Alloy
Daring Do glanced at her sketch of the throwing knife. A bandage was wrapped around her hoof where she’d accidently sliced herself trying to handle it. The blade had not gotten much duller since its use a week before.
Most of the knife was comprised of its microscopically-sharp blade, which had a channel running down its length to allow blood flow. Swirls like rippling water flowed up to the tip. Where one would usually find a handle were a series of barbs in the shape of a comb, securing it to the user’s feathers and releasing it quickly when needed. Between the combs and the blade, various symbols were carved out of the metal.
Daring Do flipped through a tome from her private reference collection. Wingblades of various shapes and sizes decorated the pages, each representing an era of pony history. Symbols and their translations were called out in diagrams and notes. Hieroglyphics depicted heroic deeds and vast battles.
“There’s as many different knives as there are historic figures,” Daring grumbled.
Time Turner had the actual blade. He slid it underneath a machine and pulled a lever.
“That’s not gonna destroy it, is it?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “It’s sorta important evidence.”
“Not at all.” Time Turner motioned her closer. “See that tiny diamond point? That’s going to drive a small indention into the metal while the gauge records how deep it goes. We’ll compare that to the charts and see how hard the material is.”
Twilight frowned. “You’re poking holes in my evidence.”
“Tiny indentions,” Time said. “Tiny, unnoticeable indentations. It’s called non-destructive testing for a reason.”
He pulled the lever and lowered the weights. The diamond point sunk into the metal as a needle gauge shuddered. “That’s a beauty. That’s a… huh?”
He rubbed his chin. “Went off the charts. Load more weight onto the press, princess.”
“Wait, what?” Twilight huffed. “You’re gonna poke more holes in it?”
“Tiny, infinitesimal indentations.” Time Turner motioned to the weights. “Fifty more pounds, if you please.”
Twilight loaded the black disk onto the machine. She narrowed her eyes and watched Turner carefully.
“Hay, Sparkle,” Daring Do said. She ruffled her mane with both hooves, getting the last bit of dampness out. “Did this thing have any poison in it?”
“No. No poison, just precision.” Twilight cringed as the needle gauge jiggled from the pressure. “She knew right where to hit the guards.”
“Yikes.” Daring Do spoke around the pencil in her mouth as she took notes. “But also interesting.”
“She?” Time Turner looked up from his own notes. “You mean this assassin person?”
“The one and only.” Twilight leaned over his shoulder. “What have you got?”
“It’s hard,” he said, “really hard. It’ll hold an edge like you wouldn’t believe. It’s also tough, very tough. It can be bent quite some ways before breaking.” He lifted his hoof to pick it up, but hesitated. “If you would, please?”
Twilight lifted it in a spell and walked it over to a metallic box. Time Turner wound a crank on its side. “This spectrometer,” he said, “will reveal the chemical composition of the material.”
“How’s it do that?”
Time paused in his turning. He coughed. “By hitting it with a bolt of lightning and recording how light passes through the debris cloud.”
“Whoa, really?” Daring Do walked over, her pencil clenched in her teeth. “You’ve got a generator in here?”
“No!” Twilight shook her head. “No, no, no. You said you weren’t going to destroy the evidence.”
“I’m not, really.” Time Turner opened a hatch. “Not by much. How can I tell you what it’s made of unless you let me find out?”
“I’ll take it to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I’ll give it to the lab as a special credit project for the students.” Twilight held her nose up, then her head droop. “And… swear everypony involved to utter secrecy under pain of treason, I suppose. Brilliant idea, ain’t it?”
Time Turner turned one blue eye to the floating blade. “They’ll have to do it the same way, just with unicorn magic. Is this the only blade, Princess?”
Twilight hesitated. She sat down with a huff and lowered the knife into the box. “No, there’s dozens. This is the only one the Guard let me keep, though, so don’t mess it up too bad.”
“This I gotta see.” Daring Do peered at the side of the box, where the crank connected to bits of machinery. “Never got a chance to get up close and personal with lightning that wasn’t trying to kill me.”
“You aren’t going to see too much through the insulated box,” Turner said. “But if you’ll lend me your ears…”
They all leaned close as the box hummed. It grew into a low buzz. The lights in the shop dimmed.
“That’s it. Wake up.” Time Turner placed his hoof over a button. “Wake up and tell me what this thing’s made of.”
He pressed the button and the spectrometer popped. A printer beside the device wound up and began to gradually spit out graphs.
Daring Do blinked. She turned to Time Turner. “That was it?”
“You were expecting maybe a thunderstorm?”
“Yeah, kinda.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” Time Turner opened the hatch. “Careful, it’s probably hot.”
Twilight Sparkle gripped the wingblade in her magic and set it nearby. A dark spot was burned into the center. “We better be getting some real good data from that thing.”
Time examined the printer’s results. “Mostly iron, no surprise. Nickel and—well, that’s odd. What do you make of this?”
Twilight looked over his shoulder. “Carbon molecules?”
Daring Do looked between them. “Am I missing something important? Why’s there carbon in metal?”
Twilight shuffled back to let Daring into the huddle. “You know what carbon is?”
“I know we don’t use carbon dating anymore because of how inaccurate it is.” Daring scratched her cheek. “It’s in living things and charcoal and stuff.”
