Rambling Ridge isn't far, really. More than twice as far as the diamond dogs’ caves, as the crow flies, but the whole journey is over proper roads. A hundred miles of clear paths and friendly towns goes by quicker than ten through the brush, and the group has no trouble staying in good health and good spirits for the whole of the way there.
Rambling Ridge is, as many earth pony towns are, a center of agriculture. Though the way Moonlight and Silver tell it, it's a bit more cosmopolitan than most, growing more cash crops than food and making fine goods from them—caramels included.
It's a bright morning when the group spots the town in the distance, the only way in a gate that's watched over by two guards. Despite the traditional security measures though, they seem at ease, the gate half open and the guards just lazily chatting with each other and leaning on their spears.
"Hello!" one of them calls—a blue earth pony, with a dark tan mane, like wheat bread.
"Hail," Azure greets. "May we enter this village? The lot of us were hoping to ask a few questions of the locals."
"Indeed,” says Virtue, “my diverse companions and I are visiting your fine town to peruse your goods."
"Sure thing. What are you looking to buy?" the guard asks, nudging the gate open behind her with a rear hoof.
"Caramels!" chirps Moonlight.
Azure blinks, looking quickly from Moonlight to the guards. "Yyyyes. Caramels. And to meet the fine locals."
The second guard—a tan earth pony stallion with a blue mane—gives Azure a suspicious look, and after that, glances over everypony else.
"Your town is famed far and wide for such delicacies." Virtue smiles flatteringly.
"Sure," the first guard says. "Butterscotch's store is just on the left through the gate. You might want to try Suger Cane though—he's young, but he makes the best—"
"Hold on," the second interrupts, pointing out Silver Shine with a hoof. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"
Virtue quickly pushes forward. "I would be surprised if you had. This is my stallion-at-arms, White Knight. we've just come from a castle out west a ways."
"Sure thing friend,” says Silver. “I was here for the caramel festival a few years back."
The guard glances between the two of them, obviously not buying it. After a moment though, he lowers his hoof. "My mistake. Go ahead in then."
"Really? He's better than Butterscotch?" Moonlight says, trotting up to the mare. "Because Butterscotch's caramels are amazing."
"Yeah,” nods the guard, “Butterscotch has the best caramel, but Suger Cane makes these new peach things. They're amazing. Give them a try."
Virtue walks through gracefully, hooves striking the cobbles. She waits until they're well past the guards to shoot Silver Shine a look. Azure Charger follows after, looking so nonchalant you wouldn't even believe it.
"Ooo, that sounds yummy," Moonlight says, licking her lips and following Virtue inside. "Thanks!"
"Nice to see a mixed group like that," they hear one of the guards say in their wake.
"I guess," the other agrees. "Was that a mountain lion though?"
Inside the walls, they find a cheerful, bright little community. The streets are full of ponies going about their regular routine, as well as a considerable number of merchants operating stands or pulling carts full of goods. The air smells heavily of fresh bread, sweets, and just a hint of dust from construction, a number of new buildings going up in bright brick.
The ponies spot a pegasus on top of the guard house turning to watch them as they pass—a teal pony, with a blonde mane—but other than that, it seems to be an entirely earth pony town. Moonlight Meadows waves to the pegasus as they trot past. She doesn't wave back, but perhaps she's busy sunbathing.
"You are making a bad habit of jumping in and trying to finish things far too early, Sir White Knight," Virtue tells him. "It leaves a mare wanting." Silver shuffles a bit under the rebuke, but otherwise maintains a flat expression.
"This is our town, then?" Azure murmurs to Moonlight, eyes drifting from building to building.
"Yes! Yes it is. Now let's see…” Moonlight looks around the town square, then pouts. “Oh ponyfeathers. She didn't tell me where Sweet Tooth is."
"Mmm, tricky. How are we to—wait, hold on." Dawn Star trots off, returning a moment later with a box of hot, steaming candies from one of the vendors. "How are we to proceed, then?"
Azure shakes her head and turns to Dawn Star. "I suppose we ought to start drilling the locals then. Split up, divide and conquer. We can split the town into five quadrants."
Virtue moves forward to Azure Charger, thoughtful. "I think we should pretend to be on some form of official business. The guards were already fairly suspicious. One of us could be on candy-buying duty, and question those in the shop there. Another looking for quarters at the nearest lodging."
Moonlight Meadows frowns. "They were only suspicious because it looked like we were trying to hide something."
"Yes.” Virtue nods. “Looked like."
"It's an earth pony town. Just be here to buy things and also we're trying to find a pony," says Moonlight.
Azure scratches the back of her head with a hoof. "Right. I'll ahh... follow your lead here I guess."
Virtue beams. "Excellent. Why don't you and Miss Meadows go deal with the candy problem?"
Azure stares blankly. "Candy." She turns and looks at Moonlight's expectant face. "Err. Right then. Shall we?"
"Yep! Come on," she says, flicking her tail and trotting over to a nearby pony. "Hi! Can you help me find Sweet Tooth? I hear he's got these peach things."
"Oh, sure!" offers the vendor. "Just go two houses down, take a left, then second on your left. Oh, and tell him that you might be interested in buying a few hundred. He'll go crazy. He's trying to attract new business and really overdoes it with the free samples."
Moonlight Meadows nods. "Thanks," Aaand she's off, Balti following lazily, to find this Sweet Tooth. Azure nods idly to the vendor and trots off after her.
"I'm curious about the pegasus on the gatehouse," muses Silver Shine, looking back up at the guard tower.
"First, Master Shine, I'd like a word." Virtue nods to Dawn Star, then moves off a bit, down a nearby alley. "Miss Star, would you accompany us?"
"Of course." Dawn Star says, trotting after Virtue. Silver Shine follows soon thereafter.
"Master Shine, perhaps you'd care to explain the nature of your last visit here." Virtue pauses. "In some greater detail."
Silver fixes Virtue with a level gaze. "As I said, I happened to be passing by, after a vacation to the Eastern Sea, and stumbled upon this quaint town---Moonlight isn't lying, the caramel is quite good."
Virtue considers. "And would the locals have any reason, rational or otherwise, to bear you malice?"
"They certainly shouldn't."
"Are you positive? If not, I can take corrective steps."
Silver Shine frowns and looks side to side. They seem to be alone for now. He asides to Virtue, "A disguise, eh? You're confident it would work?"
Virtue beams. Plucking a pin from her hair, it poofs into a red cap. "Absolutely."
Silver Shine nods at length. "Perhaps there is wisdom in that."
Virtue lowers her horn over it, her magic sparkling a bit. "Miss Dawn Star, have the guards in Canterlot changed their uniforms at all lately?"
"Not that I recall," Dawn Star says to Virtue, shaking her head. "I'm not... entirely sure I'm okay with this deception. But I suppose it is for the best."
"Delightful. Put this on." Undeterred, she hands it over to Silver Shine. "And I expect it back, in good condition."
"Your wish is my command," Silver says to Virtue as he takes the cap, "although I must admit I had not imagined wearing this outfit anytime soon."
Virtue has a lidded grin as she watches Silver Shine put the hat on.
There's a brief sheen, and then Silver Shine begins to bulk up, putting on sleek muscle. His coat whitens until it's almost gleaming, and his hair takes on a shine, before it begins to lengthen. His tail sweeps nearly to the ground, filling out. White armor clings to his form, a helmet pushing his crest up.
...is it Dawn Star's imagination, or does he look awfully svelte? Silver himself looks distinctly uncomfortable at the whole affair.
"I think that looks marvelous, don't you agree, Dawn Star?" coos Virtue.
Dawn Star looks uncomfortable, tugging at her armors collar. "It's... fine, yes. Perhaps we should be on our way!" she adds, quickly.
