Chapter 10: Canterlot heist
Chapter 10: Canterlot heist
The day of the Canterlot trip began early that weekend morning. The ponies who were going (the top 10 highest grading students) had spent nearly all night and all morning picking out what to wear and deciding what to do once they arrived. As they began filing in the carriages to take them there, Twilight and Fluttershy were saying goodbye to Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
"This is so exciting!" squealed Twilight. "Just think of all that we can learn from this trip."
"It's a shame that you girls can't come with us." said Fluttershy. "It wouldn't be the same without you." Applejack just shrugged.
"Eh, we don't mind none." she said. Pinkie nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, just make you bring back a bunch of souvenirs for us. Okay?" Twilight and Fluttershy laughed.
"We'll try. Pinkie." Fluttershy looked around.
"Where's Rarity?" she asked.
"She's holed up in her room, been in there for the last two or so days. Something about mane trouble." said Applejack.
"Your highnesses, we're about to leave." called the coach horse from his seat.
"We gotta get going." said Twilight. "We'll see you soon." Applejack and Pinkie Pie waved their goodbyes.
"Take care!"
"Don't forget us!" Applejack looked at her quizzically.
"You do know they're just gonna be gone for the day. Right?" she asked. Pinkie just smiled.
"Oh I know." Applejack just decided to drop to subject and the two continued to wave their goodbyes as the carriages drove out of sight.
Twilight eagerly talked during the whole trip as Fluttershy listened. Her face full of happiness at the prospect of furthering her learning. Fluttershy however was thinking about what she was about to do. 'Why did I agree to do this?' she wondered. 'It was bad enough when I was doing it for mother but...' She then thought of Discord, unable to leave the castle. What if Queen Celestia decided to keep him there? Thinking about only his past and not seeing the side of him that she'd come to know? 'It'll only be for a little while.' Fluttershy assured herself. 'Enough time to stretch and move about before anypony notices.'
It was around then that she noticed that Twilight had stopped stopped talking, and she could see why. From the carriage window, the two princesses saw the grand castle coming into view. Canterlot castle was drastically different from the school. Built into the side of a mountain, the castle and its many towers and outward facing balconies looked out over the land below. Made of smooth white stone and capped with roofs of purple and gold. A steady waterfall streamed from the mountainside, pooling into a lake on the edge of the castle grounds before spilling over the edge and down below the mountain. A grand sight worthy of its reputation.
"There it is." Twilight whispered in awe. Fluttershy was also at a loss for words. She put a hoof to her neck, where hidden beneath the neckline of her dress, hung the key Queen Melodia instructed her to use. 'This is it.' she told herself.
The princesses exited the carriages in single file. Princess Luna stood before them, making sure that they were all present and accounted for.
"I welcome you all to Canterlot castle." said Luna. "While here, I ask that you respect the rules and do not stray from the group." The princess beckoned for them to follow her inside. Everypony marveled at the grandeur of this hallowed place. Sunlight shined through the stained glass windows, casting bright colors onto the floor. Grand carpets and tapestries hung about the room.
"Centuries ago, my sister and I ruled Equestria together from our royal castle in the Everfree forest. As more and more ponies began to populate the land, my sister thought it would be best to build an new castle, so that we may be closer to our subjects." said Princess Luna. She went on to describe how she and her sister debated greatly over the matter and how they chose this place to build their new home. Seeing the princess distracted, Fluttershy saw this as her chance to slip away to find the spell book.
Quietly, she ducked away from the group and down a nearby hallway. 'Mother said the book would be in the highest tower of the castle.' Fluttershy thought to herself. She began going down hallways, trying to stay out of sight from the castle guards. 'Where could it be?' she wondered. Just as she was about to give up, she found a long staircase that rose high up. Believing that she finally found what she was looking for, Fluttershy began the long trek up its many steps.
Back with the group, Princess Luna had taken them through the gardens and the observatory when Fleur Dis Lee spoke up.
"Princess Luna?" Luna stopped and faced Fleur.
"Yes Fleur Dis Lee?"she asked.
