Rainbow Dash gave a sigh of relief when she no longer felt the pelting of raindrops against her back. “About time,” she grumbled as she flew through the air. Tilting her body and banking around, she headed back to the eclectic group traveling behind her. Not being as awesome as she was (along with not being able to fly) her friends lagged two miles back. The moment she caught sight of them, she descended and circled around the waterlogged group, urging them to hustle. “Just a little further, guys! The rain stops not too far from here and then we can take a break.”
A chorus of frustrated mumbling replied back. Getting as far away from Chozo had been priority one, as the prospect of staying the night in that town of scum and villainy did not seem very wise. That accomplished, the next step was to find a dry spot to wait out the constant rain that seemed to hang over the area. However, very few forests or rocky outcroppings could be found that weren’t overrun with monsters or flooded out. So, the group trudged their way through the countryside, hoping to clear the stormclouds altogether. The result had been a full day of traveling through muddy fields and chilly winds, made all the more difficult with Twilight Sparkle needing to be carried the whole way.
Rainbow Dash touched down and quietly trotted up to where Twilight was hanging off the back of Big Macintosh. The mare slept soundly, her breathing slow and steady. Rainbow Dash reached up and carefully adjusted the tarp covering Twilight, making sure she stayed protected from the rain. “How she doing?” she asked.
“She’s fine,” Big Macintosh responded. “Been sleepin’ like a foal all day.”
“That’s good. With all she’s been through she needs all the rest she can get.”
“I’ll say,” came a tired voice on the other side of Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash hopped and caught of glimpse of Spike trudging along. From the brief look Rainbow Dash got, the little dragon appeared ready to fall in as deep a sleep as Twilight. The bags under his eyes were dark and heavy, and his gait wasn’t as steady as it had been when starting out. Perched precariously over his shoulder lay Big Macintosh’s bags, weighing down on him more and more as he moved along.
Not once though did he leave Twilight’s side.
“Hang in there, little guy,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re going to make it.”
A derisive snort came from behind. Rainbow Dash craned her head back to see Trixie plodding along like the rest, her magic keeping her cloak hovering above her head. Little good it did as the rain soaked through it, plastering her hair all over her face.
“You too, Trixie.” Rainbow Dash slowed until she matched speed with the unicorn. A smirk played across her muzzle as she said, “I’m sure a tough general like yourself has dealt with worse.”
“Naturally,” Trixie replied. “That doesn’t mean Trixie has to like it. Why don’t you make yourself useful and clear away these rainclouds, hm?”
Rainbow Dash cringed, looking away. “Well, as, um, awesome as I am, these, uh, clouds are…”
Trixie raised an eyebrow as Rainbow Dash trailed off and didn’t continue. “Are what?”
“They’re too high.”
“They’re what?”
“They’re too high, okay!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flaring out her limbs and wings. “Most pegasi are lucky to get a hundred hooves in the air. I can do three times that on my worst day, but I can’t get to these stupid things. Believe me, if I could I would.”
Trixie shook her head, causing her mane to wave about in a sloppy mess. “No need to get so worked up about it. At least you can still fly. Most unicorns Trixie has met barely make use of the horn on their head.” She scoffed, flipping her head back and releasing a cascade of water droplets. “Of course, Trixie is obviously exceptional in this regard.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“It does make Trixie wonder sometimes,” Trixie said, her eyes gaining a faraway look. “What must have happened during the War of the Magi that left us so… weak. If it wasn’t for our machines, we’d be at the mercy of every monster out there.”
Rainbow Dash hummed thoughtfully, nodding her head at every point Trixie made. “It’s why I like treasure hunting so much.” She lifted her leg that bore the armlet from Mt. Colts, inspecting it intently. “So many mysteries to solve. It’s never boring.”
“I’m sure the profits are good, too.”
“Naturally!”
Conversation lapsed after that, everyone concentrating on moving forward. A short time later, the group no longer felt the pitter-patter of raindrops. The sky gradually cleared, with blue sky and sunlight greeting their weary bodies. They wasted no time in finding a dry spot to camp and soon relaxed around a warm and comforting fire. It didn’t take long for them to drift off into sleep, though Big Macintosh offered to take the first watch.
