//------------------------------//
// Happy Homecoming 
// Story: Rescue on Diamond Mountain 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 12: Happy Homecoming

The houses of Ponyville grew large in Dawn's vision as he swooped down lower.  To the west, the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky into a riot of colors as the colt's eyes scanned across the houses.  His first impulse was to pass over the town entirely and head straight home, sure that Fluttershy was waiting for him at their cottage.  However, he wasn't entirely certain of that.  She had been spending more and more time with Caramel lately and was inclined to go to him for comfort.  It was entirely possible that she was at the tan stallion's house.
There was also the matter of Scootaloo to think about.  She would certainly want to be among the first to know that Dawn had returned.  Though his mother took precedence, Dawn didn't want to keep his fillyfriend waiting either.  The others could wait a little longer though.
As he swept his gaze over the town, Dawn sensed an onrushing surge of air as somepony swooped down at him from above.  Without even glancing, he rolled easily to the side, allowing the pony coming at him to go barreling past.  As he did, Dawn locked onto the interloper with his eyes, not too surprised to see the easily-recognizable rainbow mane and tail.
"Hello to you too, Rainbow Dash."
"You're back!" exclaimed Rainbow as she pulled out of her dive and now swept in an upward curve towards the colt.
Now that he knew she wasn't a threat, Dawn simply braced himself against the inevitable as Rainbow tackled him and hugged him tightly.
"You had everyone worried about you, you little jerk," she growled through her teeth as she tried to crush Dawn in her grip, "Especially Fluttershy.  She doesn't show it, but I think she was about ready to rush straight to Canterlot."
Dawn successfully braced himself against Rainbow's attempt at squeezing the life out of him.  With a smile, he glanced up at Rainbow.  "I'm sorry to make all of you worry.  Where is mom now?"
"She's over having dinner at Caramel's place," said Rainbow, "Scootaloo and her mom are there too, so you can talk to them all at once."
Dawn nodded.  "So can I go see them or were you planning on wringing me out like a rag first?"
His words brought a smirk to the face of the cerulean mare.  "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea, given how much anxiety you put everypony through.  But Fluttershy probably wouldn't be very happy with me if I did any damage."  She let go of Dawn, forcing the colt to spread his wings again to avoid dropping to the ground.
Dawn began his descent towards Caramel's house, but paused when Rainbow shouted out behind him.  "One more thing!  Softhoof is there too.  She went through a lot of trouble for you, so you'd better thank her for it."
Dawn nodded back at Rainbow and continued his descent.
His hooves touched down on the cool grass just before Caramel's doorstep.  Dawn relished in the feeling, having spent the last few days growing used to the harder floors of the train outside their assigned compartment, as well as the streets of Canterlot and Diamond Mountain.  It's good to be back.
Dawn raised a hoof and gently knocked at the door.  Through the wooden barrier, he could hear faint sounds of conversation pause, followed by the sound of hooves trotting across the floor inside.  The door opened and Dawn found himself looking up at Caramel.
Caramel and Dawn's eyes met and a slight smirk spread across the tan stallion's face.  He turned his head and shouted over his shoulder.  "Fluttershy!  I think it's for you."
"Oh?  Who is it?"  Dawn heard the much fainter sound of Fluttershy's hooves as she too approached the door.  It was at that moment that Caramel stepped aside to give her a full view.
When she saw Dawn, Fluttershy's eyes went wide and began to tear up.  However, the smile on her face could have lit the entire house without aid from lamp or candle.  A second later, an excited squeal pried its way out of her lips and the yellow mare hurtled forward and tackled Dawn, picking him off the floor and hugging him tightly, an embrace the colt did his best to return.
"Welcome home," whispered Fluttershy, "We've been waiting for you."
"I know," said Dawn, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
More hooves came from the kitchen.  When Fluttershy finally let go of Dawn, it was her turn to step aside and let him be seen by the filly who was waiting behind her.
Scootaloo stood there, grinning like Pinkie Pie.  The second Fluttershy backed out of the way, it was her turn to tackle Dawn, throwing the colt onto his back and pinning him to the floor before she pressed her lips against his.  It took a second for Dawn to return the hug as he was stunned from hitting the floor.  However, soon he was holding Scootaloo tightly and kissing her back.  His wings stretched out and wrapped around her back.  When Scootaloo's lips pulled away, the two of them leaned towards each other so that they could rest their foreheads together.
"I missed you," said Scootaloo, not caring who was watching, simply too overcome with relief to see Dawn, to be held by him again.
"And I missed you," replied Dawn, tilting his head so he could plant a small kiss on Scootaloo's muzzle.
"I missed you more!" she said, a competitive light burning in her eyes.
