//------------------------------// // The Majestics // Story: Designing Intrigue // by CvBrony //------------------------------// I don’t know any of these ponies. Rarity calmly sipped on her tea, laying back in the plush lounge chair in the “entertaining cabin”, surrounded by several ponies wearing obscenely expensive clothing and jewelry. I don’t know a single one. I’ve never met them. They aren’t wearing any of my designs. I’ve never even seen any of them before. What is going on?   “And is the construction on schedule?” one of them asked.   Stallion. Unicorn. Younger. Foppish. Curly, short blond mane. Ugh, like Blueblood but with a tan coat and no frame to him. Eeeyugh. At least I’ll remember him now. Now, what’s his name? Who are these ponies representing?   “It is proceeding according to the original schedule we provided, yes.”   “I don’t know if that will be good enough, Lofty," a unicorn mare with long, brown hair sneered. “Our timetable has changed.”   “I was afraid you’d say that. Look, there’s just no way. We can only maintain so many workers at the base. If you want it completed properly—”   “It doesn’t need to be,” the mare replied, standing up on the plush carpet. “As I said, our plans have changed. We need to know where the project stands as-is.”   The airship shook left and right, the squeal of metal scraping on metal. The gentle hum of the propellers droned and faded away. “Attention. Docking procedures complete. Engine cycling down for refuel.”   Lofty pressed down on both of his temples with his hooves, rubbing them in little circles. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”   “Neither was bringing her here,” another starting in the group of eight said, thrusting a hoof in Rarity’s direction.   “Oh, don’t mind me,” Rarity chuckled, wrapping a foreleg around her date. “I’m just here to support this silly stallion.”   “Support, how? Mister Goals, her presence was not authorized,” yet another stallion said. “What reason have you—”   “Legitimacy,” Goals stated, his voice sending oratory bullets through the room. Each of the ponies present froze, then reacted as if they had been struck; some with arrows, others with inspiration.   “Legitimacy?” One of the skeptical ponies sneered. “What’s this about?”   The long-maned mare began a stride towards the door, stopping in front of the two of them. “I should think it’d be obvious. As for you, Lofty, you’re on thin ice. Don’t fail us.”   “If any of us fail, it will be because—”   “You are important to the Majestics, Lofty, and it is for that reason that I’m being nice for one of the very, very few times in my life.” She shifted her gaze ever so slightly in the stallion’s direction. “Do not throw it away.” She continued out the hatchway towards the ramp. “Let’s move. I want to see what that we’re spending bits on.”   “Of course, Majestic One." Lofty bowed his head as the entire group began to walk out the door.   Midway through, Rarity caught on and bowed her head too. Control? I don’t know if I like the sound of that. Lofty, what have you gotten yourself into?   The two brought up the rear of the group, the luxury appointed interior of the private yacht giving way to the utilitarian aesthetics of the docking ramp. Carpet was replaced by steel, chandeliers with halogen lamps, wallpaper with bare walls and exposed piping, all leading to a final, armoured outer hatch.   They stepped out through it onto a gangplank surrounded by a metal and glass tube. As the light of the sunset washed her in a complementary red light, Rarity stopped and gazed out through the glass. The desert of San Palomino stretched on forever, the winding hills of scorching sand pierced by towering buttes. In the other direction, the dark of night was beginning to take over, save for the nearly imperceptible red glow of the sand a half-mile beneath them. The tube ahead lead inside one of the stone cliffs. Just off to her left were the hinges of the door, its surface camouflaged to look like just another part of the mesa.   Not even a hint of any civilization. No buildings, streetlights, or even a campfire. Where are we?   “Rarity.” Goals waved at her to follow. “Don’t get lost, my lady. It’s dangerous here.”   “Oh! Of, of course.” She broke into a trot to keep up until they had rejoined the rest. The inside of the mesa had proven to be every bit as utilitarian and steel clad as the docking area of the airship, if not more. Bits of rust speckled the flooring, and not all the lights were working. There were no signs, no safety rails, not even a workplace poster anywhere. Not that they need them in San Palomino, its government being as minimalist as it is.   They continued down the straight, narrow corridor until reaching a large metal door on the left side, easily as wide as three ponies were long.   “One moment, I’ll get it.” Lofty made his way to the front, brushing by a few of the ‘majestics’.   Rarity lifted her head as high she could, shifting around to get a view.   Lofty reached the far side of the door, pulling a meter long lever to the sound of an inelegant ka-chunk. Then, he lit his horn and put his hoof on a black and green stone slab next to the door. His magic weaved its way down his chest and leg into the tablet before transferring to the door itself. Some kind of motor turned on, pulling the two halves of the door apart.   