The Quest for Celestia's Raiment

by GaPJaxie

Lightning and the Mare in the Moon

The young mare who ran the inn felt terrible about all this. First, the group was woken up by police in the early morning for a crime they didn't commit. Then, they were framed and assaulted by the fern and candle mare! Then, her younger brother got a grenade from somewhere! She makes it up to them as best she can—which is mostly just by being overflowingly polite and assuring them that if they need anything, they can just call. But, the group also gets some good food for their trouble: delicious grass stew and fresh, crispy haybacon. After food, rest, and a chance to collect their wits, they're all feeling a bit more equine.

Particularly Virtue, who was able to take good advantage of their host’s hospitality, by making her pump the water for a proper shower. Virtue's coat was still poofy from water when she returned to the room the group has all to themselves to talk, the smell of haybacon and cider still strong in the air. Virtue seems a lot more settled after that. Brushed and shining again, she seems more like her old self, thanking the innkeeper and joining her friends at their table. "Everypony settled in all right?"

"Yesth," Moonlight says, from around her mouthful of haybacon.

"Fine." Says Silver, couched in a deep plush chair.

"Mmprprm," says Azure, for the same reasons as Moonlight.

Dawn Star nods eagerly. "I am, yeah. Are you doing okay?"

"Better, thank you." Virtue gives a polite bow. "We are all ponies with interesting abilities. I am coming to appreciate that more and more." She slides into a seat and levitates herself some food, carefully dividing it into portions. "Well, it took us a while, but we did sort this town out. Though I suppose there is still some unfinished business. Speaking of, the real hero of the day is Miss Meadows. I don't know if we could have recovered if you weren't there with me."

Azure works her jaw and eventually manages to swallow her mouthful of food. "You had the right idea though. I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Blueblood is able to make special arrangements for our friend. That kinda leniency might help her get a bit more talkative."

Virtue hesitates. "Not quite why I did it, but... possibly. Speaking of, what happened after I was put out, Moonlight?"

Moonlight Meadows swallows, first. "Weeeeell, she kinda freaked out and said a lot of the same things she said when we caught her, but it was like she was talking to someone else."

Virtue nods. "I wagered she was unstable, while I was in the midst of being bloodied."

Moonlight continues as she serves herself more of the stew. "Like she was at first gonna just say that you'd been hiding Silver with the hairpin and were in on it and that you'd come to menace her, but then it was like she was arguing with someone and decided that she needed to mail you to Cloudsdale but she wasn't happy about it. Like if you've ever heard a unicorn talking to another unicorn with that weird mind talking some of them can do?"

Azure Charger cocks her head to the side. "Framing Silver... was the plan all along. Why change it now?"

Virtue nudges Moonlight. "She still didn't elect to hurt me further, though, so I suppose there is that. Nothing wrong with taking credit, particularly after I gave it to you." She reaches down to give her a friendly nuzzle. "I'm grateful."

Azure winces, bringing a hoof near Virtue's temple but not daring to touch. "You say that, but she certainly gave you quite the lump."

"I mean it. I just got my face pounded in." Virtue grimaces. "...Is it that visible?"

"I—No, no it's—The swelling should go down overnight." Azure takes a swig of her cider, staring off into space.

"Mmh. Well." Virtue sighs, fidgeting with her mane. "Be that as it may, she only did it to protect herself. I can't imagine what the stress of lying to everypony around her has been doing. Being told by your father that you would be imprisoned for your gifts… Convinced you'll be imprisoned for revealing the truth..."

"Speaking of..." Azure nods appreciatively. "That was quite the feat you pulled, Dawn Star. I admit, I was a fair bit worried about how we'd..." She chuckles. "How we'd shed light on the situation, after the dust cleared."

"Quick thinking and very competent work, not only in rescuing me, but also capturing Wisp," Virtue agrees, beaming. "So don't you feel shy."

"Um, well, I mean…" Dawn Star fidgets with her hooves. "I just really wanted her to tell the truth, was all. Sometimes, my special talent just happens like that. Which is really nice, but I don't depend on it too much. The same way I really wanted Virtue to feel better and she did. It's like that really."

Azure tilts her head. "Mmm. Regardless, I was feeling its effects myself. And it sure seemed to help Wisp Will with being forthright."

"Indeed. It has been a rather eye opening experience," says Silver Shine. "I didn’t imagine this group would be so at ease with intelligence gathering."

"Meow," says Moonlight Meadows, despite being fully equine at that moment.

Dawn Star nods. "Yeah, thanks Moonlight! You were amazing!"

Balti yawns wide, leaning up to lick Moonlight's mane. Moonlight scritches Balti's chin, and nods to the others. "Thanks, but… well, I was just doing what I was supposed to."

Azure hoists her mug. "Well said, though it doesn't mean you can't take pride in a job well done."

"In all honesty," says Silver, "if it wasn't for you, the rest of us might never have found Virtue. Who knows what could have happened."

Azure nods. "I was otherwise entangled, at the time."

