//------------------------------// // Dachuur/Rarity.Fluttershy.Applejack - Chapter 8 // Story: Dawn of Crystal Empire // by TopWanted //------------------------------// Dachuur pierced through the sea of clouds and reached the apex of an arc that would take him down. He stared at the moon for a brief and wonderful second, his back to the earth below, and began falling again. He dived back into the clouds and came out the other side. Snow was everywhere but it did not stifle his vision. The dark of the night held no secrets from him thanks to his feline ancestry and powerful vision. He flew fast and swift and made land on the tallest peak in the western mountains. He landed on the snow covered peak before a large tent slightly higher up the incline. Scattered around the various lower peaks nearby were small huts and nests crafted from strong driftwood and rock. Some clung to the sides of the mountains with strong adhesives like bugbear sap and the griffins’ own caustic phlegm. Sariel was waiting for him at the folded curtain door to this peak’s tent. (Translated from Griffin Speak) “You went above the cloud line again, didn’t you,” Sariel asked with a grumpy expression. “Now you can’t prove that.” Dachuur gave one of his trademark grins. Sariel simply stared with disdain. “The Highest is not merely a title it is a symbol to the entire griffin race.” “If he’s grumpy about it he can tell me himself,” Dachuur insisted. Sariel expression did not shift. “He’s been waiting.” “I figured as much seeing as your still up.” “Just get in!” Sariel snapped as he held the curtain open for Dachuur to enter. Sariel followed behind as Dachuur entered the tent. The inside was an open area, the ground completely snow free. In the center of the tent, growing from a small mound was a large trunk that bent at a near right angle half way up. It held no branches and its bark seemed to have been stripped revealing a smooth, ancient looking, white and grey wood underneath. A large griffin, twice the size of Dachuur himself, lay on top of the protruding trunk. His face and beak were short but he made up for it in plumage. His feathers were red and yellow like Dachuur’s but not just the tip like his. This griffin’s entire body was covered in beautiful feathers of crimson and gold all the way down to his long red tail which was long enough to wrap around the trunk to the floor. His hind legs were that of a mighty lion and his claws were dug deep into the trunk. He took notice of the two and nodded his head solemnly in greeting. “Zenfon,” Sariel proclaimed with a bow. “Your son has arrived.” “You may leave us,” Zenfon replied in a deep throaty voice. Sariel made one last bow and left the tent. When both occupants were sure they heard the flapping of wings which signified Sariel had left the peak, they both let out a sigh of relief. Zenfon stretched his talons forward like a cat and let out a long exhausted yawn. “I cannot understand how that cock expects me to just stand here all day and night.” Zenfon released his claws from the trunk and slid down so he was now hanging like a sloth. Dachuur flapped his wings and perched on the end of the horizontal trunk, standing slightly higher than his father now. “You know if Sariel saw you like this he’d have an aneurysm,” Dachuur joked. Zenfon rotated his head one hundred and eighty degrees like an owl so he could see his son. “And if he saw you standing up there he’d try to rip your wings off.” They both shared a hearty laugh for a few brief moments. When it ceased Zenfon continued, “So tell me more about this mare you find so fascinating.” “Where to begin,” Dachuur started as he lay his body down on the trunk, positioning his talons to rest under his chin to get comfortable. “You should have seen the way she flew. It was like she had been born in midflight. I could have easily caught her, but I really wanted to see what she was capable of.” Dachuur’s face lit up more. “And she didn’t disappoint! The way she commanded the storm itself around her. Did I tell you how she shot herself at me using a lightning bolt! I mean, that’s just incredible!” Zenfon smiled. “Sariel tells me you saw her at the army camps a few months back as well.” “Not a big chance to talk then,” Dachuur replied. “Sariel kind of ran the whole show there.” “What did you expect? You didn’t know a word of pony then.” “I knew some,” Dachuur said defensively. “It’s just that only recently Sariel agreed to teach it to me.” “Just enough for your little conversation tonight?” “No I’m actually pretty