• Published 22nd Mar 2014
  • 12,311 Views, 872 Comments

Seasons Turning - moguera



The coming of autumn brings with it new trials for Dawn, his family, and his friends...as well as new feelings.

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Developments

Chapter 5: Developments

Shining Armor and a squad of fifteen Royal Guards waited patiently, watching the train as it pulled into the station. After receiving Arkenstone's letter, he had immediately gone to check the records. The Royal Permit issued to Perlin Bluestreak was not recorded. However, one of the printed permits (their number carefully followed and tracked), was missing, appearing to indicate that the document itself was genuine, but that it was not issued legitimately. Fortunately, thanks to the speed of dragonflame communication, Shining had plenty of time to check up on his leads before meeting the train at the station.

While it was against the law to obstruct a pony bearing a Royal Permit from traveling to their designated destination, a temporary hold could be ordered if there was sufficient evidence that the permit had been issued in error or illegally (which would lead to an internal investigation as well if the latter was the case).

The platform itself was already empty, the ponies that would normally be there, either waiting for their own trains or waiting for the passengers of the approaching one, had been evacuated out of the station. Having read over reports concerning Perlin Bluestreak from Storm Front, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, and Dawn Lightwing, Shining intended to take no chances. The dangerous colt already had a full train of potential hostages. There was no reason to give him a station full of them as well.

Once the train screeched to a stop, Shining’s horn flared, encasing the locomotive and all the cars in a dome of magical energy. As the shield, his personal specialty, solidified, a confident smile appeared on Shining’s face. Perlin might have been skilled enough to read a unicorn’s intent and attack before one could fire a spell, but that could be compensated for with both range and scale. Now that he was trapped inside of the shield, Perlin would be helpless to keep Shining from using any other kind of magic. The only hiccup to the plan was the fact that there was a train full of innocent ponies trapped in the shield with him. However, Shining had plans for dealing with that as well.

Maintaining the shield, Shining applied a magical amplifier to his voice. “PERLIN BLUESTREAK, WE KNOW YOU ARE THERE. COME OUT IMMEDIATELY. YOU ARE WANTED FOR QUESTIONING REGARDING ILLEGAL DOCUMENTATION.”

Silence greeted him in return. Through the rose-colored haze, Shining could see the train’s occupants staring out the windows, many of them fearfully, apparently wondering why a full squad of the Royal Guard had just locked down the entire station and taken them all prisoner. However, there was no sign of a response from their actual target.

Sweat began to collect on the Captain’s brow. Did he figure out we were going to try something like this? he wondered, Maybe he ditched the train on the way here and came in by air.

Just as Shining was on the verge of putting his own life at risk to investigate, the door to the train slid open to admit a cream-colored colt, his coat decorated by flecks of gray. Pausing, Perlin shook out his silvery-blue mane and smiled, focusing his yellow, raptor-like eyes on Shining Armor with a look that made the white stallion feel like he had the one who had been cornered, rather than the one doing the cornering.

After a moment of staring, Perlin Bluestreak smiled and laughed amiably. “I must admit, I probably should have expected this after all the hubbub in Ponyville. My prospective employer probably won’t be happy with me now that it’s become such a public commotion.” He paused to mull things over before shrugging indifferently. “Oh well. This is entertaining in its own way.”

“Step through the barrier,” ordered Shining Armor.

Perlin did as he was told, walking straight into the shield. As he did, the surface of magical energy bulged outward until the colt was walking in a small, self-contained bubble of force. The shield around the rest of the train dissipated. Shining nodded to the rest of his squad, who immediately went about the task of ushering the passengers off the train, making promises that their baggage would be seen to later.

The immediate crisis taken care of, Shining turned his full attention to Perlin as the colt approached calmly, completely unperturbed by his capture. The colt continued to smile pleasantly, as though this were nothing but a typical meeting for him.

“Perlin Bluestreak,” said Shining in as formal a tone as he could manage, “You are being detained under suspicion that the Royal Permit you obtained was done so wrongfully.”

The only response Shining’s words got was a raised eyebrow. After a moment, Perlin chuckled. “I figured as much,” he said, “However, I am still planning to meet my to-be employer. I can’t exactly let you keep me from that.”

“I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter,” replied Shining cooly, his body tensing regardless, “Your wings may be mithril, but a mithril blade would have no more luck cutting through magic than a steel blade would.”

Shaking his head, Perlin let out a disappointed sigh. “I expected more open-mindedness from you, Shining Armor.” His black cloak pulled back to reveal the silvery wings in all of their shimmering glory. “A pony in your position and with friends of such high caliber should know better than to think in such a limited manner.”

Folding his left wing back into place, Perlin drew his right wing back in preparation for a slashing maneuver. “You see, even when the material fails, the difference can be made up with technique.”

