Darkest Hour Part One! - The Edge of Night
Twilight clung to the giant statue. It wasn't the easiest thing to do with hooves, given that the stone (Maud had mentioned something about oddly porous anthracite, and probably would have loved to be this close) was slightly damp, slightly slimy from something growing on it, and very dark. The only light, in fact, came from the candles of the cult meeting below, and that meant no magic, either, unless she wanted to make her head a very visible and attractive target.
It was, in short, something of a challenge. Climbing up a statue of some giant horned toad-god in the dark while remaining quiet enough to avoid the notice of a cult and not using any magic at all. The sort of thing that really made Twilight feel alive.
She slipped up onto the statue's head, hiding in the shadow of a huge antler and pulling a crowbar from her pack. A bat flapped past her head, and she had to resist the urge to slap it away from her mane. Losing her grip would be a mistake when the floor was thirty paces down. Tonight's targets were the eyes of the statue, which were a type of rare scarlet emerald.
Twilight moved slowly, slipping the crowbar into place over the course of a few quiet minutes. Being exposed was dangerous, but moving quickly was a sure-fire way to be noticed. Twilight had to hope that the cultists were too busy licking toads or whatever it was that ponies did when they wanted to commune with a god that didn't respond to standard post. She wiggled the crowbar and felt the recessed setting for the gem bend and release.
She slid the edge of her cloak down over the gem and grabbed it, using the dark fabric to conceal the glitter as it moved. One down, one to go. Pulling back to the shadows, she moved around the back of the statue's neck and to the other side. Her hoofholds were a little less firm here, and the angle was more awkward. She slipped the crowbar in and misjudged the amount of force to use, the red jewel popping totally free and falling.
Twilight almost screamed. She lunged with the crowbar, catching it in the curve at the very end like a lacrosse ball. With a careful flip and twist, she snatched it out of the air and held it, sighing with relief.
Episode 19
Darkest Hour Part One! - The Edge of Night
"The Eyes of Terrargon, the Terrapin of, um, terror," Twilight said, taking the hoof-sized gems out of the black velvet bag she'd carried them in. "Not bad for a hard night's work."
"No kidding," Gilda smiled. "Look at these things!" She held one up. Impurities in the stone made it look like it was shot through with blood-red veins. Twilight almost expected them to start bleeding.
"They're very nice specimens," Maud agreed. "It's a shame to sell them."
"Maybe we'll donate one to a museum," Twilight considered. "They're sort of a historical artifact, right?"
"Please, darling," Rarity snorted. "A museum? What you should do is give them to me and I'll be very appreciative." She smiled and leaned into Twilight, making the lavender unicorn turn slightly more red than purple.
"No way," Gilda said. "Not again. I'd rather give it to Maud at that point. At least she won't just prance around with it and make us say how pretty she looks."
"I'd give it to Trixie," Maud admitted.
"You ponies," Gilda groaned. "We need bits! Our last jobs have, collectively, gotten us buck all except hospital bills. This was a success. A really good one! We got away trot-free and the cult of whatever it is doesn't even know we were there. No Shining Armor, no mafia trying to kill us, no strange ponies following us, and we've got the goods."
"Well," A voice said from the ceiling. "You're mostly right."
Gilda turned and fired. A shape dropped down to the ground and landed like a cat. The crossbow bolt skidded across the floor and stopped at Gilda's talons, the tip covered in black blood.
"Missed my heart," the pony said, standing up and spreading his wings. Bat wings. He had a dark grey coat and long, black mane that didn't quite cover his glowing, catlike eyes.
"Oh feathers," Gilda swore. "A vampony."
"That's a common misunderstanding," the pony said. "Not all thestrals are vamponies."
"Thestrals?" Twilight asked.
"Bat-ponies, darling," Rarity sighed. "Somewhat rare."
"I mean, I am a vampony, but it would be really racist to assume all of us are," the pony continued.
Gilda glared. "So as I was saying, oh feathers, a vampony."
"Yes, but I wanted to make sure you weren't just saying that because of my race. We're somewhat sensitive about that," the vampony continued.
Maud tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, and she had a broken chair leg in one hoof, ready to ram it into his chest.
"I'm here to make you a job offer!" the vampony said, quickly, raising his hooves defensively.
Maud looked at Twilight, still holding the improvised stake.
"We'll listen, then decide if we're going to stake him," Twilight decided. "Gilda's right that we could use some money."
"Thank you," the vampony sighed, as Maud lowered her weapon.
"I suppose it falls to me to be the hostess," Rarity said. "Would you like something to drink? Aside from us, I mean."
"I am a bit thirsty," the vampony smiled. "But don't worry. I do, in fact, drink... wine."
It turned out that the vampony drank a lot of wine. And that his name was Moonsilver. And that he could not sing, especially after a few bottles of Merlot.
"If we were in my home," Moonsilver grumbled, "the children of the night would have provided backup vocals."
"Yes, well, I'm sure that would have helped you high that high C," Rarity said, rolling her eyes.
"As I was saying," Moonsilver said, ignoring her. "I want to hire you for a job. A relatively simple one. You did good work with the cult, and that's more or less the sort of job I need you for."
"You were watching me?" Twilight frowned. "I didn't see you."