Moonlight Meadows looks at Virtue and raises an eyebrow, but accepts the complements with a nod. "Kay. That's why I went along in the first place, anyway."

Azure looks aside to Silver. "Furthermore, Silver Shine's name was cleared in addition. So he'll no longer have to worry about all these faulty accusations."

"The traipsing I don't mind, the somepony else part, perhaps a little moreso." Silver Shine cringes.

Virtue giggles. "A little perspective never hurt anypony. Now you know more about how life is for the other half."

Dawn Star giggles a little too. "Understanding is important!"

"Well then," Azure says, folding her forehooves on the tabletop, "where does this leave us?"

"Well, we need to settle out the matter of Wisp Will's fate," Virtue says crisply. "Whether Sir Blueblood wants her taken to the castle or not… And then it's off to Vanhoover to catch a ship."

Azure nods. "Hopefully he will be able to get the paperwork put in order shortly. I'm glad that we were able to get this issue straightened out, but we've still a long journey ahead."

Virtue shakes her head slowly. "I wish we could have seen it earlier. We are, however, just learning to work together and use our gifts. In a synergistic way."

Moonlight Meadows blinks. "What?"

Azure Charger blinks as well. "What what?"

"Like a pack of wolves," Silver calmly observes over a goblet of cider.

Moonlight shakes her head. "We don't fight over food enough for that."

Silver chuckles. "Give us some time."

"...I could nip at you to get some haybacon?" Dawn helpfully suggests.

Moonlight growls as Virtue laughs. "You are so earnest and accommodating, Dawn Star."

Dawn smiles in earnest. "I try my hardest to be a good friend!" she says, meaning every word.

Virtue gives Azure an amused look. "She'll make some stallion very happy some day, I'm sure."

"Only one? I want to make a lot of ponies happy!"

The room rings out as Virtue bursts out laughing, and Silver chokes on his cider. Even Azure gets this one; she gives Virtue a reproachful look and a poke in the ribs.

Virtue squeals, clutching her ribs with a hoof, still laughing uproariously. "Careful! Tender~" she giggles, wiping her eyes

Moonlight Meadows leans over and whispers in Dawn's ear. Dawn Star blinks. And then, she goes RED.

Azure clears her throat. "Word choice aside, I think it's an upstanding sentiment."

"Okay, okay, I'm done," Virtue says, gasping for breath. "We really ought to do something nice sometime."

Moonlight Meadows bites her lip, staring at the ceiling. "Y'know, we never did figure out if Lightning had anything to do with it at all."

Azure Charger looks down, taking a few quiet bites of her food.

"Indeed. We could try questioning her more closely, but..." Virtue looks to Azure.

Moonlight rests her chin on the table. "She didn't seem all that connected from what the plants said. She's not very good at taking care of her fern, but..."

"But what?" Virtue asks.

"Well, she's a pegasus, so that's not that surprising, and also that's about the only thing she was in the shop for I think... was because she's trying really hard to take care of her fern but not doing so well so she kept coming back to Wisp to get help with it."

Azure Charger swallows her food. "’scuse me." She stands up and heads for the door. "Gotta use the little filly’s room."

Virtue frowns after her. She touches her mouth with her napkin, rises from her seat cushion, and exits the room as well.

Moonlight Meadows tilts her head, watching them go.

"Must be a mare thing..." Silver mutters under his breath.

Moonlight looks at Silver. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just seems like visiting the loo can be a team effort sometimes."

Moonlight blinks slooowly, then looks at Dawn Star.

Dawn Star looks back confused. "I don't do that!" she protests.

"He doesn't get it, does he."

"Well, no, but, I mean…" Dawn Star taps her chin with a hoof. "I guess we could ask Virtue to make him Melody again and we could teach him"

Moonlight Meadows opens her mouth, then closes it again. "Um. Wait, you don't get it either."

Dawn Star smiles brightly. "Oh! Yeah, I guess not."

Moonlight Meadows motions the two of them closer. She gives a small sigh and a deep inhale, then, "Okay, so, like, Azure's this pegasus knight and knights are usually big on honor and treating ponies fairly and stuff, and Lightning Glass is maybe probably not actually guilty of anything but Azure wasn't really thinking about that until I said something and so now she feels guilty about getting in her face twice." She pauses, looking at the two of them. "Follow?"

Silver frowns, not say anything.

"Oh! Yeah, I think so." Dawn nods. "Azure feels bad cause she feels like she cheated and is picking on someone who can't fight back well?"

"Well maybe not the ‘can't fight back well’ bit so much, I mean, Lightning did give her a bit of a beating the first time, but anyways..." She chews on a few blades of grass. "I mean it's more like if… No, that's close enough, I'll move on. So that's why she left the table probably. Now, Virtue likes to fix things, I think, and I think she also feels responsible for ponies she knows or has talked to and especially for stuff that happens partly because she was involved, which the whole Azure and Lightning thing counts as. Also I think she likes Azure. Or maybe it's just pegasuseses in general or something. But anyway Azure's upset so Virtue goes after her to talk about it, and that's what happened." She furrows her brow, then nods. "Probably." Moonlight Meadows eats another strip of haybacon.