"Excellent idea. Come along, White Knight, and try to look properly attentive." Virtue trots off, with a spring in her step. Silver Shine mutters a few words under his breath before reluctantly following.
Walking past a number of ponies going about their business, Azure and Moonlight soon find themselves facing a large building broken into a number of smaller stores. One of them, “Sweet Tooth's Confectioneries” immediately draws their attention, by scent as much as by name. A wonderful odor of peaches, strawberries and other fruit wafts out the open door, and entering it, they find it to be a hive of activity. There's a number of ponies working there, but one stands out from the rest—a snow-white stallion with three Sweet Tooths on his flank, and a mane cut so short he's almost shaved.
"Hello there! Something I can help you with?" he asks, his hooves covered in flour.
"Yes! The gate guards told us about your peach candies. Though not what they were called. I wanted to try some! And also she does too.” Moonlight waves at Azure Charger, who looks like a rather imposing pegasus knight, considering she’s still in full kit.
"Yes, yes I would." Azure nods enthusiastically. "I do love caramels. Bit of a sweet tooth."
"Oh, nice to meet you both. You must be here to help Lightning, right?" He asks, as he turns back to pull a tray off a rack behind him.
Moonlight tilts her head. "Is Lightning the pegasus at the guard tower?"
"Mmmhmm," he says, as he lays the tray out on the counter. The confectioneries on it don't look like caramels—in fact, Moonlight isn't quite sure what to make of them, other than to observe that they're individual, strawberry shaped red candies speckled with little black dots. "She's our weather pony. Our only weatherpony. I assumed your friend was here to help her. If you're not here for that, what brings a pegasus all the way out here?"
Azure opens her mouth, but thinks better of it and simply says, "Yes."
"...yes what?" Sweet Tooth asks, after a moment.
"With the weather, yes," she says with a nod. "Straight in from Cloudsdale to assist."
Moonlight Meadows sniffs at the candies, then delicately picks one up and starts eating. The candy is delicious. Chewy and hot and full of fruit flavors and a dozen little tastes that give it tang. The dark bits crunch under her teeth and release new flavors as they do, the wonderful scent of it flooding her nose. It's amazing!
It is also very sticky.
Azure blanches as Moonlight helps herself. "Uh. And also, to buy a few treats, for my friend here."
Moonlight works on the candy, but, in a rush to share the experience, stuffs one in Azure's mouth as she is speaking. "MHmmhmhHhhmM!' Azure also finds it delicious, and she'll say so, just as soon as she can open her jaw… It might be awhile.
"So! What do you think?" Suger Cane asks. "They're a new candy, still a bit of a work in progress."
Moonlight Meadows works at the candy with her tongue. "Mmmmh. Hmahmhmhehmham."
Azure's muzzle crunches up, her eyes crossing to stare down at her latched mouth. "Mmmrhph?" Her hoof instinctively reaches for her oversized toothpick... but luckily she thinks better of it.
"Mmm." Sweet Tooth frowns. "I was so sure I'd fixed that. The boiling point of the sugar is too low. Makes the candy a little bit grabby." With a shrug, he smiles at the two ponies. "Oh well, call it a freebie then."
Moonlight Meadows nods, and smiles. Azure tries to wedge a hooftip in between her teeth, but they're too wired shut to allow it. "Mph rhmprh. Mu dumph phu."
"They're better for you than caramels too. Really, there's hardly any sugar in them. The sweetness is all from other things, carefully applied." He wags a hoof, nonchalant. "And that'll wear off soon. An hour, tops."
Azure Charger gives him the most deadest of pans.
"Hm hhrmhr?!" screams Moonlight.
"Everypony's a critic," he says, with a grumpy frown. "These things are going to catch on. Canterlot wasn't built a day."
"Hm hrr hhm hmmd, hm hhu hmmd hm hem hhmmhd hhmmg hrm hhd hmrd hhd."
"I'm working on that part," he says, a tad sullen, adding, "Obviously."
Azure taps Moonlight on the shoulder. Once she has her attention, she rears up on her hind legs, making swooping and elaborate gestures with her forehooves.
Moonlight Meadows looks over at Azure, and blinks.
Azure grasps Moonlight's mane and gives it a light shake, before swirling her hoof about willy-nilly.
Moonlight blinks again, cocking her head to the side.
Azure facehoofs.
"Hmmm, H hd hu hmm hh hhu hhm h hh hhmm."
Sweet Tooth sighs. "Hold on." He reaches under the counter, and after a moment, emerges with a set of wooden blocks, letters printed on each side. "Here," he says, pushing them across the counter to Azure.
Azure immediately sets to work with the letters. In short order, they spell out a word. “D O M A G I C S T U F F”
Moonlight Meadows blinks again, then takes the blocks herself, building, in rather short order, a small tower. She then knocks it down, and rearranges the letters to spell. "C A N ‘ T"
Azure facehoofs a block into her own forehead, leaving a light "R" imprint
Still using the letters, Moonlight presents Sweet Tooth with "W A T E R H E L P"
He sighs, his earlier defensiveness over his candy replaced by a sort of resignation. He's quick enough about fetching two glasses of warm water, putting them on the counter in front of the pair. "I'm really sorry about this. It's just... you know. I really thought I'd fixed that problem." He shifts uncomfortably on his hooves. "If you could not mention this to anypony, I'd be really grateful."
Moonlight opens her mouth with a resounding "pop," the candy falling out ... only to be caught on her tongue, which pulls it right back in. She rolls the candy around in her mouth for a bit, then stuffs it into her cheek and leaves it there. "It's reeeeeally tasty."
Azure motions her jaw around in wide, stretching circles. "Right. I'm sure we'll soon laugh this off and forget about it. Completely unrelated to forgetting about this, we were hoping to ask you a question or two."
"Do you know of any ponies with moons for cutie marks? Besides me," says Moonlight.
"They'd be quite old,” adds Azure. “Perhaps no longer amongst us."
"Uh... mmm," Sweet Tooth considers it, tapping the counter with a hoof. "I don't think I know any older ponies with a moon on their cutie mark, no. One of the night watch guards is named Moon Light, but his cutie mark is an eye and a spear. Anything else you could tell me, maybe?"
Moonlight Meadows cocks her head. "Well he had a pretty badly scarred leg, but… who knows when he might have been through here. Would you mind if I took a couple of those candies?"
"Not at all! In fact, go ahead and take the tray full," Suger Cane says, quickly and efficiently moving the candies from the tray into a paper bag one by one. "And really, I'm sorry about this."
"No, no, it's okay. They're really good. I think you just have to not chew. Oh, and maybe some caramels, too?” She reaches around in her mane for her bit-purse.
Back in the candy shop, Moonlight soon has her bag full of the best candies—as well as a few free samples for her patience. And not mentioning this to anypony. Really, don't. Moonlight hands Azure some caramel, and immediately sets out looking for the others. Azure nods courteously to the shopkeeper, then sets out after Moonlight, absent-mindedly popping a caramel into her mouth as she goes.
Meanwhile, across the street, Virtue, Dawn, and Silver have found an inn where merchants and guests can regularly stay. As a cosmopolitan sort of town, Rambling Ridge has proper accommodations for the visiting merchants. It's a considerable step up from sleeping in somepony's loft—though also considerably more expensive. At this time of day, of course, it's also mostly empty, everypony staying here actually out seeing to their affairs. There's still somepony here though, a light tan mare with a folded sheet and mint on her cutie mark.
"Oh, hello," she says, looking up from her book. "I'm Turn Down. You all looking for a room?"
"Indeed,” Virtue says with a smile. “Room sufficient for six."
