knights.”
Twilight had gone completely stiff, her body refusing to even move as she stared wordlessly at the ancient green mare before her. Her mind was currently rushing through countless lines of inquiry. How long had she known Applejack’s grandmother? How many times had she spoken with the venerable mare? How often had Twilight passed Granny Smith by in the street and not given her a second glance? Throughout the entirety of her time in Ponyville, Twilight had never imagined that somepony of such importance had been here, much less been the one to found the town itself. Her mind whirled faster and faster as each new thought arrived with the force of an out-of-control train. Finally, it all became too much. Twilight’s eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted.
Granny Smith let out a sigh before turning a reproachful gaze on her former student. “Sugarcube, Ah think ya might’ve broke her.”
"Well, I suppose we should get her inside then," said Arkenstone. He ducked his head to lift Twilight up, then paused.
Lifting his head again, Arkenstone turned and sniffed the air. "Actually, could you take care of her for me?"
"Yer makin' an old mare like mahself carry another pony, ya goshdarn layabout?"
"I'm afraid so," replied Arkenstone as he continued to sniff the air, "I don't like this scent at all. It smells like death on the wind."
Rarity had been afraid that she wouldn't be able to put out her best effort with Perlin watching her so intently. However, the colt's presence seemed to fade into the background as she went to work and Rarity quickly got into the groove of things. It had been a bit nerve wracking to take his measurements, but he had accepted it with nary a complaint. Though she was mostly stalling for time, Rarity fully intended to do her best work for her customer. She had her pride as a craftsmare after all.
Perlin seemed content to sit quietly and watch Rarity as she worked. He made no comment, nor asked any questions. That made it relatively easy to ignore him. Within a mere half hour, Perlin's new cover was beginning to take shape. Rarity was fairly certain that, if she paid close attention and worked slowly on the details, she could probably spend another hour or more on it.
However, the sound of the bell over the front door reminded the fashionista that she had forgotten something important.
"Miss Rarity, I'm here."
Rarity froze as she heard Diamond Tiara's voice from the other room. Oh ponyfeathers! I forgot that our afternoon session was today! However much she might have borne a grudge for how Diamond Tiara had treated Sweetie Belle, there was no way that Rarity could allow her to get mixed up in this affair. Her entire operation came to a halt as her mind tried to figure out a way to keep the pink filly out and away from Perlin.
"Miss Rarity? Are you in the back room?" The alabaster mare's ears twitched as she heard the sound of small hooves approaching the door.
"Y-yes I am Diamond," said Rarity quickly, "Actually, I'm in the middle of something right now. Would you mind if I called off our session for today?"
"But daddy said I have to go to every one of them," protested Diamond, though her approach halted at the door.
"It's alright," said Rarity quickly, "I'll have a talk with your father later. It's j-just that something came up. I'm helping a very important client right now and can't afford to be disturbed."
Diamond took a step back from the door. "Well...if you're sure Miss Rarity."
"Oh yes! Quite!" Rarity was now struggling to keep a frantic tone from her voice. She turned an eye towards Perlin. "You've made excellent progress, so I don't think it would hurt anything to give you a day off."
The cream-colored colt was watching the door as well. He showed no signs of tension, nor any sign that he was getting ready to attack. However, seeing how fast he could move, Rarity didn't want to give him any reason to harm Diamond.
"Alright..." Diamond's tone sounded uncertain, but Rarity could hear her backing away from the door. "Um...Thank you Miss Rarity." The sound of her hooves beating a hasty retreat, followed by the door opening and closing again, reached Rarity's ears and she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Not bad," commented Perlin, "You handled that situation quite well."
"Yes...well..." Rarity took a couple of breaths to steady herself, the tension of the near disaster catching up with her, "A lady carries herself with grace and poise, even in the face of unexpected complications."
Seeing that she no longer had to worry about Diamond Tiara blundering in, Rarity went back to work, a little more haste in her efforts as she went along. Diamond Tiara's intrusion had opened up a whole new avenue of concern for Rarity. Certainly, she could try to keep Perlin here as long as possible to keep him from looking for Dawn, but that also included the risk of one of her friends, or worse, Sweetie Belle or one of the other Crusaders coming in. The last thing Rarity wanted was to see this dangerous colt provoked into unleashing his decidedly lethal skills against a foal.
In a few more minutes, Rarity had the modifications she had been working on in place. "Now then," she said, "Give this a try." Turning around, she presented her final product.