Hours later, when the sky had darkened to its nightly hue and the stars twinkled above, Stardust yawned, stretched out his legs and wings, and sat up. He blinked several times, slowly awakening from his slumber. He looked around, noticing Big Macintosh sitting on the other end of the campsite and working on yet another contraption. His back faced Stardust, with all of his attention being directed towards his work. Quietly, Stardust reached over and grabbed his bags, placing them before him. He undid the ties on one of the bags and drew back the tarp, revealing the contents within.
Four green crystals with red cores lay inside.
“Magicite, huh?” Stardust said under his breath. He stared at them, gaze passing over each one. They all looked the same, making it impossible to determine which one had been the old man. A shudder ran through his body, Stardust remembering that these were essentially the dead remains of living beings.
He closed the bag and readied to tie it up, but hesitated just before he could work the string. The seconds dragged on, Stardust remaining motionless as he stared at the bag in his wings. Finally, he once again parted the opening, tentatively reached in with a wing, and pulled out one of the magicite. It didn’t react to his touch, didn’t glow or give any sign that it was anything more than a shiny, see-through rock. Stardust shrugged and lowered it to place it back in the bag.
“Whatcha doin’?”
Stardust squawked, swung around, and chucked the magicite at the voice. His eyes widened as the magicite struck Big Macintosh square in the face. The next instant a blinding white light flashed from the impact, forcing Stardust to look away.
It was all over in an instant. Stardust cracked his eyes open, blinking them a few times to regain focus. As his vision cleared, he started to make out finer details, such as the large red blot in front of him. He rubbed his eyes with his wings, blinked a few more times, and managed to get his first true look in over a minute.
Big Macintosh stood where Stardust had last seen him. Not a hair was out of place, nor was there any sign that he had been affected by the blinding light only seconds ago. His head was cocked to the side, as though he were still waiting for his question to be answered.
The pregnant pause between the pony and the chocobo ended by a tired yawn. “What’s going on?” Spike said, slowly walking up to them while wiping the sleep from his eyes. “What’s all the shouting for? We under attack?”
“Uh… no. No!” Stardust picked himself off the ground, dusted himself off, and quickly tied up the bag holding the magicite. “Nope. Just stretching out and now it’s time to get back to bed. Nighty-night!” He whirled, heading for the opposite end of the camp.
“What’s that on your butt, Big Mac?”
Stardust stopped mid-stride. He craned his neck to look back and saw Spike pointing a claw at Big Macintosh’s flank. He blinked. “An apple?”
Spike got closer, squinting his eyes at the new symbol adorning Big Macintosh's flank. “Wait… there’s more to it.” He pointed a claw at the image, a green apple sliced in half, showing its inside core. “Are those… gears?” He tapped the spots on the apple where seeds would normally be found. Instead, four gray gears stood out against the rest of the marking.
“Well, I’ll be,” Big Macintosh said.
Spike stepped away, scratching his head. “How’d you get it?” He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Stardust was not so discreetly tiptoeing away. “Stardust? What happened?”
The chocobo cringed and stopped again. “Wha-what makes you think I did anything?”
“Do I really have to say?”
Stardust sighed, hanging his head. “Fine. I was looking at the rock things we got. Big Mac startled me and I… accidentally threw one at him. … Sorry.”
“Rock things?” Spike gasped, his eyes widening. “You don’t mean the magicite?!” He whirled on Big Macintosh, his face contorted with worry. “Big Mac, are you okay?”
Big Macintosh calmly nodded, patting Spike on the shoulder. “I’m fine. It’s okay. It was my decision.”
The little dragon blinked. “Decision?”
“Eeyup. The esper, Fenrir, asked me if I wanted his power when he touched me. He said I was worthy. I remembered what Ramuh said and thought it was a good idea.” He turned his head, inspecting the new mark on his flank. “Looks like it worked.”
“Holy guacamole.” Spike stared at the marking, his brow scrunching up in thought. “I’ve… seen something like this before. Where was it though?”
While Spike pondered and muttered, Stardust cautiously stepped forward. “So, uh, we good? I’m not in trouble, am I?”
Big Macintosh gave a friendly smile, shaking his head. “Naw. Was bound to happen at some point. Least we know how it works.”
“Do you… feel any different?”
“Hmm, not much different…” Big Macintosh shut his eyes tightly. A few seconds passed before he opened his eyes and shook his head. “Nope.”
