Like so many events that reached from the heights of power to the lowest of slums, this one began in the Palace of Canterlot. It began, in fact, at a party. Men and women bedecked in the garb of the wealthy and blue-blooded flocked through the chamber, the noise of their conversations nearly drowning out the musicians. Words laced with venom were fired between combatants in the politest of duels, sparring without drawing a blade as nobles with ancestry reaching back hundreds of years exchanged poisonous barbs with nobles who remembered what it was like to live among the people.
Twilight had little difficulty wading through her fellow nobles. Her expression was all they expected of Celestia’s legendarily reclusive student. Her very presence was a surprise, though many were appreciative of her and the gown in violet shades that presented the mage as only a master tailor’s work could. Scanning the groups, Twilight arrested her search when she finally found who she was looking for.
“Your Excellency,” she murmured, giving the woman before her courteous nod. The nobles gathered to hear her words were dismissed as the lady turned to the newcomer.
“Twilight!” Cadance said with a warm smile. She reached out, taking Twilight’s hand. “It’s been a week, and I’ve hardly seen hide nor hair of my saviour.”
Smiling back, Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?” she asked, her voice dropping. “I thought you’d have seen quite a lot of Shining this past week.”
The High Priestess barely suppressed the giggle that drew from her. In a week she had recovered more than should be possible, but given her ability to heal that was hardly surprising. The robe she wore was much more ornate than the rags she had been found in, though she took as much pleasure in the finery as Twilight did.
They shared a moment of silent amusement at their dressed up state, relief on Twilight’s face before it fell away. She hesitated until a concerned look from the other woman drew her confidence to the surface. Now was hardly the time to show nervousness, with the scheming nobles around them.
“Cadance, I...I wish I had noticed sooner.” Twilight didn’t need to explain what. She looked at Cadance with guilt filled eyes. “When we, well, not you, because she was….I didn’t notice. I was so focused on my studies, I just never thought about it until one day Spike pointed out you hadn’t come over, or invited us, in months.”
“Twilight,” Cadance interrupted, her soft voice growing stern. “Stop.”
Twilight stopped. She took a calming breath, but the guilt remained.
Taking her friend by the elbow, Cadance led her to a relatively private corner of the room. “There’s no need for you to apologise,” the priestess began. She shushed Twilight when the mage tried to speak. “Really. Your brother has been doing more than enough apologising for the entirety of Canterlot to be forgiven of any number of sins. Never mind that his mind was being influenced, the guilt is still gnawing at him. I won’t have you acting the same. You were both deceived and hurt. You nearly died, Twilight, and Shining Armour…”
Watching Cadance trail off, a look of worry on hre face, Twilight reached out. The physical contact was awkward, but it snapped Cadance out of her vague state. “Cadance?”
“Nightmares. We’ve barely left each other, and every night he has nightmares. The backlash from all that mental manipulation is hitting him hard. Trauma like that...I can’t heal his mind, Twilight. I almost feel like I can, but I can’t.” Shaking her head sadly, Cadance sighed. She pressed delicate fingers to her eyes as she closed them, massaging them for a moment. “To say nothing of the difficulty of cleaning house after that thing had so long to dig its claws into the church.”
The thought of the damage the strange woman, the self-identified Chrysalis, was in position to do made Twilight wince. Cadance wielded a lot of power, and her influence was often said to be second only to Princess Celestia. Twilight’s mouth drew into a frown as she contemplated that.
“Cadance...why didn’t Princess Celestia notice?” Twilight asked. “They must have met. Celestia is impossible to fool with illusions or concealment spells. She should have detected it immediately, and the Laws surely can’t prevent her from striking down a creature impersonating and keeping the Sun’s High Priestess prisoner.”
By the sigh she made, Cadance had been expecting this. She gave Twilight a weary smile. “I honestly don’t know. I don’t know much more about the Laws than you do. She’s the Sun’s Herald, I’m the High Priestess, I would have thought she could help me there. At the very least she should have been able to do so indirectly, without taking six months. The Laws only allow her to act to defend against any who directly attack her or another divine being, so perhaps Chrysalis found that loophole. I suppose we’ll find out soon.”
The answer satisfied neither of them. Twilight had seen an assassin bound and captured, shackled by magic in an instant, years ago after her first appointment as Celestia’s apprentice. She knew the demi-goddess was capable of defending those around her, for the assassin had gone for Twilight first. Whether he would have moved on into a pointless attempt to strike down the Princess, Twilight would never know.
The silence of their displeasure was broken by the arrival of an intruder to their privacy. He strode through the noble gathering, stopping to exchange a few quiet words, or a simple gesture to a particular person, yet each minor act was simply the habit of a lifetime. Walking in the halls of power for so long bred certain manners, and Prince Blueblood was nothing if not a testament to his bloodline.
“Your Excellency, Lady Cadance,” he said with a bow. His bow to Twilight was not quite as deep, yet still more than many of the watching nobles thought she deserved. “Lady Sparkle. It is a pleasure to see you both.”
“Your Highness,” Cadance replied, as both women made the appropriate returns of his courtesy. “It is good to see you in such fine spirits. I had hoped to see you here.”
The prince chuckled. “We are summoned, as every year, and nothing in the world could make me miss it. I am pleased to see you in such good health after your ordeal.”
“Thanks in part to you, so I have been told.” Cadance’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She had nothing against Blueblood, yet she found his rigid attitude abrasive. It had brushed her too often for her to lightly dismiss it.
Twilight nodded. “Yes. Without his artifact, we wouldn’t have been able to plan our trap.” She grimaced. “Ill-fated as it was, it still led us in the right direction.”
“Which, of course, reminds me.” Turning to Twilight, Prince Blueblood offered her a courtly bow. “The artifacts recovered from the creature have been safely stored away. I am sure your servant informed you I took them into my possession, but given their apparent value, the reassurance they will not be stolen again is not one I consider out of place.”
