Equestria World, Book 1: Surviving Canterlot High

by Gear Works

Ch. 34 - Putting Together the Pieces

After dropping Sunset off, Chrysalis and me made our way home and waited for a time for the knights to meet online. We received an e-mail to meet in the evening, and details to access a private web chat room along with a request for Doctor Whooves to join the meeting as well. I agreed with the decision, since I called for the CODE BLACK in the first place. So we were able to have dinner with the family before going back up to my room and closing the door so we can have a meeting in private. Coco and Moon Dancer had their own place to chat, while Professor River Song and the other four members, Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle, met in one location. Turns out that it was my old home in Manehattan, which Double Diamond bought and made into his own private home and base of operations.

We explained everything that we learned so far; the Equestrian Knights and Riders that helped in the Great War, about the students of Crystal Prep being enhanced with soul powers, the fact that someone on the outside could be helping the school, the story about Masamune and Muramasa, and the Temple that Master Blades was being trained and some of it’s origins. I wanted to see if we could piece any of this together and see if it connects to the mysterious lady we saw two years ago.

“Just hearing about all this would raise some concerns,” River Song said. “And hearing about the Equestrian Knights and Equestrian Riders during the Great War would be news to me, but…”

“But you already know about them, do you,” I said.

“Spoilers,” was her response. “But in truth, it seams that there might be a connection between the knights and the scholars at the temple. When I went on my trip, my…”

We were interrupted when my cell rang, which I looked at it. “It’s Luna. She might have more on the diary if she’s calling me this late.”

“Everyone, kill your mics,” River Song said. “Jack, put it on speaker. I want to listen in.”

I answered my cell and placed it on speaker. “I’m guessing you learned something important that you had to call me this late.”

“I did. And it involves what happened years later after he arrived at the temple.”

“How far ahead are we looking at?” I asked Luna.

“About a decade. I wanted to find out when he started teaching on campus before I met him, maybe when he met Professor Star Swirl. And I found a couple of articles that might be of importance.”

I was about to speak when Professor River Song waved at the screen. “Luna, can you hold on for a moment?”

“Sure.”

River Song held up a piece of paper that said, “Let me speak to her. Just make something up.”

“Luna, I was having a video chat with Professor River Song at the moment before you called and…”

“You have her online? Put her on, please.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Hold on.”

I waited a moment for River Song to turn on her mic to speak.

“Miss Luna, can you hear me?”

“Just about, River Song.”

“Same here.”

“Did you find anything on your search over the summer?”

“I was about to explain that to Jack as well. And I think what both of you are looking for might be a connected lead that we have been seeking. But I’m guessing that you have something important to tell Jack?”

“I did, and it might help you as well. My former master at college attended a temple to train for the same soul powers that Jack has for 10 years. But something happen that changed everything.”

The temple was attacked last night and I was lucky enough to escape and make it to one of the scholars that live in the town to the south of the temple. I told him that some unknown group raided the temple. We didn’t even sense them coming. My master warned me when they started to break in and escort me to an escape route. I only had time to grab my diary in a bag. I don’t know if anyone survived, but he told the other scholars to scout the temple area and make sure it was safe before we can return to see what happen. Until then, I’ll have to wait.

“A group that they couldn’t sense? That doesn’t sound right,” I said.

“I was thinking the same thing, he wrote in the next entry a week later that is was safe to enter and that they were going to the temple to see what all happened. The next entry explains what he saw.”

The temple had burn marks, but the structure was still intact. When we entered, we say dead or burned bodies of all the scholars that were at the temple, but no sign of any of the students or masters. The scholar that I was with followed me to my master’s room to find him dead. But the block in the wall wasn’t moved since I went through it to escape. The scholar asked me to touch his body, where he was stabbed. When I did, I was able to see what happened during his last moments before he was killed. I saw some mysterious woman in black, along with some others dressed in black with their faces hidden. I was told that even in death, a part of their soul would remain for others to obtain. This was something that is left when a person travels to the afterlife. I took the chance to see if this would work on the dead scholars, and while it was weaker than my master’s, it was enough to paint a picture of what happen. While the scholars were getting killed, the students were being captured from behind and taken away. Same for the masters which they were trying to fight off. All of the invaders were covered in black. Another scholar found something that was left on one of the walls, a message to others.

“He draws on the next page what looks like a black star around a circle.”

“Like a witch’s pentagram?” River Song asked.

“I believe so. But there’s more.”

The old scholar that was with us remembers seeing this symbol before, back from the last Great War. He said that they were called the Dark Star Organization, and that they were a threat back during the Great War. He decided to make plans for me to go somewhere where I can be safe.

