Sapphire Schoolteacher
I had never planned on being a full-time teacher. In fact, not much of my life matched what I had planned back when I was filly.
When I was young, I’d dreamed of being a fashionista. Selling my designs in the most exclusive shops, seeing them worn by Equestria’s best and brightest. I’d fantasized about one day designing gowns for the Empress herself, or marrying a handsome stallion from the Phoenix Guard. Or perhaps a provincial governor, who could whisk me away to exotic Zebrica or the distant shores of Griffonia.
Teaching etiquette classes at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares was only supposed to be a way to pay the bills until my fashion career took off. Starting your own business takes quite a bit of time and money. I hadn’t even picked teaching as something I particularly wanted to do—I had been doing interviews wherever I could to find a job suited to my talents and interests, and Ms. Harshwhinny had been the first pony to make me an offer.
It was only supposed to be for a short while, until I’d showed off my designs to a few ponies to get my hoof in the door and saved up seed money to have a proper start to my business. It was just supposed to be a temporary job.
And yet, at the end of the semester, when Ms. Harshwhinny asked if I was interested in teaching full-time, I’d accepted. I couldn’t entirely explain why. There’s just something ... magical about teaching. Taking an unrefined young mare, and teaching her all the skills she would need in order to become a proper lady. My special talent is drawing out the beauty hidden within others, and even the grandest dress couldn’t compare to helping a young mind find the beauty within itself. A few bits of lace and fabric were nothing compared to the pony wearing them.
So that’s how I became a schoolteacher.
I trotted into my classroom, beaming at the score of young mares sitting at their desks. If you’ll forgive me for saying so, I do think the school’s uniforms looked absolutely smashing. The matching red-and-gold blouses and skirts looked very sharp on my students. I was rather proud of the design. I might have backed away from my dreams of a career in high fashion, but I could still throw together a lovely ensemble when I put in the effort.
My students were merrily chattering away with each other about all the usual things that occupy the attention of young mares. I was quite amused to note Miss Prose and Miss Sparkle going over this morning’s edition of the Canterlot Herald. It would seem the Sapphire Guardian had taken the front page again. Superheroines do have a knack for that. Still, it was time to get the girls focused on their lessons. Goodness knows high school gossip could go on for the rest of the day otherwise. “Good morning class!”
“Good morning, Miss Rarity,” my students dutifully chimed. I must admit, I absolutely adore the little darlings. Well, ‘little’ might be a bit of a misnomer, given that my students were teenagers. Whatever the terminology one uses, my students were a delight.
I bustled over to my desk and pulled out my notes. “Now, I believe the syllabus says we will be getting to one of the lessons I’m sure you’ve all been looking forward to: the proper way for a young lady to conduct herself during courtship.” I waited a few moments to allow the obligatory giggling that must occur whenever one mentions the subject of romance in a room full of teenage fillies. “So, young ladies, what are the ideal qualities one should look for in a mate?”
“A good dancer!” One of my students suggested.
“No, it should be somepony strong and hunky, like a Phoenix Guard!”
“No, I want somepony with bits! My last date tried to take me to Burger Praetor! Burger! Praetor! For a date! Can you say lame?”
“I just want a gentlecolt.”
“Or a gentlemare,” Miss Sparkle cut in. “I’m not picky. It doesn’t even have to be a pony.”
“Ew! But then your kids would be half-breeds!”
“Girls!” I quickly cut in before an argument could start. “Now then, Miss Sparkle is correct. Whether or not a potential partner is suitable should ultimately be a matter of one’s own preferences, whatever those may be.”
“Exactly!” I noted that Ruby was speaking, and mentally prepared myself for something unspeakably crude. “A silver tongue never hurts, either. After all, size doesn't matter if they lack the perjabber, so the real ticket is if they know how to lick it.”
I sighed and rubbed my muzzle. Teenagers are all hormones.
“Miss Prose!” I jumped in surprise at Headmistress Harshwhinny’s voice, and turned to see her standing in the doorway, glaring daggers at my dirty-minded young student. “It would seem your previous visits to my office have failed to make an impression. Perhaps a full week of detention will be enough to teach you?” Ms. Harshwhinny let out a refined sniff. “Though really, if you can’t learn to mind your tongue in the classroom, I have half a mind to bar you from tomorrow’s field trip to the Imperial Palace. I will not have any of my students embarrassing me in public. Am I understood?”
Ruby flinched down into her seat. “Yes, Headmistress Harshwhinny. I’m sorry, Headmistress.”
“Very good, then.” The headmistress turned to me. “Well—as I had intended to say before other matters claimed my attention—I need to speak with you, Miss Rarity. There are a few details to be attended to regarding your upcoming excursion to the Imperial Palace. If you would join me outside, for a few moments?”
“Of course, Ms. Harshwhinny.” I trotted for the door. The Headmistress spared one last disapproving glower for Ruby, let out a loud sniff and followed me out.
Thankfully, her office was just across the hall from my classroom. Much like the mare herself, Ms. Harshwhinny’s office was all business. Shelves full of schoolbooks, and several cabinets holding files on all the students and staff at the academy. The walls were covered in the numerous awards both she and the Academy had earned, as well as a few mementos she’d picked up while organizing the Imperial Games. She was rather proud of her role on the Games’ organizing committee, even if it meant spending a few months out of every tenth year away from the school.
Aside from those tokens of her involvement in the Games, there were no personal touches to her office, not even a single family photograph. When I’d asked about that, she stated that letting students know too much about their instructor's personal life encouraged them to become ‘too familiar’ and ‘caused students to view us as ponies, rather than authority figures.’ I’m not sure if I agreed with her reasoning, especially since the girls liked to joke that Ms. Harshwhinny was a golem assembled out of spare parts from a dozen former headmistresses.
She waved for me to have a seat. Predictably, once I was settled she went straight to business. “I do expect better behavior from Miss Prose and the rest of your students while at the Imperial Palace. The last thing we need is one of them causing a scene.”
“Of course.” Considering her rather disparaging tone, I felt obligated to say a few words in defense of my students. “They do know how to behave themselves; some of them can just get a bit rambunctious when they're in the classroom. While Miss Prose has rather poor taste in humor, they’re all very good young ladies, and they'll be on their best behavior while they’re at the palace.”
Headmistress Harshwhinny let out a faint murmur that might have been disapproving, but said no more on the matter. “Very well, then. I trust you to know your students and keep them under control.” She pulled out a small notepad, then dipped a quill into her inkwell. “Back to the matter at hoof. Given that you will be going to the palace tomorrow, I felt that a final check was in order to make sure there are no unexpected difficulties with the trip itself. I expect you've received all of the permission slips from the girls' parents?”
“Of course. The only pony who hasn’t turned one in yet is Silver Skip.” A faint frown crossed my face as I thought back to the classroom I’d just left. “She wasn't in class today. I suppose if she's come down with something, she won't be in any condition to join us on the trip tomorrow in any case.”
“Hrm. I’ll see if my secretary can get in touch with her parents. Though field trips are enough of a hassle that having one less young lady to worry would not be a terrible problem.” She scratched down a few notes on her pad with some of the best penmareship I’ve ever seen from an earth pony. “When last we spoke, you mentioned that you were looking into several options for lunch. Did you settle on one that was within an acceptable budgetary range, without resorting to feeding them fast food?” She let out a faint sniff. “Bits are a concern, of course, but we do have standards.”
“I think I settled on something acceptable,” I confirmed. “It took a bit of work, but I talked to a few ponies I knew and called in some favors. Of course, I also mentioned just whose daughters were going to be a part of the excursion. In the end, I was able to arrange for the girls to have luncheon at the palace's cafeteria.” Not a five star restaurant, but certainly prestigious enough, without costing too terribly much.
The headmistress lifted a single eyebrow at that. “Oh? I see. In that case, think it would be prudent if you briefly reviewed dining etiquette before the trip. Oh, and since a few of the girls have family members working at the palace, do remind them that they have to stay with the group for lunch, even if their parents are also present.” She jotted down a few more notes. “As for going to and from the palace, did you intend to just walk, or will we need to hire a few carriages?” Though she endeavored to keep her tone neutral, the faint frown on her lips when she mentioned hiring carriages made her thoughts plain enough.
Thankfully, I had already accounted for that issue, and predicted Ms. Harshwhinny’s preferences. “It's only a fifteen minute trot, so I thought a walk might be best. A bit of exercise won't hurt the girls, and it would cut the expense of the trip.”
“Keeping expenses down is always a consideration,” the Headmistress readily agreed. “However, I don’t want to, how shall we say, push that philosophy to the point of having this excursion done on the cheap. Parents do expect a bit more class out of a school with our tuition fees.” She delicately cleared her throat, then looked back to her notepad. “I am somewhat concerned about the security of our students if they walk to the palace, given the prestigious nature of many of the girls' parents. Still, the constables and the Phoenix Guard keep a very close eye on the palace and nearby environs, and I trust you weren’t planning to lead them down any dark alleyways.”
“Naturally.” I pity the poor thief or mugger who thought he could lay a hoof on my students. I don’t like to think of myself as a violent mare, but if anypony ever tried to hurt a single hair on my kids’ heads, then I would rip that bastard to pieces.
Miss Harshwhinny was, of course, completely unaware of that rather unusually violent turn of thought. “Of course, just making a note of it.” She scratched something off on her pad, then jotted down a few more things. She looked over her notepad, gave a satisfied nod, and then flipped it closed and set it back in her blouse. “What was the final estimate for this trip, with your adjustments?”
“Ten bits per student, and nineteen students,” I promptly supplied. “Twenty, if Miss Skip is able to make it after all.”
Harshwhinny raised an eyebrow at that. “I thought for sure it would be higher. Though really, that’s the last thing I should be complaining about. Very good, Miss Rarity. If you'll bring their permission forms to my office after you finish for the day, I'll file them for the school's records.”
“Of course, Miss Harshwhinny.” I glanced towards the clock, and then the door. It had been a full five minutes since I’d left the classroom. Hopefully the girls had not cause too much chaos yet. “Was there anything else?”
The headmistress tapped the end of her quill against her lips. “One other thing. Will you be able to handle all twenty of them on your own?” She looked me over with a faint frown. “You've seemed somewhat ... bedraggled, on occasion, and twenty young ladies is quite a hooffull.”
“I suppose I have been prone to burning the candle at both ends,” I confessed. “You know how it is: always more work for a teacher to do. Papers to grade, courses to plan, the usual bothers. I'll make sure to get a good night's rest before the tip. Trust me, I know exactly how hard a class full of excited girls can be.”
“Very well then, Miss Rarity.” She delicately cleared her throat. “I won’t belabor the point, but if you decide that you do require a second chaperone, do try to let me know before the end of class today. And if anything beyond that comes up, inform me promptly.”
“Of course, Ms. Harshwhinny.” I glanced back to the door once more. “Will there be anything else?”
“Not for the present moment, no.” She paused, then held up a hoof. “Well, one other matter, on something of a personal note. Do remember that there’s more to life than being a schoolteacher, Miss Rarity. Your students are very fond of you, and I am quite satisfied with your performance, but I am worried you might be ... throwing a bit too much of yourself into your work.” A very faint smile crossed her lips, and her voice turned a bit gentler. “Staying up until the wee hours of the morning grading assignments and planning lessons is a good way to burn yourself out, and that would be a terrible shame. I hope you at least have a few hobbies, the odd gentlecolt caller, or something beyond the schoolhouse.”
