The mad pony in a trench coat

by Dragonhoof91

A mad pony in Canterlot

Chapter 2. A mad pony in Canterlot.

A few days passed, and with each day the light grew shorter. The first snowflakes had begun to fall as the pegasi altered the weather to slowly turn winter. And while the fillies loved to play in the piles of leaves and jump in the puddles left by the near-daily rain, they were still gathered inside in the early afternoon as the darkness settled.

And while there was little to do inside the lone school room but doodle and chase each other, today the old author had returned with yet another tale! The fillies gathered more quickly this time, for after hearing the last story they were curious.
Their teacher had been forced to deal with question the past few days about demonys and angelus's, the creatures of hell and hayven, and while she was not found of it, she did enjoy the extra hour break she got as the writer took over before the parents would pick up their young ones.

The old coot sat down comfortably behind the teachers counter and placed the large, mostly unwritten book on it.
"Now then, children... As you recall, Alonso saved an astronomer in the last chapter while he was on his way to a larger summoning. How many would like to hear about what happened when he DID get there?"
He smirked, the satisfaction and joy of seeing the eagerness in the many fillies faces and excited nods, this is why he did what he did. The appreciation of an audience. And with that, he began to read...

Crisp Scope, the astronomer, had recovered nicely. While having his magic sucked out of him by a demony, it was nothing fatal or even dangerous. It was like getting low blood sugar on a higher scale.
And during the past days of having his house restored from the battle, he was still thinking a lot about the strange pony that had saved him. Again, not only did it introduce him to the reality that was the existence of hell and hayven and their representing creatures, but also to that his stars that he loved and gave his life to study were more deeply involved than he would ever have guessed.

Due to this, he packed up his most recent research, and especially the research of the alignment he now called the "Demony Dance", and ordered a carrier to Canterlot. He did not only need to tell his old teacher about this, but he needed to inform the princess. This could be dire if ponies for years had been summoning those things.

Canterlot has not changed much over the past few hundred years. The most recent feature of luxury was the electrical streetlamps, which many still considered a wonder of technology. Electricity had exploded on the market, being an none-magical resource of energy, it was far more trustworthy. Magical items or enchanted this and that's had a tendency to not only react differently from different unicorns, due to their own magical levels, but ponies without horns of their own had trouble using them, cutting the market off from pegasi and earthern ponies.

Electricity, on the other hand, could be controlled with the press of a button and featured nothing more complicated then switching the electrically charged crystals once in a while. There was even rechargeable crystals that came attached to a rubber band, when they grew weary you attached them to your tail and mane, and their natural ability to gather and contain electricity made them recharge by your natural static!

Crisp himself thought this to be some kind of magic, there was no way that such little natural electricity could power devices, but he would never be curious enough to research it deeper, he just accepted it and moved on with his life as another modern piece of items he did not care for. There were more pressing matters at hand!

As he stepped off the carrier and payed the burly earth-pony that pulled it, one who had probably done little else in his life but run with heavy loads tied to him, he turned to the city. It had been a few years... he wondered if her majesty would remember him from that day he graduated. It was something he doubted, and while he was one of the very few astronomers in all of Equestria at this era, how could she remember every single graduation she attended out of royal duty?

He pondered what to say. How could he tell the princess about this without any solid proof? How could he just present to her that demonys and angelus's were real, and that the first of the two had apparently been summoned?
"You could always bring her proof?" said a voice to him, and he nodded. Wondering where he would get it.
"What about that other pony? That Alonso fellow?" the voice said to him again. He shook his head and grunted, where would he find that coat-wearing nord now?
"Gee, I dunno mate. Have you tried asking for me?" said the voice. Crisp blinked and froze in his steps, looking to his side where the voice originated.

" 'ello there! How's the stars?" The giant pony smiled at the astronomer, who looked sillily on him with open mouth.
" You! What are you doing here?! And how did you read my mind?!" He said, a bit scared now of the tall one. He had demonstrated knowledge on the occult and the mystical, could he also penetrate the mentality of others?!

"You mutter beneath y'breath when you think hard, mate. Ain't take a mind-reader for that." The walnut-coloured pony smirked beneath his ragged hat, making poor Crisp feel a bit silly. He had forgotten about that. Years of solitude had made him talk to himself more and more often to replace his none-existent social life.

They both walked down the main road, towards the shiny marvel castle. Alonso explained that he was here to investigate the summoning, as he believed it to take place where no-one would suspect it. In the most peaceful place in pony-land.
And that he would happily stand by Crisp's side if he was to confront the royalty about his issue.

A few hours passed. It took about one to reach the castle by hoof, another to legitimate themselves, for one of them it was harder then the smaller one... not to mention the visitation of his near endless belt-pockets and trench coat.
At last, the guards considered the strangely large and strong pony to be more of a weird mystic then a threat, and allowed both to pass into the waiting chamber. Where fresh fruit and drinks were offered for the comfort of her majesty's guests.

At long last, they were called in. Alonso had almost drained one of three huge bowls of fresh fruit, and Crisp wondered when the nord last ate, or what Nordic ponies usually eat.. but put it aside.
They both entered the awe-striking throne room, with the virgin-white princess sitting in the end, welcoming Crisp by name.

He blushed as she did recognize him, and spoke of how glad she was during that graduation to finally have a new astronomer, there were so few in the world. Crisp bowed deeply for his princess once he reached a bit closer, explaining that it was an honour for him that her majesty cared so for a humble subject.