She gave him a tight smile. Applejack had indeed told her of his assurances to her, and it had been clear the ranger resented his use of her as a messenger. Given Applejack’s general attitude, she had a feeling this had more to do with Blueblood’s manner than anything else. She rather doubted he had politely requested Applejack take the message to her.
“I appreciate it, but I still don’t know what they were intended for,” she replied, tone turning thoughtful. She gently swirled her wine glass, not even pretending to touch the drink for more than keeping the servers at bay.
Blueblood raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his wine. “Intended for? Surely it was just their value. Such historical artefacts, not to mention the material and fine craftsmanship, could command great prices. I would have paid richly for such items.”
Twilight shook her head. “No. I am sure they are worth a great deal, but I get the sense it was something much less mundane. There are other, less easily identifiable things that could have been targeted if it was just the monetary value.”
Laying a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, Cadance smiled warmly with a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Even if you don’t, she’s gone now. You saw Shining Armour kill her, remember? Whatever plots that creature intended don’t matter anymore.”
“Indeed. Speaking of your...’friend’,” Blueblood said, his tone just dancing on the edge of implication. “And your brother, Lady Sparkle, but I fail to see the Lord-Captain. Should not the leader of Her Highness’s city guard be here, upon her return from her yearly seclusion?”
The women exchanged small smiles. Twilight answered; “Shining Armour had something important to attend to.”
“More important than a formal event?” asked Blueblood with raised brow.
Cadance nodded. “I’m sure Her Highness would agree, some things are much more important.”
*
“Grah!”
“You’re holding them wrong again.”
“Grah!”
Spike scratched his chin thoughtfully. “How long until she tries to throw one at him, you think?” he asked.
“Not fer another minute or two,” Applejack answered. The pair sat on the sidelines, the small sparring court empty save for them and the two sparring in the middle.
Shining Armour smirked, whipping the pair of short swords he held up to parry. His training blades, their edges dulled, caught the strike sent his way and bounced his attacker’s weapons to the side. Unfamiliar as he was with fighting so armed, he still dominated the fight.
“They’re not daggers, you can’t move as quickly with them. If you go for an attack like that, any swordsman worth the iron in their weapon will be able to easily defend against you,” he chided his opponent.
Gritting her teeth, Dash glared at him. “Yeah, yeah, you’ve said.” Her fingers tightened their grip on the hilts, her short swords matching his. “Like five times.”
“And I’ll say it another five,” Shining said calmly, “if that’s what it takes to get you to hold them right. Remember, your fingers need to be-”
“I remember where my burning fingers need to be!” Dash snarled, adjusting her grip and going for another attack. Her frustrated grew when he blocked her attack just as easily as before.
“Very good, much better,” he said, his tone placid and approving. “Of course, you’re still doing something wrong.”
She glared at him. “Well, tell me what is it then, since you seem to know everything!”
Their weapons filled the small training court with the music of blades clanging, metal ringing with each parry and blow. Shining Armour’s steady advance and retreat, relenting when he drove her past some invisible line, forcing her to alternate between attack and defence.
“You asked for his help,” Spike pointed out. He rested his chin on his hand, smirking and waiting for her to look his way. Goading Dash was turning out to be incredibly fun.
“I said I wanted to learn to fight better, and with something bigger than a dagger!” she snapped back. Untrained though she was with the short swords, and even outmatched, Dash wasn’t stupid enough to turn to glare at him, even though she really, really wanted to. Never take your eyes off your enemy.
Shining said, “Who better to help you than me? I think I kind of owe it to you. I can think on my own now.” He stepped back, his playful smile dropping for a moment. “Believe me...that’s not something you want to lose.”
Hesitating, Dash wasn’t sure how to reply to the suddenly serious turn their conversation had taken. She shook her head, and seeing Shining Armour focusing on her again, pressed the attack.
“Yeah, well, what am I doing wrong now?” she demanded, pushing past the awkward pause as she struck at him.
“I could tell ya,” Applejack called. She chuckled at the curse Dash spat her way. “Language, Rainbow.”
Spike leaned back, kicking his legs out as Dash went at it again. “So, what is it?” he asked in a whisper.
Leaning back as well, Applejack smiled before answering. She took her time, choosing a fruit from a platter of such. It was, of course, an apple. After a moment to favour the taste and texture, she finally got around to explaining it to the impatient boy.
“She’s angry. Y’all can see it, every time Shinin’ Armour seems to know what she’s doin’ before she does. Angrier she gets, stupider she fights. Gettin’ angry in a fight is a quick way to die, an’ I woulda thought she knew that.” Applejack bit into her apple again, chewing thoughtfully. “Got a lot on her mind, I guess. I know I do.”
He looked at her curiously. “You do? Like what?” As quick-witted as he could be, Spike still spent most of his time around Twilight, and in showed in a few areas.
“Private stuff.” That seemed enough to change the subject.
Spike’s eye twinkled mischievously. “Is it Rarity?”
“Huh?” Applejack stared at him bewildered. “How did-.of course, Twilight told ya.”
He nodded, grinning proudly. “Of course she did,” Spike agreed. He shrugged nonchalantly. “I can spit doom-beams, I get to know important stuff like that you’re old friends with someone like her.”
Applejack snorted. “Sure ya do. Ya never did mention the whole magic breath thing before.”
“Twilight doesn’t like me doing it. And, uh, Princess Celestia told me I should only use it when it was a really, really important, and I couldn’t avoid it.” Spike winced. “I hope she won’t be angry.”
Reaching over, Applejack gave him a pat on the shoulder. ‘Hard to imagine the lil’ fella knows Celestia so well.’ “Y’all were savin’ a friend. Can’t be nothin’ more important than that, an’ I’m sure she knows that.”
“And Rarity is your friend, right?” His cheeks warmed slightly, imagining the maid. “I met her when she delivered that dress…she was so...”