fluent in-“ he cut himself off, realizing what his father had said. “How’d you know about that?” Zenfon smiled again and knocked his talon against the trunk. “It’s a bit of a pain on the old back but it does have its perks.” Dachuur smacked his head with his talon. Of course his father had heard. The trunk, or Griffin’s Throne, could hear all. It was said that the trunk reached deep into the mountain and that its roots spread and touched every rock and stone for hundreds of miles around. Vibrations could be heard and felt in the smallest corner of the country and the furthest reaches of the mountains. The reason this place was so sacred was because it was a place of omniscience. It was a perch for kings. “I’m sorry for disobeying a promise,” Dachuur lamented. “Sariel said we would not return until ten months’ time and I broke it.” “Oh, I don’t recall Sariel ever promising that specifically,” Zenfon chuckled. “Besides, you need to be young while you still can.” He gave his son a warm smile. A single feather fell from his plumage and landed on top of a small pile of similar feathers Dachuur had just noticed surrounding the Throne. “It’s getting worse isn’t it?” Dachuur asked, raising his head concernedly. “Nothing can be done about age, boy,” Zenfon chuckled. “My father used to say we have phoenix blood in us, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen an aunt or uncle rise from the grave yet.” Zenfon’s chuckle now became a hearty laugh which gave way to a cough and then a fit. Dachuur landed on the ground and began to stroke his father’s back as he hung from the trunk. Zenfon’s coughing fit soon stopped and he shuddered. “The mountain is lively tonight.” Dachuur stopped rubbing his father’s back and listened. “I had hoped that the ponies’ excavation of the eastern range wouldn’t disturb things too much. But it looks as if it’s causing more change than expected.” “Is it awake?” “No,” Zenfon gave his son reassuring smile. “It will not wake for something like this. It rests. For now.” Zenfon turned his head to his son. “This will be your duty one day. I know you enjoy the spoils of youth, but remember that this is a sacred duty. One that protects the world, above even ourselves. When the time comes to mature to the task you must be ready.” “I know,” Dachuur replied simply as he returned to rubbing his father’s back. Zenfon tensed a second time and frowned. “What is it?” Dachuur asked. “The yaks are moving again.” Zenfon’s head now pointed north toward something Dachuur could not see. “They’ve been moving quite frequently these past few months,” Dachuur inquired. “And at night too.” “Yes,” Zenfon lay still in consideration, “their hoofsteps are quick and eager. As if in pursuit.” “What would an entire tribe of yaks be pursuing?” “I never said they were the ones pursuing, boy.” ---------- After a long and interesting day, the moon had finally rose and all ponies in the Crystal Empire went to sleep. All except five suspicious individuals that were sneaking about the darkened hallways. --- Rarity slinked her way past Applejack’s adjacent room. Making sure not to make noise that would awake the sleeping earth pony. She sighed in relief as she turned down the right corner of the hallway and continued to her destination. --- Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash peeked out of their rooms at the same time. They looked across the hall at Rarity and Applejack’s respective rooms and then turned to each other, putting their hooves to their mouth in a “shush” expression. Silently they crept out of their rooms and made their way past Applejack and Rarity’s rooms. They sighed with relief as they turned down the left corner of the hallway and continued to their destination. --- Pinkie Pie stuck her head out of her door and looked at the four doors in front of her that her friends were sleeping in. She slowly stuck a hoof out and began to silently crawl past the four rooms. She sighed with relief as she reached the end of the hallway and proceeded to throw herself off the hallway balcony. --- Applejack rushed from her hiding spot to the bannister where Pinkie had just jumped from. Instead of a splattering of pink pony on the castle floor below all she saw was nothing. Now where did that varmint go? She thought. And what in the hay are any of those fools doing? --- Rarity had a little trouble finding her way in the dark but luckily the light of the moon was bright enough and the castle interior reflective enough to discern just what was where. It took her a few minutes but she found the T shaped hallway that was her rendezvous. “Flash?” she whispered, scrutinizing the area through the darkness. “Flash? Are you there?” She felt a light tap and jumped as she noticed the slightly taller orange Pegasus standing behind her. He had abandoned his royal guard uniform and his blue mane was now coifed back in a stylish, yet youthful manner. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” “Oh no,” Rarity assured him, her hoof to her chest. “I’m sorry I’m a little late. It took a bit longer for everyone to fall asleep then I had assumed.” Flash gave her a genuine smile and they sat down to talk. “So,” Rarity began. “First we need to determine all the things Twilight likes…” --- Applejack stood perched on a crystal pillar looking down on her friend and the orange Pegasus she had met with in the middle of the night. She couldn’t hear what they were saying. Y’know, frankly I don’t think I want to know. This might be something personal for Rarity. It’d be rude to spy. On the other hoof, why’s that girl having a secret date when we should be on a mission. I swear, sometimes I think I’m the only sane pony here. Applejack thought all this while she straddled her lasso and swung silently to another pillar, like a bat. --- Fluttershy turned her head back and forth down the hall, whispering softly, “Capper! Capper!” “He’s not gonna hear it if you just whisper, dummy,” Rainbow stated. “In fact, how can that thing hear? It doesn’t have any ears!” “I’m sure he has his own way of understanding us,” Fluttershy replied defensively. “Just like you have that weird way of understanding him?” Fluttershy recalled how random thoughts and words had flashed through her mind when she touched the sentient blue flame for the first time. “I admit it is kind of strange, but Twilight and Cadence are wrong about him. Capper couldn’t hurt a fly.” A small sound rattled and echoed in the hall behind them. The two mares spinning around and peering into the darkness. “Did you hear that too?” Rainbow asked. Fluttershy gulped. “Yes.” --- Applejack cursed her clumsy hooves. It had been pretty easy to find and follow Rainbow and Fluttershy but that last jump to the opposite parapet from them wasn’t as stealthily quiet as she intended. Applejack now clung to the edge of the pillar right in front of the two, their positioning obscuring her from view. However if they were to just walk around the pillar and look up they would catch her. Rainbow slowly crept forward. --- “It’s probably nothing,” Rainbow assured herself as much as Fluttershy. “Yeah,” Fluttershy replied. “Probably the castle settling.” “Wait,” Rainbow replied. “I don’t think crystal settles, I mean, its crystal.” Fluttershy wanted to repute this but was stumped. Once again Rainbow Dash had shown her oddly specific knowledge of mineralogy that nopony could dispute. Fluttershy pursed her lips in an expression of confusion and acceptance. “I’ll just go take a look.” Rainbow began to creep forward. --- Rarity jumped again slightly as she heard a small sound echo through the hall. “Everything okay?” Flash asked. “Oh, yes,” Rarity replied returning her attention to the stallion in front of her. “Anyway where were we? Ah, yes. Twilight loves knowledge above all else.” “So,” Flash scratched his thin thoughtfully. “I should become a bit more learned?” “Not exactly, dear. Though it wouldn’t hurt,” she said jokingly. “Have you ever heard the expression: ‘Opposites Attract?’” “Yes.” “Well, the way I see it. Twilight already has all the knowledge she could ever want. Anyone with relative smarts she meets will inevitably just be a conversation piece for her. Someone to discuss… smarter things with.” She finished her thought with a wave of her hoof and a thoughtful turn of the head. “You want to become the white knight!” “But I’m already a knight,” Flash replied. “Not that kind of knight, silly,” Rarity laughed. “Though, once again, it doesn’t hurt.” --- “See anything?” Fluttershy squeaked out from her hooves covered head. “No,” Rainbow replied. “Guess it was the castle settling.” Up on the ramparts Applejack had successfully pulled herself up above the pillar and out of sight once more. She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow and gave a silent sigh of relief. Then she returned to spying on her friends. --- “Do you think Capper left the castle?” Rainbow asked as she returned to Fluttershy’s side. “I don’t think he can leave the castle,” Fluttershy replied. The two began walking down the long hallway once more. “One