Damnit, I can’t see! What’s in there? Rarity fidgeted with her brooch and bit her lip, thankful that none of the other ponies were looking her way. The group eventually began stepping through the door, making their way onto a somewhat less stable catwalk. It swayed a bit with each step, being held aloft by flimsy-looking hooks as the hallway continued. I’m suddenly less frustrated at all the safety inspections my Canterlot studio goes through...   Light from up ahead started to filter into the hallway, the light of the setting sun replaced by soulless industrial fluorescent yellow. Along with the changing light, noise began to echo in the hallway. Screeching metal and spinning saws cried out like griffins, and riveting guns clambered like a small stampede.   "Please watch your step. The factory area can be hazardous," Lofty hollered over the din.   So it is a factory… Rarity kept her head down as the path progressed, opening up into a large facility the size of a few hoofball fields. Inside, the bare rock walls partially covered in metal scaffolding. Catwalks and paths came from every which way, all leading down to surround something below them. Something massive.   “An… An airship!?” Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof to hold her gasp. It’s huge! I— I’ve never seen one this big!   Gray armor panelling was being bolted onto the whole of the beast, covering two enormous gasbags tied together side-by-side. A line of cannons sprung out from the top, sides, and belly. Pegasi hovered in the air around it, applying a coat of paint with Equestrian Naval colors and insignia. Gaps in the panelling appeared in sporadic places around the hull. Far below them a team of Earth ponies were wheeling in large boxes filled with brightly glowing, white metal rods.   Solidified magic? Why is it in its pure form? The last airship to try that went up in flames, along with a portion of the Royal family. Wait… Rarity lifted an eyebrow. They couldn’t have been involved with that, could they? She took in a breath, holding it as her mind chewed it over. Maybe, but this isn’t really evidence of that. All I know right now is that they’re using it for something. The group kept moving down the scaffolding, eventually coming to the bottom of the factory floor. Overhead, the airship towered over Rarity and the other ponies. Grease, fumes, and other noxious odors wafted by, changing places every few moments. “Shall we?” Lofty lead the way for the ponies to follow him up the loading ramp and into the primary bay of the ship. The opening was farther up the ship than usual, and it looked like the lower half of the gasbag of her comprised of decks rather than empty sacks of air.   “I don’t think I’ve ever seen any ship like this before. It looks far too heavy to get off the ground.” A few of the other ponies scoffed at her, but seemed to make no other protests.   “It uses next-generation warding and other spells inspired by pegasi to provide additional buoyancy,” Lofty said as they neared the top of the ramp. “As such, it needs far less gas than other ships.”   Rarity nodded, only half paying attention. The loading bay of the vessel was two stories tall, and there were at least two decks below them. The upper level of the bay had what appeared to be a managing office overlooking the entire thing. Hooks hung down from the ceiling, dangling over lifts in the floor.   “Mister Goals,” one of the stallions spoke up. “What is the status of the engines? Are they operational?”   “Yes and no.” Goals hesitated midway up a ramp to the upper level of the bay. “The specifications delivered to us for the next generation reactor were… flawed.”   "Nonsense!" One of the mares stomped her hoof. “I checked over those myself. It’s the same being used for the construction of the Bellerophon in Manehattan.”   “No, I’m afraid that’s out of date. We discovered a critical issue that would result in the reactor failing to start at all. Doubtless, Canterlot officials will experience the same thing, and correct it later. Since we didn’t have a fix available now — my workers are workers, not engineers — we are still using the last generation engines.”   “The last ship with those engines exploded at the cost of all hooves on board, and on the maiden voyage,” a short-maned, red mare said. “We did not put you in charge of all of this only to lose our investment.”   One of the stallions got in front of her. “It won’t matter. This is frustrating, yes, but is no longer a particularly large concern given our new plans. Mister Goals, please continue. I would like to see the bridge.”   “Of course.” Goals adjusted his tie and resumed the walk. They passed through several hatchways and up a ramp, finally coming to a stop in a large, window filled room, in the center of which was a steering column.   “Now then, I’m sure you all have questions…” Lofty gave them a slight bow. “Fire away.”   “Not exactly a pleasant choice of words,” Rarity muttered to herself.   “What about the cannons? Are they operational?”   Damn. I couldn’t see who asked that… Rarity slunk off to the side of the group, facing inward to get a better view of the faces. I still don’t know any of these ponies.   “The secondary anti-air cannons are indeed operational, however, we have a shortage of focusing crystals. I’m afraid the primary cannons are still offline.”   “Didn’t one of our resource bases send you a new shipment of them?”   “Yes, and they arrived in terrible condition. If we used them we’d be more likely to blow ourselves up than anything else. I had no choice but to dispose of them.”   “You are beginning to disappoint us, Mister Goals. That’s a bad habit to get into.” The long maned mare walked up and passed him, putting her forehooves up on the control panel and staring out the window. “Let me ask you this: is the ship ready to fly? If ordered, could you sail her out of here right now?”   “If absolutely necessary, yes, Majestic One, we could. However, I would need all the workers to serve as a makeshift crew. We would be flying an unfinished, underponied, and highly vulnerable aircraft. Unless you’re planning on throwing this whole ship and the workers away to—”   “That is exactly what I’m ordering you to do.” Rarity and Goals both took a step back, one forehoof still in the air.   “You cannot be serious!" Goals bellowed. "One hundred seventy-five million bits and seven years have been spent on this project! If we—”   “We are completely serious, Mister Goals,” the tall stallion of the group said, stepping up to him and looking down. “Our situation has changed. Celestia is making a move, and if we act now, we can push her completely off balance.”   “Majestic Two, I don’t under—”   The other mare cut him off again. “She’s promoting Twilight Sparkle to Grand Mage. Charlemagne did not act as predicted, and agreed to the ceremony. We do not know when it will happen, but we know it will be soon.”   Twilight? Twilight’s being promoted to Grand Mage!? Rarity bit down on her hoof to keep from yelling out loud.   Lofty’s eyes went wide, and his forehead broke out into sweat. “T-T-T-Twilight Sparkle!?  What’s that have to do with this?”   “She’s popular, and powerful. Magically, at least.” The mare turned her head slightly, pointing one steel coloured eye directly back at him. “We’re going to have to kill her.”   Rarity’s heart pounded in her chest. No… It can’t be. What am I… Calm down, Rarity. Keep them talking, assess the situation, develop a plan.   Lofty Goals clenched his teeth together. “But, Majestic One, what of the other objectives? The tactical and strategic considerations of all of this—”   “Towers is already en route.” Goals winced from how hard he facehooved. "You're staging a coup? Now?! We aren't anywhere near ready for something like that!" "Poor, sweet, simple Lofty." The mare pinched his cheek with a light telekinetic grasp. "This is a long term game. I don't expect the coup to succeed. It's going to set things up so we can stage a real coup later. "Of course, there are secondary objectives as well. It isn't the end of the world if we fail at them now, but they must be done eventually, or it very well might be." End of the world? What are they talking about? Every one of Rarity's nerve endings wanted to have her run screaming out the door. If she escaped, maybe she could become a hermit in the desert. However, given that all the doors were probably locked, her best bet of survival, let alone saving Twilight, was staying put and staying calm... outwardly, at least. "Very well..." Lofty took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his muzzle. "If you're sure, it's your money. We can do it. But I can't guarantee any real measure of success like this. I'm good, but not a god." Majestic One gave the wheel a large spin and grinned. "I'm well aware of your limitations, Lofty. Trust me on that. Either way, I'm not holding you accountable for the mission success; Towers will be leading the assault. We've already given him the command codes. You don't have to do anything but launch the ship." Lofty sighed, drooping his ears down to the back of his head. "It'll take a few minutes to finish fuelling and to start up the engines. We'll get to work right away." He turned to leave, and gave Rarity a nod to follow him. "We'll be in the captain's office." The two trotted out of the room, quickly running into Vigilant Watch, who must have been waiting outside the door. "Vigilant, I need you to open the bay doors and get the ship moving. The Majestics want it launched immediately." Vigilant raised an eyebrow. "Boss?" "I never said it was a good idea. I just said they want it done, so get to it." Vigilant sighed and shrugged, taking off, presumably to get to work, but not before giving Rarity a parting glare of death. Rarity most certainly did not blow a raspberry at him as he left. It wouldn't be ladylike, after all. They only went a short way down the cramped hall before turning right and entering a sparsely appointed room equipped with nothing but a desk and a chair. Rarity turned and sealed the door behind them, resisting every possible urge to slam it shut, then spoke as smoothly and softly as she could. "If you think I'm going to let you snog me in here, you are sorely mistaken." "I suppose I owe you an explanation." "You're--" Rarity slapped her mouth shut with a hoof and switched to a whisper. "You're damned right you do! A coup, really? And Twilight Sparkle?! Lofty, she's my best friend! And they're talking about killing her!" "I know, I know. Look..." He took her hoof in