Empress Rarity's 251st Birthday

by Lord-Commander

Chapter Six

Prince Blueblood, Lord and Regent of the Silverwoods, couldn’t help but feel a warm, smug sense of satisfaction with the scene before him.

It was nothing less than The Blue-Ribbons Foundation’s legendary Charity Fair, the biggest and greatest celebration in western Equestria, and one of the most lucrative charity drives. Banners and streamers hung all over; indicating a variety of noble houses, organizations, and of course, the sovereign nation of Equestria. Booths full of games, trinkets, and other items for sale where scattered about. A large ferris wheel had been brought in this year, along with several other rides, and a stage for the afternoon auction and later, the evening concert. Blueblood let out a small chuckle as he watch a group of fillies scamper past his table, in some sort of fit of giggles.

It was definitely a merry time, and why shouldn’t be?

Canterlot, of course had their galas and garden parties, but one only had to attend those a few times to realize how downright boring they actually were. The same marble, the same food, the same guests so fixated on the ceiling that it was a wonder nopony got into a major accident. It got rather boring. No, the better, and on the rise trend was to host parties and celebrations outside of the gilded cage of Canterlot. And this was just the one to be at.

The Blue-Ribbons Foundation had become such a success as a charity organization, that it even had the support of the Equestrian Thrones. Not only was it in the business of helping those on less fortunate circumstances, but in their words, it was a way to spread ‘friendship and love across Equestria’. Blueblood rolled his eyes at the mere thought of it, nearly unable to contain his laughter when he first heard the speech.

True, the Foundation, and the Fair does serve to assist those in… less fortunate circumstances, at times. But its true purpose? Well...

The Prince grinned again as he found his rear hoof tapping along with the music being played, a rather simple affair with a piano and a drum set, and he couldn’t understand a word the trio of stallions were singing, but it was catchy nonetheless. He even danced a little bit in his seat.

Blueblood glanced out at the assorted crowd of guests and their families, who were the key to the Fair’s success. He knew them all, many on a first name basis. He could see Prism Bolt, current Captain of the Wonderbolts along with his whole team, signing autographs and making small talk with some fans; mostly starstruck colts and fillies. Speaking of pegasi, it didn’t take him long to find the fiery mane of the blue military uniform of the Equestrian Sky Marshal, Firefly. She was busy conversing with colleagues from other branches of the Equestrian Military, no doubt discussing recent events with the Crystal Empire.

There was also Senator Underhill, a member of the Equestrian Foreign Affairs Committee, and who was also another… pegasus. Blueblood frowned. How many blasted pegasi did he know? He had to know some other kind of pony for sure, even those mud-flinging earth ponies, a crystal bumpkin or two, a noble unicorn! He let out a sigh of relief as he spotted some other, non-pegasi ponies.

There were some Apples, a few Oranges, and the heir to the Tiara/Rich fortune and CEO to Barnyard Enterprises, check on the mud flingers. Then there was the renowned inventor, Graham Belle, and his wife. Not to mention the fabulous Pier Polomare, a rising star in the fashion industry. His noble kind, also checked.

There were others, of course. Many were nobles or politicians, the famous and the rich, or the well respected and trusted of the public eye. But most importantly, their donations flowed, filling the coffers of the Foundation. Few here genuinely gave out of the depths of their hearts. For many, this was just for the sake of appearance; a way to buy prestige, and the reputation for doing a good deed amongst their fellow ponies. But didn't matter to Blueblood.

They were all idiots either way. No matter what their intentions for this weekend was, their desires and bits only did one thing. To fuel his ambitions.

Blueblood leaned back in his chair, rear hoof still tapping away, and closed his eyes, allowing the warmth of the late summer sun to give its full comfort. Everything was on schedule. Last year’s minor hiccup at being ‘forcibly retired’ as the Equestrian Ambassador to the Crystal Empire, had turned out to be a greater blessing than he thought. A slight news spin, a few well-leaked photos of his farewell parties, and a speech for peace pulled right out of the depths of Celestia’s handbook, and he had risen anew. The media and public eye now saw him as the tragic hero, the singular voice pleading for reason in a dark time where Equestria was on the brink of war.