If only she knew... “Thank you for your concern, headmistress. For what it’s worth, I think I have a satisfactory balance in my life. It’s just that there aren’t always enough hours in the day.” I nodded to her, and rose from my seat. “If you will excuse me, I really should get back to my class. Goodness knows what they’ll be getting up to with no adult supervision.”
“I dread to consider,” Harshwhinny agreed dryly. “Good day.”
“Good day.”
I trotted out of the headmistress’ office, but before I could return to my classroom I was distracted by the sound of hooves slapping the floor in a rapid, frantic gallop. A few seconds later, young Miss Silver Skip came barreling around the corner, only to pull up to a fast stop when she saw me. “Miss Rarity! Hi. Um ... sorry I’m late.”
“Miss Skip.” I looked my student over, noting that her uniform was not sitting properly, and her white mane was rather bedraggled, and hanging down over half her face. By the looks of her saddlebags, either her classes were lighter than usual, or she’d left some of her things behind. “You are late for class. Is there some explanation for this?”
The young mare was silent for several seconds, slowly shuffling her hooves. “I ... I overslept. Forgot to set my alarm clock.”
“I see.” I pursed my lips as I spotted one other detail of her appearance that rendered her claim rather dubious, but now was hardly the time to pursue it. “We’ll talk about this after class.” The young lady flinched, and I softened my tone slightly as I opened the door for her. “In you go, now.” Silver trotted in, and I followed behind her, finding my students every bit as wild and disorderly as they’d been before the start of class. I suppose I should be grateful I taught young ladies, at least. Fillies and colts would probably be rampaging around the room causing as much destruction as equinely possible. The worst teenagers usually did was gossip and neglect their assignments.
It was also much easier to restore them to order. All I needed to do was clear my throat loudly enough to be heard over the general din of conversation and they all fell into respectful silence. “I apologize for my absence. Now then, shall we get back to it?”
I gave my students a few seconds to pull out their notebooks and put away whatever frivolities they had been playing around with while I was out, then got to business. “The two most important considerations for any young lady seeking a mate are, as some of you said, that your mate is of refined character, and that your personalities are compatible. I know it’s much easier to focus on looks, but those are easily modified. I’m sure you’re all well aware of the difference an hour of primping in front of the mirror can make. Personalities, however, are far more difficult to change. Besides, I know it’s a trite saying, but true beauty really does come from within.
“Now, one of the most important lessons for any young lady to learn is that...”
Sadly, I didn’t get as far as I would have liked before the end of class. The discussion with Headmistress Harshwhinny had rather disrupted the start of my lecture, not to mention her request to give the girls a quick refresher on dining protocol. There had been a rather extended delay when I explained the reasons why it was against protocol for two courting ponies to sit across the table from one another. I suppose I should have known that mentioning just how far a game of hoofsie could go under those circumstances would thoroughly distract hormonal teenage girls.
Still, I had at least covered most of the important introductory topics: Identifying a mate of suitable character, how to approach them, the suitable way of signalling one’s interest without being brazen, and other such things. Thankfully, this class seemed to have a firmer grasp than most of the idea that a lady could take the initiative. Far too many young mares had been mis-taught that making the first move was overly forward. From there, we had discussed the matter of family, and how one should go about securing the approval of both one’s own parents, and the parents of the object of one’s affections. Though such was important with any family, parental approval was of vital importance within families of class and distinction. It’s all well and good to dream of being the next Roamer and Tulip, but it’s far smoother if everypony gets along.
As the rest of my students filed out and headed for their Civics class, I fixed Silver Skip with a pointed look, lest she conveniently forget that I had asked to speak with her after class. She dutifully trotted up to my desk, and I waited until everypony else was gone, then shut the door for privacy. Thankfully, I had a free period after my first class of the day. I’d taken advantage of it to squeeze in a quick nap on occasion, but this time there was work to be done.
Silver fidgeted nervously, her eyes darting to the door. “Um, Miss Rarity? I kinda need to get going to Civics. Don’t wanna be late to two classes on the same day...”
“I can give your teacher a note, if it comes down to that,” I assured her. I pulled up a chair, and motioned for her to sit. “Now then, darling, would you like to tell me why you were late?”
“My alarm clock broke, and I overslept,” she insisted.
I sighed, and used a bit of magic to move aside her mane, revealing an ugly purple bruise that stood out against her light grey coat. “Darling.” I kept my voice as gentle and comforting as possible, “why were you late?”
Silver’s eyes dropped to the floor, and she used her forehooves to quickly shift her mane over to hide the bruise again. “I tripped. Fell down and hit my face.” Her voice was utterly flat and lifeless, and she refused to meet my eyes. A blind mare would not have missed such obvious signs of a lie.
Between her obvious reticence and the fact that the bruise on her cheek was hoof-shaped, it wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. The only question left to answer was who I was going to utterly destroy for this.
The obvious suspect in these sorts of cases would be her parents. It would certainly explain why she was trying so hard to cover up her injuries. It is an ugly but unfortunate truth that many children who are mistreated will try to protect their guardians. However, I did not think that was the case. I’d met her parents at one of the school’s open house events, and they didn’t strike me as the type to do that sort of thing.
Silver Skip was one of our exceptional students. Though the Harshwhinny Academy for Young Mares was an exclusive private school, every year we took in a few students who came from a disadvantaged background. Some ponies would call it charity, but I personally disliked the idea that any of our students were charity cases. Silver Skip was every bit as worthy of attending this academy as any other young lady here.
Her parents thought the world of her. Rock Solid and Silver Bit were both simple working-class ponies, but they wanted something better for their daughter. When I’d met them, they couldn’t stop talking about how proud they were of their daughter, and thanking me for everything I’d done to help her. The idea that those proud parents might secretly be mistreating her ... didn’t fit.
Still, I’d only met them in passing. A single thirty-second conversation in the middle of a very busy evening is hardly enough to really get to know a pony. If nothing else, they needed to be eliminated as possible suspects. Furthermore, though it seemed a bit cruel to suggest it, naming her parents as the likely suspects in any investigation might well prompt her to name the true culprits.
I shifted her mane aside again, and inspected the bruise once more. Silver briefly tried to hide it, but when I did not relent she subsided. “It’s really not a big deal, Miss Rarity. It doesn’t even hurt. Can I just go? Please?”
“Silver, please tell me what happened.” I took a deep breath, and asked the question. “Did your parents do this to you?”
Her eyes widened in shock, and she pulled away from me, glaring furiously. “No! Are you crazy? Mom and Dad would never hit me! They’re great!”
I carefully gauged her reaction. For the first time in the entire conversation, she wasn’t avoiding me or looking towards the door as if she were contemplating her chances of running for it. Instead she was meeting my eyes, snorting angrily as she stepped towards me and jabbed a hoof forward. “I can’t believe you’d think my parents would ... augh!” She turned her back on me, stomping further back into the classroom.
Well, that confirmed one thing for me. While I’m not a proper detective or psychologist, I do like to think that my years as a teacher have given me a certain degree of skill at spotting a liar. You would not believe some of the excuses I’ve heard over the years. I think my favorite was ‘Empress Sunbeam took it because she said it was the best homework she'd ever seen, and she wanted to hang it up in the palace as an example to students everywhere.’
In any case, I was as certain as I could be that Silver Skip was telling the truth. “It’s okay, Silver, I believe you. But if it wasn’t your parents, then who was it?”
Silver froze at my question, her eyes dropping to the floor again. “Nopony. It doesn’t matter. It just wasn’t Mom and Dad, okay?”
Much as I hated to put pressure on her after everything else she’d been through, I had to have answers. I wasn’t going to let some brute get away with injuring my students. “Silver, imperial law requires me to report any potential signs of abuse to the proper authorities. If you tell me who’s responsible for this I can include that information in my report, and that’s who they’ll focus on. If they don’t have any suspects ... well, I hate to say it, but suspicion would fall on your parents first.”
“No!” Her eyes darted around the room, as if she were looking for some way out. “If the constables show up where Mom or Dad works and start asking questions, they could lose their jobs! Please, Miss Rarity, you can’t report this. I’m fine! Really!”
“You are not fine,” I answered firmly. “Somepony hurt you, and I won’t rest until I get to the bottom of it. Now tell me who it was.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. I wasn’t upset with Silver Skip, after all. It was the whole situation that had me feeling rather emotional. “Silver, please, let me help you. Who did this? Was it a coltfriend?”
“No.” Despite the circumstances, Silver’s ears drooped, and she confessed with an annoyed grumble, “I don’t have a coltfriend.”
Ugh, teenager priorities. ‘Yes, yes, somepony’s beating me up, but the fact that I’m still single is at least equally upsetting.’
Silver took a deep breath, and her eyes darted around the room again. “Look, promise you won’t tell anypony? It’ll just get worse if they find out I snitched.”
“I can be very discreet when circumstances call for it,” I assured her. That wasn’t exactly what she had asked for, but it was the most I could give, under the circumstances. I certainly wasn’t going to stand idly by while one of my girls was in trouble.
“Okay.” Silver walked back to her seat, and slumped down into it. “It’s these two mares in my neighborhood. They’ve been giving me a hard time ever since I started coming here. Saying I’m putting on airs and thinking that I’m better than everypony else, now that I’m going to a fancy private school.” She groaned and rubbed the side of her head. “Look, you don’t really know how things are in Gemtown. It might be part of Canterlot, but it’s like a whole other world compared to here.”
I was a bit more familiar with Gemtown than she might have expected. Back when I’d first moved to Canterlot, I’d spent a few weeks working in the gem mines before I’d gotten my current job. It had paid well, especially with my gem-finding spell, but I just couldn’t bear to spend all day underground, poking around in dank, musky tunnels. Teaching might pay a bit less than I could make mining, but it was much more satisfying
Silver continued on, “The thing about Gemtown is, a lotta ponies don’t like the idea of somepony just ... leaving. Especially when it looks like they’re gonna be going to do something a lot better than chopping out gems for the rest of their life. Kinda pisses ponies off, you know?”
“So they’re envious of your success, then?” I frowned, and thought over the situation. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to go to the constables?”
“No chance.” Silver vehemently shook her head. “It’s my word against theirs over who started it anyway. All it’d do is let them know I talked, and make them come after me harder next time. And even if the constables did take them in, Tough Nails and Iron Pick run with the Rock Hards. I’d just be trading two bullies out for a whole gang full of them.” She sighed, and gingerly rubbed her wounded cheek. “I can avoid them most of the time, at least. They just caught me by surprise today.”
“There must be something you can do.” I wracked my brain for a good solution. “Have you told your parents? Maybe they could talk to the parents of these other mares...”
“I’m fifteen, not five,” Silver groused. “Telling Mom and Dad would just make them worry. I can handle it, really. It’s not a big deal.”
While it most certainly was a big deal, I couldn’t think or anything else I could say to convince Silver of that. She was being frustratingly stubborn about insisting that nopony could do anything about the problem. “Darling, there must be something I can do to help.”
Silver hesitated, then brought a hoof up to her injured cheek. “Can you do anything about this? I don’t wanna spend all day walking around with a bruise on my face, somepony else’s gonna notice it eventually. I think Amethyst might’ve spotted it already, and she’s even worse than you about not letting things go.” She paused, and a bit of pink showed up underneath the ugly purple mark. “Er, no offense, Miss Rarity.”