Applejack waited a few seconds for him to finish. Instead, Spike kept staring off with an expression better suited to someone remembering an encounter with divinity.
‘’Cept he brushes shoulders with the goddess all the time,’ she thought with a quiet chuckle. She nudged him, smirking when he nearly slipped from the bench in surprise.
“Thinkin’ about someone?” she teased.
“I-it’s not my fault she’s beautiful. She’d make a better noble lady than most of the ones who already are. Graceful, and beautiful, and elegant, and beautiful. Blueblood usually sends her when he tries to, you know, buy Twilight with gifts.” Now he scowled. “Stupid Blueblood, sending her on errands.”
‘He talks ‘bout Rarity with more reverence than he does the Princess.’ As amusing as that was, and Spike’s obvious crush on someone he didn’t really know, Applejack felt a cold knot return to her gut.
“So...Twilight say anythin’ about it?” Applejack tried to keep any hope from her voice as she asked. “I only really got to tell her I knew Rarity, an’ how she ended up there. I want to help, but I got no idea how.”
Spike gave her an apologetic smile. “Not really. She just told me you knew her, that she’s working for Blueblood to pay back a debt, and you were worried about her.”
“Yeah, I am. I wanna help her, but I doubt she’ll accept it, an’ how am I supposed to help her?” Applejack sighed. She closed her eyes, rubbing them wearily. “Anythin’ Twilight can do to help would be amazin’, but I guess she’s got more important things to do.”
“Hey, she’ll try to help. She’s probably just been reading books on debt and the law and stuff, and gotten so absorbed she hasn’t remembered to tell you about it yet. She’s done that heaps of times.” The dragonblooded boy snickered. “I ask a random question she can’t answer, then three weeks later she suddenly starts lecturing me on it and gets surprised I have no idea what she’s talking about because I just forgot about it.”
That brought a smile to Applejack’s face. “I’d believe that. Maybe it’s just that. Maybe...I sure hope so.”
“Twilight won’t let you down,” Spike said, his voice filled with confidence and certainty. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Twilight could and would do it. He was so certain that Applejack decided that, perhaps, he might be right. After struggling together, she knew she could trust Twilight.
*
Twilight waited for a lull in the conversation, trying not to fidget with giddy anticipation. It had been nearly a month, after all, since she had last seen her teacher, and she had so much to tell her.
“There was something I wanted to discuss with you, your highness,” she slipped in when her chance came. The prince looked at her, curiosity in his eyes. With a wine glass in one hand, he gestured for her to continue as he sipped it. “It’s about your maid, actually.”
“Hm? I can only assume you mean Rarity.” He smiled grandly. “Her work is rather impressive, is it not? Would you like another dress, perhaps?”
Twilight took a bit too much enjoyment in deflating the prince’s obvious hopes that he was making headway in his quest for a political marriage. “I’m afraid not. I was curious, however, as to how her contract can be nullified or purchased? I understand she signed a indenture contract to pay back a debt.”
He pursed his lips in thought, eyes narrowing. Cadance remained silent, knowing her only part in this conversation was as a bystander, but rather enjoying it. She sipped her wine, smiling as she settled in to see where this went.
“You seem curiously well informed. Ah, of course, your bodyguard. She must be from the same backwater as Rarity?” Blueblood chuckled richly. “Not that you could tell it by listening to her talk. I must admit, I was rather surprised myself. Why would you, Lady Sparkle, be interested in this matter?”
There was a time for cunning word games and political fencing.
“I want to pay her debt,” Twilight answered, promptly displaying that it was certainly not that time now. Not to say she didn’t understand it, answering his question without really answering the actual question.
He hid his surprise by raising his glass to lips again, little of the wine passing his lips as he took a particularly long sip. It wouldn’t do to get drunk in such company, after all.
“Indeed? How remarkable. I am afraid, my dear Lady Sparkle, that it is no longer a simple matter of money. The contract was signed in exchange for forgiveness of the debt. It was a stroke of good fortune that brought her into my service. I would be an utter to fool to allow her to leave now, would I not?”
Twilight frowned, crossing her arms. “I could simply give her the money to pay you back.”
His smile thinned slightly. “Did I not inform you it is no longer a simple debt? She has reimbursed me, by signing that contract.”
“A contract that will last her at least a decade,” Twilight remarked, fighting not to scowl. She tried to calm herself, but the idea of such a contract seemed utterly unfair to her. “I was rather surprised at how blatantly you took advantage of her misfortune.”
Blueblood stiffened, a flicker of insult in his eyes before he mastered himself. “Everything I have done,” he said, his tone dark, “was perfectly legal. I had the right to offer her another means of repayment, and I chose this one. Need I explain to you, Lady Sparkle, I could have offered her a lifetime contract, and seen her thrown in debtor’s prison if she refused? I may not have been kind, but I am by no means on the level of some extorting thug.”
Before Twilight could reply, a pair of delicate hands laid on their shoulders, Cadance’s touch gentle as she drew their gazes to her. She smiled calmly, the tension in the air immediately defusing.
“I’m sure Twilight didn’t mean anything of the sort. Surely there must be something she can offer you? After all, I understand Twilight would not be standing before us were it not for Miss Applejack, and she must be concerned for her friend. Am I correct?” Cadance withdrew her hands, but her smile remained. She reclaimed her wine glass from the table, though it remained as full as it been since she took it as a simple prop.
Twilight nodded. “Yes. Applejack has asked for nothing except my advice, and I want to do what I can. However much you value her services, isn’t there anything you want from me?” Her eyes hardened for a moment. “Besides the obvious.”
Princes did not grunt, and thus the sound Blueblood made could not possibly be a grunt. “Hrrm. I see.” He looked between the two, a thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes turned to the side as a door at the far end of the hall, previously unopened, began to part. “The time for conversation has, it seemed, passed us by. Come by my home, Lady Sparkle, and we can discuss the possibilities in more detail, if you wish.”
