//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Royal Deceit // Story: The Disappearance of Pinkamena Diane Pie // by Alubrony //------------------------------// I hate train rides- I especially hate it when I’m alone. They just make me feel so helpless, as though I could be spending my time doing something important instead of letting the hours slip away watching the scenery pass by. At least with my friends we could pass the time enjoyably. I sighed, pulling myself away from the window and leaning back into my seat. The ride to Canterlot was significantly shorter than to Coltwood, but that didn't make the time go by any faster; in fact, it almost seemed to go by slower. Glancing over at my saddle bags, which were stuffed into a rack above the seat across from me, I began to feel the urge to read it again. I reached out with my magic, opening the left bag and pulling out Celestia's reply to the letter I had Spike send this morning before I left. Quickly unrolling the parchment, I looked over it once more. Come Quickly. -Princess Celestia At first, I had simply brushed it off as Celestia being worried or possibly too busy to give me a lengthy reply, but the more times I read it, the more it seemed to bother me. It was rather blunt to begin with. Even in the most dire of situations, letters from Celestia always began with "My Dearest Student". I also had tried my best to "play down" the seriousness of the situation. I hadn't included the details of our findings at the farm, nor had I mentioned Pinkie's last words before she disappeared. Not that I wanted to hide anything, of course, but I figured it would be better if I explained in person. Finally, something about the reply brought back the feeling of dread that had been bothering me in Coltwood. I couldn't be sure exactly, but Celestia knew something about all of this... I could feel it. Rolling up the parchment and stuffing it back into my bag, I leaned back into my seat and peered out the window. I had brought several books for the trip, but my mind was too distracted to really focus on any of them. "It just doesn't make sense. What could Celestia possibly know about this?" I spoke softly to myself. "Well, my dear Twilight, it is of my belief that the best things do not make sense." And just like that, this train ride immediately became worse. I turned to my unwelcomed company with a glare. "Discord, what are you doing here?" He was sitting with his legs crossed next to me. It appeared he had shrunken himself a bit in order to fit into the coach.  He began whistling to himself with a small comical halo above his head. "Oh please, Twilight, how could I NOT be here?" he replied while snapping his claws dramatically and making the halo disappear. "One of my DEAR friends is missing, and my other DEAR friend is here facing it on her own! Why I simply came to help!" he declared proudly before smacking his chest knocking a large circular hole in it. "Oh my, I guess I don't even know my own strength." He picked up the chunk and began screwing it back into place with a chuckle. I felt my teeth grinding at his infuriating display. "Discord, I am within a hair's breadth of blasting you out the side of this car if you don't leave this moment." My eyes narrowed as I began drawing magic to my horn, causing it to spark and flash in a magnificent display. The spell wasn't extremely destructive, but it would have enough force to knock him out of the window and, hopefully, into a tree passing by. I didn't have patience for his silly antics right now. He began to shiver, while large beads of sweat started dripping down his body. "Oh, what ever shall I do?" he asked, reaching an arm out to the sky and falling down into the seat dramatically, his eyes closed. Of course, I would never mistake this miserable display for real fear. Jumping on all fours, I tensed my body ready for whatever was to come. Discord peeked an eye open then snapped his claws, opening the window behind me. Surprised by the noise, I turned my head and then quickly regretted taking my eyes off my untrustworthy companion. Discord reached over and literally flicked my horn off my head and out the window. "DISCORD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My anger was absolutely boiling. One of my best friends was missing, and he wanted to just make a joke out of it? Who did he think he was? I lowered my head and began stomping the ground with my hoof ready to charge. I didn't have much room to get any real speed, but I didn't care. Discord simply sat there with an unimpressed look. "Really, Twilight? Like that would be any more threatening than turning your horn into a sparkler!" he spoke rolling his eyes. That's it. I charged, ready to drive my head into his gut, until he smirked and snapped his fingers once more. "Uh, uh, uh! Let's not get too feisty now." I found myself strapped to the seat in a straightjacket and a muzzle. "Ah, much better!" he spoke with delight as he reached into his ear and pulled out my horn. "Now, what do you say we have a more friendly conversation this time, hmm?" He began polishing my horn with the fur of