Silver Shine considers his thought for a moment. "Where I grew up, it wasn't always wise to share your weaknesses," he says slowly, Dawn nodding sympathetically. "Fewer ponies who know, fewer that can hurt you. Even friends." He pauses. "Of course, I guess not everything can be hidden." He takes a drink.

"Where was that?" Moonlight asks.

"It was called one of the free pegasus tribes. It was free, in a way, in that no one told them what to do, save maybe Celestia herself. Nomadic. Hierarchic. Paternal." He takes another draw from his cider. "Warriors from a few top families ruled. I wasn't one of them. At least in Canterlot, there were other opportunities for... well, me." Silver's expression hardens. "But, that matters little at the moment doesn't it?"

Moonlight goes quiet as well. "Maybe." The three continue their dinner in awkward silence.

---

Virtue follows Azure to the washroom. Inside, it’s a simple affair, much like the rest of the inn, with wooden walls and a quaint little vanity station. It houses a pair of stalls: one with door open, one with door closed. Virtue walks into the open stall and taps lightly on the side. "Are you okay, Azure?"

Azure scuffs her hooves, visible under the divider wall, and she lets out a long sigh. "Y'remember what we talked about? Last night before bed? We made a promise."

"Yes." Virtue sighs. "I know how you feel. I think I came very close to breaking my promise, too."

"I thought we knew that Lightning Glass was part of this. She had that fern. And she was acting suspicious." Azure’s hooves stop their movement. "During the fight. In town. She said I was a bully…" She takes a weighty sigh. "She's right. I started both of those fights. Unprovoked. She might've kicked my flank the first go round, but... Well, she didn't do anything wrong. I deserved what I got."

"Azure." Virtue balances her tone, firm yet gentle. "You did what you did because of... well, me. We suspected Lightning Glass, we wanted to see if she was up to anything. We suspected she was part of the game Wisp was playing—"

"Suspected."

"Yes, but it wasn't your fault. You were just doing what you could to help us. You suspected her too, yes, but you weren't bullying her for no reason." Virtue looks down at her own hooves. "And, I think, we will need to pay for that."

Azure goes quiet for a moment.

"That makes the difference, you know." She looks in Azure’s direction, even if she can’t see through the divider. "If you do something wrong... you can't just let it lie, even if it was in the pursuit of something right."

"Y'know? If I'm being honest, I used to think that you could get a little crazy about that, sometimes. Paying ponies back, one way or another." Azure chuckles faintly. "But. I think I'd like that," she says quietly. The stall door comes open.

Virtue steps out, getting a look at her. Azure's eyes might be a little red, but it's hard to tell. At first she's wiping at them with a hoof, but further, shortly after Virtue steps out, Azure pulls close and nuzzles into her mane. "Thank you, Virtue," she murmurs.

Virtue presses up against her, her head under Azure’s. "It's all right, I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. We'll go together."

She pulls back and nods, with a smile. "Yeah. That sounds nice."

"You're a fine knight, Azure, and not a bully. Bullies don't have a good cry after they push somepony around." She laughs softly, nudging her.

Azure clears her throat and straightens up a bit, letting some mock haughtiness return to her voice. "Who said anything about crying? I was just having a bit of seasonal allergies. Hay fever and all."

"Oh, excuse me, I would never accuse a noble pegasus warrior of weakness," says Virtue, fanning herself. "Lest I be kidnapped to a cloud fortress."

Azure laughs at that. "Ah, the 'fair maiden locked in the tower'? Awaiting rescue from some upstanding knight? Begging your pardon, but I somehow don't see you allowing that fate to befall you. By the time I got there, half the guard would be mesmerized, serving you chai."

Virtue taps her chin. "You know, you're probably right. Actually, that might be rather fun."

She bows low. "A thousand pardons milady. Next time you're being shipped express, I'll be certain not to interfere." Azure laughs and laughs, punctuated occasionally with a snicker.

Virtue punches her with a delicate hoof. "If you don't rescue me, I might start to think you don't care!"

Azure gasps and brings an exaggerated hoof to her lips. "But alas! If I leave you be, I appear uncaring. If I rescue you, you'd be deprived your tower of servants." She grins. "It seems you'd have to choose."

"Hmm." Virtue taps a hoof coyly at her chin. "Tower servants... knight rescue… I suppose you'll just have to fight them to see who is more worthy."

Azure smirks. "Well I think we both know how that would turn out, don't we?"

"And now you feel better," Virtue says, smiling warmly. "Mission accomplished."

Azure chuckles a bit, then smiles genuinely back. "Thanks. We uh..." She nudges her head to the door. "They're probably waiting..."

"Indeed. When do you want to go see Lightning Glass?"

She looks to the tiny windows near the ceiling that those types of bathrooms always have. "It's… probably not too late, right? Maybe we could check on her now."