Springing into motion, Perlin’s right wing became an indistinct, silvery blur, drawing a clean line across the bubble than encased him. Even though a normal pony would have been frozen by the sight of such a nearly incomprehensible act, Shining Armor’s training had him already in action, a new spell forming at the tip of his horn, this one for attack.

But Perlin was already in motion. His left wing now flared out in a motion similar to the one he had made with his right, but sharper and faster. Immediately, Shining’s honed instincts warned him of the danger. He was slower with offensive magic, but his defensive magic was nigh-instantaneous. His attack spell changed into a shield spell forming a curved plane of energy between him and Perlin. Something flashed across his vision, moving too fast to be tracked. It scored his shield, but, thankfully, failed to cut clean through it. From the reports he’d read, Shining surmised that this was the wired feather weapon that had apparently been built into Perlin’s wings.

The exchange had taken place in barely two seconds. Already, the rest of Shining’s squad were closing in around the colt. However, Shining Armor quickly held up a hoof, the gesture halting the approach of the remaining Guards. If they closed carelessly with the colt, they would end up sliced to pieces.

Perlin settled back, both his wings now spread almost to their full width, smiling as he regarded his opponent. “I’d expect nothing less from one of the foremost battle mages in Canterlot,” he complimented, “Your speed, especially with defensive spells is spectacular.” He paused in thought for a moment. “Though it would seem my technique is still lacking, seeing as I still can’t cut through magic at a distance.” He tapped his hoof against his chin. “I see…I haven’t progressed that far yet. Oh well. For now, I’ll simply have to close the gap.”

Perlin exploded into motion, all at once, rushing towards Shining Armor and closing the distance between them before he could react. Perlin thrust forward with his left wing, his leading primary piercing right through Shining’s shield. Only years of training allowed Shining to see the attack and shift his stance so that it missed slicing into his shoulder.

In a single smooth motion, Perlin drew the wing back, once again cutting through Shining’s shield like it was made of paper. Once again, the damage caused the magical construct to collapse. Shining was already backpedaling and trying to erect another shield, but it was too little, too late.

In the same fluid motion with which he retracted his left wing, Perlin swung his right wing forward, the feathers already aligned like blades. However, at the last second, he shifted his aim upwards.

A piercing pain, like having a nail driven straight into his skull, made Shining shriek in agony. As his eyes rolled upward, he managed to catch a glimpse of his severed horn. A second later, his vision filled with rose-colored light as the energies he had been preparing for his next spell spun out of control, forming arcs between his horn and the stump where it had once been attached. The spell that had been beginning to form exploded between the two knocking Shining onto his back and tossing his horn across the platform.

Shining’s vision swam and he fought to remain conscious, even though his brain felt like it was on fire. He’d never imagined that having his horn severed could be the source of so much pain. Through the blur of his own tears, Shining was able to make out the gleaming armor of his squad as they charged in to attack Perlin. The colt was a blur, light reflecting off his mithril feathers as he danced amongst the attacking Guards, lashing out with his wings, wired feathers detaching and flickering through the air. Through the ringing in his ears, Shining could make out the cries of his subordinates as they fell and the sound of their bodies hitting the ground.

Finally, there was silence. A few seconds later, the clop of hooves told him that Perlin was approaching. Shining wondered if the colt was planning on ending him. However, after a moment’s pause, Perlin trotted away. A short bit later, he came trotting back. He deposited something near Shining’s head. Craning his neck, which was nearly immobile, Shining managed to see that Perlin had fetched his horn and returned it. The colt stood over the Guard Captain now, still smiling politely as he stared down at his latest victim.

“How did you manage that?” gasped Shining, speaking being almost too much for him, “Even if mithril can repel magic to a certain extent, a blade of mithril isn’t automatically able to cut through magic.”

“As I said before,” explained Perlin calmly, stepping past Shining and heading towards the exit, “Technique makes the difference. I was trained with the intent of one day being able to kill Princess Celestia herself. Compared to that, the magic of an ordinary unicorn, even one so skilled as yourself, is a trifling thing.”

The world was fading around Shining as unconsciousness mercifully began to stake its claim on him. He had to strain his ears to catch Perlin’s parting words. “This was an entertaining interlude Captain. I hope we manage to meet again.”

The colt’s voice faded into nothingness, along with the rest of the world. Shining Armor fell and darkness claimed him.


"It seems you were quite lucky, Captain Armor." Celestia lowered the clipboard that her magic had held suspended in front of her face. "You are slated to make a full recovery with no complications whatsoever."

"And the others?" asked Shining, looking at his visitor as best he could. The angle was awkward and the brace around his neck kept him from moving his head too much.

"They are expected to make a full recovery as well," interjected the physician as he came trotting through the door.

"Very lucky," said Celestia with a relieved sigh.