his chest. I glared at him but nodded my head to signify that I agreed. "Good, Good!" He snapped his fingers again, and the restraints disappeared leaving behind a cartoony "Poof" spelled out in smoke. I swung my hooves clearing the smoke. Discord reached over and "screwed" my horn back onto my head. After he was done, I found I once again had control over the magic in my body and the air around me. I looked at Discord. As goofy as he was, he was immensely powerful, and I was honestly startled a bit by how easily he could literally turn this world upside down. Luckily, he was a goof, and the Elements of Harmony weren't going anywhere anytime soon. "So you want to help, you say?" I asked, eyeing Discord. Though I didn't fully trust his intentions, in the time since his "reformation", he hasn't been so much a villain as an annoyance. "Why, of course Twilight," he spoke matter-of-factly. "Isn't that what FRIENDS are suppose to do?" He looked at me with a crooked smile. I found myself struggling to keep my anger subdued. "Well, yes." I fought the urge to sound condescending. "But how exactly can you help Discord?"   He clutched his chest, appalled, "What could I do? Why my dear Twilight, I am a lord of Chaos! What couldn't I do?" A smug grin stretched across his face as he looked to the ceiling dramatically. "Act sane for once in your life." "Now Twilight, we both know there's simply no fun in that," he replied, crossing his arms. My hoof met my face as I gave a sigh. "This is why I don't like talking to you. My friend is missing, and you're just goofing off like it’s nothing!" I fell back into my seat, staring intently at the ceiling. "Come quickly," Discord spoke bluntly. I leaned up at once and looked at him. His expression had a harsh tone to it I had never seen before. "This letter has been bothering you, no?" He snapped his finger, causing Celestia's reply to appear in his claws in a small show of green flames. "Well, yes," I began, still in shock from his sudden change in demeanor. "I can't put my hoof on it... but it almost seems as if Celestia-" "Knows more than you've been lead to believe?" he cut me off, effectively finishing my sentence. The solemnity in his expression had not faded in the least. I was put-off, yet relieved. It felt as if I could actually trust in him, for once. "Exactly," I replied, and much to my surprise, I found myself smiling. It had never occurred to me that I could be capable of having any expression above a scowl around Discord. Then I was struck with realization. "Wait a minute! You know something about all of this, too! Don't you?" Discord looked at me with an expression that surprised me even more than his serious one. His eyes had a solemn feel to them, but his features were hard. It was the look of a pony who was putting everything on the line for what they knew was just a slim hope. Discord remained silent for a few more moments before turning away. "Twilight," he began, but shortly stopped trying to find the right words to say. "This road we're travelling on will be risky and dark. Honestly, not even I know where it will end up. But I want you to remember one thing," He turned to look at me. "What's that?" I returned his look, my mind racing from his words. "You're not the only one who has never lost a friend before." He raised his paw ready to snap his claws. "Discord, wait! Tell me what happ-!" Then he snapped and was gone. I sat there frozen for a few moments. My mind was going haywire trying to make sense of it all. Celestia and Discord knew something about Pinkie's disappearance. Whatever it was, it had them both worried. My confusion quickly turned to anger. "Dammit, Discord! Can't you ever just give me a straight answer for once!?" I yelled at the ceiling, throwing my hooves in the air before falling back into the seat. "Some help you were," I muttered. Slowly my gaze drifted back out the window. It wouldn't be too much longer till I reached Canterlot. My anger settled as I gripped to one last hope: Celestia wouldn't just leave me in the dark. I was her dear student, and I knew above all else that I could trust her. I knew it, and yet deep down, I had my doubts. Before long, we pulled into Canterlot station. After gathering my things into my saddlebags I trotted off the train to find four royal guards awaiting me. They stood in a small formation of what I assumed was the three lower ranked guards in the back while their commanding officer, adorned by his specialty silver armor, which signified his rank, stood in front.  