"Sure. Will that be six individual rooms, or three pairs?" she asks politely, moving to a set of keys behind the counter.
"I'm not yet certain how long we'll be staying in town. Let us say three pairs."
"HAIL CELESTIA!" Silver Shine blurts out in a bombastic voice.
Turn Down looks at Silver Shine. For a while. "...so three rooms then."
"Quite so," Virtue says, as if nothing happened. "We're expecting someone, as it turns out." She gives a description of the earth pony thief. "I don't suppose you've seen them? We were supposed to meet in another town along the way, but I confess we were delayed terribly.”
Turn Down thinks about that as she leads them upstairs, picking three keys off the stand with her ears, letting them hang there like earrings as she walks. Virtue finds something terribly cute about key earrings. "No... can't think of anypony like that," she says. "I mean, you'd notice somepony with a ruined leg. It sounds a bit like Wisp Will's father, but he's been dead for a few years."
"Oh? That would be terrible,” says Virtue. “Is Wisp Will in town, perhaps? I might like a word."
"Sure. She owns a little store just south-west of Butterscotch's store. Candles & Potted Plants. You can't miss it," Turn Down explains as she shows each of the ponies to their rooms, handing the keys over one at a time. "So, those are your rooms—there's breakfast in the morning downstairs, and you can pull the little cord by the door if you need anything. Will there be anything else?" Turn Down asks, polite.
Virtue will give the rooms a brief once over before taking the keys and stepping out again. "No, thank you, this will be excellent. You have been most kind, Miss Turn Down." On her way out the door with Dawn Star and Silver Shine, she pauses, saying back, "Oh, and don't mind White Knight. She's not been out of Canterlot for a while and she's terribly nervous around strange ponies."
Silver’s eyes bulge at Virtue’s particular word choice. He leans down and takes a moment to do an emergency undercarriage check.
Well. That's new.
"Oh, I was wondering." Turn Down gives as polite a smile as she can muster, before returning to the front desk. "Enjoy your stay!"
Virtue is looking far too pleased with herself as she trots over towards the candy shop. Moonlight and Azure are already en route as she leaves the inn, so the herd meets together in the middle of the street.
Moonlight Meadows blinks, looking at the new pony. "Who's this?"
"Mmm, more of Celestia's regiment?" Azure blinks, looking askance to Dawn Star. "Friend of yours?"
"...yes. I mean, no, I mean!" Dawn Star looks completely relaxed and at-ease. "Celestia doesn't like it when ponies lie. Unless it's really important… yes."
Silver Shine looks acutely embarrassed. Moonlight blinks at both of them. A lot.
"Ahhhhh." Azure Charger nods knowingly, then winks down to Moonlight. "She's a 'friend'." Moonlight Meadows raises an eyebrow.
"Ah, no! Not like that!" Dawn Star waves away with both hooves, a blush spreading on her face. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."
Virtue has some trouble keeping a straight face. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" she asks, sweetly. Silver Shine nervously glances about, but she prods further. "Oh, come now, don't be shy. We're all friends here."
"My name is S…” He coughs. “I mean Melody um... Moon. And I am... a guard. And um..." He looks to Virtue and swallows. "I just couldn't stop worrying about Virtue." With that, he wraps his leg over Virtue's neck.
"Terribly sweet of her," Virtue adds. She buffs a hoof, looking unwholesomely amused at something.
"Mrrr." Balti sniffs at 'Melody Moon' disdainfully.
Azure Charger frowns slightly. "Yes, well. I'm afraid we hit a bit of a dead-end on our end. Might be a guardpony named Moon Light but doesn't sound terribly promising."
Virtue nods. "I discovered there's a mare in town by the name of Wisp Will whose father greatly resembled our quarry."
Moonlight Meadows frowns, disregarding the change in topic. "Dawn's right. Ponies really shouldn't lie, especially when they're that bad at it."
"Oooh. This is the moral slippery slope, isn't it?" Dawn Star asks, worried. "They warned me the outside world would be like this. Am I in bad company now?"
"Canterlot mares," says Virtue rolling her eyes. "Aren't they so uptight?"
Moonlight Meadows thinks for a moment. "Why is Silver a girl?"
"What." Azure Charger gives Moonlight a funny look, but then she blinks and frowns at Virtue. "Where is Silver anyway? He was supposed to be with you."
"Uhh." A blush appears on Silver’s white cheeks. "Well, one thing led to another..."
Moonlight Meadows quickly waves him away. "Nooo, that's the kind of story that ends with surprise foals and impromptu wedding ceremonies. Don't start with that explanation."
Virtue is somehow managing not to break down laughing. It looks to be a titanic effort.
The herd can visibly see the gears turning in Azure’s head. Virtue is kind enough to wait, until the moment that Azure's jaw drops and her eyes bug out. "Oh sweet Celestia..." She shivers lightly. "Remind me never to blow our cover again."
"Look, just keep it quiet,” hisses Silver. “It's just temporary. I hope."
"And the best part is, now that I've established the cover identity there's absolutely nothing that can be done about it until we leave," Virtue says, rich with vile glee.
"Okay, but, why a girl?” Moonlight’s frown deepens. “I mean you introduced him as a stallion at the gate, and now he looks like someone completely different, and now people are going to ask questions."
"I've dealt with greater contradictions. Besides, stallion-at-arms is a gender-neutral term," Virtue says, deflecting the concerns with a wave of her hoof. "Now, then, shall we go investigate?"
Moonlight shrugs. "Oh, okay, fine. Just don't blame me when we're all stuck up on the rooftops without our fur, shivering in the cold and hiding from the timber wolves. Candy?" she says, proffering one of the strawberry shaped ones to Virtue.
Virtue accepts it. "Why, thank you, dear." With a bit of work, and a few delicate chews, she swallows the treat. Azure stares at her, slack-jawed. She smiles back, blissfully unaware of the dire fate she just avoided.
Leading the group around the bend, Virtue doesn't have much difficulty finding Candles & Potted Plants. It appears to be one of those stores—and entering it, they find it contains a lovely collection of candles and ferns. The store is small, and as everypony files in, it soon becomes quite crowded. Behind the counter is a younger mare, perhaps twenty years of age, with a dark tan coat and a bright blonde mane. She's presently trimming one of the larger plants, her cutie mark visible as three points of light in mist.
"Hello," she says, not looking up from her work. The innkeeper had said her name was Wisp Will. "Can I help you?"
Virtue looks over the mismatched inventory with an appraising eye, before coming up to the counter, letting her compatriots roam. She bears a pair of blue candles with her in her magic. "Yes, indeed. We had just arrived in town, looking for somepony of my acquaintance. I asked about and several ponies pointed me your way," she says, as she puts them on the counter to buy. Scented, probably.
Moonlight Meadows trots over to the ferns. They are well tended and lush, and quite young, perhaps a year old… Well, that's not so young for ferns. Still, she seems to grow them quite well, and they're still shooting up like weeds.
"Mmm," Wisp answers, looking up at Virtue. "I'm not much for directions, but, I'll do what I can. That will be ten bits… HEY!”
Jerking her head away from the table of potted ferns, Azure wipes a bit of drool from her mouth and looks at Wisp Will. The storekeeper points to a sign above the desk that reads 'NO GRAZING’. Azure scowls.
Virtue puts some bits down with her teeth, smiling. "Thank you. Well, when we described him, it was rather the consensus that you might be related to the person in question..." she says, describing her father in tones that suggest nopony told her that he had died.
There's a diminutive oak sapling in a large pot in the back. It's probably the oldest plant here by a considerable margin. Moonlight trots over the oak, eyeing it over. She narrows her eyes a moment, and twitches an ear, turning so as to face Wisp. Her eyes half-close, her breathing slows, and her body goes... very, very still.