Beside them, Spike suddenly pumped a claw into the air. “I got it!” He rushed over to where Twilight lay, still sleeping soundly. Spike carefully lifted the blanket she was using for cover, revealing her rump and the bright purple starburst that lay there. “See? Just like Twi’s!”
Big Macintosh’s cheeks turned redder than normal and he looked away. As such, he missed seeing the three tiny white stars that had been added to Twilight’s mark since last he saw it. “L-let’s get ta bed. We’ll ask about it in the mornin’. Spike, you’re next on lookout duty.”
“Sure! I’m not tired.”
With that, Big Macintosh and Stardust went to their separate sleeping places. Soon, their snores were added to the others around them while Spike sat and guarded his faithful pupil throughout the rest of the night.
.o.O.o.
The morning sun came, rousing the party to a new day. Breakfast, consisting of oats and some light grazing, was eaten quickly. Soon, the party felt ready to travel again. Twilight Sparkle even felt well enough to walk on her own, insisting that she needed the exercise after spending so much time in a bed. She managed to keep pace with the others, even engaging in some small talk every now and again. Spike stayed at her side, ready to help whenever Twilight needed it.
An hour after they started, Big Macintosh brought up his bonding with the esper.
Rainbow Dash was the first to express her thoughts. “So awesome! So like, you just touch one of those magiwhatzits and it asks to join up with you?”
“Eeyup.”
“Darn. I think I touched each one and none of them wanted me. What’s up with that?!”
Big Macintosh shrugged.
Rainbow Dash flew up alongside the stallion, poking a hoof at his new marking. “And so this appeared?”
Big Macintosh nodded.
“Have you tried casting any magic yet? I so want to see an earth pony do that!”
“Uh… nope.”
“Aww…”
“Oh yeah,” Spike said, looking up at Twilight. “You have one of those, Twi. What are they called?”
Twilight grimaced, turning away with a frown. “I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
A derisive laugh rang out from behind. “Still using your amnesia as an excuse, Sparkle?”
“Can it, you!” Spike yelled back, shaking his fist at Trixie. “Now’s not a good time to get me angry.”
Trixie harumphed and flipped her mane. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was only going to answer what Sparkle can not. Witness Trixie’s superior intellect in action!” She spread her hooves wide, casting a stream of ice particles in the air. The sun reflected off the ice, creating a sparkling aura above her head.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, very impressive, Trixie. Now are ya gonna get on with it or do we need to buy tickets?”
“No need,” Trixie said, once again walking at her normal pace. “Trixie shall tell you at no extra charge. What the red one over there has is called a cutie mark.”
“Cutie mark?” everyone echoed.
“Yes. It’s a name Doctor Whooves came up with. Don’t ask Trixie why he came up with such a cutesy name. He’s rather weird that way.”
“Okay, cool,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice rising in eagerness. “So whatzit mean?”
Trixie raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, what does it mean?”
“I mean, what does this cutie mark do?” Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at Twilight. “Twilight’s got one.” She flipped Trixie’s cape up, briefly displaying the unicorn’s cutie mark and gaining a shout of indignant surprise. “You’ve got one.” Rainbow Dash finished by slapping Big Macintosh on the flank with a wing, causing the stallion to nearly choke on the slip of grass he was chewing on. “And now he’s got one. But they’re all different. Do they give different powers or something?”
“Uh… um… well…” Trixie visibly swallowed, staring blankly ahead.
A bark of laughter erupted from Spike, the little dragon slapping his knee. “Ha! You don’t know, do ya? All that talk and you’re just as clueless. No offence, Twi,” he quickly added, giving a reassuring pat to her back.
Twilight gave a small smile. “None taken, Spike.”
“Hey! I know plenty!” Trixie shouted back. “If it weren’t for me your precious Twilight Sparkle would still be laying on that bed with that creepy old man!”
“You’ve barely lifted a hoof this entire time!”
“Well, let me make up for that by lifting you all the way back to Jidhoof.” Trixie’s horn lit a brilliant pink and a second later the same magical aura appeared around Spike’s body.
Trixie’s attempt at dragon tossing came to an abrupt halt as Rainbow Dash sailed past and struck the glowing horn with a sharp snap of her hoof. Trixie’s horn twanged, causing the unicorn to yelp and grab her vibrating appendage between her hooves. Rainbow Dash touched down, making sure to place herself between Trixie and Spike. “Alright, alright, that’s enough! Jeez, you guys have been sniping back and forth the whole trip. We got enough problems with the Empire, we don’t need to fight against ourselves.”