“Yeah, that.” Twilight glared at the burn. “And now it’s in an alloy.”
She tucked her wings in. “I’ll look into it later. Right now it’s kinda late.”
The cuckoo clock chimed eleven.
Time Turner wrinkled his nose. “Missed supper again. Anypony want a quick sandwich?”
Daring Do motioned them over to the reference book. “Quick update on this stuff first. It’s weird.” She pointed at her sketch, then at the sketch in the book. “Check it out, they match.”
Twilight squinted. “‘Match?’ How much?”
“Exactly.” Daring traced a hoof over the symbols in the book. “It’s got all these carved on it, too. Down to the littlest details.” She leaned her elbow on the table. “I think whoever this assassin is, she’s Commander Hurricane’s biggest fan.”
The hair on Twilight’s back stood up. She shivered. “It’s an exact match to Hurricane’s blades? Really?”
“Like I said, exactly.” She pointed to a hieroglyph shaped like a spear, then to one shaped like a shield. “This symbol represents the day Hurricane joined the Pegasopolis Air Calvary. This one’s when he achieved the rank of Commander.”
“She,” Twilight said, her mouth dry. “Luna said Hurricane was a mare.”
Daring lowered her eyebrows. “I guess I don’t wanna argue with somepony who was there. Anyway, this is the weird part: It has all the symbols, down to the very last one Hurricane ever added.”
Time Turner wiped down his spectrometer. “What’s that?”
The symbol Daring pointed out was of a horn and wings surrounding a heart. “This one, symbolizing the unification of the three tribes.” She spread her wings in a shrug. “You ask me, I don’t think the pony who wanted to hit Celestia would want to remember the unification. She definitely wouldn’t if she was a pegasus tribal purist like you’ve guessed, Sparkle.”
“N-no,” Twilight stuttered. “She wouldn’t.”
“Now, getting into super-freaky territory.” Daring Do sat down with the tome on her lap. “You said the blades weren’t poisoned? It says here Hurricane hated poison with a vengeance. Some sort of trauma from his—um—her early life. Scarred hiiii—her left cheek something awful.”
“You don’t say,” Twilight said. She shook her head. “Gosh I feel like a sandwich right now. Anypony else really feeling a sandwich coming?”
“I’ll get the tulips, my treat.” Time Turner trotted towards his kitchen.
“Hay,” Daring Do said. She put a hoof on Twilight’s back. “You okay?”
Twilight took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. “I don’t know. I’m just not sure. The more evidence I see, the more it’s leading me to believe something horrible.”
Time Turner leaned into the hallway, his ear cocked.
“The more I see, the more I think Luna’s theory might be right. The assassin is Hurricane.”
Daring chuckled. When Twilight didn’t join in, her smile melted away. “That’s impossible, right?”
Twilight didn’t say anything. She just gave Daring a level stare.
“Well, it doesn’t make sense.” Daring Do snapped the book shut. “I mean, Hurricane helped raise the princesses. H-she was a father figure… or something to them. Why would she want to murder Celestia?”
“And why would she travel to the far future to do it?” Time Turner called out. “Something doesn’t add up.”
Daring Do jerked her head. “What say we carry this conversation to the kitchen?”
“Sounds like genius.”
The table was set for three places. Twilight let her wings down to touch the floor as she slouched before her sandwich. Daring Do swallowed hers in three bites. Time Turner just nibbled.
“So,” Daring Do said after a hearty gulp, “you’re younger than I expected.”
Time Turner narrowed one eye. “Me?”
“Yeah, you. You were already a legend when I first got inducted into the Knights.” Daring Do pushed her plate forward and crossed her forelegs. “How old are you, anyhow?”
“Thirty-five, last I checked.” Time Turner kept his gaze on his meal. “Why? How old are you?”
Daring tisked. “Don’t you know not to ask a lady that?”
“I have some idea as to proper etiquette, yes.” Time Turner smirked. “Perhaps I just choose not to use it.”
Daring snorted. She tapped Twilight on the shoulder. “You gonna finish that?”
Twilight wordlessly slid the untouched sandwich over. Daring downed it in four mouthfuls. “’Cuz it’s like, you couldn’t go anywhere without the old guys talking about Time Turner. I joined the Guard eighteen years ago, so you’d have had to have been—”
“I got a young start.” Time took a larger bite and chewed slowly. “What about you? How’d you get Celestia to believe your book series wouldn’t bare Equestria’s deepest secrets to the world?”
Daring Do smiled. She chucked Twilight’s shoulder, but the princess didn’t seem to notice. “She hired Sparkle’s mom to edit. Seems like being the former Captain of the Guard builds trust or something.”
“Ah, that it would. That it would.” Time Turner draped one foreleg over the back of his chair. “How much does she usually edit out?”
“Not as much as she used to, I’ve been learning the difference between ‘dramatic moment’ and ‘detailed information on troop movements.’” Daring Do rubbed the back of her head. “Yeah, and we tone down the violence a lot, ’cause it’s an all-ages series. A lot of bad guys tend to fall down bottomless pits, if you know what I mean.”
“I believe I know the gist of it,” Time mumbled.
“What about you?” Daring said. “How much of the Legend of Time Turner is real-life?” She cupped a hoof to her mouth. “Did you really go back in time to be a younger Celestia’s secret lover?”
