//------------------------------//
// On the Trail 
// Story: Dark Matter 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 4: On the Trail

Dawn stretched his wings, rolling them in their sockets until the joints popped.  He stretched out his legs and back as well, carefully cataloging every feeling and sensation that went through his body.
“Ready to start?” asked Scootaloo as she watched her coltfriend limber up a little.
Dawn looked at her and nodded.  The two of them assumed their beginning stance and prepared to go into the First Form.  However, as Dawn took his first step, he paused, his ears twitching as he heard a familiar voice in the distance.
Scootaloo heard it to, freezing in place.  A second later, she looked up.  “It’s Rumble.”
“Dawn!  Dawn!” yelled Rumble, diving down out of the sky towards them.  Dawn barely caught a glance of the panicked look on Rumble’s face before the other colt’s hooves impacted the ground.  But in his frantic rush, Rumble overbalanced and went into a tumble that sent him rolling right up to Dawn’s hooves.
“What are you doing here?” asked Scootaloo, staring down at Rumble as he fought to pull himself together.
“Twilight!…Bad ponies!…Gone!”
“Stop!” said Dawn, his voice rapping out sharply.  Scootaloo recognized it as Dawn’s “instructor tone,” particularly the tone he used when she was on the verge of doing something wrong that could get herself badly hurt.
Rumble’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click of teeth.
“Now,” said Dawn, still using that same tone.  “Take a deep breath.”
Rumble did as he was told, inhaling deeply before slowly letting it out.  The jitters running through his body began to subside.
“All right.  Tell me what you saw,” said Dawn.
Rumble looked at Dawn and Scootaloo.  “I was out in the quarry, practicing when…”



Rumble sighed, looking at his “weapon.”  It was nothing more than a thin cord with a large knot tied at the very end.  The knotted cord was a practice version of the weapon that Storm Front used, the meteor hammer, though Storm Front’s had a heavy metal weight on the end.  Rumble had been practicing with the weapon for months.  For a while, his primary efforts had been focused on learning to wield it without smacking himself in the process, which had left him with a number of bruises.  Now, he was generally going through the forms Storm had taught him with the weapon.
But, for some reason, Rumble didn’t feel quite into it today.  He couldn’t really work up the enthusiasm to really put in some effort.  He’d thought that coming out to the quarry would help him calm down and focus.  But he was just as distracted as ever.  What really stayed in the forefront of Rumble’s mind was the fact that he would be learning this on his own from now on.  Certainly, Storm Front would be around to give some pointers and there were scrolls the stallion had made as well.  But Rumble felt something was missing when he thought about how he’d never be able to see Storm Front wield that graceful weapon again, that they wouldn’t be able to practice together.
With a sigh, Rumble began pulling in the cord, winding up the weapon so that the cord was wrapped around his right foreleg.  As he did so, he suddenly heard the rush of wings and something large and heavy moving through the air.  Looking up, Rumble could see a large carriage, pulled by a quartet of heavyset pegasi heading straight for the center of the quarry.
Rumble dived behind a large boulder and peeked out as the pegasi pulled the carriage in for a landing.  They didn’t look like friendly ponies, looking about with scowls as the carriage came to a stop.  The pegasi were decked out in heavy-looking plate armor, dark gray in color, with a crimson hammer painted over where their cutie marks would be.  On the roof of the carriage, Rumble saw a pair of similarly-dressed unicorns, who seemed unbothered by standing on a moving vehicle while it was being pulled through the sky without so much as a rail or tether to keep them from a long drop to the ground.
Rumble didn’t like the look of these ponies one bit.  There was something about them that seemed…mean.  He stayed where he was, hoping with all his heart that none of them noticed him.
Then, four more ponies trotted into the quarry from one of the paths leading to town.  Well…three of them were trotting.  The unmoving form of Twilight Sparkle was draped across the back of an ugly, scarred pegasus who looked meaner and nastier than the six ponies with the carriage put together.  He was accompanied by a white mare whose coat was covered in splotches of various shades of brown, making her look filthy.  The final pony Rumble recognized as Rarity’s assistant, Coco Pommel.  Coco moved timidly, cringing with every step, as though she expected the scarred stallion or the dirty mare to turn and attack her at any second.  The mare surveyed the area around them with dead-looking, black-colored eyes.  As her gaze moved in Rumble’s direction, he shrank back behind the rock.
“Get them loaded up,” the scarred pegasus said to the other ponies.  One of the unicorns used her magic to lift Twilight off of his back and move her into the carriage.  One of the pegasi pullers moved up to Coco and used his bulk to herd her through the door as well.  The door to the carriage slammed shut and the puller used a key to lock it before hitching himself back up to the harness and flaring his wings.