of the things I noticed when I touched him was a fear of the sun and moon.” “The sun and the moon?” Rainbow replied disapprovingly. “Then how did he get here?” “Well,” Fluttershy raised a hoof to her chin in thought. “Cadence and Twilight said he might have come from the hole in the library they found. Maybe he was an original part of the castle?” “So he could be like some kind of… pet?” Rainbow asked. “Hmm, I did get the strong impression of somepony that was close to him. Though I don’t think I saw his face.” Just then, at the end of the hall a ghostly image of a pony hold a lantern with a blue flame came into view. It caught their glance and immediately disappeared into the floor. “If he’s a pet,” Rainbow said with a devilish grin. “Then he is the coolest pet ever!” The two mares proceeded to sprint back down the hall in an attempt to follow where the blue flame might have gone. --- I knew it! I knew they were hidin’ something from me! Applejack fell loudly to the floor as her friends halted in front her. “Applejack!?” Rainbow shouted. “Just what is this all about?” Applejack yelled, her cheeks flushed with anger. “Why didn’t you two tell me you had found the thing that attacked Cadence and Spike?” “Capper didn’t attack them!” Fluttershy said resolutely. “At the very least he just put them in a compromising position.” “And who is Capper?” “That’s apparently the thing’s name,” Rainbow replied. Applejack eyed her friends wearily. “And you couldn’t tell me this why?” “Well that’s because,” Rainbow started. “… Hey, why didn’t we tell the others?” she directed at Fluttershy. “Um,” Fluttershy kicked her hoof on the rug in an innocent looking gesture. “Capper didn’t want anyone to know about him.” “Don’t you think that’s something a villain would say?” AJ pointed out. “To be fair,” Fluttershy remarked. “He didn’t actually say anything.” “I don’t think he talks,” Rainbow replied with a half lidded expression. “What makes you say that?” AJ asked. “Because I’m pretty sure he’d talk if he was this close to somepony,” she pointed behind Applejack with her half lidded expression and a slight grin. Applejack turned to find a ghostly image of a faceless pony right in front of her eyes. Applejack screamed and lifted her front hooves to bring them down on the creature. Before they could connect the blue miasma descended into the floor once more. “That’s what y’all been chasin’ and hidin’ from me?” Applejack spun around and asked. “Um, yes?” Fluttershy replied. “That’s terrifying!” Applejack proclaimed. To which she heard a loud scream below. Flash gave Rarity a confused look. “So what kind of knight am I supposed to be?” “A white knight,” Rarity clarified. “Is a gentlecolt who comes in to save the princess when she needs it most. Somepony to take an awful burden from her shoulders and carry it for her.” “I see,” Flash nodded in approval. “But Twilight’s an alicorn. Just what kind of problems is she going to have?” “Well,” Rarity considered the question. “Besides the quite obvious one right now with the crystal heart, I suppose Twilight is also worried about Spike.” “Her assistant in the infirmary?” “Yes,” Rarity’s eyes brightened. “I’ve been assured it’s nothing serious, but something like this must weigh heavily on her. If we could find a way for you to wake Spike and, say, a certain unicorn witnesses you do it, then Twilight would be eternally grateful.” “I suppose it could work,” Flash frowned. “But I don’t know anything about dragons.” “Yes, well, that’s true,” Rarity clenched her teeth and looked to the side in an expression of consideration. “I guess we’ll have to learn all we can tomorrow. I’m sure the crystal library has more than enough information.” “I thought I didn’t have to be an egghead to do this,” Flash gave Rarity a joking smile. Rarity reciprocated. “A little knowledge never hurt anypony.” She lightly slapped her hoof on his shoulder in a friendly gesture. Then they were both silent for a brief moment as they awkwardly caught each other’s gaze. This ended when a ghostly image lit by blue flame fell from the ceiling and landed in between them. Rarity let out a curdling scream. --- “What the hay was that?” Rainbow shouted. “That would be Rarity,” Applejack replied. “What’s Rarity doing up so late?” “Some kind of secret rendezvous.” “What pony has a secret rendezvous in the middle of the night?” “Remind me what you two were just doing?” Rainbow considered the question for a moment before answering. “Touche.” “Hey, where’d Fluttershy go?” Rarity was still screaming