The black cloak rested neatly on Perlin's shoulders, covering his wings and keeping them from view. The cloak's hem hovered scant inches above the ground, ensuring that it wouldn't be dirtied, nor would Perlin be under threat of tripping over it if he ran.
"It seems quite nice," he said, spinning about slightly to give a little billow to the fabric to get the full effect.
"Try spreading your wings," prompted Rarity carefully.
As he did so, Perlin felt something tug against the muscles of his shoulders. To his surprise, the edges of the cloak were drawn up like a curtain, centering them on his back and leaving his wings free to spread without fear of shredding the fabric. "Very nice."
"I'm glad to see that you're satisfied," said Rarity, though the tone of her voice clearly indicated otherwise.
Perlin folded his wings and the fabric of the cloak dropped back into place, covering them once more. "Now then, about the price..."
"It's on the house," declared Rarity in an imperious tone, "If you promise to leave Ponyville and never come back."
"I'm afraid I won't be making that promise," replied Perlin, chuckling at her, "So, how much?"
Rarity sighed and gave him a number. It wasn't her most expensive piece of work by a long shot. Considering the materials, as well as the overall design, the only things she could do to drive it up were to tack on an extra cost of labor for having to work for a colt who'd sliced her cheek open.
Perlin hoofed over the bits without a word of complaint, seemingly quite pleased with the whole affair. "Thank you very much for your service," he said as he tucked his money pouch underneath his new cloak, which he was pleased to note had pockets included for just those sorts of things.
Reaching out with his foreleg, he hooked around Rarity's own and pulled it up so that he could bend his head and plant a polite kiss on her hoof. "It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Rarity." As Perlin released his hold on her, Rarity couldn't help but blush at his surprisingly gentlecoltly behavior.
As Perlin turned and left, Rarity was left standing in her workroom, dumbfounded. He was very different from what she had imagined, particularly considering Rainbow and Dawn's stories of what happened in Cloudsdale. Had it not been for the terrifying way he had threatened her earlier, Rarity would have considered Perlin a sterling example of how a young colt should behave and would have been quivering in anticipation of seeing him soon becoming a full-grown stallion. However, there remained just enough of that undercurrent of unease from how he acted, the way he casually threatened her, then, just as casually, dismissed the idea of killing her, that made her stomach churn.
In the end, she had no idea what to think.
Perlin blinked as he stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, the day being considerably brighter than the more subdued lighting of Rarity's workroom. The fabric of his new cloak settled nicely over his shoulders and back, keeping the sun off and stopping him from getting overheated. If his assessment of Rarity's skills was correct, Perlin strongly suspected that the cloak was also insulated to ward off the chill of the approaching autumn as well.
However, thoughts of his new garment were swept from his mind when he noted who was waiting for him. Three stallions stood arrayed before Perlin, their expressions stern and watchful. Two earth ponies stood at either side, while a pegasus hovered overhead. Glancing up, Perlin realized he recognized the pegasus and the dark-purple shirt he wore from Cloudsdale. His senses told him that all three of these ponies, the beige earth pony in particular, were formidable.
The azure earth pony and the hovering pegasus both exuded an air of tension and expectation. In contrast, the beige stallion seemed perfectly relaxed, as though he didn't even anticipate the possibility of a fight breaking out. All three of them waited silently as Perlin took them in.
"Well now," he said, "I didn't think that I'd caused as much of a ruckus as all that." His mind turned to the boutique's visitor, the little filly that Rarity had warded off earlier. The filly called Diamond Tiara might have been more canny than he'd thought, perhaps discerning the truth of Rarity's situation and rushing off to fetch help.
"What precisely do you want here?" asked the blue earth pony, his body shifting slightly.
"Well, I'm actually on my way to another place for work," replied Perlin casually, "However, since my route took me through Ponyville, I figured I might take advantage of the opportunity to drop by and say hello. Admittedly, my plans got derailed a bit, but there’s always next time."
"It's rather presumptuous that you would think that we would allow you a 'next time.'" remarked the storm cloud-colored pegasus from above, "A great many lives could be saved if we dealt with you here and now."
Perlin chuckled. "That would be a sight to see; three grown stallions ganging up on a weaker colt."
"You think we care that much about our public image?" asked the blue stallion.
"I think that you don't care to try and take my life just yet," replied Perlin smoothly, "There's a reason that Dame Spitfire spared my life after all. Though I'm not completely clear on what that reason is, I suspect that you would have similar reasons for not following through with your own threats. Isn't that why this fellow here..." Perlin jerked his head at the beige stallion, who'd remained silent throughout the entire affair. "...has opted to hold his tongue this whole time."