“All ready,” said the filthy-looking mare, inspecting the scene and sweeping her eyes over the landscape once more.  Rumble was a little too slow in pulling back when her eyes turned in his direction.  But, to his surprise, she apparently didn’t notice him and continued her sweep before making a labored climb to the top of the carriage.
“Let’s get out of here then,” said the scarred pegasus, spreading his own wings.
The pullers took off, hauling the carriage behind them.  Rumble stayed hidden behind his rock, shifting to keep it between him and that mare’s dead eyes, as he was sure that she was still surveying the area even as the carriage was being pulled away.  Only when the sound was receding into the distance did Rumble dare step out and take to the air himself, his eyes barely able to make out the dot of the carriage as it was pulled towards a mountain and the all-too-familiar city that protruded out from its side.



As Rumble concluded his story, silence descended on the three foals.  The door to the cottage opened and Fluttershy leaned out.  "Is everything all right out here?" she asked, looking the group over before her eyes settled on Rumble.
Rumble opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off before he could utter a single syllable as Dawn placed his hoof in front of said mouth.  Leaning down, Dawn whispered into Rumble's ear.  "Go find Arkenstone and tell him what you saw.  Go!"
Nodding frantically, Rumble took off, streaking back toward town.
"What's going on?" asked Fluttershy, tilting her head as she regarded the troublingly serious looks on the faces of her son and his fillyfriend.
"We have a problem," said Dawn quietly as he moved to explain the situation to Fluttershy.
"I'll go let the others know," said Scootaloo, taking to the air herself.  Dawn lifted a hoof, looking as though he wanted to stop her.
Looking at another house that had recently been built nearby, Dawn narrowed his eyes.  "You'd best come as well.  I think we'll be needing your input on this matter."
The response didn't come from the house, but from the shadows around Fluttershy's cottage as a pair of griffons stepped out into plain view.  One of them was an exceptionally large, ebony specimen, clad in heavy, black armor.  His companion was a smaller, lighter, brindled griffoness with a pair of gauntlets over her forepaws.
"I heard the colt's story," said Skan.  "But I'm not sure how much help we'll actually be.  We can't abandon our post, after all."
"I guess," said Dawn.  "However, you might be able to provide some insight into the situation that we can use to discuss what to do from here."
Fluttershy watched the exchange, her confusion still evident as she looked back and forth between Dawn and her bodyguards.  "What in Equestria is going on?"



The carriage rattled to a stop on the driveway, which drew an elegant curve in front of a stately manor.  Normally, such a driveway was reserved for the carriages of distinguished guests, used to differentiate their status from the masses as they were not required to walk to the manor on their own hooves.  On this day, however, the driveway was playing host to a much less savory sort of vehicle.
Around the house, immaculate beds of flowers rose up, filled with plants in carefully coordinated colors, all arranged in neat rows and formations.  Everything was perfectly arranged and lovingly cared for.  All was in its place, as it should be.
Greenblight, came in for a landing next to the carriage.  Before he even looked at the manor, he looked up at his second-in-command, still observing from her perch atop the carriage.  The mare made two full sweeps of the area before turning her attention back down to her leader.  "All clear."
Greenblight nodded and looked to one of his pullers, who quickly tossed the scarred stallion the key to the carriage.  Unlocking the door, Greenblight peered into the darkened confines.  The carriage was no noble's vehicle, not having been designed with creature comforts in mind.  Instead, it had been built as an armored transport for dangerous prisoners.  The benches were minimally padded and the windows were small, with heavy steel bars over them to stop any attempts at breaking out.
"Out," he said sharply.
Shaky and sore from the rough flight, Coco Pommel trembled as she stepped down from the carriage, taking her surroundings in nervously.  She'd never actually been to Baron Elderflower's estate before.  It was beautiful, but it had the feeling of a nightmarish prison.  Coco feared it even more than the abode of Viscount Eventide, where she'd been forced to work as a maid until Elderflower had arranged for Eventide's disposal.
Greenblight's menacing presence loomed behind her.  "Walk," he instructed.
With a whimper, Coco obeyed, heading up the stairs towards the large double doors that swung wide at her approach.  Behind her, Greenblight looked over his shoulder at Inkwell.  "Get Twilight Sparkle to the quarters the Baron designated and restrain her properly.  She should be out for another day, but we don't want to take any chances."
Inkwell nodded and turned to do as she was bid.  Coco watched the dirty-looking mare levitate Twilight out of the carriage in a cloud of jet-black magic before she was forced to keep walking once more.
Greenblight remained behind her.  Whenever they approached a juncture in the mansion's network of corridors, Greenblight would tell her which way to turn.  After a few minutes of walking, she found herself standing outside a certain door.  It looked like a door to any other room in the mansion to her.  Nonetheless, she dreaded what she would find behind this one.