“None taken,” I assured her. I thought it over for a moment, and then pulled out my makeup bag. I didn’t want to feel like I was covering up the evidence of a crime, but the last thing Silver needed was to be the subject of the latest round of high school gossip on top of her other problems. Besides, makeup washes off easily enough, if the proper authorities needed to see it. I picked out one of my darker facial powders, which was close enough to match Silver’s coat. It was most fortunate that her light grey coat was only a couple shades off of my alabaster, or I wouldn’t have had anything suitable on hoof. “Hold still now, darling. I’ll try to be gentle, I’m sure it’s tender.”
I applied the powder as carefully as I could. Silver let out a few hisses of pain, but didn’t flinch or complain a single time. I was rather proud of her bravery. The makeup job wasn’t perfect, but it would certainly stand up to casual inspection.
Silver checked herself over with my compact, while I jotted down a quick note for her next class; by now, she was quite late getting there. Once that was done, I pulled out a brush and quietly fixed her mane as well. Silver offered me a small, grateful smile. “Thanks, Miss Rarity. I look good as new, now.” She hesitated a moment, then nodded and added. “Thanks for listening, too. I know you can’t really do anything to help, but it’s nice just to have somepony to talk to about this.” She hoofed over my mirror, and picked up the note I’d written out. “Um, I gotta get going, but thanks again.”
As she trotted off, I found myself faced with the rather unpleasant realization that she was right. There wasn’t anything Miss Rarity, etiquette teacher at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares, could do to help with this particular problem.
Thankfully, a proper lady has a few secrets...
I would like to state now that both of my parents, as well my little sister, are alive and well. My childhood was very pleasant, even if I did suffer the odd bit of embarrassment on account of my parents. Nothing horrible, mind you, just the usual pitfalls of being a mare of class and sophistication born into a family with somewhat ... simpler preferences. Still, I love my family dearly, and what’s life without a few interesting little complications?
I just want everypony to understand that I wasn’t doing this for some dreadfully clichéd reason. In truth, I hadn’t really planned it at all. Two years ago, we were having a staff Nightmare Night party at Proper Form’s home. As will sometimes happen, a theme had been set for the party—in this case, a superhero theme. It seemed a bit silly to me, but I certainly wasn’t going to ruin the mood or kick up a fuss over the matter. Most of my colleagues had been content to dress up as one of the Power Ponies, Supermare, or some other character out of a cheap comic book. Being a creative soul, I opted to do something a little more original.
What I hadn’t planned on was to come across a house fire on the way to the party. Apparently somepony had gotten it into their mind to add a few minor pyrotechnics to their haunted house, and had underestimated just how much fire would be produced and just how flammable their home was. The fire department was just minutes away, but not all of the ponies trapped in that burning building could afford to wait that long. I just did what any decent pony would do in that situation, really. I’ve never understood why ponies thought it was so remarkable. The fire department would have done the exact same thing—they do it every day. I just happened to be on the scene before they were.
Of course, my costume was a total loss. The embers had burned dozens of little holes in it, and no amount of washing would get rid of the smoke smell clinging to it. The cape was completely unsalvageable, and that had been some of my nicest taffeta too. I don’t have any idea what happened to my hat—it must have fallen off at some point during the evening. We won’t even discuss what state my mane was in. Needless to say, I decided to skip the staff party that evening.
The newspaper headlines the next day were quite a surprise. “Masked Heroine Saves Seven From House Fire.” I will confess, I was rather tickled to discover that my little escapade was front-page news. I had been a bit too busy to notice the photographer, but I have to admit I cut a rather dashing figure, pulling ponies to safety. Even if my costume was a bit of a wreck, and my cape was utterly ruined.
Despite rather enjoying my fifteen minutes of anonymous fame, that likely would have been the end of it if not for a conversation I had with one of my fellow teachers. I can’t even remember what exactly it was we were talking about—it was over two years ago. Some problem or other that was catching the attention of the newspapers in the wake of my little misadventure. Perhaps some sort of crime problem? The constables do their best, but they can’t be everywhere...
I suppose it doesn’t really matter. The moment that struck me about the whole affair was when Miss Harshwhinny declared that, “Somepony should do something about that.”
It’s a phrase that comes up a lot whenever ponies are discussing the ills of the world. ‘Somepony should do something.’ Though in truth, the phrase is missing a rather critical word. You see, what ponies really mean by that statement is ‘Somepony else should do something.’
It’s easy to find an excuse to ignore the little evils of life. Of course it would be good if somepony helped that girl who’s always being bullied, or that poor homeless stallion. But not ourselves, of course. We would like to help, but we can’t spare the bits right now, or we’re too busy to do anything, or we have responsibilities to our friends and families that take precedence. It’s easy to find an excuse to do nothing, and wait for somepony else to something.
I suppose I got tired of waiting for somepony else.
And that’s how the Sapphire Guardian was born.
Of course, the costume had to undergo quite a bit of revision. The hat and cape had to go. While they were both wonderfully fashionable, I had learned in my first outing that capes were also something of a hindrance, and hats were rather prone to getting lost when matters became frantic. I’ve been experimenting with ways to bring it back that would mix fashion and practicality, but so far I haven’t gotten any results I’m satisfied with.
As for the rest of the costume, I started with a full bodysuit of spidersilk dyed prussian blue—I wanted something light enough to not restrict me, while still providing some protection. Much as it pained me to do so, the bodysuit included a full mask and a wrap for my mane and tail. That was a must, if I actually wanted to keep my secret identity. Tinted plexiglass lenses for my eyes as well, though a do-it-yourself enchanting kit gave them at least some practical function beyond hiding their color. I had to trim my mane and tail back a bit to make it all fit, but one must make some sacrifices in this profession.
On top of the bodysuit came the sapphire blue armored body covering, which went over everything but my neck and head. While the original costume’s jacket had been purple, I could hardly be the Sapphire Guardian without some sapphire blue in my ensemble. The original costume had this all done in taffetta like the cape, but now taffeta was out, and kevlar was in. I shortly upgraded to kevlar with sewn-in steel plates for even more protection. I would have preferred mithril, but I had to pay for all of this on a teacher’s salary.
Once I’d settled on the name, I added a lovely sapphire brooch in the shape of a shield, to serve as something of a symbol. I added a few basic defensive enchantments to it. I wasn’t especially happy with them, but it was the best I could do on my own with the resources a teacher can afford. Perhaps someday I would have the time and money to upgrade things beyond what I could manage with a few cheap books and a mail-order enchanting kit.
But I think that’s quite enough about me: the Sapphire Guardian had a case.
A few quick inquiries with my regular contacts was enough to get me the story on the gang known as the Rock Hards. There wasn’t much to be said for them, as far as gangs go. They were just a petty street gang with a dozen members, and no ties to any particularly powerful or nefarious groups. Nothing but a collection of petty thugs with delusions of grandeur. Thus far, they hadn’t done anything severe enough to incur the wrath of the constabulary, but it was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately for them, they had incurred my wrath instead. Normally I’m not one to bear a grudge, but when somepony hurts my students I am well within my rights seek a measure of righteous reprisal.
The Rock Hards had set up shop in an old storage area attached to one of the mineshafts. When that particular shaft had gone dry, the miners had simply moved on to the next one, and left behind everything that couldn’t be picked up and carried off.
Thankfully, the gang had not shown much in the way of initiative when it came to improving their recently-claimed home. Mining storage facilities were designed for ease of access, not security. Add however long the facilities had been abandoned and lacking in proper maintenance, and there were at least a dozen ways I could’ve gotten into the building without making a sound. More, if I was in the mood to risk counting on the roof to support my weight. Not that it would have had overmuch to support ordinarily, but homemade armor tends to be rather heavy.
I was surprised to note two ponies walking a circuit around the warehouse. Patrols and lookouts were the sort of basic common sense that usually only came with a reasonably competent leadership. What I’d been able to find out about the gang indicated that they were nothing more than a band of young hoodlums. Patrolling their perimeter didn’t fit with that. I did not like unexpected developments, especially ones that indicated my opponents might be a larger threat than expected.
I settled down to watch the two of them patrolling. One of the most important elements of stealth is patience. Just like how a single misplaced stitch could ruin an entire dress, one mistake could blow one’s cover. So instead of rushing in and getting caught, I sat back, watched, and waited for my chance.
My chance came after half an hour when one of the guards trotted off to avail himself of what was left of the mine’s ... facilities. I suppose I should be grateful they weren’t just attending to those needs with a hole in the ground. That left the one remaining patroller isolated, with nopony to watch his back for a few critical minutes. That was more than I needed to sneak up behind the guard, and few quick taps incapacitated him long enough for me to secure him and move him somewhere isolated enough to prevent immediate discovery.
I was just finishing up when the other guard returned. He looked around, and upon failing to find his partner, called out, “Drill? Where you at?” When Drill failed to answer him account of being bound and gagged, the other pony began walking more slowly, taking careful note of his surroundings. “Drill? You better not be messing with me again...”
I had to move quickly, before the second guard had the sense to sound the alarm. I would be hard-pressed to reach melee range with a wary target, so I opted for one of the oldest tricks in the book. A quick bit of telekinesis knocked over a couple loose rocks prompting the remaining gangpony to immediately whirl about to face the distraction. “That you, Drill? This isn’t funny anymore, you’re freaking me out!”
With my target distracted, I closed the distance and locked him in a chokehold. Not the most elegant of maneuvers, but I wanted to disable him quickly and quietly. All it took was a few seconds of precise pressure on his carotid artery to end his resistance, and by the time he recovered he was bound and gagged next to his companion. “I do hope you remembered to wash your hooves after you finished.”
With the perimeter cleared for the moment, it was time to move onto the warehouse. I had no idea how long the patrol shifts lasted or how soon somepony would go looking for one of the two ponies I’d already disabled.
The inside of the storehouse was as unimpressive as the exterior. Mostly empty floor, except for an area in the center that hosted a collection of ratty cushions and furniture that had clearly been rescued from the trash heap. The remaining members of the gang were gathered around a single table, which was loaded with a salt lick and several dozen cider bottles which seemed to either be empty or in the process of being emptied. Most of the ponies who were currently indulging seemed to be a few years too young to be legally enjoying themselves in that manner. One of the gang members had already passed out, and most of the others seemed far too inebriated to be a threat.
“Not exactly the Empire’s greatest criminal masterminds,” I murmured to myself.
For the record, the place was absolutely filthy. Judging by the empty bottles strewn all over the floor, this was far from the first such gathering the building had hosted. The things I endure for Equestria...
A quick search revealed the leader of this little operation. The solidly built brown unicorn wasn’t hard to pick out from the crowd, on account of being twice the age of most of his minions. Likely a career criminal of some sort, then. The ready supply of cider made it easy enough to see how he was recruiting the young to his cause. To think, these children were going down the road to becoming nothing more than hooligans, simply because they’d been bought by a few dozen bits worth of cider...
Thankfully, all the drinking going on made my job that much easier. There was no reason not to sit back, watch, and wait once more. The longer I could put that off, the more my targets would imbibe. And a little intelligence never hurt.
The gang’s seeming leader had a dirty sheet of parchment and a pencil that had been a reduced to a tiny stub of wood attached to an eraser. I couldn’t tell what he was discussing with the others until I got a bit closer, but judging by the way he said a few words, got a response, then made a quick mark on his paper, I could surmise he was working his way down some kind of list. I’ve taken roll call enough times to recognize the process.