With only time to nod before setting off towards the door, the rapidness of Twilight’s departure might have been considered rude at any other time. Blueblood’s own hurried pace kept him just behind as he followed. They reached the set of grand, pale wood doors, carved with blazing suns, just as She strode into the room.
The sunlight streaming through the great glass window that dominated the far wall didn’t quite brighten, but it was though some filter that no one had ever noticed was lifted from their sight, letting them see clearly. The light that fell on her skin, a soft tan as though she spent her days dancing in the rays of the sun, was somehow purer around her. She strode into the suddenly silent room, multi-hued hair gently waving in a wind that didn’t touch her white robes.
Princess Celestia, demi-goddess, unquestioned ruler of the nation of Equestria, Herald of the Sun, Foundation of the Divine Barrier, walked with unearthly grace that made each step seem to send her gilding across the floor. Her robes were trimmed in gold, but otherwise remarkably simple compared to frivolously fancy designs of her nobles. That was not to say it was not a work of art in its own right, folds and creases in the robe turning the simple yet remarkable white cloth into something worthy of praise.
Celestia smiled, radiating a simple yet vast warmth to the hearts of all who saw looked upon the expression. She spoke, voice ringing with a note not quite within mortal hearing, “It brings me such joy to look upon you all once more, my dear subjects. I return from my seclusion within the heart of my palace, as I do every year, and once again you are here to greet me.” The voluminous sleeves of her robe fell back as her hands rose to shoulder height, open and welcoming. “Thank you. Enjoy the Fire Festival. When the Summer Sun Celebration comes, I hope you will join me again.”
With that she stepped into the room, signaling that her brief speech was over. Conversation was slow to return to the gathered nobles as Celestia turned her attention to her faithful student.
“Twilight,” she said warmly. She embraced the young mage despite the height difference, bending her nearly seven foot body to hug Twilight. “I would ask what you have to show me this year, but I already know you were even more active in my absence than usual.”
The knot of turmoil that that had been festering within Twilight only grew as she gave her teacher a weak smile. “Yes, it’s been...very busy.”
“And you have many questions, I’m sure.” Sorrow marked the divine ruler’s face, turning her eyes on Cadance. “And I am afraid I do not have all the answers. Especially for you, Cadance. Only apologies.”
Cadance offered a weak smile. “I had hoped my captivity had been part of a plan. I...had a long time to think of why a plan might involve you allowing me to remain that creature’s prisoner.”
“Blueblood, would you give the three of us some privacy?” Though she asked, Blueblood hardly took it as such. He bowed, not so much as a hint of dissent in his expression. “We can discuss the treasury afterwards, I’m sure.”
“As you command, Your Majesty,” he said as he stepped away. “I shall await your pleasure.”
“Thank you.” Turning back to them, Celestia gestured to a small room, one of the many that allowed those attending parties to slip off for quieter, calmer gatherings. “I regret I had to delay this meeting until now, but I have had...issues to deal with.”
Her serene mask didn’t falter, but Twilight could read a hint of tension in her teacher’s expression. Had she not endured the events which rocked the Solar Church, and her own comfortable life, Twilight would have been concerned. Now, she simply nodded, confident that their ruler understood the events that had occurred in her absence.
When the door closed behind them, Celestia promptly pulled them both into a fierce, tight hug. It was far more emotional, far more raw, as she held them.
“I am so, so sorry,” Celestia murmured. She slowly loosened her grip, but held them still. “I never imagined such things might unfold while I was gone. That you two, so close to being daughters to me, should have suffered so…”
Cadance smiled, though Twilight could tell the priestess was as shocked by the sudden explosion of emotional outburst as she was. “Please, auntie, we understand. The divine rules-”
“Meant nothing,” interrupted Celestia. She straightened, releasing them. Her hands remained clasped on their shoulders, and a deep sadness was etched into her eyes as she looked them both over. Her tone dropped, low and guilty. “I simply did not see what was going on. My Sight was fooled by that imposter.”
Twilight stared at her, blinking with disbelief. “I...what?”
Evidently more capable of speech, Cadance still looked just as shocked. “What do you mean? Is that why…I knew you wouldn’t have simply let her take my place, but how could she- nothing should be able to do that.”
Celestia began to pace, her worry not touching on her unearthly grace. “I do not know. She walked into my presence, and I had no idea she was not you. I must admit, the fault here is mine. I never turned my full Sight truly upon her. Why would I? I have raised you since you were brought here, and there was no reason to look upon you with my Sight.”
“This is…” Twilight shook her head, reaching up to rub her forehead wearily. “I had hoped that you let this happen, that there was some reason, or...I don’t know.”
“You thought I would have allowed Cadance to remain a prisoner, and your brother to lose his free will?” What could have been a bitter demand was, in Celestia’s voice, a gentle, probing question.
Twilight winced, but Cadance was the one who answered, “We both wondered, auntie. You have one foot in the divine; how else could we explain someone fooling you than to believe they didn’t?”
“I see. I afraid your faith in my power was unfounded, here. Despite what some preachers may claim in the streets, I am not all-seeing. Yet, I should still have been able to detect an imposter, no matter how much magic she garbed herself in.” Celestia fell silent, staring into the distance, seeing without the walls around them impeding her. “Even now, I cannot See what remains of her, where her soul has been sent. Whatever hid her may not have been capable of fooling my Sight had I focused on her with any real intent, but distance severs that purpose now, and that such a power exists is...alarming, to say the least.”
Twilight sat, heavily, into a chair. It felt like treachery to think it, to muse that her teacher could be blinded to the works of evil, but it had been a lurking, subversive thought buried in the back of her mind since rescuing Cadance. She twiddled her fingers, chewing her lip nervously.