“What!” Twilight yelped.
“No!” Turner shouted. “Heck no! Cuss no!”
Daring crossed her forelegs, jutted out her lip, and gestured for Time to continue. Twilight eyed him suspiciously.
“I just… As the Knight of Time, I kept an eye on time travel-related activities.” Time Turner’s gaze bounced between the two mares. “Artifacts crafted by Starswirl. Beings known to experiment. Criminals who… wanted to exploit it. That’s all. It was no great adventure. No impossible journey. No…” He groaned. “No young stallion’s fantasy.”
Daring Do rubbed her upper foreleg. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to hit a sore point.”
“I know. I can’t hold it against you.” Time stood up and gathered their plates. “I’d want to know more about such a legend, too, you know.” He winked. “Maybe I’ll get the chance.”
“Oh, you will.” Daring Do flashed him a lopsided grin. “Trust me.”
“Fifth wheels on a date go round and round,” Twilight Sparkle muttered.
“You say something, Sparkle?” Daring Do asked.
“Nope.” Twilight Sparkle stood and stretched her wings. Her back cracked. “Oog. Thank you for your help and hospitality, Mr. Turner, but we’ve got to turn in for the night.”
“My pleasure.” Time licked his lips. “I’ll give you a copy of the results and look them over myself. I’ll let you know if anything interesting comes up.”
Twilight nodded. Daring Do gave her wings a decisive flap. “We’ll catch the son of a gun,” Daring said. “Heck yeah, we will.”
* **
Early morning was the best time to run, Care decided. She wasn’t a morning pony, but there was something about galloping through empty city streets that woke a body up. Her hooves pounded the new pavement, laid the previous summer courtesy of Applejack’s budgeting work.
The street weren’t completely empty. There were a few vendors setting up their stalls in the early twilight. A performing musician was seated on a park bench tuning her lyre. The first tantalizing whiffs of baked goods floated out of Sugarcube Corner.
A smile threatened to tug at Care’s cheeks as she caught a hint of pumpkin spice.
“On yer left!”
Applejack rumbled past, her cravat flapping in the wind of her headlong charge. Her hat only held on to her blonde head by virtue of sheer willpower. She laughed as she pulled ahead of Care. “Yer gonna have tah to better’n that if you wanna run the rodeo!”
“I’ve already got you beat in endurance, your Lordship!” Care laughed.
She slowed to a canter and let Applejack peel off towards City Hall. She found herself in town square, an open area with a fountain in the middle. There was a storage shed off to the side full of chairs to set up for Sunday Meeting. She knelt down and took a slurp from the fountain.
Gentle hoofbeats brought her ears back. She turned her head to get a quick peek at whatever other pony was up before dawn. He was a white-coated, light-blond stallion, making his way nervously across the square.
“Mr. Blank?”
He froze. He turned on his rear hooves and cleared his throat. “M—miss Carrot.”
She wiped her muzzle and brushed her long mane over her shoulder. “I thought you went to Canterlot. Business not work out?”
“N-not like I hoped.” His thin legs shook almost unnoticeably. “B-but not uns-ss-salvageable.”
She walked over to him and lowered her head to his level. “Where’s your cart? You didn’t have to leave it in Canterlot, did you?”
“T-train station.” Blankety Blank pointed back the way he came. “They’re k-keeping it until I h-head out. I’m just finding a place to stay.”
Care lifted a hoof. “I can show you where the motel is, approximately.”
“I h-have a place already, thanks.” Blank’s mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t. “I should g-get going. Th-they’re expecting m-me.”
“Oh, well good luck to you.” Care bobbed her head and took a step back. “I should head back, too. See you around.”
“S-see you.” Blankety walked slowly forward, his head bowed. His hooves almost shuffled across the ground.
Care decided to give her legs a break and settled for walking back to the castle. They’d gone about a quarter of a mile before she noticed he was still right beside her. “Are you following me?”
“N-no!” Blankety shrunk in on himself. “No, I j-just—my place is th-this way.”
“Right. Sorry.” Care winced. “Just trying to make a joke, I guess.”
Blank shrugged. “K-keep trying, I guess.”
Care let out a heavy sigh. “Story of my life, guy.”
Blankety Blank gave a chuff of laughter, then fell silent.
“I’m curious, though,” Care said. She looked down at him. “How’d you know I was a captain?”
Blank sucked in a breath. He let it out slowly. “Oh. Y-yesterday.”
“Yeah, yesterday.” Care tilted her head to the side. “Marketplace, autumn wind, introductions…”
“I’ve seen you in the papers,” Blank said. “N-next to Celestia.”
“I’m usually in full armor.” Care flicked her tail. “With the visual enchantments.”
Blankety Blank studied his hooves as he walked. “Y-your name’s in the label, sometimes.”
Care lidded her eyes. “Right. Sure.”
Silence descended, but Blank nudged it aside. “Th-thank you for w-what you do, by the way. It means a l-lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“W-with the Guard. P-putting your life on the l-l-line.” Blank sucked his lips in. “I d-don’t think Celestia would be here t-today if it wasn’t for y-you.”
“I didn’t—” The skin around Care’s eyes grew tight. She left her mouth half-open, waiting for the rest of her reply to come out. It didn’t.
Blank’s pink eyes searched her face. He sighed and turned back to the front. “Means a lot.”