As I made my way off the train and onto the platform, the officer approached me, his men jumping to attention. "Miss Sparkle." He flashed a quick salute. The display made me slightly uneasy. "I am Captain Silver Steam of Second Battalion Twenty-Fifth Guard. We are here to escort you to the castle and explain the castle protocols under its current alert status, Orange." I was caught off guard at his words. Why was the castle in a state of alert? Considering the fact that I apparently needed an armed guard to go to the castle, what exactly did “Alert Status Orange” mean? I'd never really taken the time to study military protocols in Equestria because, honestly, I'd never expected to have to deal with them. My brother's wedding was the first time I'd ever encountered any kind of highly elaborate defensive set up. Several times I would even wonder if the Equestrian Military was of any real need besides appearances. "It's-it's a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I'm afraid I don't quite understand though. Why is the castle in an alert status?" I asked, worried to what his answer might be. "Don't let it worry you, Miss Sparkle. The current alert status is simply for training purposes. Ever since the Changeling attack, the Princess has been ensuring we are prepared for any situation. Thus, we have drills such as these occasionally," he responded, never breaking his professional appearance. I gave a small sigh, relieved to hear that it was just a training-related event. However, a small bit of doubt began to creep in the back of my mind. This training had some very peculiar timing, and there was still the matter of Celestia's reply. "Well, it's good to hear that Canterlot is in good hands," I began, pushing my thoughts aside for the moment. "So, what exactly does Alert Status Orange mean?" "Alert Status Orange is used whenever there is believed to be a threat from a small number of individuals or, in some cases, a singular individual if the threat he or she poses is great enough." He paused for a moment, checking to see if what he said made sense. I nodded, signifying for him to continue. "While the castle is at this state of alert, ponies with a "Very Important Pony" status, such as yourself, will be required to have at least one guard with them at all times." This was discomforting news- not that I had anything wrong with adhering to policies and protocols, but I did like my privacy. "That's a little much, don't you think?" I gave an uncomfortable laugh. "I mean, I'm really not that important or anything." The Captain raised an eyebrow. "The Princess herself has appointed you, as well as all of your friends, with the status of VIP," Then he leaned in close. "And even if she hadn't, we would treat you just the same. You have saved Equestria countless times, after all." Great, doesn't look like I can just weasel out of this one. "Well, thank you." I tried my best to not sound disappointed. "Of course," he replied, sticking his chest out. He turned back to his men. "Corporal Bastion." The unicorn guard on the far right quickly ran over and stopped in front of the Captain and I. "Corporal Shielded Bastion reporting as ordered, sir," he barked, giving the Captain a salute. The Captain returned the salute, which they both cut at the same time. "Miss Sparkle, Corporal Bastion will be your personal guard during your stay at the castle. If you need anything or have any questions, direct them to him." Then he glared down at the Corporal. "And if he's any trouble, do not hesitate to report it to me directly." I swear I saw the Corporal shiver. "I'll be sure to do that Captain," I replied, trying not to giggle at the Corporal’s reaction. "Good. In that case, I will be taking my leave, Miss Sparkle." "Of course, Captain." He gave me a final salute, which still made me uncomfortable, and then turned to leave, the other two guards following in his wake. I looked over at the Corporal. Though I didn't have much of an idea of how the ranking structure worked, I knew that once you reached a certain rank the illusion magic that turned your coat to the brilliant white or coal grey colors was removed. The Corporal’s coat was a deep burgundy color and, judging by his tail, his mane was a dark blue with light blue highlights. I cleared my voice. "Well, Corporal Bastion, was it? My name is Twilight Sparkle." I gave a little curtsy after my introduction. He eyed me for a second before responding. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle. I am Corporal Shielded Bastion of Second Battalion Twenty-Fifth Guard." I noticed that his hoof flinched to salute me again, but he returned my curtsy with a bow instead. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Corporal, and please just call me Twilight. All of the formality is going to make me choke." I made a comical choking gesture which won me a few laughs. Sweet Celestia, I'm awkward. "Will do Twilight, and you can just call me Bastion. Calling me Corporal makes me feel like Captain Steam Ass is watching me." He smiled. "Captain Steam Ass?" I began to crack up at the unfortunate nickname. "How did he get that name exactly?" I asked, biting my lip to keep the laughs contained. "I'll tell you on the way up to the castle. Princess Celestia is expecting you, after all," he replied after chuckling a bit himself. His horn glowed and I felt the weight of my saddlebags disappear as he lifted them up onto his own back. I started to protest, but he was already walking towards the exit of the station. Rolling my eyes, I gave a sigh and quickly trotted over to catch up with him. As we made our way to the castle, I took note of all the groups of guards that were moving around. I could hear orders being barked, and occasionally the stallions would begin singing work songs. Some of the lyrics were fairly violent in nature, but many were actually pretty comical. In the air, Squadrons of Pegasus Guards were flying around in different formations. At one point, I noticed a few who were doing a mock mid-air battle. They dashed past each other, performing various loops and dives before coming within a touching reach of each other; then turning on a dime so that they could strike one another with the training spears that were attached to their flying harnesses.   