"Luck had nothing to do with it," replied the physician irritably, "You all only survived and survived without the threat of permanent injuries or disabilities because of your attacker's skill. Look at this..." His own magic offered up the collected reports on the injuries sustained by Shining's squad during the fight with Perlin. "...Tendons severed so cleanly and precisely that I couldn't have done a better job in an operating theater with a scalpel, cuts sometimes mere millimeters away from critical veins and arteries, everything so neat and tidy that I hardly had to exercise any magic at all to put the lot of you back together.

"Even you," he jerked his head at Shining, "The cut to your horn was so clean that the alicorn bonded almost as naturally as though it had never been removed in the first place. You should be able to use your own magic again before the week is out. The whiplash you suffered as a result of your spell backfire is the worst injury to come out of this whole debacle."

He turned to Princess Celestia. "All of this leads me to only one conclusion. This colt, this Perlin Bluestreak had complete control of the confrontation from beginning to end. He deliberately fought only to disable his attackers and was able to do so with such ease and precision that he did no lasting harm that couldn't be treated with basic healing magic. Frankly, it's terrifying."

Celestia nodded. Turning, she looked questioningly at Shining. "Do we have any word about this Perlin's whereabouts."

"Nothing yet," said Shining, "You'd have to talk to Flash Sentry about the details, he's acting Captain while I'm in recovery." His expression darkened. "And he might be actual Captain before long."

"Don't be ridiculous," protested Celestia, "You don't need to step down."

Shining raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" he asked, "My reputation's taken a pretty solid hit, thanks to this whole fracas. Can you honestly say that there aren't any ponies right now who aren't clamoring for my immediate resignation?"

Celestia looked away, prompting a grunt from Shining.

"Thought so. It's only to be expected. We had complete control of the situation. The venue was evacuated, I had the colt in magical containment. He was outnumbered sixteen-to-one. We had him lock, stock, and barrel. Not only did he get away, he took down my entire squad without taking a scratch. He walked out of the station on his own terms and even made sure that medical help was on the way before he left. One colt made a laughingstock of the entire Royal Guard."

"But still, that's no reason to step down," Celestia said, "There was no way anypony could have known that colt would have the skill to cut through magic."

"Do you think that ponies are going to see it that way?" asked Shining sharply, "I can guarantee that most of the ponies who are trying to get me to resign don't appreciate what we were up against. The ones that might probably don't care because they want me out of the way so that somepony who holds their best interests at heart has a shot at the top. There are nearly a dozen members of Parliament who are looking for a Captain candidate who'll promote their personal interests, while the nobles who aren't calling for my resignation will be tripping over themselves to help me 'salvage' my reputation so that they have something to hold over Twilight's head."

Shining sighed dispiritedly. "So, no matter what else, we may have to look at the fact that my time as Captain of the Royal Guard is coming to an end."

"That can wait," replied Celestia, "I am not accepting your resignation or anything remotely related to that until we have a proper handle on the situation with this Perlin Bluestreak."

"That may take a while," said Shining, "I gave orders to make no attempt to follow or apprehend him. All sightings are to be reported, but that's it."

"What?" gasped Celestia, "But how can we possibly-?"

"We can't!" snapped Shining, "I took fifteen guards into that station with me. If Perlin had wanted to, there wouldn't have been anything left but bloody chunks. He didn't spare our lives out of some sense of mercy. He has no compunctions against killing, he just didn't feel like it at the time. That colt is insane in the worst possible way. I'm not going to lose any of my subordinates because they happen to stumble across Perlin on a day where he's not feeling so lenient, because he's shown that he'd be perfectly happy to kill anypony if he had half a mind to."

"I see," said Celestia, "He's that dangerous."

What was Arkenstone thinking? wondered Shining, Letting a monster like that run free...

"By the way," said Celestia, "Does Twilight know about what happened?"

"She does," said Shining, "But I made sure that she knows not come up here. I'll get out soon enough. She just got away from Canterlot again. We don't need to put her at risk just so she can visit me."

"I see," said Celestia, "Then, at the very least, make sure that you pay a visit to her when you get out."

Shining nodded. "I can do that," he said.


"I was worried when I heard that Shining Armor intercepted you at the station."

Perlin smiled at his employer. "If you were worried that I would betray you, you needn't. I am a professional after all."

The light-purple unicorn in front of him scoffed. "I have my doubts about that," he said, "After all, you practically announced your arrival ahead of yourself. What kind of professional makes such a public mess?”

This earned an indifferent shrug from the colt. "Believe what you like. I'm simply here for the work. If you've changed your mind about hiring me, then please say so and I'll be on my way."

"You should show proper respect to your employer," growled the unicorn, fixing the cream-colored colt with a glare.