"I can accept that," Dawn conceded.
"Oh come on!  You're supposed to try and one-up me," protested Scootaloo.
"I don't need to one up you," said Dawn, pulling her into another kiss, "I'm fine just like this."
Scootaloo snorted.  "You're no fun.  Still the lamest coltfriend ever."
"But still yours."
"Still mine."
The two of them laughed and Scootaloo finally let Dawn up.  While they had been on the floor, Fluttershy had been snuggled up to Caramel, the sight of the two young ones in love being enough to spark some of their own romantic inclinations.  Melon Cream, Scootaloo's mother, was still waiting, standing in the door that led to the kitchen.  Behind her stood Softhoof.  Both of them had watched the exchange quietly.  The only sound to escape from Melon had been a light sniffle before she wiped her eyes, overcome by the tender moment.  Even Softhoof had a hard time maintaining her professional attitude in the face of so much warmth and affection, the scene working to assuage the last doubts she may have harbored about Fluttershy and Ponyville.
"I take it everything has been taken care of," said Softhoof, stepping forward as Dawn turned his attention to her.
Dawn nodded.  "I believe that your superior won't have any trouble accepting your decision now."
"Probably not," said Softhoof, "It's likely to be his last decision.  He's told me that, regardless of how things turned out, he was resigning from his position.  I think he can't forgive himself for being willing to compromise his principles, no matter what his reasons may have been."
"If it's any consolation," said Dawn, "You could tell him that I have no grudge.  I understand why he did what he did."
"I thought as much," said Softhoof, "He'll probably still want to leave.  Having his sister used against him like that shook him up pretty badly.  So I think he wants to think things over, maybe decide on a new line of work."
"Um...who is going to replace him?" asked Fluttershy nervously, wondering if the new head of the department would simply start the process over and cause more trouble.
"Actually, I will be," said Softhoof, "I've worked under him the longest, so I was the natural choice."
"You don't sound too happy about that," noted Dawn, raising a curious eyebrow.
Softhoof sighed.  "Yeah, I'm not.  I'm too used to working in the field and actually doing the investigating myself.  I know the other ponies in the department are professionals.  Many of them have almost as much experience as I do.  But it's hard to just pull back to an administrative position and leave things to other ponies, especially when you know that the wellbeing of foals hinges on their decisions and yours.  I'm gonna spend a lot of time second-guessing and reconfirming...Probably drive my ponies crazy.  But I guess I'll just have to get used to it."
"I wish you the best of luck," said Dawn, extending his hoof towards her.  Softhoof did the same, the two of them shaking hooves.  "Thank you for everything you've done for us."
That earned a chuckle from the government agent.  "If anything, I should be thanking you.  You did the lion's share after all."
"Well, enough chitchat," said Caramel, "There's dinner to be had and there's room for one more at the table.  Let's welcome Dawn home properly."
Everypony else nodded and they filed into the kitchen to enjoy a meal that had become that much more delicious, now that there was one more pony to share it with.



Perlin shuffled uncomfortably.  He'd dealt with a lot recently.  Sneaking down into Ponyville to discreetly meet with Dawn had been easy, enjoyable even, especially with their brief rematch.  Traveling with Dawn to Diamond Mountain, fighting against Zhan and finding himself genuinely challenged; that had been a true pleasure.  Returning and explaining to the Baron that not everything had gone exactly to plan (which Perlin himself had ensured) had been somewhat irritating, since it meant that Perlin had to spend the better part of an hour trapped in the room with an angry stallion as the Baron ranted about the few things that didn't go his way.  It had been unpleasant to sit there and pretend to listen to Elderflower, but the pleasure Perlin took in the Baron's consternation had helped him bear with it.
Dealing with Coco Pommel, on the other hoof, was proving to be nothing short of harrowing.
Coco had been her usual, terrified self when Perlin had first approached her.  True to his word, Baron Elderflower had found her a position under a local tailor, a Canterlot mare making outfits for the nobility.  The mare had seen a recent upswing in business, what with a certain Rarity of Ponyville suspending all her arrangements with the Canterlot upper-class, and had needed an assistant to help handle her increased workload.  It certainly was lucky that a certain Baron happened to know of a young up-and-coming seamstress to recommend.  She still regarded Perlin with an air of fear, clearly frightened of the young stallion, though he had gone out of his way to not be intimidating.
However, that had evaporated the moment he had held up his cloak for her, hoping that she could affect some repair of it after it had gotten torn in his fight against Zhan.  Coco's eyes had gone wide with horror when she'd seen the state of the garment.  Then she'd whipped it out of Perlin's hooves with breathtaking speed.  Now she was stock still, her eyes moving across the fabric of the cloak, noting every stitch and seem, also noting every tear and cut, muttering quietly enough that Perlin couldn't understand what she was saying.  Although, part of the reason he couldn't understand her was because she was also using terms that almost sounded like a foreign language to him.