Greenblight reached past her and knocked sharply on the door.  "We've arrived, My Lord."
Coco saw the knob shimmer in a glow of brown magic before it turned and the door opened.  The room appeared to be a parlor of some sort.  The wall opposite the door was covered in curving glass panes that allowed for a spectacular view of the side of the mountain and the valley beyond.  She could even see Ponyville in the distance.  The room was tastefully decorated with vases and sculptures on pedestals.  As she stepped into the room, Coco looked to either side, seeing paintings lining the wall adjacent to the door.
In the center of the room was a single table, large enough around to seat four to six ponies.  However, only one pony sat there right now.  Even though she had met him face to face only once and had only seen him at a distance once more afterwards, Coco recognized Baron Elderflower all too easily.  The stallion was seated on a plush cushion.  Spread out on the table in front of him were several dishes, decorated with small delicacies.  It seemed that the Baron was enjoying a light dinner as he waited for his employees.
"Welcome back," said Elderflower, not bothering to turn away from his repast.  Even as Coco watched, a fork, shrouded in magic, rose up to daintily spear another morsel and deliver it to Elderflower's mouth.  He chewed silently for a moment before speaking again.  "I trust that everything went well."
"Flawlessly," said Greenblight with a vicious smirk.  "I promised you my best services and you got them."
"Indeed," said Elderflower, now raising a napkin to dab at his lips, "You are certainly worth your pay, Master Greenblight."
"If that's all you require from me, I will be taking my fee and departing," said Greenblight.
"But I do require more of you," said Elderflower, finally turning around to face Greenblight and Coco directly.  "You have my greatest thanks for securing Twilight Sparkle and I am glad to hear that she has been delivered unharmed."  His gaze switched to Coco for a second before jumping back to Greenblight.  "You even saw fit to recover an important asset for me, even though her usefulness is more limited now.
"I have another task for you to complete.  Thanks to my sources, I have confirmed that the time is ripe to move on to the second phase of my plan.  For that, I require the assistance of you and your ponies in your more...typical capacity."
Greenblight's grin widened.  "Excellent," he said, "I would've been disappointed if you'd only hired us for a basic abduction.  This sounds much more fun."
"I assure you that it will certainly be interesting," said Elderflower, "I'll explain the situation to you in a minute.  Please let me speak to the young lady for a moment."
"Of course," said Greenblight, taking a step back.
Coco shivered as Elderflower's gaze fell upon her.  "Welcome back, Ms. Pommel.  I hope that you enjoyed your time working under Ms. Rarity.  I am so sorry that your apprenticeship had to end under such unpleasant circumstances."
No you're not, thought Coco viciously.  She sniffled and shook, but did her best to keep from breaking into tears.  She'd cried enough today and for the past few months.  She would be damned if the Baron got any more satisfaction from seeing her suffering.
Elderflower didn't seem to notice or care in either way.  "In the normal course of things, you are a liability.  You have seen, heard, and done a great deal and, of course, your loyalty to me is rather tenuous, which is perfectly understandable, given the circumstances of your employment.  Were you given the opportunity, I am sure that you would betray me without a second thought."
Coco winced.  Elderflower had struck the nail on the head.  If she truly thought she could survive the attempt, Coco would run to the authorities at the first opportunity to rat out the disgusting stallion in front of her.  Unfortunately, the Baron knew that as well and it was all too clear that he intended to make sure that it never happened.
Elderflower smiled slyly at her.  "Obviously, I cannot allow that to happen.  Naturally, I am sure that Master Greenblight would be all too happy to dispose of you at my behest…not in here of course, this carpet is the finest Neigyptian cotton after all.  I have a few places set aside on my estate for times like this, so laying your remains to rest wouldn't be all that difficult."
Coco did her best to remain standing.  But her limbs felt as though they might give way at any second.
"Fortunately for you," continued Elderflower, "That would only be my course of action had your usefulness completely ended.  Fortunately, I do have another use for you, which means that you need not worry about me terminating your employment just yet."
At that moment, Coco heard hooves echoing on the hardwood floorboards of the hall outside.  "You called for me, My Lord," said the voice of a young stallion as he stepped into the room.
Coco looked back at the source of the voice, her heartbeat rising when she confirmed who it belonged to.  A young stallion walked through the door.  His coat was a light, cream color, dotted with flecks of gray, while his mane and tail were a silvery-blue color.  His body was covered by a black cloak that billowed slightly behind him as he walked.  Beneath the cloak, Coco could hear the faint rattle of metal.  The colt saw her as he walked in and froze, his bright-yellow, hawk-like eyes widening.
"Coco?  What are you doing here?"
"Ah!  Excellent," exclaimed the Baron, clapping his hooves together, "Your timing couldn't be more perfect, Perlin."