"Oh, you saw me," Moonsilver smirked. "I was a little smaller than I am now."
"The bat?" Twilight asked.
"One of the many perks of being a vampony. Along with immortality, supernatural strength and speed..."
"Daring fashion sense," Rarity put in.
"You would think that," Gilda rolled her eyes. "He's wearing a frilly shirt like a mare."
"This shirt was the height of fashion two hundred years ago," Moonsilver noted. "Though to be fair, things very rarely go out of style for stallions. A dress from a century ago would look terribly outdated."
"I suppose it would," Rarity admitted.
"Tell us about the job," Maud said.
"My employer-"
"Terrible dark master, you mean?" Rarity put in.
"She'd prefer Mistress, but fine. My terrible dark mistress has asked me-"
"Come now, darling, a dark mistress commands, they don't ask."
Moonsilver rolled his eyes. "Madam, I am trying to answer a question. Pray, let me continue? I know vamponies are stereotypically very theatrical, but most of us aren't actually great fans of poetry or languishing on fainting couches."
"I just thought that you might want to give the request a certain gravitas, darling."
Moonsilver closed his eyes for a moment, whispering under his breath. "I swear on Luna's Dark Side if she starts asking if I glitter in the sunlight, there will be a reckoning."
"Just ignore her and tell us," Gilda said, putting a talon over Rarity's mouth to shush her when she started to protest.
"My employer-" he looked at Rarity. "Asked me to find ponies with a certain set of skills. She needs to have several items secured and extracted from a dangerous location."
"Ah," Twilight smiled. "A heist!"
"Quite," Moonsilver nodded. "It's going to be high risk, high reward. I know the general location where the items will be found, but not the specifics. We'll need to hire a local guide when we arrive, but my employer will be funding our expedition."
"A local guide? Expedition? Sounds more like archeology," Gilda noted.
"I like archeology," Maud said. "There are usually a lot of rocks. There was a megalith site near my family farm that had onyx blocks from a thousand miles away. Each of them was as big as a house."
"Really?" Rarity raised her eyebrows. "How did they move them?"
"They pushed them," Maud said. "It just took a long time."
"Oh."
"Archeology isn't entirely the wrong word for it either," Moonsilver agreed. "The site is believed to be magically preserved, though neither I nor my employer have been able to visit it. We'll have to work from somewhat outdated information, thus the need for the local guide."
"What are we after?" Twilight asked.
"Have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?" Moonsilver asked.
"They were in a storybook," Cadance said.
"Correct," Celestia said, smiling. "I'm afraid that's how a lot of history has been remembered, going from history book to myth to old mare's tale."
"So they're real?" Shining Armor asked.
Celestia looked to her right, and Sunset Shimmer stepped forward with a huge, ornate tome.
"The Elements of Harmony are powerful tools to combat darkness and chaos," Celestia said. "They were first used to defeat Discord, then, later, to prevent the destruction of Equestria from within."
"They're a kind of magical super-weapon," Moonsilver explained, spreading out a few pages on the table showing magical diagrams. Twilight picked one up, whistling.
"Five enhancement nodes and a sixth master node," She said. "This is all in backwards Horse Latin. Star Swirl?"
"He studied them," Moonsilver said, nodding. "These are copies of notes from one of his portfolios. My employer has contacts in Canterlot that were able to get these from the library's most secure archives."
"And you want us to secure a magical superweapon for you," Twilight frowned. "Look, I know we're all rogues here, but I'm sort of against anypony having that much power."
"Good!" Moonsilver smiled brightly. "We agree."
"You do?"
Moonsilver nodded. "We don't want you to bring us the weapon. We want to keep anypony from being able to use it."
"They're probably the strongest magical artifacts in the world," Sunset said, as she flipped through the portfolio. She'd already read it in detail, of course, but she enjoyed looking at the diagrams. There was a kind of purity to it in the detailed, almost fractal designs Star Swirl drew in his attempt to map out the enchantments on the Elements.
"And they've just been sitting in the open?" Shining Armor frowned. "That seems irresponsible."
"Not exactly in the open," Celestia said. "The Elements are..." She hesitated. "Protected."
"I don't like the sound of that," Cadance muttered.
"They were left in a secure place," Celestia eventually said, after some thought on how to phrase it. "But it was a long time ago. A thousand years, almost to the day."
"Now I'm going to go and get them," Sunset said, closing the book. "Definitely a job for the Grand Magus."
Celestia coughed.
Sunset rolled her eyes. "I guess you all can come too."
Celestia coughed again, with a little more force.
Sunset grit her teeth. "And we'll... work together as a team."
"So where are these things?" Twilight asked. "Germaney? Prance? Yakyakistan?"
"Nowhere so far away," Moonsilver said. "I'm sure you've heard of the Everfree Forest?"
"Oh yes," Rarity said. "It's right near where I grew up. It's a dreadful place. Monsters and thick woods and chaotic magic and worse."
"Exactly so," Moonsilver agreed. "Near the center of it is an ancient castle. In the castle is a vault. In the vault are the Elements."
"What kind of defenses are we looking at?" Twilight asked.