"Princesses Twilight and Fluttershy are missing." said Fleur. Sure enough, they were nowhere to be seen. Luna mentally slapped herself for not keeping better watch.
"Guard, come here!" she called. A dark gray unicorn in golden armor trotted toward her.
"Alert the other guards that Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Fluttershy are wandering the castle. Have them found and brought to me. I'll assist with the search, and ask also that you keep close watch over the students." The guard saluted her, and did as he was told.
"Where could those two have gotten to?" she wondered aloud.
Twilight had been enjoying the tour immensely, but when she noticed that Fluttershy wasn't in the group, no doubt lost, she decided to try and find her before Princess Luna could notice her absence. "She couldn't have gotten that far." Twilight told herself. It wasn't long before Twilight herself got lost. She smacked her hoof onto her forehead.
"This is just great." she muttered. "Where could she have gone?" Twilight aimlessly walked down the hall in search of a guard or somepony that could help her, but they'd all been called by one of the guards to receive some important orders from the princess. Twilight stopped at the entrance of a hallway, something about it caught her attention. Pulled in by curiosity, she found herself walking down it. The walls were lined with portraits of ponies. Young and old, mare and stallion, pegasus, pony, and unicorn, they looked back at Twilight with stiff expressions. She recognized some of them from her books, old rulers of kingdoms in Equestria and beyond. One portrait in particular caused Twilight to stop and stare.
The pegasus mare in the portrait was taller and carried herself with confident grace. Her milk and honey coat made her appear as elegant and as delicate as a porcelain doll. Her red-violet mane was pulled back in a loose ponytail that hung over her shoulder. But despite her beauty and regal air, there was something...off about it. Her eyes...yes, that was it. Those dark sea green eyes held a lonely, almost bitter shadow in them.Twilight somehow felt sorry for her, but at the same time, a touch unnerved the longer she stared into those eyes.
"Twilight Sparkle!" boomed a voice. Twilight flinched at the sound, looking over her shoulder to see Princess Luna, a frown on her face, coming from the entrance of the hall.
"I'd expect you to know better than to wander off." she said sternly. Twilight lowered her head.
"Forgive me Princess, I saw Fluttershy was missing and went to look for her." said Twilight. "Then I stumbled upon this...what is this?" Luna looked at the portraits with respect.
"The Hall of Royals Past." she answered. "Here lies the Kings and Queens that have ruled before you. Their portraits made shortly after their coronations. Twilight looked back at the portrait of the pegasus queen.
"If I may your highness, who is she?" she asked pointing a hoof at the mare. A glimmer of an unfamiliar expression passed over the princess' eyes. Her mouth tightened at the question.
"That Twilight Sparkle, is a terrible story for another day." said Luna in a grim tone. Twilight noticed that the princess was glaring at the mare, as though she were really there.
"Let us return to the others." said Luna, turning to leave.
"But...!" Luna silenced her.
"Forget about this place Twilight Sparkle. Forget about that mare." to herself she murmured. "Just as I've tried."
Twilight wanted to ask further, but followed the alicorn back to the room.
Finally Fluttershy had made it to the top of the stairs. She panted a bit to catch her breath. She looked up to find two large doors before her. Carefully, she creaked open the door and entered. A small hallway was inside, lined with floor-length stained glass windows. Fluttershy's hooves pitter-pattered on the stone floor, echoing slightly against the walls. Fluttershy walked toward the tall glass case that held in it the thick spell book, it's cover cracked and pages yellowing. Fluttershy took out the key and turned it thrice in the golden lock. The tumblers shifted and clicked as the case opened up to her. Carefully, she took the book in hoof and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought it would be much more difficult." she said. But then, a small surge of magic left from the podium. Fluttershy could hear the dozen of guards making their way to the door. Quickly, she flew up into the air and into the far corner of the ceiling. She looked down at the now empty podium.
"Please let this work." she whispered. One of the spells her mother had tried to teach her was a simple illusion spell. Fluttershy's irises lit with a small glow as she cast the spell onto the podium. The guards burst in, searching the room, but not thinking to look up. The circled the podium, which to them still contained the book.
