//------------------------------//
// Breakdown of Negotiations 
// Story: The Breaking of the Storm 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 3: Breakdown of Negotiations

"Are you alright?" asked Dawn, watching as Arkenstone sorted the spices for one of his tea blends for the fifth time in a row.
Arkenstone's ears swiveled in Dawn's direction.  He was a well-built stallion, about average in size, but showcasing chiseled, well-defined musculature that was the envy of many bodybuilders.  His coat was a mild beige color, whilst his mane and tail were a chocolate-brown shade.  Arkenstone's flank was decorated by a cutie mark shaped like a pair of crossed swords, gray with black inlays.  The stallion's eyes were perpetually closed and he was completely blind.  Whenever those eyes opened, which was rare, they were a milky, featureless white that gave Arkenstone a fearsome, almost inequine quality that could be both unsettling and intimidating.
Normally, he was a pillar of serene calm, particularly to Dawn.  Arkenstone's relaxed, easygoing attitude was a result of his immense experience as a member of the Celestial Order of Knights.  The Knights were sworn to the service of Equestria, with an authority that rivaled that of Princess Celestia herself whenever she was not present.  The Knights lived quiet lives, frequently masquerading as something or somepony else and never revealing themselves publicly.  For that reason, very little was known about their membership and most ponies believed them to be tall tales outright.  But, in fact, they were an order of the most powerful ponies in all of Equestria, each of them individually capable of routing entire armies on the battlefield.  At present, there were only seven.
However, on this day, Arkenstone's normally calm demeanor was notably absent, instead replaced by an uncharacteristic nervous tension that made itself apparent as the stallion fidgeted and fretted, making otherwise easy and mundane tasks take much longer than they normally did, whether it was washing the same table three times or reorganizing the kitchen for the fourth time in a day.  It was painfully clear that Arkenstone's mind was elsewhere.
"I'm fine," replied Arkenstone.  His tone was calm and relaxed, but he quickly turned to restart the process of sorting that he'd just restarted...again.
"I can't help but think otherwise," said Dawn, raising an eyebrow, "You're worried about something."
It was merely a twitch, just the barest jolt from Arkenstone's muscles.  But it was enough for Dawn to tell that his guess was spot on.  Given the fact that Arkenstone appeared to respect Dawn's agency as a fellow martial artist, it was unlikely that whatever had the stallion so worried concerned Dawn directly.  "Is it something with Miss Twilight?"
Another jolt confirmed Dawn's suspicions.  He sat and waited, head slightly canted to one side, both ears pointing upright attentively.
For a moment, it looked as though Arkenstone was simply going to carry on as though Dawn hadn't said anything.  Then, the blind stallion let out a resigned sigh and pulled away from the counter to sit in front of Dawn.
"She's meeting a Baron of the Noble Court right now," said Arkenstone.
Dawn's lips pressed together tightly and his brow furrowed as he thought about what that meant.  It was common knowledge to Twilight's close friends that members of the Noble Court had been seeking ways to manipulate Twilight Sparkle with the goal of making use of her close relationship to Princess Celestia for their own ends.  Dawn had been the subject of those machinations himself.  He'd seen and experienced the full extent of the influence that certain member of the Noble Court had...
...And Twilight was meeting with one of them directly.
That most certainly was troubling news.  "Shouldn't you be with her then?" asked Dawn, looking up at Arkenstone.
Arkenstone let out another sigh.  "Twilight wanted to try this on her own and, as much as I would like to protect her constantly, I can't be looking over her shoulder all the time.  It's for the best that she try to fend for herself as much as possible."
"But that doesn't make it easier to not worry," Dawn pointed out.
Arkenstone shook his head.  "No.  It doesn't."



Twilight stared incredulously at the Baron across from her.  I can't believe that he'd seriously think that I'd go along with this, she thought.  In front of her, Elderflower was calming himself down, clearly a bit embarrassed about having gotten so worked up there for a moment.
Behind Elderflower, the door back into the library opened and Spike came ambling out, balancing a tray with a pot of tea and a pair of cups.  He set the tea down on the center of the table and left without a word, casting a nervous glance over his shoulder at Twilight as he went.  She gave Spike the tiniest of nods and the dragon took his leave.