An artisan speaks the language of her own trade that others understand not, I suppose, he thought wryly.
"This is terrible!" she said finally, looking up from the cloak and meeting his eyes.  This time there was no fear, only the righteous indignation of a professional at seeing the craft of her trade being mistreated so, even if said craft was not hers specifically.  She was apparently so affronted on behalf of the craftsmare that had produced the cloak that she had forgotten that she was still afraid of Perlin.
"I'm sorry about that," said Perlin nervously, shuffling, "The fight was particularly intense and my opponent landed several blows.  I'm rather lucky that I managed to get my flank repaired."  He turned and showed her the already fading scars, the last marks of the cuts he had received from Zhan.
The anger and indignation faded from Coco's face as she remembered who she was dealing with.  "D-did you kill her?" she asked.
Perlin shook his head.  "No, though it was a close thing.  We were lucky that there was a skilled healer on the scene though."  His heartbeat shuddered for a moment as she once again regarded him with her usual expression of poorly-concealed terror.  There was something...grating...about being feared by her, which Perlin couldn't quite understand.  Given who he was and what he did, he was used to being regarded with fear.  He even found it amusing at times, though he'd never taken any particular pleasure in it, like some sadists did.
What made Coco Pommel so different?
"So...uh...is there anything you can do about that?" asked Perlin, gesturing to the cloak, "I would take it back to Miss Rarity to see if she could mend it.  But I doubt I would be allowed to leave Ponyville so easily if I went there again."
The fear vanished again, that indignation flaring up once more.  "You mean Miss Rarity made this?" exclaimed Coco, her eyes wide, "This is a Rarity product and you went and...Ooh!"
Without another word, she turned and stomped back into the shop, slamming the door shut, leaving a slightly flabbergasted young stallion in her wake.
"Well...that happened..."



"I see," said Arkenstone after listening to Dawn's story.
Neither the beige stallion, nor the ebony colt showed any signs of tiredness of fatigue, in spite of the early hour.  Arkenstone hadn't missed a beat when Dawn had showed up at his door, instead preparing a pot of tea for them to share so that he could listen to Dawn's retelling of his fight with Perlin and then with Skan.
Dawn, for his part, had spent the night in Caramel's other guest room (the first one having been taken by Softhoof), curled up with his mother on one side and Scootaloo on the other.  The two of them had been loathe to let Dawn out of their sight once dinner had ended.  They had retired to the living room while Caramel lit a fire and had listened to Dawn explain what had happened over the course of his journey and his battles.  They talked late into the night, until a time where Caramel had deemed it a bad idea to let Fluttershy and Dawn walk back to their cottage.  So he had offered to let them stay there.  With permission from her mother, Scootaloo joined the sleepover.
However, first thing in the morning, Dawn had carefully extricated himself from his mother and his fillyfriend and left the house.  Not even Caramel had been awake yet, so there was nopony to notice as the colt quietly slipped out and made his way to the teashop situated by the library.  Arkenstone was already up as well, preparing the shop for its customers.  Though there was probably no need for him to rise so early to do the job, the Knight was just as much of a habitual early riser as Dawn was and that suited the colt's purposes quite nicely.
"Perlin is getting stronger," mused Dawn, "He was a much more difficult opponent this time."
"That's to be expected," said Arkenstone, taking a sip from his cup, "His weapons may be odd ones indeed, but he continues to work on mastering them.  He has as much dedication to his craft as any of us Knights.  He could be a serious threat in the future."
"And yet you saw fit to leave him at liberty," Dawn noted, still somewhat irritated about having been kept out of the loop regarding Perlin's secret visit to Ponyville.
Arkenstone nodded.  "It was not a decision made easily.  It may even come at the cost of lives in the future.  To this day, I'm not sure that it was the right one.  However, I also felt that he had an important role to play in the future and that it was for the best to let him be for now."
"I'm not certain I follow your logic," said Dawn, tilting his head to look at the Knight.
"You probably don't care for it much, but do you know how rock candy is made?"
Dawn nodded.  Caramel had once shown him how when letting Dawn watch him work at the candy shop.  "Yes.  You dissolve a large amount of sugar into water and then put a stick into allow it to crystallize into a solid form."
Arkenstone nodded.  "But do you know why the stick is there?"
Dawn paused.  "Um...because you need the stick to hold the candy so you can eat it...?"