his, gently stroking her fetlock. "I needed their money for a special project. It was just giving them research at first. Things I'm good at, have connections for. It all snowballed from there. But - and I'm trusting you on this, so you have to promise not to tell them, okay?" Rarity's hoof twitched, the precursor to slapping his face off. Keep calm, Rarity. Keep calm. "Okay, I promise." "My goals and theirs have become... incompatible." Rarity folded her forelegs. "And just what are your goals, Lofty?" "Saving Twilight Sparkle, for one." There was a pause. Rarity pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow, but no further information came from it. She looked him up and down, and finally into his eyes, diving into those orbs of passion like a rough surf in the ocean. "Okay, I'm listening." "There's only so much I can tell you right now. I've got to send out a courier before we leave the base for good. They'll deliver a warning about Twilight to Canterlot. You should stay put. After we disembark from this ship and get away from the Majestics, I'll tell you everything I know." "And what about the coup?" Lofty turned and punched a hoof on the bulkhead. "I wish there was something I could do. Secrecy is the greatest weapon, after all. One is simply far too overconfident. If it doesn't get her killed someday, I'll be stunned. If nothing else, I know this much: General Towers is being rewarded for his loyalty by being sent to his death." Rarity shifted around on the spot she had chosen to sit. "What do you mean?" "The Majestics think the alicorns are weak. A lot ponies do. Politically, this might even be the popular opinion. But magically? Truthfully? Even the Majestics know better. Rarity, I know they insist otherwise, but the difference between them and us is so huge that they might as well be gods. If Celestia wanted to, she could wipe out entire Duchies on a whim. "And Luna? She'll cut down any ponies we throw at her and wade through their blood like a day at the spa. Then, she’ll play with Towers like a cat chasing a mouse. And, speaking of Towers, he has no bucking clue that he's walking into his death. Every single pony going on this little trip is either going to die or get captured, and I'm going to be set back a year.  "The worst part is, there isn't a damn thing either of us can do about it. I can save Twilight, but if I warn them of the coup, I'll be found out eventually, and then there will be nothing to reign them in at all. If we try to stop the ship ourselves, we still die. So, stay put." Lofty walked to the door and stood up straight. He adjusted his mane and glasses, then tightened his tie. "I'm about to go commit treason in two completely different ways." Rarity sealed the door after him, then leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground, for once ignoring wrinkles in her dress. Think, Rarity, think. The floor under her butt started vibrating, so she peered out the window hatch to the outside, and watched as the giant metal wall of the factory detached from the mesa and laboriously lowered itself. Bits of rock and dust fell from above the door and into the bay. The outside was a dark void of night and stars interrupted only by the growl and glow of magical engines. Think faster, Rarity. She pushed herself off the ground and started pacing in a circle. If genius mage Twilight Sparkle thought best while doing this, it was worth a try. I could try getting to the engines and detonating them. Pure solidified magic is highly volatile... No, there will be at least a half dozen ponies down there to stop me. What about getting a warning to Canterlot myself? No, Lofty might be able to order around his subordinates, but that doesn't mean I can, too. Come on, O Regal Lady, you can do this! She paused in mid stride. Unless I can't. Which means, I focus on what I can do. Slow them down, sabotage something, anything to give Canterlot a fighting chance against a huge, powerful airship with ridiculous cannons on it... Wait... She clopped a hoof on the ground. That's it! The cannons need focusing crystals! If I can sabotage their supply on the anti-air cannons , this ship becomes a flying target! Rarity sat up straight and did her best impression of Lofty that she could, given that she didn't wear glasses or a tie. Time to go sabotage a treason in progress. "I do believe I have to use the little filly's room." The door opened with a ka-chunk and she stepped through, glancing both directions. Nopony could be seen in either direction, though the bridge to her left had its lights on. Let's not go that way. She trotted down the hall, letting her hooves clank away. If somepony stopped her here, she had a decent excuse. At the first door she found, there was a set of numbers hastily scribbled on with marker, but she couldn't quite make out what they meant. With no real sign to help her, she pulled open the door and looked inside. Storage closet. Drat. How am I going to... Oh ho ho! Focusing crystals! Rarity, you silly filly! She lit up her horn, casting her signature spell, the first spell she ever learned. The magic formed a kind of invisible searchlight, one that could penetrate through the metal walls and doors of the ship like a gamma ray, albeit without the cancerous side effects. The search turned from a