Bastion also filled me in on the unfortunate details of The Captain's nickname. A couple of winters ago, the unit had been in a small town during a short operation in the mountains. The stallions had gone drinking at the local bar, and the Captain in particular had gotten extremely drunk. After getting into a bar fight over some mare, he'd tried to sit on a water heater effectively breaking the nozzle and filling the bar with steam. He'd gotten a pretty bad burn and had been graced with the title Captain Steam-Ass ever since. Except when he was actually present, of course. Finally we reached the entrance to the castle, where several guards had set up a checkpoint. Our identities were verified, allowing us to trot through the doors and begin heading down the main hallway, which contained the famous stained glass windows the castle was known for. "So, what does the Princess need?" Bastion asked, unaware that I had actually been the one to call for this little meeting. "Well," I began, unsure of how much to explain to him. "You see, one of my friends disappeared a couple of days ago, and I'm afraid the situation is a little more complicated than I first thought." He stayed silent for a few moments, seeming conflicted over what the right words to say in this case were. "I-I'm sorry to hear that," he finally stammered. "This must be hard on you, but I'm sure the Princess will know what to do." I smiled at his attempt to cheer me up. Little did he know, the Princess may very well be, yet another complication. "And I know that I probably wouldn't be much help, but if there's anything I can do..." He let his words trail off as he looked over to find me smiling. "Thank you, Bastion. It means a lot." He returned my smile then turned back forward. As he turned I spotted the smallest hint of a blush on his cheek. Suddenly, I began to feel very self conscious. Luckily, we had reached the gold-trimmed doors to the Throne Room where the day and night court was held, effectively distracting me from my fleeting embarrassment. We grew silent as we approached. The doors glowed with a golden magical aura as they creaked open. We were met with several rows of Royal Guards who immediately saluted my entrance in shocking unison. I took a deep breath as I stepped onto the violet rug, which ran all the way to the grand throne where my teacher sat. Celestia was regally perched with her back straight and her head held high. Her mane was flowing freely from the sheer amount of magical energy that was constantly flowing around her, invisible to the naked eye. Celestia looked down and gave us a warm smile as we strolled down the runway to the stairs at her hooves. "Twilight Sparkle, I'm so happy to see you." She gracefully stood from the throne to come meet us. Bastion and I immediately fell into a bow as she approached. "Please rise, both of you. I would prefer to keep informal when in the company of friends." "Of course, Princess," I spoke, rising with Bastion following suit; he seemed pretty nervous. I guess I would be too if I was in front of the pony considered to be the highest in my chain of command; though, I have been known to make a large scene over Celestia. Especially that one time I made everypony in town turn on each other because I was scared of turning in an assignment late. I'm a hypocrite, I get it. "It's a pleasure to see you as well, Corporal," Celestia spoke warmly, turning to Bastion. His legs trembled as he glanced uncomfortably at the ground. I was surprised to see that the Princess seemed to know Bastion personally. I guess it wouldn't be unheard of considering he was part of the Castle Guard. "The pleasure is all mine, Princess," he replied, nodding his head down respectively. "Well Twilight, they definitely put you in very capable hands when choosing your personal guard. The Corporal here is quite a hero." She smiled at Bastion with eyes that had a motherly sort of pride in them. "I had no idea, what did he do?" I asked, looking over to my bashful companion. He shifted around, uncomfortable with the sudden attention; it was kind of cute. "During the Changeling siege, the Corporal here led a small assault into the city, saving hundreds of ponies' lives." The Princess continued to smile down at the Bastion. He fidgeted in return. "Wow! That's awesome, Bastion!" Following Celestia’s example, I gave him a warm smile. He stared at me blankly for a second before turning his head away. "I-I was just doing my duty. It's nothing special." Celestia rolled her eyes and I laughed a bit at the display. Then Celestia's expression grew serious. She turned her gaze to the rows of guards by the grand doors. "If you wouldn't mind, gentlecolts, I'd like us to have some privacy." Though her wording was polite, her tone was more akin to that of an order. The guards instantly snapped to attention and responded with an "Of course, Princess" before turning and heading out of the door, shutting it behind them. Bastion turned to follow them. "You may stay, Corporal," Celestia advised, softening her voice a bit from the commanding tone she had taken. "Of course, Princess." Bastion turned again and took his place next to me. