From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

38 - Evidence

The evening was well underway when we arrived at Twilight’s. I would have preferred to start in the morning to allow for some wiggle room with the evaluation. However, while we could fudge Aster’s schedule, it would be counterproductive to have Stalwart Stone miss work. And while we could have gone without him, it didn’t feel right. I was already dreading the logistics that would be involved if Ivory had to come into the picture.

I glanced back at the others. Stalwart Stone was the calmest, merely shifting from hoof to hoof. Comparatively, Terra and Aster were, respectively, a green and purple ball of nerves—though for different reasons. Terra looked like she could faint at any given moment, but Aster was clearly stoked, yet uncertain.

“C’mon, everyone, it’s Twilight Sparkle, not an Ursa. She’s not going to bite your head off.”

“I know, I know,” Terra and Aster said simultaneously. Their eyes slowly turned sideways.

I stifled a giggle.

“It’s just…” Terra stared at the library door as if there was a rabid timberwolf on the other side. “I’m sure she must have Elementsy things she has to do. Isn’t there somepony else?”

“Not in Ponyville. Or even for some distance, as far as I know. Unless...” I smirked, “you want to go to Canterlot and hunt for one of the Princesses.”

“Oooo, really?” Aster looked breathless for a moment.

Terra went pale. “N-no, that’s… Twilight Sparkle will do.”

“Aw…”

Given Aster’s rather casual treatment of authority, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. In the very least, I could almost certainly leverage it for her cooperation. “Now, c’mon. Let’s go inside before we spend the entire night on the porch.”

As soon as I opened the door, Aster wasted no time rushing in. She zeroed in on Twilight, who was poring over something at the check-out desk.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Aster blurted out as she stopped just shy of ramming the desk.

Twilight looked up. “Um, hello.”

“You’re the awesomest hero, always saving Equestria and stuff!”

With a laugh, Twilight flipped her book closed. “I’m flattered, but you know I can only do all that with help from my friends, right?”

“But they’re only able to do it because you take charge and get things done!”

“That’s teamwork for you.” Twilight smiled. “You must be Aster.”

Aster gasped. “You’ve heard of me?! I mean, I know I’m awesome too, but you’re Twilight Sparkle!”

“I have. From Dusky. She tells me you’re a very special filly.” Twilight’s smile widened.

Aster stared—first at Twilight, then me, likely reevaluating if I belonged in the Awesomeness Club.

“Now, Aster, don’t be rude.” Stalwart Stone stepped forward and nudged her. “I am Stalwart Stone and this is Miss Terrabonna. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle.”

“Er, hi.” Terra hung back just a bit.

“Likewise,” Twilight replied. “Now, why don’t we go downstairs and see what we can do for Aster?”

“Wait. Should we really be doing this here?” I asked. When Twilight tilted her head, I added. “Plant magic inside a big tree, that is.”

Twilight waved her hoof. “Oh, don’t worry. My lab is warded in case things get a little crazy.”

“Just a little?” I raised an eyebrow.

“By our standards.” Twilight paused for a moment, then flashed me an excited grin. “Not that this won’t be fun. It’s not like everything I study has to threaten Equestria.”

“Right, right.”

She hurried us down into a room that was filled with machines and a variety of beakers and flasks. It was almost like a couple of the Canterlot University’s labs had been mashed together and miniaturized.

About a dozen clay pots were stacked in the middle of one of the tables, their dead contents rescued from a fate in Applejack’s compost. One of the instruments, consisting only of a thick strip of fabric with an attached metal bar, was laid out beside the pots.

“What is that?” Terra eyed the device suspiciously.

“This? It’s a simple general dual monitor. When powered, this left meter reads the magical resistance factor required to offset a subject’s output. The dials on the right work together to keep track of pulse, temperature, respiration and blood pressure. It can measure all ponies and a wide variety of other species. Oh, and it’s rated for two—”

“Twilight,” I said, stepping in before she could go on another hour. “I think we’re getting a little off track.”

“Oops, sorry.” She didn’t miss a beat. “I guess you only need the gist of things.”

Aster trotted over and peered at it.“Can anypony use it?”

“Technically, yes and no. Anypony can be measured by it, but the capacitor only works properly with unicorn magic.”

“Aw. Why is all the cool stuff made for unicorns?” Aster grumbled.

Twilight laughed. “Actually, there are self-powered versions that anypony can get—they’re just a bit more expensive. Any magic shop in Canterlot should stock them. I should warn you that shopping there can be addictive and the cost quickly adds up.”

I almost thought I detected a hint of pride in Twilight’s voice in that last sentence.

Aster’s face brightened, only to fall again.

Placing a hoof on her shoulder, Terra gave her a soft smile. “I’m sure I can work something out with my wholesalers.”