It was perfect.

His agents of the Edict have done a spectacular job in tearing down the relationship between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. A bribe there, a misdirection here, a few leaks of information way over there and everything was falling apart. Honestly, all he had to do was knock over a few dominos and let the suspicious nature of ponies take over. Soon, everything would be complete, and only a few last puzzle pieces remained. The Alicorn Amulet for exam—

“Blue?”

Blueblood cracked open an eye, irritated for his train of thought being interrupted, but quickly smiled at the mare who caught his attention. She was wearing a simple white sundress, beautifully complimenting her tan coat, and blonde mane. But it was those eyes of hers, those soft green eyes that sang to what was left of the pieces of his soul, putting him at ease.

“Jewel,” he replied. “You look radiant.”

The unicorn gave him a smile and offered him a glass of lemonade, kept within the blue aura of her magic.

“Thank you, my dear,” replied Blueblood as he took the drink from his wife, and scooted over so she could sit next to him.

“I would consider this to be a sign of another successful year for the Foundation,” she said with a smirk as she sat down. “A shame neither of the Princesses could attend.”

Blueblood fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Their loss. You’ve done a marvelous job with it all this year.”

She gently nuzzled his neck. “I know you are exhausted,” said Jewel. “But the guests are all looking forward to your speech. Perhaps it would be best to entertain them, then we could… ‘retire’ early while our son is playing.”

“Hmm, I do like the sound of that,” replied Blueblood as returned the nuzzle, and raised her a kiss on the cheek. He let out a sigh as he took in the brief scent of his wife’s perfume before sitting back and looking back over the crowd of ponies. “Speaking of Knight Shine, where is our son?”

“Off playing with his friends, as a young colt should be doing,” she replied, playfully smacking his hoof when she noticed his frown. “Blue, we’ve talked about this. He can’t just study and be a stallion now. He needs to play, relax, enjoy being a colt. He doesn’t even have a cutiemark yet.”

“I know, it’s just...” Blueblood shrugged. “I just worry about him. About all of this. There’s so much to be ready for.”

“And you hated your father for the way he pushed you, remember?”

Blueblood said nothing as he looked down at the lemonade and gave it a little swirl. May Tirek piss on his grave. “He had a point.”

“And I want you to have more with Knight Shine than just that,” said Jewel. “I want him to have good memories of you, not just ones with a strict father and titles. After all, legacy—”

“—is all that remains,” finished Blueblood with a sigh. “I’ll find some time to spend with the boy, I promise. Next time I travel to Canterlot, he can accompany me. We’ll go to some plays, get some models, or something.”

Jewel nodded. “Good, I’ll let him know you promised,” she said with a wry smile.

“Perhaps you should give the speech too,” said Blueblood, pausing to take a sip of the lemonade. “You do run more of the Foundation than anypony else these days.”

“Ha. Not on your life,” said Jewell. “I hate public speaking.”

“Find me a pony that doesn’t.”

“Well...” Jewel playfully tapped her chin with a hoof as she looked out at the crowd. “We do have about a dozen politicians here this year.”

Blueblood sighed, looking at his watch. “Is it an election year already?”

“Come on Blue. A quick speech then we can do…” she trailed off as she kissed his cheek and caressed his chest with a hoof. “More entertaining things.”

“As the lady wishes,” said Blueblood as he sat up, and was rewarded with a soft giggle from Jewel. He slid out of his chair and dodged a playful tail smack from his wife before trotting over to the stairs that lead to the main patio of the Blue Manor.

Blueblood made a final adjustment to his outfit; blue jacket with large, stiff lapels and the collar slightly propped up. He rather liked the stately, lordy, yet approachable look it gave him. Add a slight grin and a few ‘honest’ words, he could charm anypony.