"Yes," said the Knight with a throaty chuckle, "But there's a bit more to it than that.  When you have a supersaturated solution like that, the key to forming crystals is to introduce an impurity, a seed of sorts.  It acts as an anchor for the crystal to form around.  Taking the sides of the container itself out of the picture, if there is nothing for the crystals to latch onto and seed, they would never form and the solution would remain a solution."
"How does this apply to Perlin?"
Arkenstone sighed, his ears swiveling in place for a moment.  "Right now, there are forces at work in Canterlot...Forces that go well beyond the machinations of the Noble Court.  With the way things were, it was impossible to see just who and what were behind the things that are happening there.  However, Perlin may change that."
"Ah," said Dawn, "So you think he will act as that seeding device, like a stick in a pot of sugar-water.  He will draw out the hidden influences in Canterlot and cause them to crystalize, which will make them clearly visible."
Arkenstone nodded.  "That's my hope anyway.  It may take a while before we get any real results...and it may come at a very dear price."
"I suppose that too is the kind of burden that the Knights shoulder," mused Dawn.
"Yes," said Arkenstone sadly, "There are lives we can save and lives we can't.  Sometimes I wonder what I am doing here, enjoying myself in my little teashop while ponies may be suffering elsewhere."
"Aren't you here because you are a pony as well?" asked Dawn, "If so, then your suffering is also something to be alleviated."
A slight snort burst from Arkenstone's muzzle.  "I suppose you are right.  Now, about that other thing you told me about..."
"Yes," said Dawn, thinking back to his most recent battles.  During his fight with Skan, he had done something he had never thought about trying before.  He had enhanced the power of his blows by driving his hooves into the ground, seeking support from the earth...fighting like an earth pony.
"That's hardly a surprise," said Arkenstone with a smile, "The magic of each of the three tribes has its own distinct nature.  No, a pegasus could never hope to wield earth pony magic.  However, that does not mean that we cannot learn from one another."
"So you are saying that there is nothing truly odd about it?" asked Dawn.
Arkenstone shook his head.  "Not odd so much as rare.  Few ponies think about looking outside their own tribe when it comes to developing the martial arts.  You didn't draw the power of the earth in through your hooves, but you did strike downwards and then used the recoil and solidity of the stone beneath your hooves to enhance the upward force of your wings.  Applying that technique similarly in your later fight allowed you to smash right through a unicorn's shield."
"And have you done anything of the sort?" asked Dawn.
"Indeed I have," replied Arkenstone, pausing to take another sip of his tea, "In fact, you could say my entire style came about from just such a combination.  When I first began, I was a pure student of the Mountain Root.  However, having spent most of my life in Canterlot, surrounded by unicorns, I began to get an idea of how I might use the principles of their magic to adapt my own.  What resulted was the style I use today."
"Does that mean your style is more powerful than the Mountain Root?" asked Dawn.
Arkenstone laughed loudly at that.  "That's a bit of a tricky question to answer.  I would say my style is more powerful than the Mountain Root I would have wielded, because it suited me better than the Mountain Root did.
"However, it is not such a simple thing.  We call the Three Pillars the strongest arts because they emerged as the furthest exploration of the martial potential of our magic as a race.  However, a weapon's effectiveness is determined by the wielder.  The most peerless blade in the world, in the hooves of a novice, can be defeated by a mere twig in the hooves of a master.  The most important thing you must remember about your technique is that it should not be limited by the artificial constraints of something called a 'style.'  The most important thing that any martial artist can do is to absorb what is useful to them."
"Hmm..."  Dawn rested his chin on the table as he mulled Arkenstone's words over.
The beige stallion reached out and patted the colt's shoulder.  "That is the sum of what you did on Diamond Mountain and in Canterlot.  You applied an earth pony's technique to your own and your success was the result.  There is no need to doubt or question that.  In fact, you may consider exploring the idea further.
"For example, when you feel that you have sufficiently mastered lightning, you may consider trying to apply some of the principles of unicorn magic to it."
"How so?" asked Dawn, raising his head.
"Well, obviously your magic doesn't work like a unicorn's," said Arkenstone, "However, you can use the principle of unicorn magic in the form of applying your intellect to your actions.  The most basic way to accomplish this would be to create an image."
"An image?"
"An image in your mind," clarified Arkenstone, "Lightning is energy that you shape according to your will, once you've mastered it.  The best way to obtain that shape is to have a clear image of what you want that shape to be.  It may vary depending on your situation, but the ability to actively control the shape of your power could be extremely useful.  You learned to use lightning by not thinking about it, but that doesn't mean that there is no place for thought."
Dawn blinked, staring in surprise at Arkenstone.
