"...medical and security staff have found themselves on high alert after a shocking and sudden incident in Canterlot yesterday. There have been a number of reported injuries, but so far no confirmed reports of fatalities from the city. Neither princess has yet released an official statement, but public officials have made comments suggesting that this was an attack..."
"...what appears to be an attack on the capital city of Canterlot. At the moment we are unable to determine exactly what the perpetrators wished to achieve or whether they were successful..."
"...speculation has ranged from a simple terrorist attack to a conspiracy against the throne by separatists, none of which has been confirmed either by official media or by any credible sources. No group has yet come forward to claim responsibility for the attack which took place yesterday..."
"...concerns have been raised about planetary security following what is now being accepted as a sudden attack against Canterlot. Officials are urging the public to remain 'vigilant but calm' in light of this event, but have offered no further explanation as to what exactly has happened or whether the threat is still immediately present..."
"...space-faring traffic has found itself in chaos today after departures and arrivals have been put on indefinite hold. System-wide, ships are docking wherever they can to await the lift of the quarantine. Planets and all major civilian population centres have raised their security status in light of the incident in Canterlot, of which the motivation is as of yet still uncertain..."
Location: Equestrian airspace, Equestria
Date: 171 A.C.F.
The journey was smooth, if not the events which proceeded it. The Sky Chariot made for light, speedy travel, and Spike had no trouble reading the articles on his data pad as they flew. Swiping along grimly, his eyes met the sullen sight of the headlines, one after another announcing the disturbing event from the day before. A chirp from the device broke his routine, and he tapped on the image of a scroll which had appeared along with the tone.
"What does it say?" Twilight asked from beside him, breaking from her reverie to turn to him. She was dressed smartly, her blouse topped by a dark jacket and matching trousers, offset by her pink neckerchief. Her shoes were polished to perfection and shone even without a distinct light inside the vehicle.
"It's from the princess," Spike answered. "The details just came through." He read through the contents, skimming the message swiftly as Twilight perked up. "Would you like me to read it to you?" Seeing her nod, he cleared his throat and sat straighter in his seat, holding the pad in front of him.
"My Dear Twilight, having had time to assess the situation and consult with my advisers, it has been decided that the retrieval of the stolen materials is of paramount importance, and is the priority task for all capable and relevant persons. A navel carrier is in the process of being requisitioned and a crew assembled, but there are a few important individuals who lay outside the reach of the military. I am sending you to call them into service, effective immediately. Attached to this document is a list of the ponies you will need to find, and a royal summons as a means of proof. A Sky Chariot will be sent to collect you all at your reply to this message. I hope this letter finds you well. Yours, Princess Celestia."
"She's sending me to find people?" Twilight asked, confusion evident in her voice. Spike could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she tried to determine the purpose of this task. Rationality was always her fallback, the reliable procedure her mind lent her, but when that failed...He decided not to let her rack up an energy bill just thinking about the situation.
"We're almost there," the dragon spoke up, turning the pensive woman's attention to the increasing gradient of the craft's flight path. Clouds flicked past the small circular windows and the ground below became visible, expanding out in all directions, green all the way to the distant horizon save for the rocky slopes of the mountains, and even on these great patches of growth stood out. With a gentle incline the craft turned, a ribbon of a river glistening in the sun and growing larger as they descended, following the water's lax gait through the plains. From their altitude, Spike gained an expansive view of a town straddling the river, a bridge like a lone stitch bravely spanning the open cut. On one side, a thick forest hugged the outer perimeter of the cosy town. Then the pilots levelled out, and the window was filled with a view of the tops of hills reaching up to meet the sky, impersonating their taller brethren.
"Why in Ponyville, of all places?" Twilight asked rhetorically, resting her chin on her palm. "Who is so important in Ponyville that they need retrieving, and why me? Why not send a communiqué?"
"Maybe she wanted you to try talking to some real people," Spike suggested with a playful smirk. "She knows how often you spend inside studying. Maybe she wants you to make some friends, and perhaps Ponyville has some interesting people to talk to."
"Studying is important," she returned, giving him the mildest of glares. "Talking has its uses, but knowledge has a great many more. Diplomacy is one thing, but we're in a state of civil emergency here, Spike, and the fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends."
The craft slowed and descended vertically, and Spike pulled his bag from the seat next to him and pulled it over his shoulders. Twilight stood as the vehicle stopped and pushed her head into the cockpit, smiling amiably at the two pilots.
"Thank you, sirs."
They gave a nod each and pressed the release for the door, the back of the vehicle opening up and letting in the racket of the engines outside. Spike stepped off the ramp and down onto the grass, the backwash of the jets battering him as soon as he touched the ground. Twilight followed behind him, taking tentative steps down the ramp, shielding her face from the fierce wind and holding her jacket close. As soon as they had both touched the grass, the engines' roar intensified, the heat and waves of the jets rushing over them and sending their garments whipping about them, the Sky Chariot swiftly leaving the scene for the expanse of the sky, the pervasive whine diminishing and leaving the dragon and pony alone. Twilight readjusted her hair and straightened her clothes, while Spike's plain white t-shirt and black trousers remained unaffected. He fiddled with the data pad as Twilight fussed about herself.
"Where to?" she asked, her voice seeming much more mellow following the deafening blare of the Sky Chariot. The man looked in the general direction he hoped the pad was telling him to go. "That way. We're not far from the first person's home." He couldn't resist adding, "But maybe we'll run into somepony to talk to along the way." Twilight's sigh made him chuckle internally, and they set off towards their destination, attracting the curious gaze of many citizens who had heard the atypical disturbance of their arrival.
"All I'm saying is that you should try," Spike commented as way of conversation as they walked, looking around at the ponies who observed them in return. Twilight, by contrast, kept her gaze as firmly fixed as her focus.
"I'm not here to make friends."
"Come on, Twilight," he protested, spotting a woman coming towards them. "What about her? Just try." Twilight looked beleaguered by Spike's teasing, and she looked at him with stern exhaustion, and then at the approaching pony.