“He started it!” “She started it!”
Rainbow Dash facehoofed from Trixie and Spike’s dual cries. “Oi, you two are going to drive me insane.” She turned towards Trixie and gently laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Look, Trixie, it’s no big deal if you don’t know. We’ll find out as we go, just like we always do.” She padded Trixie a few times then faced Spike, repeating her calming gesture and placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Spike, don’t let her get to ya. She rags on everyone. Just stay with Twilight and ignore her. Okay?”
Spike crossed his arms and huffed, twin puffs of smoke drifting lazily from his nostrils. “Yeah, whatever. Just so long as she doesn’t hurt Twilight.” With one final glare directed towards Trixie, he turned and marched away, pulling Twilight along with him. Twilight looked back, her eyes downcast and her mouth set in a frown, before turning away and focusing on keeping up with Spike.
“C’mon,” Rainbow Dash said, beckoning the others to follow. “We got a ways to go yet. If ya don’t got any ideas on how to cross over to the Empire, now’s the time to think of ‘em.”
The whole party began to move again, though much more quietly than before. Trixie smoothed out her cape and put on a neutral expression, but couldn’t repress the slight narrowing of her eyes. The others kept their distance. The rest of the trip to Jidhoof continued in a long, awkward silence.
.o.O.o.
“Okay, how are we going to do this?”
The question hung over the group like a dark cloud. The lights of Jidhoof could be seen in the distance, contrasting sharply against the dark of night. Only a few miles separated them from the opulent streets and high society ponies, but the threat of a deployment of Imperial soldiers waiting for them the moment they stepped into town held them back. None of them could claim to be inconspicuous, what with a chocobo, a baby dragon, a large red stallion, an ex-general, a unicorn being searched for by all the nearby Imperial soldiers, and a rainbow maned pegasus. Yet, Jidhoof was the closest civilization for over a hundred miles and the nearest point to the Empire’s continent.
“Not hearing much chatter,” Rainbow Dash said, her voice struggling to hold back her impatience.
Trixie let out a huff of air. “Look, why don’t we just go in. Your Daring Do friend is gone and the soldiers would have left the town to go looking for us. If there are any left, there shouldn’t be enough to worry about.”
“Maybe.” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips together, letting out a thoughtful hum. “Pony feathers, this whole fugitive thing is a pain in the butt.”
“Ya know, I’m gonna side with Trixie on this one,” Spike said, crossing his arms. “We took care of those Imperials pretty well and they even surprised us. If they want another beating, then they have it coming.” A cough to his left caught his attention. “What is it, Twilight? You feeling okay?”
Twilight swallowed, her hoof pawing at the ground. “Yes, I’m feeling okay. It’s just… I don’t want us getting into a fight unless we can’t avoid it. I don’t want others getting hurt. That’s why I didn't want to become a Returner in the first place.”
“Don’t worry. If things go bad, I can always ice ‘em or blow ‘em away. These new breath powers are really good at stopping ponies without hurting them.” Slowly, Twilight nodded, though her frown remained in place.
“Well, sounds like that’s the plan then,” Rainbow Dash said. She turned and started heading for the town. “Simple, but that’s the way I like it.”
Trixie quickened her pace, quickly catching up with her. “Actually, running into any Imperials may help us. They had to get here somehow. They may have a ship we could use to get to Vectorlot.”
“Hmm, maybe. We’ll see, but I’d rather get there without getting captured. I have a rep to maintain.”
The final trek to Jidhoof went by quickly. As they got closer, the buildings became clearer, with one building in particular standing out amongst the rest. It stood upon a hill overlooking the entire town, a mansion so large it looked as though the whole population of Jidhoof could easily live inside it. The enormous house hadn’t been as noticeable the first time they arrived, but from this direction it was impossible to miss. Made of wood and brick, three stories tall, with stain glassed windows dotting every spare inch, it was the most impressive site any of them had seen since leaving Fillygaro.