Care looked up at the monolithic Ponyville castle. “See you around.”
“Yup.”
She put her hoof on the left doorway. Blankety put his hoof on the right. They looked at each other.
“You’re staying at the castle,” Care stated.
“Y-yeah.” Blank’s mouth twisted. “You, too, huh?”
“Yup.” Care opened her door and moved to the side. “After you.”
“L-ladies firs—”
“Just move it.”
“Y-yes, ma’am.”
Blank plodded his way into the foyer. He gasped.
His neck craned his head far back. The castle’s high-vaulted ceilings arched into the distance, held aloft by naturally-formed crystalline pillars. Crystal facets ran across every surface, and everything glowed with a soft light. Windows of multicolored crystal took the place of stained glass, each depicting the shape an Elements of Harmony. The floor was carpeted with red fabric, soft like pegasus down.
“It’s beautiful,” Blankety Blank whispered. He took a few steps deeper into the castle and found his reflection on a pillar. He frowned at himself.
“Yeah, it’s not bad.” Care unzipped her plaid jacket and hung it on a coat rack near the doorway. “Real easy to get lost in here, though. It wasn’t exactly designed by an architect.”
He and his reflection stared at each other with drooping ears and glum looks. Care nudged him. “Hay,” she said, “the princess and Spike are probably gonna sleep until midmorning. I’ll show you the kitchen and we can get breakfast.”
“Sounds good.” Blank broke off his staring match and turned his eyes to the carpet. “Lead the way.”
It was a good five minute walk to the room Twilight Sparkle had decided was the “kitchen.” It was in one of the castle’s towers, to allow for smoke to escape through a window that had grown in the side. The second thing Twilight did after that was install a few elevators. Care pushed a button marked “KITCHEN FLOOR” in scrawling script, sending them climbing upward.
Blank squinted at the other labels that had been taped on. “Bedroom floor? Bathroom floor? Fire-exit floor?”
Care smirked. “It makes for easier navigation, I’ll say that.”
Once on the floor, Care pulled open the door to the kitchen. The two of them stopped when they found somebody already eating at the small table, hidden behind the morning’s paper. Care cleared her throat. “Hay.”
Daring Do’s eyes popped over the top of a newspaper as she sipped her orange juice. “You the room service? I kinda expected more servants in a castle this big.”
“Um. No.” Care walked around the table to get a better view of the other pony. “Who are you?”
“I asked you first.” Daring folded her paper in half. She chuckled. “Aw, good ol’ Minus and his blanket. The funny page’s greatest source of wisdom.”
She stuffed a whole pancake into her mouth and spoke around it. “Seriously, who are you people? Din’ know Sparkle had company.”
Blank shuffled away. “I’m just gonna m-make oatmeal.”
“I’m Care Carrot, I’m a Guard.” Care pointed her horn. “That’s Blankety Blank. A mirror merchant, I guess.”
“G-glassware, actually.”
“Well, there you have it.” Care crossed her front legs. “Your turn.”
Daring Do stuffed another pancake into her mouth and slurped up the syrup. “A. K. Yearling, author of the Daring Do books. Heard of me?”
“A little.” Care glanced at Blank to see that he was boiling water, then rummaged through the cupboards to find the oats. “Read the first couple books as a kid. I liked them.”
“Stirring praise, Care.” Daring Do dumped a blob of syrup onto her last pancake, folded it over, and ate it in two bites. “Did yah catch the movie this summer?”
“Nope.” Care gave a box of oats to Blank and scooped out a few raisons. “To be honest, I don’t care much for movie adaptations.”
Blank measured out the oats and followed up with the fruit. “I th-thought Rainbow Dash b-brought a great new d-dimension to Daring Do’s character. Made her f-feel like a real pony.”
Daring Do snickered. “Sure did.”
Care pulled up a chair. Daring Do held the paper out to her. “Funnies?”
Care shrugged and took it. She began looking for Leaven and Cobs. “So what brings a famous author to Ponyville’s castle?”
“Visiting an old buddy. Sparkle’s mom and I go way back. Kid’s like a niece to me.” Daring Do licked a bit of syrup off her nose. “I’d ask what a Royal Guard’s doing in Ponyville’s castle, but that question sounded dumb even before I said it out loud.”
She looked past Care. “So glassblower, what’re you doing here?”
“Merchant,” Blank said. He stirred his concoction. “I’m a… friend of Tw-Twilight Velvet, too. I’d r-rather not talk ab-about it.”
“Wow. Mister Mysterious over here.” Daring Do grinned. “I bet he’s a spy.”
Care rolled her eyes. “Yup. That’s the only logical explanation.”
Blank slid a bowl of hot oatmeal over to Care, then set one in front of himself. “Bon Appétit.”
“Thanks.” Care blew the steam before digging in.
Daring Do giggled.
Care gave her a look. “Hmm?”
“Just thinking about how Sparkle’s gonna feel when she wakes up and finds all her guests making themselves breakfast.”
The three of them shared a quiet laugh.
* **
Twilight Velvet circled the downed elevator. It had collapsed in on itself when it hit the ground floor, and resembled a cereal box crumpled up for the waste bin. The medical first responders had removed what was left of Stacks about an hour ago. Another unicorn stood close by, scanning the area for magic remnants.