The emptiness of the storage house meant there was little in the way of cover, but the moon had been up for a few hours now. Aside from a few lanterns around the gathering area, there were no light sources in the entire warehouse. So long as I didn’t make any noise and remained far enough back, I doubted they would become aware of my presence.
“... to remind him why he should make his payments on time,” the leader rumbled.
“It’s not that big a deal, Mister Rock,” one of his little helpers declared, waving a cider bottle through the air fast enough to slosh some of the contents onto one the neighboring ponies. “Do we really gotta go mess up Mr. Greenleaf just ‘cause he’s a little late? The guy’s pushing eighty, and he’s just got a little two-bit cabbage stand. We can cut him a break, just this once.”
The leader, ‘Mr. Rock,’ let out an angry grunt. “You don’t get it, do you, Tough Nails?” My eyes narrowed slightly as I recognized the name of one of Silver’s attackers. “If we go easy on one of them, soon everypony will start asking for breaks. Did it escape your notice that we’re running a bucking protection racket? That’s not a business model that works if you decide to start ‘cutting ponies breaks.’ They either make their payments, or we make them examples.”
So, this gang was running a protection scheme? That fit what little I’d heard about their methods. The whole point of a protection racket was to keep everypony too scared of the gang’s retribution to do anything but make their payments. Nopony would go to the constables; a protection racket is hard to prove unless you catch the culprits in the act of making threats, and as long as it works everypony stays quiet. Somepony might be able to go to the constables and file a report, but any shopowner seen speaking to a constable would probably return to find their livelihood in ruins. Even if the criminals were ultimately arrested afterwards, that would be a cold comfort to a shopkeeper with no shop.
The good news, though, was that if I could take the gang down, there would be plenty of witnesses ready to confirm the charges. When I go out for a bit of crime-fighting, it is nice to know that the criminals I apprehend will actually pay for their misdeeds.
“I dunno, sir,” one of the others spoke up. “Mr. Greenleaf’s always been pretty cool. Used to always give the biggest ones when I had to pick up food for Mom. Just saying, we could ... I dunno, give him a final warning first or something.”
“We already warned him when we started our enterprise.” Mr. Rock stepped closer to the gathering, scowling. “He knew the consequences for missing his payments. And he chose to miss a payment, regardless. Maybe because he still thinks you're that same little kid, Sledge. Maybe it’s time you showed him he’s wrong.”
“I don’t know...” Sledge hesitated, looking around the room for support. “I mean, it was cool and all when we were just hanging out, drinking and stuff. And even shaking ponies down for a little money is okay, I guess. But beating up on an old stallion? Don’t you think it’s going a little far now?”
“What are you saying, Sledge?” One of the other teens asked. “Do you want out?”
Sledge turned to the side, refusing to meet the leader’s eyes. “Maybe I do.”
“Wrong answer.” Mr. Rock stepped forward, looming threateningly over the teen. “You forgot one of Uncle Rock’s rules, kid. You’re only out when I say you’re out.”
He drew back a hoof to strike, and I knew I had to act. Perhaps I was a bit too soft-hearted for my own good, but I couldn’t sit back and watch that brute rough up a young stallion just for standing up to him. Even if the teenager was something of a hooligan himself, he was still young enough to pick a better path for his life. And perhaps would do so, absent the influence of the most unpleasant Mister Rock.
I opened the engagement with one of my favorite spells. I’m not an especially potent unicorn, magically speaking. In terms of raw power, I’m only a delta—strictly average. I didn’t exactly have access to tomes of magic spells either; other than the basic spells every unicorn learns and my natural spells like the gem-finding one, the only magic I’d ever learned was what I could find in books I’d borrowed from the public library. Despite that, I do like to think I’ve come up with a few nice tricks.
One area I’ve had a bit of luck with is illusions. I’d initially intended to use a bit of illusion magic to enhance my fashion shows—add a little ambiance to the presentation. I might have moved on from my dreams of high fashion, but I’d found another use for light shows. A whole lot of bright, flashing lights right in front of a pony’s face can be extremely disorienting. Just to make things a touch unfair, the one spell I’d managed to scribe into the lenses of my mask was a simple little thing that let me see through my own illusions. Not especially fancy, but useful under the circumstances.
I activated my spell and waded into the fray. Though it was a bit unsporting, I dealt with the young and inebriated members of the gang first. I’m not an especially large or muscular mare, but hoof-to-hoof combat is more about knowing where and how to hit than raw musclepower. Even before I’d started this whole business of beating up criminals with my bare hooves, I’d been taking taijipon classes—mostly for the health benefits of it, though it is good for a lady to know how to handle herself in a sticky situation. Needless to say, once I’d started this venture I’d begun applying myself to my lessons much more vigorously.
The gang members went down as quickly as one would expect of drunk and disoriented ponies facing a martial artist with the element of surprise. That just left the leader, Rock. I certainly wasn’t going to call him Mister Rock, as he was no gentlestallion. However, as I closed in, his horn lit up, and the floor beneath me bucked up, a rather large rock striking me in the ribs. My shield brooch flared to life and took the brunt of the blow, but enough got through to be unpleasant.
I quickly retreated to assess the damage. All my limbs seemed to be functioning well enough, but I misliked the dull ache in my chest that sharpened whenever I took a deep breath. It reminded me of the time I’d tightened a corset a hair too much. Still, I had endured that, so I could endure this as well.
The larger question was how he had known where to strike. My illusion spell should have left the ruffian incapable of seeing his own hoof in front of his face, let alone locating me precisely enough to manage offensive spellcasting. It couldn’t have been a case of him firing blindly and getting lucky, he’d only cast the one spell. Somehow, he had found me despite being effectively blind and deaf due to my illusions.
I dropped the spell for the moment; no point in wasting magic on it until I knew how I had been found. Rock blinked a few times as the spell ended, then shook his head and started looking around the room for any sign of me. I’d already retreated back to the shadows, perched about halfway up the walls on a few half-rotted boards that were just barely managing to hold me.
After a few seconds of searching, Rock turned his attention back to his minions. After a quick assessment, he turned about, addressing the darkness. “If it was constables, there’d be more than one of you. If it was a rival gang, you wouldn’t have gone so softball on my soldiers. So what’s the famous Sapphire Guardian doing here?”
Blast, so he’d worked out that it was me. I suppose not every ruffian is as frightened of a little critical thinking as they are of a bar of soap. Well, nothing for it but to keep pressing on. I certainly wasn’t going to answer him and give away my position.
When no answer was forthcoming after a few seconds, Rock continued. “No way you came all the way down to Gemtown just to stop a two-bit protection racket, especially since I know nopony squealed on me. That means...” Rock scowled, walked over to the one young mare I’d already identified as Tough Nails, and kicked her in the gut. “I told you not to mess with that preppy nag! She goes to a school full of rich bitches with rich daddies, and now you’ve gone and brought down heat on us. And you didn’t even make any money from it! You forgot Uncle Rock’s first rule: don’t buck up and bring down heat.”
He tossed her out of the dim circle of light provided by his lantern, then threw another mare after her. Judging by the cutie mark, the second pony was Silver’s other attacker, Iron Pick. “Look, let’s be civilized about this. I already know your name, so let’s get the other half of the introductions outta the way: I’m Rock Slide. Now, I got no use for soldiers who can’t follow orders, and I got no bone to pick with you. Take ‘em, and we’ll call it off here. Everypony wins.”
No honor among thieves, indeed.
I was almost tempted to take the offer. I didn’t know much about this ruffian, but he’d managed foil one of my better tricks. And besides, I had the two ponies responsible for hurting Silver, and I rather doubted anypony else in the gang would even consider troubling her after this incident. My student would be safe.
Meanwhile, Rock Slide would continue to build his gang of foolish and disadvantaged youths, and slowly expand his power base. Mister Greenleaf would be roughed up for not making his payments, and young ponies who might have left the group, like Sledge, would be forced to stay in. What happened to Silver was just a symptom of a greater disease, and that brute was at the center of it.
Walking away wasn’t an option. However, I couldn’t continue the fight until I had some idea of Rock Slide’s capabilities. Armor’s not especially good at dealing with blunt force impact like fast-moving rocks, and I didn’t think my shield brooch could cushion another blow like the one I’d taken.
Given his choice of attacking me with stone and his name, I could make a reasonable guess that his magical talents might lie in geomancy. Perhaps that held a clue as to how he had been able to find me?
To test a theory, I hopped away from my current position, touched the ground for only the briefest of moments, then leapt up to a low-hanging rafter. As I’d suspected, Rock Slide instantly homed in on the location where I’d touched the ground, and an instant after I’d left the space a heavy stone sailed through it at a distinctly unhealthy velocity.
So, that explained how my illusions had been foiled: he could detect my hoof-falls on the ground. That explained why he didn’t seem to have any interest in getting any of his minions back in the fight. Not only had I already dispatched them quite handily, but too many hooves on the ground likely would make it far more difficult for him to find me.
Pity I had no wings, or this fight would be much easier to resolve.
There was no way I could hope to reach Rock Slide moving along the roof. Even if I could find a navigable route along the old, creaky rafters, he was standing in the middle of the storage area, underneath the roof’s highest point. The drop from that far up would probably be survivable, but I would be in no condition to fight.
His ability did, perhaps, explain why the floors here were so bare. It made it much more difficult for anypony to close in on him unexpectedly. Most likely the only reason I’d managed to get so close for my first strike was simple complacency, or perhaps that he needed to concentrate on the spell in order to make it work. Whichever it was, he wouldn’t give me an opening again. If I wanted to catch him off guard, I would have to make my own opportunity.
Moving one of the other ponies in order to give him a false signal was out. It might work, but his spells would probably severely injure whoever I used to draw his fire. I suppose I could just try to take him at a full gallop while dodging and jumping randomly, but that struck me as an incredibly risky course of action. It was a pity I didn’t have the magical strength or training to manage a good ranged attack spell. The closest I could manage was levitation, and even then my range and strength was limited. However, it just might be enough to get the job done.
First things first, I threw out a quick illusion spell. This time I didn’t try to completely blind and deafen him, all I needed was enough to conceal my own spellcasting. As I mentioned, my levitation isn’t especially powerful. It’s certainly one of my better spells—precise control is a must if you want to do any sewing—but it gets harder the farther away you are from what you want to levitate, and the heavier the object is. At my current range of about ten yards, the most I could manage was something relatively light. About the weight of an empty cider bottle.
Yes, I was smacking somepony with a cider bottle. Honestly, I might as well be fighting in a barroom brawl like a common brute. Still, one must make do with what is at hoof.
Rock Slide was caught completely off guard as the glass bottle smacked into his horn. Contrary to what you might see in cheap action films, glass doesn’t shatter at the drop of a hat. I didn’t have the magical strength to land an especially hard blow, but when you’re striking a unicorn’s horn, it doesn’t have to be especially hard. As I said, it’s all about knowing where to hit.
The strike disrupted Rock’s spellcasting. I’m not sure if that would include his earth-sense power or not; it would depend on exactly how it worked. That was largely academic, though; without his magic, he couldn’t use any attack spells against me as I closed in. I tossed in one more simple illusion as I approached, a displacement spell that made me appear to be a few inches to the right of my actual location.
