Beyond Horizon's Edge

by Broseph_Stalin

Rally

Chapter XIII. – Rally

The grand morning sky was pierced by a bright and brilliant sun. It peered down in rays, which crept into the corners of a great and ancient tree. These pinpricks of light washed through the plentiful foliage of the tree like water through a sieve, and settled to watch what was unfolding before its all-pervading gaze.

Five ponies were assembled inside the Ponyville library, accompanied by a small and very-concerned looking baby dragon. Each mare seemed to be pacing and worrying in their own way. A cursory glance would show that these five had nothing in common. It did not take long, however, for one to realize that these friends were far closer than anyone could have imagined.

“Well what are we doing, just waiting here!?” Rainbow Dash finally shouted, fed up with all the sitting around that was going on. Her pegasus blood was boiling, and her wild spirit had been cooped up for far too long.

“Now, RD, be calm please. You know for a fact that none of us know what tah do, let alone if we can actually do anythin’ tah help. Ah know how you feel.” Applejack’s emerald eyes looked onto her friend pleadingly. Her even tone soothed Dash, if not for a moment. The pegasus sat back down with a moan.

“I certainly wish we knew something that we could do,” Rarity said pitifully, reclined across a pair of chairs, ever-dramatic. “It’s really not like Twilight to not have a plan.” She let out a deep sigh, and glanced out the window. “Come to think of it, without her to help in a situation like this… things just don’t feel right.”

“Well, I’m certain Twilight didn’t expect the princesses to show up,” Fluttershy chimed in after seeing her friend so distraught. “Or for Ento to be mobbed by the town. That was definitely unexpected,” she added with a somber frown to the wooden floor.

“I know, right! This is so weird!” Pinkie exclaimed, her face in a rapt expression of deep thought, brows furrowed comically in intense concentration.

“Well, let’s think. What all has happened since this morning?” Applejack said, her voice set in stark determination. Her spirit was ready and rarin’ to go, and she was prepared to do whatever it took to help her friends Ento and Twilight.

“We woke up this morning, and Ento was gone,” Spike said with a slight shrug. “Twilight saw the crowd outside, and we ran out to find that they had gotten Ento.”

“Yes!" Pinkie sprang up off her seat. "I saw it all from Sugarcube corner this morning! I tried to stop them from getting so angry at Ento, but you know, he’s so spooky looking, and I don’t think they would have any of it.” The pink pony’s generally aloof face hardened slightly as she looked over her friends.

“Yes, yes I recall that. I found Applejack looking for Applebloom. They were setting up their apple cart in the town square when she had run off. Of course, we found the filly trying to console everypony else who had crowded around Ento. Twilight soon joined us, and she took us on stage. The next thing I know, the Princesses Celestia and Luna, not to mention half the Royal guard, were clamoring to get Ento out of there as fast as they could. Hmm,” Rarity mused, her face etched in thought.

“Hey, yeah!" Dash exclaimed deliberately. “Did any of you notice how quickly they tried to get him out of there? No pointing him out or remarking about him, like, at all. And that whole schpeil they were trying to feed us about him? Puh-leeze,” the pegasus remarked with a wave of her hoof. “I wasn’t born yesterday ya know…”

“You’re right, Dash. Somethin’ fishy’s goin’ on here, and Ah don’t like whats goin’ on.” Applejack’s face was just as thoughtful. “Ah wonder, if—” She was cut off as the door crashed open, leaving sunlight spilled across the floor.

In stepped Twilight, who looked for all the world as though she were ready to climb a mountain, if any pony had dared to put one in front of her. She was followed by Celestia, whose lanky figure was framed against the dazzling light. The pair stopped as they spotted the six faces staring back at them in wonder and bemusement.

“Oh, girls! And Spike… what are you all doing here?” Twilight asked inquisitively.

“Yes, what are you six doing here, exactly?” came Celestia’s soothing voice behind Twilight. Her tone, however, did not match the eyebrow that rose in slight contempt as she looked down at Twilight, and then surveyed the group before her.

Applejack shot a habitual glance at Rainbow Dash: Easy there, sugarcube. Let it go. A sightless bond connected, and Dash resettled herself in her seat with only a slight creak.

“We came back here tah talk after the whole rodeo of commotion that went on earlier this mornin’.” Applejack’s defiant voice hardened slightly. “No rules against that, now, are there?”

“It’s been a long morning, Princess…” Twilight interjected as she saw the Princess’s mouth open in a response. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll go take care of the business we stopped here for.” She shot a disarming smile towards her mentor.

“Very well, Twilight. Please don’t linger. We must be leaving soon.”

Twilight nodded slightly, and set out up the stairs. As she passed her friends, she shot them a slight look, and hoped it got to them what she meant it to: No worries, stay strong.

The seven figures in the room stood for a time in thick awkwardness, punctuated only by the crashing around upstairs that was heard through the open door. Dash sat fidgeting, as well as Pinkie, who couldn’t sit through a single serious moment without so much as a joke.

“Twilight…” came the Princess’s impatient voice. As soon as she had said it, though, her student's form appeared at the top of the stairs, her saddlebag draped over her body.

As she walked down the flight of steps, the Princess indicated the door to her with a slight nod. Just as Twilight reached the doorway, though, she turned to her friends and said, almost as an afterthought:

“I might be gone for a bit. Could you please, maybe, feed Owloysius while I’m gone? Soon, maybe?” She ended her request with a wide grin, and turned to leave without so much as a response, or a goodbye. The door clicked shut behind her and the Princess.

“Well, now, that was certainly strange! And not like a fly in your chocolate milk strange. More like, holy-guacamole, what-in-Equestria's-going-on-here strange!” Pinkie announced loudly, finally glad to say something.

“Ah know, sugarcube. Ah know.” Applejack stared out the window as she watched the royal carriage take off. “More and more confusing things going on. And tah top it all off, we gotta go feed a hungry owl as well.”

Comments

[UnintentionalMishap]

'like a baby blanket a philly would hold on to when the terrors of the darkest night intruded on their dream'

I didn't know they knew about Philadelphians in Equestria.

Just kidding, I think you meant filly.

[Broseph_Stalin]

435698 The pair was supposed to come out of nowhere, like a bolt of lightning. Last thing Twilight knows, she's been caught in the trap of a spider! (being myself, as the all-seeing author) Besides, if you were Celestia and an angry mob appeared randomly at a town that you already know has weird things happening at it, wouldn't you drop by to see what's going on?

435971 Oh god why, I imagined a large, balding and very hairy grown man clinging to a blanket when I read your correction