//------------------------------// // Chapter 02: A Different Search // Story: Three Stones Lake // by Renaissance Muffins //------------------------------// Early the next morning, another town a great lengths away from The Crystal Empire, took to its early, small town tolls of the morning sun rang out. Calling all the residents to rise for the day. To work, and play, to walk and run. To toil away in formidable conditions and relax in front of televisions that kept them entertained. The Everfree forest, calmed by cultivation of its magical forces, kept Ponyville a stones throw away from the freezing north. The only connection by land are the old railroads. Three lines put in place to sustain the transportation of precious cargo and pony folk alike. The first of these commissioned by Celestia, the other two by Twilight. Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. A mare who had lived many a dream, surpassed foes oh-so-mighty, and outsmarting dubious enemies, now passing on her Element title. Her old friends apart by cities, unable to simply poof to her at a whim. The aging years have failed to call for their assistance and all their titles passed on to either descendants or greatly trusted friends. In one case, an adopted daughter. All of them had to pass the test Twilight gave to them in the end, a test that she personally observed and gave out. The rules unspoken and the questions more so. It took an understanding of sorts and that boggled many of her citizens. Pass the test, earn the title. For the first time she'd give her title to someone that had to be hunted out. Hay sifted through for that one needle that gave the biggest prick. She needs a pony that could band the others together in times of need. The requirements took tremendous thought and planning and only yesterday, after a year and a half of planning, did she finalize them. Two of her friends grandchildren, well regarded and mindful of their duties. Loyalty and Honesty. A combination that of personalities that proved nearly inseparable. All throughout their schooling, Twilight observed them and tested them from behind the scenes. Like her mentor Celestia did before her. When they graduated from their schooling, she presented them with their respective titles. Fleet Forth, grandson of Fluttershy, took on Loyalty and Pumice, granddaughter of Rarity, took the title of Honesty. Now the three of them, for the first time in years, are face to face again. A massive arched lobby of deep purple crystal. The hall drawing them to a round table with a map of Equestria stamped upon it. It glowed a faint white that made it appear alive. A holographic image of the moon floated daintily above, a small structure jutted from the surface. The three ponies sat in their appropriate chairs. Twilight taking the most ornate, but not the largest; a symbol of her modesty. Fleet taking the largest, but the least detailed; the shape of a pillar. Pumice sat in the coldest and hardest, a reminder of home. “Well, what're we here for?” Fleet asked. “A mission.” Twilight said, downplaying his rudeness. She tapped the table and an flurry translucent papers sprung forth. “If you're not already aware, I've decided to hand down my title to a pony I deem worthy through a set of rules. There are a number of candidates I've selected already, putting them to the test discreetly or directly is up to you two.” Pumice quickly flipped through the sheets set before her, Nearly drowning out her voice. “An author, a prince, a princess, an author, librarian, glazier, fletcher, blacksmith...” she trailed off. “You're sending us on a wild goose-chase, Twilight. You may these candidates but they may also be completely wrong. Quill Smith here, looks like he may be prone to violence.” “Pumice, there's only so much information I can collect. Most of this is word-of-mouth. Even with all of our recording equipment around, I prefer not to spy on the citizens of Equestria, it's unethical and unneeded. Besides, I've developed something that will aid you greatly in your search.” “Oh?” Fleet queried. Twilight grinned in her self-satisfaction, revealing an extraordinary wand of cherry wood and entanglements of silver fastened with gold. At the larger end, a bulb with a small, blank window. “I present: The Seeker.” She placed the device in the center of the table, as cautiously as could. “Pfft, some name.” Fleet barked. Pumice shot him a cold death stare. Something she wasn't keen to do often. “Well, what's it do?” “It reads into magic streams. The essence of our beings and the world. Like DNA and personality archetypes, magic too has a fairly similar set of rules. I discovered this after hours of simulation and shortly after I began noticing a pattern with how the Tree of Harmony distributes its magic. Finally I concocted this and synced it to my magic traits.” “Sooo... how's it work?” Twilight tapped her chin and darted her eyes back and forth, tossing around a simile that would make this more easily understood. “Like a metal detector, I suppose. Closer you get to the target, the more the silver expands. If the silver comes to a full bloom, then you've found the perfect candidate.” “Question.” Pumice spoke up, clearing her throat, “is there an off switch?” “Yes, you just wrap it up in some cloth.” “Really? That's simple enough.” “I'm afraid that''s all I have time for. I have a meeting with Celestia and Luna in a few minutes. We have to discuss the matters of Princess Kyanite. Her family is worried and the parade is tomorrow. We're preparing to take on the investigation ourselves if it comes down to it. Anyways, start in Ponyville here, then move on to the other locations. Keep in touch.” Pumice and Fleet stood and bowed their heads. Twilight wearily raised a hoof and dismissed them. Upon exited the grand doors and stepping back outside from stuffy old room. Slowly dancing bits of dust that felt older than the castle itself. Their presence highlighted by rays of colored sunlight that peered through the stained glass. Pumice stared back at the closing doors, “It's sad, isn't it? Seeing her all alone like that.” “It is.” Fleet answered as he looked through the information once again. “Obtuse Acute... What an awful name...” “Like yours is any better.” Pumice quipped. “Let's see what we can do.” The day slowly rolled on, Fleet and Pumice taking on nearly all of Ponyville, careful not to disclose any information regarding the quick, short, interviews. More often than not, the duo simply had to walk