Using her magic, Twilight poured the tea for both of them and then took a sip to steady her nerves.  It was her favorite oolong blend, one that Arkenstone had mixed especially for her.  The heady aroma of spices swirled up into her nasal passages and calmed her slightly.
Across from her, Elderflower raised an eyebrow as he tasted from his own cup.  "My," he said, "This is quite a remarkable flavor.  I don't believe I've ever tasted its like and I have some of the finest teas in all of Equestria imported directly to my estate."
"It's a local product," said Twilight, unable to hide a proud smile, "Arkenstone creates his own blends and sells them at his teahouse, which is right next door."
"Ah yes, Arkenstone, your..."
"Coltfriend," said Twilight flatly, her eyes narrowing as she cut off whatever patronizing and demeaning term Elderflower was going to use to describe her special somepony.
"The earth pony, right..."  Elderflower took another sip of the tea, clearly approving of the flavor even if he probably didn't approve of where it came from.  Setting the cup down, Elderflower slowly shook his head.  "I don't know what you are hoping to accomplish by allowing him to court you, but it surely can't be worth the price you are paying for such associations."
A few faint wisps of smoke rose out of Twilight's mane and it took all of her willpower to keep from bursting into flame on the spot.  "If anything," she replied, not able to completely keep the anger humming through her veins from leaking into her tone, "I'm the one courting him."
Elderflower froze.  Though her response hadn't left him completely slack-jawed, he was now looking at her with startling intensity.
"The only thing I am hoping to accomplish in our relationship is to someday settle down with somepony who cares about me, who loves me as I love him, and build a family," snarled Twilight, "There's no ulterior political motive, no sneaky power play.  As far as I'm concerned, there isn't really a price I'm paying for that."
If Twilight had to compare Elderflower's expression to anything, she'd say it was like an elementary-level student who'd only just learned basic multiplication trying to grasp the principles of advanced quantum physics, as though Elderflower was trying to wrap his head around a concept that was completely beyond his comprehension at the moment.
"That...is extraordinarily unwise," said Elderflower finally, "You need to realize that the price of such things is very high, Dame Sparkle.  Your name and the name of Princess Celestia are at stake.  Lowering yourself to associate with ponies beneath your station in such a manner will diminish your standing-"
"My standing," snapped Twilight, glaring all the harder at Elderflower, "is just fine.  The ponies whose opinions actually matter fully approve of our relationship and I haven't the least concern for what anypony else might think..."  Her eyes narrowed dangerously at Elderflower.  "...no matter what their rank might be.  Steel Flint said a lot of same things to me.  Maybe you should ask Arkenstone what happened to him."
Admittedly, using Arkenstone's combat prowess as a threat against the Baron was something of a low blow for Twilight, particularly because, if Elderflower called her bluff, then she would be forcing Arkenstone to do to Elderflower what he did to Steel Flint.  She realized, at that moment, she'd made a poor decision to bring that up.  If she forced Arkenstone to follow through on her threat, then she was simply turning him into a tool to use against her enemies.
Please don't go through with it, Twilight pleaded silently.  It was too late to retract her words now.
Elderflower coughed somewhat nervously.  "Thank you," he said, "But I think I'll take you at your word.  I apologize for my harsh remarks.  I sometimes forget that not everypony thinks the same way I do."  He gave her an apologetic look.  "I hope that you'll forgive me, but sentiments such as the feelings you speak of are something I do not have the luxury for."
I'd think that all you'd have time for was luxury, thought Twilight irritably.  It wasn't as though the nobility had any actual obligations expected of them anymore.  "If you consider something like being in a loving relationship to be a luxury, then perhaps you need to reconsider what's truly important to you."
The Baron frowned at her.  "I'm afraid that's a commoner's perspective.  However, my work is far too important to spend on the things you suggest, so they remain mere frivolities to me."
That's your loss, thought Twilight.
Elderflower sighed and shook his head.  "I'm afraid we allowed the conversation to get sidetracked.  My point in coming here remains.  If we are to avoid disaster, Equestria's course must be corrected.  Allowing current trends to continue would only lead to the country falling into mob rule.  To prevent that, we need to ensure that the ponies truly suited to governance are placed in a position to do so."
Twilight's eyes narrowed.  "Like you and the other members of the Noble Court, I suppose."