Perlin shrugged off the look like it was nothing. "You've hired me for my skills," he replied lightly. Then his tone darkened. "However, you are not paying nearly enough for my deference. If you want that, you had best be prepared to offer a better salary."

The unicorn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are treading on thin ice boy."

"Yours is thinner," Perlin observed, "If you wish to force the issue, then I am happy to oblige. Perhaps the Baron of Dream Valley can handle himself better than the the Captain of the Royal Guard."

A shiver ran down the Baron's spine, his dark-purple mane almost standing on end. Still, he managed to project a great deal of confidence into his voice. "I don't need to," he said, "I'm not like that asinine idiot, Steel Flint. A true noble doesn't dirty his hooves with violence. Don't you dare suggest that I stoop to the level of a peasant like Shining Armor."

"Well then," replied Perlin, "In that case, have you made your decision? I came in answer to your summons. Have you really thought better of hiring me?"

Baron Elderflower snorted derisively. "No, you're hired. But you serve me from now on. No more running amok without my consent."

Again, Perlin responded with an indifferent shrug. "I can make no guarantees. You are, of course, free to cancel anytime."

Elderflower grit his teeth and fought back the urge to blast the colt then and there, remembering the teachings of his father. "Do not sully your hooves and horn with the stain of bloodshed. That is the work of the lesser classes. The lower orders are pieces for you to mobilize against your opponents. Everyone has their own role to play to keep order. Do not forget yours."

With a great deal of difficulty, the Baron forced himself to calm down. "Still, I am curious about one thing. You can cut through magic. I had no idea such a skill existed."

"It's a fairly new development," replied Perlin, bringing out one of his mithril wings so that he could idly examine his razor-edged feathers, "In Equestria, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"My father put a great deal of time and money into developing me into a weapon that he could use against Princess Celestia," explained Perlin, "He looked well beyond Equestria's borders for things he could use against an alicorn, a being with the power of all three tribes at her command and the wisdom of millennia to make the fullest use of it."

He looked up at Elderflower again. "Are you familiar with the nation of Guoxia?"

The Baron nodded. "Yes, they're one of our trade partners. We obtain a great deal of exotic goods from that nation."

Perlin nodded back. "Yes. Guoxia is a nation founded and ruled by unicorns. Even though earth ponies and pegasi eventually moved there, they were and, to some extent, still remain lower-class citizens."

Elderflower frowned, wondering where Perlin's tangent was going.

Perlin continued. "However, even farther to the east of Guoxia is the ocean. Not far from their coast lies a small island nation. That nation was settled mostly by earth ponies and a few pegasi who left Guoxia, refusing to bow to unicorn rule. I've heard rumors that said nation's history was rather turbulent. It apparently goes through cycles of civil war as various clans and warlords vie for control, building regimes, only for those regimes to tumble down as the cycle begins anew.

"In the crucible of that nation's state of conflict, martial arts originally conceived in Guoxia were...refined. Their aspects were slimmed down, simplified, and developed with the specific intent of killing one's opponents in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Because of that, the martial forms of that nation are not considered to be as spectacular as those in Guoxia, but are considered unmatched in their lethality.

"From one of those schools that emerged on that small island nation was a sort of ultimate technique for blade users. I don't recall the exact name they had for it, but the name essentially translated to 'all-cutting-stroke,' or something of that nature."

"And what is that technique?" asked Elderflower, amazed both at the nature of Perlin's technique and the colt's willingness to talk so easily about it.

“Like the name suggests, it is a technique meant to be capable of cutting through anything," replied Perlin, "The user refines their desire to cut, to cleave, to kill, and projects that into the blade. At its peak, the technique is said to be untouchable. It is even suggested that a true master of such a stroke could cut even through Discord himself."

"I don't follow."

"The idea of reinforcing one's action through intent," said Perlin, "To be able to cut anything, even if said thing is not normally able to be cut; to be able to cut through an abstract entity who can ignore and rewrite the laws of the world at his leisure. You might call it an ultimate aspiration. It's not as though such a master of that skill exists."

He smiled an his eyes narrowed. "But even if my skill is obviously below such mastery, it is more than enough for my purposes now, especially if I continue to refine it."

Elderflower couldn't help but smirk. "Are you sure you should have told me so much about your little trick? Now that I know about it, I have the upper hoof."

Perlin smirked back. "If you think that, then I see no reason to try and dissuade you. But that is the thinking of an amateur.

"True, knowledge of an opponent's skills and techniques can grant you an edge. But a truly great technique retains its effectiveness, even if one's opponent already knows about it. It could be that the reason I was willing to share so much with you was because I do not feel that you knowing about it will compromise its usefulness in the slightest."

"We'll see," growled Elderflower. Regardless of what he says, such a technique is dangerous. I can't permit something like that to exist within Equestria. Once I have no use for this colt, I should eliminate him.