"Well, let's start with the forest," Moonsilver pulled out a map. The Everfree was marked with a helpful blank expanse that simply said 'here there be monsters'. "It is unmapped, perhaps unmappable. According to my sources, there was a significant magical disaster there."
"A magical disaster, and a magical superweapon in the middle of it," Gilda noted. "Let me guess - they're related."
"That would certainly seem to be the case," Moonsilver pursed his lips. "I'm afraid that the older maps get, the less accurate they are, and maps old enough to include our target are about the same as if I attempted to draw a city map of Neigh Orleans from memory on the back of a bar napkin using a crayon."
"That is a very specific example," Maud said.
"Yes, it is," Moonsilver agreed. "Don't ask."
"Okay, no problem," Twilight said. "Gilda can work from up high and find the castle."
"That wouldn't work so well, darling," Rarity said. "There's a significant amount of untamed weather, and from what I remember, my father said that the weather team wouldn't go into the Everfree to head it off before it could get to town."
"The high background level of magic makes it harder to fly," Moonsilver said. "Only very powerful fliers can even get off the ground. Not that I doubt your ability, of course. The bigger issue is the same reason there aren't maps - the area is... dimensionally confused. My employer has attempted aerial reconnaissance before. Sometimes ponies fly for five minutes and end up a hundred miles from where they started, flying in the opposite direction. Sometimes they fly for hours and only manage to get a mile into the forest. Sometimes they don't come back."
"That does not sound inviting," Twilight muttered.
"We think it's a kind of dimension torque rather than a glamour or teleportation effect," Sunset said. "Even so, we aren't going to risk it. We'll assume we have to go in on the ground. If nothing else, we can leave a trail of breadcrumbs."
"That's just going to lead the monsters to us," Cadance said.
"I can handle monsters," Sunset scoffed.
"This is supposed to be a covert operation," Celestia reminded her. "Setting most of the forest on fire isn't an option, this time."
"I could use ice," Sunset said, defensively.
"I would prefer you avoid any large-scale magic use. There's also the matter that quite a few of the monsters are debatably sentient."
Sunset rolled her eyes. "Are we really going to have an argument about monster rights again?"
"I don't know, Sunset, are you going to kill any baby dragons today?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ugh. Fine. So what are we going to do? Talk to them? Ask them nicely not to eat us?" Sunset was dripping with enough sarcasm that it could be bottled.
"That's an excellent idea. And that gives me a good opportunity for you to meet the castle's new game warden and apprentice alchemist. Miss Fluttershy?" She looked to an open doorway.
There was a long pause.
"Miss Fluttershy?" Celestia asked again. This time there was a soft meep from inside. The princess sighed and walked over to the doorway. "I'll be just a moment," She apologized.
"A local guide will know at least some of the hazards," Moonsilver said. "The trouble will be finding somepony that we can trust not to let the press or the local authorities catch wind of our operation."
"...I know somepony," Maud put in. "My sister. She lives in Ponyville."
"She can be trusted?" Moonsilver asked.
Maud nodded. "Absolutely. She never breaks a promise. Ever."
"Excellent," Moonsilver smiled. "Hopefully she'll be able to get us through the forest with minimal danger. After that, we'll reach the castle. When it was in use, it was the Equestrian capital, and it was during a time of war."
"So, really well defended?" Twilight asked.
Gilda shook her head. "Not without soldiers there. A castle without troops manning it is just a couple of walls. No big deal."
"There are likely going to be traps, and there could be guardian creatures of some kind. The second is unlikely, but my employer has assured me that it was heavily trapped even before it was abandoned. It's possible that additional wards were added later. That's why we need the best in the business."
"Does she have details on the traps?" Twilight asked.
"Some. I can provide you with rough detail and what she remembers. I can't promise 100% accuracy. Communicating with her at this distance is difficult and I can't take notes during our meetings."
"And the Elements themselves?" Rarity asked.
"Protected by a vault with magical locks. My employer believes they'll still be there. The vault served as a kind of, ah..." Moonsilver hesitated. "I'm not sure if this is the right term for it, but a place to recover and recharge."
"Magical locks can be hard to pick," Twilight noted.
"Thankfully, my employer is willing to provide a key."
"H-hello, everypony," Fluttershy said, looking down at her hooves. "Um, it's very nice to meet you."
"Fluttershy's special talent is communicating with animals," Celestia explained. "She can help negotiate passage with any sentient monsters you encounter. If you aren't able to get through peacefully, you can use whatever force is needed to protect yourselves."
"Most animals just want to be left alone, really," Fluttershy said. "If we explain we don't want to hurt them or take their food, they'll leave us alone."
"Wonderful," Sunset sighed.
"And in a stroke of luck, we have a local who can help you get through the forest," Celestia said. "Duchess Applejack has agreed to assist you. Her grandmother was one of the first ponies to do any real investigation of the Everfree and its ecosystem, and the only pony who has managed to cultivate one of the magically-enhanced species."
"Sounds like we should have her grandmother instead," Sunset said.
"Granny Smith would throw her hip out wanderin' around th' forest like a dang fool," Applejack said, as she closed the door behind her. She nodded to Celestia. "Princess. Sorry fer bein' late. I had to duck out of a couple of meetings with idiots tryin' to get me to sign off on tax havens in Ponyville." She snorted. "Like they think a farmer don't know taxes better'n most lawyers."