“So...oh, long night.” Leaning back into the chair, Twilight sighed. “I was hoping you’d...I don’t know, make things make sense. Now I’m even more confused. I’m sorry, Princess, I-”
Celestia gestured, a smooth wave of her hand as if to brush Twilight’s worries away. “Please, Twilight, there is nothing to apologise for. You have performed wonderfully. I am so proud of you, for everything you’ve done while I was away. It does my heart more good than you can imagine, to know when I leave that you can take care of yourself.” Her lips curved up in a smile. “And that you have friends to help you.”
Twilight shrugged, looking embarrassed at the sudden turn their conversation was taking. “Well, I kind of...they probably felt they had to. It was me or prison, and neither wanted to go there. Applejack and Dash, I doubt they’re really want to be-”
“No.”
Twilight and Cadance stared Celestia in surprise, taken aback by the sudden energy that suffused her voice. The divine princess looked at Twilight with eyes glazed with power, and her voice took on a strange, resonating quality.
“They are just the first. They open the path to your destiny, Twilight Sparkle. Through them you will find what you have always sought, yet never realised you needed, and through you, they will reach heights never dreamed of.”
So few words, yet each was powerful, and as she spoke the last a shudder ran through her. Before them the energy seemed to drain from Celestia. She stood perfectly, inhumanly still, such that next to her the stone walls were given the cast of sand, crumbling against the tide of time that washed past her without touching her.
“...Princess?” Twilight rose, taking a cautious step towards her teacher. Confusion was written on her face in wide eyes and an uncertain light within them. “What was that? Are you okay?”
The stillness fell away from Celestia like a robe being thrown off, and she shook her head. “No. No, I am fine. A moment of insight. The cost of standing, as Cadance said, with one foot in the divine. For a moment, I Saw something...yet now it is gone.”
Silence fell, all three considering the words that had surprised even Celestia. Twilight mulled them over, trying to decipher them. It was clear that they meant a lot, but…
“Twilight,” Cadance said, interrupting her thoughts before they could continue to twist and run. “Whatever that was, I think I know what they mean.”
Twilight turned to her, expression rapt. “You do?” she asked, relieved.
Cadance nodded. “Of course. It’s obvious. You have friends, and whatever the future holds, your friends will be with you. You aren’t going to argue with a royal prophecy, are you?” Her tone became teasing, diffusing the tense mood set to swamp Twilight’s mood.
“I guess I can’t, if you put it like that,” Twilight admitted reluctantly, nodding.
Chuckling as she took Twilight’s hand with a motherly pat, Celestia drew Twilight back down into a chair and took the one next to it. “It seems my desire to catch up has been supplanted by something far more mysterious than anticipated. For now, though, these things are secondary. Right now, my faithful student, I want to hear about these friends of yours. Though I can learn many things, it is never the same as hearing it from you personally.”
“Well…” Settling in, Twilight turned her thoughts away from the mysterious prophecy, though she wanted to work on it feverishly. There were tomes on interpretation she could consult, cross-reference and analyse. Even so, she could not help but obey, beginning to tell the Princess how it all began. “I decided to deal with the thief running rampant through the High District, and that thief turned out to be Dash. She was going after Blueblood and I prepared a spell for it….”
*
Dash glared at Shining Armour. She was bent nearly double, panting.
“You might want to think about working on your stamina,” he offered helpfully. The magus offered her a skin of water. “Thirsty? A bit of upper body strength wouldn’t go amiss either. You’re fast, and agile, but a little bit more muscle would help.”
“Shut...up…” she panted. The thief reached up, snatching the water skin from him and pouring it over her head. Rivulets poured down her face, her brilliant hair hanging wetly. “Burning day…”
“No swearing in front of Spike,” Shining Armour warned her absently. He somewhat doubted it would do any good.Though he didn’t admit it, he was impressed. Dash was taking to fighting with a pair of short swords faster than he had imagined, and for all her show of annoyance at his instruction, she was paying attention. “You’re faster than me, you know.”
Dash scowled. It looked more like a sour pout to him, one that reminded Shining of Twilight whenever she had been told to go to bed without being allowed to finish some reading as a child. He fought back a smirk at the thought; Dash would probably take that as taunting her.
“You are,” he assured her. “Speed doesn’t make up for experience, though. I spent some time in Cloudsdale, and even the Wonderbolts know that just being fast isn’t going to win. Experience and finesse are the key.”
“Wonderbolts?” Dash gave him a look that was more curious than indignant. “Heard that somewhere before…”
He raised an eyebrow, dropping back into an aggressive stance. “Remember, hold them the way I told you,” Shining instructed. “The Wonderbolts are the elite of Cloudsdale’s warriors. Each one has magic items made just for-”
He attacked without warning, leading blade slicing out mid-sentence. Dash reacted with admirable speed, managing to keep the guardsman from landing a clean blow. She hissed where his other sword grazed her arm.
“Made just for them. You’d be amazed at how frustrating it is trying to fight off half a dozen elves that flit about where you can’t hit them,” Shining Armour continued nonchalantly. “Fortunately, one of my friends was really good at throwing things, and the other was Time Turner, so we managed to deal with them. Without killing any, too.”
“They don’t sound...so tough…” Dash panted, working her weapons with furious speed to keep him from landing another blow.
Shining Armour grinned. He had picked up a few facts about the thief from his sister. “They can fly,” he said.
She only hesitated for a moment. "So? Why would I care?"
"Well, Twilight mentioned you found the thought of flight spells pretty interesting. You never know, maybe they accept half-elves." He jerked suddenly, weapon slicing through the air. Dash’s was torn from her grip, bouncing across the court. Shining answered her scowl with a smile. “Want another try?”
“You bet I do,” Dash growled. Retrieving her weapon. she squared off for another go. “This time, you won’t get so lucky.”
Watching the pair spar, Applejack’s thoughts drifted over the conversation she’d had with Spike. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, watching him stare into the distance with an unexpectedly bleak, and guilty, expression.
“Spike?” she asked, reaching over to poke his shoulder. The mournful look on his face reminded her of the time Apple Bloom’s kitten had died. “Got somethin’ on yer mind?”