The newcomer had a spring to her step, her eyes closed as she hummed to herself, her walk accentuated with a delicate little bounce that was too subtle to openly call a bounce but too noticeable to deny. She seemed not just jovial, but to exude a certain energy, a positive aura which crackled with tireless vitality. Maybe it was her appearance; her pink poofy hair, casual jeans and pink t-shirt all seemed to by extension carry the sense of barely constrained vigour, and her wide, cheerful smile settled so perfectly on her face, girly and bubbly as it was. When the woman was within a few metres of Twilight and Spike, she opened her eyes, sharing with them a gorgeous pair of deep blue orbs, both of which twinkled with the same insatiable energy that was so apparent from the rest of her. Twilight stared uncertainly for a few seconds at the new woman before swallowing.
"Uh...hello?" she tried, forcing a smile onto her face.
The effect was immediate. The newcomer's eyes snapped open wide like she'd seen a ghost and she gasped startlingly loudly. Before either Spike or Twilight could do more than flinch in surprise, the coiled spring of a woman had sprinted past them and found herself so far down the street that her feet didn't seem to touch the ground. Spike and Twilight stared after her with open mouths for a while. The unicorn was the first to recover.
"Well, that was interesting, alright," she huffily declared, pacing away on their intended course. Spike sighed and followed her, bringing his data pad up to check their direction. "How much further?" Twilight asked.
"Not far," he replied. "Just along this road, can't miss it. Maybe ten minutes, then we'll be at Sweet Apple Acres."
The dirt path lead them a short distance from the town, taking them up the gentle slope of a hill. Near the top, a picket fence ran parallel to the road, marking the boundary of the privately owned land. Five minutes later, the two of them came to arched gateway, the humble sign overhead proudly declaring that they had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Beyond it, another path ran perpendicular to the perimeter road, lined either side by scores of blossomed trees, forming an avenue down to the large, sturdy barn at its end. The walk had taken them a quarter of an hour, and Spike could tell that Twilight was glad to have arrived.
"Who are we here to see?" the unicorn asked as she pushed open the gate. She looked around at the rows of trees adorning the sides of the path, her sharp eyes and analytical mind coordinating to determine what they were.
"An earth pony named Applejack," Spike replied, quickly falling alongside her as she set off at a relaxed pace. The data pad gave him a bare amount of information on the woman in question, indicating that she owned, lived, and worked on the farm known as 'Sweet Apple Acres', along with her family. They walked in silence down the track, admiring the tranquility that the lane afforded and avoiding doing anything which would disturb the peace which seemed so prevalent here.
Distant muffled murmurs became faintly audible as Twilight and Spike reached the second fence which marked the end of the treeline, the green wall no longer blocking sound from afar. The area surrounding the barn, and, Spike noticed as they walked further, a similarly designed house, was empty. Twilight paused for a moment, turning her head to try and find a person to talk to, before moving towards the house, intent on going to the source.
"Howdy-do, what can I do ya for?" a voice called out from behind. The pony and dragon turned sharply, surprised by the sudden appearance of the woman strolling from among the trees. She was carrying two baskets of vibrantly red apples, one under each arm, and bore a simple and genuinely friendly smile. Her emerald green eyes shone merrily from her freckled face as she approached them, placing the baskets down on the ground and removing her cowboy hat to wipe her forehead and revealing thick folds of long blonde hair which had been tied into a ponytail at the back and cut into a flicked fringe, resting neatly on her brow. It became evident that she'd been working during their approach, and probably had been the entire day; her cotton camisole and exposed skin were dotted with a thin film of sweat and her denim shorts and hardened working boots exuded the impression that she'd been carrying out tough physical labour before she had been interrupted, as did the thick brown leather gloves she pulled off.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle," the unicorn spoke up at last, stepping forward and pulling up her business facade. "I'm here to look for-" She was halted mid-sentence by an enthusiastic and rather unexpected handshake from the other woman. Spike raised an eyebrow in surprise as Twilight's face took on the look of surprised shock, wincing in mild pain at the firm grip of the farmer. It didn't take long to figure out why; the taller woman's arms were well defined, and even with the rapid up-down motion she was putting into the overbearing handshake, Spike could still make out the shape of solid muscle. A cursory glance confirmed at her legs told the same story. This woman had apparently been a farmer for a long time, probably most of her life, and the light tan she had accrued supported this hypothesis.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Twilight," she drawled happily, finally releasing the comparatively smaller woman from her unintentional bone-crushing introduction. "Ah'm Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do love makin' new friends." The unicorn perked up at the mention of the farmer's name, trying to hide her pained countenance and carefully flexing each finger to make sure they all still worked. Spike had to suppress a chuckle.
"Actually, we were looking to speak to you. I'm here on the orders of Princess Celestia, and you're needed in relation to the incident in Canterlot yesterday." The farmer's expression turned serious, and she fixed the smaller woman with a worried gaze.
"If that's the case, we may need ta talk about this over lunch." Not waiting for an affirmative response from Twilight, Applejack strode over to the barn, leaving the unicorn and the dragon to share a questioning look.
"As long as it doesn't take too long," she reluctantly consented to herself more than anyone else, resigned to going along with whatever the earth pony was doing as she disappeared into the barn, reappearing moments later holding a metal triangle and a stick. A second later, she battered the triangle, sending a blaring rattle across the farmyard. Before the ring had faded, she cupped her hands to her mouth and hollered, replacing the shrill metallic reverberation with her own powerful voice.
"SOUP'S ON, EVERYPONY!"
There was a moment in which the silence which had previously inhabited the farmyard cautiously crept back in, filling in the shattered peace and serenity of the day. Applejack placed the triangle back in the barn and headed off to the house, conducting herself much more quietly. And then the ground began to shake.
