Risen Earth

by PonyTom

Chapter 2: Duty Calls

Well, today was strange.

I was having a riveting discussion with Applejack about the effects the Apple Family has on the Equestrian economy when we ran into a peculiar pony. He wore what seemed remeniscient of combat fatigues, and had a band on his shoulder with a horse shoe. Without even offering his name, he interrupts our dialogue to tell her about their organisation, which he informs her was formed by hard working, intelligent, and industrious ponies who have been overlooked in Equestria for centuries. To be honest, I liked the sound of the organization; a group that looks to promote the undermined. It's amazing! I voiced my personal approval of such a group, and much to my surprise, the stallion looked to me and gave me a look of disinterest... maybe even disgust... and said 'It isn't your kind of organization.'

When we asked why, he simply stated that 'a pony like me' wouldn't understand. Just because I'm a princess I wouldn't understand? Alright, so maybe I hail from a noble family, and I've never really found myself being undermined by a world at large, but shouldn't my support still be appreciated if nothing else? It's not like I go to fancy parties and talk about the masses like they're trash!

We were both confused, and I decided not to let it bother me. Applejack, meanwhile, was elated. For years the Apple farm has been just getting by, and she considered the potential for this group to maybe help her bolster her profits. I'm glad to see her happy; it's been a hard year for her, and she deserves a little good news, especially after Applebloom's accident (She's alright, she just broke her leg yesterday; she's pretty mad that she can't go on crusades though, which I suspect is probably how she broke her leg to begin with, but don't tell Applejack I said that!)

Well, the rest of the day was quite uneventful beyond my usual studying (much as I love it) so I think that I'll just end here!

From the Journal of former princess, Twilight Sparkle
Two and a half months prior to the 'Ponyville Incident'

****

It had been a week since I had learned of Fluttershy's death; I admit, I don't think I've come to terms with it yet... but I have to do something. I have to act. I have to make sure my friends are alright, that they can be saved, that I can still do something. I can't just sit here waiting anymore for something to happen... I've done it for too long as is.

I'm not foolhardy enough to think I can just step outside to begin an adventure, though.

Equestria has changed in the few short years since the rise of the Earthen Empire. Towns have fallen and risen... I don't know much... I know Appleloosa fell now, and I personally witnessed the fall of Ponyville. The rest is kind of hard to tell; I generally try not to mingle too much anymore to avoid letting my secret spill out (despite Stock's attempts to persuade me to go out there and find a nice colt) so I can never really verify much...

But I do have contacts.

And one of them has come to visit.

The door opens and I see a mare step in; her coat is a grey color, and her mane a somewhat greyish black. She trots into the room and looks around, then approaches the counter and puts a hoof on the table.

"I'm here for the book I ordered?"

I nodded casually. "It should be in the back." I look into the doorway. "Stock, I'm going on break!"

"Alright, take however long you need!"

I smile and nod, then lead the mare upstairs. We trot towards my room and enter, closing the door behind me and locking it; I admit, it was odd, as the only pony who had been in my room for so long had been Stock, and that was only to calm me down on my occasional breakdown or massage my back when my injury acted up.

"You called, Princess?"

I dropped the act and gave her my most serious stare. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, Octavia. I know you risked a lot to come here..."

Octavia sighs and shakes her head. "It's okay. A favor is a favor... now, what is it you wanted?"

"I need help finding my friends." Octavia froze. Clearly, this was a daunting thing to ask of her. "I've... heard disturbing rumors, and I need to clarify them, and in either case, make sure that I can protect any of my friends I can."

Octavia gulped and looked around. "Are you sure, Twilight? You might not like what you find..."

"I'm positive." I say it with more frustration than I intend to. "I know this is a bit much to ask, but I need your help. You're the only pony I have contact with who has been able to travel freely, and I need somepony in the know to give me directions on where to go."

The mare before me hesitated and seemed to rummage through her mind for answers. She sighed and looked up to me. "You won't like the answers..."

"I don't care." I give her a stare that would make Fluttershy (may she rest in peace) green with envy. Octavia gets the message and nods.

"Twilight... before I do anything for you, I need you to understand something." Is she really going to try to change my mind on this? "... I am eternally grateful for you saving Vinyl, and I will cherish you as a friend forever... it is for this reason I will warn you that... that things have changed... and that you may be better off not knowing this time."