He accepted the microphone from one of the servant-ponies and tapped it a few times. The music stopped and the general rumblings of conversations slowly came to a halt.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts, my esteemed guests, if I may have your attention please,” called Blueblood, the microphone held in his magic. “I thank you, one and all, and I welcome you to the One Hundred and Seventy-Second Annual Charity Drive of The Blue-Ribbons Foundation!”

A polite round of stomping echoed off the back of the Manor, and around the clearing. Blueblood bowed and offered his own smiles, waiting for the stomping to die down. “Indeed, through the efforts of the Blue-Ribbons Foundation, founded over that century and a half ago by my ancestor, Blue Marshal and his friend Colonel Ribbons, millions have been blessed with life-saving medical interventions and support. As we speak, thousands of Equestria’s most unfortunate ponies and other citizens are given food they need for their tables, roofs over their heads, and paid operations to save lives, even cancer treatments.”

He glanced over and made eye contact with his wife. She was smiling until she saw the glint in his eyes, and quickly shook her head, mouthing ‘no’ at him several times. “Ladies and Gentlecolts, there is one more pony I should bring to attention before we truly begin this Fair. My wife, Jewel Shine. Thanks to her hard work, the Blue-Ribbons Foundation has done more this year than any other year, and may this year be even better!”

The stomping followed, louder this time, and Bluebloodsmiled, with an extended a hoof towards Jewel, beckoning her to join him. The blushing mare shook her head quickly before pomp won out over circumstance and she quickly joined her husband at the microphone.

“Thank you, thank you!” she said as the stomping petered out. “Really, Blue and I should be cheering for you! Without any of your-your generous contributions, an-and countless hours of service, why this charity -our- would never have been so good! Ponies across Equestria would have gone without needed aid and support. So tonight let us honor you, and give thanks to your kind hearts. May we always look to your light in these troubled times, and the good examples that you set.”

More stomping. Weaker this time, as the crowd tried to puzzle out her words.

Blueblood took up the mic and with a clear voice he called out “Let the Fair begin!”

The stomping came back in earnest, as ponies hooted and hollered and ran this way and that to see all there was to see.

Blueblood opened his mouth to say some reassuring words to his wife when he felt a sudden presence at his side.

“Please forgive the intrusion, my Lord. Lady. Sir, may I have a moment of your time?”

Blueblood let out a sigh and turned around to face the weathered unicorn. Waiting Hooves stood in a crisp, black uniform with a silky blue tie and a white slash, and didn’t seem bothered at all by the weather. Nor for interrupting his Master.

“Mhmm. My Lord, my apologies for this inconvenience,” said the chamberlain with a bow, and sounding quite bored. “But we have a visitor approaching the mansion.”

* * *

Silver Dash wasn’t sure what she expected when she broke free of the cloud cover and saw the Blue Manor for the first time. Maybe more skulls and bones look to it? Fire and brimstone? The wailing of captives and slaves?

The mansion was just the textbook definition of a fancy dirtwalker home. It had three wings off the main house, at least six levels above ground, not counting the few towers it had, and all in the middle of an otherwise peaceful vale. Oh, and there was that giant Ferris wheel in the back, definitely was not expecting that. Even from her height, she could see the faint blue glint of the stonework that gave the manor its namesake. Supposedly, the building had unrefined mithril ore in the stone walls, which gave it a blue hue. As she got closer and gained a little elevation, she could see tents, booths, and a crowded gathering of ponies behind the manor. She was about to go closer, land in the middle of it all and wander around until she found the Prince, but grimaced once she realized what all of the commotion was.

Of course, his stupid fair would just have to be this weekend. She gave out a huff of irritation as she adjusted her goggles, and took a deep breath before banking left and dropping into the vale. The wind rushed past her, and for a small moment, she felt free.