Spike and Twilight turned around in anxious confusion as a veritable stampede of ponies charged at them, bolting from the fields and designated work spots to answer the call to lunch. The two newcomers were swept along, the crowd appearing from nowhere and piling into them in their haste. When at last the rumble of feet faded away and had been replaced by the happy murmuring of mealtime talking, the moderately bruised duo found themselves seated at a long wooden table, sitting beside one another on a bench among other farm ponies. Applejack was sliding plates and bowls along the wooden surface, leaving them to be grabbed and snatched by the hungry horde. This was a ritual with which they were evidently familiar.
When everything had been distributed, Applejack sat down opposite Twilight and Spike, beaming at them and introducing them to every other member of the table. When their name was called, the individual turned and gave a wave or a salute before returning to their own conversation.
"-and Granny Smith," the farmer finished at long last, having reeled off a vast multitude of names. "Up and at'em, granny." The woman in question looked up with a start as though jolting awake, and glanced both ways before spotting the two guests and offering a smile similar to that of the enthusiastic farm girl who had introduced her. She was old, wrinkles adorning her face like deep ravines, but she still held a firmness in her that seemed to be present in her younger counterpart. When the elderly woman turned back, Applejack looked back to Twilight, helping herself to a plate of bread and a steaming bowl of soup.
"So, what's this about needin' ta speak to me?" she asked, pushing a plate towards the two of them. Spike accepted it without hesitation, willfully ignoring Twilight's sideways glance at him.
"I'm sure you've heard about the attack on Canterlot yesterday-" she began, halting when the other woman responded with a blank look. Twilight looked askingly at Spike, who chewed his food and swallowed it to offer some help.
"There's been an attack?" the earth pony asked, looking between the two of them. Spike nodded, taking another forkful of his pie. "Well, I'll be," she muttered, raising her brow in surprise. "That's shocking news to me, miss Twilight." She shook her head in sad disbelief before asking, "What's that gotta do with me?"
The unicorn hesitated as though juggling the words she could use before answering, "I've been sent by Princess Celestia to collect you. She requested you for some reason- I'm not sure why- but she seems to think that you're important." Applejack seemed surprised by the other woman's explanation.
"Ah'm always ready to serve the princess, but ah don't know what ah can possibly do to help," she responded, a pensive look adorning her face. "Ah've got a farm and a family t'care for, and it's an awful lot to drop without warnin' if it ain't true. I don't want to accuse y'all of lyin', you look both like respectable folk, but is there any way to prove that ah'm needed?"
"The princess sent a royal summons," Spike spoke up, picking up the data pad and opening the file. As he presented it to Applejack, Twilight shot him an appreciative smile, which he returned. The farmer scanned the document, her face straightening out as she finished reading and looked at the two guests.
"Well, that's enough proof for me," she replied, casting the two guests a mildly apologetic smile. "When do we need to go? Ah should probably pack, and tell ma family that ah'm going away-"
"Where are ya goin', sis?" a younger voice inquired from behind the earth pony. It was a younger girl, standing just behind Applejack. She'd evidently approached them in the midst of Applejack's uncertainty and overheard part of the conversation. Like the farmer, this girl had a strong accent, and she possessed certain similarities that weren't distinguishable but were immediately obvious, subtle nuances which pointed to them being related. Perhaps it was her direct but polite approach or the way she stood, but she bore a bore a likeness, the deep vibrant red hair styled in an approximation of Applejack's blonde mane, and her orange eyes shone with the same friendly curiosity.
"Jus' away for a bit, Apple Bloom," the farmer replied, offering a distracted smile. "Ah don't know how long." She looked at the house, deep in thought. Twilight took this as an opportunity to push her plate away.
"Well, I can see this has been sorted, so we'll be on our way and leave you to sort this out." She made to stand up, but Applejack stopped her with a motion.
"S'alright," she assured the unicorn. "Stay for a bit. It'd put mah mind at ease to know you've had a good meal, and it'd be a good time to talk some more about this-" Her eyes flicked to Apple Bloom. "-business." Twilight hesitated, and as a result she found herself being handed a plate of apple pie.
"Fine," she conceded with a sigh, sitting back down.
"I ate too much pie," the purple haired woman groaned, rubbing her stomach pitifully. They were walking the road back to Ponyville proper, leaving the farm behind them. Spike smirked to himself as he checked the data pad, perusing the information on the next assigned target. As they entered the fringes of the town proper, Twilight came up to him, having worked off the aches that came from politely forcing herself to eat. "Who's next?" she asked.
"A pegasus named Rainbow Dash," he answered, instinctively looking up at the sky. A few white fluffy clouds graced the blue heavens, adding to the beautiful aesthetic of the summer day. Pegasi had an inclination towards aerial activities, from simple rock climbing to piloting. Without their drive to explore upwards, aeronautics would have been delayed decades, if not centuries. It was one area of Equestrian technological development that wasn't solely driven by the unicorns' ambition, something which surprised many unicorns of the day. It was rare to find a study to which another race was as motivated and passionate as that of the erudite caste.
His train of thought was interrupted by a thump and a wail from behind him. He turned to face the source of the commotion, and found Twilight sprawled out on the floor, a few feet away from where she'd been standing when he last saw her. Atop her was another figure who had apparently tackled her to the ground for some reason, albeit very clumsily. The newcomer pushed themselves up to their feet, looked around, and then chuckled.
"Uh, 'scuse me?" she giggled, offering Twilight a hand. The unicorn took it tentatively and was pulled sharply to her feet. Now that they were standing side-by-side, Twilight became a standard of comparison; the newcomer bore the lean and firm body of a pegasus, her running shorts and t-shirt showing the lack of fat on her body. Her muscles weren't bulky, but sleek and compact, and like a coiled spring, there seemed to be a strength which she could unleash at a moment's notice.
"Let me guess - you're Rainbow Dash?" Twilight grumbled as she dusted herself off wearily. It wasn't an uneducated guess, Spike contemplated, as the woman bore a thick bush of prismatic hair, sporting a myriad of colours and shades so that they all seemed to segue seamlessly into a colour wheel.
"The one and only," came the reply, a proud, confident glint in her cerise eyes. "Why, you heard of me?" Her voice never faltered, Spike noted, like she was brimming with confidence. It always carried a lilting, upbeat certainty.