As I closed in for hoof-to-hoof, Rock threw a clumsy, telegraphed punch aimed for my illusionary self. It was simple to grab his overextended foreleg, lock it, and followed up with a strike to the solar plexus that took most of the fight out of him. Just to make sure of that, I pinned his foreleg behind his back, then pulled out my rope and bound him. Given his skills, I added a cheap suppression ring to his horn as well. It wasn’t anything like military grade, given that I’d been forced to purchase it from a store that sold ... adult novelties. Still, it should hold him well enough until the authorities arrived.
After attending to the leader, I bound the rest of his compatriots. While Rock Slide was the true source of the problem, at the very least the members of his gang needed to be put into some sort of reform program, to help turn them into productive citizens before it was too late.
By the time I was done with that, I was running low on rope as well. I was going to have to re-stock on that and suppression rings soon. I’m always a touch worried I might run across one of my students in the midst of one of my shopping trips. I do not want to have to explain to any of them why Miss Rarity is walking out of an adult novelty shop with fifty feet of rope and a dozen suppression rings. It would rather destroy my image as a mare of class and sophistication.
Once that was done, I fired my Sapphire Signal into the sky, to let the proper authorities know that I’d apprehended criminals. After that, all that was left for me to do was make a discreet exit before they arrived.
I had intended to head straight home. I was rather sore from the night’s exertions, and I had a rather busy day planned for tomorrow. Well, technically later today, now. The price of leading a double life, I fear. Still, I should be able to manage a good five hours of sleep; that and a bit of tea should give me enough energy to make it through the day, though with some difficulty.
I was most of the way home when I came across a most unwelcome sound. Somewhere nearby, a young filly was crying. I let out a tiny resigned sigh, and got to work tracing the sound back to its source. It’s not like I really needed sleep anyway.
After a bit of work, I came across a girl who couldn’t have been any older than Sweetie Belle, huddled in an alleyway, curled up and letting out quiet, frightened sobs. She was wearing the remnants of what had once been a rather nice dress, but was now clearly in a sorry state.
I walked up to the poor dear. “There there, darling. What’s wrong?”
The filly let out a startled yelp at my approach, and tried to take cover behind a few empty orange boxes. I dropped low to the ground, resigning myself to the addition of alley-gunk to my already rather spoiled outfit. Silk makes a wonderful fashion statement and has rather impressive tensile strength, but cleaning it is an absolute nightmare. I kept my voice gentle, even, and soothing. “It’s alright, dear. I just want to help.”
The filly cautiously peeked out from behind her boxes. “N-nuh-uh!” She let out a quick sniffle and wiped away the last of her tears. “Daddy and Poppa say I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, even if they seem really nice and offer me candy and stuff.”
“Well, you do know who I am, don’t you?” I struck a bit of a pose. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the Sapphire Guardian, and since you know who I am, then by definition I’m not a stranger. If you’ve seen any of the pictures in the paper, you know it’s really me.”
The small child took a cautious half-step out from behind the boxes, looking me over. “I only read the comics, but I’ve seen you. I like the comics, even if Rumpy hogs ‘em sometimes.”
Well, that was the start of establishing a rapport, at least. “Rumpy? Is that your brother?”
She stepped out from behind her impromptu cover, looking me over. “Yeah, he’s my big brother. Well, kinda. We’re not really related, but he was with me even before Daddy and Poppa adopted us, and after we got adopted we were brother and sister for real. He’s nice, even if he is a dummy poopy-head sometimes.”
Ah, siblings. At least Sweetie Belle and I managed to get along a bit better than that, whenever I had the chance to visit her. Though the fact that those were usually limited visits instead of having her constantly underhoof made that much easier. “I have a sister myself, so I know exactly how you feel. Regardless, your brother sounds like a fine young colt. So, since you already know who I am...”
The girl hesitated at my question. I had managed to get her to open up a bit, but now I was asking for her to trust me, at least a little. For a moment I was afraid I’d pushed forward too quickly, but then she offered a shy smile. “I’m Katydid. Nice to meet you, Miss Sapphire Guardian.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Katydid.” I reached forward and gently shook her hoof. “Now, since it sounds like you have a lovely family, why are you are out here at this hour instead of at home with them?”
Her ears drooped, and she teared up again. “I got lost. 'cuz Rumpy an' me were playing, an' we were playing hide-an'-seek, an' I found a really good place to hide.” She wiped her nose on her dress, which normally would have horrified me, but in the dress’ current state she hardly did any noticeable damage. “I hid an' I waited for him to find me like he always does. He always does, 'cuz he's a big stupid cheating booger-brain, but he didn't find me this time, an' I waited until it started getting dark before I came out.”
“And you hid so well that you don't know how to get back?” I concluded.
She answered me with a sniffly nod. “I got lost, an' I kept going the way I came, but that just made it worse. Then I saw some ponies in an alley, an' I had to hide, 'cuz they didn't look nice, but hiding got stuff all over my dress. It's my favorite dress in the whole world, but I had to get stuff on it ‘cause I had to hide, an' they didn't go away, so I had to hide for a long time.” She looked down at the tattered remnants of her dress and let out a tiny little whimper. “I think I fell asleep, 'cuz when I woke up it was dark an' cold an' I was hungry an' thirsty an' there're noises everywhere. An’ then I started cryin’ ‘cuz I was scared and alone, and then you found me.”
As I’d suspected. I forced some cheer into my voice, in the hopes that it would prove infectious. “Well, that won't do at all. I suppose we'll just have to help you find your way home, won't we?”
Her ears perked up at that. “You can help me?” She attached herself to my foreleg, holding on desperately. “Please help me! I'm scared an' I'm hungry an' I want my daddies an' my brother even though he’s a booger-face and I wanna go hooome!” She let out a quiet little sob, then wiped her eyes on my costume. “Please help me find home, Miss Sapphire Guardian.”
I gave her a gently reassuring rub on the back with my free foreleg. “Of course I’ll help you, dear. Now, where do you live?”
“Um.... um...” Her eyes screwed up in concentration as she tried to remember. “It's, um ... it's on Crescent Way. 'Cuz you go past Daddy's shop, an' past the bakery, an' then you keep going 'til you get to Mane Street, then you turn on Crescent Way an' it's on the right.”
Crescent Way and Mane Street? That was practically the opposite side of Canterlot. It had no impact on my decision to help the poor dear, but I had rather hoped she lived a few blocks down the road, not on the opposite side of the city. No wonder she had no idea how to get home. Still, it’s not like I could just leave the poor dear because I needed my beauty sleep. “Well, I know how to get there. So, shall I walk you home?”
She offered a me a gap-toothed smile. “You’ll really help me get home? Thank you so much, Miss Sapphire Guardian!”
“It’s my pleasure, dear.” Much as I might lament the sleep it would cost me, one look at the relieved smile on young Katydid’s face was enough to reassure me that I’d made the right decision. In fact... “Oh, and about that dress...” I still remembered a few very useful spells from my brief flirtation with being a fashionista, including one rather useful one for repairing damaged and sullied garments.
Katydid looked down at her restored dress, and a huge smile spread across her face. A simple repair spell would not come close to managing the quality of proper repairs done by a seamstress, but I doubt she was overly upset that the stitching and coloring might be a bit off from how it was before. “Whoa! You fixed my dress! You diddit! Yup, yup, yup, you fixed it! Thank you so much!” She hopped up and wrapped her forelegs around my neck, squeezing with all the enthusiastic hugging strength she could manage.
“You’re quite welcome. It was no trouble at all, darling.” I took advantage of the fact that she was already hugging me to shift her up onto my back. “Now, let's get you home.”
By the time I’d escorted the young lady home and escaped the profuse thanks of her parents, it was well into the wee hours of the morning. By the time I’d showered and cleaned up enough to get into bed, I had less than three hours left before I needed to wake up and start getting ready for class. And not just any class day, but a field trip. I would have taken a sick day, but I was running rather low on those. Besides, Miss Harshwhinny might well cancel the trip if I couldn’t make it, and none of the other teachers were free. I couldn’t do that to my students.
Supervising a class of nearly two-dozen fillies was never an easy task, even for a properly rested and prepared mare. For one working on three hours of sleep—and three hours that had been rather rudely interrupted any time I rolled over onto my injured side at that—it promised to be utterly draining.
I would have to persevere. There was just nothing else for it. At least I had a fetching little blouse that would cover the bruise.
Miss Harshwhinny was waiting outside my classroom when I arrived at the Academy. Though I’d done my best to clean up and look refreshed and ready for a day of wrangling teenagers—as well as downing enough tea to keep me somewhat mobile—it’s rather hard to completely hide all the evidence of a night of lost sleep. Her lips thinned in disapproval as she took in my appearance. “A good night’s sleep then, Miss Rarity?”
“A couple things took a bit longer than I’d expected,” I confessed, doing my best to look a bit sheepish about it. “Don’t worry, I’m more than capable of handling the girls.”
“Let us hope so,” Miss Harshwhinny answered coolly. She sighed, and moderated her tone a bit. “Miss Rarity, your students are all very fond of you, and you’re one of our better teachers, but you’re going to the Imperial Palace. If anything should go wrong...”
I didn’t need her to finish that sentence. “I know, Miss Harshwhinny. Everything is going to go perfectly. I give you my word.”
Harshwhinny made a faint sound in the back of her throat. “See that it does, Miss Rarity.” Having said her piece, she trotted back to her office, leaving me with my students.
I trotted inside, and my class promptly went respectfully silent. “Good mo—” My greeting was interrupted by a yawn, which I quickly covered with a hoof. “Oh, excuse me. Good morning, girls. I trust you’re all ready for our trip?” Twenty voices immediately offered just as many variations on yes. “Well then, let’s not waste any time getting to it.”
Normally, the trot to the Imperial Palace wouldn’t have been a particularly notable exertion. But then, normally I wasn’t operating on less than three hours of sleep with a cracked rib. Thankfully, most of my students were not nearly as fit as I was, so I still managed to keep pace with them despite my rather sorry state. It just left me a touch winded.
Silver Skip seemed to have noticed my state, and trotted up to my side. “Miss Rarity? Everything okay? You look beat.”
“I’m fine,” I assured her. “Thank you for your concern, though.”
Our arrival at the Imperial Palace itself proved a suitably grand occasion. The palace is built to impress, and it does its job very well. To begin with, the sheer scale of it all almost boggles the mind. Granted, most of the original palace had been built long before the Empire, but our Empress had certainly added her own flair to it in the centuries since she’d taken over. Most notably, much of the plain marble and limestone had been adorned in the red and gold of the Empire.
We began our tour by going through the Museum of the Empire. As always, I found it a most uplifting experience. Certainly pre-Imperial history had its share of glories and triumphs, and I’ve always felt a certain mournful affinity for the alicorn sisters. Perhaps that was why I preferred Imperial History: The Griffonian Pacification, the destruction of Chrysalis and the Changeling Swarm, saving the Free Minds from her tyranny. Equestria’s incorporation of the collapsing Zebrican Empire, saving them from falling into barbarism. It all made for a much nicer story than all the sorrow and pain of Luna’s madness and the Equestrian Civil War.
Now, I know the official histories tend to gloss over a few of the more regrettable aspects of those incidents, but I’ve never really seen the point of dwelling on such unpleasantness. Wars are a nasty, ugly business. What was important was that it had all worked out in the end. The griffons and zebras were happy imperial citizens now, and I had a feeling the new governor in Northmarch would finally bring the caribou around too. The Empire wasn’t perfect, but I was still proud to be a citizen of it.