Virtue nods. "I think we should."

The pair exit the washroom together, heading down the staircase of the inn. As they reach the ground level, they hear another set of footsteps following behind. Soon after, Moonlight makes her way down the stairs, giving the two mares an inquisitive look. With a collective nod, the three of them head out into the night.

---

Lightning Glass may be a pegasus, but there are no cloudhouses in Rambling Ridge, and so she lives in an earth pony dwelling. A little house at the far edge of town, though it's not quite on the outskirts. It's more of a cottage than anything really, the sort of house people would describe as 'quaint' with varying degrees of either charm or sarcasm. It has a garden (which is mostly dead), and a small pond out front, in which small bright fish can be seen. There's a field out back, which is probably beautiful during the day, but under the starlight, it's just a vague mass of undulating grassland.

As the three approach the house, they can hear something: a faint, repetitive sound coming from inside. There's a small stone path leading up to the door, but when they reach the front, the sound is not much clearer. A pony noise, coming in starts and stops. Laughter, maybe?

Azure Charger brings her hoof up to the door and hesitates, looking back to her friends.

Moonlight Meadows twitches an ear, focusing on the sound. "Yeah. She's crying." Azure lets out a low whining groan.

Virtue smiles encouragingly. "We're right behind you."

Sighing, Azure lets out three tepid knocks on the door with her hoof. She squirms about, waiting for the door.

The sound inside stops instantly, and a shuffling can be heard. "Just a second," Lightning Glass calls down, working her way down the steps before finally coming to the door. On the other side, a latch turns.

Moonlight shifts to the side, and a little closer to the door.

The door opens, and they see Lightning Glass, still showing bruises from their earlier fight. As soon as Lightning recognizes Azure in the starlight, she moves to slam the door, but Moonlight is faster, getting a hoof in the crack and preventing it from closing all the way. "Go away!" she shouts, unable to conceal how ragged her voice is.

"Hi again..." Azure says, her body language just as stilted and awkward as the current situation. "I... sort of wanted to apologize. For my first apology." She scratches the back of her head. "And for everything."

"Fine, you win, now go!" Lightning Glass says, trying to shove Moonlight's hoof out of the doorframe. Moonlight hums softly to herself, refusing to budge.

Virtue steadies Azure, putting a hoof to her side.

Azure nods to Virtue, then looks back at Lightning. "Not yet, please. I—" She inhales. "Let me do one thing first. I pulled a really dirty move to start the fight, earlier today." She sits back on her haunches and holds her forehooves behind her back. "So, I want you to get a fair shot back."

Virtue rubs her face. Pegasi.

Lightning Glass stares at Azure out through the doorway. "You know, ponies like you are why I left Cloudsdale? I don't want to hit you! I didn't want to hit you in the first place! You just made it perfectly clear you were going to keep being a jerk to me until I proved I could rough you up." Azure slowly wilts as Lightning Glass’s rant grows louder. "You're all the same. Strutting around with that whole pegasi-warrior-tradition bunk. Like the old days were EVER coming back. It's just an excuse to fly around and beat ponies up. There's a reason I chose to live in earth pony town. I like it here. Okay?" She takes a few heavy breaths, then points back toward the inn. "So, whatever. I forgive you if that makes you feel better. Now go away." With that, she does her level best to shut the door, heedless of Moonlight's hoof.

Azure starts to oblige, hanging her head, but Virtue pushes her friend, slightly. "Your promise, Azure."

Azure licks her lips a few times, and shuffles on her hooves. Moonlight’s hoof, it seems, isn’t going anywhere, so it buys Azure some extra time to think. "For what it's worth," she finally says, "you've got a pretty wicked combo. If you'd rather not fight, that's totally fine but..." She rubs one foreleg behind the other. "If you ever did want to try out for the militia again, you'd make a really great asset for them. But if you'd rather be a weatherpony, that's a really great job too." She tries to smile weakly. "Either way, you've got a lot of different ponies relying on you and depending on you. So, anyway..." She lowers her head. "I'm sorry for twisting your leg like that... so to speak."

"Wow..." Lightning Glass says, her quiet voice coming through the crack in the door. She stares out at Azure, struck silent for a few seconds. "That is the worst apology I've ever heard. Just… Just wow." She shakes her head. "Nevermind, fine. I know what you were trying to say. Now please have your friend take her hoof out of my door?"

Azure can't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah, I, um... I'm not really good at this, if you can't tell."

Virtue puts a supporting hoof on Azure’s shoulder. "We came here because we did you wrong."

Azure looks to Virtue a moment, then back to Lightning. "You're sure there's nothing else I can do to make it up to you? Anything at all. If not, then we can go ahead and leave you alone forever."

"Yeah, actually, you have!" she snaps, causing Azure to flinch back. "It was bad enough being the pegasus in town. Now I'm the less crazy pegasus. That's me summed up in a little box for the rest of my days. Thanks a lot!"