"Now then," said Perlin, "What is it you want me to do?"


Twilight Sparkle set down the letter with a sigh. "Thank goodness," she whispered.

"And how is Shining?" asked Arkenstone, coming up behind her.

"He'll be fine," said Twilight, before turning to look at her coltfriend, "Are you sure that it was right to let Perlin Bluestreak walk away like that?"

"No."

"Well if..." Twilight's voice trailed off as she realized what Arkenstone had just said. "What?"

"I am not certain that letting him walk away was the right thing to do," admitted the stallion plainly, "The closer an enemy's level is to yours, the more difficult it becomes to gauge it accurately. I could not say for certain just how close Perlin's strength was to mine."

"He was able to hold his own against Dawn," Twilight mused, "But Dawn isn't at your level yet."

"True," agreed Arkenstone, "But it is easier to get a feel for a pony's level when you spend more time around them. This was the first time I had ever met Perlin. However, what sense I got of both his abilities and his nature told me that it was dangerous to fight him, especially within the confines of Ponyville."

Twilight swallowed hard. "Are you sure?"

Arkenstone nodded. "In all honesty, that colt unnerved me. I can't ever recall meeting anypony quite like him. Right now, the only assurance we have is that his eyes are ultimately fixated on a single target. It seems he has no interest in killing anyone else right now."

"Dawn," Twilight whispered softly.


It was a tense week that followed. While the letters Twilight received from her brother and Cadance were reassuring, Shining Armor's recovery coming along like clockwork, the other reports were more disturbing. The Royal Guard was on the lookout for Perlin Bluestreak. But, as he had promised, Shining had restricted any of his ponies from making any attempt to pursue the colt once he was sighted. It seemed a futile gesture anyway, as Perlin had apparently gone to ground and had not been seen since, though that was hardly a surprise. Canterlot was a large Equestrian city, just like any other, with only so many ways a pony could be legitimately tracked. Unlike the nobility, Shining didn't have access to a small army of spies and hidden watchers, leaving innumerable gaps for Perlin to slip through the Guard's surveillance.

While Shining could have asked for help from the nobles, he knew full well exactly what said help would cost him, the nobles were all too keen for any kind of leverage they could find to bring Twilight under their control. Blueblood and Fancy Pants were doing all they could to assist, but there was only so much they could do as well.

To make matters worse, the investigation into how Perlin had gotten ahold of a Royal Permit was making absolutely no headway. Only a small number of ponies had access to the document, which meant that the suspect pool was very small. However, all of the potential suspects had been accounted for in some way or another, which meant that the whole thing was at a standstill.

The week had seen its share of more positive events as well. Arkenstone finally opened his teashop, which immediately drew a rather enthusiastic following, which was only beginning to grow as autumn continued to set in and the temperatures started dropping, many customers appreciating the opportunity to enjoy hot tea during cold weather. It helped that many of his blends were unique to his shop, being made from ingredients that Arkenstone had been able to obtain with the help of the Royal Boon he had been granted by Princess Celestia, which would have been prohibitively expensive for nearly any other entrepreneur in Equestria. Filthy Rich had even approached Arkenstone about the possibility of distributing his tea blends through Barnyard Bargains, thought the effort ultimately fell through due to the fact that Arkenstone only ever acquired them in quantities sufficient for his shop. However, Arkenstone did offer to help Filthy make his own arrangements with the Saddle Arabian traders who were the source of Arkenstone's own supply.

However, perhaps the most surprising development came when Shining Armor, having recovered from his injuries, made his visit to Ponyville to see his sister.


"Shiny! I'm so glad you're alright!" Twilight threw herself against her brother in an excited hug as Shining chuckled and returned the embrace.

"Good to see you too Twily," said Shining, gently rocking his little sister back and forth.

"Did everything turn out okay?" asked Twilight as she looked up.

"Yep, all fixed," sad Shining, stepping back and making a show of checking over his legs and joints to assure her that no lasting harm had been done, "Neck's still a little stiff from being kept in that brace though."

"And your horn?"

A rose-colored spark lit at the tip of Shining's horn, flaring to an almost blinding brightness before dying. "Good as new."

Twilight let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness."

"Hey," protested Shining, "I sent you letters through Spike every day telling you that everything was going fine. What's the matter, don't trust me?"

"Well, it's not that easy when your brother gives you orders to stay out of Canterlot, even for something as simple as visiting him when he gets himself thrown into the hospital," Twilight deadpanned.

"Hey," Shining protested, "For all we know, you probably would have been jumped by some viscount offering to pay my hospital bills if you did him some favors."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Shining, you're a Royal Guard. You're Captain of the Royal Guard. The Crown pays for all your hospital expenses. That would have been the most useless offer in the history of Equestria.”