Of course, all the different exhibits naturally made managing the girls a bit more difficult, as they all wanted to go look at whatever topic happened to catch their interest. Thankfully they had largely been content to collect into a few relatively large clusters of young mares, rather than each wandering about individually. Four groups of students spread around the room was manageable, if difficult. Twenty individual students would have been impossible.
Silver Skip, Amethyst Sparkle, and Ruby Prose seemed to have taken an interest in a number of exhibits devoted to Midnight Sparkle. Hardly surprising, given that she was one of Amethyst’s ancestors. The Empress’ trueborn daughter had quite the career, rising to the post of Archmagus of Canterlot, as well as inheriting the post of Consul after Old Queen Celestia’s passing. Not to mention her key role in the Griffonian Pacification and in dealing with the Diamond Dogs, back when they had been a force.
I stepped up behind the three young ladies, joining them in looking over the display cases containing a few of Midnight’s possessions. A shirt of finely crafted mithril links she’d worn while fighting in the Griffonian Pacification. A complete original edition of her memoirs, a tome so old and worn by time that the markings within it were all but illegible. One of the cloaks she’d worn after being promoted to the post of archmagus. There were also a few other odds and ends from her various companions, such as one of Stalwart Solaris’ wing blades and the head of White Knight’s halberd. Finally came the purely personal effects, though I cannot imagine what historical value one of her old manebrushes would have.
I was so preoccupied with watching my students and struggling to remain fully awake and alert that I didn’t even notice how the low murmur of conversation had died out, or hear the hooffalls of somepony coming up behind me. “Excuse me,” the new arrival asked, “You’re Miss Rarity of the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares, correct?”
It took a moment for the question to actually register. “Hmm? Yes, I am.” I slowly turned to face the speaker. “Can I help yoWAHAAAH!” I stumbled back in surprise, bumping my students up against the display cases hard enough that Amethyst’s face wound up smooshed against glass. Thankfully, the glass itself was undamaged. Though my pride and composure were in tatters.
In my defense, it’s not every day one turns around to find themselves face-to-face with the supreme ruler of all Equestria.
A second later my rather worn out brain registered that I had screamed at her, and currently wasn’t bowing. I hastily dropped to the ground, ignoring my cracked rib’s protest at the sudden movement. Amethyst and her friends followed suit, now that I was no longer pinning them against the cases containing the last few mementos of the Empress’ daughter. “Your Imperial Majesty, I am so sorry. I was just so focused on display and keeping an eye on my students that I wasn’t minding my surroundings, and ... well...”
Oh, when Miss Harshwhinny found about this, I would have to clear out my office.
To my immense relief, the Empress did not seem to have been mortally offended by my little outburst. Instead, she waved the matter aside. “Think nothing of it, my child.” She offered a brief reassuring smile. “Now then, as I was going to say, there is a matter I would discuss with you. I trust you can spare a few minutes for your Empress?”
“Of course,” I answered at once. A moment later, though, my eyes drifted back to my students, and a worrying thought occurred. “None of the girls have done anything, I hope.”
Empress Sunbeam let out a faint chuckle. “You can relax, they’ve all been perfect ladies.” A hint of a smirk played across her lips, and she added, “Or at least as close as one would expect from teenagers.”
Oh. That was a relief. Maybe I would be able to keep my job after all. I noted that the Empress was already walking from the room, clearly expecting me to follow her. I would have done so at once, had I not cast another look back at my students. They were already returning to their hooves, and I felt a brief pang of guilt when I saw Amethyst rubbing her cheek. However, that did bring one rather important issue to mind. “Ah, Your Imperial Majesty? I really shouldn’t leave my students unattended.”
The Empress paused, then turned to one of the nearby Phoenix Guard attending her. “Colonel, I trust your ponies can handle a class of teenagers for a few minutes?”
“Of course, Empress.” The colonel stepped forward and removed his helmet, revealing himself to be a rather dashing stallion I vaguely recalled meeting at the Academy’s open house night. Amethyst’s older brother, I believe. I couldn’t recall his name off the top of my head.
I heard a couple sighs from behind me, and surmised that the colonel now had the dubious pleasure of being the object of several teenage fantasies. A second later Amethyst let out an indignant and most unladylike squawk. “That’s my brother, you floozies!”
“How come you never told us your brother was a hunk?” Ruby murmured to her friend.
Amethyst answered that by smacking her upside the head. “Because he’s engaged, you miserable puddle of hormonal ooze!”
I let out a long-suffering sigh. “Girls, try to behave like proper ladies while the colonel is keeping an eye on you.” I turned to him, and offered a smile. “Thank you ever so much for that, by the way.” I quickly trotted to catch up with the Empress, leaving the poor Guard colonel looking at the twenty fillies he’d just been charged with. From the look on his face, I suspect he would be calling for backup soon.
And then I was walking the palace corridors alongside Empress Sunbeam Sparkle. I confess I felt rather dwarfed by her sheer size and presence. Not to be immodest, but I am a very attractive mare who usually draws quite a bit of casual attention from passers-by. However, standing next to the Empress, I might as well have two inches tall and covered in mud.
As she led me deeper into the castle proper, I wracked my mind for what the Empress of Equestria could possibly want to talk to me about. I really hadn’t the faintest idea. The only topic I could even begin to imagine might have drawn me to her attention was the fact that Amethyst Sparkle was a part of my class. She was a distant descendent of the Empress, and her older sister was one of the Empress’ protégés. Still, one would think that more a matter for Amethyst’s parents than the Empress, and Miss Harshwhinny would be far better placed to speak of Amethyst’s education in general—I was only one of her teachers.
To my utter surprise, the Empress led to her private throne room, then signalled her guards to remain behind while she escorted me in. She ascended to her throne, then summoned a comfortable chair and waved for me to be seated. “Do you know why I wished to speak with you?”
“I’m afraid I don’t, Your Imperial Majesty,” I confessed. “I’m just a—” I had to pause briefly for another yawn. “—just an ordinary teacher.”
A faint frown crossed her face at the yawn. “I think I would like to have you at full effectiveness for this conversation.” Her horn glowed, and for a moment it felt like I was on fire. Before I could even scream from the pain it was over, and once it passed I felt ... good. Like I’d just come back a two-week vacation spent in idle luxury. The nagging pain caused by my cracked rib was completely gone as well. I felt like a brand new mare. “My apologies,” the Empress murmured. “My healing is very effective, but it’s not especially gentle.”
“I have no complaints, Your Imperial Majesty.” A moment’s discomfort was a small price to pay for everything her spell had restored.
“Good.” She offered a single pleased nod. “To our business, then. As you said, I have no reason to meet with Miss Rarity, etiquette instructor at the Harshwhinny Preparatory Academy for Young Mares. However, there are a few things I would like to discuss with the Sapphire Guardian.”
I stiffened in surprise as she mentioned my costumed alter-ego. How could she possibly know that I was—
“Relax, my child.” She offered me a knowing smile. “Would you like some tea? The Freeport Tribune brought some absolutely lovely jasmine tea with him the other day.”
“Jasmine tea is my favorite, Empress.” I rather doubted it was a coincidence that she just happened to have some on hoof. Not that I was about to complain.
She nodded, then called a teapot out of the kitchen, added in the water and tea leaves, and immediately set it to boiling without the benefit of any kind of stove. “First, allow me to reassure you that your precautions have not failed, and your identity hasn’t been compromised. I haven’t shared your identity with anypony, nor do I intend to do so unless circumstances require it.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.” I think it perfectly understandable that there was a bit of nervous tremble in my voice. Technically speaking, vigilante activity was against the law. Admittedly, the Canterlot Constabulary didn’t seem to feel any pressing need to pursue me, given how helpful my activities had been, but the law was the law. If the Empress told them of my identity, they would be obligated to arrest me.
“So,” the Empress continued, “the question before us now is what should be done about your activity as the Sapphire Guardian. Personally, I am of two minds on the matter. On the one hoof, your activities are legally dubious, and as such really ought to be curtailed. However, I also cannot ignore the fact that you’ve saved quite a few ponies’ lives since you adopted your dual identity, foiled several crimes, and have generally been a positive force within the city.” Her ears perked, and she turned the teapot. “It’s done, by the way. How do you like your tea?”
“I usually take jasmine tea plain, thank you.” Adding milk and sugar would have just overpowered the subtle sweetness of the tea itself. The Empress filled a teacup for me, and passed it over. One sip was all I needed to confirm that it was absolutely divine. I’ve had jasmine tea plenty of times in the past, but there was a massive difference in quality between what I bought at the store and what came from the Empress’ personal stocks. “It’s lovely. Thank you so much.”
“Of course.” She poured a cup for herself. “Now then, as I see it the current status quo is unacceptable. I can’t have you breaking the law, but it’s clear in this case that enforcing the law would not be in Equestria’s best interests. You have done so much for Canterlot, given so much of yourself, and you haven’t asked for a single thing in return. Jailing you would be a poor repayment of your generosity.” She took a sip of her tea. “In light of that, I think I have no choice but to modify the law.”
She produced a small sheet of paper, and passed it over. “Keep these on you whenever you’re active in the field. They officially authorize you to continue your activities, and state that all members of the constabulary are to consider you as an effectively deputized member of Canterlot’s law enforcement. The law is preserved, and you continue your operations with official Imperial sanction.”
I took the paper, and quickly read over it. “That does seem like a most efficient solution.” I allowed. My eyes widened slightly when I found mention of a stipend being deposited directly in my bank account. “You’re going to pay me?”
“You are an employee of the Imperial government, now,” the Empress answered with a smile. “If you don’t like the idea of being paid for what you do, use the funds to cover the expenses of your activities. I’m rather amazed you’ve managed to make it all work on a teacher’s salary. I’m sure a few upgrades to your equipment won’t go amiss.” She passed over a few more papers. “Pursuant to which, these licenses will allow you to legally purchase materials that civilians normally don’t have access to. Mostly spellbooks and the like.”
“Goodness.” I took the new set of paperwork, and filed it away. “I ... I don’t know what to say.”
A faint grin crossed the Empress’ lips. “‘Thank you’ never hurts.”
“Oh! Yes! Thank you!” That didn’t sound nearly grateful enough, so I trotted up to the throne and kissed one of her hooves. “Thank you ever so much!”
She placed a hoof on my shoulder, and gently moved me back out of kissing range. “You’re quite welcome, my child. Though I might caution you against thanking me too much. To whom much is given, much will be expected.”
“Oh?” Wariness subsumed my glee at those words. Considering how generous the Empress had been thus far, I was rather worried about what could possibly equal such gifts “What precisely did you have in mind?”
“Two things.” She passed over the final sheet of paper. “First given that you’re an agent of the crown now, you’ll need to follow a few rules and regulations. Nothing excessive, I believe it’s mostly just a codification of your own unwritten rules. Obviously we can’t have the government-sanctioned Sapphire Guardian murdering criminals in the streets, or employing underaged child sidekicks. I think the only major change is, fittingly, that you’ll be expected to cooperate a bit more with our other law enforcement organizations.”
“That seems reasonable,” I cautiously allowed. “And the other request?”
The Empress took a sip of her tea. “I’m ... assembling a team, you could say. A team of ponies with very specific assets, designed to face unconventional threats to the safety and security of Equestria. It’s still in the planning phase for the moment, I haven’t even finalized a roster yet. However, I am absolutely certain you would be a valuable addition to this team.”
Well, that was delightfully cryptic. “What sort of commitment would this be? If I have to quit my job as a teacher...”