"It's perfectly fine, Duchess," Celestia said.
"Now, if y'all are gonna go into the Everfree, there are safe parts and there are real unsafe parts. Granny Smith taught me the knowin' of them, at least as much as she was able to figure out."
"Excellent," Celestia smiled. "And there's one last pony I'd like to assign to go with you. Captain Armor has already expressed his belief that a military team would be more likely to succeed, and he is at least somewhat correct. I've ordered for a member of the Wonderbolts to meet you in Ponyville. She's highly trained and talented."
"The most critical part of this operation is the timing," Moonsilver said. "There are two time limits on this operation. First, my employer wants this done before the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Why?" Twilight asked. "That's only two days from now."
"Because we have reason to believe that enemy agents will, at or before that time, attempt to retrieve the Elements. My employer is certain they have not been disturbed yet, but it's only a matter of time."
"You didn't mention enemy agents before," Rarity frowned.
"Can't just be monsters, nooo," Gilda snorted. "There have to be ponies trying to kill us too."
"Unlike you, we believe they'll attempt to retrieve the entire weapon," Moonsilver said, concerned. "If they're able to activate it, they'll be able to mount a strike on anyone they want. My employer cannot allow this to happen."
"What's the pay?" Maud asked.
"Anything you want, provided the operation is successful and the enemy agents are unable to activate the weapon." Moonsilver noted. "Bits. Pardons. Land. Noble titles. All of the above. I can promise that if you succeed you'll be set for life." He paused. "And I don't mean that in the 'a very short life' way. My employer rewards those who serve her extraordinarily well."
"You know, it occurs to me there's exactly one pony who can make those kind of offers," Gilda said, eyes narrowed.
Moonsilver watched her, his face unreadable.
"You're working for the crown," she accused.
"That's not inaccurate," Moonsilver admitted.
"It will be a very dangerous mission, my little ponies," Celestia said. "I'm sorry I have to ask this of you. I had... other plans, originally, but they didn't materialize in time."
"Don't worry," Sunset smiled. "It'll be a cake walk."
"I hope so, Sunset." Celestia sighed. "But... I worry. There are dark forces in motion. Be careful."
"Of course we're going to do it," Rarity hissed. "A real noble title, without having to marry some idiot like Blueblood?"
"Plus all the bits. They're good too," Maud noted.
"Well... I have sort of wanted to settle down, clear my record. Tartarus, maybe I'll just follow the Wonderbolts around on tour," Gilda smiled.
"I'd be able to visit my parents without having to worry about my brother arresting me," Twilight muttered. "Might be nice. Plus the riches and fame don't hurt."
"If you manage to stay respectable enough I might even be persuaded to let you court me," Rarity said, leaning back to file her hoof.
"..." Twilight's eyes went wide. "Hey, Batty! We're in!"
Lance-Corporal Rainbow Dash lounged in a cafe seat, sipping at a milkshake and looking up at the sky. She'd been told to wear something inconspicuous so she wouldn't stand out. That was, of course, impossible. Rainbow Dash would perform to an empty stadium just in case somepony showed up. If she had been allowed, she'd have just worn her Wonderbolts uniform, met the press, maybe signed a few autographs.
Instead, she was wearing the kind of clothing that a pony wore when she was trying hard to blend in. Sunglasses and an aloha shirt. She wasn't even sure where she'd gotten the shirt. It was the kind of clothing that no one ever actually bought but just seemed to materialize from time to time.
"Ugh," she muttered. "Ponyville? More like Dullsville." She put her milkshake down and looked around. There was nothing going on at all. She was supposed to meet ponies here for some kind of mission from the Crown.
"But at this rate I'll be an old mare by the time anypony gets here," she grumbled. "If they'd just told me when they wanted to meet up, at least I could have avoided getting here hours before they do."
She sighed and closed her eyes. She wondered if Sugarcube Corner would kick her out if she took a little nap. It was good to be well-rested before a mission, wasn't it?
Just as she started to doze off, she caught a strange scent. Like tobacco and cheap bourbon and down pillows.
She opened her eyes and looked to the side.
"Gilda?!" She sputtered. Gilda looked up from what she was doing, feathers ruffled in surprise. She spun around, talon reaching for something under her wing.
"Dash?" Gilda asked, starting to relax. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm... on vacation." Dash knew that wasn't a good excuse. Nopony would go on vacation to Ponyville. The most exciting thing in town was, well, it was Rainbow Dash, obviously, but the most exciting thing in town that actually belonged there was a farmer's market. And that was practically the opposite of exciting.
"You're on vacation." Gilda raised an eyebrow. She smirked a little. "Or did the Wonderbolts finally get tired of having Rainbow Dash, filly superstar, on their team?"
"Hey, I earned it. When Celestia found me after I did that first rainboom, she made sure I got all the training I'd need." She huffed. "You're just jealous because I got to graduate flight school early to train with the pros."
"A little jealous," Gilda admitted.
"What are you doing here?" Dash pressed.