But then the ground started to change. In a flash, it was dark, rain was pelting against her and she could barely see. She felt her heart tighten as she started gaining too much speed, and all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears. Her wings flapped without coordination, an—

Immediately her wings popped open, twisted in opposite directions, and cork-screwed right out of her dive with several feet to spare from the ground. She held her wings open, gliding while letting her natural drag slow her down. Once her hooves touched the roadway, she slowed herself down to a trot and ended up only a few feet away from the steps leading up the great doors.

“Seven months!” snarled Silver Dash as she ripped her goggles off, and angrily threw them at the ground. “Seven months, no flashbacks, nightmares, nothing and... and…”

Silver Dash took a few deep breaths as she sat down on one of the steps and pulled out a water bottle from her saddlebags. She had drained nearly half of it within a few gulps and calmed her breathing as her coach had taught her. She ran a hoof through her mane, feeling the sweat and grime from her all day flight. Her fur was still sweaty, mostly from the long flight over, and her hoof and wings trembled when they were extended.

She let out a sigh, placed her water bottle back and picked up her goggles. She hesitated for a moment as she ran a hoof over the silver lettering of her name along the headband. A small lightning bolt matching her cutie mark was right behind her name. With another shake of her head, she willed herself to focus. She had a job that needed to be done.

Silver Dash pulled her goggles up and let the rest against her forehead. After a check and a small adjustment to her saddlebags, she trotted up to the top of the stairs and rapped a hoof against the doors. After a few moments, and several huffs of irritation, she was about to knock again when the great doors unlatched, and creaked open.

“May I help you?” came the bored, sophisticated draw of a butler.

Silver Dash eyed the old tan unicorn, his blue sash indicated he some sort of higher up in the house. “Uhh, hello. I’m here to see Ambas—, umm, Prince Blueblood.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No. It’s sort of a spur of the moment thing. Uhh, very important.”

“My Lord is currently engaged with the guests of the Blue-Ribbons Charity Fair,” replied the stallion. “Unless you have an invitation to it, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline your request until an appointment can be made.”

“Yeah, well, this is a very important exception to that,” replied Dash. “It’s urgent that I speak with him.”

“And, young miss, that is entirely impossible. I’m afraid if you don’t leave, then I shall have to call secu—”

“Listen!” snapped Silver Dash, flying up now so she was nearly nose to nose with the stallion. “I have flown nearly non-stop from the Crystal Empire, across half of Equestrian to see that stuck up, jerk. I’m tired, thirsty, hungry, and in need of a bathroom. Now you’re going to take me to the Lord, or I’ll knock you into next week, and then I’ll find him and buck the teeth right out of his head”

The stallion eyed Silver Dash for a while before finally letting out a weary sigh. “How tiresome. Very well, young miss. Though I will leave you in the guest lounge to… ‘freshen up’ while I go and get my Lord Blueblood.”

The pegasus nodded and dropped back onto her hooves as she followed him in. “Whoah.”

Silver Dash liked to think that she was use to the whole “mightier than thou” appearance. Hay, half of her workspace involved the Imperial Palace of the Crystal Empire. Aunt Firefly’s place in Manehatten was a pretty nice set up too, and then there was her parent’s house in Cloudsdale. Plus, pegasi had this whole Poniumpus style that made things overly grand.

But the Blue Manor was entirely different.

Upon entering the mansion, Silver Dash felt small, insignificant. The foyer stretched clear to the top of the manor, where massive skylights drowned the room with light. A grand staircase stretched to the second floor, then spit off to ascend even higher to a third and fourth floor. The walls were layered in rich marble with intricate gold details in sweeping, flourishing designs, and in between each of them was some sort of expensive painting, or fancy vase, or priceless heirloom.