"I won't take no for an answer, Octavia." I tell her in the firmest voice I can. "... I need to know where my friends are. If you know where they are, tell me. If not, give me whatever you can to help. If you can't even do that, then feel free to walk away." I could tell by the look in her eyes she was really considering walking away. But she relented.

"... I... don't know much..." She knew how to build the anxiety, didn't she? "... I can only tell you they're all very... distant. From the world, or each other... some of them both... but I really don't know much on any of them that I can tell you."

I sighed. Of course it was too much to ask for...

"But..." Hey, look, I'm hoping again! She was seeming to struggle with a thought, as if she weren't certain she wanted to continue. "... Twilight... I might be able to point you in the direction of somepony who can help...." She sighed; finally, she was relenting, fully. "Twilight... I have... connections.... I know ponies who have helped me keep... in touch with Vinyl, among others... and I'll be more than willing to help you contact them, but... I need you to promise me something?"

"What?"

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "... Don't let what you find break your spirit."

I didn't know how to respond. Did she think I didn't know Fluttershy was dead? Well, technically I don't know, she could just be in hiding. Right? Was it too much to hope for? Still, I gave her a nod. "I won't." She seemed to consider me for a moment; sizing me up, as if trying to make sure she knew I would live up to my end of the deal. She reached into her saddlebag and pulled from it a piece of paper from it. Grabbing a nearby pencil in her mouth, she wrote some instructions on it. Once she had finished, she spat the utensil out and pointed to the note. "Go to Fillydelphia. Follow those instructions from the very moment you leave the train. Give the pony you meet the pass phrase 'I dream fondly of home.' The rest is out of my hooves."

I quirked my brow. "Really? Is there nothing else you can tell me?"

She shook her head. "This is the most I can do... I'm sorry."

I won't lie, I didn't like it; it was vague and didn't really answer any of my questions. Still, it was a direction, and right now I don't have any better options available to me, so I guess it would have to do. "Thanks Octavia."

She nods. "You're welcome... now, do you mind if I take off? If I stick around too much longer, somepony might get suspicious." I nod, and with that, we both head back downstairs. I return to the counter as Octavia makes her way out of the store. Stock gives me a look, smirks, and shakes his head, going about his business.

"What?"

He chuckles a bit. "Didn't know you had that kinda taste."

"What!?"

"Whoa! I'm not judging! I don't think any less of you."

"It's not like that!"

Stock continues to laugh at my expense as he makes his way into the back. I grumble a bit; I'd have to find some way to get him back later. Now, I just had to plan my next move; I had to get to Fillydelphia. It wouldn't be easy, but I had to do it.

It was then that I realized there was one more thing I had to do. I looked into the back room to see Stock taking inventory. I would have to tell him about my plan; clearly, as both my boss and my landlord, he would need to know I'd be gone for a bit. The mere thought of it made me nervous, I'll admit, but it had to be done. I would wait until after closing time to tell him, and hope he understands.

And so, I went about my work. Nothing special happened in that time; a few ponies came in and bought books. No interesting stories, really, unless you count my back acting up and me having to shuffle out and pathetically hunt down Stock to massage the damage until it sorted itself out. After a few hours, it was finally closing time. As I flipped the sign at the front of the store to 'closed', I turned and readied myself for the next phase of my plan, and this was going to be another fun one: telling Stock that I intend to leave. He wasn't going to like this one.

I approached his office to find him amidst juggling numbers, making sure today's profit was good - there aren't many book shops around, so he generally does well. I steeled myself; this had to be done. So, I knocked on the door (even though it was wide open) to catch his attention.

"Whatcha need, Dawn?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Whatcha need?"

I took a breath to try to keep myself steady. This had to be done, I told myself; if I didn't do something, nothing would change. I gave him my firmest gaze, and said the words I had rehersed in my head. "... Stock... you know my past, and my struggles... you know what I've been through, and what I've lost... you know the darkest secrets I have..."

He quirked a brow. "Mhm?"