Elderflower shrugged.  "It is in our blood," he said simply, "Though time has passsed, though we do not do as much as we used to, it is still the prerogative of our families to guide the course of Equestria.  It is what we were born to do, our destiny."
Twilight couldn't stop herself.  A low snort forced itself from her nostrils.  Still, it was better than simply exploding into laughter in front of a Baron of the Noble Court.  She could see that Elderflower was not happy with her response.  The slight narrowing of his eyes and the tightening of his lips betrayed his anger.  He was not happy and he was doing his absolute best not to let it slip.
Instead, he appeared to school himself back into a calm neutrality and raised an eyebrow.  "Apparently you disagree."
"I do," said Twilight, taking a second to fill her cup again, "I've seen the Noble Court and the ponies of so-called superior breeding.  I've seen what they're truly capable of.  Ultimately, most of you are nothing more than overgrown bullies who would be utterly incapable if you didn't have your inherited wealth to spend your schemes into something resembling success.
"The idea that your bloodlines making you better suited to rule is a farce, just like the farce that being born into a particular family inherently makes you superior or inferior to anypony.  You scoff at the qualifications that the members of our current Parliament have for their office, but, at the end of the day, you and yours are ultimately less-qualified to serve in positions of governance over Equestria."
Elderflower was glaring openly at her.  However, he maintained his composure.  "You need to learn to be more reasonable, Dame Sparkle.  If ponies abandon their proper roles in the world, then order will dissolve and chaos will replace it.  The ponies in Parliament are not there because they are truly the best-suited to govern, but because they have been elected.  Their elections are nothing more than glorified popularity contests.  The pony that better outspends her rivals on advertisements tends to be the one elected, not because she is actually the better choice to represent a region.  To make matters worse, these officials then waste precious time focusing on making sure that they can be re-elected, rather than actually doing their jobs.  They need to be checked and made to actually do their jobs.
"Furthermore, our government is not just being run by commoners, but by pegasi and earth ponies, ponies whose role is not meant to be governance.  Only we unicorns, the members of our tribe, have cultivated the wisdom necessary to truly rule Equestria.
"The pegasi are fighters, brutes to be sure, but powerful warriors.  Their society has been built upon the principles of strength, will, and a fierce competitive spirit.  That outlook does not lend itself well to fostering the stability of a nation, but it does serve the cause of that nation's protection.  That is why the strength of the pegasi is needed by the Guard to protect our nation from external threats.
"The earth ponies are concerned with affairs of the land and its tending.  They foster the growth of our crops and support our ponies by providing the food we need to survive.  Their service is so essential that we simply cannot afford to allow them to waste their talents and power in the folly of reaching above their station.
"Without everything in its proper place and everypony doing the work they were meant to, then nothing can be accomplished.  We all need to embrace our destinies if Equestria is to survive and prosper.  Right now, ponies are abandoning the roles assigned to them by fate to seek out whatever whim catches their interest.  Our nation will collapse and our enemies shall feast upon its corpse."
He stared down at his teacup.  "Your...coltfriend...is remarkably skilled if he has managed to create such an excellent blend of tea.  Seeing as he has his own teahouse, I imagine he must have many more blends like it.  His business is clearly successful, so he does them all well.  It's clearly what he was meant to do.  Imagine what it would be like if he had thrown all that potential away to pursue some ridiculous fantasy like being a scholar or an accountant.  You can't deny how well he fits his role."
If the Baron had meant for that last argument to be a definitive one that would convince Twilight of his views, he was sorely mistaken as she began to giggle unabashedly in front of him.  Eventually, the giggles gave way to straight out laughter as Twilight fought to keep from doubling over under the weight of her own mirth.  The Baron's eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at Twilight, trying to figure out what was so funny.
"I fail to see the cause for your amusement," he said in a harsh tone.
"I can't help it," replied Twilight, managing to suppress her chortles well enough to answer him, "It's just...If that last part was meant to show how ironclad your argument was, you clearly have no idea how badly you've just lamed it."
"What?"
"I guess you haven't actually seen Arkenstone in the flesh," explained Twilight, now smirking triumphantly across at Elderflower, "Arkenstone's special talent has absolutely nothing to do with tea, whether its mixing, its brewing, or its serving.  His cutie mark is completely unrelated.  In fact, he is the perfect example of the pony you've been decrying.  He opened his teahouse and started up his business as a means of indulging in his favorite hobby."