It all made her wings itch. She wanted nothing better to hover in place as not to touch anything. But as her mother had lectured her about that enough times; hovering in someone’s home was rude. The house didn’t speak of just grandeur, or glory as one might expect from entering into such a house. But there was a forceful command, demanding immediate obedience and a sure promise to anypony that entered that you were beneath the Master of this House.

“Wow… I’ve... never been here before,” she said absentmindedly.

“Hardly surprising, Ms?”

“Umm, Dash. Lieutenant Silver Dash of the Equestrian Defense Force, and liaison to the Imperial Crystal Guard.”

“Few of the common ponies enter into the Manor,” droned the butler. “No offense, Ms. Dash.”

“None taken,” she said, still looking around as the pair walked to the Guest Lounge. It screamed Blueblood. All his vanities, pride, echoed in every small detail.

Every picture had the same eyes. She shivered, it all screamed Blueblood.

“This way, if you please,” remarked the butler as he opened a set of double doors. The Guest Lounge was bigger than her apartment in the Crystal Empire. “My Lord has another guest from Equestria awaiting to see him as well, a Ms. Sandy Gale, part of the Equestrian Royal Guard. I don't suppose the two of you know each other?”

Silver Dash’s eyes narrowed as she clicked her tongue. “In passing.” the butler acknowledged that with a fraction of a shrug. Is she in the Lounge as well?”

“No. Ms. Gale is preoccupied with other matters for my Lord, within the Manor,” he stated with a sigh. “She, and a few others have freedom from my Lord to move about the Manor as they please.”

Silver Dash nodded, but before she could ask what they were doing, the butler proceeded to drone on. “I’ll have another one of the servants bring you a glass of water,” continued the stallion. “There is a powder room for guests on the other side, which you may use to your liking. I do advise you to use it.”

Before Siver Dash could process the insult, the butler had left her alone in one of the gaudiest rooms she could think of. Similar to the foyer, it was all rich marble and intricate gold details. However, most of the walls were layered in the same soft grey, blue speckled rock that the manor was created out of. Family heirlooms, pictures, and major awards lined the walls and bookcases that were in the room. A variety of furniture, crafted from some sort of soft material to mimic clouds, were mixed around the room, and from appearance, seemed to be designed to fit different creatures too, not just ponies. Deciding it was worth the risk, she bellowed out a ‘hello’ just to see if it would echo.

To her surprise it did.

* * *

Blueblood looked back at the Master Suite and gave an irritated huff before trotting down the adjacent hallway to his study. It wasn’t much of a walk, it had been planned that way. Unlike a certain crystal palace, things actually made sense here.

Blueblood opened the door to his study and trotted in, quickly settling down in his chair behind the massive wooden desk. The study was made up the near entirety of a tower in the northwestern section of the manor. It was richly decorated in rich dark wood and a plush red carpet. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with tomes of ancient history and power. Priceless antiques and mentos lined the shelves as well. A cast iron staircase ascended higher into the tower where an old observatory was.

Yes, every inch spoke of wealth. Like everything else he owned. Blueblood rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. It was tiring, at times. The simple things gave him more joy these days than any sort of gold plated, jewel encrusted thing. Wealthy was all good and fine, he had spent a few lifetimes in less than satisfactory conditions to help him appreciate and value of such things. But knew in the long run that such things didn’t matter. He had seen ponies, griffins, dragons, and others, all wealthier than him, die in a nameless grave and all but forgotten.

Legacy, that’s what mattered. He gazed out the window, able to see most of the Fair already in full swing. But movement below caught his eye. A few colts playing some sort of game of tag, but it looked like a three-sided a fair, and each colt had some sort of flag tied around their waist. In the middle of all of it was his son, Knight Shine. He watched as the colt dived under a couple of the other boys, before popping up and tackling a third. He smiled at his son’s fierceness and felt a pang of regret in his old heart. Other things were more important than wealth. Legacy, continuation, eternal life.