“Got anything suspicious, Pixel?” Velvet asked.
“No oxidation spells for the broken wires, Chief, so it looks like the rust is natural.”
“Natural, my wrinkly—” Velvet grasped his shoulder and dragged him forward. She pointed at the wires. “Ever know metal wires to rust all the way through in one spot and leave the rest of the dang thing untouched?”
“No, Chief.”
“Of course not.” Twilight Velvet marched away. “Tell Corky to remove the wires and ship them out to our labs. We’re gonna figure out what the heck went wrong, come Tartarus or floods.”
The sun crested the horizon as she picked her way through the crowds of construction workers. The new forepony called out to her, “Hay, Chief! Get yer cops outta my construction site!”
“Get your construction workers out of my crime scene!” She shoved a hefty brute of a stallion aside. “Or do you wanna find more of your guys squished underneath an elevator?”
She shrieked. A crane claw the size of a dragon’s hand landed beside her and hoisted a case of bricks to the fourth floor. She pulled her hardhat low and glared at the forepony.
He jumped off the crane’s driver seat. “Boss says it was an accident. All I know for sure is if we don’t work, we don’t get paid. We don’t get paid, our families don’t eat. We level?”
“I understand your issues.” She lifted her nose and stuck it right up against the forepony’s. “Now understand mine. Accident or no, I need to investigate it. If it isn’t a murder, it’s negligent construction or corner cutting. Neither one is gonna look good on anypony’s resume. We level?”
The forepony sneered. “Yeah. We’re level.”
“Groovy.” She went around him and continued her march to the gate. “Somepony get this guy a coffee or something.”
She dug through the pockets of her duster and pulled out a set of keys. She unlocked the gate, slid through, and locked it back up. While inside the gated construction site was a crowd of workers, outside was a crowd of reporters. She slid against the wall, making her way behind a stage that had been hastily set up for a press conference.
“The true tragedy of the situation is how preventable it was,” Viscount Dulcimer said from his place behind the podium. “For years, Equestria has worked with materials produced nationally. Our iron, our bronze, our aluminum is far inferior to those made by our neighbors. We have been shown time and time again that our facilities, our methods, are inferior to the extreme.”
Twilight Velvet sat at the bottom of the platform’s staircase. She looked out over the reporters, watching them take vigorous notes or speak into magic recorders. “The body isn’t even cold, you jerk.”
“That is why I am begging Princess Luna to seek a new trade agreement with the griffons.” Dulcimer leaned on his lectern. “How many more ponies must be injured or killed before the cost of lives outweighs the cost of bits? What can King Andean ask that goes too far for us to supply Equestrians with stable, quality materials?”
He took a sip of water, allowing the reporters a moment to ask questions. “From what we’ve seen, the griffons guard their iron jealously. What good will asking Luna to step forward do?”
A cold, gray, clammy hoof clapped down on Twilight Velvet’s shoulder. She tensed up, but resisted the old instinct to simply wheel around and punch the pony in the face. She turned her head, giving herself an eyeful of Scuttlebutt’s cheese-eating grin.
“Have something to say to the Viscount, Police Chief?” he said. “I could take him your message so that you can get back to work.”
“I’ve got time to wait,” Velvet said, brushing Scuttlebutt’s hoof off her shoulder. “I’d like to have an actual conversation, not play letter tag.”
Scuttlebutt’s brown mane hung limp around his ears, which swiveled every which way constantly. “Fair enough. I should warn you that he’s already told everything he knows in the police report.”
“That’s what they all say.” Twilight Velvet sniffed the air and detected a mixture of baked goods, coffee, and dust on the wind. “I’d like a transcript of this speech, by the way.”
“But of course.” Scuttlebutt’s eyes jumped back from wherever they’d wandered. “It’ll be on your desk later today.”
He skittered away into the crowd of reporters, who barely spared him a glance. Twilight Velvet shivered. “What a creepy little pony.”
The reporters stood up almost as one, firing questions in an incomprehensible din. Dulcimer descended the stairs. He raised his eyebrows and spoke over the noise. “Chief Velvet. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Viscount.” Twilight Velvet pointed toward the gate. “A word or two?”
Dulcimer tightened his tie with a flash of magic. “Why not? Let’s have words.”
The reporters’ questions died down when they disappeared behind the staged “First of all,” Velvet said, “I didn’t catch the last part of your speech. What’s got you so sure the griffons will cooperate?”
“Every pony has a price, unfortunately.” Dulcimer scratched his goatee. “The trick is finding King Andean’s.”
“Yeah, really.” She shrugged. “Simple as that.”
“Not quite, but it’s a start.” The viscount gave her a bright smile. “What can I do for you, Missus Twilight?”
“I want to hear what happened last night, from your own mouth.” She dug through another pocket and produced a notepad and pencil. She levitated them between her and Dulcimer. “Just tell me what you saw.”
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I saw the best forepony I’ve ever had lose his life to faulty equipment. I came within a few inches of death myself. There was a snap, a scream, and a crash. What more can I say, Missus Twilight? It’s not a moment in time I enjoy reliving.”
He sighed and let his ears droop. “May I return to my work, ma’am?”
“If there’s really nothing else to say—” A gust of wind grasped her notepad. She held it tight and brought it to her chest. “What the hay?”