"I'm, uh. I'm here with Maud," Gilda said, pointing. Maud was talking to the pink pony that had served Dash a milkshake. "Pinkie Pie is her sister. Figured it was stupid for her to go alone when we've had such a run of bad luck lately. Besides, she apparently makes great scones and I wanna get some tips."
Dash shrugged and looked around, having started to tune Gilda out already. She motioned for the griffon to get closer.
"The truth is, I'm here on sort of a mission. I don't know everything but apparently it's a pretty big deal." Dash rubbed her hooves together. "Being a Wonderbolt is awesome but they picked me for this over Spitfire and Fleetfoot and everypony else, so that's like the fast path to promotion to team captain right there."
"What kind of mission?" Gilda frowned.
"Not to go after you or Twilight or whatever," Dash waved a hoof. "I can't talk much about it but..." She considered. "I bet if you waited around, I could put in a word with Shining Armor and the others. Maybe we could cut you in. It'd be awesome to have you with us."
"Dash, I'm a wanted criminal."
"Yeah but only like, for little stuff." She sat back in her seat. "I bet you could get a pardon or a plea bargain or something, clear your record, maybe... come with me once it's over?" She looked up at Gilda, hopeful.
Gilda looked tempted for a moment, then shook her head. "I can't. Shining Armor's an okay guy, and you're, well, awesome as always, but I got responsibilities."
"Ugh." Dash groaned. "Gilda, this could totally work."
"Maybe it could. But I'd prolly have to help him catch my friends, and I'd feel like a mule." She shrugged.
"Fine, I guess I understand," Dash said. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Do me a favor and lie low until this all blows over, alright? Maybe we can meet up after the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Sounds good, Dash." Gilda hesitated, then leaned in to rub her beak against Dash's neck after she made sure nopony was looking. The moment passed, and she slipped away, grabbing Maud and whispering in her ear before leaving.
Dash sighed and raised her glass. "Hey, Ponko Pie! Got anything stronger than chocolate malt?"
"This was expected," Moonsilver said, calmly. He'd paid to rent a house on the edge of town. All of the windows had been boarded up and it was, generously a fixer-upper - the thatched roof had gone without maintenance for so long that a tree was growing from it.
"How was this expected?" Gilda demanded.
"I told you there would be enemy agents," Moonsilver replied, lifting his glass of wine to the light and looking through it. "And Ponyville is a natural staging area for an expedition into the Everfree."
"But Dash? And she said Shining Armor would be here too." Gilda looked at Twilight.
"Our plan was to beat them to the goal anyway, right?" Twilight said, thinking. "We can still do that. Nopony has to get hurt."
"It's far safer than a direct confrontation," Moonsilver agreed. "I didn't get to be my age by picking fights that I could avoid."
"Not going to tell us to mare up and fight ponies we care about?" Twilight asked.
"Why?" Moonsilver tilted his head. "Do you want to?"
"Of course not."
"Well then, there you are," Moonsilver lowered his glass, putting it on the table and standing up. "I'm not a monster."
"Technically-"
"Alright, fine. Technically, I'm a monster. But you know what I meant." Moonsilver shrugged. "When are the others getting back? If our opposition is here, it behooves us to get an early start as soon as the sun sets."
"Rarity is buying a few things in town," Twilight said. "Maud and Pinkie went to scout out our path into the Everfree to make sure we're not going to find a platoon of special forces waiting for us."
"Well, of all things, I didn't expect t' find you here, Rarity," Applejack said. "What're you doing in Ponyville?" Rarity looked up from what she'd been inspecting, passing a few bits to the pony behind the counter and stuffing her purchase into her saddlebags before turning around.
"Applejack!" Rarity said, forcing a smile. "I'd say that I wasn't expecting this, but it is your town." She glanced up at the farmer's hat. A golden circlet had been worked into it. "How is it, being a Duchess?"
"More work than it has any right to be," Applejack said. "Ain't right that clearin' my desk of paperwork should take more time than plowin' fields, but that's the way it is if you wanna actually get it done yourself."
"You could hire a secretary," Rarity suggested. "I know a few ponies that could help. They've always been good at arranging things for my shows."
"No offense, but I gotta get my hooves wet first," Applejack said. "If I start passin' the work to other ponies before I know what really goes into it, well, that just wouldn't be right. Maybe in a few moons after I get settled in."
"Of course, darling. I understand perfectly. You always were very hooves-on." Rarity smiled and led Applejack away from the stand, not wanting to explain why she was buying a number of small throwing knives.
"Yep. But since you are here, I figured I could make you a mite jealous," Applejack nodded to the side and motioned for Rarity to follow her. A small crowd had gathered around something.
"Come on," Applejack said, pushing her way through the crowd. "Y'all keep moving. This ain't some kinda show."
Rarity pushed through the last of the townsfolk, whispering apologies to a pony she vaguely remembered from her fillyhood.
"Rarity, I'd like you to meet-"
"Oh, hi Rarity!" Princess Cadance waved.
"How good to see you again, your highness" Rarity smiled and bowed slightly.
"Or maybe you already know each other," Applejack sighed. "Dangit. So much fer impressin' anypony..."
"I have met quite a few ponies," Rarity admitted. "Princess Cadance, Captain Armor and... I don't believe I've met you."