Elderflower's jaw dropped and he glanced down incredulously at his teacup, as though seeing it for the very first time.
"That's the problem with your worldview, Lord Baron.  Ponies have far more potential than you give them credit for, regardless of the standing of their birth or their tribe.  If a pony truly loves something, then they have the capacity to see it through, regardless of whether or not it falls under the purview of their cutie mark or their social standing.  By trying to squash them down into your little pigeonholes you are the one who is cutting them off from the chance to realize their full potential.  When we're free to choose our own way through life, we are ponies.  You would have us submit mindlessly to authority and embrace whatever role is determined for us.  You would have us be a hive of insects."
Elderflower's jaw snapped shut and he stared at Twilight with a grim frown of disapproval.  "Surely, you of all ponies, Dame Sparkle, would know better than to scoff at the importance of destiny."
"I beg your pardon," said Twilight.
"You owe everything that you have, everything that you are to destiny, to embracing the role that has been laid out for you.  You were chosen by the Elements of Harmony to wield them and your compatriots were chosen for the task, even before that."
"What?" asked Twilight, her sense of triumph fading as an uneasy knot formed in her stomach.
Now it was the Baron's turn to smirk.  "I've done my homework, Dame Sparkle.  It was rather simple to put events together to understand the larger picture...
"You obtained your cutie mark during the entrance examination for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.  In the process of your examination, a sudden explosion in the distance caused you to lose your composure and resulted in your magic flaring uncontrollably.  That flare was what attracted Princess Celestia's attention and what led her to making you her personal student, which is what resulted in you obtaining your cutie mark.
"At roughly the same time, your friend, Miss Rarity, was drawn away from town by her magic.  Shortly after that same explosion, she returned with a massive haul of gems that she used to augment the costumes for a school play that she had been working on, which led to her cutie mark in turn.
"At the same time, records hold that Miss Applejack was staying with her relatives in Manehattan.  Those records show that she left and immediately purchased tickets on the next train back to Ponyville, again, after that same explosion.  Shortly afterwards, she was reported as having obtained her cutie mark after returning to her family's farm.
"Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie was a bit more difficult to track during that period.  However, shortly following the explosion, a local store's records showed the sudden purchase of a large number of party supplies, to be delivered to the rock farm where Miss Pie had been born and raised.  Likewise, she too was soon reported to have obtained her cutie mark in that period.
"Finally, records from Cloudsdale Flight School tell, somewhat briefly, that Miss Fluttershy went missing during the period of the explosion.  She was located by her parents shortly afterward and withdrew from the school almost immediately, ultimately to pursue an apprenticeship with a Miss Willowbrook here in Ponyville in order to become Ponyville's wildlife manager.  interestingly, she was documented as having her cutie mark when departing from Cloudsdale.
"And then there's the thing that ties all these incidents together.  Records were spotty, but eyewitness testimonies indicate that the source of the explosion was Miss Rainbow Dash performing the first Sonic Rainboom seen in centuries, something that has become her signature move of sorts, if I recall correctly.  Several witnesses confirmed the emergence of her cutie mark as a consequence of it.  I'm told that she's been officially admitted to the Wonderbolts.  I hope you'll convey my congratulations to her."
Twilight's skin crawled.  She wasn't sure what disturbed her more, the fact that Baron Elderflower had researched her life and the lives of her friends to such a detailed degree, or the fact that his reasoning was fairly correct to a certain extent.  He had a point there.  She'd even gone and written a friendship report about it once; that she and her friends had a special bond even before they'd met.  From that perspective, she could see what Elderflower was getting at.  Her closest relationships were with five special ponies, her fellow Element Bearers.  They'd each been gifted with one of the Elements of Harmony when they'd gone to face down Nightmare Moon.  The pieces had fallen into place as easily and surely as though each of her friends had been carved with that specific role in mind.
But something deeper down told her that there was something wrong with Elderflower's argument.  There was a chink in the chains of logic that he was trying use to bind her.  But she couldn't, for the life of her, see what it was.