"False alarm." said one of the guards, and they all left. Fluttershy flew down from her hiding spot and crept out. She started to search around for a mirror to pass the book through. Finally, she found one hanging on the wall.
"Mother." she said. The mirror reflected a black light in response. Fluttershy pushed the book through the rippling glass.
"You've done well my daughter." said Queen Melodia. Fluttershy bobbed her head.
"I need to go, remember your promise mother." Fluttershy hurried off.
Fluttershy found the group again, when she approached, Princess Luna gave her a steely gaze.
"Princess Fluttershy, did I not explicitly tell you not to leave the group?" asked Luna. Fluttershy stammered.
"I-I, I was..."
"There you are!" cried a voice. Fluttershy stiffened. Had somepony seen what she'd done. Much to her surprise, it was Rainbow Dash galloping toward them.
"You didn't give me a chance to thank you." said Rainbow Dash. Princess Luna gave Rainbow a questionable look.
"Squire Rainbow Dash, what are you talking about?" asked Luna. Rainbow faced the alicorn princess.
"I was having some trouble carrying a new order of armor for the Wonderbolts, when Princess Fluttershy," she said wrapping her foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulder, "was kind enough to help me. She hurried off, saying she had to get back before I had a chance to properly thank her." Princess Luna eyed the two pegasi before deciding that she was telling the truth.
"Next time Princess Fluttershy," said Luna, her steel gaze lessen by a tiny fraction. "It would be best to inform me of when you choose to go and help somepony on a whim." Luna gave out a long lecture on the importance of listening to their superiors, and that any pony else who broke the rules during the trip would receive a week long detention.
"Thank you." Fluttershy whispered to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash smiled.
"No problem. It was the least I could do."
"What are you doing her?" Rainbow Dash became red faced with embarrassment.
"I uh, was sent on a shopping errand for the Wonderbolts. What with being on probation and all." Fluttershy's eyes looked down.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I'm the one who didn't listen." A small smile spread on Fluttershy's face. Twilight motioned for her friend to hurry up and follow the rest of the group. Fluttershy bade Rainbow goodbye and went after the other princesses, continuing the tour.
Back in the school, Discord was playing cards with himself, trying to keep himself entertained. Queen Celestia had told Discord to confine his "chaotic quirks" to his classroom, so as to not further upset the princesses and staff. He was interrupted when the mirror on the wall rippled. From it, a thick spell book was pushed out.
"It's about time." said Discord. He opened the old book, the page he needed had been bookmarked by a soft, milk and honey colored feather.
"What's this?" he asked quizzically. The mirror spoke.
"That is a vital ingredient for the spell to work. I suggest you take care not to loose it." Discord's yellow and red eyes scanned the text, stopping at how long it would take for the spell to work.
"A month?!" he screeched. He glared at the mirror.
"The price for freedom requires patience." replied the mirror coolly.
"Knowing how long I'd have to wait would've been a helpful tidbit." said Discord snarkily. "What am I supposed to do until then?"
"Your the Lord of Chaos,you think of something." replied the mirror sharply. The voice faded and the mirror became ordinary once more. Discord was not the least bit amused.
"That's the last time I choose to listen to talking mirrors." said Discord. He placed the book and feather on his desk. "Still, I can't argue that the mirror didn't deliver."
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Honestly, I loved the Three's a Crowd reference, all I thought about when he conjured the items was the song.
And HOW do you update so quickly!? This is a really great story, and I've read stories that are equally good, and often take longer to update! Did you have this story planned out in advance?
Still loved this chapter, and I suppose the month long wait for Discord is so he can spend even more time with Fluttershy, and begin to doubt what he wants?
But I'm also guessing it won't be too had for Twilight to figure out who Fluttershy's mother is now that she's seen a portrait: I bet she's going to start researching past queens the minute she returns to the school, am I right?
Can't wait for the next chapter!!!
Hmm...
Hmm...
I can already see Queen Bitchy breaking her promise.