Perlin Bluestreak froze, suddenly remembering that he was supposed to be talking to his employer, he turned to look back at Elderflower.  "What is going on here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Elderflower with a smirk, "The young lady has served her purpose in Ponyville, so Master Greenblight was thoughtful enough to recover her along with Twilight Sparkle.  Naturally, after how wonderfully Ms. Pommel has served me, I couldn't bring myself to abandon her to her fate, so I have brought her into my protective custody."
"Is that so?" asked Perlin, his eyes narrowing.  He glanced sidelong at Coco before returning his attention to Elderflower.
Despite herself, Coco felt some feeling return to her legs.  Before Greenblight and Inkwell had shown up, Perlin had been the pony Baron Elderflower had entrusted with overseeing her, both in Canterlot and Ponyville.  In Canterlot, he had frequently visited her when she was working under a local seamstress, often settling in to watch her work, an action that had disturbed Coco in the extreme.
Coco was deathly afraid of the young stallion.  She knew that beneath his cloak lurked wings, the feathers of which had been crafted from pure mithril, each one razor-sharp.  The first time Coco had seen Perlin, he had been in the process of slaughtering two-score of armed ponies with almost careless ease and a great deal of enjoyment.  The memory had been burned into her brain and had filled her with a trembling fear whenever she laid eyes on him afterwards.
But under these circumstances, Coco actually found herself welcoming Perlin's presence.  For all that he frightened and intimidated her, Perlin had never been anything but kind and polite to her, even going so far as to specifically avoid actions which would frighten her further.  After being exposed to the callous threats of Greenblight and the lifeless gaze of Inkwell, Coco actually welcomed having Perlin near her.
Perlin and Elderflower stared at each other for a long moment, neither saying anything.  Finally, Perlin sighed.  "May I make a request of you, My Lord?"
"You may," said Elderflower with a dismissive wave of his hoof.
"Just this once, I would like to forego the witty banter and hidden insinuations and speak in plain, unvarnished Equish; laymare terms, if you will.  Please tell me, directly if you please, what it is you are trying to do here."
Elderflower's lips peeled back in a tiny, victorious grin.  "Very well.  That's a simple enough request to grant."  From behind him, a teacup floated up off its saucer and drifted around to meet his lips.  Elderflower to a long, slurping sip, before setting the teacup back down.  He levitated his napkin once more and dabbed his lips again.  "Ms. Pommel's presence is here to ensure your good behavior.  I can understand that you may find this an insult as a professional.  However, I have recently had doubts regarding your willingness to follow through on my orders.
"Though your skills are exceptional, you lack a certain...something.  Something that Master Greenblight here has, namely a certain degree of obedience, regardless of what has been asked of you.  Sadly, docking your pay and terminating your employment are threats that have little bearing against you, since you lack this degree of professionalism.  Because of that, I am forced to look to more drastic methods.  Don’t think I failed to notice all the visits you paid to Ms. Pommel when she was working here in Canterlot or that time you went to Ponyville without orders."
Coco let out a tiny gasp.  She'd always thought that Perlin had been there on Elderflower's orders, as something of a reminder of whose power she was supposed to be under.  Perhaps his staying to watch her work had been of his own volition, but it was a shock to find out that he hadn't been coming to her on orders at all.
"Your point?" asked Perlin.
Elderflower smiled.  "Simple.  Ms. Pommel is now in my custody.  She is my...guest of sorts.  I think I shall find her something useful to do with her time, but she is primarily here for your sake.  Because your skills are quite useful to me, I have made the decision not to have her quietly disposed of.  However, should I have reason to doubt your willingness to give your all to the job I hired you for, I am afraid that I will have no reason to leave Ms. Pommel alive.  Do we have an understanding?"
"We do," said Perlin in a level voice, his expression flat and unreadable.
"Wonderful," Elderflower said genially.  "In that case, I have decided to give Ms. Pommel a room in the maids' quarters.  There are plenty of vacant ones, so pick whichever suits you and help her get settled.  I want you to report to me promptly at six tomorrow morning."
"As you wish," said Perlin.
"Good.  You and Ms. Pommel may leave now.  I wish to speak to Master Greenblight a little longer."
"Of course," said Perlin, bowing his head to the Baron before backing away.  Meeting Coco's eyes, he nodded at her, bidding her to follow him.  Coco did as he instructing, giving her own bow to the Baron before backing away and following Perlin out the door.
As it closed behind them, Greenblight stepped forward once again.  "You don't need that colt.  Let me dispose of the girl and I'll deal with him as well."
"As unprofessional as he may be, he is still quite a formidable asset," said Elderflower, turning back to his table.  "When he first arrived in Canterlot, he even went so far as the incapacitate Captain Shining Armor and no fewer than fifteen members of the Royal Guard.