"I've heard about you," the unicorn said, glancing over at Spike. The dragon returned to Twilight's side, retrieving the information on his pad and handing it to Rainbow Dash, who looked at the summary in surprise. Looking up at them, her face brightened in apparent recognition.
"Are you recruiters?" she asked, excitement underlying her question. Twilight gave a surprised glance at Spike.
"Well, in a way."
"For the Wonderbolts?"
"They most talented fliers in all of Equestria? I'm afraid not." She grimaced slightly as the other woman's face fell.
"No biggie, they'll come around eventually," the pegasus resumed nonchalantly, shrugging and taking a swig of her water. Instant recovery, Spike noted as she wiped her mouth and clicked the lid back into place, the former confident smile returning to her face. Like a true athlete. "So, why are you looking for me?"
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I was sent by the princess to collect you. I'm sure you've heard about the attack on Canterlot yesterday-"
"Woah woah woah, back up a second there," the pegasus interrupted her. "There's been an attack?" She looked between Twilight and Spike expectantly.
"Yesterday," Twilight confirmed. "Something came into the city, caused disruption and chaos, and then left. I didn't see anything of note, but-"
"You were there?" Rainbow Dash interrupted her again, her eyes widened in surprise and awe. "And now you're here? Wow, you're tough." She looked at Twilight approvingly.
"Uh, just following orders," Twilight replied, blushing at the unexpected praise. "I was told to come and collect you, and here I am." She gestured awkwardly. The rainbow haired girl nodded.
"Well, you sound like a blast, Twilight Sparkle," the pegasus smiled, slapping her on the shoulder as she walked past. "It sounds like a good reason for us hang out some more. I'll come and find you after I've finished my routine and cleaned up." And with that, she turned to resume her jog.
"Wait," Twilight called out. "Do you know where we'll be?"
"I'll be able to find you," the other woman answered assuredly, speeding off in the pursuit of her exercise schedule. Not ten seconds later, she'd vanished from sight, leaving the dragon and the unicorn alone.
"She's amazing," Spike spoke up, looking at the space previously occupied by the pegasus. "I know fast, and that's fast." Twilight didn't respond, still flummoxed from the sudden appearance and disappearance of their quarry. Blinking, she began moving uncertainly in the direction they'd been travelling before their encounter with Rainbow Dash.
"Let's get going," she said at last, falling back into her orderly routine. Spike choose not to comment about her appearance as he followed her, instead holding in a snicker at the state of her hair. Her clothes were fine, but her hair was a lot more frazzled than it normally was, dusted with dirt and an odd twig. The contrast of her appearance and her facade was rather amusing, he thought.
"Beautiful", Spike whispered as he looked up from the data pad. Twilight cast him a curious glance and took the pad from his unresistant grip, flicking through the information he had up.
"Rarity," she read, scrolling down the page. "Unicorn, resides in Ponyville. Fashion designer and manufacturer, small business owner. Well, at least we know where she is, and it's not like this shop is huge." The unicorn looked around at the room, smiling at the selection of clothes on display. For such a small shop in a town like Ponyville, there was a great variety apparently available; dresses, suits, summer shorts and tops, scarves, hats for all conceivable purposes, and all in a myriad of styles, colours, and patterns. "Beautiful indeed."
"Not the shop," Spike explained breathlessly. "Her." Following his gaze, Twilight spotted a woman standing behind the shop counter, focusing on an assortment of papers in front of her. She was undoubtedly a unicorn, and it became obvious why Spike was dumbstruck. Her indigo hair was styled expertly into pretty feminine curls which fell pleasantly down to her shoulders, twisting playfully on its way down. Her fair skin was unblemished, her face a smooth stretch of untouched beauty, accentuated by the subtle makeup she'd applied to draw attention to her full lips and azure eyes.
"No, no," the woman muttered to herself, shuffling the papers along one by one and frowning at them in disappointed disapproval. "Goodness, no, certainly not that."
"How do I look?" Spike asked, absentmindedly brushing back his hair and smoothing out his top. Twilight rolled her eyes at his display and smiled, walking over to the desk.
"Good afternoon," she began, only to be halted by a raised hand from the other woman.
"Just a moment please," she replied chirpily. "I'm in the zone, as t'were." Her hand lit up and she reached out, taking hold of a length of ribbon which had floated over to her and held it close to the paper she was scrutinising. Apparently satisfied with the match, she smiled proudly to herself and nodded, putting the ribbon and the paper down. "Ah, yes, sparkle always does the trick, does it not? Why Rarity, you are a talent." Turning to give Twilight her full attention, she continued, "Now, how can I help-" She broke off suddenly with a gasp as she came to view Twilight in full, who stared back with an equal measure of confusion and surprise. "Darling, whatever happened to your coiffure?" she asked, placing a hand to her chest.
"Oh, you mean my mane?" Twilight realised, tentatively reaching up to feel with a hand and brushing out some dust from her frazzled and mussed mess. "Well, it's a long story."
"Oh no no no no no!" The other unicorn broke in, shaking her head, her delicate amethyst earrings swinging with the motion of her head. "That simply will not do!" She paused, looking at the woman in front of her. "Did you by any chance happen upon a certain pegasus named Rainbow Dash?"
"Well, yes," Twilight responded, offering a nervous smile. Rarity tutted and shook her head in disapproval.
"I apologise that you had to meet her like that, but it isn't uncommon, unfortunately. Please, use my bathroom to refresh yourself, and I'll have you looking your very best."
"There's no need-"
"Please, darling, I insist," the beautiful unicorn replied, coming around the desk to drag Twilight towards the stairs. Spike watched them in silent awe as they protested against each other up to the second floor of what was now his favourite shop in system. Eventually, the voices died down and about ten minutes later the shopkeeper descended the stairs alone. Upon seeing Spike, she started, and then gave a welcoming smile. "Oh, I am sorry dear. Can I help you at all?"