Blueblood used his magic to bring him a wine glass and bottle. A quick pop of the cap and he had a full glass hovering right next to him. He sat back down in the chair with a sigh, and sipped on wine, enjoying the rich, slightly metallic taste. Blueblood would curse the thing but didn’t dare tempt fate. He was barely holding together as it was, regardless of the potions, rituals, and runes he had attempted. Time was no longer an ally.

He opened his eyes and browsed his desk, noting with some annoyance that it was still a mess; a chess game was still out, uncompleted next to him, and papers were scattered all over. A simple wave of his horn and everything would be put back into place.

He felt the magic swell into his horn, just in time for the heavy wooden door to slam open, and Silver Dash to march into the room. She was a near spitting image of her ancestor, Rainbow Dash. The same violet eyes, the same rough and gruff voice. The only difference was that her coat was grey, washed out. Like her career. Like any hopes she'd ever had of ever being favorably compared to her namesake.

Blueblood sighed and his magic flared up and set the items on his desk back in order again.

“You’re looking rather glum,” said Blueblood as he eyed the frowning mare, and gestured for her to take a seat. “More so than usual, Silver Dash.”

“Sandy Gale arrived too. She’ll be coming up soon,” replied Dash, a certain coldness in her voice. “I don’t know why you work with them.”

“The changelings?” he innocently posed. “Dash, we’re in a war here, a battle for the future of all ponies and in such times, you cannot afford to be picky about your allies. Besides, changelings are agents of change, and without their Queen to forcefully guide them, they are free to choose and pick their own future. They are fighting for that chance, that freedom. I dare say that there is no other righteous cause that I know of.”

Silver Dash clicked her tongue and gave a dismissive sigh. Her armor plates shifted as she sat down, pulled her saddlebags around, and pulled out a group of files. “You wanted these?”

“Not for another few days,” said Blueblood. He took the folders and set them down on his desk. “You’re early. Problems?”

“Complications,” she clarified as she took the tumbler and sipped on the brandy. “Getting in and out of the Crystal Empire is starting to get difficult. Even for me. They’re starting to tighten the border up, talk about building a wall is becoming more common.”

“As was expected,” he said. “Any pony suspicious of your actions?”

Silver Dash shook her head. “No. Onyx doesn’t suspect anything, and I haven’t seen the Empress for a few months. Though when hooves start flying between Equestria and the Empire, I’ll be in the Griffin Republic.”

Blueblood nodded. “Yes, your family has some history with them. Speaking of family, your father and brother are right ou—”

“I’ll pass,” she said, her voice raised slightly before taking a deep breath. “Look, it's complicated with them, and I’d rather, you know, never.”

Blueblood nodded again. “Off to see mum?”

Silver Dash glared at him but nodded her head. “Officially, yeah. The cancer… it’s been in remission, but Cloudsdale University Hospital wants her back up. Something of an... abnormality on the last screening. They want to do some tests and make sure things...”

Blueblood already knew that, but had acknowledged the information with a practiced expression of sorrow. “Well, the Foundation will continue to give support as long as requirements are met. What else are you here for?”

“Besides getting interrogated?”

Blueblood leaned back, his hooves held up. “Yes, sorry. It’s just so fascinating to me that last year, I was practically threatening you to keep helping and look how deep we are now. Bringing me all sorts of secret folders and what not, even things I didn’t ask for, and then establishing a spy ring right under Rarity’s fat muzzle. So you can’t blame me for being a bit… curious.”

“Suspicious.”

“Same thing,” replied Blueblood with a dismissing wave of his hoof. “Why the willingness now?”

“As I told you, I want a better world,” replied Silver Dash, eyes locked with Blueblood’s. “Things need to change, and those in power are too selfish and petty to do that. The Edict might give normal ponies a fighting chance to make the world theirs.”

Ahh. Blueblood held the gaze for a while before finally nodding, and turning his attention to the folders. Each bearing the seal of the Crystal Empire. One of them was more ornate than the other, holding Empress Rarity’s seal. “Many ponies have joined the cause in that same shared belief. Very well, I believe you Silver Dash. Well, since you're early, let's do the briefing. First, start with the one with the Imperial seal.”