"Grand Magus Sunset Shimmer," Sunset said. She held out her golden cane of office. "I hope there's no reason we should have met."
"And the, ah, staff?"
"It's traditional to kiss it," Sunset explained.
"Ah." Rarity politely followed tradition. "So what brings such famous ponies here to Ponyville? Unless... you wanted somewhere quiet to ask a certain question?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively. "The kind of question where a stallion gets down on his knees first?"
"It's the Summer Sun Celebration," Cadance explained. "Celestia is letting me get out from under her wing a bit and help with the planning here. Shiny is my loyal guard and Sunset, well..."
"He's the loyal guard, I'm the pony that's here to get things done," Sunset explained. "Who are you?"
"Rarity Belle. Perhaps you've seen my boutique in Canterlot?"
"I don't do much shopping," Sunset replied, flatly.
"Well, you should. You've got such a beautiful mane." Rarity smiled. "If you make an appointment I'd love to design something for you."
"We don't have time for this," Sunset hissed. "Cadance, we're on a schedule here."
"I was thinkin' maybe we should bring Rarity along," Applejack said. "She's actually got a lot of, um, hidden talents-"
"You can flirt with her when we're not busy," Sunset snapped. "We don't need a fashion designer."
"Sunset, Shining Armor, why don't you go ahead of me? I just want to speak to Rarity for a moment. In private." Cadance smiled.
"Don't listen if she gives you any tips," Sunset warned Rarity. "I threw out my back once trying something she said was fun." She grabbed Shining Armor and vanished in a flash of teleportation magic.
"How's Twilight?" Cadance asked, quietly. "Are you two...?"
"Darling, please, I don't kiss and tell," Rarity laughed lightly.
"If things aren't working out, I bet I could get Applejack to ask you out on a date," Cadance whispered. Not quietly enough. Applejack's ears turned red.
"Princess," Applejack coughed. "You do know I'm right here, right?"
"Shhh." Cadance put a hoof to her lips.
"And I'm straight," Applejack continued.
"Princess," Rarity coughed, politely. "Thank you for the offer, but things are fine."
"That's good. You should spend more time with her. Soon. Tonight! Just in case. Not that the world is going to end or anything but, you know!" Cadance laughed nervously.
"What do you-"
"Applejack, we should go catch up!" Cadance said, grabbing her and flying up. Applejack yelled in surprise as she was snatched away.
"Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, and Duchess Applejack," Moonsilver noted, thinking. "And there will probably be one or two more joining them."
"That's bad news," Gilda said. "The Grand Magus let Twilight go with a pamphlet last time, but if you end up getting in her way she'll go through you instead of around."
"We weren't planning on getting in the way, as you'll recall," Moonsilver said. "We're not spoiled for choice. We have to make an early start of it."
"The sun is still up," Twilight noted. "Are you sure? Can you even go out in the sunlight?"
"No," Moonsilver grimaced. "But you could carry me in your pocket if I'm in bat form. It won't be pleasant, doing that in daylight, but..." he shrugged. "I have lasted centuries doing many stupid things for the crown. I suppose I can push my luck again."
"You won't be much help to us if you're like that and we run into trouble," Twilight said.
"No. It's why I wanted to wait for nightfall." Moonsilver sighed. "Once we're deep enough into the forest I might be able to risk it."
Fluttershy looked at the baby alligator nervously. Talking to mammals was easy. They all had basically similar body language, they got along to the point that it wasn't uncommon for one mammal to raise abandoned young from another species, and they were emotional in ways that she could understand.
Reptiles, though, could be a real challenge.
"He's very..."
Fluttershy hesitated. The alligator stared at her, as empty and unreadable as a book with blank pages.
"He's very scaly," she said, settling for a truth that nopony could argue with. She adjusted her stance to smile at the pink pony in front of her, bags of carefully-packed vials and pouches softly jingling like bells.
"I know, right?" Pinkie Pie gasped. "They always say that things are as smooth as a baby's bottom, but I guess it's not a baby alligator because Gummy's bottom isn't very smooth."
"...Right," Fluttershy agreed. She looked at Maud.
Maud just stared back at her. Fluttershy wilted a little.
"Since you've never been to Ponyville before, we'll have to have a party," Pinkie said, very seriously. "I just wish I'd had more warning."
"So it's like a... reverse surprise party?" Fluttershy offered. "Where the pony throwing the party doesn't know until the last minute?"
Pinkie Pie gasped. "There could be ponies who don't even know they're at a party! A stealth party! It's brilliant!"
Maud slowly turned to look at Pinkie Pie. She blinked once, which was as close as she could come to a facehoof, and decided not to say anything. She loved her sister. She just didn't understand her.
"Are you two really going to go into the woods? It's supposed to be dangerous," Fluttershy looked at the line of brush that marked the borders of the Everfree.
"I'll be okay," Pinkie smiled. "I know what most of the really dangerous stuff looks like. I've lived here for years and they keep telling me, Pinkie, don't go into the forest! It's super dangerous! But then I go in anyway because I want to see why it's dangerous and scary, you know? This one time I found these blue flowers that made everything sour taste sweet and sweet things taste sour. I got really sick eating lemons after that."
"R-right," Fluttershy agreed, not sure what to say.