"Thought can be used to reinforce action.  Take thought, make it become intention, take intention, make it become reality.  While there is a great deal more complexity to it for unicorns themselves, that is the basis for their magic in a nutshell.  That nutshell is something that you can use to further your own art."
"I see..." said Dawn after a moment, "I'll have to try it."
"You'll have to try it...later," said Arkenstone, smiling, "But you should probably not try to bother with training today.  It should be a day of rest after your ordeal.  And, unless I am mistaken, there are two lovely ladies who are waiting for you after you left them to come speak to me."
"Ack!"  Realizing what Arkenstone was saying, Dawn sat bolt upright.  A second later, he frantically gulped down the remnants of his tea before getting up.  He managed to take a second to bow to Arkenstone before rushing out the door, leaving the stallion behind, laughing boisterously.
"Ah...to be that young again..."



"Here!  Make sure you take proper care of it this time," snapped Coco as she thrust the cloak into Perlin's hooves.  She had spent the better part of three hours in the shop, apparently focusing on his cloak the whole time.
Looking the garment over, Perlin had to admit that he was sincerely impressed with Coco's skills.  Even looking closely, he couldn't spot the seams that marked where the cloak had been repaired.  It looked as good as new.
"Thank you very much," said Perlin as he slipped it over his shoulders.  "I had no idea that you were such a fan of Miss Rarity."
"Lady Rarity is only the finest craftsmare in all of Equestria," said Coco, lifting her gaze skyward as she clasped her hooves in front of herself reverently, "Even my new boss acknowledges her skill.  Even back when I was working for Suri, she was the talk of Manehattan.  Her creativity is nothing short of pure genius and her bold designs always take the fashion world by storm."
"My, that is high praise," said Perlin, unable to keep from smiling, now that he was sharing what could be called a normal conversation with the mare in front of him, she being too wrapped up in her hero-worship to be afraid of him at the moment.
"Yes, I can only wish that I might someday have the opportunity to learn from her," said Coco, before sighing sadly, "But I'll probably never even get to meet her."
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Perlin, "You may have a better chance than you think.  It is my understanding that your current employer is commissioned to make the costumes for the upcoming Hearth's Warming pageant, correct?"
Coco nodded, her eyes shining.  "Yes.  It's great honor.  Lord Fancy Pants recommended my boss to Princess Celestia herself."
"But did you know that Rarity will be one of the actors performing at the pageant?" asked Perlin, smirking now.
Coco gasped sharply, her hooves going to her mouth.  "Really?"
Perlin nodded.  "Yes.  She and her friends have performed in the Canterlot pageant before.  Their performance was highly regarded."  Though, he thought to himself, That may have been for reasons separate from the actual quality of their performance, as Twilight Sparkle had been taking part as well.
"So you're saying that Lady Rarity will be wearing the costume that I helped make?" asked Coco, beginning to bounce in place.
Perlin nodded.  "It's practically assured."
"Oh wow!" squealed Coco, "That's so wonderful."  Perlin himself apparently forgotten, she turned and quickly waltzed back into the shop, her mind overtaken by fantasies of meeting her idol.
Perlin chuckled at her excitement as he watched the young mare leave.  He wasn't even put off that she had essentially forgotten that he was there at all.
Of course she would get to meet Rarity.  In all likelihood, Coco's skills practically promised that the Ponyville seamstress would take notice of her.  Of course, that had been what Baron Elderflower had been banking on after all.  It was no coincidence that he had chosen to introduce Coco to this particular shop.  The Baron had already known about the deal that Fancy Pants had struck with the Princesses over the costumes.  Coco was merely bait on a hook.  And the fish she would catch would merely be bait for a much bigger fish.
For some reason that he couldn't quite understand, Perlin found that irked him somewhat.  He briefly wondered why knowing these facts would upset him.  Normally, such things didn't concern him at all.
With a shrug, the cream-colored colt decided to worry over those thoughts another time.  His cloak had been repaired and he'd managed a semi-normal conversation with Coco, though he didn't understand why that seemed so important to him either.  He was satisfied for the day.



"I'm sorry," said Dawn for the umpteenth time as Scootaloo glared at him over her bowl of oatmeal.
"You scared me," she said flatly, "Fluttershy and I woke up and you weren't there.  We were both afraid that you coming back had been some nasty dream we'd been pranked with."
"I'm sorry," was all that Dawn could say, as he'd been saying for the past half-hour.  Fluttershy had been understanding enough.  However, Scootaloo had apparently taken it somewhat personally that he'd left without waking either of them.  "I had some things on my mind, so I went to speak to Arkenstone about them."
"And did he help you get your thoughts straight?" asked Fluttershy, slowly brushing Dawn's mane back and forth with her hoof.
