Red Velvet and the Red Dawn

by Blackdrag-rose

The Other Meeting

~The next day, Canterlot Courtroom, before dawn~

Princess Celestia was tired, it was going to be another dull and boring day of nobles and builders looking to get her permission to purchase new land or build houses in new locations. It was always the same with them, so sometimes she would drown out their voices and went to her daydreams until it was time for her to make a decision. She found that thanks to the strange kidnappings she couldn't daydream very often and had to actually listen to every report that came her way. But the more reports she listened to one confirmed the few facts that she knew.

They didn't know who was kidnapping other ponies, how he or she managed to get them out of sight without being noticed, and why hadn't any bodies turned up yet.

Celestia had thought to enlist the help of Twilight Sparkle, her faithful student, and her friends with the intent of using the situation as a test. But where she had been prepared to immediately appear before any of the foes that could have defeated the Elements she couldn't do this to them. She couldn't have the six of them go out and start searching for the mysterious pony responsible for everything that was happening, not without one or more of them seriously getting hurt.

"I see you have finally seen things the way I told you you should see them."

Princess Celestia looked up, she hadn't been expecting any pony to appear in the courtroom until it was time for her court to officially open. Yet there stood a stallion, one dressed up in a black cloak and wearing an eye patch over his left eye. As she watched him she was amazed that there were at least four ponies, each wearing a hood and cloak, following the stallion into the room. The stallion stopped in the center of the room, his back covered by the four, who had taken to being separated so every angle was covered.

"Director Fury," Celestia said, surprised the stallion had come out of the shadows to see her, "I was not expecting you to arrive until later today."

"Any later and we might have another pony napped under our noses," the stallion, Fury, stated, "Forgive me for sounding disrespectful, but what are the chances that a member of the Royal Guard or your personal staff are the ones responsible for the disappearances?"

"Slim to none," Celestia replied, shaking her head as she dismissed the notion, "I have screened all my guards and personal staff before they are even permitted to join either one and I have not yet come across anypony who would do this."

"Then perhaps it is a matter of your sister's choices," Fury continued, "I am very aware of the ice I am currently stepping on, but what are the chances that Princess Luna could be staging another rebellion against you?"

"There none Fury," Celestia said, her mind torn by the thought of Luna leading another rebellion to take her out and she dismissed the idea with haste, "She has been returned to normal by my student and now she has friends. She knows that there are ponies who love her nights and she accepts that we equally rule Equestria. Why would you consider her a threat to everypony?"

"You misunderstand me," Fury commented, making the Solar Princess's eyes tear up slightly, "I never said I considered her a threat to the nation, I only asked if there was a chance that she could be behind all of this...madness. I have bad news to report though; I sent a letter to Prince Blueblood earlier and explained that he would come to this meeting. He could not tear the letter apart, nor could he set it on fire with his level of magic, but there is something strange at work here."

"He's gone," Celestia guessed, receiving a nod from the stallion, "Where did he go?"

"That's the thing," Fury sighed, looking straight into Celestia's eyes before continuing, "He was attending a party last night, likely so he could get wasted and forget about the entire meeting, but the guests said he had left as soon as everypony else had left. Yet now we can't find him or the traces of the letter. Something powerful, like an alicorn such as yourself or Princess Luna, is interfering with our searches.

The only variable that doesn't make sense is that Changeling that Lady Artemis brought in a few days ago."

Celestia's ears perked up; she knew the name all too well. Over a thousand years ago, when she and her sister were far younger and played a lot, Luna had taken to hunting for fun and soon called the persona Artemis. A huntress that tended to ease tension by bringing something to Celestia whenever she needed it.

"Question the Changeling," Celestia said, her mind wandering again, "I need to think about things while the court is in cession."

"Very well Princess," Fury said, bowing slightly to Celestia before turning to the four behind him, "By the way, the Nexus will be keeping tabs on those we suspect that might be involved in this mystery. Let's move Council."

Celestia watched the five ponies exit the room, magic making their footsteps fade away into nothing as if they had never been there to begin with. It was simple magic, executed by the director of the shady network known as the Nexus with perfect timing. She had her own network that would keep tabs on whoever was suspected of aiding the disappearance of ponies. She only hoped that her sister wasn't caught up in it at all, otherwise it could literally mean all out war all over again.