A sigh escaped the colt and he measured the angle of the sun. "Sadly, it appears that I've frittered too much of my time away. I have a train to catch."
"You realize that you are still a wanted criminal," commented the blue stallion, "Your actions in Cloudsdale haven't gone unnoticed. Perhaps we should just arrest you."
Perlin smiled and reached into the pocket of his new cloak to withdraw his secret weapon. "Unfortunately, that will have to wait for another time." He unrolled the scroll and held it up for the stallions to see. Both the azure earth pony and the grayish-purple pegasus stared in surprise.
"A Royal Permit!" Such documents were rare, as it indicated that the pony holding them traveled under the direct authority of the Princesses. Even if the pony were a wanted criminal, the Royal Permit meant that it was beyond the power of the local Guard authorities to have him arrested or detained in any manner.
"This permit approves me for travel to Canterlot," explained Perlin, "Would you like a closer examination to determine its authenticity?"
"There is no need," said the beige stallion, speaking for the first time, "Go on your way."
"But-" The azure stallion started to protest, but was cut short as the brown one lifted a hoof.
"Because you did no harm this time, I allow you to leave unharmed for now," continued the beige earth pony, "If you return here, things may be different."
"I wonder about that," mused Perlin as he trotted past the trio, "You three aren't the ones I want to bother with right now. Give my regards to him, if you please."
Then, like a passing breeze, he was gone.
"Why exactly are we letting him go?" asked Red River as they watched Perlin make his way to the train station.
Arkenstone's ears began to swivel about and his nose tested the air. "That colt was no fool. If we tried to deal with him here and now, he could easily widen the scope of the battle, if he so wished. We can't afford to drag the rest of Ponyville into it with us."
"He deliberately led Dawn away from Cloudsdale when they fought," Storm Front pointed out.
Arkenstone nodded, "However, that's because Dawn was an opponent Perlin wanted to face at his full strength. Since his interest remains with Dawn, we would be viewed as little more than an inconvenience. He knows his limitations and would fight to escape, rather than to win. Because of that, he could easily use the threat of collateral damage to restrict our actions."
"Perhaps we should send word ahead to Canterlot," mused Red, "We can warn Shining Armor. As authentic as the Royal Permit might be, I don't believe that Perlin obtained that document through legitimate channels."
Storm nodded. "And, for something that important, there are sure to be records of its issuance, which means we can find out exactly how he acquired one."
Arkenstone frowned. "There are only a select few ponies, those in direct service to the Princesses themselves, who have access to those documents. It's worth following up on." He turned and headed back towards the library. "I will send the notice to Shining Armor. Would the two of you follow that boy and make sure that he makes good on his word to leave Ponyville?”
A moan forced it’s way out of Twilight’s throat as her eyes slowly pried themselves open. As her vision swam, Twilight inhaled, her nose filling with the scent of herbs, spices, and, of course, apples. She realized that she was laying on a couch. This must be the Apples’ living room, she realized. Her ears twitched as they picked up the sound of crackling and the scent of burning wood extended out to mingle with the other scents in the room. A source of light attracted her still-focusing eyes and Twilight found her gaze drawn towards the fireplace and the figure standing in front of it, gently prodding the burning wood with her bare hoof, not seeming inconvenienced in the slightest.
“So yer awake,” observed Granny Smith, “Ah gotta say, with all the stuff ya have to deal with, ya sure do get worked up ‘bout the silliest things missy. Ah can see why ya and mah disciple make such a nice couple.”
“Thanks,” deadpanned Twilight. Her gaze shifted and she noticed a glass of apple juice sitting on a nearby side table. Levitating it over, she sipped at the cool liquid, reveling in the feeling of it washing down her throat. “Where’s Arkenstone?”
“Had to take care ‘o somethin’,” said Smith evenly, “He’ll be along soon, Ah’m sure.”
Twilight shrugged and decided to accept the wizened mare’s explanation. “So,” she said, setting the glass back down, “You were Arkenstone’s teacher…and a Knight.”
“That’s the case,” agreed Smith, apparently satisfied with the fireplace. She stepped away and settled into a nearby rocking chair. “Ah don’t know if there’s much else to say. If ya’ve got any questions, ask ‘em, Ah suppose.”
“Does Applejack know?”