Wisp Will pauses in her work partway through Virtue's description. "Yes," Wisp interrupts Virtue, after a moment. "Yes, that's... that my father. He's dead, though. Two years next month."
"Oh," Virtue says, touching her chest. "I'm sorry to hear that." She makes it sound as if she is. And, well, she is a bit. Losing one's father is not something everyone likes to hear.
"Yeah," Wisp says, quickly. "How did you know him, exactly?"
"Well, we are searching for some things that he was known to have possessed,” Virtue explains. “We had hoped to speak with him about it and see if we could make an offer. I understand it was quite some time ago. Nearly eighty years, now, in fact."
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Wisp Will says, quickly enough, her tone low and... well. Touched by sadness. "He traveled a lot, when he was younger. He only arrived here with me fifteen years ago."
Virtue gives a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, this is a difficult subject, I know, and this is hardly the setting to do it in. Perhaps we could talk later, over dinner perhaps? I wouldn't want to trouble you, but it is important to us."
Azure Charger wordlessly arches an eyebrow.
Wisp Will looks at Virtue for a moment, obviously thinking it over. "No, I don't think so. I sold most of his things anyway. If you're looking for something specific, I might be able to tell you who has it."
"Very well," Virtue nods. "A quartet of plus sized golden hoof caps, a thick golden necklace, and a golden crown."
Wisp Will thinks it over for a moment, but shakes her head. If she recognizes the importance of the items, it doesn't show on her face. "No, nothing like that. It was mostly just griffon stuff. And souvenirs."
"Griffon... hmm," Azure murmurs, furrowing her brow.
"I'm sorry to hear that,” Virtue says. “Was there somepony your father dealt with, often?"
"No," Wisp Will says, quickly enough. "I understand that you're looking for something of his, but I don't think I have it. Perhaps you should be on your way."
"Miss Will, please," she says, in a tone that suggests a gentle appeal, "what we are looking for is of great importance to us. We have searched for a long time and braved many dangers to find it. If there is anything you know, anything at all that might help us, even if it seems unimportant to you, we would be greatly appreciative if you could tell us. I swear to you on my mark we shall be on our way and never trouble you again." Even as she says so, she gestures the others to begin going, already packing up her candles in a bit of loose paper. The others look to her with confusion but hesitantly oblige, leaving the two mares alone in the shop.
Wisp Will looks down at the counter, pushing her pruning tool around with a hoof. She's obviously very uncomfortable, her body language tight and stiff, her tail tucked in about herself. "My father didn't have anything like that when I knew him. And he never told me much about his travels. I'm sorry, I can't help you. Now, please leave."
Virtue inclines her head, stepping out. She's a little quiet as she does, putting the candles into her saddlebags without comment as she walks back towards the inn. As she exits the shop, Moonlight steps back inside, then approaches the counter.
"Listen, if you could please just go—"
"How big would that oak grow?" she asks, pointing to the corner.
"Mmm?" Wisp Will glances up at the pot, surprised by the non-sequitur. "I don't know. It's a bit runty. Maybe twenty-five feet?"
Moonlight Meadows nods. "Your plants love you. I'll come back here, when I have somewhere to plant." Wisp Will doesn't say anything to that—just some mumbled nothings, and then she lets Moonlight go.
"His name was Cell," says Moonlight, once the group has crossed the street, out of earshot.
Azure Charger fumbles for words. "His? She—" She looks at Silver Shine, then back toward Candles & Potted Plants. “You mean, Will Wisp was hexed too?"
"What?" Moonlight Meadows blinks, then goes cross-eyed a moment. "Her dad's name."
“...oh.”
Virtue glances down to Moonlight. "Good work. I take it you can speak to plants, as well?" she says, evenly.
"Only sometimes."
"Did they tell you anything else?"
"Both Wisp and Cell were good ponies who care well for their plants and talked to them. Cell mostly talked about sad things, though. And could only use one hoof. Wisp is still a good pony, too." Moonlight taps her chin. "I think I might want that oak tree, if no one else gets it before I have a place to put it."
Virtue tightens her lips for a moment. "Very well. I'm going to see if there's anypony I can speak to about Cell before word gets around that we're asking and we become unwelcome."
"Maybe some of the other old ponies around here,” Moonlight suggests. “Old ponies are like that, you know. They like to know each other and the towns they live in and who does what with who and make friends with each other and then talk about it."
"Yes, that was my thought," she murmurs, patting Moonlight's mane in an absent fashion reminiscent of Dot Dash. Moonlight blinks as Virtue's hoof gets stuck in her mane again.. Virtue shakes it free with a moment's effort. "Does anypony need anything before we make ready? Suggestions?".
Azure Charger has been a bit quiet. At this, she steps up and speaks. "A little troubled that Mr. Hoofburn had griffon relics." She looks away in thought, then frowns. "Not troubled. Puzzled."
"Yes, it is a bit puzzling," Virtue agrees, seeming to let out a breath she was holding.
Azure rubs the back of her head with a hoof, continuing, "See, they're not exactly the friendliest of creatures. Nor are they frequently seen in these parts. Between that and the raiments, seems safe to say our friend was a bit of an adventurer."
"A fair point, yes. It sounds like he came here to retire.'
"Not sure what to do with that, though. Normally, I'd think to question the guard, but, well..." Azure looks quietly to the main gate.
"Moonlight's suggestion will do, I believe." Virtue looks consideringly. She's been a bit terse since leaving the shop, but it doesn't seem to stop her. "Perhaps you all could see about asking as well. There's likely to be quite a few, and I can't cover everypony."
Azure nods. "Right. Might as well get to work."
"Kay-o!" chimes Moonlight.
Virtue glances back towards the shop for a moment, and then walks on, leaving the others behind. Azure frowns a moment, watching her leave.
Virtue has made a terrible, terrible mistake. All the others can do is watch in silent horror, knowing that there is nothing, nothing they can do to help her.
"—needed a candle shop. So he went and bought a load of mint candles from old Bees Wax. Mint candles were the style at the time, you see. It's been impossible to get a good candle in this town every since she passed away," says the old mare outside the paper shop, gently swaying back and forth on her rocking chair. Her green mane is now mostly grey, her coat much the same. “Wisp does her best of course, but candles and ferns? That's no proper way to run a shop. It's a slippery slope, y'see. Young pony opens a nice shop, sells something proper—candles, or couches, or quills. And that's all well and good, until somepony says, you should carry something else! Make it better. And of course, everypony knows it's a terrible idea, but they figure it won't be too much more work, and it's twice as many thing to sell. Then next thing they know they're running a combination Frying Pan and Pet Food emporium and they're too embarrassed to admit it makes no sense, so they stick to their ground. And of course, nothing gets done the way it should. Which reminds me of the time—"
Virtue knows that the gift of being charming, alluring, and beautiful can be a double-edged blade. But at this point, she may find her ears falling off from the effort of keeping them erect. "What of her father, Cell?" she interjects.
"Mmm?” Old Bat asks, looking Virtue's way. "Well, he was alright, I suppose," she says, with a more moderated tone. "He was born here—back in my mother’s time. We might have met once when I was little, but if we did I was too young to remember it. Left as soon as he could though, the way my mother told it. Broken his parents’ hearts. Didn't hear a thing from him for nearly sixty years, then he just walks in one day with his wagon behind him and little Wisp sticking her head out. Never did say where he was all that time. When we asked he'd just say he wanted to see the world."
"Truly?” asks Azure Charger, braving the dangers of talking to the elderly. “Surely he had a story or two to share of his travels."