"... So this may come as no surprise to you... " Here we go. "... But... I'm afraid... I can't take it anymore. And I have to do something..." He seemed confused; natural, given he has no idea what's going on. "News of my friend's death... made me realize that I've been doing nothing productive. While my friends are out there suffering who knows what, I'm sitting here, taking it easy, hiding. I don't know what happened to Fluttershy, but if anypony knew how to hide, it was her..." I had actually thought this all out. "... I don't know what happened in Appleloosa... but... if they managed to find her, that means either hiding can only get us so far, or that she had uncharacteristically risked her safety doing something..." at least, that was the only rationalization I could reach at that time.

He simply stared at me blankly, trying to process this new information. His expression held a mix of concern, sadness, and frustration as he tried to piece together what was going on. "And you're sure about this?" He said it slowly, as if trying to be careful and not chase me away.

I stared at Stock as he looked at me with the kind of concern that reminded me of my father's eyes back when I first told him I was leaving for Ponyville. "Yes, Stock. I'm going to use the money I've saved up to go to Fillydelphia, and I'm afraid I have no idea when I'll be coming back."

It was then that his expression shifted from the worried look to a more frustrated, maybe even angry one. "But Twilight... why would you do a silly thing like that? Why risk exposing yourself?"

"They might catch me, I know." He didn't seem to understand that this wasn't exactly an easy choice for me. "But if I stay here, they might catch me, and they'll also figure you out. All the while, I'll accomplish nothing more than being. I can't wait here anymore and pretend things will get better, Stock... not if my friends are out there dying. Thing can't get better if I sit here doing nothing..."

"Can't they?" The older stallion raised his voice a bit. Did I mean this much to him? "You went and saved the country more times than anypony can count, and how did they repay you? They tried to kill you and left you for dead, to be eaten by forest dwelling monsters! You're not only a princess, but a national hero! Had it not been for you, those ingrates would be living in a world of chaos, or eternal night, or ruled by changelings... something! And they tried to kill you!"

"And if I don't..." I pushed, "the ponies who are grateful for my help will suffer and die too."

His mouth moved as he tried to form words. He had nothing to respond with, but clearly he was trying. He gathered up what he could and made his move. "... But... but those ponies who are actually grateful for your help... it would be selfish of them to ask this of you! Surely they would understand that after all you'd been through, you'd want to rest..."

"That's the thing, Stock..." I felt oddly at peace suddenly. "... I don't want to... I can't rest knowing the world is as it is... I'll never have peace as long as I know I'm being hunted, and that others are being hunted, because they've got wings or a horn. I may not hold any authority, but my title as a princess means that my duty is to Equestria itself, and everypony in it... and I've ignored it for too long."

The anger faded from his face, and he bowed his head. I could tell he wanted to fight it. "I can't stop this, can I?" He said it quietly, defeated. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit bad about it.

I shook my head. "I have to do this. Just as much for myself as for the rest of Equestria."

He was silent for a few minutes. He brought a hoof to his neck and rubbed his mane, before sighing in defeat. "If that's how you feel, then there's nothin' I can do I guess..." He looked to me with those kindly eyes I've grown so used to. "I'll give you a few bits on your way... and if you ever feel like you need to come back... well... you're always welcome here."

I smile a bit and wrap my forelegs around him into a hug. "Thanks... you've been a good friend to me, Stock... and I do intend to come back someday. Maybe sooner rather than later, so don't think this is goodbye."

He smiled.

"You're welcome, Princess... just promise me you'll watch out for yourself... and that you won't do anything too crazy while you're out there?" He chuckled a bit. "Those stories you tell me of your adventures with your friends... you girls were nuts."

I giggled a bit and smiled at the fond memories those words invoked. "I know..."

As we parted the embrace, I sighed and shook my head. "It's going to be a while still... I need to purchase my train ticket first, and figure out some of the local establishments of Fillydelphia, in case things don't work out... like hotels and food establishments."

He smiled a bit. "Don't forget to bring a book or two with you. I'd hate you to get bored and have nothing to occupy your thoughts."

I smirked. "I've got a few books already planned out, so don't worry about that."

***

Everypony had gathered around the cabin, eying one another in deep suspicion. Before them was a blood stained carpet where just a few hours ago the body of one of their own was discovered. As the detective entered the cabin, she smoked her corn cob pipe, sizing up each and every one of them, before turning to her associate. "Are you ready, Muffintop?"