“Yeah…” Spike kicked his legs idly, his expression slowly falling into dourness.
She gave him a curious look, one that soon developed into concern. The background noise of the Lord-Captain of the Guard teaching a mouthy street thief how to use short swords became far less less important as she focused on Spike. He sighed, rubbing the corners of his eyes where his skin showed hints of purple scales.
Always a direct soul, Applejack didn’t dance around the bush. “Somethin’ wrong, sugar?” she asked, her voice quiet and gentle. “I’m sure ya won’t get in any trouble.”
“It’s not that.” Spike grimaced, sighing again.
Her worried frown grew when he failed to elaborate. She’d never had a little brother, but Applejack recognised when a problem was just nagging away at his insides, as sure as she would have recognised it in her little sister. Leave it to fester, and they’d end up with another exploding tree. That had been a little girl without magic. Applejack shuddered to think of what a boy being taught magic by a wizard of Twilight’s obvious skill could do when upset.
“So what is it?” She gave him a poke, replacing her frown with a smile. “Ya can tell me, ya know.”
Spike seemed to consider it for a moment before looking away, hesitating and looking away with a small shake of his head. She leaned closer.
“Promise I won’t tell Twilight,” she added, guessing.
“I…” Spike ran a hand through his short, spiky hair before shrugging. “I kind of had to run off from a friend when I saw that wererat in the sewers.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I thought y’all were on yer own down there,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, I also kind of lied about that. I didn’t go exploring on my own, you know, I’m not an idiot.” Spike stared off distantly, shoulders slumped. “Well, I did at first, but when I ran into her, and we were both exploring, it was more fun to do it together. Safer too.”
“Ya left her in the sewers then, an’ ya feel bad? Wait, down near where that damn rat was?” Applejack’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Spike held his hands up defensively. “I didn’t just leave her there, they’d already left, and I had to come warn you guys. I couldn’t drag her with me, she could have gotten hurt, and Scootaloo is my friend. We promised that everything outside of exploring wasn’t going to get in the way, and that includes evil wererats trying to murder Twilight.”
“Right…so ya feel bad about runnin’ off on her?” Rubbing her chin, Applejack tried to get to the core of the issue. There had to be something more, she was sure.
Nodding, Spike reached down, one hand running across the hilt of the dagger. Shining Armour had insisted he keep it, and Twilight had eventually conceded. It had been hard for even her to argue against it after recent events.
“I’m not going to get to explore again,” Spike explained. His voice matched his expression; flooded with misery. “Twilight knows all about it now, and she’s not letting me go anywhere with her, or you guys, and she’s not going to let me go exploring ever again. Scoots is just going to think I ran off on her, and then when I don’t show up like usual next time, or the time after….”
Applejack patted him on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t feel bad, I’m sure ya can work out a way to let your friend know it ain't nothin' personal."
"I just hope she's alright. She's my friend..." Spike blew out weary sigh. "What if something happened after I ran off?"
"Then I'm sure she can deal with it. Kept up with you on yer explorin', right?"
"Yeah." He nodded, a small smile on his face. "She's tough. She'll be fine." 'I hope.'
*
Scootaloo shrieked as the seemingly steady stone gave way beneath her. The hard packed fragments, jammed into a crude dam over the cracked wall, fell away. She went completely still, balanced precariously on one foot, her hands gripping familiar alcoves tightly. Her foot dangled in the empty, rancid air of the ancient well.
A few seconds later, the fallen debris hit the distant ground with wet, gurgly splashes. They joined the a few pebbles in the muddy, murky mix at the bottom of the well. She gulped, pulling her foot back and gingerly finding another foothold.
‘This place is really starting to fall apart,’ she thought with a gulp. Resuming her climb, Scootaloo paid a little more attention than she had before. Just because she had climbed this ancient well a hundred times was not, as the close call reminded her, any reason to be so casual about it.
The dim ringing of the streets and the dull glow of light above grew closer and brighter as the girl climbed, slowly retracing a vertical path she had traveled often enough to get overconfident. The decaying scent of the sewers below faded, a soft breeze bringing the spicy, meaty smells of the market. Scootaloo emerged after long, familiar minutes of climbing to mouth watering scents.
She clambered into the mouth of the oversized pipe. All it took was a few steps and she was at the rusted bars, looking down upon the market. Slipping her legs through the bars, Scootaloo leaned against them to stare across the colourful riot of markets and customers.
Finding this had been a complete accident, but happy one. The young thief smiled, eyes lidding and shoulders slumping. No one looked up, no one bother to notice the scrawny legs hanging out. Why would they? The ancient, crumbling wall that formed the southern boundary of the market was the only sign of the market’s closeness to the built up stonework of the middens, and the stone pipes were so old and familiar, leading nowhere and too dangerous for the guard to investigate, that they had become part of the background.
Scootaloo took a breath of the warm air. She was above the hubbub of the crowd, above the suspicious, watchful eyes of merchants and guards, above the jealous glares of other pickpockets. Here, no one could hate her, no one could judge her, no one could... abandon.. her. Here, she was safe, and no one could see her-
“Hey, what’s that up there?”
Scootaloo all but threw herself back, covering her mouth with her hands to muffle the yelp of pain from her rough landing. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling of the pipe with eyes wide in terror.
‘Did they see me? Night night night! I hope it wasn’t one of the others, this is my spot, I don’t want them here!
“I can’t see anything,” another voice answered the first. “Maybe you’re seeing things? Your Granny said the city made people go funny.”
The first voice replied, curt and pouty, “Ah coulda sworn Ah...oh, never mind! We gotta focus on findin’ our sisters.”
“But we’ve been searching all day, and I’m hungry,” whined the second voice. “Can’t we get something to eat?”
Slowly, carefully, Scootaloo rolled onto her front and crawled towards the opening. The rusted grate left more than enough space between bars for her to poke her head out, just enough to see. She knew even as she did it that it was a bad idea.