Dawn nodded.  "It was informative.  We talked about some interesting things."
Fluttershy looked over and saw that Scootaloo was still rather irritated with him.  "Scootaloo, be nice.  Dawn didn't mean to scare us like that.  You're going to be miserable if you try to go through the day with a sour attitude."
Scootaloo huffed, looking away before letting out a sigh.  "Fine," she said, "I forgive you, Dawn."
"Thank you," said the colt, giving her the warmest smile he could muster, which, from the way her cheeks lit up, was plenty warm.
"So now, we have the entire day to ourselves," said Fluttershy, "What do you two want to do?"
"Well, we need to take Dawn around so that everypony can see that he's back safe and sound," said Scootaloo, "They were all really worried."
"We'll also need to see Softhoof off at the station," Dawn added.  The mare in question was upstairs now, packing her things in preparation for what was, hopefully, her final departure from Ponyville.
"Other than that, we can just relax and have fun," said Scootaloo, smiling widely, "And we need to talk about what Dawn's costume is going to be."
"Costume?" asked Dawn, giving the orange filly a questioning look.
"For Nightmare Night," said Scootaloo, "You know it's right around the corner...right?"
"Nightmare...Night...?"
The complete bafflement in Dawn's voice made Scootaloo's eyes widen.  "Uh...you know what Nightmare Night is...right?  I mean, didn't your Master teach you about it or anything?"
"Uh...not that I recall..." was all that Dawn could say with a slight shrug, "Now that I think about it, I think Twilight Sparkle mentioned it once or twice...something to do with Princess Luna, right?"
"Wow," said Scootaloo, staring at her coltfriend in astonishment, "Did you ever miss out.  Looks like we have some explaining to do.  Right, Fluttershy?"
The yellow mare giggled lightly.  "Oh yes, I suppose we do."
"Well then, let's get this show on the road," said Scootaloo, before digging into her oatmeal with a gusto.  Dawn looked on and wondered just what it was she was getting him into.



"Did you hear about Viscountess Sweet Water?"
"It's a terrible shame..."
"...wrecked her estate you know..."
"...was in pristine condition for two-thousand years..."
"...so humiliating to have it destroyed like that..."
And on it went...and on...and on and on and on...
Sweet Water, the Viscountess of Diamond Mountain seethed behind her mask of cold indifference, as well as her other mask.  The pale-pink mare had heard almost nothing but rumor and speculation regarding the damage to her estate on Diamond Mountain, as well as the endless speculation behind the cause of said damage.  Her plan had been flawless.  Nopony should have had any idea of just how she had manipulated the situation with Dawn Lightwing to suit her ends.  No one should have even guessed at her having a prisoner locked away in her home estates.  The two griffons guarding that otherwise worthless mare were practically overkill.
And yet, in the course of a couple days, everything had fallen apart.  Her prisoner had been liberated and managed to escape recapture in Canterlot.  Her estate, the holdings of her ancestors had been marred, irreparably damaged in the conflict.  Her leverage over the Department of Foal Protections had been lost, meaning that she now had nothing to approach Twilight Sparkle with.  Her plan lay in ruins, as did her manor in Diamond Mountain.
The original stonework had been preserved ever since the estate itself had been carved from the bedrock of the mountain.  To have it sullied like this was an unspeakable insult.
As it was, Sweet Water was extremely lucky that nopony could see her face right now.  If they'd been able to, she would be even more of a laughingstock than she already was, her anger and disappointment being far too much to hide.
Fortunately, now was the season of masks.  Nightmare Night was just as popular in Canterlot as it was in more rural communities and less-refined cities like Manehattan.  Though the ponies of the nobility would never stoop to something as plebeian as costumes, even they could see the appeal of spending an evening hiding your true face behind a mask (not that they didn't do that practically everyday already).  As such, masquerade balls were the entertainment of choice on the nights leading up to Nightmare Night and the night itself.  Everyone, from the attendees to the servants, hid their faces behind elaborate masks, playing a lovely little game of trying to figure out who was who.  Tonight's soirée was taking place in the home of some earl or another, though Sweet Water couldn't rightfully remember which one...Dewhopper probably.
Yes, it was extremely fortunate that Sweet Water's sour expression was currently concealed behind a white domino mask, fringed with long, feathery plumes that draped back over her wine-red mane, the tiny slits cut into it hiding the simmering rage that glittered in her pale-gray eyes as she wandered amongst her peers, too outraged to take pleasure in the glorious beauty of her magnificent violet and crimson dress, the skirt of which spread in her wake, seeming to sweep effortlessly across the floor.  The dress had cost her a small fortune and, along with the mask, served to make her identity nearly impenetrable.