Even now, Elderflower, having finished his recounting, was watching her with a great deal of interest, clearly amused by the sight of Twilight struggling against his reasoning.  He was waiting for her response, whether her acknowledgement that he was right, or something else.  Whatever the case was, it was clear that Elderflower believed that he'd successfully cornered her.
Finally, Twilight lifted her head up and she fixed Elderflower with her sternest gaze.  "You do make a good point.  I've always thought that it was fate that I met my friends and that we went on to take up the Elements.  But my heart tells me that there's more to it than just destiny, that we didn't succeed simply because we took up roles that were assigned to us.  There's more to it than that."
Elderflower sighed.  "Your heart...I see...In the absence of logic, you embrace emotion.  I'm most disappointed in you, Dame Sparkle.  You cannot admit the fault of your own beliefs."
"No more," said Twilight, "than you can apparently admit yours."  After all, Elderflower hadn't effectively thwarted the examples she'd laid out either.
"Still, I believe I've made my point," said the Baron, "So I will ask you once again, Dame Sparkle.  Will you help me bring order back to Equestria?"
"My answer is no," replied Twilight evenly, "I'm not fool enough to believe that Equestria is just fine as it is, or that the government couldn't be improved.  Sure, many of the ponies currently serving in Parliament may not be the best ones for the job.  But the way to solve those problems is not in the solution you pose.  No good will come out of trying to stamp everypony into a particular role at birth or any other point of their life.  Your way is not the answer."
Elderflower closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.  "And here I was hoping that we could come to an agreement."  He opened his eyes and stared straight at her.  "But I know, one day, you will see things my way, Dame Sparkle.  Someday, you will understand the truth of my words.  Then, I'm certain that you will be of great help to me."
"No," said Twilight decisively, "I won't.  I think our conversation is over, Lord Baron.  I'm grateful that you were willing to come so far out of your way to visit me.  But it's clear that we have nothing more to discuss.  I must ask you to leave for now."
Elderflower didn't look happy with her continued refusal to acknowledge even a minor victory on his part.  However, he also clearly understood that this was a battle not worth fighting anymore.  "I thank you for your hospitality, Dame Sparkle.  Though you continue to deny it, I hold out hope that you will see reason someday.  Until then..."  He inclined his head politely to her, which Twilight returned.
The Baron turned and went back through the balcony door, heading through the bedroom and down the stairs into the library.  His two guards fell in behind him, smoothly and without the slightest signal from their employer.  Elderflower continued out the library's front door and turned down the street towards the train station.
Twilight followed the Baron to the door and stood there, watching as he marched off into the distance.  He would probably be in town for another couple of hours at least, until the next train going on to Canterlot arrived and his private car could be attached to it.  But, for the time being, he was no longer something she had to deal with, which was a huge relief...
So why was it that a small knot of unease continued to churn in her gut?



The snow crunched loudly beneath Baron Elderflower's hooves as they carried him away from the library.  The guards trailing behind him easily noticed that the Baron was exerting more force with his steps going away than he had when coming.  In other words, he was stomping like an angry foal on his way back to the station.
Neither of them said anything about it.
Neither of them was stupid enough to even think about saying anything.
They followed the Baron's course as he made his way back to the platform, from there, they navigated to the separate track where his private car was being held, waiting to take them back to Canterlot on the next train heading that way.  Elderflower didn't exchange a single word with the station's staff.  There was no need to.  One of the staff accompanying him would have taken care of it already.
The door to the car slid open in a sheath of the baron's magic.  "Stay there," he snapped at the guards behind him, "I do not want to be disturbed."
Neither of the guards moved, not even to nod in acknowledgement.  Instead, they simply fell into place on either side of the door and stood rigidly, awaiting the next order to come from Elderflower.
Elderflower's nostrils flared and he let out a snort of satisfaction before he stepped back inside the car, slamming the door shut behind him.  Making his way into the car's sitting room, he went to a glass-faced cabinet on one wall and opened it.  A single short glass and a decanter, both made from finely cut crystal, floated out and settled onto the narrow table that dominated the center of the sitting room.  Elderflower settled onto the couch that lined the wall on one side, sinking into the soft cushions as they took on his weight.  He removed the stopper from the decanter and poured a stream of amber liquid into the glass.