“Still, as I will have to dispose of Ms. Pommel at the end of all of this, if you are willing to deal with Perlin once I have no more use for him, I will be happy to pay you a considerable bonus for taking care of him as well.”
Greenblight chuckled dryly.  “It’s a deal then.  So what’s the target for your Phase Two?”
Turning back to his meal, Elderflower smirked down at the food before him.  “The Royal Palace…”



Finding Arkenstone had been no easy task for Rumble.  He hadn't been at the library or the teahouse.  Rumble tried to think of where else the stallion might be.  As he thought, Rumble settled for flying over the town, trying to see if he could get lucky and spot Arkenstone from the air.
After a few minutes, Rumble did indeed get lucky as he saw Arkenstone stepping out of the house that belonged to Rarity's parents, where Rarity herself had been staying for the past several days.  Come to think of it, since Ms. Coco was with those ponies too, I probably should've checked this place first.  But there wasn't time to reconsider his course of action and Rumble instead swooped down towards Arkenstone, seeing Rarity coming out of the house behind him with a distraught-looking Sweetie Belle.
"Rumble!" cried Sweetie, looking up at him.  As soon as Rumble landed, he was tackled in a fierce hug as Sweetie cried into his shoulder.  "It's terrible!" she wailed.  "Twilight and Coco have been foalnapped!"
"I know," said Rumble, "I saw them."
"You did?" gasped Rarity in shock as Sweetie finally let her coltfriend go.
"Yeah.  I was out at the quarry when I saw them.  I think they took Twilight and Coco to Canterlot."
Arkenstone let out a sound like a deflating balloon.  "Why am I not surprised?"
Rumble quickly related the details of what he had seen whilst his audience listened attentively.
"What do we do?" asked Rarity, looking at Arkenstone after Rumble had finished his story.
"We need to figure out who had Twilight foalnapped," said Arkenstone, "And I need to go to Canterlot."  A low rumble built in his chest, one that seemed to seep into the ground beneath their hooves and make it hum in turn.  "I will find Twilight.  I will find her if I have to raze the entire city."
The others all found themselves shivering at the raw fury in Arkenstone's voice.  Rarity was the first to recover her composure.  "I-in any case, we need to get the others together.  We should also have Spike send a letter to Princess Celestia, letting her know about the situation."
"We should," said Arkenstone, "Though I worry.  Celestia has already left Canterlot for Appleloosa.  Given her current agenda, this could cause serious complications."
"There's no helping it," said Rarity, "The Princess would hate it if we left her out of the loop on a situation like this."
"What about Princess Luna?" asked Rumble.  "She's still in Canterlot, isn't she?"
The two adults looked at him...or rather, Rarity looked at him while Arkenstone turned his nose in Rumble's direction.  "That's a good point," said Rarity, "Luna might be in a better position to help us."
Arkenstone nodded his agreement.  "Let's move quickly.  Whoever is behind this, I don't want to leave Twilight in their hooves any longer than equinely possible."



"Here.  This one should do."  Perlin pushed open the door to one of the vacant rooms in the maids' quarters of the manor.
"Th-thank you," said Coco, stepping into the room and looking around.  It was typical of servants' quarters, very much like the room she'd had when she'd been working for Viscount Eventide.  There was a bed on one side, a desk with a small lamp on the other, a single small closet by the desk, and a small window on the wall across from the door.  The room was clean, but bare.  Stepping into the room, Coco took in her surroundings with a small sigh.  It took her a moment to realize that Perlin had not moved.
"I..."  Coco turned around at the sound of Perlin's voice, facing the young stallion and looking straight at him.  Her fear of him was still there, but muted by a combination of recent events and the depressed, repentant look on his face.
Perlin couldn't bring himself to even look her in the eye.  Then, before Coco could react, he moved forward and carefully wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a gentle hug.  "I'm sorry..." he said, "...for everything..."
Her first instinct was to freeze in place.  She was too frightened of Perlin's lethal abilities to even think about trying to struggle out of his grip.  She realized that he could have done this at any time in their association.  He could have touched her, done whatever he'd wanted and she would have been far too afraid of the consequences to try and get away from him.  But he never had.  He'd never tried to initiate any kind of physical contact before, save once, and he had stopped himself back then.  Now that she realized it, Coco knew she could pull away and Perlin would not do anything to her.
That was also when she realized that she didn't want to pull away.  After the day's events, her experiences of the past weeks, Perlin's embrace was a source of true warmth and comfort in this cold and unfeeling place.  His arms were warm.  Instead of going rigid or struggling away, Coco raised her own forelegs and returned the gesture, slipping them up to wrap them around Perlin's withers in turn.  Her ears caught the faint sounds of rustling cloth and a light, grating noise of metal rubbing against metal.  From her position, resting her chin on Perlin's shoulder, Coco could see his wings shifting beneath his cloak.  He was pulling them back, trying to keep them as far away from her hooves as he possibly could.