Why? she screamed in the confines of her own head, Why did everything go so wrong?  Why did that damn brat have to meddle?  In her rage, it never occurred to the Viscountess that the foal, whose life and home she had been toying with to serve her own ends, would have every right to object to her machinations.
"My Lady?" queried a voice in her ear.
It took all of Sweet Water's composure and self-control to keep from jumping and yelling at the unexpected sound.  She spun about to regard the speaker, seeing a stallion, similarly masked, though his outfit was considerably less-elaborate than her own.  He was wearing a white plague-mask, which projected out over his muzzle like the beak of some kind of bird, whilst his light-purple body was covered by a jet-black suit.  Aside from that, only his dark-purple mane and tail were otherwise visible.  Sweet Water couldn't recognize him right off the bat, though she doubted she'd recognize him without mask either.  She cared little for her peers, finding them to be insipid company at best, unless they were useful to her in some way.
"Yes?" she asked, keeping up her mask of politeness.  The events of the past few days had already been sufficient humiliation in and of themselves.  There was no need to compound her shame by forgetting herself.
"Forgive me if I am incorrect," said the stallion, pausing to cough somewhat dramatically, "But am I addressing Lady Sweet Water, Viscountess of Diamond Mountain?"
Sweet Water's blood boiled in her veins.  This pony knew who she was and had probably been looking for her.  This stallion was probably seeking to rub her shame in her face in order to improve his own standing.
Still, protocol demanded that she play the game, even though she wanted nothing more than to walk out on him right then and there.  "Certainly, you are correct my dear stallion," she said, keeping her tone playful, "You have me at a disadvantage.  May I ask who you might be?"
"Probably no one of consequence to somepony as illustrious as yourself," said the stallion with a bow, "I am Elderflower, Baron of Dream Valley.  It is an honor to make your acquaintance, My Lady."
Sweet Water giggled with mock amusement.  She'd heard rumors about this baron before.  Apparently he'd been making some very, very subtle movements behind the scenes, though she had no idea what.  "It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, "Did you only seek me out to introduce yourself, or is there something else you had in mind?"  He wouldn't have been the first suitor to approach her, seeing a great deal to gain from the Viscountess's great material wealth, including the historic estate from her home domain.  However, right now seemed a poor choice of timing.  With her current humiliation, she was a less than ideal catch...
...Unless that was the point.  This baron was approaching her when she was at her lowest, probably imagining himself to be some kind of knight in shining armor to her, the kind and compassionate stallion, comforting the maiden during her moment of greatest shame.  How vulnerable she must appear to his eyes.  He'd probably ask her for a dance next.
However, the Baron seemed to be set on surprising her.  "If I could have a moment of your time, My Lady, I would like to discuss an important proposition with you."
"I suppose this proposition would have something to do with my current losses," mused Sweet Water, glaring at the stallion from behind her mask.
"I confess that the matter is not unrelated," said Elderflower, surprisingly amicably, "As the ultimate author of your misfortune, I feel the responsibility to redress it to the best of my ability."
"...What?"  Sweet Water's jaw hung loose as she realize just what this stallion had admitted.  He was the one who had interfered, who had somehow arranged for her plans with Hope Spot and Grayblood to fail.  He was the one who had covertly humiliated her and he had the gall to dare say so to her face.
"Please, retain your composure, My Lady," said Elderflower, his tone devoid of any taunt, but rather carrying a stern remonstration, "You have already suffered a great loss of reputation, any unwise outburst would only serve to make you lose even more face."
Suddenly once again conscious of the fact that the two of them were very much not alone, Sweet Water flashed her gaze around.  She had been studiously avoiding the central areas of this party, staying away from the ballroom or Dewhopper's (at least, she thought it was the Earl's mansion) foyer, instead choosing to wander about the wings of the mansion, contemplating her own suffering.  However, plenty of guests still roamed about, many of them close enough to easily catch any angry outburst on her part.
"Please, let us adjourn to somewhere more private," said Elderflower, smiling politely at her from beneath his mask, "Where you might be able to express yourself more honestly.  I can promise that I won't think any less of you."
Probably more of a case that he couldn't already think less of me, thought Sweet Water venomously.  If he had a low enough opinion of her to meddle in her affairs, then he probably didn't think much of her to begin with.  It was clear that this upstart didn't mind the difference in their ranks one bit and merely paid lip-service to her superior station.  However, she would indeed like the chance to express her true opinions of the pony that had ruined so much for her.
"Very well," she said, "I happen to know of a spot in the gardens that is perfect for such purposes."
"That suits me quite well," said the Baron with a polite nod, "Please, lead on then."