Elderflower took a long sip from the glass, completely draining it in one pull.  He savored the harsh bite of alcohol as it slid down his throat and seemed to warm him from within.  However, that did not stop his mind from wandering back to recent events.  He still remembered perfectly Twilight Sparkle's behavior, how she'd opposed him, disrespected him, and contradicted him.  He'd known better than to believe that he could sway her so easily.  He'd known that this meeting would amount to little more than a prelude to the true game.
But that knowledge did nothing to reduce the searing anger that blazed away inside of him at how blatantly she'd insulted him.  By all rights, she's nothing more than a jumped up hedge-witch.  She had the luck to be born with more power than she had a right to and she dares to pretend that she knows better than me.  I can trace my lineage back to Equestria's foundation and beyond.  My family have been part of this nation's blood and bones since its very inception.  Who is Twilight Sparkle to believe that she knows better than me what is best for this nation?
His rage vented itself into his magic.  The brown aura holding the glass suspended in the air began to flare and his telekinetic grip tightened until the crystal cracked, then shattered, and was then crushed into sparkling dust, which slipped away from Elderflower's magical hold to form a glittering pile on the table next to his decanter.
Elderflower regarded the pile for a moment before huffing and using his magic to sweep it away.  Stewing in anger will do nothing.  I'd known from the beginning that Twilight Sparkle would be uncooperative.  Her attitude problems are merely an extension of that.  Getting angry over it is meaningless.  I'll simply have to move on.
His opening gambit had failed, but the game was merely beginning.  Fetching another glass from his liquor cabinet, Elderflower settled back onto the couch and poured himself some more whiskey as he pondered his next move.



Twilight's eyes flickered from one book to another as her magic slid them back to their proper places on the shelves.  Nearby, Spike ambled back and forth across the room, sweeping up the dirt and debris their various guests had tracked in over the course of the day.  The two of them worked in a relaxed, easygoing silence.  Nothing was said.  Nothing needed to be said.  In a few minutes, Spike would go start dinner and that would be that.
The creak of the library's front door made Twilight's ears perk up and she turned to look, seeing the familiar beige figure of Arkenstone as he stepped inside.  She could see him faintly sniff the air a couple of times and then his body sagged in relief.  The motion was barely noticeable, but Twilight knew him well enough to catch it.
The last book was sliding into place on the shelf as Twilight made her way over to Arkenstone.  He barely had time to shut the door behind him before Twilight pressed her lips to his, continuing forward until she'd forced Arkenstone to settle back on his haunches.  Not breaking the kiss, she lifted up her forelegs to wrap them around his shoulders, settling onto her haunches as well.  She felt Arkenstone's arms rise to return the embrace and the two of them held each other tight.
Finally, they broke the kiss.  Arkenstone slowly leaned forward so that his chin rested on her shoulder and his neck pressed against hers.  "Rough day?" he asked softly.
"You could say that," said Twilight, a blissful smile spreading across her face as she allowed herself to relax in her coltfriend's arms, "What about you?"
"Nothing too bad," he said, "Though my nerves got the better of me a little."
"I don't blame you," she said, "That was something I don't want to repeat."
They continued to hold each other until they heard the sound of Spike opening the door and heading into the kitchen.  The faint clatter of pots and pans followed as the young dragon got to work on the evening's dinner.  Meanwhile, Twilight and Arkenstone made their way to the cushions by the fireplace and stretched out next to each other so that Twilight was lying up against Arkenstone's side, her head draped languidly across his forelegs as he rested his own head across hers.
Twilight sighed softly, basking in her stallion's presence.  Just by being there, Arkenstone managed to chase away the anxiety that had been dogging her throughout the day.  Her thoughts about the things that Baron Elderflower had said had been hounding her relentlessly through the afternoon, nestling in the back of her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch.  To keep them at bay, Twilight had tried to lose herself in her work, seeing to the library and its visitors, using them as a distraction as she tried to ignore the pricking needle the Baron had slid so carefully into her thoughts.
Destiny...  Her traitorous thoughts had posed the question over and over throughout the remainder of the day.  Are my friends my friends just because of destiny?  Are we together just because that was what was meant to be?  Did we ever really have any choice in the matter?
If the Baron's assertions were correct, then what did that mean for everything else that Twilight had believed in?  Were her theories about the Elements of Harmony and their nature that she'd spoken of to Sunset Shimmer incorrect?  Had she been operating off of mistaken assumptions all this time?