He really does care about me, she realized.  She counted herself lucky.  For all that Perlin terrified her, he was her one true friend in this place, except for, possibly, Twilight Sparkle.  But I doubt she'd consider me a friend after what I did to her, thought Coco bitterly.  Still...with Perlin there, she didn't feel as desolately alone in this manor as she once did.
Finally, they parted and stepped back.  To her surprise, Coco found herself blushing.  She noticed Perlin blushing too.
"I guess I should go," said Perlin, stepping back.
"Wait!" said Coco, raising a hoof.  "Y-you can stay...if you want."
Perlin flinched and looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise.  "You really want me to stay?"
Coco nodded.  She climbed onto the room's bed and settled down.  The mattress was at least comfortingly soft.  For a servant, she'd figured that the Baron was more likely to invest in cheap boxsprings.  That gave enough room for Perlin to come the rest of the way into the room.  He glanced back at the door and, with a nod of agreement from Coco, shut it behind him.
"So..."  Perlin looked at her, at a bit of a loss on how to proceed.  He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do in this situation.  He wasn't sure what he wanted to do.  In the past, all he'd wanted was to spend time with Coco.  His mind had conjured up images of cheerful conversations, seeing her smile when she saw him, rather than cringing away.  But this...this was further along than his imagination had ever bothered to come.
"May I...may I see them...?" asked Coco softly.  "...Your wings?"
Hesitantly, Perlin nodded, feeling a bit insecure about spreading those lethal weapons in an enclosed space like this.  He turned his body so that he was standing parallel to the bed and slowly, carefully, unfolded one wing out from beneath his cloak, extending it just far enough that Coco could see it, but not so far that it was in any danger of touching her.
Coco felt a shiver run down her spine as the lethal appendage stretched out toward her.  However, she forced the feeling down and made herself really look at those wings for the first time since she'd met Perlin Bluestreak.  Her eyes took in the details of his mithril feathers, looking over every primary, secondary, and covert.  She was no expert on knives, swords, or other kinds of blades.  The closest she'd been to such things was probably the set of shears she used to cut fabrics.  However, even with her inexperienced eye, she could appreciate the spectacular craftmareship of those feathers.  They were works of art.  As chilling and strange as they were, Perlin's wings were beautiful to look at.  Each feather was lovingly crafted, looking almost completely lifelike in their arrangement and motion.  The silvery metal caught the light, giving it blueish highlights that reflected off its finely-polished surfaces.
Slowly...very slowly...Coco reached out with her hoof and gently touched the outermost primary, slowly feeling its texture against her frog.  It even feels almost real, she thought, her fear being replaced by a craftsmare's appreciation of something so detailed and complex.  As she felt the feather, she was careful to keep her hoof away from its edges.  To that end, Perlin held his wing perfectly still as she touched it, not daring to so much as twitch, lest he harm her even slightly.  In the past, Perlin had never given a thought about carving up ponies like roast meat for a griffon table.  But now, he felt as though he couldn't forgive himself if he gave Coco so much as a paper-cut.
His cheeks flushed as he realized that Coco was looking at him, really looking at him, for the first time since they'd met.  She was seeing him, not as some obscure menace or creepy stalker, but seeing him as a pony.  That made him indescribably happy.  I wonder...is this what Dawn was telling me about? he mused.  He remembered when he and Dawn were waiting for the train that would take them to Diamond Mountain.  He remembered watching Dawn hold Scootaloo and kiss her.  He remembered seeing the looks of contentment they had when they were in each other's arms.  Could I ever have that feeling too?
Coco's hoof pulled away from his wing and Perlin sensed that she was done looking.  He pulled the wing back against his side, letting the cloak fall over it once more.
Seating himself on the floor, Perlin turned to face Coco, looking at her expression and trying to guess what she was thinking.  Whatever she was thinking about, Coco was apparently thinking hard.
Finally, she looked up at him, her eyes meeting his once again.  "Can you tell me?" she asked.  "Can you tell me about you...about where your wings came from?"
"A-are you sure?" asked Perlin.  In the past, he'd felt no hesitation towards telling other ponies about his history.  He'd once happily recounted the entire thing for Rainbow Dash.  However, Coco was different.  He'd realized that she'd probably find his story disturbing and frightening.  Her reactions to what little of it he'd let slip in their past conversations had affirmed that belief.  "It's not the kind of story you'd probably like."
Coco gave him a small smile.  "Even so...I think I want to know it."
Perlin swallowed nervously.  "If you're sure..."