"I don't think 'less crazy' is doing yourself justice," Azure tries, kicking up some dust. "I was sorta all over the place."

"I think it will be subsumed in what happened to Wisp Will, but you're right, we caused that." Virtue sighs. "I'm not especially happy about what happened to Wisp Will, and I will do all I can to help her, but I fear she was hiding a great deal and it led her to do some unfortunate things."

"Yeah, thanks for that too. I liked her! She was nice," Lightning Glass huffs behind the mostly-closed door. "Maybe she had a good reason for hiding things. Ponies can be jerks."

Moonlight Meadows looks at Virtue, beckons her closer, and whispers in her ear. Virtue nods to Moonlight.

"We just want to make sure that everypony is safe. Wisp Will seems genuinely scared and didn't want to hurt anypony."

"I can have a word with the guards before I go, too," Virtue adds. "We can clear up the misunderstanding there. You don't have to lose any more friends over this."

Azure bites her lip and moves a bit closer to the door. "I know I'm not setting the best example here, but we're not the bad guys. I don't want her going to jail anymore than you do."

For a little while, there's no answer.

"Thanks, I guess," Lightning Glass says, sniffling quietly. "She doesn't deserve it. She's a nice pony."

"I promise I'll do everything I can to help her." Virtue pauses at that. "Would you like to go see her?"

"She thinks she's lost everypony because of what happened," Moonlight says, quietly, but loud enough to be heard through the door. "She could use a friend."

"We didn't know each other that well," Lightning Glass says quietly, after a noticeable pause. "I mean, we talked sometimes. And she gave me a fern once. They're good for talking to."

Azure takes a quick look at the garden behind her. "You, uh... you like to garden?"

"No. I kill everything I touch," Lightning Glass says, though her voice is gradually calming. "It's just... you know. It's a thing that ponies do."

"That's pretty neat, though." Azure gives an apologetic shrug. "I think you're the first pegasi I've heard of who has their own garden, and everything."

"I live in an earth pony town. I thought it would help me fit in." After a few moments, Lightning Glass adds, "Listen, I appreciate what you're trying to do. It's fine though, really. I'll visit Wisp in the morning. Or something. Thanks."

Azure scuffs her hoof.

"No... not to us. It's not fine until we've made sure we've done as much as we can," says Virtue. "Tell you what. Why don't we get breakfast together at the inn? Our treat. Then we can go visit Wisp. At the very least, ponies will get to see us interacting normally, if a little awkwardly."

"Um..." Lightning Glass doesn't quite seem to know how to respond to that for a moment. "I guess that would be okay."

Azure Charger 's face lights up. "Great, then. Great. Just stop by the inn first thing in the morning, and we'll get everything squared away with visiting Wisp Will." She pauses. "Anything special you like for breakfast?

Lightning Glass laughs, even if it is a strained sound. "Trying too hard."

Virtue laughs as well, as Azure smirks and rubs the back of her head. "Nah, just new at it," Virtue says encouragingly. "I think she's sweet."

"Sure. Sure. I'll um... I'll see you tomorrow." Lightning Glass clears her throat. "Now please get your hoof out of my door?"

"Err, right. Sorry." Azure nods to Moonlight. "We'll, ah, let you get back to sleep."

Moonlight Meadows blinks, puzzled, staring back for a moment. "Oh. Right." She takes her hoof from the door, and to its credit, the door doesn’t immediately slam shut.

"Thanks, um… Good night, then," says Lightning.

"Night," Azure Charger calls out as the door closes. She sighs once the latch clicks shut. "Thank you. Both of you. Without your help that would've been an unmitigated disaster." She blinks. "As it was, it was a salvageable disaster."

"That's okay. We all have to start somewhere. I think you did fine," Virtue lies blatantly, but smiling and giggling. Moonlight narrows her eyes at Virtue.

Azure scuffs her hoof. "The breakfast order thing was too much, huh?"

Virtue giggles. "Maybe, but it's the thought that counts. Get her some apples."

---

On the way home, with Moonlight between them, Virtue looks up at the Mare in the Moon with a heavy sigh. "I still feel like this is my fault. Am I wrong?"

"You feel that about a lot of things," says Moonlight wryly.

"Yup." Azure Charger nods. "I appreciate you jumping in to help--truly--but picking a fight with Lightning Glass was my decision alone."

Virtue sighs. She doesn’t quite drag her hooves—that would scuff up her hoofcaps something dreadful—but she comes close. "I could have figured it out earlier. I could have pushed Wisp harder."

Moonlight jumps in. "Except you felt sorry for pushing her as much as you did and also none of us suspected her of framing Silver at all so you had no reason to."

Azure nods, and points to Virtue's sore spots with a chuckle. "Besides, I think you pushed her plenty."

Virtue looks away. "I'm sorry. I seem to be all over the place," she says, smiling apologetically. "I try to take all of the blame on myself. As if I should be perfect and infallible."