"No actually," Spike replied after clearing his throat. "I'm Spike, Twilight's assistant." He smiled at her, forcing his muscles to co-ordinate themselves to form a socially acceptable facial expression. It still may have been goofier than he wished, but the woman didn't seem particularly fazed.
"An assistant?" the unicorn mused, looking at Spike with interest. Her smile spread across her face and she leaned forward slightly. "I'm Rarity, the owner of Carousel Boutique. Your friend must hold a very important position to have such a strong young man assist her." Her compliment brought a blush to Spike's face.
"In a way," he responded, scratching at the back of his neck nervously. "We were asked to come to Ponyville to find certain people, and I'm here to relay the information, I suppose." He raised his data pad by way of explanation. "Actually, you're the next person we're meant to come and, uh, collect."
"Collect?" Rarity asked, raising her brow. "Might I be able to look at your 'information'?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him and smiled charmingly. The dragon took a moment to scroll to the top of the page before extending it to Rarity, who took it from him with a dainty hand. For the next several minutes, she carefully perused the text, occasionally flicking upwards with a slender finger to read further down. By the time she had finished and given the data pad back to Spike, Twilight had come down the stairs, her hair much cleaner and smarter, and her clothes adjusted to give her the same authoritative air that she'd had when they'd first arrived in Ponyville.
"Thank you for letting me use your shower," Twilight voiced gratefully, touching at her hair softly and brushing it mildly to the side. A faint scent of lavender wafted over to Spike, who simpered at the thought that the shopkeeper would use one of Twilight's favourite shampoos.
"Not at all dear," Rarity returned cheerfully. "It's the least I could do after your run-in with that pegasus." Her countenance darkened and she scrunched up her nose in disapproval momentarily before returning to her welcoming facade. "I was just talking with your assistant about what brought you to Ponyville."
"Ah, yes," Twilight remembered, looking over at Spike and giving him a slight smile. "Well, Spike and I were sent here from Canterlot to collect certain-"
"Canterlot?" the other mare gasped suddenly. "You're from Canterlot? Oh, I am so envious! The glamour, the sophistication!" She looked into the distance dreamily, her eyes positively sparkling with excitement and reverence. "I've always dreamed of living there." She sighed happily before looking back at Twilight with a satisfied beam. "I can't wait to hear all about it."
Twilight and Spike shared an awkward glance. The unicorn turned back to Rarity, who was staring expectantly with the same unbridled passion and excitement. "I assume that you aren't aware of the attack on Canterlot yesterday?"
Rarity's expression switched almost instantaneously to blank confusion at Twilight's words and then, a second later, turned to disturbed surprise.
"There's been an attack?"
"Wasn't she wonderful?" the young man asked as they walked along one of the many footpaths around Ponyville, a wide, dopey grin etched onto his face. After informing Rarity on the situation, they had left, Twilight more readily than Spike, and navigated their way from Rarity's shop- Carousel Boutique- to their last target. For some reason, this particular pony had chosen to set up residence in a cottage on the edge of the town's forest, and Spike had to navigate them there with plenty of assistance from the pad's orientation programmes. This didn't take too much effort, and he found his mind wandering to his encounter with the purple-maned fashionista.
"Focus, Casanova," Twilight reminded him, shooting him a mildly irritated look. "Who's next?"
"The last one, I think," Spike informed her, frowning at the name just under their current destination. The location kept jumping around, and wouldn't be fixed by his insistent taps or reboots. Shrugging, he instead paid attention to the name they were chasing. According to the pad, they were nearby.
The cottage looked surprisingly vibrant and comfortable given its location. Rather than lonely, it looked happily secluded, and certainly well maintained. It sat by a gentle river, a quaint bridge allowing visitors to cross and wind their way up the path to the small wooden door. After several knocks, and a few minutes waiting, Twilight turned to Spike.
"Does it say that they're here?" she asked. Spike nodded and glanced down at the pad in confirmation.
"Right here. They definitely live here, and I'm not sure where they could be otherwise." When Twilight didn't respond, he looked up, finding her tilting her head as though listening. A couple of seconds later, Spike realised why. A soft melody floated over to him, faint but clear. Twilight looked over her shoulder, then turned and edged her way around the cottage, heading towards the back. Spike followed her closely, peeping over Twilight when they stopped at a corner, and caught a view of the back garden, and a sight that he hadn't expected.
The garden was expansive, full of pens and coops for a variety of animals and creatures, from normal farmyard specimens to ferrets and a range of exotic birds. A large gathering of these animals was taking place around a woman, who was the source of the melody they had heard from the front of the cottage, and now that they were closer, it was much more audible. She was singing, and the creatures were gathering around her attentively. Birds were perching on her delicate arms, some chirping in response to her melodious tune. A few deer sniffed around her, creeping closer and touching at her pink, silky mane which fell down to her waist. The woman turned around, gently stroking the head of the nearest dear, a serene smile tugging at her face. Her eyes, beautiful cyan mirrors, spotted the two onlookers, and a look of shock and fear crossed her face, abruptly ending her singing as she let out a sharp scream. At once, the animals scattered, a cacophony of noise as the hooved animals bolted away from her and the birds took flight. The woman jumped up and back several paces, her eyes now wide and fixed on Twilight and Spike.
"I'm so sorry!" the unicorn called to her, stepping from behind the house and holding her hands apart in a conciliatory manner. "We heard your singing and came round, and your animals..." Her explanation petered out, and she rummaged through her brain to find a way of salvaging the situation. The woman cowered, looking as though she were trying to hide behind her hair from the unexpected intruders. "My name is Twilight Sparkle," the unicorn settled on at last. She stepped forward slowly, nervously smiling at the other woman. "What's your name?"
"Uh....my name is..." the woman responded, her speech tapering into a timid mumble. She turned her head a little, half of her face hidden by her mane. Twilight stepped forward some more.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say your name was?"