“I think this scholar knew something during the Great War. And he planned to come and seek a younger Star Swirl over here.”

“Have you heard about the Equestrian Knights and Riders from that war?” I asked.

“Yes. Coach Iron Will and Coach Tirek once told us about this back then.”

“Same here,” I said. “Do you think this scholar might have been a solider in the Great War?”

“Maybe. And I was hoping that River Song would have an answer.”

“I think so,” River Song said. “If the symbol that I saw at the temple that I visited is the same as what you saw, then I might have found the place that we have been looking for. Send me a scan of the symbol. I want to get in touch with my contact again and double-check some things before I can explain. Do you have any names that can help?”

“No, just my master’s name. Saw Blades. Maybe that would help.”

“I’ll let my contact know and see if he can use that to get some more info. Is that all?”

“I think so. I hope that helps in our search. I just think whoever took these students and masters might have taken Star Swirl as well.”

“Thanks for telling us this,” I said. “Whoever this group is that raided the temple might be connected with Crystal Prep, I hope.”

“I was thinking the same thing. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jack.”

“You too. Bye.” I made sure the line was closed before I spoke again. “OK everyone. Mics on.”

“What’s going on with you and Luna tomorrow,” River Song asked with a sly look on her face.

“Mental training,” I said.

“Miss Luna believes that the tenth soul art could be usable for the championship game,” Moon Dancer explained. “But so far, he’s only gone up to the seventh art.”

“Think you can explain what this art is that he needs to learn?” asked River Song.

“It’s supposed to be a way to boost his soul powers, giving him an edge in the game without anyone noticing,” Coco explained.

“But it involves the body, mind, and soul to be as one,” Moon Dancer added. “And the only student in our school that could help him with that is…”

“TREE HUGGER!!!” Chrysalis, Coco, Moon Dancer, and I said together.

“Ah, the art of meditation,” Doctor Whooves said. “I’ve heard that there are various cultures that rely on meditation to clear their minds, like the one you visited, Miss River Song.”

“Oh Doctor. You sure know how to catch on,” River Song replied. “In fact, the temple that she was describing was the one that I visited. And what brings the connection with this and the Great War was that the guy who told Luna’s master about Dark Star was a member of the Equestrian Knights.”

“You were about to say that before we were interrupted, right?” I asked.

“Yes. At this time, his son is in charge of the restoration project at the temple. Only a few of the living scholars’ children look over the place at this time,” River Song explained.

“I hope there’s a story in all this,” said Coco.

“There is,” River Song replied. “Turns out that after the Great War was over, it was believed that the Dark Star Organization disappeared when the axis nations surrendered. One of the Knights decided to retire from the military, after seeing the gruesome effects that were being done on children. He came up to one of the masters who sense what was wrong with him and invited him to the temple. After he learned about the temple’s history, he felt that the students that they were teaching were just like what Dark Star was trying to create. He decided to be a scholar and live in the town nearby, along with a few other scholars, as a way to have a safe place should the temple would be attacked, based on what he saw during the war.”

“And if it wasn’t for him in the first place, we wouldn’t have known anything about my gift from the start,” I said. “You said that his son is in charge of the temple. Any reason why?”

“Maybe. And that’s why I need to get in touch with my contact again,” River Song said. “The temple was never attacked again, and there hasn’t been any sign that the Dark Star Organization in action since that time, from what I know. Jack, I want him to know that you carry this gift that Blades once carried. If I’m lucky, we might be able to get more support in all of this.”

“Tell him everything that we discussed, including Masamune and Muramasa and the story that connects them,” I said. “I want to know if they know more details about the story and the swords.”

“There is one more thing that I need to know,” said River Song. “The scrolls that you are studying, do you know the condition of the paper that these scrolls are?”

“For its age, still in good shape,” answered Moon Dancer. “It must have been handled with care while he had them.”

“Because, and if I remember this correctly, Blades was able to find a set of 20 scrolls that survived the raid in a secret compartment. I think there could have been more, but those were lost in the raid,” River Song explained. “I think those scrolls that Luna has once belong to Blades’ master back in the temple. He must have been allowed to take them in hopes to continue studying on his own.”

“And now I have to study these same scrolls with Luna’s help,” I said. I placed my hand on my chin and said to myself, “This just keeps getting deeper and deeper.”

“I’ve seen that look before,” Coco said. “Something’s going through that mind of yours. I know it.”

I said, “Applejack once told me to be careful about ‘digging a hole that I can’t get out of” when I was dealing with Sunset at the time. Now with the Dark Star Organization and Crystal Prep, we could be in a deeper hole than we really know of as of now.”