"It's okay," Azure Charger says, bumping her playfully. "We didn't know everything going in, but we're doing what we can to make things right, right?"

Moonlight nods. "Yeah. I mean, I didn't talk to Lightning's fern. And think about why this all happened, with her daddy putting it in her head that she'd be considered a freak and friendless and stuff, and we still don't know why he did that so maybe there's someone even further back in all this, who's got some of the blame for his silly fears." She pauses to consider. "Of course, on the other hoof some ponies are silly about things like turning into bears."

"Yes..." Virtue says slowly. "Speaking of. It seems to me that I recall a certain owl on our first night together." Moonlight twitches an ear.

"Oh, right. Caused us a huge hassle when we were..." Azure pauses. "Stargazing."

Virtue looks to Azure; Azure looks back and tilts her head.

"Was that before we went and flirted with the duplicating chef pony to get cupcakes?" Moonlight asks.

Azure nods. "Yep, the owl left just a few seconds before you showed up." She blinks a few times. Moonlight blinks back at her, slowly. "Ah," she says at last, nodding. "The mysteries of this group never cease."

"Indeed," says Virtue. "I seem to remember getting upset at that, too. Felt like I had been humiliated in front of Azure."

Azure rubs the back of her head. "...and I felt like a bit of a mule, for just laughing and not helping you out. No offense," she says instinctively, looking around. But the three of them are alone, with not a mule in sight.

Moonlight Meadows raises an eyebrow at Virtue. "So you were upset specifically because it was Azure." Azure starts fidgeting at where Moonlight's going with the questions.

"What makes you say that?" asks Virtue, not tipping her hoof just yet.

Moonlight thinks for a moment, then shrugs. "Dunno. Seemed like you put some emphasis on that name though." She pauses. "Also you two flirt a lot."

Azure Charger squirms. "Not that much," she mutters.

Virtue hums. "Do you think I wouldn't have felt that way around somepony else?"

"Well, you looked down."

"Aye." Azure nods.

"She was the pony who was there," Virtue insists. "But, you know… Afterwards, you came up and healed my wounds. While I then became distracted, you did help me feel better."

"Oh?" Moonlight tilts her head. "Why's that?"

Virtue reaches out, touching the poofy mane. "I didn't know what to make of you for a while."

Azure chuckles lightly. "Sometimes it seems like everytime we learn something new about you, it just raises further questions."

"A little peculiar, strange powers I don't understand. You seem so... distant, sometimes, too. I honestly thought, at first, that you didn't want to get to know us," Virtue admits. "From the sounds of it, though, you have a very active world indeed."

"Yep."

Virtue prods her. "Can you tell us about that?"

Moonlight Meadows tilts her head to the side again. "It's kind of like... well, the whole world is talking. Not just the ponies, but the wind and the plants and the animals and the sky, even, sometimes."

Virtue frowns up at the moon, briefly. "Go on."

"But to hear it you have to listen. Really listen. So you have to be quiet, and still, if you're listening to the very small things or the very big things."

"What sorts of things?"

Moonlight Meadows nods. "You learn a lot just by listening."

"That can kinda be tough though, can't it?" Azure asks. "I mean, the world can be a noisy place sometimes. LIstening isn't always easy."

Moonlight nods some more. "Yeah. 'S why I practiced. And I still have to concentrate really hard to know for certain sure what the plants and the animals are saying."

"Huh." Azure mulls it over for a moment. "Did you figure all of that out on your own?"

"Kinda." Moonlight Meadows tilts her head, then halts and looks up. "She's hard to hear, too, see. And she can't teach directly. I think she's sleeping. I mean, not just right now. It's like when a pony talks in her sleep, right? But she makes more sense." She pauses, moonlight reflecting in her eyes. "Songs. She likes music. Stories, too. Bee dances, sometimes."

"Does she talk to you personally?" Virtue asks her.

Moonlight Meadows has to think about that. "I don't know."

Virtue looks to Azure, then back to her. "What do you know about the Mare in the Moon, Moonlight?" Azure blinks, and stares up at the moon herself.

Moonlight doesn't respond right away. "There's a song she likes," she says, finally. "I think it's a song somepony sings to her. Would you like me to sing it?"

Virtue and Azure nod in unison.

Moonlight Meadows stands, rather than sits, and, eyes closed, she starts to hum, at first tuneless, then catching the harmony. A slight sheen crosses her cutie mark, and when she opens her mouth, her voice does not sound like her own—there is a slight otherworldly quality to it. She sings of two sisters, one who outshone the other. She sings of jealousy and anger, regret and sorrow. As the song draws to a close, she sings of hope at the end of a thousand-year reprieve.

Azure Charger sits down, listening intently as Moonlight sings her tune. "It's quite pretty, though."

Virtue’s frown has progressively deepened as she listens to the song, her attention split between Moonlight and the moon’s light. She contemplates in silence for a few minutes after Moonlight’s song, before at last, she speaks. "This... isn't widely known," she says at last, "but you know I have an interest in histories. Most speak of it in legend—it was over a hundred years ago. But Luna, the Princess of the Night, attempted to overthrow her sister. She managed to silence the sun for a full day, which we now... well, I wouldn't call it celebrate, but we commemorate as Nightmare Night."