Also impossible to miss was the large gathering of ponies milling around the front entrance. Even from this distance the sound of enthusiastic conversations could be heard. Stardust could just make out the occasional word or phrase about a play or some type of sing along. “Huh, wonder what’s going on over there.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged, leading them closer to the gaggle of ponies. Getting nearer revealed that all the ponies wore well-tailored suits and exquisite dresses. All the mares wore jewelry that sparkled in the light pouring from the mansion. Some were so ladened with jewelry that it was a wonder how they managed to stay standing. A line of pony-driven carriages stood waiting nearby, though no ponies appeared to be hooked up to them.
“Oh, it’s opera night,” Rainbow Dash said. Her tone made clear that she didn’t share the enthusiasm that the crowd did.
Twilight ears drooped, a look of worry crossing her features. She tentatively raised a hoof, speaking in a soft whisper, “Um, I know this will sound stupid, but what’s an opera?”
“It’s just some dumb party where ponies get up on a stage and try to act out a story. All these fancy-schmancy ponies do when they get there is gossip and try to look important. It’s a waste of time and money.”
A blue hoof tapped Rainbow Dash on the back, gaining the pegasus’ attention. “Don’t look now, but we have company,” Trixie whispered in her ear. “Just ahead of us.”
Slowly, Rainbow Dash swiveled her eyes, quickly catching sight of a group of Imperials walking through the crowds. The posh ponies gave the soldiers dirty looks, but stepped aside without a fuss. In less than a minute, Rainbow Dash was sure they would be spotted. “Well, that didn’t take long.” She extended a wing, reaching for her knife.
“Wait! Stop.”
Rainbow Dash yelped as her wing forcibly folded against her body by a magenta glow.
“Oops, sorry,” Twilight Sparkle said, sheepishly cutting off her magic.
Rainbow Dash growled and thrust her nose into Twilight’s face. “What’s the big idea?”
Realizing all attention was on her, Twilight gulped and gave a nervous laugh. “Um, d-do we have to fight them? Couldn’t we… find some other way?”
“Like what, Sparkle?” Trixie hissed.
“Umm…. um….”
“There you are! I thought I’d never get this show on the road.”
All eyes turned to see an earth pony dressed in a stylish grey and white jacket and wearing a pair of purple tinted glasses heading their way. His hooves and coat shown with immaculate care and his main and tail had enough gel in them to drown an anguiform. He stepped up to Big Macintosh and, without any hesitation, grabbed the larger stallion by the hoof and began dragging him towards the carriages. “Come along now, we’re late as it is.”
The new stallion stopped short as a rainbow maned pegasus landed in front of him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who are you and what are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?” he asked back, a hoof to his chest in exasperation. “What are you all doing standing around when we should have all left twenty minutes ago?” He sighed, shaking his head. “Is this the type of work Fancy Pants hires these days? No wonder he doesn’t show his muzzle in public lately.”
“Look buddy, you have five seconds to tell me what the hay is going on.” Rainbow Dash’s wing twitched, her vision flicking back to the approaching Imperials.
“Such sass! I can’t believe I, Hoity Toity, have to put up with such nonsense. You’re lucky I’m in such a hurry or I’d dock your pay fifty percent!” Hoity Toity thrust a hoof towards the carriages, some being filled up by the well dressed ponies. “Now hook up and get a move on! We’ll be lucky to make curtain call.”
Rainbow Dash blinked and let out an “oooohhhh” of realization. “You want us… to pull the carriages.”
Hoity Toity threw up his hooves above his head. “Yes! Why else would you be here?”
“Well, actually—”
“We’ll do it!”
With a flash of magic, Twilight lifted her friends with levitation, rushed them over to the carriages despite their protests, and quickly strapped them to the harnesses. Twilight cut her magic the moment she had the last strap in place. Grinning widely, she saluted to Hoity Toity. “All set, sir!”
“My, my, that was an impressive display,” Hoity Toity mused. “You could all learn some worth ethic from this pretty filly. Carry on, then!” Turning sharply, he entered the carriage at the front of the line, the one Trixie had been attached to.
The moment he closed the door Twilight slumped to the ground, her face and mane matted with sweat. “Ohhhhh. Too much… too soon.”
“You gonna be okay, Twi?” Spike asked, his head peeking around a carriage ahead of her. Unlike the others, he had not been attached to a carriage, instead riding upon Stardust’s back.
Twilight took several deep breaths, slowly pushing herself back up. “Yeah.” She waved a hoof, indicating that they should get going. “Let’s go. Those soldiers won’t bother us if they think we’re the help, right?”