“It’s for Commander Onyx. The Empre—”

“I’m back!” came the song-singing voice of Sandy Gale as the door opened. She trotted in with a happy little dance, and tossing the towel from her head onto an antique coat rack, causing Blueblood more pain than entertainment. The mare… changeling, he corrected himself, clearly did not know how to dance.

“Horn,” said Blueblood, looking back at the folders and placed them to his side.

“We’re in private,” replied Sandy Gale, a green flash later and her wings were gone, and a unicorn horn sat on her head. “It’s not like…”

Blueblood looked up, failing to control his smirk as Silver Dash and Sandy Gale stared daggers at each other. “It’s not like, what, Sandy?”

“Like any pony would care,” she said.

“They don’t,” snarled Silver Dash in return.

“Ladies,” said Blueblood, and got looks from both of them in return. He rolled his eyes. “Changlingness and Pegasuses, whatever. I take it both of you have something of interest to report, seeming you’re both here days ahead of your respective schedules.”

Sandy Gale trotted forward and daintily sat down in the open chair beside Silver Dash, clearly trying just to get a rise out of the pegasus. Blueblood rolled his eyes at this as a quill and paper appeared next to him, ready to take notes. “Infiltration of the Royal Guard has exceeded the time table and expectations, but we’ve elected to avoid the Heartbreakers and the Arcane Guard. Currently, the risk of detection is far too high. I’ve been placed as Captain Heartstrings personal assistant, which will hopefully make up for that loss, and for Senator Underhill’s fall from grace for his actions at the Empress’ Birthday Party last year.”

“You came all this way for a status update?” deadpanned Dash.

“Princess Twilight is missing,” finished Sandy Gale, “or something like that. It has the Palace in a bit of a frenzy.”

Blueblood frowned and leaned back in his chair. “That’s hardly ever a good thing. The entire point of infiltrating Canterlot is to observe the Princesses and distract them. Temporarily neutralize them when we’re ready. Twilight’s inconsistent absences just slows us down.”

“Princess Twilight, too?” muttered in Silver Dash with a frown. “Not Princess Twilight leaving, but… the Empress is also missing.”

Blueblood leaned forward in his seat. “What?”

Silver Dash nodded. “The Empress was out on vacation near the Mariterranean Sea. Something happened, we still don't know what, and she was just… gone. Lady Sapphire and Beryl Knight are calling for the Assembly to gather. Officially, I’m on my way to get Commander Onyx from Ponyville.”

It rarely ever happened, but Blueblood was at a genuine loss for words, loss of action. He slouched back into his chair and turned to his thoughts. Twilight leaving the Canterlot without notice was nothing big, but the Empress rarely left her Imperial Palace. To have them gone at the same time…

Oh, how the fates smiled upon him.

“We need to move quickly,” he said, absentmindedly. He blinked a few times as his mind finally caught back up. “We need to put our operations into play. This is a chance we could never have again! Now we just need Mayor Mane, an—”

“He’s not available anymore,” said Sandy Gale. “Probably for a few months, or years. I mean, it really depends on the speed of Equestria’s Judicial system, whic—”

“Excuse me?”

“He’s been arrested.”

Blueblood stared at the other mare, his mouth in a tight line, and leaned back in his chair. He needed to focus, need to relax. One… Two… Thre—

The chess set exploded from his desk as his hoof swept it off. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ARRESTED?”

Silver Dash looked at him quizzically. “Arrested. The act of depriving an individual of their liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation or prevention of crime an—”

“I know what it means!” hissed Blueblood. “What I don't understand is why he is in jail! What happened!?!”

“Bank Fraud,” replied Sandy Gale. “It was reported in the Manehattan Times this morning, but unofficially, it was for some smuggling ring of stolen magical items across international lines, or something, I dunno. It’s been kept quiet.”