Moonlight Meadows nods. "That's when I hear that song the most. That's also part of why I stay quiet, and listen."

Virtue purses her lips. "That's why I was more than a little concerned when I heard you sing to the moon first, I admit. Now I'm not sure what to think. Still a little concerned, in truth."

Azure Charger tilts her head. "You think this relates, somehow?"

"It seems a spectacular coincidence if not."

"Huh." She mulls that over.

"Oh! Before I forget...." Virtue gives an apologetic smile. "If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?"

Moonlight Meadows thinks for a moment, tapping hoof to her chin. "Was it spring or summer... hmm… Eighty two or eighty three, depending on the season."

Azure blinks. "...like, years?"

Moonlight blinks back. "Seasons."

"Early twenties," Virtue muses.

"Oh." Azure looks down at Moonlight. "...really should get you on a routine. Maybe you can join me on my morning exercises or something."

Virtue shudders. "I don't know how you do that thing with your wings, but the rest of it would be murder."

Azure tilts her head. "That thing with my wings?"

"I'm not fat," Moonlight pouts.

Azure Charger blanches. "No, I didn't... wasn't saying... Fitness is for everypony."

Virtue and Moonlight giggle. "I think she more means, well, you're very compact," Virtue offers.

"Don't worry," Moonlight says. "I go running with Balti."

"Does that count if you're a lion at the time?" Virtue asks.

"Yes. But I'm usually not a lion."

"Hmm..." Azure muses. "How did you meet Balti, anyway? I don't believe you mentioned that yet."

"How I met Balti..." Moonlight rolls her eyes upward, losing herself in her memories. "That was in... oh... fall, I think, just a little before the Running. I don't remember why, but I'd gone out on a longer trip, beyond the woods and way far out where ponies hadn't been before. I think I was just trying to get somewhere with less pony noise."

"Makes sense, I suppose," says Azure, nodding.

"I do remember that as the sun was setting that night, I found a nice little rocky overhang, with just enough depth to cut the wind and to provide some shade. So I ate a few berries and a little bit of grass for my supper, and I sat down, and I listened." She turns back to her friends. "Did you know that rocks can talk?"

"Rocks," Azure blankly echos.

"Yes."

"Now I do," Virtue murmurs.

"I don't really recommend it, though. They're very dull conversationalists." Moonlight nods to herself. "But yeah, I listened to everything I could, and I didn't sleep at all. And about sunset the following day, I heard a chirping that was very much not a bird. So I got up and went to investigate." Moonlight gives a nostalgic smile. "I found Balti. She was the one who was chirping. We talked for a bit."

"What about?" Azure asks.

"Well at first it was about how I was not food and she would get her fur singed if she tried it." Azure chuckles at that. "Then we traded life stories. Hers was pretty typical. You know, growing up with her sisters and brothers and playing while momma hunted and then eventually taught them to hunt. And then momma kicked all of them out, and she'd been wandering for a while since then."

"So, she decided to tag along with you? Just like that?" Azure arches an eyebrow.

"Yep! After we made a couple things clear."

"Like that you weren't food."

"And that other ponies weren't food either," Moonlight says, nodding definitively.

"She does seem surprisingly well-tempered." Azure nods in consideration.

Moonlight shrugs. "She's had practice. And of course she still hunts. Plus she likes scritches"

"Ah yes, the infamous scritches." Azure smirks. "I can see now why she's keen to stick around."

Virtue shifts around a bit, getting more comfortable on the grass. "What are you hoping to gain out of this mission, I'm curious?"

Moonlight Meadows gives a small smile. "What do you think?"

Virtue grins back. "I hear Celestia gives fantastic ear scritches."

"Ear scritches," Azure says, completely stone-faced.

Moonlight Meadows turns her eyes upwards in thought. "Might have to try that. Would be a nice perk."

"I can imagine," says Virtue, smiling.

Azure Charger giggles. "I can see us asking for quite the wide range of rewards, at this point. From riches and rubies, to ear scritches and pudding"

"Which of those is yours?" Virtue glances sideways at Azure.

Azure rolls her eyes skyward to think, then snickers. "None of em, I suppose. Mostly just the honor and glory, y'know. And you, Virtue? Perhaps a nice cup of vanilla pudding?"

Virtue smirks. "While I wouldn't say no, I think I might ask for a position of authority. Somewhere I can make a difference. Though, who knows? My needs may change."

"Mine probably won't." Moonlight nods. "It's very earth pony."

"I suppose it's fair to say that mine are quite pegasi." Azure sticks out her tongue.

"The moment I regard either of you as typical examples of a race is the moment I chuck myself into a stream." Virtue lifts her chin and a hoof, proudly.

Azure Charger snickers. "And the fact you'd make such an offer proves you're no typical unicorn, either."