"Not a one," she says, rocking back and forth, a cane pushing against the porch. "Way he told it, you'd think he just went out for a long walk around the town. Little Wisp was different though. She'd yammer on and on about her griffon friends and all the ponies they'd met and being on this ship or that. But she was so young, it was all only half there. Dear didn't really remember much. Never did find out who her mother was. Not right, a stallion his age having a foal." She frowns. "It's only her luck that he lived long enough to see her grown."
"Ship, you say." Virtue arches an eyebrow. "Did she say where she'd been?"
"Griffon friends," Azure murmurs, running a hoof through her mane.
"Well," Old Bat chuckles. "At that age, the stories changed every time she told them. Didn't help that she felt she had to defend her father’s good name, you know how it is. She'd make up the most absurd things—that they lived in the Emperor's own palace and her dad tutored the little feathered prince. None of it was true though. He has some old toys, sure enough, but they were as old as he was, rusted and broken. She was a funny filly, though," Old Bat continues, with a frown. “Had a mean streak a mile long. She grew out of it though, thank Celestia. I suppose her dad helped. He wasn't bad with foals."
"A mean streak?" Virtue asks, gently guiding the conversation.
"Oh, you know the sort," she says, with a bit of a frown. "All smiles and sweetness with the grownups are around, but once they're gone… Sweet Tooth pushed her into the mud when they were still little, and she held a grudge. Terrorized him so much that one day he just hid under his bed and refused to go to school. Might have turned out to be a real witch, if it weren't for her father. But, he straightened her out well enough. They're actually friends now, way I hear it."
Azure Charger taps her teeth with a hoof. "Maybe she just hung around a few bad apples? Before she moved here, I mean."
"I suppose it's possible. Filly grows up on the road and gets all kinds of bad habits. She did end up sweet enough too. Quiet, responsible type."
"She has happy plants," Moonlight says, level.
Old Bat laughs. "I bet she does! She's up at sunrise every morning working on that shop, and is always in before dark."
"Mmm..." Azure looks to Virtue.
Virtue glaces back. "Did he come back with any strange articles, perhaps of other lands?"
"Oh, sure. Lots of things! Little gee-gaws and tiny statues and models of ships and weapons and books. Even had a full set of griffon armor. Wisp sold it all when he passed away though. Said he didn't like having it around. I bought a piece actually—one of the gee-gaws."
"Could we see it?"
It turns into a bit more of a production than Virtue was hoping for. But to be fair, that was a very unreasonably high shelf. And young ponies these days are very surly. Virtue would have offered to float it down, but she knew Old Bat wouldn't be happy until she'd given them an earful.
But, soon enough, Old Bat returns with the item in tow. It's a small device, but quite beautiful and intricate—a glass sphere, filled with tiny copper rings and gears. When she turns it over in her hooves, the gears click and clack, and the rings spin on the outside, showing the movements of constellations and planets. It looks a lot like an orrery, although it's not quite right for that.
Virtue doesn't need to feign being impressed. "That's quite a spectacular little device."
"Isn't it? It tells the time," Old Bat says, pointing at the little bands. "You turn it around until the stars on it match the stars in the sky and it makes little clicky sounds. Seems silly to me, since if you're looking at the sky you already know what time it is. But it was just so pretty, I had to have it. Talked her down to five bits."
"Five?" Azure’s brow furrows. "Quite a friendly bargain."
"Well, she was eager to be rid of it all. Practically just let ponies give her a few bits and then rummage around for whatever they wanted."
"Could I perhaps tempt you into parting with it?" Virtue suggests, with a smile. "I am something of an astronomy enthusiast, and it would make a darling gift for a young apprentice of mine. She's a sweet little thing, just coming into her own."
"Aww, well. I suppose I don't get much use out of it." Old Bat agrees, reluctantly. But there’s just a hint of a smile. "I sure a prim and proper unicorn like yourself can afford it too. Really get some joy from it."
"Perhaps a little." Virtue smiles, tapping out ten bits.
Old Bat stares at the bits in silent contemplation. "Gosh. Canterlot has fallen on hard times, has it?"
Azure coughs, raising a hoof to her mouth. It is definitely not hiding a smirk. Moonlight is rather distracted by playing with Balti's tail, while Silver is occupying himself with staring out the window.
Virtue considers the stack. "Well, I suppose since you took it off young Wisp for five, I suppose some reasonable profit is expected," she says, tapping out ten more.
"Well, that seems fair." Old Bat nods and smiles. "...then again. It also has great sentimental value to me."
Moonlight whips her head around. Azure's not-a-smirk falters. But Virtue’s smile shows no signs of wavering. "I'm certain. How else could you tell the time when the stars are out?"
Virtue was trained by Sir Blueblood himself in the art of negotiation, and by Up Turn in the ways of coin and trade. She is a prodigy of haggling and the art of understanding, driving other ponies towards her goal. But Old Bat has experience, and candy isn't an industry for the faint of heart. The sugar bargaining table is where fillies become mares!
Back and forth the conversation goes, with the others fleetingly aware of the titanic battle of wills that now occurs, the price fluctuating wildly back and forth. Finally, Old Bat settles on a scant five hundred bits. It just tears her up to ask for so much, but otherwise, what will she have to leave her grandkids? You understand the tough position she's in.
“Pleasure speaking with you, young mare," Old Bat says, making the stack of coins vanish quick enough.
Virtue for her part never openly questions the old woman, always managing to make it seem as if she never wanted the thing and her grandkids would probably just let it collect dust on a shelf in a basement somewhere… The last one out, she takes a moment to carefully wrap her gain.
"Right..." mutters Azure as they head back out into the streets. "So, what did we learn?"
Virtue steps out, joining them. "We charter a ship for the Griffon kingdoms, that's what. We'll go in the morning." Azure Charger nods. Virtue hefts her bags to 'Melody Moons' or 'White Knight' or whatever she’s calling herself now. "Be a dear and take these to my room. You have a room to yourself, Azure shares with me, and Moonlight with Dawn Star."
Azure Charger blinks, a bit wide-eyed, but she quickly recovers a level voice. "Apparently Sweet Tooth was a foalhood friend, but he didn't seem of much help otherwise. Unless he knows more about Wisp that she didn't let on."
"Mm. Good idea, I'll go ask him." Virtue looks up. The sun will be setting soon.
"We didn't ask about Wisp. We asked about Cell.” Moonlight hesitates. “Sort of."
"Blocks were involved," Azure deadpans.
"Oh?" she looks at them, oblivious to their earlier plight
"And wild gesticulations. Candy?" Moonlight holds out another of the strawberry-shaped confections.
Virtue waves it off, smiling, "No thanks. Dinner is coming soon, I'd rather not spoil my appetite.”
Azure's eyes bulge, and she laughs loudly. "Ahahaha, yes, yes, good. Perhaps for after dinner." She shoots Moonlight a look.
"Kay-o." Moonlight shrugs. as Virtue trots off, tail flicking.
Candy stores are not known for being open all night, and so when Virtue returns to Sweet Tooth's Confectioneries, it's clear that he's about to close up for the day. "Hey! Just give me a moment, I'll be right—" he starts, when his eyes catch Virtue. "...hi."
Virtue slides up. "Well, hello there. Would you happen to be Sweet Tooth?"
"I would be. And uh... your name?" he asks, with a nervous smile.
"Virtue," she says, "Some friends of mine were at your shop and they simply died to tell of your confections. I would have been remiss not to come at once and purchase some of your stock… Oh, were you closing?" she asks, with that faint air of someone who finds the prospect may drastically harm the fate of the planet.
"Yeah, actually—" one of his assistants starts, only to let out a loud “OW!” and jerk behind the counter. “Hey, why did you just kic—OW! Stop that!"
Sweet Tooth just smiles as best he can. "We're open a few more minutes."