Aster smiled back—it was a much weaker smile, but a smile, nonetheless.

The device and one of the pots levitated off of the table. The latter settled onto the ground in front of Aster, but the former continued to hover with the strap bent into a semi-circle, eagerly waiting to latch on.

“Lift your hoof, please,” Twilight said, to which Aster quickly complied. Once the strap was secured, Twilight continued, her eyes flitting between the meters and Aster. “Now, if you’ll just show me this talent of yours, we can take a few measurements and draw some conclusions.”

Aster moved her hoof toward the pot, but stopped an inch away. She stared, her hoof visibly shaking.

After a few seconds, Stalwart Stone moved forward and pressed his muzzle into her forelock. She looked up at him.

“It’s okay. I—” he glanced over at Terra. “We’re here for you. No matter what, you’re still the filly we know and love.”

With a slow nod, Aster breathed deep and placed her hoof against the remains of the plant. For a good ten seconds, nothing happened, even as the magic part of Twilight’s meter rapidly rose.

Finally, the twig flashed a vibrant green, before becoming a solid brown. It grew a little, but with each fraction of an inch, Aster’s forehead became exponentially more soaked. At last, she gave up and the colour faded away, leaving the plant as it originally was. Both Terra and Stalwart Stone stared in amazement, while Twilight was busy making notes.

“Was that good enough?” Aster panted.

“Yes. But in order to have enough data points, I’ll have to ask you to do it a couple more times. Not right now, of course. Take your time to catch your breath,” Twilight spoke quickly, but also with a sort of measured restraint. I supposed that last sentence wouldn’t seem very sincere if it sounded like she was rushing Aster.

“Okay…”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Stalwart Stone asked.

“We need to in order to get a proper assessment of Aster’s situation,” Twilight replied, tapping her quill against what had already become a small stack of papers. “But if the readings become dangerous, we’ll abort immediately.”

Aster ended up needing about half an hour between readings, and even then, by the end of the fourth reading, she looked positively exhausted.

The gears in Twilight’s head were turning as she eyed her notes. “Well, the good news is that so far, none of the readings are dangerously far above average.”

“So far?! You mean we’re not done?” Terra looked alarmed as her eyes drifted over to Aster.

“No, we’re done for today.” Twilight shook her head. She hid it well, but I was fairly certain she’d hoped to go a little longer. “To do more would push Aster too far. However, four points is hardly conclusive. So I’d like to try something else.”

“What do you propose?” Stalwart Stone asked.

The dual monitor detached from Aster’s hoof and floated over to Terra.

“Take this home with you and get a reading twice every day for the next month. By then, we should have enough data. Of course, if any of the readings end up in this red zone here, stop what you’re doing and come see me.”

Terra turned to Stalwart Stone. “I guess we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.”

Stalwart Stone smiled. “I look forward to it.”

I couldn’t help but grin, concluding that this must be how Terra feels when she’s matchmaking.

---

With all the excitement in the last how many months, it was rare that Night and I got to have a date that didn’t involve the Seapony. So when he asked if I wanted to go to the May Flowers Celebration Dance with him, I jumped at the chance.

Granted, I have to admit that I have a bit of a bias toward spring celebrations. There’s just something about the freshness and renewal of the environment that puts me in a better mood. And what better way to put that mood to use than to celebrate?

Since the event was semi-formal, I had to break out one of my few dresses. One of the nice things about a rural city like Ponyville is that hardly anyone cares if someone wears the same dress twice. Still, I liked to at least spice things up a little, and one of the best ways that didn’t destroy my budget was to rotate accessories. This time, my gold-trimmed, red dress was accompanied by a white-rosed pin and a red-rosed barrette.

The Apples are always kind enough to lend one of their fields to the event. While we could have had it in Town Hall, a spring festival almost demands that it be outdoors.

Night was surprisingly eager to get out onto the dance floor. If someone had told the me observing him hiding at the back of every weather meeting that he would be the first out to the floor at a dance event with hundreds of people, I would have called them crazy. And yet, there he was, doing just that.

The newness of his technique was obvious, even to someone as amateur as myself, but there was also a very earnest enjoyment. I got the impression that he’d secretly taken lessons for my benefit, but found himself enraptured by his new hobby. Between focusing on me and the dance itself, I’d wager he forgot the crowd was even there. Even when Pinkie stepped in for her traditional DJing shift, the tempo of which threw Night for a loop, he seemed relatively in his element.

Of course, enthusiasm can only stave off exhaustion for so long, and we soon found ourselves rather hungry. And while the food provided was nice, a lot of it was the sort of junky snack food that wasn’t especially substantial.