So he told her about himself, about his father, about the doctor, about killing his father, about the life he'd led...everything.  And she listened.  Coco didn't say a word.  At times, she would gasp in shock, or turn pale when he related a more gruesome occurrence.  But otherwise, she kept silent and she kept her thoughts to herself as Perlin finished.  The tale was every bit as disturbing and frightening as she'd expected.  But, for the first time, she truly understood just who Perlin Bluestreak was.
He's a child...a foal...  Even though he was a young stallion, only a couple of years younger than her, in his mind and heart, he was still every bit the foal he'd been when his father had been forging the colt into a living weapon.  Suddenly, a great deal made sense about Perlin, his blithe, casual approach to fighting and killing, his pride in his deadly wings, even the awkward and creepy way he'd approached her.
Even if his rational mind told Perlin differently, his heart knew better.  His wings weren't just weapons to Perlin.  They were toys.  Like any well-loved toy, Perlin relished the chance to play with them, to use them, to learn everything about what he could do with them.  Perlin's approach to mercenary work wasn't that of a hardened professional, as Greenblight's was.  To Perlin, it was playtime, a game, something to be done for his enjoyment, because it was the only kind of "play" he'd ever known since his infancy.
Even though he was a fighter and a killer, Perlin's heart was still possessed of that daunting, terrifying innocence of a foal who thought he could do no wrong.  Foals could be frighteningly cruel and callous, depending on how they had been raised, sometimes not knowing how much pain they could cause.  Perlin's sense of right and wrong had been stifled and warped in its infancy and his infancy, as his father had fought to stamp down everything that made Perlin a pony and force him into becoming nothing more than a living weapon.
When Perlin had killed his father, he hadn’t been fighting to free himself from a mad stallion’s tyranny and abuse or end said stallion’s crazed ambitions.  It had been so that Perlin could play with his new toys, his new wings, however he wanted, whenever he wanted.  He didn’t see his mercenary work as a job.  It was a game to him, something he had done because the foal that he really was didn’t want playtime to end.
The realization should have terrified Coco.  But it didn’t.  It didn’t because she was now able to look past the foal that Perlin was to the stallion that he could become, if he learned to set aside childish things.  More importantly, she could see that Perlin was now slowly moving along that path to adulthood.  In fact, she realized that she was the catalyst for that very change.  Perlin’s feelings for her were actually leading him to grow up.
It was a lot easier to understand his behavior now, why he’d always popped up to watch her like a creepy stalker without her permission, his awkward approach to actually dealing with her, everything that Coco had mostly overlooked in her dealings with him because she was too busy being afraid of him.  Perlin’s behavior had been nothing more than a consequence of a foal’s first crush, the behavior of a pony who didn’t know how to approach or deal with another pony whom he liked.  Coco might have even found it awkwardly cute, if it wasn’t so wrong for a pony Perlin’s age to be acting that way, especially considering his background and what he had done in the past.
But again, that was changing.  Perlin’s feelings were growing, maturing from that childish infatuation into something more.  More importantly, he was beginning to move past his childish attitudes and behaviors.  He had started looking at things beyond his own amusement and gratification, beyond what he wanted, and he was finally beginning to understand the consequences his actions had for others.
To her own surprise, Coco had seen the stallion that Perlin was becoming…and found that she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.  Her fear of him was fading, replaced by a warm sense of trust, the knowledge that, whatever violence Perlin was capable of, he would never direct it at her.  The things he had done hadn’t changed.  That his crimes had been born of his own immaturity did not make them any less heinous.  But Coco truly believed she could look past all of that if Perlin was able to become a better pony in the future.
“Thank you,” she said softly, reaching out with her hoof to gently caress Perlin’s cheek.  “I feel much better now.”
Perlin blinked at her, nonplussed by her reaction.  “I figured hearing my story would cause the opposite,” he said.
Coco sighed.  “It was disturbing…But…I think you can become something better than what your father made you to be, if you’re really willing.”
“I thought I did,” said Perlin.
Coco shook her head.  “You didn’t.  At one point, you decided you liked what you were and that you didn’t want to go any farther than that.  That’s why you killed him.  Since then, you haven’t moved past that point at all.  You’ve been the same pony you were the day you killed your father.”
Through her hoof, Coco felt a tremble go through Perlin’s body.  Her words were troubling him.  “But…” she said, “…I think you’re getting better.  If you hadn’t learned to care about somepony else, the Baron wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with you by threatening me.”
“But then,” said Perlin, pulling away from her touch, “If I hadn’t started caring about you, you wouldn’t be here now.  He wouldn’t be threatening you to keep me in line.”
Coco’s smile widened.  “And I would be dead,” she said, “The Baron would have no reason to keep me alive and I would be too much of a liability otherwise.  So…I’m alive now because you started caring about me…and I’m grateful.  Thank you.”