Virtue is blissfully oblivious of any such severe hammering. "Oh, that's marvelous! Would you happen to have anything to recommend for five mares hungry from road travel? We've been ever so long at it. Downright exhausted."
"Oh, well, I mostly make candy, but… I do have sweetrolls! They're quite filling," he says, quick to fill that inexcusable gap in his skill set.
"I'll take an order of those," she says, brightly. Then, as an afterthought, she adds, "Could you perhaps be troubled to throw in a box of those mints there?" she says, pointing them out with a hoof. "I'd imagine they'd be very soothing."
"Oh, of course!" he says, quickly filling the order. "You're new in town, right?"
"Indeed so, just arrived this morning."
“Well, then, why don't you just take these? If you'll be around for a little while, I mean,” he says, trying to remain as casual as possible. "Uh... call it a free sample." His assistant rolls his eyes, but is keen to not get kicked in the ankles again, and so says nothing.
Virtue beams, as if it were his idea. "Oh, you're just a proper knight." She lets her hoof linger on his as she takes the boxes and places them on her back, balanced in that pony way on her way out. She hears a longing sigh in her wake. Then again, she's used to that.
Soon enough the group is gathered back at the inn, a regular crowd appearing as the sun drifts towards the horizon. The inn seems a lively place at night, and friendly enough, and the herd has found a table at the back, with some reasonable privacy.
Virtue seems back to her old self again, walking into the inn with a spring in her hooves, a box of sweetrolls balanced on her back. As she enters, a stallion is current offering to buy “Melody” a drink. Her day is officially made.
Azure smirks at Virtue's arrival. "You're looking quite giddy. Good news, I take it?"
"I love accommodating ponies, don't you? Compliments of Sweet Tooth," she gestures broadly to the box. "He seemed all too eager to make our stay a welcome one."
"Uuh-huh." Moonlight studies her.
Confused, Azure pops open the box. Her look is quickly replaced with a wide grin. "Niiice." She begins voraciously attacking one of the sweetrolls.
"Almost a shame we're not staying, really, I could get used to this." Virtue sighs airily. "Really, even Mel seems to be enjoying herself,"
Azure snorts, coughing and spraying specks of frosting about.
"Mmm-hm," Moonlight hums.
Virtue giggles. "I have to say, I'm a little excited at the prospects in the future, though. Can you believe our journey is taking us beyond the borders of Equestria itself?"
"Yes." Moonlight’s answer is plain and straightforward.
Azure snickers. "I suppose a cave two days out would have been a bit too simple, for relics of ages past."
Moonlight hmms then looks over at Dawn Star. "You ready to cross the sea?"
"Oh... gosh. I guess so. I only left Canterlot two weeks ago and now I'm leaving Equestria?” Dawn Star titters. "But, if you got stuck, you can't exactly walk back to Castle Blueblood to ask for help. So I suppose I'll have to go,” she says, with a rather stiff nod.
"Proper dedication, there." Virtue smiles. "The Princess should be proud."
Dawn Star smiles, though there’s a wavering look in there. "I hope so. Are you sure it's time to strike out, though? That's a big area to search."
Azure Charger nods solemnly. "We may not be back for some time. Best that we make any necessary arrangements tonight."
"A proper adventure.” Virtue looks upward, dreamily. “Why, I'd barely dreamed of such things even as a filly."
"Proper adventure indeed." Azure idly tries to lick frosting from the corner of her mouth. "It was a fair bit of trouble to ask for information in a town of earth ponies. We're looking to skydive right into the heart of Griffon territory."
"You did make it a little harder than it had to be, I think," Moonlight says, looking around the table. "Mostly the unnecessary falsities."
Azure Charger folds her ears down and pushes her sweetroll around the table. "Hey, I didn't exactly snap at anypony this time. Foal steps, y'know."
"There were some parts that were rocky. But I would like to think that I—" she pauses. "We got past them." Virtue waggles a roll at Moonlight. "You can never know what you're stepping into in these situations, dear. It's always best to feel your way through them."
Moonlight Meadows rolls her eyes at Virtue. "They're earth ponies, not diamond dogs."
“And?” Virtue doesn’t miss a beat. “Were they unicorns, pegasi, minotaurs, or dragons, I would be cautious of letting them know too much about what I was about."
Moonlight cocks her head to one side, then rapidly shakes it. "No no no no no, I'm talking about the thingies, I'm talking about the... um. Who we are, and things."
"That depends on entirely who we are," Virtue answers coyly. "Who we are is an intimate part of what we were about, particularly if some of us may have been troublesome at some point in the past."
Silver Shine returns from the bar at that very moment, drinks in tow. Most of which he did not end up paying for himself. "For all its lovely colors, the world is not always a kind place."
Azure consider. "Mmm. Perhaps it would be naive to think otherwise. But one can hope, can't they?"
Silver seats himself down. "One can change. One can make a difference."
"Oh, well spoken," Virtue says, brightly.
He gets a little quiet. "But what do I know?" he says dismissively.
"I'm just saying. Seems silly to be all parachute about it." Moonlight exhales.
Azure shakes her head. "Like I said though. Ponies are one thing. Griffons will likely be a different manner."
"It will be a lot harder to blend in," Silver agrees.
"Well, yeah. Over there is probably different," Moonlight concedes, though she seems less than pleased with the change of topic.
"Speaking of," Virtue says, taking out the carefully wrapped orrery, "perhaps our new friend can tell us something about this?" She puts it down on the folded cloth, in front of Dawn Star.
It's an odd little device indeed. A mass of brass gears, sealed in a sphere of glass, it supports a number of half-shells showing views of the sky, that twist and turn as the ball does. From Old Bat's description, if you turn it so that it matches the night sky, it lets out a little chime that tells you the time.
"Ah, that?" Dawn Start blinks, shaking her head, as if in the middle of thought. "Well… it's used for scrying I think."
"But what does it say, dear?" Virtue prods.
"I can tell you when it's day out,” Dawn says, giving a sad little shrug. “I can't see things at night."
"Ah, that makes sense. I guess." Azure’s face scrunches up. "Not really understanding all the magic-shmagic going on."
"Interesting," she says, floating it up and rotating it in midair before her. The device clinks and chimes faintly as the gears turn—a bit like a music box. The sound is lost when it goes back into Virtue's pack. "Oh now that is lovely. I shall have to examine this before bed." It seems to just be a function of the sphere—or, so Virtue determines after several more experimental turns. Whenever she holds the sphere so that it forms a starfield, the ball lets out a few musical notes, some internal mechanism chiming like a music box.
Dawn Star shrugs. "I'm not great at it, either. It just happens."
"I'm not denying its usefulness,” Azure says quickly. “After all, Dawn Star, we only made it to this town because..." She waves a hoof around, "you did... that thing."
"Do you talk to the woodsies too?" Moonlight asks, and then scarfs down one of the rolls.
"Er… no, I just believe really hard.” Dawn looks down, smiling self-consciously. “Like friendship. And when I do, well, stuff happens."
Virtue brightens. "I've just had a lovely idea. Azure, would you be so kind as to bear me to the roof of the inn? I could get an excellent view from there, I'm sure."
Azure Charger's posture suddenly becomes rigid. "Bear—Up to the roof? Uh, sure, that'd be easy enough."
"Fmrmam..." Moonlight Meadows swallows. "Might want to ask the innkeep first."
Virtue looks towards Moonlight, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "Perhaps, yes."
The innkeep offered no objections—just don't knock any of the roof tiles loose—and so the group makes their way out onto the street. In the hour or two since the group went inside, the sun has set—the stars rising high into the night sky. Earth pony towns tend to be a bit early-to-bed-early-to-rise, and Rambling Ridge seems to be no exception, the streets largely empty despite it still being the early evening. The only ponies about are a few late workers pulling carts, a hoofful of guards, and the pegasus you saw earlier by the gate.