So we headed back into town and I picked the first sandwich shop I recognized. It was a pleasant local restaurant with a large patio and candles—the perfect place for some springtime romance.

Once we were seated, Night let out a long breath. “I’m starving. I didn't expect dancing to be so, um, exhausting.”

I giggled. “I don’t think that was the dancing so much as it was Pinkie Pie. She can have that effect on ponies.”

Night started going through his menu. “Maybe. I haven’t spent much time around her. Not since I first moved into town.”

“No? That’s a shame. She’s not always so silly and hyperactive. She can be a really great friend.” I smiled a little as I counted all the times she’d lifted my spirits—especially when Twilight had gone missing.

“Maybe I’ll have to stop by Sugar Cube Corner more often. Dusky? Are you alright?”

I blinked away my daydream. “Oh. Err, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking back on a good memory of a rough time.”

“Oh. S-sorry.” Night looked away.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” I gave him a reassuring smile.

He smiled back, though a sigh escaped his lips. “Doesn’t mean I don’t wish you had less of the bad, and more of the good.”

“There’s been a lot of bad.” I reached across the table. “But the good has all been wonderful.”

Night placed his hooves around mine, a slight frown forming on his face. “If it were up to me, it would all be wonderful for you.”

I met his gaze. “That would be nice. But life simply isn’t that easy.”

“It... it’s not that easy, no. Doesn't mean it’s not worth fighting for.”

The day was coming to an end and I pondered what Night and I could do after supper. Perhaps cuddling up with a book would be nice. Or, given how the dance had gone, we’d more likely just cuddle up and pass out.

It was then that I noticed that someone was galloping down the road, her green coat highlighted by the falling light. I squinted, trying to make out the rest of her features. “Is that Starshadow?”

Before Night could answer, Star was already upon us, weaving her way through the tables. “My apologies for interrupting but there is an issue. Merriweather is missing, and all evidence points to a rather disturbing conclusion. I require your help.”

Her worry was visible to a degree I’d never seen. A knot formed in my stomach.

“Missing? What's going on?” Night’s face told me he’d clearly picked up on it too.

I glanced between the two of them. “We should let the restaurant have their table back before we talk.”

We paid as quickly as we could, then started down the road. But this wasn’t the road to the Seapony—it took us out of town. We traveled in silence until, at last, there was no one to be seen.

“I fear that my sister has left for home,” Star said. “She has has been quite concerned about recent events. I apologize, Night Flurry, but she blames herself for your current...condition.”

Night shrunk a little. “It’s alright, Star. She shouldn’t blame herself.”

“Regardless, she does.” Star stopped to look back at us. She seemed lost, perhaps for the first time since I’d known her. “I felt the same about the incident with Terrabona. Sister and I don’t belong here. I fear that our presence here in Equestria has done more harm than good.”

I shook my head. “Everyone makes mistakes, and you and Merriweather have both worked hard to make up for it. You’re both our friends, and at the very least, I know I wouldn’t be here if not for you two.”

“I appreciate that a great deal, Dusky. I have felt something akin to ‘belonging’ here for the first time in years, ever since we departed from our homeland.” Star closed her eyes. “I have done my best not to dwell on my feelings, and friends such as you have been a welcome surprise here in my time in Equestria. However, now the circumstances of our departure are terribly relevant. For Merriweather, I fear fatally so.”

People began to appear again, so we walked in silence until we reached Whitetail Woods.

Star stared straight ahead as she moved. “My sister had long been something of an embarrassment to the Royal Court. Her behavior had been unbecoming for one of her ability. But, she is my sister, and I love her, so I found ways to temper her enthusiasm. The spell which I erringly cast upon Terrabona was one example. The incident which prompted her banishment was the last in a line of incidents which could not be ignored.”

I glanced at Night. Given Merriweather’s disposition, I thought I had a pretty good idea of just what trouble she’d gotten into. “I don’t think there’s a need to go into detail of what she did.”

We reached a clearing where a small section of debris had been clearly cleaned up, leaving room to perform a strenuous activity or two. It was in this section that Star stopped and opened her bag. A heavy book, with a lock that had no physical key slot, hovered to the ground.

“I quite agree, and I did not inquire too deeply into the nature of her activities. But I fear that her recent behavior has cast the exact circumstances of her relationship with Firetail into question.”

“Er... Firetail?” Night asked.

“Firetail was a low-level delegate to the Royal Court. Not terribly important, in the grand scheme of things, but he was regarded as…” Star tapped a hoof against her chin, “hmm... handsome. And he had some affinity for my sister.”

“I take it she returned that, um... affinity?” Night blushed as he caught on to what I’d already suspected.