“Still, it’s better to not take any risks,” replied Shining, “Besides, this gives us an excuse to visit you.”

“Us?” Twilight craned her neck to look past Shining and was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a familiar pink alicorn standing behind him.

“Cadance!” With an excited squeal Twilight rushed up to her favorite foalsitter, the two of them joining together in a hug before parting.

A few brief moments of laughter and one Sunshine Dance later, the three of them were relaxed and happily chatting, sprawled out on cushions in the library's main room.

"So I heard that you and Arkenstone finally got together," said Cadance, her grin suddenly becoming a little predatory.

"Um...well..." Twilight blushed fiercely.

"I knew it!" Cadance practically shrieked.

Leave it to the Princess of Love, Twilight through ruefully. While she and Arkenstone had essentially decided to be special someponies, it hadn't been something that they had publicly announced yet, not in the least to Twilight's friends. There were a great many issues that Twilight was concerned about first, namely whether or not she should share the truth about Arkenstone's status as a Knight with the rest of them. He'd told her that he left the decision in her hooves and trusted her judgment. But Twilight wasn't exactly sure what her judgment told her. Spitfire's willingness to publicly announce her status in front of them at Rainbow's Wonderbolt initiation could have been seen as an admission that the Knights were ready and willing to trust the Element Bearers and those close to them with their identities. But Spitfire led an entirely different life from Arkenstone.

Fortunately, recent events had been full of plenty of distractions to keep her friends from making too many inquiries. First there had been the days leading up to Rainbow's initiation and helping Soarin' and the other Wonderbolts with the preparations. Then there had been all the fuss and worry over Perlin Bluestreak's sudden appearance and equally sudden disappearance, as well as Shining's injuries.

"Why don't we go see him," proposed Cadance, "We saw his teashop as we came in. I'd like to try his work."

"Um..." Twilight thought about it for a moment before relenting. "Why not..."


The little shop was bustling when the three of them arrived. The sight of one of Equestria's three princesses drew some curious gazes from the ponies seated at the low tables throughout the place, but nopony made any move to bother them.

If there was a word that could be used to describe the decor, it would be "understated." The pillars that held up the roof were round columns of cedar, their surfaces unpolished and treated only to preserve them against mundane wear and tear. The walls were covered by thick drapes in muted reds, greens, and browns, heavy enough to serve as walls and keep out the weather during winter. However, during the spring and summer, they could be pulled back to open up the entire space and let in fresh air and sunlight. The entire place had a cozy, homey feel that briefly reminded Twilight of Luna's audience chamber. She'd been curious about the methods Arkenstone was employing to regulate the shop's temperature, as so many ponies in such an enclosed space would normally make it unbearably hot. But, it was pleasantly warm, only a few degrees above the outside temperature, where the chill of the season continued to set in. However, Arkenstone had remained rather coy about telling Twilight his secrets. She got the impression he was teasing her.

"So, how do we do this?" asked Shining, looking around a bit.

"It's nothing special," said Twilight with a giggle. She led them to a table and the three of them sat down. A few moments later, a pony approached them. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was. "Dawn!"

"Hello," said Dawn naturally, a flick of his wing depositing three menus on the table.

"What are you doing here?" asked Twilight, staring unabashedly at the colt.

"Caramel actually suggested to me that I spend some time here once Arkenstone opened the place," said Dawn calmly, "So he offered to let me work here during the weekends and after school."

"What about the others?" asked Twilight, looking around for any signs that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been running amok. A few seconds later, she found herself gaping in shock when she saw Scootaloo trotting amongst the tables, a loaded tray carefully balanced between her shoulders, supported by her outstretched wings, Sweetie Belle a short ways behind the filly. The two of them stopped at a table. A second later, Sweetie Belle was using her magic to lift teapots off the tray and deposit them on the table for the customers, along with an hourglass that showed how much time the tea needed to steep before it could be drunk.

Not much farther away, Rumble was moving on his own amongst the tables, actually balancing a pair of trays, one on each wing. Reaching his tables, Rumble deftly slid the trays onto the wooden expanses and hooked his primaries through the handle of each teapot, lifting it and setting it out, all without spilling a drop. Not much farther away, Apple Bloom was carefully gathering up used pots and cups at a nearby table onto a tray for her to take to the back.

For a moment, Twilight could only stare as she fought to find the words to describe her feelings at the sight of the Cutie Mark Crusaders...working. They were working calmly and efficiently, not bouncing about randomly trying to do different things at once. There were no signs of impending catastrophe that would end with them burning down Arkenstone's new teahouse. Even the ponies around the establishment showed no signs of tension at the sight of Ponyville's premier team of troublemakers handling pots full of boiling to near-boiling water, or relatively delicate pottery and crockery. The whole scene had a sort of surreal feel to it, making Twilight wonder if she had stepped into some alternate dimension. Even Shining and Cadance were looking bamboozled. Even thought they weren't as intimately familiar with the mischief the Crusaders could cook up, Twilight had shared enough "war stories" about their antics to make them realize just how unusual this event was.