"Oh, look, it's Lightning," says Moonlight. The pegasus seems to be hovering over the gate now, looking off at something in the sky.
"I wonder what she’s looking at?" muses Silver.
“Maybe we should ask?”
"I could ask,” Silver Shine says with a nod. “Maybe in a minute."
Moonlight tilts her head."Why in a minute?"
"I've never been carried before. I'm not sure quite how to stand,” Virtue says brightly, looking to Azure. “Should I lay back, perhaps?"
"Oh, uh..." Circling about, Azure glides down above Virtue and hovers onto her back, wrapping her forelegs around Virtue's torso, near her own forelegs. "Just keep your legs locked... and..." With a few strong flaps, she lifts Virtue up, taking her at a steady ascent up to the inn's sloped rooftop.
Virtue slips, but Azure is able to catch her—and after a few hesitant moments, she finds her balance again. "Oh! Careful now," Virtue giggles.
"Easy there!" Azure calls out. Virtue gives a little squeal. Azure maintains a firm hold on her. "Do you, err, do you have your hoofing now, Virtue?"
Silver Shine smiles. "With these two..." he says, gesturing to Virtue and Azure, "anything could happen."
Moonlight Meadows blinks, and she looks up at him. "Like Virtue falling and Azure catching her and then they look into each other's eyes for a really long time, starlight reflecting in the depths?"
"Yeah," Silver replies. Moonlight peers up at the roof, to see if she can spot the two.
Virtue clings to Azure for a moment, glancing down at the ground. She tosses her hair, getting it out of her face. "I'm good, yes... just a moment..." She taps her hooves a bit, making sure she has her balance before letting one hoof go. It takes her another moment to let go of Azure's neck.
"Good," Azure adds quickly, a sharp blush on her face. "Good." With a flap, she herself lands on the rooftop.
"Hmmmmm..." Moonlight looks over at Silver/White Knight/Moonsomething. "Are you a betting pony?"
Silver eyes Moonlight. "When I know I'll win."
Azure clears her throat exceptionally loudly. "Sorry. Sweetroll."
Virtue sends a small light to the roof next to her, using it to bring out the orrery as she rests her haunches. She glances up to Azure. "Sweetroll?"
Azure's blush strengthens. "T-The treats you brought for dinner! I... I wasn't... Err..." She eagerly points to the orrery. "How's it work?"
Dawn Star coughs a little, face in hoof.
"Oh! Well, come over here and I'll show you," Virtue says, patting the portion of roof next to her. Azure scoots about an inch and a half in that direction. At another continued pat, she eventually scoots the rest of the way.
Virtue lifts the orrery carefully, snuffing the light out. Without the light from her horn, she can see the stars clearly, the vault of the heavens slowly turning above. The orrery is very sensitive—scrambling stars, planets, and the moon when she makes the faintest motions of her hoof.
"Oh this is delightful," Virtue says. "I haven't been out stargazing in so long. The nip of the cool air, the breeze in my mane. Just us and the Mare in the Moon."
Azure gives a light shrug. "I get to see the stars a lot during night flights, but I guess I never really stop and just, y'know. Look at them." Her gaze turns skyward.
"Ahum." Moonlight stares ahead, deadpan. "Let's go bother Lightning. Or something. I'm getting bored. I mean we can do that, or we can go moonlight dancing. I think the moon's still out." She looks up at the sky suspiciously, looking for the moon.
Virtue and Moonlight alike soon have to find the moon in the sky, watching it chart its course overhead. It's a waning moon, and will be a new moon tomorrow, barely a sliver of a crescent visible in the sky.
With a shrug and a brief adjustment of his unusual uniform, Silver lifts off. "Right... I'll ask."
"Kay."
After a short flight, Silver pulls up to a hover beside the rooftop Lightning rests on. With a melodious voice of angelic grace granted to his present disguise, by virtue of Virtue's illusion, he greets the pegasus. "Hi there! it's a nice night isn't it? May I land?"
Lightning turns to look at Silver with a rather dour expression—obviously less than pleased to have company. She's a bright blue pegasus, with a blonde mane to match, her cutie mark a pair of crossed lightning bolts. "Sure, I guess. I'm Lightning Glass."
"Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting... My name is Melody Moon." Silver says, landing and folding his wings.
"A bit," Lightning Glass says, turning back to looking at the horizon. "Weather is weird tonight."
"Weird weather?" Silver says, trailing off and looking towards the sky. To Silver Shine's eyes, the sky is clear. Not a cloud to be seen.
"There's a breeze there shouldn't be. And it's too cold," she says, after a moment. "These things happen. Somepony somewhere messes up a cloud formation, and the effects spread over all of Equestria. Still bothers me every time."
Still looking perplexed by talk of weather patterns, Silver sighs. "Sometimes I wish I had a better connection to the sky, the currents, the clouds."
Lightning Glass bristles that that—her wings flapping sharply, turning her to face Silver Shine head on. "Why? Something wrong with being a guard?"
"I am what I am." Silver shrugs.
Lightning Glass flutters back a few inches at that. Her expression narrows for a moment, staring suspiciously at Silver Shine. Then, she lets out a curt snort. "I'll bet you are. I'm going to go check on the clouds."
With that, she turns and flies away, up into the sky. There are no clouds in the sky for her to tend, and she doesn't seem to be flying anywhere in particular. Just up and away. After tracking her flight for a few seconds Silver breaks away, slightly peeved.
Back on the rooftop, the orrery lets out little chimes, the closer Virtue gets to the night sky, sounding off with her every motion of the stars and planets. Finally, she completes the pattern. The gears inside let out a loud click, and like a music box, the orrery lets out a series of bars, two notes, and a bar away—a short song, no more than two or three seconds long. That seems to be all it does.
Below them, Moonlight Meadows blinks, ears twitching. She gets up, and tests the tune out. Tap with a hoof, tap, tappity. "Five are six," she murmurs. Before too long, she's invented a simple little dance to go along with the tune that the orrery played, comprised mostly of hooftaps and the occasional turn.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Azure watches the orrery with quiet awe, listening to it’s simple tune. "Wow, that's... pretty cool."
"There are many mysteries there in the stars, and much to be learned, I think. I wonder what that sound means..." Virtue muses. Taking the orrery, she points it at different planets and constellations, but it will no longer chime. The sections slide more smoothly now as well. Perhaps the tension in the gears has been released, and like a music box, it must somehow be wound again. If so, she does not see any mechanism for doing so.
"Strange little toy," murmurs Azure, her attention momentarily drawn to Moonlight's odd dance below. "Why do you suppose Stovetop Accident had it?"
"Splendid question. It mystifies me, certainly." Virtue gives a little pout. "Oh well, we can at least enjoy seeing the stars come out." She leans back to prop slightly against Azure. "Are you familiar with the constellations? I confess I know little about pegasus knight training."
Azure jolts slightly at the contact. "A-A few." She clears her throat. "The North Star, plus a few constellations. They're useful for navigating, you see. When it's dark, or when you’re high above the cloud cover, you can’t exactly use the land to get your bearings."
"Oh I'd imagine. We unicorns study them in order to gain insight into magic. Many mysteries of the world are reflected above, and perhaps vice versa.” Virtue leans in and points with a hoof, leading Azure’s vision around the constellations. “There's Cassiopeia—said to be so beautiful a monster was sent against her to restore order to the cosmos. And there's Lyra—each year in spring, meteors seem to spring forth, as if shot from the strings."