Alonso, on the other hoof, did not bow. He removed his ragged hat and nodded with a pleasant smile to the princess.
"Pleasure t'meet you, y'highness." And while both Crisp and the many guards in the room looked frustratingly at the giant pony, the princess smiled back and giggled slightly. It was not that she found it amusing that someone did not bow and crawl in front of her like most did, but that someone was so casual near her. It was rare.

Crisp wasted little time, although he did excuse his large friend several times and stumbled on his words.
He began explaining that he for years now had noticed the anomaly in his research, he told her about the yearly occurrence of the "demony dance" stars, their flashing lights he had noticed out of random and what they apparently caused. He magically handed her the old book, the page of the same symbol the stars formed when the flashing red lines bound them and where history spoke of their ancient purpose.

It was not until Crisp explained that had it not been for Alonso he would not have lived to tell the tale, that the giant took a few steps closer to the throne and began to speak himself.
"Y'highness... I am not one of your subject, I hail from the frozen mountains far north of your kingdoms... yet I know m'place, and wish not to cause a stir in your capital without permission. My kind has chased, hunted and prevented the summoning of demony and angelus's alike for as long as we can remember, but that was in our own lands. But our kind are not as adapt in magic, we very rarely get a mystic born, our version of unicorns, so we can control the few that attempt summoning.... but if our ancient knowledge in the subject has reached... well, your subjects, in a town like this...?"

He let his words linger in the air. His voice was booming and his accent as heavy as his leathery trench coat, and the princess nodded with closed eyes and a serious face. She softly began to speak.
"I know well of your kind, mountain pony. I know that magic is rare and your sturdiness and creativity is your strength. It was your kind that introduced the concept of electricity to our kind a generation ago. And if what you fear is true, that the art of summoning the forces of the afterlife, be they demony or angelus, has come to Canterlot... then I do see your reason to venture this far from your home land..."

The princess grew silent for a moment, before she stood up, and gracefully walked down the steps of her throne.
Crisp found himself for the first time to realize just how imposing the beautiful princess could be. She was the timeless ruler and arguably the most powerful spell-weaver ever recorded... controlling both the sun and moon nearly subconsciously after all these years. She stood and looked at her two visitors on very close distance.

And while Crisp nearly vanished in her shadow, Alonso was near the same height as her. The giant nord stood firmly on his thick, fuzzy hooves and looked the princess calmly in the eyes as hers looked into his. There was a murdering silence.
"... Your eyes shows me no lies, norse-horse. I can tell that you are experienced in the subject. And you have your fears for my land confirmed by a pony who is most likely the most skilled in his expertise in generations. I shall inform my guards to let you pass if you need access, and to have them investigate houses on your command. Do not abuse this."

Her voice was solid and serious, the normally smiling and warm princess showed the side that had allowed her to rule and grow a country wisely and safely for generations. Crisp found himself blushing again over the compliment his ruler had bestowed him.

"You have ventured far for the safety of my people, sir Alons-y. For that you have my respect. You have already saved one of my treasured subjects, for that you have my aid. And even if this threat is just suspicion and theories, I will not have my children in torment due to an supernatural attack I could not prevent... I wish you both luck, and hope that if there is something to find, that you do. Now go. I am personally going to investigate the subject myself."

She smiled at them both, somewhat longer and with grateful eyes to the nord, who smiled back as calmly as always and bowed his head. "I am most thankful, m'lady. Your trust and wisdom is as true as legends tell, and may have saved the life of many small ponies today." With that, the giant nord put his hat back on and turned hoof, marching towards the double doors to begin his work. Crisp, not really knowing what else to do, bowed deeply to his ruler one more time, stumbled a nervous farewell and followed the giant.

"A-Alonso! How could you behave like that infront of the princess?! Have you no shame or sense?!" He looked at the walnut pony with both awe and worry, as to him it was unheard of such an performance in the presence of the majesty.
"That was the princess, THE princess! Ruler of the biggest and most sophisticated land in the world!"

The giant pony had stopped outside castle, looking around at the town from this higher point of view, barely showing any signs of listening to his smaller friend as he pulled out a package of tiny paper-rolls. He put one in his mouth and used a small device to lit the end. Crisp, like most ponies, did not know what a cigarette was as it was not part of their culture.

"... Well, I removed my hat, didn't I?" Alonso grinned as he took a deep savouring of his smoke. The roll was made out pine-paper, pressed pine-needles. Inside was a dry mix of herbs and flower-petals, and once lit the combination caused a very strong, if adult flavour. Nothing for the likes of small ponies who had never had to spend a winter or ten eating pine-cones, bark and bitter roots.

"Now then... Tall towers, plenty houses, most ponies are unicorns..." Alonso puffed his cigarette and smirked at the city.
"A challenge. What'ya say, Crispy? Up to save Canterlot?" He smiled at the night-coloured pony and held up his giant hoof towards him. Crisp looked surprised, to say the least... but what would he do? Deny his duties and be a lousy patriot?
He nodded softly, feeling that he would come to regret this decision some way or another, but put his hoof against the giants. They were a team for the time being.

The old pony clapped his book shut, smiling at the audience. Not a doubt in his mind that they would pester their teacher in the morning about what a cigarette was, but he cared little. Children should be curious.
"Now then... that is all for now. But if it glads anypony here, I am working on the third chapter. Would anyone like to hear it in a few days?" There was plenty of nods and several Yes's heard, and with that, he packed up his book into his saddle bag, and began answering some questions they had.

He did so until the parents came to pick up their young ones, and smiled over the many creative questions and curious childish observations he had listened too. It filled him with desire to keep writing.