chore to a casual stroll through the ship, each door, each room examined with a flick of magic. Nothing on this level, it seems. I could use the spell to search above and below from here, but I don't know who's up there without looking, so... Ugh. I hate spiral staircases. Rarity pulled open one of the doors and made her way around and around, going up to the next level. It's not so much the spinning, it's how rarely they fit dresses. I always get grease or dust or something on me. The sound of sparks caught her ear, and she threw herself against the wall before cautiously peeking around the corner. The new hall was much like the last, grey and dull and shaped like a rectangle. This one, though, had a pony working in it. He was a regular earth pony stallion, complete with tool belt, hard hat, goggles, and wrenches. Okay, our excuse might still work. In fact, it would be a wonderful alibi. Her stride was key. She trotted out of the door and down the hall, unconcerned, happy, and most importantly, confident. Rarity cleared her throat and gave him a warm, flirtatious smile. "Pardon me, my good gentlecolt, but could you direct me to the nearest restroom? I need to freshen up." She added in an eye flutter and a shy smirk behind her delicate hoof for good measure. Nothing. He didn't even look up. He just kept working. "Um, Sir? I said, could you..." Still nothing. She waved a hoof in front of his eyes, and it was batted away, but other than that, there wasn't even a glimmer of attention, or, even more disastrously, interest. The confidence was sucked from her stride as she moved on, the supernaturally focused pony consuming it like Pinkie Pie turned loose on a dessert cart. A third of the hallway down, she even wiggled her butt at him, to no avail. I know some stallions don't go for mares, but that's... just... insulting! Yes, that's just insulting!  Why, I've never been so insulted in all my-- An image of Blueblood flashed in her mind. Well, okay, so I have. It's still pretty insulting. I have half a mind to-- Aha, what's this? A small gem the size of a key lime sparkled in her vision behind a door, it's ghostly spectre glowing ever so slightly. After a quick look to make sure the welding pony was still ignoring her, she opened up the door and poked her head inside. "Hello? Is this the bathroom?" It was not, by any stretch, a bathroom. It was a small room about the size of a closet, and there were pipes everywhere, but that was where the similarities ended. Most of the pipes were heavily insulated. The few that weren’t seemed to be made of cheap steel. Most of the smaller ones went from the front wall by the door to the side walls, while the larger ones went from floor to ceiling. The largest in the room by far was vertical like its smaller brethren, and placed up against the back wall. Unlike the others, it had a pair of handles attached to it, along with a glass window perhaps a bit bigger than a greeting card. Rarity stood up on the tips of her hooves and peeked into the window, seeing only stars and a targeting reticle. This looks like one of the anti-air cannons for sure. The gem was lodged inside another one of the pipes, this one of medium size and coming out of the floor. Okay, there should be a way to replace these. Focusing gems can overheat and melt, so there should be an easy way to get it out. Oh, the things I do for Princess and country. She kicked off one of her shoes and felt around behind the pipes, coming dangerously close to oil and grease with each little movement. Carefully she followed what looked like thaumic energy conduit back from the cannon, eventually finding something protruding out of the pipe. With a bit of a kick and a pull, a lever was turned and slid down the length of the pipe. The gem fell out like a spent toilet paper roll, and Rarity quickly caught it on her hoof. "Ha! Gotcha! Now I-- oh, darn it!" She floated out a hanky to wipe off the oil staining her perfect hooficure. "Where was I? Right, what to do with this... The ideal is to collect all of them and throw them overboard, which leaves minimal evidence. Destroying them here is an option, but more likely to get me caught, or even cause them to explode. I could sabotage them in case I am caught, but that is a backup plan. Lofty knows more about cores than anypony I know, and might be able to repair them if forced. So, first, sabotage. Rarity held the gem to her eye, focusing on the smallest detail she could, and observing the exact angles of the facets. It was an oddly shaped little core, with minimal capacity. One end was fat and stout, while the other was long and tapered. There! She pulled out her telekinetic blade, then shrunk it down to less than the size of a pin. The insertion went in on the side with perfect precision, and sunk into the center without breaking the gem itself. Not bad if I do say so myself. Lofty isn't the only one with a penchant for crystals! Now for, aha, there we go! She use used her blade to slice off the pouch of a nearby work belt and stuffed the gem inside of it. Three more cannons to go on the upper level. The next three gems were found without a hitch; there were hardly any ponies in the hall, which only made Rarity tense up after each and every new "acquisition." It's okay, Rarity girl, just four more to