“You’re…welcome,” said Perlin.
The quiet moment was interrupted by a gurgle from Coco’s stomach as the apprentice fashion designer realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.  After Greenblight’s first visit, she’d been far too tense to even think about eating lunch.  And then everything else had happened.
Perlin noticed the noise and looked at her inquisitively.  Coco blushed at his gaze.  “Um…” she said, “I don’t suppose there’s any way for me to get dinner, is there?”
Perlin chuckled and gave her a reassuring smile.  “I think so.  The Baron said that you’re a guest after all.  He merely asked me to take you to your quarters.  But he said nothing about keeping you there.  I don’t think he’ll have a problem if I escort you down to the kitchen for an evening meal.”
“Then let’s go,” said Coco, feeling her heart lift for the first time that day.
Perlin stepped back, opening the door and giving Coco room to hop down off the bed.  The two of them went out into the hall and Perlin began leading the way toward the kitchens.
“Well well,” commented a mocking voice from behind them, a cruel, gruff voice that Coco had heard far too much of that day, “Going on a little date, you two?”
They froze in place.  Perlin didn’t twitch, not even to look behind them.  Coco turned her head just enough to glance back and confirm her fears that Greenblight was standing a short distance behind them, his characteristic sneer still in place.  Her first instinct was to press up against Perlin’s side.  But she stopped herself before she could, reminding herself that she would be pressing up against Perlin’s wings and the razor-sharp feathers attached to them.  If he had to extend them, it would end badly for her.
“I am escorting Ms. Pommel to the kitchens to get her some dinner,” said Perlin in a level tone, “Surely there isn’t a problem with that, Mr. Greenblight.”
Greenblight’s sneer widened and he snorted.  “You’re getting pretty uppity so soon after the Lord Baron put you in your place.  I’d like to give you a reminder of my own.  Keep in mind that, if you want to remain in the Lord Baron’s employ, you won’t be able to stay around the little lady all the time.”  His eye fixated on Coco with a malicious stare that chilled her to the bone.  “I’d hate for something to happen to her when you aren’t watching.”
“Thank you for your advice,” said Perlin, his voice still calm, “I will take it into consideration.  I have no intention of failing the Baron or disappointing him.”
Greenblight chuckled, his mirth making Coco’s stomach churn.  “Well, I can’t fault your taste in mares,” he said, “I wouldn’t mind a taste of that flank myself.”
Now Coco had to fight the urge to vomit as she felt the full weight of Greenblight’s gaze.  She began to tremble and she was certain that she would faint on the spot.
Then the feeling vanished, replaced by the sense of something passing between her and her antagonizer.  Looking back again, Coco saw that Perlin had unfolded a wing and now held it so that it curved over her back, hovering inches away from her coat.  Such a gesture would have been intimidating in the past.  But now it gave her a sense of security.
Greenblight, on the other hoof, got a different sense entirely.  Now he was the one feeling a deathly chill that came from Perlin’s wing as it interposed itself between him and Coco Pommel.  The young stallion radiated a fierce, focused killing intent aimed directly at Greenblight.  “Your associate told me, back at the time we first met, to watch my tongue.”  Slowly, Perlin finally turned his head to look back over his shoulder, the gesture actually magnifying the deadly feeling as one of his eyes met Greenblight’s own.  “I would pass on that advice to you, here and now.”  There was none of Perlin’s usual unconcerned amusement in that one visible eye.  The look in it was deadly serious.
Trying to recover the composure and swing the conversation back his way, Greenblight forced out a laugh and said, “Allow me to repeat your response to that.  What happens if I don’t?”
The single hawk-like eye Perlin was watching him with narrowed.  “Try it…and find out.”
In spite of himself, Greenblight swallowed nervously.  Perlin suddenly seemed an entirely different pony from how he had been before.  The bravado that Greenblight had been feeling earlier was rapidly draining away.  “I simply wanted to check and make sure you understand where you stand.”
“Perfectly,” replied Perlin.
“Then we’re finished here.”  Greenblight took a step back before turning around and walking away, trying his hardest to keep it from looking like he was beating a hasty retreat.
When the stallion was out of sight, Perlin let out a relieved breath and retracted the wing, looking over at Coco.  “Are you all right?  Do you still feel like eating?”
Coco gave him a shaky smile.  “I’m fine,” she said, “And…”  She leaned in, her lips brushing ever so lightly against Perlin’s cheek, “…thank you for protecting me.”
“Y-you’re welcome,” stammered Perlin, blushing furiously.  He raised a hoof to touch the spot Coco had kissed.
Coco couldn’t stop herself from giggling.  “And I’m still hungry.  Let’s go.”
“All right,” said Perlin, smiling to himself.  He resumed guiding Coco to the kitchen, feeling better than he had in days.