"Huh," murmurs Azure, her gaze following Virtue's hoof as she points them out. "I'd never heard of those two before. I guess it makes sense you'd study them more. Magic and all that." She taps lightly on the shingles with a hoof.
"There are all sorts of little stories about them. I loved them as a child.” She looks down at her undressed self and titters. “I left my cloak in my room, but you can see many of my favorite constellations on there."
Azure chuckles as well, soft, good-natured. "You quite fancy the stars, huh? It's nice to see somepony with such a passion for a hobby."
"I have a few passions," Virtue confesses, giggling. "I don't typically share them, I admit. I fear you would think me a hopeless—what is the word? Egghead—if I told you even half of them."
Azure Charger snickers, giving a teasing grin. "I probably would!"
Virtue gives a mock haughty lift of her muzzle. "You see? I daren't reveal anything now. It would ruin my fabulous mystique as a wizard and lady of the court."
"Oh no, should anything come between a unicorn and her mystique... Hurricane forbid!" Azure’s posture becoming more relaxed.
"You see the problem exactly!” Virtue grins slyly, lowering her eyelids. “Now, perhaps, if I knew something about you, I might feel less exposed in incriminating myself."
"Me?" Azure blinks at Virtue’s inquiry. "Like... uh." She taps her hoof on the shingles once more.
Below on the ground, Moonlight performs her dance once more, with twist and hooftap, before nodding self-assuredly. "Hmm.. That could do. Want to do it with me, Dawn?"
"Ah, I've got four left hooves," says Dawn. She gives a slight laugh as she watches Moonlight’s dance.
"Oh, piffle. This is easy, watch, you just put this hoof like so, and..." Moonlight proceeds to show the dance over again, saying the words to the rhythm.
"Five are six, one is two,
the younger old, the elder new."
"See, that's the first part. Come on, you try."
Dawn Star gives a determined nod. "Alright. Five are six..." She balances a bit awkwardly on her hooves as she follows Moonlight’s example. "One is twooo… Mmph. The younger old, the elder new..." And… She doesn't fall over! But she's clearly not very good at this whole dancing thing.
"Good!" Moonlight says with a smile. "See, and the second part is like this." She begins with a turn and a hoofstep, chanting once again:
"The sun retreats from darkened dreams,
And no thing that flies is what it seems."
Dawn Star nods. "The sun retreats," she repeats, speaking and dancing a lot slower than Moonlight, "from darkened dreams, and no thing that flies is what it seems." As she finishes singing, she gives Moonlight a curious look. Not suspicious, of course not! But certainly inquisitive. "This doesn't seem like that nice of a song, to be honest!"
"It's a little weird, yeah," Moonlight says, cocking her head to the side. "I wonder what it means."
"Where did you learn it?"
Moonlight Meadows blinks, looking at Dawn Star quizzically. "Just now. The thingy Virtue has sang it." She cocks her head. "Didn't you hear it?"
Dawn Star shakes her head. "No..."
"Well now that's just plain odd. That thingy is neither animal nor plant, and I didn't even ask for those. I wonder if they heard it." She looks up at the two of them, pondering. "Probably not, because Virtue would have picked up on it I think."
"I wonder why.” Dawn mmphs, sitting on her hindquaters.
"Dunno. Let's ask."
Listening back in, they can hear Azure above them, making what sounds like painful smalltalk, punctuated by hooftaps on the shingles. "Well... I'm a knight of House Charger... Lancer First Class... I've been training since I was nine... Uh..." The pace of her hooftaps speeds up slightly.
"That's all very known, however," says Virtue brightly, prodding her on, "Something I wouldn't know or guess."
"Hey Virtue!"
Azure leans over the edge, looking a bit... relieved, perhaps? "How can we help, Moonlight Meadows?"
"Did the thingy sing words?" she asks. Behind her, Silver Shine aside Dawn Star, looking a bit dour.
"Sing?" Azure ear flicks slightly at that. "Nnno, not that I heard."
"Notes, dear.” Virtue’s tone is correcting, though gentle. “If you'd like to look at the orrery, you may."
Moonlight Meadows shakes her head. "No, see... I heard words."
"Oh? What did you hear?"
“A song."
Azure shrugs. "She was singing it earlier, I think. And... dancing?"
Virtue’s brow furrows in thought. "Sing it again for me, Moonlight.”
Moonlight tilts her head side to side. "You gotta do the dance, though."
"...dance?"
"Well, if you can dance on a slope..."
Azure frowns at that. "No no, there's no sense dancing this high up. Somepony'll get hurt."
Virtue sighs, then gives Azure an apologetic smile and her extended hoof. "And I was enjoying the rooftop. Help me down, dear? I'd rather not crack the good innkeeper's tiles after she so graciously permitted us up here."
Azure’s frown lingers a bit more, but she nods to Virtue at lenght. "Sure." She flaps up and around, holding Virtue from behind. A few beats of her wings and a gentle glide bring the two back down to the rest of the group.
Virtue gently removes her silver hoof caps, leaving them with her bags by the side of the inn. She lights her horn up, generating a small white orb that floats above the group, before turning her attention to Moonlight.
"Well, okay. Everyone together, okay? You do it like so." And Moonlight begins, going through the little dance a step at a time.
Virtue follows her lead. Unlike Dawn Star, she needs only try before she steps smoothly into the moves. It's clear someone practiced courtly dances
Perhaps it is the graceful figure of Virtue's illusion that eases the sight, but whatever the case, Silver shows himself a nimble dancer, light on his feet. He is only betrayed by a slight lack of rhythm and a grimace on his face.
"Everyone?" Azure repeats sourly. After a moment, she gives a begrudging sigh and follow suit. Attempts to. There's some resemblance.
Virtue smiles at Azure, tapping her hooves in a little rhythm. "Like this, dear, one, two, three, one two, one two, one two three four."
"Right, I know, it's just—" A particularly sharp spin knocks herself off balance. A quick flap of the wings is all that prevents her from eating cobblestone. "Can't figure out how she's doing that spin thingy."
Moonlight looks encouragingly to the group, helping Silver with his form. "Practice. Okay. We all got it?"
Virtue laughs, a sweet little thing, and spins on one hoof gracefully, bending down beside Azure to help her up. "Just lower your head, dear. It's a change of your center of gravity. Imagine it like trying to knock over a larger foe."
"Center of gravity?" Azure cocks her head. "Oh, you mean like..." Rearing up again, wings extended, she spins a quick circle. Not as graceful as the others, but with significant improvement over the last attempt. She betrays herself with a grin. "Nice! Thanks, Virtue."
Virtue clops her hooves on the earth encouragingly, grinning. "Exactly! All right, Moonlight, you've my attention. Let's try it."
"Okay. So. From the top…” Moonlight leads the group through the dance steps, as well as the song. The others slowly sing the lyrics back to her as they dance in turn.
“Five are six, one is two,
The younger old, the elder new.
The sun retreats from darkened dreams,
And no thing that flies is what it seems."
"Nice!" Azure cheers enthusiastically, finishing her dance a half-beat behind the others. At once, her smile flips. "Wait. Why exactly are we doing this, again?"
"Yeah, I'm wondering that too." Dawn Star taps her chin.
"Because it seemed right," Moonlight says, scratching at her snout. "But yeah, that's what the thingy sang."
"I don't get it," Azure says, patting Moonlight gently on the head, "but I've already learned better than to dismiss this one's peculiarities out-of-hoof."
"Yes. I suspect I will have some reading to do at the castle." Virtue ponders it, tapping a hoof on the floor, then looking up toward the sliver of moon. "All right, ladies. I think we'll want to get an early start tomorrow."
"That we shall," Azure nods, "if we're truly to leave Equestria, come tomorrow."