Again the agonisingly shy woman mumbled her reply, shrinking back as she did so. The unicorn glanced back at Spike, her smile straining as she tried to keep an air of friendly energy. She didn't have much practice, and Spike almost wanted to laugh at how painful this must have been for her. After several seconds of silence, the woman gave a light whimper, both hands held defensively across her body. From the branches of the trees, the birds watched the lopsided conversation suspiciously.
"Well...it seems your birds are back," Twilight continued awkwardly, trying anything coax some words out of the woman. When she said nothing, but continued to stare at the ground, the unicorn slumped her shoulders and looked over at Spike. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Is...is that a dragon?"
Twilight looked around again. The pink haired woman was looking at Spike with interest, even excitement. Before she could respond, the woman walked past her, making her way towards Spike as though in a trance. The young man remained in place as she drew close, looking him over in wonder. "I've never seen a dragon before. You're...you're just so cute."
Spike looked past her to Twilight, his face cracking into a grin when he saw her exasperated face. "Well well well," he gloated, returning his gaze to his admirer.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
"I'm Spike," he replied nonchalantly.
"Hi Spike, I'm Fluttershy." She seemed giddy with excitement. "This is just so amazing. I've got so much to ask you."
"You can ask later," Twilight cut in, taking her place at Spike's side. "At the moment, we're in a bit of a hurry to collect you." She took the data pad from Spike and handed it to Fluttershy, who looked at it in confusion. "I've been sent to collect you by Princess Celestia in relation to the attack on Canterlot yesterday."
Fluttershy looked up at her. "There's been an attack?" she inquired softly.
Twilight had to fight to stop herself grinding her teeth on the journey to the town square, tailed by their latest recruit. The mare, who until now had refused engage in conversation with herself, was bombarding Spike with questions about his life, pausing only to listen intently to his responses. She had half a mind to stop the incessant stream of questions, partly out of her concern that it would make Spike begin to question his identity again, but decided that, as it had taken so long to even manage to get her to utter a comprehensible sentence, it was in everyone's interest that the pegasus remained happy and open to interaction.
"...and that's everything," Spike finished, winding down his latest story. Twilight hadn't listened to it as they'd walked, her mind wandering through the countless questions she had herself. Spike was doing a wonderful job keeping their companion occupied, and she trusted him the task.
"That's amazing," Fluttershy whispered in awe, adjusting her backpack. They'd allowed her time to pack necessities, and she'd emerged twenty minutes later, fretting about the animals she'd be leaving behind to fend for themselves. The dragon and the unicorn had assured her that they'd be fine, especially as Fluttershy had asked a friend to look after them in her absence, but it wasn't until they had started walking and Spike had tried to talk to her that she'd shifted her mind from the subject of her furry friends to that of her interest in meeting, at long last, a species she'd never had the chance to interact with. She probably hadn't even realised that she'd walked into town, Twilight considered, realising herself that they had reached their destination.
"We're here," she announced a little too happily, letting out a sigh of relief and sending a laconic message to the Sky Chariot as they approached the town hall. It was the meeting point that they had arranged, and she looked around to see if the others were here. It didn't take long to spot the prismatic hair of a familiar pegasus standing alongside the blonde earth pony farmer and the purple mane fashionista. Rainbow Dash noticed them almost immediately, and give an upwards flick of the head to acknowledge them, which caused the other two to turn around and give their own forms of greeting.
"Fluttershy darling, it's good to see you," Rarity said, smiling at the pegasus, only a hint of anxiety in her countenance. "Are you coming along too?"
"I-I think so," she uttered, reverting back to her timid nature. Twilight was happy that she'd managed to get to the town hall before trying to hide back in her shell.
"When are we going, anyway?" Rainbow asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She'd changed into some jeans and a simple light blue t-shirt, a hoodie tied around her waist.
"I've sent the message to the pilots now," Twilight replied. "The seven of us should be away." The remark earned a confused glance shared between the others.
"I might have misheard you, but I believe you said 'seven', there, darling," Rarity spoke up. Frowning, Twilight counted the number of people in their gathering and hastily looked through the list on the data pad.
"Spike, did we ever meet 'Pinkamena Diane Pie'?"
"You mean Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked. "You probably have. It's not often that somepony comes into town without her noticing and trying to say welcome. You'd know if you met her, though." She looked to the side as though she'd heard a noise coming from that direction, her face wrinkled in concentration for a couple of seconds. "Here she comes now."
Applejack took a couple of steps in the direction that Rainbow was looking and stuck her arm out, holding her stance for several seconds. Twilight looked at her in confusion, wondering what she was doing, until a pink blur rounded the rotunda and mowed straight into Applejack's outstretched arm. The blur seemed to halt comically before bouncing back a little, a woman taking shape now that she'd slowed down enough to be visible.
"Hey Applejack!" she called out happily in a girly, bubbly voice. "it's good to run into you again." She gave a childish giggle. "I'd love to stop, but I really really need to set up a 'welcome to Ponyville party', there's a new pony in town and-" She stopped suddenly, her legs spasming as though caught in the grip of a cramp. At this point, Twilight noticed the copious amounts of supplies encased in her arms; balloons, streamers, banners, and more. It was a wonder she could carry all of it. The woman looked around for a moment before she spotted Twilight, her beam widening. "Oh hey! There you are! I'm just about to throw you a surprise party and - well, I guess it's not a surprise party anymore, is it?" She pouted a little. "Oh bummer. Oh well, a party is still good, even if it's not a surprise!" She spoke a mile-a-minute, and Twilight's normally capable brain had to run a backlog to process everything that had been said. Eventually, she realised that this was, in fact, the mare they had met when they first arrived in Ponyville, the one with the sparkling blue eyes and the aura of uncontrollable energy.
"Uh, w-well, actually," Twilight stammered, her brain rebooting, "I was actually just looking for you. I need you to come with me on the orders of Princess Celestia."
"I told you you'd know if you met Pinkie Pie," Rainbow chuckled, watching the exchange with a mirthful glee. The newcomer put her supplies down, a few balloons (they were already blown up? Why? Twilight asked herself) floating away as she let them go.