No!  That couldn't have been the case.  Elderflower had a point about her friendship.  To a certain degree, Twilight had forged a connection, a bond with the others before they'd even met.  But, at the same time, there remained a particular flaw to Elderflower's logic that she couldn't quite puzzle out.  It continued to niggle at her just as insistently as the unpleasant doubts that Elderflower's words had inspired.
"...-light...Twilight..."
"Huh?"  Twilight's mind came back to the present as she felt Arkenstone's muzzle gently prodding the back of her head.  She realized that she'd allowed herself to get lost in her confusion over the day's affairs and that her thoughts had wandered off.
"Spike's nearly finished with dinner," said Arkenstone softly, "We should go join him soon."
"Oh...right..."  Twilight's ears drooped and she remained where she was.  After all, Arkenstone had said "soon," not "now."
Slowly, Arkenstone lowered his head and planted a featherlight kiss just behind Twilight's ear, making it twitch and eliciting a giggle from the lavender mare as her body squirmed slightly against his.  "Are you alright?" he asked softly, "Your mind was a long ways away."
"Just..."  Twilight sighed.  "I was just thinking about everything that happened today, like what Elderflower said...about things..."
"Things you want to talk about?" inquired Arkenstone.
"Not yet," said Twilight, "I'd really just like to forget about it for now, if my own mind would let me."
"If you need to be alone, let me know," said Arkenstone, "I won't bother you."
"No," said Twilight, leaning harder up against him, "I like you just where you are."
She felt Arkenstone's quiet chuckle build within his chest before it made its way out his mouth.  "Very well then," he said, "I'll stay right here."
"Hey you two!" shouted Spike from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready."
Twilight jolted up, nearly catching Arkenstone in the chin with her horn at the sound of Spike's voice.  The two of them froze in startled silence before turning to look at each other.  In unison, they broke out into laughter before they got to their hooves and made their way to the kitchen.  As they walked, Twilight felt the uneasiness continue to fade away.  It didn't matter what doubts tormented her.  So long as the ponies closest to her remained by her side, she'd be fine.



"Are you certain that you're alright?" asked Rarity, watching Coco carefully.
"I-I'm fine," said Coco Pommel, the faint stammer in her voice saying otherwise.
Rarity could clearly see that something was wrong.  Something or somepony had given Coco a terrible fright at some point.  She'd been paler than usual when she'd come back from the bathroom and her hooves had been shaking faintly, enough to throw off her work, which was usually impeccable.  Most ponies might not have noticed, but Rarity's experience and talent had cultivated a keen eye for detail and she'd known immediately that something was amiss.
She'd made no attempt to force Coco to stop working.  Rarity herself was no stranger to having nerves take the edge off her work.  Heaven knows how many stitches she'd botched or how many ill-considered ideas she'd thrown together when something bad had rattled her cage.  Her mind still tormented her over some of the things she'd made while trying to throw off the memories of Discord's influence after returning that beastly creature to stone.  Letting Coco work was probably the best way to help the young mare deal with her fear and anxiety over...whatever it was that was bothering her.
"If you say so," said Rarity, a little dubiously, "But please don't feel that you have to push yourself if you don't feel well.  I'd be happy to give you tomorrow off if you need."
"O-oh no!" said Coco, "P-please don't t-trouble yourself on my account."  She gave Rarity a smile that was not entirely convincing, "I'll be fine."
"Very well then," said Rarity.  Before Coco could react, the older mare's arms wrapped around her shoulders and Coco found herself being pulled into a tight hug.  "Remember," said Rarity softly, her voice almost a whisper, "If you need to talk, I'll always be here for you."
"Th-thank you," Coco whispered back.
Finally, Rarity let her go and watched as Coco scampered out the boutique's door.
Coco broke into a gallop and didn't stop until she was well out of sight of the boutique.