“Applejack is known to be smart and careful about others,” said Doctor Whooves. “But I don’t think we can walk away from this issue if you’re in the center of it.”

“I have to agree,” said River Song. “We need to get them to show themselves to us, and that means you have to come out in some way without the whole world noticing.”

“And how do we do that?” I asked.

“I might have an idea, if some of the pieces connect to each other,” said Moon Dancer. “If our mysterious lady was looking for ancient weapons, and Professor Digger gave those two blades to keep them safe, and if Principal Cinch is linked to our mysterious lady, then…”

“He’ll have to display the weapons for her to see,” Coco finished.

“Why don’t I just carry them around during the championship game for her to see. Maybe that will get their attention,” I said sarcastically.

“Sounds like a good idea,” said Night Glider.

“That was a joke, Nights,” I replied.

“And still, it’s a great idea,” she said.

“Why do I have a feeling that you’re about to take this to where we don’t want this to go to?” said Coco.

Night Glider said, “Look Coco, you and Jack are now together in the same school. This is a good time to issue a challenge.”

“We had this discussion before, Nights,” Coco yelled. “And it’s something that Jack doesn’t feel like doing.”

“But still, he has the power to issue it,” Double Diamond added. “And with you there, you can agree to have the challenge go forward.”

“We only added that in case we were accused of fixing the debate,” Coco said. “If Jack does this and it goes south after the review, it could be the end of the Manehattan Knights.”

“Forgive me for interrupting, but what are you guys talking about,” Chrysalis requested.

Before one of us could answer, Moon Dancer responded.

“It’s the Order of the Manehattan Knights law.” We all had blank stares at the response. “I better explain. When Coco told us the story about how the Manehattan Knights, I remember reading about a new law in place to help balance out the use of power, so to speak. I looked it up and found the law that was listed online. Jack, you’re the main founder of creating this law.”

“Only because Double Diamond help get the connections to discuss it after we talked about it one time,” I said.

“And while I like what you did to help resolve issues that involve those with power just to make things fair, the challenge part is more of a safety measure on your part,” Moon Dancer explained. “And I have to agree with all of you on this. Jack might have to issue the challenge, but the timing has to be right.”

“I have to agree with Moon Dancer on this one,” said Doctor Whooves. “Since we have yet to find the insider, and three key students are off the hook, plus the fact that Principal Cinch will be at the championship game, she could accuse CHS for sabotaging the team by placing players on suspension if we win. And since we might have proof that the three students were a part of the break-in, we could accuse them of letting one of their players to play when he should be on suspension.”

All of us had blank stares before Party Favor broke the silence. “That’s a lot to take in when you say it all at once.”

“But that still leaves us with the type of challenge you plan to issue,” Night Glider explained.

I took a moment to think before I spoke. “How many cases have been made in total since we started doing this?”

“Twelve, all of which were successful,” replied Double Diamond. “We finished one a week ago, but none of them have had challenges issues from us.”

“So we haven’t had anyone reach the higher ranks as of yet?” Coco asked.

“Not really,” River Song answered. “We have one reach the 3rd star rank, but that doesn’t qualify him to issue challenges as of yet, as it was placed in the law.”

“That means I would be handling the 13th case, which would be my first one, not to mention the first challenge…if it went there,” I said. “I’ll need time to figure this out before going forward with this.”

“Well don’t wait too long,” Moon Dancer said. “I know Twilight has yet to find out about this, but if she sees this, she will go off on you and Coco.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” said Coco.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. Principal Cinch does have a weakness, and I think it would have shown after you handed their first lost in years,” Doctor Whooves explained.

“Pride,” I said. “I’ll keep that in mind. I think that’s all that we can talk about on this issue. If there’s nothing else to add to this, then…”

“I have one more thing to say,” said Night Glider.

I asked her, “What is it?”

“It’s a different topic, but it’s something that you need to know. A week after you left, we had some unexpected visitors come to the city at night. We believe that it could be gang related.”

“Is Scar causing trouble again?” I asked Night Glider.

“Not this time. And I’m not dating him again. He has a new girlfriend, by the way.”

“That better be true,” Coco responded.

Night Glider continued. “Anyway, Scar’s gang isn’t much of a gang anymore. It’s more of a night watch group, but he still keeps in touch with other gangs in other cities so that everything stays in line. The deal is that he came to me so that the Knights can keep an eye out as well if they were to show up. They only had a patch design to go on when he brought this to my attention.” A picture of a talon claw in a circle patch was displayed. “Since then, none of us have seen this gang again in the city. We thought it could be a new gang forming, and we were right. Turns out from his connections that they are called the Talons, and they were being formed in Ponyville. It’s still new, but we think they could be recruiting before they could expand to other turfs. We don’t have an exact location, but it’s believed to be lead by a female member.”