“Uh, maybe?” Rainbow Dash said from further behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Imperials giving the group odd looks, but otherwise didn’t come closer. “Right, going is a good idea.” She frowned at Twilight’s struggle to move the carriage more than a few inches. Firming up her features, Rainbow Dash lifted the hoof with the armlet and slipped it off. One expert toss sent it landing right in front of Twilight. “Put that on. It should help.”
Twilight’s eyes widened upon seeing the relic. “But… but Rainbow, this is—”
“Just wear it, alright? You can give it back to me later.”
The tears welling up within her eyes couldn’t stop a grateful smile from forming on Twilight’s muzzle. “Thank you.” She bent down and carefully slipped the armlet on her leg. Within seconds, she could feel a new surge of strength building within her muscles. Giving a grunt, Twilight pulled with all her might. The carriage started moving much more easily than before. Twilight quickly fell into a steady pace, feeling more alive than she had the past few days. Her smile remained throughout the night.
At the head of the line, Trixie muttered several unpleasant obscenities at being hitched up like a beast of burden. “The indignities I must suffer.” However, she pushed forward, pulling her carriage behind her. “Still, we’ll be traveling near the coast so maybe we’ll see a boat on the way.” Soon, she managed to pick up speed and proceeded down the paved walkway leading out of the city. The others followed, Stardust, Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Dash filling in the center, while Big Macintosh brought up the rear.
Behind them, the Imperials conversed with each other, one slipping out a crumpled note from his armor. They read it over, nodded, and headed towards their headquarters in the city.
A report needed to be sent out immediately.
.o.O.o.
“Okay girls, now that we’re here, you need to be on your best behavior so that you represent Thamaresa as best as you can. Okay?”
“Yes’m!” said an earth pony filly with a yellow coat, red mane and tail.
“Yep!” piped another filly, this one a white unicorn with a pink and grey mane and tail.
“Got it!” came the last filly, a orange coated pegasus with a purple mane and tail.
“Good. We don’t want your sister’s gift to go to waste. She was so generous in her last letter that we were able to take this little vacation in the first place.
“Now, let me check the map to make sure we get to where we need to go.” The speaker, a pale yellow pegasus with a long flowing pink mane and tail, reached under her wing and pulled out a sheet of paper. She studied the sheet, making quiet, thoughtful sounds as she did so. “I think we need to get to a big mansion. Somepony named Fancy Pants owns it. That’s where our carriage will be. So let’s go, girls.” Her ears swiveled, waiting for an affirmative response. “Girls?”
There was silence. A bad sign.
She looked up from her map, noticing quickly that none of the fillies she had arrived with were beside her. “Oh dear.”
Folding her map and placing it into a saddlebag, the pegasus flapped her wings, gaining height just above the buildings of Jidhoof. She swiveled around, looking for the tell tail signs of three rambunctious fillies set loose on an unsuspecting town. Nothing stood out to her against the darkness of the night. Absently, she began chewing on her front hooves even as she began to dart around in hopes of catching a glimpse of a red mane, a white horn, or the distinctive buzzing of small wings.
“M-maybe they already found the mansion? Oh, I hope so.” With a destination in mind, the pegasus easily spotted the largest building in the town as it towered over all others. She sped towards it as fast as she could. Halfway there, she caught site of a line of carriages heading south and diverted her path to intercept them. She flew next to the first carriage, hovering along side it, and rapped on the door.
From inside, a voice dripping with high society self importance called out, “Now what?” The door opened, revealing a stern faced Hoity Toity. He immediately caught site of the pegasus flying beside the moving carriage. “My lady, what are you doing?”
~ A shy pegasus, pure of heart, with a peculiar empathy for monsters... ~
“Oh, um, I’m terribly sorry to bother you. You see, my name’s Fluttershy and I’m looking for three little fillies that wandered off. You see, we have tickets—” Fluttershy managed to reach into her saddlebag and pulled out four slips of paper “—to the opera tonight.”
“And you’re wondering if I’ve seen them, is that right?”
“Oh, I know it’s probably not very likely they’ll be—”
“Fluttershy!”
“Look!”
“We found the carriages!”
Three little heads popped out from underneath Hoity Toity’s barrel, smiling as wide as their mouths allowed them to.