"Hey, Maud!" A shadow passed over them. Maud looked up as Gilda landed next to her. "Twilight's on the way. We've gotta get an early start."
"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. She looked around and then spotted her on the path towards them. Fluttershy's eyes went wide and she started fixing her mane. "Do I look okay? I don't have any twigs in my hair, do I? I was talking to a sparrow before and I think it was trying to build a nest behind my ears."
"Oh wow, it's uh, Butterfree? Right?" Gilda wasn't very good with names.
"Fluttershy," the pegasus corrected.
"That's the one. Why are you here?"
"I'm, um..." Fluttershy looked down at her hooves. "It's a secret."
Twilight whistled as she approached. "Who's this cutie that I haven't seen in a while." She winked at Fluttershy. "You guys should have warned me. I would have worn my good coat."
"Darling, none of your coats are good," Rarity noted, following her. "You don't take care of them. They're always ruffled."
"A perfectly pressed coat means you aren't planning on doing real work," Twilight said.
"It's really nice to see you," Fluttershy said. "You don't have to wear a different coat. Or wear anything." She blushed. "I mean, um- You don't have to wear anything special!"
Rarity frowned slightly but said nothing.
"I'm glad to see you haven't raised any animals that've tried to kill you," Twilight joked.
"R-right," Fluttershy nodded. "Nothing dangerous going on at all."
"And you're in front of the Everfree!" Twilight noted, happily.
"It's a very unique forest."
"With a lot of alchemy stuff in your bags." Twilight held up a vial. Fluttershy wasn't sure how she'd gotten it.
"I don't leave home without them." Fluttershy held out a hoof. Twilight gave it back, and Fluttershy carefully put it away again.
"You're not involved in anything dangerous, are you?"
"I can't talk about it," Fluttershy whispered.
Twilight sighed. "Just be careful, okay?" She patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. "Don't want a cute mare like you getting into trouble."
Fluttershy nodded, cheeks bright red. She watched as Twilight started walking into the forest until she realized what was going on.
"Wait!" Fluttershy gasped. "You can't, um, it's dangerous. There's things and-" She took a deep breath. "A-and other ponies-"
"Other ponies are going in there too," Twilight guessed. "And you're going with them."
Fluttershy nodded.
"Could you do me a favor and not tell them you saw us?" Twilight smiled nervously. "It's, um. They don't need to know, and I'd owe you one."
"You'd owe me one?"
"Sure!" Twilight nodded. "Just keep this one little secret and I'll do anything." She paused. "Well, practically anything."
Fluttershy's tail twitched as she considered possibilities. She nodded.
"Thanks, cutie. I'll find you later." Twilight winked.
Fluttershy stood at the edge of the forest for a while, trying to decide what to say. Eventually, she worked up the courage to say it, her eyes squeezed shut.
"M-maybe we could go on a-" she opened her eyes. She was alone. "...Date." She finished, lamely. Fluttershy kicked at the dirt. "Darnit."
"Cute," Rarity said, flatly, as foliage quickly cut them off from the world. As soon as they'd gotten more than a stone's throw from the path, it became impossible to find the way back to it.
"Hm?" Twilight glanced towards her as they walked, following Maud and Pinkie Pie.
"You called her cute," Rarity noted. "More than once."
"I do that to every mare," Twilight sighed.
"You don't call me cute."
"You hate it when I call you cute."
"That doesn't mean you're allowed to call other mares cute!" Rarity snapped, huffing and stomping past Twilight to walk with Maud and Pinkie.
Twilight looked back at Gilda. The griffon shrugged.
"Mares, right?" Twilight offered.
"You're a mare," Gilda pointed out.
"Yeah, but that means I'm qualified to say something about it," Twilight said. "I mean why is she acting so weird? She never acts like this."
"Tartarus, Twilight, I don't know. Maybe it's because you should never compliment a mare in front of a mare that you're..." Gilda hesitated. "Dating? Sort of? I honestly have no idea what you two are doing at this point."
"She doesn't want to do anything serious because she can't be seen with me in public," Twilight said. "Last week she went on a date with some famous actor. The pictures were all over the tabloids. And then she busts me because I called Fluttershy cute? The mare saved my life!"
Gilda hesitated. Things were never this complicated with Rainbow Dash. When they had a disagreement it usually ended with fighting, then they'd retreat to the bedroom, then they'd talk it out once they were too tired for anything else.
"Mares." Gilda shrugged.
Sunset Shimmer paced around town hall, Star Swirl's portfolio held in front of her. Cadance watched her, the two left alone while the others prepared themselves.
"Do you know what the most amazing part of all this is?" Sunset asked. "Aside from the fact that I'm very quickly learning to read backwards Horse Latin and translate it, part of this portfolio is almost a diary."
She coughed and started reading.
"Let's see... tutume ex equuis caesaria... ah, here we go. This is sort of a loose translation. 'Asked Tia again about the source of the Elements. No manufacturing marks, but clearly not natural. The fat swan' - that's what he calls her when he's annoyed, apparently - 'keeps deflecting questions. Have to assume the Elements are made out of impossibly stable crystalline mana. Research into crystal growth suggests this is possible, but all fast-growing crystals are too fragile for suitability. Will research further when the fat swan stops being so emotional about her sister.'"