“Jack, if this was a gang for hire, they could be the inside source to the break-in. But I doubt that Crystal Prep would go to a gang that they don’t know about,” Moon Dancer explained.

“It’s a good idea. Keep that in mind, just in case,” I said. “And Night Glider, if he finds out more about this gang, see to it that I know about this as well.”

“Will do,” she responded.

“And one more thing,” I said. “Make sure that Scar learns how to defend himself. I’m sure he doesn’t want another kick to the head like last time.”

Night Glider said, “Oh we already started training him. I needed a new sparing partner since you left.”

“I figure that as much,” I said. “If there’s nothing else to discuss, then this meeting is concluded. Keep me in touch if anything happens in Manehattan.”

“Yes sir!”

Everyone, including me, left the chat room. I looked at Chrysalis and saw that she wanted to ask me something.

“You want to know what the Order of the Manehattan Knights law is about, right?”

“Just so I can get a better understanding on it,” she said. “How did it start?”

“After we created the Manehattan Knights, it was just a small group to help watch over those that needed help, so we didn’t have any real power. The six of us were up on the roof of my family’s house, looking over the city. Night Glider brought up the fact that we should be doing more to help out the city. With officers and politicians having more power than everyone else, she wanted to level the playing field when there were conflicts that were going on. Sugar Belle agreed, since she felt that there were people who felt powerless.

“Well, Double Diamond’s family has connections with some good politicians who were willing to hear us out. The idea was to have people request our aide to resolve any issue with someone would have greater power than the other. We would listen to both sides and decide who was in the right and who was in the wrong. We would even find some middle ground for both sides if that were possible. We wanted to make sure that every major issue that was requested would be resolved in a fair manner that would avoid a major conflict in the area. What we wanted to create went straight up to the top.”

Chrysalis was surprised and said, “You mean…Mr. President himself?”

“Yep. He was able to draft a bill to make things official, once it was approved in a vote,” I said.

“What about the challenge part?” Chrysalis asked me.

“That was something that Party Favor brought up, in an odd way. He wondered ‘What if they didn’t trust us in our judgment? Do we have to have a dance-off or something?’ We thought is sounded silly, but it did give us an idea. So we decided to add a challenge amendment, allowing us to challenge the other person who decided to make a claim on us for fixing the decision that was made. Another knight had to be there the agree to the challenge issued, and only 4 or 5-star ranking knight can issue a challenge.”

“And I’m guessing that you’re a 5-star ranking knight?” Chrysalis asked.

I took off my shirt and showed her my backside, pointing to a tattoo of a shield with a knight’s helmet on it, and the words “MANEHATTAN” on the top and “KNIGHTS” on the bottom outside the shield. At the bottom of the tattoo was a ribbon with the word “FOUNDER” on it.

“This is our badge of honor as a Manehattan Knight. To be listed as the founder is the same as a 5-star rank. An adviser, like Professor River Song is the same as a 4-star rank. But it gives us command to all other ranking knights. Once you reach a 5-star rank, it gives you the right to be as captain or second of command with the knights if the honor is given to them. I’m listed as captain of the knights, and since I have reconnected with Coco Pommel, she has regained her part as second in command. I had the professor take it for the moment before I could decide who it should be. With the e-mail and cell phones, we can keep up on activates within the knights.”

As I put my shirt back on, Chrysalis said, “Going back to the challenge. How do you issue your challenge? Is it the same for all knights?”

“No. We would make our challenge something that we would be able to achieve. It could be a race, sport, or some kind of talent. And if someone were to intervene, they would be willing to take the place of the person that is being challenged. Double Diamond and Night Glider thought about having a race or skills competition. Sugar Belle wants a cook-off, which would be strange. Coco thought about her challenge in a game of chess. It was something she got hooked on since our freshman year.”

“And yet, you haven’t thought of a challenge if you had to do one at the time,” she said.

“More like I didn’t have a talent worth issuing,” I said. “I was an organizer and hard worker. Just being called the ‘Jack of Trades’ was a title that I was average at about everything and was willing to do anything that needed to be done. But when I think about it now, I think the only challenge that I can issue is one not worth the risk.” I looked at the blades on the rack.

Chrysalis saw what I was looking at and realized what I meant. “I see. And I can guess the review after the challenge would be the big risk, if I heard correctly.”