“I’ve seen them,” Hoity Toity drawled. “They were making such a racket, insisting that we stop so that they could get on that I found it quicker to indulge them. Seems you and these three rapscallions were meant to be here.” He stepped back, ushering Fluttershy to follow with a hoof. “Come along now, my dear. No need to be flapping about when you can be relaxing in luxury here. Move aside now, girls.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Fluttershy cried and glided in the open door. She took a seat next to Hoity Toity, with the fillies filling up the opposite side of the carriage. “You don’t know how relieved I am. This will truly be the best night ever.”
Outside, heaving and grunting with effort, Trixie proclaimed this to be the most offensive waste of her talents in all her life.
.o.O.o.
The journey to the opera house only took an hour. The clear night and the bright moon decorated the sky and landscape with a soothing silvery glow. Waves from the ocean gently lapped against the coastline, creating a pleasant background noise. No monsters assaulted the carriages on their journey. It was the perfect night for an opera.
The same couldn’t be said for the ponies, plus one chocobo, pulling the upper class to their perfect opera night. Big Macintosh, Stardust, and even Rainbow Dash managed well enough, even with half a dozen ponies in each carriage. Twilight and Trixie however heaved and panted with every step. By the time they made it to the carriage lane leading up to the opera house, the pair were ready to fall over and die just so that the pain would stop.
Trixie gasped as she finally brought the carriage to a stop and promptly fell to her stomach. She didn’t notice nor care when valets dressed in crisp uniforms began opening the doors, allowing the passengers to exit and head for the main entrance. All Trixie and Twilight could manage was to tilt their heads to get a glimpse of the building they had worked so hard to reach.
The opera house loomed before them, a massive behemoth twice the size of the mansion they started from. Polished oak siding gleamed in the moonlight. Glass windows taller than three full grown stallions and lined with silver and gold trimming lined the front facade. The steps leading to the entrance were constructed of lustrous marble. Four gigantic pillars stood at the top of the stairs, two on each side of the entrance, holding up on overhang containing a bronze etching of ponies acting out a war scene. The entrance itself had not been spared any expense either. Doors the size of swimming pools barred entry into the inner sanctum, requiring two earth ponies per door to open them. Crafted from a rare species of red wood, their surfaces littered with carvings of ponies, griffons, chocobos, and dragons, they were the final touch to a structure more impressive than the grand castle of Domare.
Rainbow Dash hocked and spit into the packed dirt. “Stupid, boring opera.”
Trixie, having managed to unhitch herself from her carriage, wearily walked up to her. “What’s that about?” she asked, her voice coming out as a harsh wheeze.
“Spitfire loved coming to this place. She used to drag me here whenever we didn’t have a job. I said it was a waste of money and she’d say I needed to be more ‘cultured’.” She made a disgusted noise, shaking her head. “She wouldn’t even let me sleep through it.”
“Trixie has more bad news for you, then. She didn’t spot a single boat on the way here. So now we’re stuck way out here and with no way to get to the Empire.”
“Great,” Rainbow Dash said, kicking the carefully groomed pathway. Dimly, she was aware of the others coming up to crowd around her. “Now what?”
“Oh, um, is everything okay?”
All eyes turned to stare at the newcomer, the pegasus that had gotten a ride mid trip, who quickly did her best to hide behind her mane. “Oh, ah, I-I can see you are all busy. I’ll go now.”
“What is it?” Rainbow Dash called out before Fluttershy had taken a single step.
“Um, well, it’s… nothing really.” Fluttershy visibly swallowed, taking small steps backwards towards the opera. “You probably wouldn’t care about the airship anyway.” She turned away, making a run for the entrance.
Rainbow Dash shrugged, saying over her shoulder, “Yeah, we wouldn’t care about that—What?!”
One second, Rainbow Dash stood beside the carriages. The next, she touched down in front of Fluttershy, causing the other mare to squeak in fright. “Did you say airship?!”
Fluttershy curled up into a tight ball of quivering pony. She covered her face with her hooves and, barely above a whisper, said, “M-m-m-maybe-e-e…”
“Wait, the only pony I know that has an airship is Pinkie Pie. Do you mean her?”
“Um… um… yes…”
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash leapt high into the air, spreading her legs wide. “You all hear that? We got ourselves a ticket to the Empire!” The others each gave excited agreements, whooping and kicking their forelegs with abandon.