Her friend nodded her head enthusiastically, smiling. "Ready whenever you are, Keen Eye!"

And so, the two detectives turned their attention back to the other passengers. "I've taken precious time, carefully analyzing the clues, looking over the data, and considering each and everypony on this train... and I do believe I have determined who the killer is." Everypony began to talk amongst each other; everypony was nervous. This was natural. Keen Eye cleared her throat to catch their attention. "Now... let's begin with the facts..."

"Fortune Smiles was found dead in this very room, face down in a pool of his own blood. Cause of death; a stab wound to the chest. So simple, and yet so complex. With no murder weapon to speak of, all there was was to investigate the crime scene and analyze the witness."

"I bet she did it..." said Leo. "It's funny she just so happened to be in the same room as him when he was murdered. Why isn't she on the murder list?"

"Ah, I'm glad you asked..." said Keen Eye, taking a puff from her pipe. "You see, unlike the rest of you, the witness has never seen the victim before. They have no prior history, and as far as I can tell, had never even knowingly been in the same room before tonight. After talking with the witness, I was able to determine they were authentically shaken up by the murder... and also learned that they were, in fact, hemophobic."

Everypony gasped.

"For somepony who was hemophobic, a stabbing death would be an unlikely move to make. Of course, this doesn't rule out the witness as a suspect... what rules them out is that they were too obvious. They were knocked unconcious and woke up to find the body right there... to some, this might shout 'poor alliby', but to me it sounds like somepony was trying to set somepony up to take the fall. That's where the rest of you come in."

It was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.

"The rest of you knew Fortune Smiles in some capacity. And from what I understand, each and every one of you has something to gain from his death. This is where things got tricky, and where I had to use all the data I had gathered. Our witness has stated that before she was knocked out, the lights in the cabin went out. After that, she had heard scratching noises against the roof of the car... and then, without warning, the shades were pulled shut. Sounds a bit far fetched, doesn't it?" Everypony nodded, and Keen Eye smiled. "That's exactly what our killer wanted. Discredit the only witness by making them see something that no rational person would believe. This is where it gets tricky..."

She trotted towards the windows and pulled down one of the blinds. "You see, this one got me pretty curious, so I explored it rather extensively. At first I found nothing of consequence... but then I checked the corners of the room, and guess what I found?" Silence returned to her; she figured as much. Keen Eye reached into a manilla envelope and withdrew from it what looked like a broken stick with a string on it. "This may look to you as an inoccuous piece of wood... but upon closer inspection I noticed that this piece of string matched up with something else..." Everypony's eyes followed her as she pointed a hoof at the small puller of the blind she had pulled down; wrapped around it was a piece of string.

Knock Knock Knock.

"Yes? Come in?" Twilight sighed and placed a book mark on the pages; it was getting pretty late, and she was tired, so she would probably just finish the rest later. The door gently opened, and Stock stepped inside, eliciting a smile from the mare. "Oh, hi Stock. Can I help you?"

He smiled. "No... but... there's something I wanted to give you, before you take off. Something near and dear to me... and I think you deserve it." He held out his hoof, a box perched atop it. Twilight's horn glowed with magic; how she loved to use her magic whenever she had the chance, as rare as it was. The box levitated before her, and then with a click, it opened. Inside was but a simple key on a necklace. She levitated it out, looked it over, curious.

"That is a key that I never figured out what it went to. My great grandfather was a knight in Celestia's employ, and she gave this to him as a reward for heroic deeds... granddad said that it was a lock to 'one of the most important doors in Equestria." He smirked. "Seeing as you're a princess on an adventure... I think it belongs with you... maybe, this was how it was meant to be?"

Once more, Twilight found herself wrapping her forelegs around Stock. He returned the gesture and brushed her mane.

"You should get to sleep. I got a feeling you've got a heck of an adventure ahead of you later this week."

Twilight smiled and pulled away. "You're right."

With that, Stock left the room, shutting the door behind him. Twilight locked it with her magic, and then lay in her bed, pulling her covers over herself, and shutting her lamp off. She closed her eyes, and drifted into sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Comments

[Thorai]

Owwwh, the new chapter is just out and even now I can't wait to read the next one. Awesome writing