“That won’t be necessary,” she assured me. “It’s more of a reserve formation than an active duty posting. You should be able to live your life with a minimum of disruption, beyond spending some time on the weekends getting to know your teammates. However, when the time comes, when Equestria needs your help, I will expect you to answer the call.”
“I see.” Informative, but still not nearly enough information. “And precisely what would I be doing as a part of this organization? I would like to know something a bit more about what to expect beyond being told that I will be facing unconventional threats. That could be anything from anarchists or rebels to one of the ancient evils returning.”
“I can’t give you all of the details until you accept,” The Empress answered gravely. “Nor can I give you the identities of any of your teammates. Some of this information is too sensitive to risk any security leaks. I can tell you that you won’t be facing mere anarchists or rebels. These will be threats of the highest order, enemies the Imperial Legions can’t engage.” She pulled a contract, and I could feel the magic pulsing off of it even from this distance. “You will be equipped for the challenge, but I won’t lie about the dangers. You’ve already given so much to Equestria, but now I have to ask for more. Maybe everything. I wouldn’t ask this of you, if not for the fact that the price of failure could well be the end of the Empire itself.”
Well, that was certainly concerning. A high likelihood of death, and battling against some threat large enough to concern even the Empress. Likely a small chance of success, too. I rather doubt the Empress would be recruiting a teacher-by-day and vigilante-by-night for her team unless she had no better options. But everypony in the Empire was counting on me to help them. That made my decision very clear. Somepony had to do something, and I wasn’t going to wait for somepony else to step forward when I had the strength to act. “I’m in.” I signed the contract. “When do I start?”
Stats
Page generated in 0.051 seconds
Total duration
862 users online
1,254,816 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Your stories with Rarity are never dull, but this one especially stands out. Amethyst's indignation is utterly hilarious, but I found Rarity's thoughts on the various wars more telling:
That just speaks volumes.
No, Rarity, quit trying to distract me with--
No, stoppit, I--
...oh, fine.
Yeah, yeah.
But I digress--LOVED this chapter, and I'm definitely looking forward to more.
Another great story for Rarity by Chengar. This is a pretty interesting concept, and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Nightmare containment squad two(three?)-sixths complete.
Rarity as a classy vigilante/preparatory teacher would be a fantastic standalone story. I can't wait to see what the rest of the gang are doing; Applejack, of course, will be maintaining her farm. Will Rainbow already be in the Wonderbolt Acadamy? Is Pinkie a pastry golem chef? How is Fluttershy holding up as Everfree Warden?
In Soviet Equestria, school teaches useful things.
In Soviet Equestria, teachers stop bullying.
Aaand Chryssi's down. That leaves Nightmare Moon, (maybe Discord) and Sombra.
Oh goodness gracious, at least Celestia was subtle about that.
On the other side, being somewhat of a professional troll seems to come with the job.
Superhero Rarity is awesome! Sunbeam playing Nick Fury is just icing on the cake.
The minute I realized Rarity was a superhero I almost lost it. :p You certainly know how to keep a reading audience on its toes. But as we grow closer to 'getting all the team together', I'm growing concerned about Twilight's and Sapphire Shores' relationship. The fact they're starting to like each other is adorable, but we all know Twilight is going to be the element of magic when the time comes, a fact I'm afraid will break the blossoming friend/courtship seeing how ambious Sapphire is.
I just wan't to see more Twilight Sparkle. What happened to that portion.
I have to say this story is rather interesting. And Rarity the super hero, hilarious...
Though I am rather against the idea that she would be able to eradicate the changelings... Or that she is taking care of so many villains. They are powerful threats to Equestria for a reason, and she is an inexperienced Alicorn even if clever and brutal.
For starters, why in the world would she ever start killing Tartarus prisoners when they are not likely to ever escape? That is the purpose of TArtarus. Sorry but that was very, very contrived to write. She would have no purpose to even think anything could escape a hell dimension, and I also doubt she could do any of that with Cerberus in toe. More than likely she cannot control Cerberus. I think even Celestia had no sway over the beast, or at least not enough to free or kill prisoners at will.
With Chrysalis the changelings are too numerous, too crafty. They need only a handful of changelings for Chrysalis to exist, IF Sunbeam started eradicating them, they would dig deep in some unreachable part of the world.
Next thing you are going to have her burn down the Everfree, which better not be because that is a forest held in check by a God Tree...
I just feel that her villain slaying is enormously contrived now. Tartarus is too secure for her to even think of killing prisoners, most of which are not her business. The changelings nigh impossible to exterminate too and it better be she failed cause that is contrived.
The sotry is otherwise good but the thigns she has done with villains is farfetched and make it seem more she is better than Celestia than a counterpart.
Other than that, another fear is that you might not show what is wrong with the system she created. I read some comments and have to agree this has got to bring strain to the world in some way, and make Equestria and enemy. Still maybe we will see what flaws she has. Celestia has wisdom and foresight, and both create a great ruler. From what I see, she lacks both and thinks brutality and intelligence can make up for them; they cannot.
At least hoping she fucks up her trying to put together her little avengers/element bearer team. She is not Harmony and thus is unlikely to understand it enough to set up the team right. Consdiering she is going with a super hero over what should just be someone connected seems to indicate she is not looking in the right places, as lucky as she got her regardless.
Sorry if I am being critical but I always come into a story with caution. The world built is good but I fear that the story si growing contrived when it comes to villains. Discord though is definitely left, breaking him to bits will only make him mad, but Tartarus? The inescapable hell dimension? There is being paranoid and then there is breaking the fourth wall in a way pinkie would be jealous and watching the season finale.
oh my gosh, reference after reference...
My eyes are bleeding... but in a good way.
.....hmmm, getting rid of chrysalis is not as farfetched as killing half of tartarus unprovoked. sorry if i am still harping on THAT issue but i still see no rhyme or reason for her to do that, nor how she could possibly be able to since there is likely thousands of prisoners and cerberus around.
howeving chrysalis is easier. and one can argue that changelings are one individual and thus chrysalis, as their minds formed together to create her. not ghenocide when there re no idviiduals, only chrysalis. though one would be thorough, and it would be easy to make a mistake. just one changeling, one who managed to hide, and they could return.
Rarity here is a bit of an enigma (outside of hilariously being a super hero). Did she choose her because she knew, though that would make little sense as you said yourself she has little understand of harmony, and with the power of Harmony unless you can wield the elements, you cannot truly understand them.
on the other hand it is something more itneresting. That she is taking in individuals with skillz and realtion over those who are just best for it all. Meaning she could be making the mistakes i desperately need to see.
Actually i am surprised it wasn't Mare do Well.
Have I mentioned how much I like this AU? Because I really like this AU.
4631630
Y'know, it's funny - I didn't realize it until you actually mentioned Mare-do-Well, but from what little details we're given about Rarity's original costume for the party (hat, cape, purple), it does sound suspiciously like the Mare-do-Well design...
"his face, I suspect he would"
suspected
I like superhero Rarity.
Looks like The Empress is slowly gathering those whom she suspects will be able to bear the Elements. I wonder who the next chapter will be over?
Her reasons for being a super hero reminds me of Barbara Gordan Batgirl
4631852
Rarity did design the original Mare-Do-Well costume.
4631506
The whole Changeling issue is somewhat tied in to something I established back in Winning Pony: that there was a changeling civil war which Celestia could have used as an opportunity to destroy the changelings and Chrysalis, but she refused to do so because she doesn't believe in using genocide to solve her problems.
There is a subtle kind of horror to the fact that Rarity and Twilight will read about Equestria going out on Imperial conquests or near-exterminating entire species, and just say "Well that was unpleasant, but we did what we had to do. Best not to dwell on it, because The Empire is always good and righteous."
4631852
Considering Mare Do Well, and her somewhat superficial resemblance to Darkwing Duck, I have to admit I was reminded a bit of the "bad future" episode where DW becomes Darkwarrior Duck. While the "flashback" in the episode could be chalked up to an unreliable narrator, it was implied that he was no longer above resorting to capital punishment to the worst lawbreakers, to the point where he enacted stricter laws just so he could have someone to punish.
My personal suspension of disbelief works with the Changeling eradication because it doesn't focus on when it happened, or how long it took. It's been 800-900 years since Sunbeam bartered Celestia's mantle away from her, which is plenty of time to systematically engage in eliminating one's enemies one by one.
First, Sunbeam destroyed Tirek. Thank Celestia... he was a complete and utter monster.
Then she took out Discord. Good riddance.
Next, she went for the Changelings. Filthy love sucking bugs.
Then she burned down the Everfree Forest, with all of the Timberwolves, Manticores, Cockatrice, and Sea Serpents. Nasty place.
But then she clipped the wings of the pegasi. I'm not a pegasus, so I held my tongue.
She slapped magic inhibitors on the horns of the unicorns. But I'm an earth pony, so I said nothing.
Then she came for me... and there was nopony left to speak up for me.
I just had a rather interesting thought of what if this suddenly had the same initializing event of Forever and My Little Denarians.
How would Sunbeam Sparkle handle all that?
Nice to see the Empress putting that Intellectus to good use though.
Also nice to see that Rumpy and Katydid got out okay as well... Now... as for a certain foster colt father who broke Sparklers leg... Yeah a nice public execution courtesy of her majesty is probably in order.
4632284 It really wasn't genocide if you think about it. Hive mind you set up meant that there was no individuals, only Chrysalis. Looks like genocide, but only one mind is lost. Still Chrysalis can live os long as changelings exist. Not sure if changleings can be distant from the hive or not though, and unless she had every last one there she could simply be waiting to rebuild somewhere.
Aggression does not seem a problem unless you have to see it for yourself. Pretty sure Twilight and Rarity would not be thinking the same thing if Sunbeam tries to do something similar with them nearby.
Still the Tartarus thing is an issue. Why would she do that? It was not something that Celestia or Luna created, it existed before and only Tirek, as we know of at least, has escaped and only necause ceberus wandered off. Cerberus himself would probably become agitated and attack anyone attacking or freeing prisoners. Considering he protects and entire hellscape alone, I think he is probably far more powerful than sunbeam. Not to mention that it is likely that beings ar sent to Tartarus because killing them is not a plausible option. Not to mention it makes me wonder what Scorpan would think. This is not the Equestria that tamed his evil.
Feel uneasy about the story. I want to like it but it could easily go into a bad direction from what I see. Sunbeam just seems too successful overall, and the nature of her government reminds me of the Romans a bit. Though with the Romans, their nation fell apart.
I just hope we start seeing the flaws of Sunbeam, and see what weaknesses her rule and methods have overall. I like her character but I need to see what makes her flawed... OVerall I guess I cannot see her being equal to Celestia's competence. Maybe it is a bias, but she does seem to remind me of Luna, and Luna would not make a good ruler on her own. Celestia became a good ruler because she went through a lot of grief and grew stronger for it. Sunbeam has not.
Also I am wondering how you will handle the inevitable Nightmare Moon situation. If anything that is the point where it would be important to see the cracks and flaws. She claimed to be willing to kill Nightmare Moon, though I am hoping that is a sign of arrogance, that she could slay the being that overpowered Celestia, or maybe the misconception Celestia did it because she was unwilling to harm her.
4631402
Did you mean Sunset Shimmer instead of Sapphire Shores?
--
Anyway, this idea is awesome. Rarity being a vigilante by itself would be an awesome idea but to combine it with some Avengers style EoH takes it to the next level. Plus I just love, in general, how we can get so many different perspectives in this AU, with each having valid points or sympathetic origins.