Granny shook her head slowly. “Nope. Little AJ was always a bit too impatient to listen to her old Granny when she was tryin’ to teach her somethin’; always wantin’ to go and help her pa and ma in the fields, just like a big pony should. It weren’t ’til she got back from Manehattan that she finally settled enough to do some learnin’. Even then, she wasn’t interested in much else but the basics.”
“So she doesn’t know about the Mountain Root?” asked Twilight. She supposed it made sense. After all, Applejack had shown no signs of recognition whenever Twilight had talked about it before.
“Nope,” replied Smith, “Big Mac knew, but he didn’t have much heart fer it either. To be honest, Ah didn’t feel quite like teachin’ it to ‘em either.”
“Why not?” asked Twilight, “It’s an incredible power.”
“It is, but it’s a hard thing fer earth ponies like us to learn,” said Granny Smith, looking wistfully out the window, smiling at the view of the orchard trees, dancing in the afternoon breeze, “What do ya see out there?”
“I see your family orchards,” said Twilight, wondering what the older mare was getting at.
“Eeyup,” agreed Smith, her smile widening, “Fer us earth ponies, there ain’t much our magic is better fer than bringin’ life to the land. Our magic lies deep in the bones ‘o these hills now. They're as much a part ‘o our family as our own flesh an blood. There’s somethin’ powerful in that feelin’ of nuturin’ something and helpin’ it grow.
“But the Mountain Root ain’t like that. Power’s always like that. It’s got two sides, ya see. Water helps the crops grow, but a flood can wipe a town away. Our magic can make the land grow, or we can use it to tear ponies apart.”
Twilight shivered at the grim tone in Granny Smith’s voice.
“That’s why it’s hard fer earth ponies to learn,” continued Smith forlornly, “It’s easy fer us to use our magic to build things up, to even build ourselves up. But learnin’ to use that same power to tear somethin’ or someone down hurts somethin’ fierce. Ah wasn’t gonna force that on Mac, AJ, and certainly not on Bloom if she don’t want it. That kind ‘o thing is best reserved fer the ponies who are prepared to use it.”
“I see,” said Twilight, “But you learned it.”
“Ah did,” agreed Granny Smith, “Learned if from mah pa, all those long years ago. When our family came to Canterlot, Ah went into service as her Knight and she gave mah family this land as a Boon.”
Twilight blinked. “You settled here while you were still a Knight? But I thought the Knights were always wandering Equestria.”
“That’s only some ‘o them,” said Smith, “Some ‘o us Knights are good at movin’ from place to place, keepin’ an eye on things, tryin’ to be proactive ‘bout dealin’ with threats and all that. But Celestia likes to have a few that know how to stay put, ponies that she knows she can find when she has to send someone to deal with somethin’. So Ah parked mah tush right here and worked mah land and waited fer the time when Mah Princess needed me.
“And she did, she sent me a lot ‘o places. Ah’ve seen a lot ‘o things little lady, done a lot ‘o things too. But Ah guess ya’d know about that now.”
Thinking back to the brief duel in Canterlot, where Arkenstone had ripped an arrogant earl to shreds in an instant, Twilight nodded.
Then Smith let out a sigh. “But finally, Ah felt that the time of mah service was over and Ah retired. Ah’m pretty lucky that way. Not many Knights live long enough to retire.”
Those words made Twilight cringe, her heart thudding alarmingly in her chest. She means Arkenstone too. What if…someday…? She shook her head vigorously, forcing the dark thought out of her mind. It would do no good to worry about that now. She had to have faith in Arkenstone, in his strength, and that he would come back to her if he had to leave for his duties.
“Arkenstone called you something,” said Twilight, choosing to move the conversation forward to help combat her nerves, “The Siege Perilous…What is that?”
“That?” said Granny, chuckling, “Ain’t nothin’ special. Them young Knights seem to think that, since Ah’m still alive after so long, that Ah deserved some kind ‘o special title. So they call it the Seige Perilous. To them, Ah’m still somethin’ of an honorary Knight, just one who’ll come back only when there’s a serious need. But Ah think that mah seat at the table is destined to stay empty.”
“I see,” said Twilight, even though she clearly didn’t.
“Don’t worry yer little head ‘bout it,” said Smith, “Ah’m sure mah former student’ll be back soon and we can talk some more. ’Til then, why don’t ya just share with me how that silly colt managed to win over a fine filly like yerself.”
Twilight’s cheeks blushed brilliantly as Granny Smith cackled in amusement.