The wind played with Dulcimer’s ponytail. He covered his eyes to protect them from flying sand. “What the blazes are the pegasi doing?”
Reporters snapped and cursed as a few chased after hats, notepads, and various other articles. Clouds swirled overhead, untouched by pegasus magic.
Twilight Velvet caught a flash of green in the twisting cold front. “Everypony, remain calm. Clear the street!”
The reporters continued to scramble around. Velvet took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs. “Get out of the road, you morons!”
With that said, the reporters moved to the sides. Some took shelter beneath soon-to-be-shredded awnings. Some huddled beside dumpsters. Some huddled inside dumpsters. Some buckled down by the stage and began to speak into their recorders like they were on the front lines of some war or other.
“What’s going—” Dulcimer started to speak, but Twilight Velvet stuffed a hoof in his mouth. She left him standing by the stage and made her way to the middle of the road.
Pixel and Corky rushed out of the worksite and came to her side. “What’s going on, Chief?” Corky asked, his wings extended. “Rogue tornados? Disgruntled weatherponies? Something worse?”
“Nah.” Twilight Velvet smirked. “Just an old buddy coming to visit.”
The wind’s intensity picked up, causing them to close their eyes. A moment later, all was calm.
They opened their eyes and were met with a wall of green scales. Everypony present looked up, up, up, until they found themselves eye-to-eye with a full-sized dragon.
“That’s not something you see every day,” Dulcimer muttered.
The dragon leaned down, placing its giant claws beside the three officers. It opened its mouth, displaying teeth as sharp as swords. Warm air flowed out of its smoking nostrils.
Pixel and Corky ducked down and covered their heads with their forelegs.
“Hi, Missus Velvet,” the dragon said in a deep, yet distinctly female, voice.
Pixel and Corky peered out from between their hooves. Twilight Velvet sighed. “Hay, Shardscale. It’s been a while.”
Shardscale looked around at the cowering reporters and the nearby stage. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Not really. They were just wrapping up.” Twilight Velvet reached out and touched Shardscale’s wrist. “You here about Celestia’s situation?”
“Sure am. I’m the Chronicler, after all.” Shard sucked in a breath that may have been a sniff. “And a friend.”
“Yeah.” Twilight Velvet stood up straight. “Need a place to stay while you’re here? Our backyard’s available.”
“Thanks, but I gotta stay in the palace.” Shardscale leaned close and cupped a claw over her mouth, though everypony could still hear her. “Not just here to cover the assassination. We’ve got company headed our way. It’s big, feathery, and carries a chip on its shoulder.”
Twilight Velvet took a quick step back. “Andean?” she hissed. “What’s that old birdbrain want?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Shard drummed her fingers against the road. “And right now mine isn’t worth a tin can in a dragon hoard.”
She stretched up to her full height. “So I’ll see you around, hopefully.”
“Yeah.” Twilight Velvet waved. “Stop by for supper sometime this week. We’ll have a place ready.”
“Thanks, Missus Velvet.” Shardscale spread her wings. “And, um, the rest of you guys can carry on or whatever.”
A blast of air cleared the street of debris when Shard took off towards the castle. Twilight Velvet cast a few spells to set her mane back into place. She looked down at her cowering partners. “Canterlot’s Finest, shivering at the feet of the world’s biggest nerd. What a day.”
Dulcimer readjusted his tie. He watched the dragon circle the castle once before landing in the courtyard. He leaned towards Velvet as she passed by. “You have friends in very surprising places.”
“Gotta know how to network.” She pursed her lips. “Looks like you’re gonna get that chance to find out King Andean’s price.”
“All in all,” Dulcimer said, “things are looking up.” He hailed a taxi that had gathered up the courage to rumble down the road. “Take care of yourself, Missus Twilight.”
Twilight Velvet grimaced as she watched him roll away. She shook her head and walked towards the police carriage, her coat flapping in the remains of Shardscale’s squall.
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Hey Wootz Steel!
5299897
It probably should, but you'd be unfairly accused of feature-box whoring.
People (including the British) can barely figure out how many pence are in a pound (probably the same number of bobs in a quid), and those are real!
Really? I just saw Rarity fabulizing Ponyville the way she had always wanted to deep down, but on the other hand, the alicorn amulet was treated as not nearly as dangerous as the inspiration manifestation, so you may have a point there. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this.
Seriously? You liked the Neighties Metamorphers? Even after they had the moon turn out to be a giant golem named Alicron?
5302244
No, that would be the upcoming (eventually) "Don't Tell My Parents" comedy starring Trixie Lulamoon and a swarm of giant bees. Now that's feature bait.
Oh, I know! I'll make it my first story with a Flash Sentry character tag. I'll avoid the box for sure that way. No flying accusations around here, that's for sure!
And i'd love to hear your thoughts on the new chapter of this story.
But anyway. Like I said, I'd have to rewatch it to be sure, but near the end of the episode, when Rarity started to go overboard, she started to refer to the book and her as "we," implying the book was going all "Venom-symbiot" on her. We are fabulous, darling Spider-drake! I got it in my head that the book is a trapped evil entity cursed to grant wishes or something like that. Said entity retaliates by being a jerk.
Hmm. More thoughts after the upcoming rewatch.