4632671
sorry, I was in a hurry to type my comment before my cell ran out of battery.
Yes I did.
4632284 Wait, if Sunbeam DID use genocide, then who are the Free Minds?
Also, nitpick: "I'll make sure to get a good night's rest before the tip."
trip
4632643 Seriously, where do people keep getting the idea that Nightmare Moon is so much stronger than Celestia? Explain it to me in detail, because it's not coming from the show (where it was very clear that Celestia and Nightmare Moon were pretty evenly matched before Celestia brought out the elements). The comics, the book, the writers? Where is this fanon coming from?
When I first read "Sapphire Guardian," I read it as "a blue superhero." I said to myself, "Oh so Dash is doing the superhero thing, good for her." Then my brain turned on and I went "WAIT!? Rarity has her Radiance power?" Nope, she's Batman, and I'm fine with this.
4633097
I think it's product of Celestia never directly fighting Nightmare Moon in the pilot, and NMM "winning" their fight in the Season 4 opener until the Elements were brought out. Though I personally attribute that to Celestia being unwilling to fight her sister, rather than any power disparity. After all, their fight in Season in the season 4 opener was really more Celestia dodging a lot and trying to reason with her.
4632284 I'm already getting that subtle horror myself. As Rarity was recounting those exhibits I couldn't help but wonder about all the details the official histories left out.
Then again, I fully admit that I don't trust or like Sunbeam any more as Empress than I did as an Archmagus. The entire "empire" shtick reminds me very much of one of the various supplemental bits of literature included in Watchmen.
4633097 In the show it was shown that she did not stand a chance. She could only evade and even then took a heavy blow. Luna is within the range of Celestia's strength, that is certain. Nightmare Moon was Luna possessed by the darkness she let in, and her power vastly increased. Pretty sure you do not get a dark power boost and are only a few hairs stronger than your closest rival.
Nightmare Moon was superior to Celestia, past or in the future, which is why Celestia avoided a direct conflict it seems. Sunbeam I think is actually a bit weaker than Celestia, still in her range but less potent. If Sunbeam tried to fight Nightmare Moon, I think she would be able to hold out for a while, but would be ultimately defeated. Luna is much like Sunbeam in several ways, largely in her depiction in Chengar's stories. She has a militant mind.
Basically equally willing to use lethal violence and far more powerful is not a healthy combination to face. Unfortunately direct conflict might be what Sunbeam is planning to do considering her tendencies.
4633284 for starters, i realized i sounded like a total ass for a moment there. really damn sorry bout that.... haven't a clue why i did that.
still i am having a hard time understanding what detail or information allowed you think nightmare moon and celestia are on equal footing though. from what we see what dark magic can give to what we see luna do as nightmare moon, it seems that she is more powreful than celestia. a vs demosntration is not necessary to know that. sombra is more powerful than twilight, yet they never fought. and both celestia and lun are more powerful than twilight, if largely by years.
a lot of people can get their own headcanons i guess. some people are fixated on the idea rainbow dash is a lesbo. i guess i just think nightmare moon being more powerful than celestia is as obvious and discord being more powerful than prince blueblood.
4633284 from what we've established celestia has never willingly used her true power to keep from... oh i dunno EVAPORATING everything within a thousand square miles of her. i still find your empress to be tyrannical.
4633969
Fittingly, since she is a tyrant.
4633997 A gentle tyrant is a tyrant still, and let us hope someone helps balance her out before she becomes what she fears.
4633969 One set of people are underestimating Nightmare moon's power and another is vastly exaggerating Celestia's power. wouldn't the same apply to luna then?
4633284 Just can't seem to word it right.
It just does not make sense to put it simply. Celestia has always obviously been weaker than Nightmare Moon, it was part of what made her a threat. How else is there to view?
Either her becoming nightmare moon just made her insane and did not increase her power, she was far weaker than celestia for some unknown reason and the power boost only made her on par, or her transformation only midlly increased her power despite the spectacle of it all. Her being much weaker makes no sense so it would leave the transformation being basically meaningless for some reason..... It just does not work that way if Luna gained nothing from a dark transformation.... I could reference the comic books kinda proving these dark powers incrase power, yet I do not know if you apply them in your writing for some reason.
So...what do you think occurred then if nightmare moon was not more powerful than celestia, and she just grew twice her size and turned pitch black while growing fangs?
4634092 luna controls the moon, she could essentialy flood the planet or freeze it with some quickj movements true but potency wise celestia is potentialy a nuclear bomb. a pin head size peice of the suns shell could destroy all life for 900 square miles, celestia controls the whole thing.
4634638 Moves, not controls. She moves it across the sky. Not to mention it is more than likely the sun of Equestria is not the same thing as our sun, and probably around the same size as the moon itself.
4634407
Different universe from Road Not Taken, I just used Katydid to stand in for "generic sad filly."
4634299 Once again, the fight showed them to be on close to equal footing and, as Chengar pointed out, Celestia wasn't actively trying to fight her sister but reason with her. A fight where one party is clearly not interested in hurting their opponent is not an appropriate measure of strength. You can't use the S4 opening as an example of Nightmare Moon being "stronger" than Celestia. It's like using the final battle between Captain America and the Winter Soldier as justification for Barnes being "stronger" than Rogers because the captain refuses to kill his best friend.
4634798 editing to shrink it down.
What I am saying is that she had a major transformation and it would not make sense if the transformation only made her as strong as Celestia. The transformation was a spectacle and thus emphasizing the power gained from it all. Why would they bother with something like that if it did not make her stronger? Would it have made sense if twilight became and alicorn yet did not gain the strength of an alicorn in the process?
The only way that the transformation would only give her power on par to Celestia is if Luna was far weaker than Celestia, perhaps even the difference in power between Celestia and Twilight right now, Twilight being a young alicorn and all......... That just does not seem to fit.
Also I did not see equal footing or talking. She commanded her to stop just once, and fled when she was attacked, yet could not escape nor get into a position to counter attack or even cast magic to shield herself. Celestia was incapable of even being on the defensive.
4634798 that is like arguing if Sombra is more powerful than Twilight. neither fought each other but it is clear as day that Sombra surpassed Twilight's power.
also considering he was a unicorn able to threaten an alicorn because of the power black magic gave him, think it makes it more likely that becoming nightmare moon gave luna a major boost in power.
and are you the one that keeps downovting everything with some criticism in it? dude, if someone has critique, they has critique. unless we are trying to put him down, criticism is okay.
So this universe's Elements will be basically the Avengers? Awesome.
Very nicely done. Whether Celestia arranged her Bearers through subterfuge or just trusted in serendipity, Sunbeam is cutting right to the chase. "You're part of an elite paramilitary group that uses weaponized friendship to stop mad gods. Congratulations. Don't call us, we'll call you."
I really like the Sapphire Guardian. It's a very neat idea. Rarity is already something of a badass in canon, and seeing that emphasized is a real treat.
Looking forward to more.
4634798 4634901 4635312
Ladies, gents, let's calm down and solve this rationally, like -uh, what was the term?- ah, civilised people, yes.
First of all, I'd like to state critical thinking is, in my book, a good thing and should be encouraged!
Thus, let's critically examine what we know about the power levels of Celestia and Luna/Nightmare Moon in comparison to each other.
A. It is canon that Nightmare Moon is indeed more powerful than Luna, since the latter specifically states the Elements "took away [her] dark powers".
So yes, it is safe to assume Luna did, in the course of her transformation, gain additional power.
B. Celestia never attacks Nightmare Moon on her own.
The most logical explanation for this is that Celestia still loves her sister and does not want to fight, or let alone hurt her. Thus it is safe to conclude that Celestia has no capacity to incapacitate Nightmare Moon without possibly inflicting harm, which in turn indicates that Celestia is not significantly more powerful than the Nightmare.
C. Nightmare Moon lands a direct hit on an unprotected Celestia with her building-destroying magic Dalek gunstick laser beam. Celestia then falls from at least six stories up in the air down to rock bottom. She gets up not even a minute later, seemingly unharmed.
This shows that Nightmare Moon is unable to simply defeat Celestia even if she doesn't really defend herself. It stands to reason that Nightmare Moon is not significantly more powerful than Celestia.
D. Luna is shown raising the moon while the sun is still up, effectively wrestling control of the sky from her sister. I think this is the best indication we get for Luna definitely having an edge over Celestia.
In conclusion, I would reason that while Luna's/Nightmare Moon's power is at least marginally greater than Celestia's, this would be nigh insubstantial in a battle between two ponies possessing these powers since they have shown little capability of effectively harming each other, even without the use of shield spells involved. In the end, such a fight would be comparable to two tanks shooting each other with small calibre handguns.
So, I hope my analysis of the matter is somewhat conclusive. If there is any critical argument you would like to add, feel free to do so. We are all friends here.
4637936 Least someone has given some logical reasoning to it all.
Overall though the more inconclusive one is whether or not Celestia was severly injured. As you said, it took her a minute to get back onto her feet. Seems plausible she legitimately lost consciousness from the attack if only for a short time.
Also we have to take into account that mlp is still a kid show, and even with action going on we won't see the injuries. It did not look like she was injured but she clearly screamed out, could not move for over a minute, and struggled back to her hooves. Unlike the comic we cannot see what kind of injuries she sustained from the attack. Seems likely that the blow would have burnt her chest or bruised her ribs if not both.
Though it may well be we did not see all of the fight to begin with. The vision twilight had was imperfect. Such as luna talking to someone, getting responses, yet Twilight did not hear or see them, and both regal sisters looking exactly the same in the past as Twilight was used to, rather than younger and smaller, especially Celestia who was around Luna's size. Who knows what was missed. Far as we know Celestia laid there unconscious for several hours while Nightmare Moon tormented the country side.
Actually it seems that might be rather likely, as Nightmare Moon caused enough havoc for her to become infamous amongst the ponies. IF it is true that she incapacitated Celestia for so long with a single blast, there was far too great a difference in their power.
4637831 Not sure if that method works. Shrugging. The Tree seems to work by adapting to coming threats rather than seeking them out, and the elemetns are its extension.
Just look at the box situation. It was in fact never a box, but a seed to create a new tree outside of the forest, perhaps to help better combat the chaos of the world that the Tree itself, trapped in the everfree, cannot. Yet when tirek was around, the box allowed the tree to give them to power to defeat him. After that it became a tree, and even more than that it became a castle for Twilight to live in.
It is adapting to things to come rather than trying to stop evil. Ultimately, I think, that is what Celestia realized that Sunbeam doesn't. There is no way to rid the world of evil, or threats, and trying to only creates more enemies.
4638051
Not necessarily. Considering the whole event was visible all across the land with day becoming night and her image being emblazoned on the moon's surface, her reputation in the myths and legends a thousand years later might as easily come from hear-say, half-founded rumours and exaggeration. After all, stories grow in telling.
I agree on your reasoning about the issue whether Celestia was severely insured being inconclusive, though. From what is given us, it might have been anything from equivalent to being pushed off a small ledge to being knocked out for several hours. You'll have to admit though that Celestia is pretty resilient if you consider from how high she fell and what those rays did to buildings of solid stone.
And Nightmare Moon possibly also overestimated her own power since she didn't come after Celestia after shooting her down, probably assuming her to be dead. Nightmare Moon is most definitely more powerful than Celestia, though possibly not as powerful as she might fancy herself to be.