"Naturally! I am unique, and never forget it."

"I'll try not to," Azure teases back.

"Oh, try, she says." Virtue looks to Moonlight. "See what I have to work with here?"

Moonlight nods. "You like it though. You want the challenge."

"True enough." Virtue looks up at the stars. "Wow, we've been out here for a while."

Azure grins and shrugs before laying back and propping her hooves under her head. "Mmm… S'pose so. Was late when we left the inn, anyway," she says with a yawn.

"If my father knew I was out so late with strange ponies—particularly ones who weren't unicorns—he would be in mourning," she jokes, poking Azure's blue side.

Azure forces an eye open through the yawn. "So strange unicorns would be no problem, then?" She nods to Moonlight. "We should go find some cardboard tubes, you and I."

"Or pine cones," Moonlight agrees.

"Or perhaps," Azure says, rolling onto her side, "two pairs of cardboard wings. Take you up to Cloudsdale." She nods. "Quite the view from there, like you wouldn’t believe."

"Re-enacting the tribalist riots of the first decade? Tsk." Virtue giggles. "I know there's a spell somewhere that allows flight, actually. Perhaps some day."

Azure puts her hooves behind her head as she looks up at the stars. "Spells... vehicles... I think I've even heard of enchanted horseshoes. There's a few means of getting groundpounders up there."

Virtue looks aside. "Anywhere you always wanted to go, Moonlight?"

Moonlight Meadows thinks. "The big mountains up north, but it's cold there. And the dragon nesting grounds. Maybe the old castle. Maybe."

"Of the Royal Pony Sisters?" Virtue asks. Moonlight nods in confirmation.

"So," says Azure, counting on her skyward-pointing hooves, "the frozen tundras, the nesting grounds of creatures as big as a house, and an ancient ruin buried—if i'm not mistaken—somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest." She smirks. "A little trip into griffin territory is probably nothing for you, eh?"

"Griffin lands..." Virtue gives a terse little sigh. "Why do I get the strangest feeling it won't end there?"

"Because eighty years is a long, long time," Moonlight points out.

Azure Charger nods in agreement. "And it sounds like our pony was a bit of a traveler himself..."

Virtue gives a resigned nod. "Wisp Will might be more frank with us now, at least."

"Mmm." Azure nods. "Especially if Sir Blueblood can offer her asylum, as we're hoping."

"He will… or he had better." Virtue frowns. "I take my word very seriously."

Azure laughs, gentle. "Yep, I know you do."

"Mmph, not looking forward to that," says Virtue, her frown deepening. "I had just gone through the effort of reassuring these townsfolk. I hope not to cap that off with breaking Wisp Will out of prison."

Azure Charger blanches. "I'm sure things won't come to that. Blueblood will deliver."

Virtue nods, offering a hoof up to Azure.

Moonlight Meadows rises as well, and shakes herself off a bit. "If nothing else, he might find her useful. But, best sleep, or we'll miss Lightning tomorrow," she says. With a nod, the three mares head for the inn door.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Straight from the GM’s journal, a few of his background notes on Lightning Glass, that he’d prepared at the start of this particular arc:

Lightning Glass is Rambling Ridge's weatherpony, who moved there after extensively bullied as a foal in Cloudsdale. Intensely socially awkward, she has not been able to make any friends since arriving, a fact not helped by the towns (at times) backwards attitudes and the fact that she's the only pegasus most of them have ever seen. She can often be found hovering around on her cloud or sitting on rooftops, listening to others conversations. Desperately lonely, she has started to wish she were an earth pony just so she could fit in, a secret she confided in Wisp Will. Wisp gave her a hug and some kind words, along with a fern, referencing a piece of old earth pony folklore that if you bury a wish under a plant and care for it, the wish will come try by the time the plant is strong. Wisp meant that Lightning Glass should wish for friends, but instead Glass wished to fit in, and now that her fern is dying, she's becoming increasingly convinced she'll always be alone.
Plot Notes: When the PC's confront Wisp, Lightning Glass will be quick to rush to her aid and defend her against any accusations. If the PC's attempt to reveal Wisp's secret as evidence, Lightning Glass will become furious with the idea, particularly if they use magic to pry out what Wisp knows (as she fears her own secret may become public knowledge). Her fundamental plot role is therefore as Wisp's villainous sidekick.

And yes, in case it wasn’t obvious, the song Moonlight sang was Ponyphonic’s Lullaby for a Princess
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Comments

[ForSpite]

"What sorts of things?"

Moonlight Meadows nods. "You learn a lot just by listening."

This feels a bit like a non-sequitar. Otherwise it was an enjoyable update. Good job keeping a wide cast of OCs feeling distinct, either as a writer or as players or most likely both.

[Ether Echoes]

5756363
Virtue had her shot all right :D

[Sam Yellek]

Oh, I've reached the end. That's a shame, I was really invested in this story. A very fun read with a cast of interesting characters. I just wish it could have concludded properly. /)