by them, pretending to be tourists or local townsfolk. A run in with an orange cart almost had them losing the device to the local pond. A last second spell prevented them from having to jump into the water. The math teacher, the first of the bunch, proved incompatible and cold. Another was mean and unworthy of even being in earshot of the title. Fleet Forth straightened him out with a collective of choice words, leaving the stallion scared. A third, triggered the device, but only for a short period. Clearly an imperfection with Twilight's invention. Even after quite literally running into the last candidate, the device did not find a match. By late afternoon, the two of them were forced to move on. Their next stop, Appleloosa. A place where the wild west is now an aged and rusty idea, now only seen in movie theaters, fantasized and romanced. Now, a culinary behemoth of all kinds. Restaurants, cafes, diners, breakfast houses, bars, and specialized food shops ranging from botanical sodas and gourmet chocolates. Wanting to take at least take a break, they took the old train. As outdated as some of the older setups were, they were popular for those not minding a longer trip or tourists that wanted to appreciated the scenery just a little bit more. The old locomotive, was converted into something more environmentally friendly, however. Fleet Forth settled into a bench and stared out the window as Pumice calmly surfed through the next batch of potential holders. “Tired already?” “No... just, annoyed, I guess. We have to confront all these different ponies differently. I should've declined the offer...” Fleet complained. “She would've convinced you anyways, you know that. Having nothing better to do with your time after you graduated from the Academy, it's bad for you.” Pumice retorted, closing the screen on her PDA. The faint green light snapped away with it. “Look at it this way, it's like a trust building exercise. You'll learn how to interact with those, to an extent, who may harm others, have a generous personality, and those who keep to themselves. Knowing how to confront the difficulties that they may provide and coming to a solution are important.” “And as the Element of Loyalty, I'm obligated to help my friends wherever and whenever they may need it.” Fleet said rather dreadfully, almost as if he were reciting lines he hated to repeat. “You still hold that true. I know you do.” “I'm tired of you reminding me.” “An honest reminder.” Pumice snickered. Fleet immediately groaned and rolled his eyes. “I apologize, that was terrible.” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, Twilight reserved a hotel for us at each location. Good rooms with a bath included. We'll stop in at the one in Applepoloosa and then begin our search again tomorrow.” “Great! I could use a break after nearly breaking my hoof against that cart.” “Oh please...” The train slowly whined its way down to the city, rattled lightly by small chips or bumps in the steel tracks. Some that worried a few passengers, stewards assured them that the tracks were fine and that bumps were minor. A combination of speed and wear. Then, just as Fleet fell asleep, he awoke to see the city before them. Buildings that dwarfed Canterlot Castle and Twilight's combined. Pumice and Fleet grabbed their bags once the train stopped and departed for the hotel Twilight had assigned to them. It was perhaps the largest hotel there but the exterior of glass and sandy plaster-looking columns made the building appear tasteless and out of place. The bakery and museum at its sides were much more inviting. Vivid colors and clear signs and large front windows but those were required for such things. Fleet and Pumice crossed the road with the feeling that it should be busier but night had fallen and most folks had taken to their beds to snooze away the night. Then arise again in the morning when they fall into routine once more. A cold breeze swept through and chilled the two of them before they opened the door to the hotel, a hearth of warmth and comfort. A glance surprised them, compared to the outside, the interior of the hotel was modeled after times of old when logs were both sides of the walls and leather was bound to all furniture. When inns and hotels hardly asked for a name. However, the hotel adopted newer systems of communication, allowing for tourists from all over the world to check-in far ahead of time. The reservations for Pumice and Fleet Forth, made three months in advance. Well before Twilight had contacted either of them. A cozy elevator took them to their floor, a room with a view, a bathroom, and two beds with some sweets arranged lovingly on the pillows. “Aw yes!” Fleet exclaimed, “Chocolate morsels!” Pumice smiled and bit into one, “Oh, strawberry. Hm hm hm, Twilight has certainly done her homework. Kind of concerning, honestly.” “Says the Element of Honesty.” he mocked. “I suppose it can be. She may have just asked our parents, or our grandmothers.” “True.” Pumice stared longingly out the window overlooking the nearby river. “We should get some rest. We've got another long day ahead of us after all.” “You can, I'm gonna watch the news for a bit. See if they found that princess up in the Crystal Empire.” “Just keep it down, I don't sleep well with a lot of noise.” A click of the remote and the TV lit up like a fireworks display. A few more clicks led to a late night news channel reporting the incident. The Queen distressed, the King worried sick. Her siblings concerned but too busy to comment. Several interviews with random citizens got opinions saying that Kyanite wasn't much of a princess if she was hermit. Another showed sincere concern saying that a loss in the royal family would be tragic. The search has only brought up the fact that she may be well out of the kingdom by now and on her way overseas to somewhere else. However, some claims have stated otherwise, saying that Kyanite is still in the kingdom. The search itself will soon expand to the outer lying and less populated areas of the Crystal Empire. “That's somethin'...” Fleet whispered aimlessly. He glanced over at Pumice, who lied under a thick blanket of varied white and brown pinstripes. She appeared to be calm but fighting a silent battle. Fleet looked away and covered himself up after turning the bedside lamp and the TV off. He imagined a coffee shop before falling asleep, one he had visited when he was younger. The memory became skewed and vanished as his mind turned elsewhere.