When she was sure that there was no longer any chance of Rarity seeing her, Coco sought out a bench off to the side of the street and sat down on it.  Only then did she break down into sobs as her heart threatened to tear itself apart in her chest.  Part of her wanted to rush back to the Carousel Boutique and tell Rarity everything, tell her about Baron Elderflower's machinations, about Perlin Bluestreak's hovering presence, about the threat looming over her and everyone who associated with her.  However, another part of her, a colder part, reminded her that, in doing so, she'd be signing her own death warrant.  Once word got to the Baron that she'd betrayed him, Perlin would come for her and that would be the end of it.  Of that, she was certain.  Oh, she'd heard that some of the ponies Rarity associated with were competent fighters.  But, as her mind replayed the image of the mithril-winged colt mowing down trained fighters like a scythe through wheat, she realized that none of them had a chance in Tartarus of actually saving her if Perlin came for her life.
Then somepony laid a hoof on her shoulder.
Coco froze, her entire body going rigid with momentary panic.  Elderflower could still be in town.  If he was here, then Perlin might be as well.  Shivering violently, Coco forced herself to turn her head and look back at who was gently resting a hoof against her withers.  Her eyes widened as a pair of turquoise eyes with slit pupils met her own.
"Are you alright?" asked Dawn Lightwing, his tone soft and gentle.
Coco sniffed hard and nodded.  Dawn raised an eyebrow at her, but made no effort to press.  Instead, he gently sidled up against her.  "Come," he said, "It's cold out.  You'll get sick if you stay out here too long."
His words made Coco suddenly very conscious of the ambient temperature.  She shivered, thankfully not from nerves this time, and got to her hooves.  Dawn walked alongside her as they made their way to the house.
The only serious complication (aside from the hidden ones that had followed Coco from Canterlot) to her apprenticeship was that Rarity did not have space for her in the Carousel Boutique.  Naturally, Rarity had the master bedroom.  Another room belonged to Sweetie Belle, Rarity's adorable little sister.  The other bedroom was currently occupied by Flaxseed, a unicorn stallion with a gold-colored coat, whom she'd rarely seen while working at the boutique.  It seemed that Flaxseed was the nervous, unsociable sort, who was a bit leery of showing himself openly.  Coco occasionally caught glimpses of him peaking into the workroom or disappearing out the door of one room as she entered through another door.  She didn't think they'd even exchanged even ten words since Rarity had introduced him.
As a consequence, that meant there were no more rooms to be had at the boutique.  Fortunately, there had been a solution.  Fluttershy, Rarity's friend, was sharing a house with her coltfriend, a pleasant, tan-colored stallion named Caramel.  Dawn, Fluttershy's adopted son, was staying there as well.  Fortunately, they had a guest room open and had happily agreed to allow Coco to stay there.
They arrived at the house.  Coco sat back and waited for Dawn to unlock the door, watching with fascination as the colt deftly manipulated the key between the feathers of his primaries.  No matter how many times she saw it, Coco never tired of seeing the strange skill in action.  Once inside, Dawn and Coco stripped out of their cold weather clothing before heading to the living room.  Coco noted that, though the lights were on in the kitchen, there were no other signs that anypony else was in the house.
"Mom and dad are out on another date," explained Dawn, stacking wood in the fireplace before extending his wing towards it.  With a loud snap, a small bolt of lightning jumped from the outermost primary of his wing and into the wood, setting it alight.  It was another strange skill that fascinated Coco.  She'd never asked, but she assumed it was an extension of pegasus weather control magic.  In the fashion industry, she'd worked with quite a few unicorns, but never pegasi, except for those who handled shipping and deliveries, so she knew very little about their magic.
As the flames spread to the rest of the pile, Dawn went to the closet and fetched a blanket, which he then draped over Coco's shoulders.  Giving the colt a grateful smile, Coco reached up with her hooves and drew the blanket around herself.  Dawn nodded at her then retreated into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Dawn returned with a steaming cup of herbal tea.  Coco sniffed it and was grateful to find a blend of spearmint and chamomile.  As she slowly drank it down, the warm fumes from the tea cleared her sinuses and relaxed her breathing, sending a soothing feeling throughout her body.
"Thank you," she whispered to Dawn, who'd settled onto the couch with a book.
"You're welcome," said Dawn, "I know you don't wish to talk about what it is that's bothering you.  But we are all willing to listen, should you change your mind."
"I-I'll think about it," said Coco, knowing that she never could.
Dawn simply nodded at her and turned his attention to the book.  In the meantime, Coco settled back and continued to sip her tea as she watched the fire through the night.