go. And if these are the upper cannons, then the lower must be down the 'hatch,' so to speak. She went down one level, and took note of the sound of machines. It wasn't just the engines anymore, but all kinds of equipment, from torches to grinders to impact cannons. One more level down, and she saw why. The cargo bay area was still full of ponies working on this and that, constructing the ship as if nothing had changed. Each one, regardless of tribe or gender, seemed to have the same uniform, the same blank stare, and the same silent mouth. There wasn't a single order being shouted or question being asked. A perfect workforce, toiling away in the gold-orange light and steel flooring of the chamber. What in Equus is going --Whoa! The ship lurched to the side as loud metal bangs were heard from outside the bay. Rarity put a hoof on the wall to steady herself in the airship now doing its best impression of a tiny fishing vessel. A moment later, and it was turning, moving out of its mooring. The ship had launched. As one, every single worker pony dropped their tools where they stood and marched for the doors, including the one Rarity was at. Only one deviated even slightly, and that was only to pull a lever to close the ship's hangar door. As Twilight would say, time to test a theory. She stepped to the side to let the ponies pass, then cleared her throat. "Excuse me, could you tell me where -- I just need to know -- ladies room, where is it? Could you just -- maybe I could -- Aaargh!" Every single one passed her by without so much as a glance in her direction, moving up the stairs to who knows where. "Something is rotten in Denmarek. And whatever it is, it's not nearly as rotten as what's going on here." Rarity gave them a huff and put up her boss nose as she walked down another level, this time finding a lot more ponies in her way, all of them just like the others. She had to squeeze by in several areas, the hall being as narrow as it was, and even had to jump at one point to avoid a moving torch. This time, however, she had her search pattern down. Given that she knew where the upper cannons were, and that the lower ones should be in the same position on this level, the guesswork was gone. She hit every single one in a fraction of the time she had spent on the others, plus a few extra to look lost. In each door, she asked for the bathroom, and even tried to bother some of the walking dead ponies. They knew she was there, they had to. They just refused to do anything about it unless she got in their way. At the end, she had the four crystals in her bag and tucked safely away. She couldn't disable them in view of so many ponies, but there was one place she could do so in private. She just had to find it, so she started back up the steps to the cargo bay. "What are you doing here?" "Ow!" Rarity jumped so hard at the voice she banged her head on the ceiling. "Owie... That really hurt!" "A little jumpy, are we Miss Belle?" Rarity's heart skipped a beat as she made eye contact with the mare. It was her, the one giving orders: Majestic One. "My sincerest apologies, ma'am. I've been looking around this ship for a while, and I guess I somehow got used to how... quiet and focused everypony was, even when I tried to ask directions. I didn't expect to hear a voice after all this time!" Majestic One looked down on her like a storm looked down on an ant colony. "And just what were you doing looking around the ship?" "Looking for a bathroom!" The mare had a face Rarity thought she'd never see her wear: one of surprise and revelation. "Bathroom?" "Yes! Well, I suppose it's called the head on a ship, for some strange reason, but it's function is the same. I've been looking left and right, and nopony so much as blinks when I ask for help!" Majestic One turned towards the bow of the ship, still staring at her through the corner of her eye. "So Lofty hasn't told you yet?" Rarity opened her mouth, but couldn't quite word a response. "Don't worry about it. As you've no doubt surmised, these ponies won't help you; rather, they can't. I, however, will." One lifted her arm, and fire raged down every nerve in Rarity's body. The malice, the intent of harm in the mare's voice and body was as clear as the most perfect glass, or even the void of space itself. Rarity was ready. She had trained to be, for anything, as that was the life of a spy, a secret agent of the crown. "The nearest bathroom is over there, in the cargo bay, second door on your right." Rarity blinked. "What? Oh, oh! Thank you! I've been running around here ready to burst for ages!" "Just get back to the captain's office as soon as you're done.  You should not be here." "Yes, ma'am, I will. Again, terribly sorry to bother you!" Rarity ran for the door; this time her hooves would not be denied. The other Majestics were one thing, but she was something else entirely. It was as if Harmony itself had a void, and that void had taken pony shape. She pulled open the door and slammed it shut behind her, and thankfully her excuse had been perfect. Nopony would think twice of a mare rushing like mad if they knew they had a need of relief. Yet, that wasn't what sent ice cold fear down her spine. "Lofty, darling," she said, staring into the eyes of the mare in the mirror. "What have you got yourself into?"