The shelving unit I have overflowing with the miniatures from nearly ever series says "Yes." I even got my start in fan fiction with them, though in the form of a photo-comic (see profile picture for small example).
I didn't see the movie until I was a teenager, so Ultimus Prime's death didn't traumatize me nearly as much. Galvanized was cooler than Negatron, anyhow (Lanyard Pointyears has a fantastic villain voice).
And yeah, stinking Alicron was super cool.
5303285
Damn you for waving an uncooked treat in my face like that. And I have to warn you, Trixie+Parents+Bees-Flash still=Feature Gold, especially since the Flash haters seem to be dying down. Unless you include a cover pic of him making out with Twilight or something.
Agggh!
That's what happens when you have comment notifications that go off, but a buttload of favorites you are working through, you don't always know when a new chapter pops. Thanks for the head's up.
The book is a sentient, malevolent jerk genie, a "horse's hoof" if you will. That does make a whole lot of sense. Also makes me wonder how it's been used in the past.
I wish I knew how to blow up author's profile pictures, I feel like that I would understand so much more if I could really visualize that transformer in a bikini.
I will admit that, out of the neighties, that awesome theme song by note songwrite/topiarist Sage Bush "You've Got the Touch" did endear me to the Metamorphers.
On to the new chappie! I love CSI Ponyville, and Time Turner working his mojo on both the ancient dagger and Daring Do (although I thought she was working her way towards popping out some hyppogryphs)
What is he, a public defender?
Also excited to see the carbon, means this thing can be carbon-dated, though at this point it seems pretty obvious Commander Hurricane has pulled a Samurai Jack:
Long ago in the same land, a shape-shifting master of darkness (and her sister)
Unleashed unspeakable harmony. But a foolish Pegasus warrior, wielding carbon-fiber blades
Stepped forth to oppose them. Before any blows could be struck, a portal was torn open in time,
Flinging Hurricane into the future, where their love and tolerance is law.
Now the fool seeks to return to the tribalism of the past, and undue the future that is the Regal Sisters.
Man, Twilight is so lucky she got her palace after the Crystal Empire returned, those are probably the only contractors on the planet who could help her out. She probably still had to teach them about elevators though.
Dulcimer has a point, the USSR sold Europe oil and gas throughout the cold war without any real problems. Whether or not Dulcimer is seeking to make a deal with Andean or has already made one, I can't wait to see what his price is!
5301353
Bingo. Excellent catch!
5304997
It's worse than that, it's got a Romance tag due to the preexisting relationship between Trixie and Flash. Thus the whole "Don't tell my parents" thing. This thing is gonna bomb, and it'll be spectacular.
But it'll be a good bomb.
Ever heard of Wakfu?
Wakfu, a french action adventure show with spectacular use of flash animation, features demons known as Shushus. Shushus can be bound within objects to keep them from wrecking the world in their own little fashion. These objects are carried by "guardians" who both keep the demon from running loose and use the objects in daily heroics. For example, the object can be a sword, or maybe a book. If not careful, the guardian can be corrupted by the shushu, and they might even bond together into a monstrosity.
I see the Inspiration Manifestation as a moderate to major shushu, in essence.
Where did I put that picture? Aha!
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You have only yourself to blame.
You'll have to forgive the opinion, chappie, but I don't think it's got anything on either "Dare" or Cheese Sandwich's "Dare to Be Stupid."
Daring Do's not getting cosy with Martial, no. He works for her. Rainbow Dash is his Ponyville pal, though. 'Cept there ain't nothing romantic going on there, nosiree Bob, not in a million years unless you want to Dash.
I'll let Daring Do get this one:
With magic available, Carbon Dating is a thing of the past (Rimshot 2.0).
It's... beautiful. I wept with joy at the sight of this.
On that note, I vaguely recall reading the beginning of a story called Samurai Applejack. Sounds awesome, don't it? I don't think it went beyond a thousand words, though.
The entire return of the Crystal Empire was to facilitate the renovation of a castle that hadn't even been grown yet. Equestria works in mysterious ways, I tell you what. (Note: this may be poppycock)
You know what they say about icebergs? I know you know, I just want to hear you say you know I know you know.
5309529
Duh Bomb indeed.
Dare is my favorite Bush song after Touch, it's a close call. Also, now that you've given me that idea, I would kill to hear Weird Al Yankovic singing the Transformers theme song, "robots in disguise" accompanied by polka would be...something.
Hey, cut me some slack here, I'm just like 99.9% of the population of Equestria, I think of Daring Do, I imagine Rainbow Dash. You know that for the rest of her life, foals at Wonderbolts shows are going to ask Dash how she beat Ahuizotl with a broken wing.
Does he transform into a stripper pole?
It was awesome, I did read it, and I too mourn the fact that like one chapter was written, and then it was abandoned. That got me thinking, so I went and checked. You have 28 stories, 3 are incomplete, 1 is on hiatus, and 24 are complete. I don't know a single other author who's finished what they started at such a high ratio, so thanks for that!
Aren't the most elaborate clocks, made for keeping perfect timing, made out of crystals? This is part of why I maintain that the ultimate enemy will be that Crystal Tree!
Well, I know you know I know, but do you know what I know that you know I know?