"I wondered why I felt like I needed to pack clothes and things," she said, wiggling her backpack. "Well, here I am! We can go wherever now!" She rocked happily backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet, her arms swinging merrily by her sides. Twilight's brain had to take a second reboot, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash shared a chuckle together.
"How exactly did you 'feel' the need to pack clothes?" Twilight asked.
"Pinkie Sense," the woman replied simply, as though it were meant to carry some meaning. She didn't stop smiling or rocking back and forth. The unicorn looked at her blankly.
"What?"
"My Pinkie Sense. I get little twitches and things when something's about to happen, sometimes. It helps me to prepare for things in advance. I wish it covered parties and things like that, but it tends to be warnings and the like." She gave a nonchalant shrug.
"What?" the unicorn asked incredulously. "But, how can you...that can't be...no. Surely not. That can't be right at all."
"Yep," Pinkie answered, seemingly unfazed that Twilight doubted her. "It's how I knew that I was needed here, instead of readying a party for you. I probably would have missed you otherwise."
"That? You think that because you had a muscle spasm and happened to see me that it means that they're linked?"
"Indeedily!"
"Okay, I see why you might think that, but that isn't the case. To assume that because one thing happened after another that the first thing caused the second thing, but that's known as a post hoc fallacy. It's a common misunderstanding."
Pinkie suddenly shivered, a jitter running through her body, and her eyes widened. The others glanced at one another in concern before Fluttershy stepped forwards.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Twitch-a-twitch!" the pink haired earth pony suddenly shouted in alarm, diving to the ground and covering her head with her arms. The others gave cries of surprise and followed suit, throwing themselves down to the ground and covering themselves up, leaving only Twilight and Spike standing. The two of them shared confused glances.
"What's going on?" Spike asked out loud, half to himself, and half in the hope of receiving an answer. He felt a tug on his leg and looked down to see Fluttershy looking up at him, shivering on the ground.
"Get down!" she squeaked. "Something's going to fall!" He immediately looked up, scanning the sky for any sign of a dropping object. It may have been comical to any passerby, the sight of five ponies cowering at the feet of a unicorn and a dragon, the latter two looking up in abject bewilderment, but Spike found it extremely disconcerting. His muscles tensed at her warning, hoping that he wasn't going to see a repeat of yesterday. He'd enough experience with assailants dropping from above, but as his eyes flicked around the blue expanse, he found nothing, and that worried him more. He had no idea how quickly these things could approach, and they'd been drilled throughout their training to prepare to respond to any possible threat, and he knew that just because Ponyville seemed like an unlikely target for an attack, it didn't mean that it couldn't happen. Canterlot hadn't been an obvious target either, and these ponies seemed so certain that something was about to happen that he felt their fear begin to seep into him.
"T-there's nothing there," Twilight spoke up at last, the waver in her voice quickly corrected. Spike looked at her, and when she looked back at him, he could see in her eyes that she'd been thinking and feeling exactly what he had. "There's nothing in the sky today," she repeated, her voice firmer. "Unless Princess Celestia is going to drag the sun down on top of us." None of the others laughed or moved from their position. "Isn't this a little silly? It doesn't seem likely that anything's going to fall on top of us if there's nothing up there to fall down. It makes as much sense to worry about that as it does to worry about the ground turning into lava, or for the air to turn into water. Can't we-" She found herself having to speak louder as a whining drone overpowered her voice, previously background noise, but growing in intensity very rapidly.
The Sky Chariot descended from a hundred to twenty feet in a matter of seconds, the heavy heat of the jets washing over the square. Slowing its descent, it touched down and lowered the ramp, waiting patiently for the passengers to board. The ponies on the ground looked up, and then to Pinkie for confirmation that the danger had passed. When she stood up, resuming her happy disposition and making her way over to the craft, the rest of them followed her example, getting up and brushing themselves down before walking to the more subdued transport. Rarity, noticeably, levitated a trunk behind her, while Fluttershy seemed reluctant to approach the aircraft, only taking small, uncertain steps until Spike walked with her. Twilight took several deep breaths before following, deciding that she should be satisfied that she had finally completed the task the princess had entrusted to her. Looking down at the data pad again, she noticed one final person of interest who was not located in Ponyville. Luckily, it seemed to be Spike's role to find them, and she smiled to herself as she stepped up the boarding ramp, taking her seat next to Spike, the craft much more crowded than when they had arrived.
With its intake complete, the engines grew in intensity once again, lifting the ship from the ground and sending it up into the sky, gaining altitude and distance, its wail reducing until, once again, the town was left in peace, sans five of its occupants.
Location: Lunar Observation and Research Academy, Luna
Date: 171 A.C.F.
"Who approaches?!" the door guard bellowed, lowering his rifle from his shoulder to his hip, the barrel aimed just above the head of the approaching figure. It was both procedural and traditional, and it was obvious why- it was just close enough to allow them to act if there was a threat, but wasn't threatening enough to be overly hostile. More importantly, though, it sent a message; 'Try anything, and we'll blow your brains through the back of your skull.'
"Corporal Spike, Division M6," the dragon replied as he halted and stood straight at attention. The two guards in front of him were almost identical to that of Princess Celestia's guards, albeit for the colour of their armour. Royal guards were issued light combat armour, a durable battledress topped by a steel compound chestplate and plated torso. The rest, apart from the helmet and the boots, was optional; the arm, elbow, knee and shin plates were issued as part of the suit, but many guards chose to leave them off on long shifts. The fact that these two guards bore the full set showed that they were prepared for trouble.
"For what purpose do you approach?!"
"I have an authorised appointment with one of the Royal Guard."
"On who's authority?!"
"On the authority of Princess Celestia."
"Proceed," the guard called, snapping his rifle back to his shoulder and balancing it by the stock, his other hand returning to his side. The two guards became motionless on either side of the door. With a final salute, Spike broke his pose and stepped forward, the door opening to his approach.