"Sister?" Cadance asked, standing up and reading over Sunset's shoulder. Sunset passed her the book, not that she could make heads or tails of it.
"Right here." Sunset created an illusory pointer and noted the line.
"Mutororos?" Cadance read.
"Sororotum," Sunset corrected. "Remember, he wrote backwards. I'm not sure why. Celestia thinks it's because he was trying to hide knowledge from the ignorant. I think it's because he was a difficult old codger who liked making life difficult for ponies."
"But Princess Celestia doesn't have a sister," Cadance said.
"How would we know?" Sunset asked, shrugging. "She's the only pony I know who can talk and talk and talk and say absolutely nothing useful. She's had centuries to work on patter and small talk. Besides, maybe she's dead. This was written almost a thousand years ago."
"You think it's related to the Elements?"
"Star Swirl thought so," Sunset noted. "But he kept talking around it too. There are other passages that just have these very brief mentions of... something. Some dark force, endless night, end of the world, that kind of thing. It's the junk you'd expect in a foal's tale, but if Star Swirl was talking about it, well, that makes me worried, you know?"
Cadance nodded.
"Anyway, we'll all be fine as long as I'm in charge," Sunset sighed. "I guess I can babysit you and get the job done at the same time."
"Actually, um," Cadance said, looking nervous. "I'm in charge, technically. I mean, I'm a Princess. I outrank you."
Sunset rolled her eyes. "This is literally my job. I'm in command."
"Is this really the time to fight about this?" Cadance asked.
"There's no fight," Sunset said. "If you want to be in charge, you can be in charge. I'll just go on my own."
"But we need-"
"Yeah, that's the thing," Sunset frowned. "You need me. I know more about magic than any of you. I read Star Swirl's portfolio. I know what we're after and how to get it. I don't need you."
"How do you know where we're going?" Gilda asked, as they pushed through another line of bushes.
"Pinkie Sense," Pinkie Pie said.
"What does that mean?" Gilda tilted her head. A branch slapped into her beak as it sprung back. She sputtered and flailed at it, annoyed.
"It's bad luck to ask," Pinkie said.
"Gotcha," Gilda muttered. "Hey, Twilight! How's Batsy doing?"
Twilight stopped and reached into her jacket and winced, pulling her hoof back.
"Grumpy," Twilight reported. "He bit me!"
"She got bitten?" Pinkie gasped. "She's gonna turn into one of them and eat all our brains!"
"That's zombies, not vamponies," Twilight said.
"Oh. Then you'll turn into a wolf!"
"And that's marewolves."
"Destroy Tokirin with atomic breath?"
"That's Fillyzilla," Twilight said. "And I'm pretty sure that even in the movies you don't turn into Fillyzilla if she bites you."
"How would we know? She never bites anypony."
"That's a good point, Pinkie," Twilight agreed. "If you see me growing to be half a mile tall and breathing fireballs, make sure to warn me."
Pinkie nodded seriously. "I will."
From the shadows, glowing yellow eyes followed their movements, silently tracking them through the woods.
Stats
Page generated in 0.02 seconds
Total duration
935 users online
307,346 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Okay, I love this odd mashup going completely orange shaped. Actually, im curious to how things will be, since neither have six here. We have five on both sides. But no six, so it will be fun and squirrely, the monster-y kind that gets folks going "Aaaah, my face!" and "Nooooo!" for when it hides and goes for its nuts in the toothpaste commercials..
...
...
Picks up phone*
"Hey Murphy, I found a job for you."
Alright I admit to being impressed you have plausible reasons for them all to be there.
My uess is that the parties are going to wind up split, with the mane six fighting over and somehow binding the elements to themselves.
Nice "Eye of Argon" reference.
Oh shiiiiit! I'm excited, holy crap!
Finally! I've waited with bailed breath for Moony arch.
It will be awesome to see her version from you. Because till this time it's absolutely brilliant how you represented all the heroes in a new light inside this story. And tied them all in this culmination.
Pieces already on the board - it's Showtime!
This is a really fun story. Keep up the great work
Well, you continue surprising me. I didn't think she would actually HIRE a team...
8105947 Wouldn't 'orange-shaped' be roughly spherical and thus ideal?
So this fic is why you were talking about vantablack yesterday.
This Sunset is the best.
I can't wait to see who ends up chosen.
Thankfully I don't have to wait, since you are awesome like that.
Nice work, loving it.
You know, remembering all the time to your student when it made a mistake?
Celestia you bitch!
This reminds me too much of Tucker/Church talking with Caboose.
So... Twilight and friends got handed the idiot ball I see.
How they think they are working for Celestia when the "enemy agents" are a Princess, a Wonderbolt, Fluttershy, Twilight's own brother, Rarity's foal hood friend and Celestia's freaking hoof...... Seriously how are they this stupid and trusting the guy not giving them any straight answers. They have been shown to be smarter then this.
Ouch...
Ah, so this IS the opening 2 parter of the show, got it.
8424869
no they know there not working for the princess there criminals they just dont realise the implications of help the bad side
8735503
Its quite difficult to choose between two evils.
Twilight's a mad simp and she's shameless about it