Sweet Water led them through the hallways and out one of the doors in the rear of the mansion.  Though she couldn't properly remember who the place belonged to, she had attended enough functions here to know it fairly well.  Ironically, the homes of the rich and powerful frequently followed the same basic floor-plan, with many such abodes sharing quite a few architectural and landscaping features in common.
Their journey came to an end at a gazebo, situated picturesquely in one of the far corners of the garden, surrounded by blooming flowerbeds that shined with vibrant color, even beneath the fainter light of the stars and moon, in spite of this hardly being the season for flowers to be blooming.  Even though the air outside should have been frigid, given the time of year and Canterlot's higher altitude, it was actually a rather balmy temperature, thanks to the heating spells woven over the garden.  All in all, it was a beautiful location.  However, Sweet Water was in no mood to enjoy such beauty.
Baron Elderflower had removed his mask, dropping any pretense of disguise as he gazed across the gazebo at her with perfect calm and composure.  There was no air of triumph about him, no sign that he was enjoying her humiliation.  Rather, he actually seemed genuinely sympathetic towards her.  That actually irked Sweet Water even more than any taunt or barb.  This upstart had engineered her disgrace and treated it as though it had been nothing to him.
"So, you are the one responsible," she growled, not bothering to remove her own mask.
Elderflower shrugged indifferently.  "I was the one who arranged for Dawn Lightwing to find out about Hope Spot and one of my agents assisted him in recovering her."
"Why?" snapped Sweet Water, "How dare you interfere with me."
"I interfered because your plan was doomed to failure anyway," replied Elderflower, unfazed by her rage, "Twilight Sparkle is not so foolish that she wouldn't have seen through your ruse.
"You intended to stoke the affair in Ponyville until it threatened to become a nation-wide sensation.  Reporters and paparazzi from across Equestria would have been about to descend on that little town in droves.  Twilight Sparkle and her friends would have been at their wits' end.  Their privacy and hope for any kind of peace would have been shot to Tartarus.  But then you would have descended down and kindly offered to make it all go away.  Because of your leverage over Grayblood, it would, of course, go away.  Twilight Sparkle would be indebted to you and you would lay the groundwork for future manipulations.  Am I correct so far?"
Sweet Water didn't say a word or make a single gesture.  However, her silence spoke volumes on its own.
"As I said," continued Elderflower, "Your plan was doomed to failure from the very beginning.  Twilight Sparkle is certainly naive in some respects, but not so much so that she wouldn't be able to see through your ruse and mark you as the author of her and her friends' misfortune.
"And what would stop her from accepting your help at that time, only to reject doing any favors for you later?  You used Hope Spot's debt to make the situation time-sensitive.  But, by the time you had your way, that would probably no longer be a factor.  It would be beyond your ability to manufacture the same scenario over again.  So you would have had to turn to other methods of manipulating the situation, taxing your resources and..."
"Enough!" snapped Sweet Water, "I get your point.  However, I fail to see why Twilight Sparkle would refuse me."
Elderflower sighed.  "You're forgetting something important.  Those of low-birth don't see the world the same way we do.  They don't understand the importance of holding to arrangements, of trading in power.  They are governed by things such as sentimentality, clinging to wasteful, immaterial concepts like friendship.  Twilight Sparkle's decisions are informed by such sentiment.  Rather than seeing reason, she would have simply rejected you out of anger for what you had done to her friends."
"So instead of allowing that to happen, you arrange for my humiliation," growled the Viscountess.
"I arranged for things to come to as neat an end as I could," replied Elderflower calmly, "Admittedly, your marvelous estate was a casualty of my arrangements.  For that, I apologize."
"You also arranged for my servants to desert me," added, Sweet Water, "I'm fortunate that some had at least enough loyalty to see that I was informed about Hope Spot's escape before she got back to Canterlot."
"That was also for your sake," said Elderflower, "It may interest you to know that investigators from the Royal Guard have been sent to your estate.  They are heading there to determine whether or not Hope Spot was being held there on your orders.  How fortunate it is that nopony is there to answer their questions."
Sweet Water clenched her jaw so hard that it hurt, cursing herself for her own lack of foresight.  She hadn't even thought about covering her tracks back on her home turf.  If the Royal Guard had managed to wrangle the fact that Hope Spot's incarceration had been on her orders, then there would have been hay to pay.
All of which simply meant that Baron Elderflower had all that much more leverage over her.  "What is it that you want?" she asked.
"I have a rather simple proposition for you," said Elderflower with a smile, "I am looking for ponies of like mind to myself, so that we can save Equestria from its impending descent into disorder and chaos.  Are you prepared to hear me out?"

To be Continued