"Should I give you some time to look things over or are have you decided?" asked Dawn watching them with a relatively amused expression. Twilight would have sworn that he looked rather smug at seeing her surprise.

"Um...give us a minute," said Shining after a moment's hesitation.

Dawn nodded politely and stepped away, while Twilight shared a look with Shining and Cadance. By mutual agreement, the three of them picked up their menus and looked through the different blends that Arkenstone's shop had on offer. When they'd made their choices and set their menus down, Dawn approached them once again to take their orders.

As they waited, Shining and Cadance looked to Twilight. "I see a lot of ponies here with books," Shining commented, "So I guess business at the library must be doing well."

"It is actually," agreed Twilight, grinning cheerfully at the observation. Actually, setting his teashop right next door to her library's tree was perhaps one of the things Twilight appreciated most about Arkenstone's decision, and not only because it meant that her new coltfriend was literally living next door either. The ponies coming to sample the stallion's tea also became part of the increased traffic of the library, with many of them stopping to check out a book before heading over to the teahouse to enjoy said book with a nice cup of one of Arkenstone's fragrant blends, the quiet atmosphere of the place providing a perfect venue for light reading. Twilight certainly couldn't complain about the boost to Ponyville's literacy its presence was fostering.

Shortly afterward, Dawn returned, carrying their tray. Like Rumble, he balanced it across one wing, rather than on his shoulders, as Scootaloo did. Lowering the wing to the table, the colt slid the appendage out from underneath with the smoothness of a slight-of-hoof expert whipping the cloth out from underneath a set table. The tray settled without the slightest bit of jostling. Lifting the wing back up, Dawn deftly hooked a primary through the handle of the first pot, setting it on the table in front of Twilight before repeating the process with Shining and Cadances own pots. The hourglasses, followed by the cups, as well as a small tray of snacks, came next.

“I’m amazed you and that other colt can use your wings like that,” observed Cadance.

“Storm Front has been giving us some pointers,” explained Dawn calmly as he pulled the tray off the table and tucked it under his wing.

He might have explained further, but his attention was drawn by the arrival of new customers and the colt went off to see to their service as well.

Once the sands in their respective hourglasses ran out, the three of them removed the wire baskets of tea from the pots and set them aside before pouring out their tea into the cups. Twilight sighed happily as she enjoyed a sip of her favorite blend of oolong, while Shining and Cadance both signaled their enjoyment of their own blends.

“This really is good stuff,” said Shining as he set his cup down, “I’m amazed that Arkenstone’s special talent isn’t tea-related.”

“When your life is replete with a wide range of experiences, you tend to pick up skills that have nothing to do with your cutie mark,” observed Arkenstone as he joined them at the table, his sudden arrival making Shining and Cadance jump in surprise.

Twilight, who was getting used to the stallion popping up without much warning, simply giggled as she regarded him. “I’m more amazed that you got the Cutie Mark Crusaders to work for you without breaking everything you own.”

Arkenstone shrugged. “It’s a matter of how you handle them. Dawn approached me about working here first and the others followed. I made sure they were trained before I turned them loose in the shop, of course.”

“Trained them…?” While Twilight wasn’t all that surprised that Dawn (and, perhaps, Rumble) had the discipline to handle being trained to work in such an environment, she was amazed that the three notoriously hyperactive fillies, well known for their short attention spans were willing to rein in their impulses long enough for Arkenstone to teach them how to handle the delicate crockery of his shop.

“It wasn’t as difficult as you imagine. I started them rather basically, having them carrying trays, balancing bowls and cups full of water without spilling them before having them practice lifting and moving teapots. They only just started actually serving customers yesterday.”

“How did you keep them in one place long enough?” asked Shining.

Arkenstone chuckled. “I simply appealed to their interests. Scootaloo has fewer difficulties reining in her own impulsiveness, thanks to the training she’s been getting from Dawn. Rumble happens to be rather easygoing by nature. For Sweetie Belle, I merely pointed out that this was the perfect opportunity for her to refine her magic control. Performing simple, but rather delicate tasks with her telekinesis is an excellent way for a young unicorn to prepare herself for more advanced applications.”

Having received such training themselves, Twilight, Shining, and Cadance all nodded in agreement.

“Apple Bloom has been receiving instruction in earth pony magic from Red River,” continued Arkenstone, “So she is developing her own physical awareness, which is helping her balance and handle my wares, while improving her discipline and allowing her to control herself.”

“And you can really trust them?” prodded Twilight.

