Castle in the clouds

by ovineConventionalist

A stout and helpful dragon

Dear Rainbow Dash and Applejack,
Luna said that shes talked to ponies in their dreams, and that the fog gets less further from the castle, so everypony can move around still and even light candles so it isn’t so dark!

Oh, wait!

First I should have told you that Canterlot is covered in thick smoke. We’re completely stuck in the castle :(

Twilight says you probably already knew that because its pretty big news, I know shes itching to tell you more so im going to sign off now!
Everypony is fine and we miss you!
xoxo Pinkie Pie

As Pinkie already said, we are trapped in the castle for now, the fog is very dense here as we are closest to it’s original source. the princesses and I are working on a spell that should hopefully dissipate the smoke. Until then I can’t know when we will next be seeing you. A lot of ponies are being relocated and we just wish we could help but due to current circumstance we cant. We’ll send word if anything changes.

Don’t worry- Twilight Sparkle.

Hi! Me again, everypony else sends their love. Isnt Spike helpful? We wouldn’t be able to send ANYTHING without him!
xxx Pinkie

*

“But why didn’t you tell everypony as soon as you found out?” Celestia asked Luna as soon as they were alone.
They sat on the balcony, looking out on the black morning.

Luna’s eyes were suddenly drawn to the floor. The regal princess Luna had the face of a filly who took the last chocolate cookie without asking.

“Sister.” She said eventually, looking across at Celestia. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you.”

And the penny dropped.

“You knew this would happen.”

“Yes.”

****

“Rainbow Dash!”

It was earlier that morning, not that time much mattered in the resolute blackness of Canterlot castle. To Rainbow however, the dawn sun piercing her eyes seemed like something she could do without.

She got up crossly, after another uneasy sleep.

“What could you possibly want at this time?” She inquired, aghast.

Rubbing her eyes, she spotted a blurry, frowning Cloud Kicker from below.

Cloud Kicker seemed to take her less-than-friendly greeting as an invitation into her cloud house, as Kicker flew in through the window, a newspaper clutched in her mouth.

“I have some bad news.” Stated the blonde mare. Her grave expression gave Dash an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

“What? Is it Applejack? Is she ok?”

“It’s not her.” Was the arcane reply. “It’s probably best if I just show you.” She gestured a hoof to the newspaper between them.

CANTERLOT CRISIS

Read the first page. There was a picture on the front of a stallion Rainbow recognised as Prince Blueblood levitating a candlestick in an intense darkness, he appeared to be helping an elderly unicorn mare with a massive amount of luggage.

THE CITY OF CANTERLOT is under attack. The thick fog that appeared at 10pm last night is believed to have originated in Canterlot castle as an assassination attempt on Princess Celestia by a male subversive of unknown identity.

It is believed that Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight Sparkle as well as four bearers of ‘the elements of harmony’ [see page 7] and eight other citizens of Canterlot are currently trapped within. We have received correspondence from the Princesses that they are all alive and well. Steps are being taken to liberate them from the confines of the dense smoke as soon as possible.

Prince Blueblood of Coltchester is leading evacuation procedures for over 4000 citizens unable to continue living in the polluted city.

[Story continues on page 4]

Rainbow crumpled the paper in her eagerness to reach page four of the newspaper. It was mostly comprised of statements from Prince Blueblood and other members of Equestrian royalty as well as from disgruntled citizens and excited conspiracy theorists. She read it twice nonetheless.

She didn’t know what to think or feel.

Act now, think later.

She burst out of the window and headed straight for the barn.

****

“How did you know?” Celestia didn’t look angry or even disappointed. She would save her emotion until she understood.

“Shining Armor.”

There was a pause in which Luna expected Celestia to say something, but she didn’t.

“He wrote to me, about a week ago. He… Cadence had been getting letters, which he had been hiding.” She went quiet again.

“Threats? Blackmail?” Asked Celestia.

“Yes.”

Celestia nodded. So Shining Armor had all of the Crystal Empire convinced they were under threat. But then she supposed Cadence would have seemed of even higher importance to him than a shiny kingdom. His entire world, she supposed, was under threat.

****

Rainbow landed with a ‘thud’ at Applejack’s front door. AJ opened the barn door as if expecting her, she seemed worried and dishevelled, but nothing like the blind panic her friend appeared to be experiencing.

Wordlessly, Applejack hoofed her the note that Pinkie and Twilight had written earlier.

“How are they so calm?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “The paper said they tried to murder Celestia!”

“Ah wouldn’t believe everything the paper says Sugarcube.”

She gave the other note she had received, this time from Rarity. It contained much of the same news, though some information differed from that given in the paper.

…I expect He’s all smoke and mirrors, if you’ll pardon the pun.
All my love, Rarity xxx

Was the sign off.

Fluttershy had also written a couple of sentences assuring them that everypony was going to be fine.

Rainbow supposed she was relieved, though her fears hadn’t subsided by much.

****

“He was desperate.” Said Luna. “I suggested she stay here, to throw them off. I promised I would say nothing. I gave him my word, though I’ve wished I hadn’t ever since.”

“But why didn’t you wake me and tell me about the smoke?”

“It was… irrational of me. I thought I could fix it, before everypony woke up. I feel so awful.”

“Oh, Luna.”

****
Spike burped up the morning paper around noon. They all had fun picking apart the mistakes. They supposed the assertion that they believed the attack to be on Celestia wasn’t necessarily untruthful, just conveniently more dramatic. To take Celestia’s throne is to take the entire kingdom.

Nine friends and the Castles various domestic attendants sat to lunch together, the usual formalities seemed unnecessary in the circumstances.

They ate and talked and laughed, looking at them you wouldn’t have known they were in danger, or anything more than just good friends who decided to have a party.