Regardless of anything else they discovered, the carbon in the knife seems pretty important. I'd be guessing it was evidence that it is a modern reproduction, but who knows what metalsmithing techniques the ancient pegasi uses and which ores they might have been using either.
Hah! Poor Twilight, being a fifth wheel (or even a potential one) can be very awkward.
For some reason I'm immensely suspicious of this Blankety Blank. Sound like exactly the sort of person who turns out to have a secret talent for assuming the identities (and possibly skills and maybe even personalities) of other ponies.
Shardscale? Fun. Andean? Less fun. On the other hand, maybe he'll suffer an assassination attempt.
5309756
I find your unyielding faith encouraging.
Weird Al as Wreck-Gar is a close second best, I think.
You gotta know Rainbow Dash would have so much fun with that. "You better believe it was rough. There I was, on the edge of disaster! The evil Ahuizotl on my tail! Nowhere to go but down!"
"So what'd you do?"
"What I always do. I took that banana I'd been eating for lunch and gave him the slip!"
No, he's a Lamborghini. Known as one of the sexiest cars in existence. Chicka bow wow.
Story was that he had listened to the song "Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and was doing his best to be friendly to humans by sharing their recreational experiences. He didn't pull it off.
I was a really weird kid, I think.
Awwww... It's not even on hiatus or canceled. Just a big incomplete tragedy.
One of those incomplete is a collection of complete one-shots, too.
But I really should just cancel the hiatus once and for all. It's been almost two years, and I really don't know what to do with it. That was the story that taught me to plan ahead. Not gonna delete it, and I'll be using a few of its ideas, but it itself is kinda... dead.
The worst part is that I really like what I've written so far. Le sigh.
It's been a real goal of mine from the beginning (it's why I haven't switched over Architect's Birthstone to canceled). Dead stories are just... sad. They're incomplete masterpieces. I feel like it's my duty to finish everything (which it is).
On the bright side, it looks like I'm doing a pretty swell job.
Go me!
I kinda see it like the Crystal Tree is a clock... that's winding down. Dun Dun Dun!
They go deep, but you can only see the tip.
Now we both know we know, no mistake, you know?
5315287
It's very important. I've been setting this plot point up since Lord Mayor Applejack, actually.
No telling what it is, though.
Believe you me, I got experience.
He's a tricksy one, to be sure. At least Twilight Velvet thinks he's on the up-and-up. That may be her first mistake.
Assassinations for everypony! Celestia! Blueblood! Andean! Who's next?
5316660
Ktchhhhhh Fwhooooooh
I didn't know he had done other cartoon characters, that's awesome! The only thing that would be better would be some sort of Wreck-Gar/Cheese Sandwich Voltron crossover.
That definitely feels like a transformers movie. Look on the bright side, at least you never had him doing anything really weird, like kissing Japanese school girls to gain energy or something.
Cancelled stories are like a car on cinder-blocks: It'll never run again, but you can pry off pieces you like and use them in other stories. Maybe in a slice of life story ponies buy mugs and maps from the same place. Maybe in a comedy Ditzy Doo flies around with a lightning cloud, shocking Pipsqueak whenever he swears like a Trottingham sailor. Heck, maybe in this story a drunken bitter Heavy Tomes shows up at Time Turner's house at 2 in the morning, threatening him with a shattered glass bottle and telling him to "stay away from my mare."
That's what I always thought. But think about Hearthswarming Eve: Ponies from three warring tribes show up and all of a sudden they just find harmony? Or maybe there was always something in Equestria that... suggests love and tolerance for all, subconsciously? Whatever it is, it's stronger than Discord and now that it has its elements back, it has clearly woken up!
5317585
You've got a leak in your helmet again...
The internet could not contain such things! Most surely it would overload, followed by any nearby heads!
Heathen! We speak not of Kiss Players!
Ha! True, if not quite on the money. He'd get a nasty surprise if he tried that on my particular Time Turner, though.
Well, if you're gonna violate free will, might as well do it with cupcakes and sprinkles, amiright?
5340025
Sorry, clipped myself with my new crossguard lightsaber. It's almost impractical.
I apologize, I only learned about it through this old comic strip: shortpacked.com/comics/2006-08-23-megaschlong.png
To be fair, do you think there is anyone in the history of everything that has every shown up at someone's house at 2 AM, drunk with a broken bottle, who didn't get a nasty surprise?
Sure
Besides, it's pretty subtle in it-All Hail the HYPNOtree!
I wonder, shall we ever hear from Twilight's dad? If Velvet is a former Guard Captain and editor/police chief, I wonder what Night Light does for a living? Probably something embarrassingly low-key...
5706722
You're about two chapters away from hearing his life's story, and four chapters away from meeting him in person.
I don't think you'll be be disappointed.
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5317585
Actually Weird Al has had quite a few cartoon cameos.
Wait... they don't know... why carbon's an alloy in the knife?
They have carbon dating... do they not have steel in Equestria?
Do... ponies not know steel? That's odd, particularly given they're building stuff with elevators. I mean, sure, you could have a Structural Integrity Unicorn, but that strikes me as a real waste of equine resources. Also less reliable than, say, just about anything that can't get distracted.
Hey, Shardscale! I was wondering whether she'd show up.
It was nice to see Shardscale. I wonder if Discord ever messes with the elevators in Twilight's castle.
Police chief Twilight Velvet nice.