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, glad that I wouldn't be alone for this. Though I trusted Celestia, I just couldn't shake the feeling she was hiding something. "Now, Twilight," she began, turning to take her spot at the throne once more. "Please tell me everything about Pinkie Pie's disappearance." I took in a deep breath. The moment had come for me to see if my trust in Celestia was well placed. "Gladly." So I told her my tale. I started with the first signs that there was something wrong with Pinkie: the sudden lack of enthusiasm Pinkie had with her work and how she had begun to seclude herself. Working myself up to the intervention, I carefully watched Celestia's reactions. Though I knew what to look for, I found myself not wanting to see the signs. The whole idea that Celestia could be deceiving me made my heart pound against my chest with dread. I realized that part of me didn't want to know if Celestia was deceiving me, but I couldn't ignore the way her eyes would narrow at my words nor could I ignore her questions. Celestia kept going back to Pinkie's behaviors. She would ask for detailed descriptions pertaining to Pinkie's reactions. Occasionally, she'd even ask about her outward appearance. When I came to the story of Coltwood, I was taken aback by how uninterested Celestia had become. Just moments before she had practically been hanging on every word I said. It was like she was trying to be sure of something, yet she treated what we found in Coltwood as if it was old news. My mind was spinning. Celestia knew something. Sure, I had suspected it, but actually knowing? That was another matter entirely. My teacher, the pony I trusted more than anypony else, was actually hiding something from me and she was doing it, knowing full well that the information could help me find my missing friend. As my mind wrapped itself in circles, a new emotion began to build up: rage. First Pinkie, then Discord, and now even Celestia. Everypony was hiding secrets from me, and you know what? I was sick of it. I looked up at Celestia, barely keeping my voice even as I spoke. She sat there no longer as my teacher, but an obstacle. "And that is what has brought me here today, Princess." I finished up my story, almost spitting out those final words. Celestia eyed me carefully. I guess I would also be confused if my student had suddenly taken an attitude with me, seemingly out of nowhere. Oops. I shook my head a bit in an attempt to clear my thoughts. If I was going to find out anything, I couldn't let Celestia know I suspected her attempted deceit. "Thank you, Twilight. I know that this ordeal has been trying for you." Celestia stepped down and placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I will talk to Luna tonight once the Night Court has ended. I promise you, we will find her." Her tone was very affectionate, but it didn't comfort me in the least. I felt as if she was trying to shoo me away with sweet words. "Thank you, Princess." I tried my best to sound genuinely thankful. Celestia smiled and then turned to Bastion. "Corporal, why don't you take Twilight out into the city for a bit? I'm sure she could use a distraction.” She gave the Corporal a little wink. "O-o-of course, Princess!" he stammered awkwardly. I rolled my eyes. I don't know how he was imagining the rest of the day to play out, but I had no intention of getting "distracted". "Well, Princess, we'll be taking our leave," I spoke with finality, ready to get to the library as soon as possible. Already, there was a plan forming in my mind, and I needed to find the right combination of spells to ensure it went smoothly. "Of course, Twilight. You two have fun. I'll see you tomorrow." Then she turned to return to her throne as we turned to head out. I was already making a checklist in my mind of spells and tools I'd need. I had so much to do and such little time. As much as I wanted to rush off, though, I made sure to keep a natural pace on the way out. I didn't want to alert Celestia in any way. As the doors came to a close behind us, Bastion turned to me. "So what would you-" I swear I didn't mean to cut him off, but time was of the essence. I took off galloping down the hall leaving Bastion in the dust. He stood there, stunned for a moment before taking off after me. "Twilight, wait! Where are you going?" he inquired as he slowly began to catch up with me; in the moment, we burst out of the castle doors and down to the Royal Canterlot Library. "I'm going to find my friend!"