when Fluttershy arrived. Some orange Pegasus was in front her, trying to protect her from the blue ghost thing. “Capper!” Fluttershy shouted angrily. “Don’t scare my friends!” Capper turned its ghostly head toward her and took notice, but he did not move from where he stood. “That’s right,” Fluttershy said in a scolding tone as she walked closer. “We don’t scare other ponies. We make friends with them.” The ghostly visage nodded in agreement and inched closer to Rarity and the orange Pegasus, its ethereal lantern raised and casting a menacing shadow. Rarity then screamed again and tried to fire a bolt of magic at the encroaching figure. The bolt passed through the image and the blue flame exploded and grew to touch the ceiling. This caused the orange Pegasus to fall backward in surprise, tumbling over onto Rarity. Fluttershy held a hoof up to her eyes as the scene before her brought blood rushing to her cheeks. Applejack and Rainbow charged into the scene before them with no clue what to make of it. To the right was Fluttershy trying to calm down a ghostly blue flame. To the left was Rarity and some stallion in a, more or less, compromising situation. The orange Pegasus, eyes closed, had his back legs interlocked with Rarity’s own as he tried get up from on top of her. Rarity had her eyes closed and made strange noises as she too tried to dislodge herself from their entanglement. “There are plenty of rooms, you know,” Rainbow joked, a perverted grin playing across her face. The two ponies on the floor immediately opened their eyes and noticed their situation. Wordlessly the two extricated themselves from each other and stood back to back awkwardly. Both their cheeks looking red as apples. “If all of this nonsense is over,” Applejack began as she trotted toward the three. “Maybe we can get something accomplished.” She walked to Fluttershy and eyed the ghostly fright beside her. Applejack sighed and smiled, “So, Capper, huh?” Applejack held out a hoof to the figure. It turned to Fluttershy who nodded to it in approval. It lifted it’s lantern to Applejack’s hoof and she briefly touched the blue flame within. Applejack felt a surge of emotions and pictures flash through her mind. The biggest one, she felt needing to be addressed first. “I’m sorry we all made you scared,” she said apologetically. The flame jumped a little and gave a small sigh. Rarity proceeded to walk over. “So,” she said hesitantly. “I take it this is the thing we looked for all of today?” “Yes,” Fluttershy said and motioned a hoof to her new friend. “Meet Capper.” Soon everypony present was greeting the glowing ghost and touching the flame to speak with it. “Well,” Rarity spoke up as the commotion began to die down. “Now that we know where it is and have someone who can control it,” she looked at Fluttershy who gave a polite smile. “That just leaves one question. Who’s going to tell Twilight?” “I’ll do it in the morning,” Applejack replied. “We should all get some sleep before then.” At that, Flash bid goodbye to the mares and left. The four of them leaving the other way. Applejack furrowed her brow. “Wait a minute,” she said scratching her chin in thought. “Where’d Pinkie go?” --- Elsewhere, in an infirmary, a heavily bandaged pony slept soundly on his slightly torn up mattress when there came a creaking noise from the door. The pony awoke in a daze. The doctor was gone for the day, there was no night shift nurse. He heard the sound of clopping coming closer and closer to his bed. Sweat began to bead his forehead as he soon heard the sound of a knife being drawn. He tried to scream but the bandages covering his face muffled his words. A sinister shadow was cast on his bed curtains from the moonlit window. His eyes widened as the silhouette raised a knife and somehow grinned in horrific glee. He shut his eyes as he heard something soft be cut into with a quiet *splorch.* He heard the curtains part and then the sound of a tray being placed on the bedside table. He opened an eye in confusion. “Sorry we couldn’t really celebrate your birthday properly,” Pinkie whispered as she pulled a present from her hair and placed it next to the slice of cake on his bedside table. “There’s always next year!” And with that she left. He rolled over to his side to inspect the cake and present. Tears began to fill his eyes as he reached for the slice of cake and held it up to his mouth. He pulled his hoof away with a mound of chocolatey goo and frosting, his facial bandages plastered with the confection. He let out a small sigh.