The beige stallion nodded. “I already trust Dawn enough to allow him to make the tea. He’s quite taken with it.”

Twilight cast a glance towards the ebony colt, who was carrying a loaded tray to another table. Even though his normal, neutral expression was in place, there was something about his manner that struck her as being more...relaxed. Twilight found herself smiling. The Dawn she was watching now was a far cry from the cold, stoically distant colt she had once met all those months ago. "Good for you," she whispered softly.


After spending a couple of hours at the teashop, with Twilight and Arkenstone enduring the occasional teasing from Shining and Cadance over their new relationship, Twilight led her brother and her sister-in-law back to the library, where they could relax until it was time for dinner. Already, Twilight's ears picked up the sounds of Spike working in the kitchen. With a sigh, she made a mental note to talk to him. Perhaps he might like to join the Crusaders in trying his hands at working in Arkenstone's teashop. If anything, it would be an opportunity to get out of the library and with ponies closer to his own age (not to mention the opportunity to spend more time with Apple Bloom).

"So, when are you heading back to Canterlot?" asked the lavender mare as they settled themselves on cushions once again.

Shining and Cadance exchanged an uneasy glance before joining Twilight. "Not for a couple more days at least," said Shining as he settled in next to his sister so that Twilight could lean into his side, just like she used to when they were foals. Cadance came over and settled onto Twilight's other side, so that the librarian was tucked between the couple, something the three of them had done on occasion during their foalhood, when Shining and Cadance had looked after Twilight as a filly.

"Actually, there's something we need to talk to you about," said Shining, his voice turning nervous.

"What is it?" asked Twilight, looking up at him curiously.

"Well...to be honest, I'm thinking of retiring from my position as Captain," said Shining.

He winced when Twilight's not-at-all-unexpected response belted out her mouth. "What?"

"Well...it's just...there've been some...problems..." Shining was trying his hardest to find the words to explain his predicament. But try as he might, there was no way that he could do this that wouldn't cause Twilight any pain. "After what happened with Perlin, I haven't exactly been popular with a lot of ponies."

"Unfortunately, quite a few ponies in important positions have been calling for Shining's resignation," said Cadance softly, leaning across Twilight to nuzzle her husband.

"Wait...let me get this straight..." Twilight paused to think about this. "My brother got injured in the line of duty against a mithril-winged killing machine and some ponies apparently think that's grounds for declaring him unfit to do his job."

"I don't think that it's just Perlin," said Shining, "My credibility took a pretty big hit when I nearly married that bug-queen instead of Cadance."

Twilight shuddered, though not quite for the reasons that Shining and Cadance thought. She knew that Chrysalis was no longer a cause for concern. But she was both aware of the changeling queen's final fate and the true role Shining and Cadance had played in it. She agreed with Arkenstone that the truth of what happened in the badlands was something neither of the married couple should know.

"All told, those things don't exactly reflect very well on my record," continued Shining, "To make matters worse, I've gotten some offers from a couple barons and a marquess to help smooth things over if I would talk you into visiting them for a private audience."

Twilight groaned and lowered her head to rest between her forelegs. It had been hard enough to deal with Steel Flint's odious overtures when she had been in Canterlot. But now, this recent development showed her that, even when she was safe in Ponyville, the members of the Noble Court were still enacting their schemes to bring her under their control, one way or another.

"Because of that," continued Shining, "Cadance and I are starting to think that maybe it's best that I go ahead and retire. We've been talking about moving to the Crystal Empire permanently."

"Really?" That wasn't exactly the most encouraging thing Twilight had heard recently. After all, the Crystal Empire was much farther away than Canterlot was. However, the more she thought about it...

"You understand," said Cadance, seeing the wheels in Twilight's head turning, "It'll actually be easier for you to come and see us because you don't have to worry about tripping over some duchess’s latest scheme. We'll always have time for you there."

"But who's going to take over the Royal Guard then?" asked Twilight.

"Actually, he's already been in charge for a little while," said Shining, "It's a pegasus named Flash Sentry. He took over for me while I was in the hospital and I'm thinking of appointing him Captain officially. He's been doing an excellent job and he isn't in anypony's pocket. I've been careful to make sure of that."

"If you're sure," said Twilight nervously. Both Cadance and Shining nodded at her, prompting a sigh from the lavender unicorn as she settled in between them.

Author's Note:

Poor Shining, he doesn't seem to get cut a lot of slack, whether it's on the show or in my story. Still, he got off pretty lightly, all things considered.

And yes, I did use Flash Sentry...deal with it. Why? Because he was there. It's not as though I can ship him with Twilight anyway. Besides, with the way things are developing I don't think he's ever going to actually show up "on screen" as it were. And if he does, it'll be in an incredibly minor role.

Next chapter: Twilight drops a bomb.