“It is,” I said. “Each challenge that’s completed must be review by the politicians up at the top to see if the right course of action was taken. And being the founder of the knights would mean betting the entire group on a challenge that I would have to make. It was something that I wanted to avoid since it was officially created. I wanted to give all future knights a chance to make a difference for the world. And now I might have to put it on the line to stop Crystal Prep, or even bring anyone from the Dark Star Organization out in the open.” I let out a long, deep sigh. “I never thought I would be making the big decisions just because I carry this gift that no one else has.”

Chrysalis made her way to the door and said, “We all have to make big decisions in life. I started to do that after you got me out of that falling house that I had to live in. And right now, you got through all the tough decisions so far. Now’s not the time to give up because of your own pride. I know you can do it. Everyone that’s been on your side knows it as well. Just keep going forward, never look back.” She opened the door and said, “I’m going to get some sleep. You might want to do the same. You have some mental training tomorrow. Maybe that can help clear your head and help decide what you need to do. Night.”

As she left my room, I got up and closed the door. I got changed into my PJs and got ready for bed. It was then that my cell went off. “Now who would be calling me this late,” I said. I looked at my cell and saw that it was Fleur de Lis, so I decided to answer my cell.

“Hey Fleur. How are you feeling?”

“Better, that’s for sure. I took your advice and tried to talk to Long Shot, but I just couldn’t keep a conversation going on the ride home.”

“That bad?”

“For the moment. But when I got to the gate, I got out so I can enter my pass code, which I plan to have changed during the week. Once I was back in his car, he asked me if I just live by myself. I told him that my mother hired caretakers during the week while I’m at school and a driver when I need him. Other than that, I’m usually by myself, as you would have known. When he asked what I do for meals, I told him that I just fix simple stuff when I’m by myself. He asked me if he can come in and help fix a decent meal for lunch.”

“And you decided to bring him in, right?”

“I did. When we went into the kitchen, he asked me if I was a vegetarian, which I am, so he was able to fix me a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. During that time, he was explaining to me some of the health benefits of having a good meal. It sounded like he was a health expert or something. I got out some iced tea, and we shared the meal together. So I took the time to talk about other healthy ideas to enjoy, hoping I could keep things going, and we just started to talk about random things. He found out that my mother’s a model, and I decided to show him some pictures of us in my room. Although, I didn’t finish taking down your…shrine.”

“I would have figured that you already took it down.”

“I’m sorry, but things have been…hectic after what has happened before. I had to explain to him the reasoning for it, and I was surprised that he understood what I was doing. He was surprised to find out that you were a part of the Manehattan Knights after seeing the article that I found about it. So he took the paper clippings and was able to put them in an envelope for the time being and said that it should be in a scrap book for…you.”

“Now this is a surprise. I would think he would be turned off by it.”

“I was thinking the same thing. But he understands that having a mother as a famous model could make it harder for me to find a possible boyfriend, and maybe more. He said that he has been thinking about being a health and nutrition expert, and that it can help others stay healthy and not become fat…or thin.”

“Models in the past have gone to extremes for modeling. Some have demanding that it stop. I think having him as a future husband would please your mother, knowing that you’re staying healthy and still look like a model like your mother.”

“Oh please. I don’t want to think that far ahead. But it helps that there may be a chance to make it work. He plans to come over tomorrow after practice with some cookbooks and food supplies and show me how to fix some good meals by myself.”

“Just make sure you don’t act like a creep like you did with me.”

“I promise. And…I’m glad that you were able to understand what I was doing at the time. It has helped me reflect on my past actions and what I need to be doing for myself instead of my mother.”

“Well, you get your beauty sleep. You want to make a big impression on him tomorrow when he shows up.”

“I will. Night.”

“Goodnight.” I hung up and though to myself, “I wonder if I should tell Indigo about this?” So I sent a text to her about the possible couple, hoping that she would understand what I meant. To my surprise, she decides to call me back.

“Dude, are you saying that Fleur and Long Shot are now dating?”

“Not really, but it could happen if she plays her cards right.”

“Now I have to know the details if I plan to help.”

“Sure. But you would have to do something for me.”

“And that would be?”

“Just got some more info on Blades’ diary. I think your team might be able to look for some more details about a certain group.”

“Then let’s start there first. Let me get a pen and paper so I know what we need to do.”

“Good idea, because I hope this can be the break we have been looking for on what’s going on with Crystal Prep.”

Author's Note:

Now we're getting serious in the story. And it's going to get more serious as we come close to the end of the first book.

Comments

[Mesiagamer]

First book?

[Gear Works]

6971490 Yep. The second book with be from a 3rd person P.O.V. Plus it will need new tags, since it's now a new mission that the group will have to face.

This one is how Jack meets his new friends and learns about his gift more. The next book will take the story to another level.

[Alot Master]

Make more plz