‘They sound my age, but that whiny one sounds all fancy.’ A grin spread across Scootaloo’s face as she peered down. ‘Maybe fancy enough to have some gold on her…’
The only people looser with money than nobles were noble kids, rare as they were without bodyguards this close to the middens. Yet she found, to her annoyance, the well-spoken girl below didn’t look like a noble. True, her dress was better quality than anything you’d find in the middens, but it was hardly what some noble brat would have.
The other girl, one with bright red hair, hands on her hips, scowled at her better dressed companion. “Sweetie Belle, ya know we gotta be careful. We only got so much till we’re all out.”
“I know.” Sweetie Belle, apparently, pouted. “We should have waited longer, Apple Bloom. It’s nearly my birthday, I bet I could have gotten some more silver from my parents.”
‘She sounds like a noble brat, but she doesn’t look like one. Weird.’ Scootaloo’s nose scrunched in an expression of frustration.
Apple Bloom crossed her arms, fidgeting on the flat stone ridge the pair occupied. Almost directly below Scootaloo’s perch, it wasn’t hard for the young pickpocket to work out they must have clambered up here for a better view. As she watched them bicker, she noted everything she had been trained to. Their money pouches, she saw, was in the most obvious of places, where anyone with half a mind could pluck it before they were any the wiser. The redhead, Apple Bloom, didn’t warrant much attention in her well-worn, beaten overalls. Farm clothes, obviously. Farmers were only worth pickpocketing after they’d brought their harvest in for sale, and she someone doubted this farm girl had much on her.
“I can’t believe no one has seen them! I mean, Rarity always looks so pretty when she wants to show off, how could they not remember her?” Sweetie Belle’s tone hadn’t dropped from its whining pitch.
Giving her friend a shrug, Apple Bloom sighed. “Ah know. Ah was really hopin’ someone woulda seen Applejack. We came all this way, the least they could do is be easy to find.”
Sweetie shuddered. “I really hope we find them before Granny Smith catches up with us.”
“Granny won’t be followin’. Her hip ain’t what is used to be. An’ why would she come anyway? Not like she cares about Applejack.” Apple Bloom’s heated tone became sour as she spoke.
‘So, they’re new here, and she said something about finding their sisters… Scootaloo started to smile. ‘Oh man, this is too good! Dash said rubes are the best marks!’
Before her newfound confidence could flee at the thought of Dash, Scootaloo leaned forward.
“I can help, you know,”
They both jumped, letting out brief shrieks of surprise. For the sake of all involved, the overwhelming chorus of the market below drowned out the sounds. Apple Bloom whipped around, eyes zeroing on the tunnel mouth above them.
“Ah knew Ah saw somethin’ up there! It’s not polite, sneakin’ up on others like that.” Apple Bloom pointed a reprimanding finger at Scootaloo, who grinned merrily down at her. “How long’ve Y’all been there?”
“Long enough to know you’re real new to the city, and don’t have any idea how to do anything here,” answered Scootaloo. She answered the tongue Apple Bloom stuck at her with a smirk.
Sweetie Belle tugged on her friend’s sleeve, displaying none of Apple Bloom’s agitation. “Apple Bloom, stop it. She’s from here, maybe she’s seen them.” The unmistakable note of hope hung in her voice as she looked up at Scootaloo. “We’re looking for our sisters. My sister, Rarity, she had purple hair that’s all in this big curl, and she likes to dress all fancy.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Nope, haven’t seen her,” she said cheerfully.
“Aww.” Sweetie let out a sigh of disappointment. “Oh well.”
“Real useful. Come on, Sweetie, let’s go find somewhere we won’t have someone sneakin’ up on us!” Grabbing her friend’s hand, Apple Bloom turned to lead off. A tug from Sweetie Belle brought her up short, and she turned back to look at her. “What?”
“Ask her if she’s seen Applejack,” urged Sweetie. She gave first Apple Bloom an encouraging smile, then another for Scootaloo. “Her sister is supposed to be here somewhere too.”
“‘s not like she’s gonna know.” Crossing her arms, Apple Bloom gave their intruder a glare. “An’ Ah don’t appreciate people sneakin’ up on me and listening to me.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “I was here first. This has been my spot since forever.”
“See, she lives here! It can’t hurt to ask, can it?” Sweetie pulled Apple Bloom back, giving her a pleading look. “Please?”
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Apple Bloom’s shoulders slumped. “Fine, fine. My sister, Applejack, she’s real tall, an’ got long blonde hair. She’s got a hat too, oh, and a real big sword, and-”
“Freckles?” The question left Scootaloo’s mouth before she knew what she was asking. Blinking, she realised where the question had come from; the woman she had seen Dash with. It had been only a small glimpse as she followed the pair, but the tall woman with the big sword had had freckles.
Apple Bloom stared at her for a moment, eyes wide in shock. “Y-yeah! Applejack’s got freckles! How’d ya-”
“Long leather coat?” Scootaloo interrupted.
In answer, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle squealed excitedly. “Your sister always had that big coat! Rarity was always complaining about it!”
“That’s her! Ya’ll’ve seen her!” Apple Bloom’s expression shed any hint of her annoyance with Scootaloo as she almost jumped in joy. “Where is she? Ah gotta find her!”
Pulling herself closer to the rim of the stone pipe, Scootaloo sat up on the edge. ‘That’s the woman I saw with Dash! If these two are looking for her, maybe…’
“I don’t know where she is now,” Scootaloo began, talking faster when she saw the look on Apple Bloom’s face. “But I’ll help you find her.”
“Ya will?” Apple Bloom frowned; her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why would ya do that? Granny always says there’s some slick cityfolk that’ll call ya friend while they steal yer pants.”
Sweetie Belle beamed, clapping her hands together with a squeal. “Don’t worry, Apple Bloom, I’m not wearing pants.”