“When their affair came into the public light, Firetail accused her of several terrible things, many of which I could not believe my sister would do, but Merri offered no defense. Queen Papaya couldn’t look past it, despite my appeals. I had never received the whole story, until…” Star flipped to a specific page and pressed a hoof to one of the passages.

I stepped closer, giving it a careful read. The guy sounded like a real winner under that standard political mask. “He was blackmailing her?”

Sitting on her haunches, Star let out a sigh. “From what I read in her journal, it is now my belief that Firetail selected Merri specifically. She was a dupe he thought he could blackmail. Perhaps they did consummate, but regardless, his accusations were made knowing the court would not listen to Merri’s protests. Instead, she remained silent and accepted the court’s decision to banish her. I would not part with her, and so we left Ostfriesen. I assumed this was all there was to the story, and I did not wish to pry further into my sister’s embarrassment.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if Merriweather knew just how much Star cared. To essentially give up her own life to keep her sister safe was certainly a non-trivial decision. Then again, maybe she’d chosen to act alone for precisely that reason—if this conspiracy was as messy as it sounded, Star could easily get caught up in the collateral.

“But now you’ve broken into her diary. What changed?”

As she stared down at the book, Star’s voice barely remained neutral. “Since we learned of Bellerophon, Merriweather has been quite insistent that she needed to return to Ostfriesen in search of answers. I did not understand why she was so adamant that we could find our solution back at home. In our talk with Bellerophon, it seemed to confirm whatever thought she had, and though I believed I had talked her out of this course, it seems I was wrong.”

“Sh-she went back to Ostfriesen? B-but... if she’s been banished... what will they do to her? What does she think she can find?” Night fidgeted.

I continued to read, sifting through many of Merriweather’s lewder thoughts to distill the facts. “I think I’m starting to see it. She says here that she stole Bellerophon’s bracer from Firetail.”

Star nodded. “If she was simply trying to return home, there are things I could do to mitigate the damage if I could get there in time. Instead, it seems that Firetail was more than I assumed. Not a simple delegate or even a blackmailer. He is a member of the Descendants of the Justicar, and I fear she intends to seek them out.”

“Err…” Night stared off into the distance for a moment—it was that same look he got whenever Bellerophon became involved. “Bellerophon. He, um... he wants to know what Descendants of the Justicar means?”

A deep frown formed on Star’s face. “I had hoped he could tell me. They were the ones in possession of his bracer. According to Sister’s diary, before we departed, she went to confront Firetail one last time. I cannot say what her intention was, if she had real feelings, desired revenge, or had some other plan in mind, but regardless, it seems the encounter ended with her stealing the bracer. In her diary, Merriweather seems quite pleased with herself, believing he had stolen the bracer from the Royal Castle, and stealing it back seemed an appropriate farewell to a thief.”

“But that’s not the case, is it?” As I glanced at Night, I realized that this must have been planned to some degree. If not him, some other poor soul would have been saddled with the bracer. “The bracer was theirs. They were planning to bring Bellerophon back.”

Star nodded. “That has become my conclusion as well. Merriweather did not show the bracer to me until we had already passed beyond Ostfriesen’s borders. She told me it had been a gift from a particularly generous lover, and she herself did not recognize the historical significance. I had my doubts that such a valuable relic would be a gift, but once again, I chose not to question my sister. Her behavior has always been unusual, but she has never wanted to hurt others. Firetail told her that the Descendants of the Justicar would have their revenge. And so would Broken Tooth.”

Night was lost inside himself again. “Descendants of... err, Star? Bellerophon says he was the Justicar, but... they can’t be his descendants.”

“I know nothing more, sadly. Only what Bellerophon himself told us. But now you see the train of thought which has lead me to my conclusion." Star motioned toward the journal. "Dusky, observe the next page.”

Dread filled me as I turned the page. There was nothing there but a few torn nubs. I didn’t know if that was better or worse than something damning. “There are pages missing.”

“I suspect Merriweather ripped them out, so that I could not follow her. It is why I need to ask your help. And his help. I need to know where these... ‘Descendants of the Justicar’ would be. And then I need to find them. And if this causes Merriweather any more pain,” Her expression darkened. "I will see it returned tenfold.”

I frowned. There was still so little of this that made sense. It was a definite possibility that the Descendants were lying around their parentage, or simply taking the identity by proxy. But for someone who had little notoriety among even the natives of the country, I had to wonder what they stood to gain. It’s not like people would suddenly rally around some historical figure they’d never even heard of. Then again, perhaps these Descendants knew something very key that we didn’t.

Regardless, I knew I had to do something to help Star and Merriweather. The hard part would be figuring out how.

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

And we've gone back from zero to sixty.

Curious what Merri could have been blackmailed over that's worse than her supposed banishment-worthy transgressions.

[AppleTank]

May I propose an army of the plant like dead?