Blueblood let out a very colorful string of curses. “Contact Manehattan Chief of Police, Dunken… something, whatever. He owes me a favor for his outstanding election record.”

“That’s not going to work,” said Sandy Gale. “He wasn’t arrested by the local PD. It was the Arcane Guard.”

Silence reigned in the study as Blueblood leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. Of course, it was almost poetic, in a certain, strangle inducing frustration. All the money, time, resources spent! All the lifetimes of planning and careful execution. Decades of fear of being discovered, and here he was, on the pinnacle of victory for a better world and a challenger finally appears. “Captain Shining Star.”

Sandy Gale nodded. “I brought the report, but there was a lot omitted out of Shining Star’s official report that doesn’t match up. Princess Twilight seemed to have signed off on it regardless. We’re working on finding any unofficial documentation that may have been left out.”

“I’ll look at it later,” replied Blueblood. “It doesn’t matter right now. We need to accelerate things, with both Twilight and Rarity being gone, Canterlot is distracted and the Empire no doubt in turmoil, we won’t have another chance like this.”

“But without Mayor Mane...” stated Sandy Gale.

“To do what?” asked Silver Dash.

Damn you, Sandy Gale, shut up. Blueblood cursed as he gave a confident smile. “Why, to accelerate the Edict’s plans in Manehatten, my dear Silver Dash. You had mentioned something about Commander Onyx?”

The pegasus nodded. “Y-yeah. He’s on vacation in Ponyville. Lady Sapphire, the Empress’ seneschal sent me to get him as I was on my way out of the Empire. She was returning to The Palace from the Mariterranean Sea.”

“Good, good, good,” said Blueblood as he pushed some papers around his desk. A drawer suddenly opened and several quills and ink bottles, enveloped in his golden magic, opened up and began scribbling letters and messages. He had agents that needed to start their work. “Silver Dash, I think it’s time the good Commander and I had a little chat.”

Author's Note:

And Chapter 6, as promised.

I hope to be able to be more consistent with updates for ER251, but keep an eye out for some blog posts coming out soon about future projects and plans for ER251.

As always, please feel free and welcome to any feedback, and thank you for reading thus far.

Comments

[Ice Star]

Aw, it left off on such a good line. Here's to more coming when you can put those words out, then.

[KeePony]

I was hoping for a Decent Blueblood descendant . Nope. No luck at that.

[JMP]

Huh. Blueblood's been keeping himself all these years. No wonder he's so focused on legacy.

[Midnight Dreamer]

Yay, update. Every month of waiting was worth it

[djthomp]

It'll be a real shame if something terrible doesn't happen to Blueblood by the end of this.

I hope that Silver Dash gets a chance to redeem herself at some point.

“As I told you, I want a better world,” replied Silver Dash, eyes locked with Blueblood’s. “Things need to change, and those in power are too selfish and petty to do that. The Edict might give normal ponies a fighting chance to make the world theirs.”

Hmn. Hey, maybe she's already working for someone else in another layer of being a double agent.

It rarely ever happened, but Blueblood was at a genuine loss for words, loss of action. He slouched back into his chair and turned to his thoughts. Twilight leaving the Canterlot without notice was nothing big, but the Empress rarely left her Imperial Palace. To have them gone at the same time…

Oh, how the fates smiled upon him.

Or so you think.

Am I remembering correctly that Captain Shining Star is Celestia's current cover identity?

[cosmicbiscuit]

Villains you can unabashedly hate are rare these days. I want to slam Blueblood's face into his desk. ::thumbs up::

[Lord-Commander]

9509362
Correct.

[Cerulean Blue]

Lots of moving parts here. Very interesting to see how everything ends up.

[Iron Comet]

I've always enjoyed these stories. I hope to see more soon!

[MatTheBook]

9509672
why did you stop?
i want this to continue