“...” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both stared at the smiling girl for a few seconds.
“...right...uh, okay...well, I never said I’d help you for free. You’ve got money, right?” Scootaloo leaned down, practically tipping over the lip of the pipe. “You share that with me, and I’ll help you look.”
Scrutinizing Scootaloo, Apple Bloom gestured at Sweetie Belle to step away from Scootaloo. They brought their heads close together, whispering to each other and occasionally shooting Scootaloo looks.
Watching the pair huddle up, Scootaloo tried not to smile. Hard Knocks wouldn’t care how she got money, but so long as she got enough and reported it each day, she could spend her time as she wanted. All she had to do was pretend to help these two, and they’d be paying for her to stay out of trouble for a few days.
‘And you might get to see Dash,’ whispered the little part of her that dared hold on to hope. Shaking the thought from her head, Scootaloo was pulled from her introspection by the girls below.
“We still need enough for food, an’ someplace to stay,” Apple Bloom announced. She stood with hands on her hips, giving the thief above a hard stare. “But if y’all can really help us, we’ll share what we got.”
Scootaloo grinned. “Awesome!” She dropped down, landing nimbly in front of them. “I’m Scootaloo!”
“Ah’m Apple Bloom, but Ah s’pose ya’ll already heard that, didn’t ya?” Sticking out her hand expectantly, Apple Bloom caught Scootaloo’s in a firm handshake. “This is Sweetie Belle. We’re from Ponyville.”
“Why would you name a place after ponies?” Scootaloo asked with a confused frown. She flexed her hand when it was released, wincing.
“What’s wrong with ponies? Ponies are the best!” demanded Sweetie Belle, finally looking something other than happy. “Rarity promised she’d get me a pony when she made it big.”
Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a helpless shrug, apparently used to such a vehement defense of little horses. “They used to raise ponies or somethin’ in the fields before they built the town, an’ the name stuck, Ah think.”
“Weird. So, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, we’re gonna find your sisters.” Scootaloo gave them a confident grin. “This is my city, after all, and I know it like the back of my hand!”
“Where are we going first?” asked Sweetie Belle with a hopeful smile. She bounced excitedly. “You must know the best place.”
Even as Scootaloo opened her mouth to answer, another reply was forthcoming. More accurately, three replies, none of them involving a single word. Their stomachs grumbled, loud enough for each to hear, and they stared silently at each other for a few seconds. A blush lit up Sweetie’s face, while Apple Bloom rubbed her stomach with a groan.
“...to get something to eat?” Scootaloo suggested weakly.
*
“I pray your time with Her Highness,” Prince Blueblood began, swirling his glass of wine gently,” Was as fruitful as my own.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as he stopped next to her. “Isn’t that the same glass you’ve had for an hour?” she asked.
The prince smiled elegantly. “Lady Sparkle, one learns not to partake at events such as this. They are as much a duty as a pleasure, and as I’m sure your brother would tell you, drinking on duty is in rather poor taste.”
“Worried someone might try and take advantage?” she snarked before her filter could catch it. Twilight grimaced, glancing out the window, tracking the sun’s place.
He followed her look, chuckling quietly. “I am sure Her Highness would never complain if you left early.”
“And leave the nobles to gossip and whisper about how I ran off the moment my private audience with her ended?” Taking a delicate bite from a little confection of sugar and fruit, Twilight took the small chance to think before she continued. “Would you be willing to return to our previous discussion, your highness?”
Stepping further into the alcove Twilight had hidden herself away in, Prince Blueblood nodded. He reached out as a server passed, deftly swapping one glass of wine for another, liquid gold for a deep red. “But of course. Whatever your reasons to seek her services, or emancipation, Miss Rarity is indentured to me and I am under no obligation to sell that contract, regardless of what you offer.”
‘At least he’s willing to be direct about it,’ Twilight thought, suppressing a frown. “I am aware. But I’m guessing you have an alternate payment in mind?” Her eyes flashed with emotion for a moment. “I hope it has nothing to do with marriage.”
“I rather doubt a sense of debt you hold towards a criminal bodyguard is enough to change your mind,” he replied calmly. Blueblood brushed a few strands his blond hair out of his eyes as the glass rose to his lips. It left, not so much as a milliliter actually gone from it. “But perhaps you would be willing to undertake a minor service for me. An...acquisition, of sorts.”
Twilight gave the prince an appraising look. “For your collection? Didn’t you just get a few new additions?”
He smiled back, unruffled by the reminder. If anything, his smile grew at the thought of the stolen relics now sitting in his vaults, not even the money paid to the relatives of their deceased owners’ disturbing his pleasure. “But of course. I am always seeking to add to my collection, Lady Sparkle, and I rarely have issue with money.”
“Which means whatever you want you can’t buy.” Understanding flared in Twilight’s suspicious stare. “I want something I can’t buy, and so do you.”
“Precisely. As sharp as ever, Lady Sparkle. What I want is not something any random wandering adventurer or mercenary could get me. In fact, you would be rather uniquely placed to acquire it. Who else but the Princess’s own student could possibly venture where it lies?” Blueblood couldn’t hold back the self-satisfied smirk as he added, “And who but one of a royal line could have deciphered it’s location?”
There was, Twilight knew, some catch in this. With one thought she considered the last report she had read, gathered by the gate guards, of the number of travelling heroes, adventurers and miscellaneous armed busybodies that flowed through Canterlot. With another thought she weighed what she knew of Blueblood’s wealth, generated by a dangerous combination of family money, personal prestige and business acumen that had earned him the responsibility of the royal treasury. What, she wandered, could be out of his reach?
Her eyes widened in realisation. Blueblood’s smirk only grew. He leaned in, his voice dropping to whisper that was nearly drowned out by the noise of the party.
“I want you go below, Lady Sparkle, to venture under our fair city. All you have to do to find my prize, to earn Miss Rarity’s contract, is go there. Go... into Old Canterlot.”
*