Fluttershy peeked out from under her hooves, grimacing. “Oh, um, Pinkie isn’t here.”
No one heard her over their celebrations.
“She… she had to go find some actors.”
“Trixie will do all the talking,” Trixie was saying with a confident smirk. “She has had dealings with that pony before.”
“You see, they had gone missing and…”
“Is this the same Pinkie Pie that visited Fillygaro?” Twilight asked, a wide smile gracing her features. “I’ve wanted to fly on that airship ever since!”
“And… and I’m not sure when she’ll be back.”
“Eureka! The night shall be saved!”
All conversation ceased, everyone turning to the new, loud voice. A light blue earth pony mare dressed in a white and black striped suit and wearing wide rimmed, rose tinted glasses ran up to them. Without any hesitation, she rushed behind Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle, and Trixie and began pushing them towards the opera house. “Come! Come! Ve must go!”
The suddenness caught everyone by surprise so much, that the new pony managed to push the three stunned ponies all the way to the marble stairs. Finally, Rainbow Dash blasted forward, wrapping a hoof around the newcomers neck. “Whoa, hold on! What are you doing?!”
“Dah!” the pony cried out, releasing her captives. “Let go! Let go now! The show ez about to start!”
“Not until you tell me what the hay is going on!”
“Fine! I shall tell all.”
Rainbow Dash let go of the pushy pony, standing between her and her friends. “All right, sister. Spill it.”
The pony huffed and adjusted her glasses. “I am Photo Finish. I’m ze impresario for ze opera house. Tonight’s performance was going to be brilliant but zat can’t happen without my actors! They have gone missing and so I need others to fill zier places. These three,” she pointed at Big Macintosh, Twilight, and Trixie, “look just like them. They are perfect replacements!”
Twilight blinked, looking between her companions. “Us?”
“Yes! It is uncanny, no? Now, hurry up! We must get you ready so that you can make—” she stopped, striking a dramatic pose “—da magics!”
A tap to her shoulder brought Photo Finish’s attention back to Rainbow Dash. “Uh, hate to ruin your magics, but we’ve gotta hitch a ride with Pinkie Pie.”
“Pinkie Pie? Nun! She is gone. I sent her to find my missing actors but she has not returned.”
“That’s what I was trying to say…” came a weak voice. It was ignored.
“Buuuuuut, if you come with me, I will ask Pinkie Pie to help you. Ya?”
Rainbow Dash groaned, hanging her head. “Why do things have to be such a pain?” She turned to the prospective actors and shrugged. “Well, wanna help? Sounds like we’ll be waiting either way.”
“B-but Rainbow, I’ve never been in a play before,” Twilight said, her eyes wide with terror. “I don’t know the first thing—”
“Trixie will do it!” Trixie exclaimed, pushing Twilight aside. She puffed out her chest and put on an alluring smile. “It has always been Trixie’s dream to perform. She will wow the audience with her great and powerful presence!”
“Yush!” Photo Finish mirrored Trixie’s own enthusiasm. “That’s the attitude ve need! I will make you a star to shine all across ze world!”
“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh.
“We go!” With that, Photo Finish pushed her new actors towards the opera house doors. Rainbow Dash, Stardust, and Spike raced after her.
Unnoticed by all, Fluttershy sighed and followed after them at a much more demur pace.
Once she had passed through the entrance, three little fillies hopped out of a bush nearby. All three of them had wide eyes and slack jaws.
“Did you see…”
“... what those three had…”
“... on their flanks?”
The three fillies looked to each other, huge grins forming on their faces. “Cutie marks!”
“We have to ask them where they got them,” the pegasus filly said, hopping up and down in her excitement.
“You’re totally right!” the unicorn squeaked.
The earth pony reached under the bush they had been hiding in, pulling out a saddlebag. She opened it, brought out a rolled up scroll, and unfurled it on the ground where the others could see. “Yeah, and accordin’ to this, they should have special talents. I wonder what they could be?”
“Let’s not stand around and wonder,” the pegasus said. Her tiny wings buzzed, like a hummingbird. “We’ve got to get their attention somehow.”
The unicorn stepped forward, sporting a confident expression. “Leave that to me. I know exactly what to do.” She brought the other two into a huddle, whispering her plan.
“Great idea!”
“Brilliant!”
“I know. Now, let’s go in there and bring down the house!”