The room was darker than the hallway, and Spike had to wait for his eyes to adjust before he could make out anything inside. There was still some light, a wan bulb offering the most modest amount of light, but it was only after a few seconds that he noticed the figure in front of him, sat at a table in the centre of the room. She was wearing a deep blue dress which almost allowed her to blend into the dimness of the room. This was offset by her pale complexion, beautifully contrasted against the dark softness of her attire. Her long, blue hair flowed down her body naturally like woven silk, and, like her sister, she had an air of grace about her even though she was only reading a book, by the looks of it. Spike considered the likelihood that she wasn't even trying.
"Princess Luna?" he spoke up. The woman looked around, offering a courteous nod and standing up, her movements delicate and quiet, but still bearing a great deal of power to them. She stepped towards him, her hands held together. Her dress fell to her ankles, not sweeping across the floor in some grand statement, but giving her enough room for her legs. She looked both powerful and refined. It was a feeling he couldn't shake around either of the royal sisters.
"Greetings to you," she said. Her voice was firmer than that of Celestia's, more blunt, but not unkind. "We received your communiqué, and we are happy to assist you. You will find your request behind you."
Spike looked over his shoulder and repressed a yelp of surprise, instead turning to face the guard who had moved behind him since he had entered the room. Like the others, he was clad in full light combat armour, the metal and hard armour a dark blue and the underlying uniform grey in the colours of Princess Luna. The guard reached up and removed his helmet, shaking his head to allow his brown mane to take its natural ruffled appearance.
"Nice of you to come and visit," the guard grinned at Spike, giving him a slap on the shoulder. "It only took you, what, a year and a bit? Must be a new record for you."
"Just waiting for the right time to burst in and make an entrance," the dragon returned, offering a grin of his own. The princess remained silent, but smiled at the display.
"It has been agreed that Captain Pipsqueak will be requisitioned for your quest," she informed him, earning a raised eyebrow from the dragon.
"When did you get the promotion?" he asked. The earth pony shook his head and rolled his eyes at Luna.
"A mere jest, on my part," the princess backtracked. "Forgive my humour, it is an acquired taste."
"It's a private joke," Pipsqueak explained to Spike. "Don't worry about it." Looking to Princess Luna, he donned his helmet once more and stood at attention. "With your permission, your highness, I would take leave to pursue my duties."
"You may have your leave," Luna responded. "Fare thee well, guard." Pipsqueak gave a salute, did an about turn, and marched out of the door, with Spike repeating the procedure, joining Pipsqueak in the hallway. From behind them, the princess' voice called the two guards into the room, the clunk of boots signifying their obedience. A few seconds later, they heard her again.
"Do take care. Both of you." Then, with a hiss, the door shut. Pipsqueak removed his helmet again.
"Okay, so, two things," Spike began. "Firstly, 'Captain', and 'quest'? What was that about? And secondly, is it just me, or do you sound a bit different?" The earth pony nodded in time to his questions.
"The answer to both questions is that she took a liking to me," was the reply. "We talked a lot, she asked about my past, where I was from, found out that I was from Trottingham. Turns out she has fond memories of the place, and ended up giving me elocution lessons. In fact, hang on." He gave some coughs as if to clear his throat. "'ow about now?"
"Just as I remember."
"Bangin'. Anyway, we found out that we both 'ad a fondness for stories, 'specially the tales about the sea. Trottingham's a coastal town, a fishing village, it started as, and so there's plenty o' stories that I knew that she enjoyed. She made comments about 'ow I'd make a great captain, so we kinda went from there. I might've told 'er about my fascination with pirates from my childhood."
"So you became Pipsqueak the pirate? Scourge of the seven seas and the-"
"Yeah, yeah," the earth pony cut in, waving his hand. "Don't lay it on too thick." They walked on for a while, ascending up a couple of flights of stairs. "Why 'ave you come for me, anyway? You never specified." The question earned a sigh from the dragon.
"It's to do with the attack."
"Canterlot, I heard. We still dunno who done it."
"Did it."
"Done did it. I don't understand why I'm important."
They emerged from the stairwell into a wide corridor. The wall ahead and the ceiling was thick acrylic glass, offering the two a view of the landscape ahead and the expanse of space above them, the void dotted with beautiful specks of white. Further afield, the great blue and green sphere of Equestria positively glowed in the light of the sun, the shadow fading in nearer the centre, which was ensconced in the peace of night and Luna's watchful eye. The planet looked simultaneously so close and so far away, and Spike found it amazing that there were around ten billion people inhabiting its surface when it looked so still from up here. Pipsqueak, it seemed, had come to terms with it in the time he had been stationed here, and his gaze was immediately attracted to the shape looming over the spaceport.
"That ship shouldn't be here," he announced, his dark eyes scanning the skyline. "The fleet isn't moving to intercept it." He looked at Spike for an answer. "It's ours, isn't it?"
"It is," the dragon confirmed.
"That's a carrier," Pipsqueak continued. "A capital ship. We don't normally use those for much 'cept training routines and practice runs. It's more of a supply ship nowadays. But it's 'ere, in orbit above a colony in lockdown." A silence fell between them.
"Something was stolen," Spike started, his voice low and serious. "Something was taken from Canterlot in the attack. I don't know what it is, but I know that the princess wants it back. It's important, and we need to recover it."
"A recovery op?" the earth pony noted. "Can't say I expected that, but I can't say I'm put off." He began to grin. "Am I to be Captain Pipsqueak at last?" They shared a chuckle together.
"Not this time. But hey, you'll be among the crew, maybe you can work your way up."
"As long as they're the fiercest crew of scallywags in the galaxy, then count me in." He looked out at the ship again, his eyes drinking in its length and design. It wasn't as old as the others, possibly a newer model brought in to replace the more outdated builds that were mostly decommissioned and used as supply boats. "Has this beast got a name?"
"Has she indeed," the dragon smirked, turning fully to look at his friend. "She's got a fiery name to match the fire in her soul." He paused, rolling the name around on his tongue silently.
"Her name is Dragonfire."