Half the Day is Night

by AugieDog

Chapter 10

So far, Pinkie Pie thought, humming a song backwards as she walked frontwards with her friends into the already darkening throne room of the Day Palace, it had been the best day ever.

Of course, she thought that about every day. And weirdly enough, it always turned out she was right.

She was wearing her dress again, the one Rarity had given her this morning, the one that hugged her tight with one part of it while the other part flared out all poofy and made her feel just exactly the way a balloon would feel, she was sure, if a balloon ever wore a dress--

And that was such a great idea--dresses for balloons!--she almost stopped to get her notebook out to write it down for when they got back to Ponyville.

Except she didn't have her pack on so she didn't have her notebook. Which meant she had no choice but to start muttering it to herself over and over--"Dresses for balloons! Dresses for balloons!"--since that was the best way, she knew, to let it squirm into her brain like bees into a tree stump--

Oooo. Dresses for bees...

"Ministers?" somepony was saying, and Pinkie looked up to see Princess Luna, her Highness drifting down the carpet from the throne, her mane definitely fuller and more flowing like her older sister's. "Good evening."

Pinkie's heart grew about three sizes bigger every time she saw one of Equestria's two royal ponies, and as much as she wanted to start laughing and dancing at the feeling, she knew that sort of thing would summon Twilight Sparkle's grumpy look. So she bowed instead which was even better 'cause all her friends bowed at the same time and that made it just exactly like a dance!

"Captain Destrier?" the princess said, and the gold and orange pegasus that Dashie liked so much stepped forward with a bow of his own. He was really good at it.

He straightened, turned smartly, gave a whistle, and a slow sort of waltzing music started up. It wasn't sad, but at the same time it kind of was. Just exactly like evening, she realized, the way it's sad that the day's over but not really sad since night time can be fun, too, and then there'll be the next day and the next day and the next day after that, each one, she knew, destined to be the best day ever.

The captain began marching toward the big doors at the end of the throne room, and Princess Luna followed, all Pinkie's friends falling into step behind her. So Pinkie did, too, tried her best to match her hooffalls with the tapping of the princess's silver shoes, but with the princess being just that much taller and her legs just that much longer, Pinkie ended up kind of hopping rather than walking.

Oh, well. Close enough.

Ignoring the narrow-eyed almost-glare Rarity was giving her, she concentrated on the looks Rainbow Dash was so purposefully not giving Captain Destrier. He wanted to be looking at her, too, Pinkie could tell, and she started thinking about the fun of being Auntie Pinkie to a little herd of blue and orange flying foals even though she knew it would never happen. The captain was married to his job and Dashie was married to the open sky, and that pretty much was that!

More soldier ponies lined the hallway, the arch at the end showing the late afternoon sunlight against the dark but still sparkly walls of the Night Palace across the courtyard. Princess Luna stepped outside, and Pinkie couldn't help noticing that the crowd was a lot smaller than it had been this morning when they'd walked the other way along this same path: three or four dozen ponies instead of the three or four hundred that had filled the place earlier. They weren't all standing together, either, not crammed in like a group but spread out like each pony was here all by him or herself.

Pinkie blew out a breath. They really needed to get organized, have a party and start getting to know each other. "Tomorrow night," she said out loud, and when Rarity and Twilight both looked at her with their lips all tight, she explained, "The party. Tomorrow night."

They were halfway across, now, the music and soft lights of the Day Palace still washing over them from behind, and Princess Luna turned her head to look west down the long, broad plaza. "The sun sets," she announced, and her voice settled into Pinkie's ears so much like a great big bell tolling that she wanted to slip her hoofs into some tambourine shoes and start tapping out a rattling clattering counterpoint of her own.

But again, she didn't have her pack! She shook her head. "I am so totally unprepared for this," she said.

"You're not the only one," Dashie muttered, and Pinkie looked around, saw the Night Palace squatted dark and silent in the sudden shadows ahead, Captain Destrier bowing to Princess Luna and marching back toward the Day Palace. "Like flying through a cold front," her pegasus friend went on.

"Yes," Princess Luna said, her voice soft and normal again, her shoes still striking the paving stones a bit too far apart for Pinkie to match her pace. "I hadn't...hadn't noticed the contrast before..."

They moved along in silence till they reached the big archway that led into the Night Palace, and that was when Pinkie noticed the line of other ponies. "Hey!" she said, excitement surging through her. "Maybe those guys're here to spark the place up!"

The ponies all stood silently a little ways to the east of the archway and watched with what Pinkie could only call hungry eyes as the princess led the way through the archway and into the big empty corridor that ran to the doors of the throne room. And even though she'd only seen their faces for a couple seconds in the gathering dusk before the wall of the Night Palace cut off her view of them, Pinkie was pretty sure they looked way too solemn for ponies who'd come to party even though the longing on their faces made her think they wanted--she might even say they needed--to be inside.

Twilight Sparkle's little gasp echoed. "Your Highness, have you been holding general audiences each evening?"

"What?" Princess Luna gave Twilight a startled look. "No, I...I never saw the need."

Twilight swallowed. "But you said earlier that you were following Princess Celestia's schedule, the same one she used when she ran both night and day?"

Princess Luna's eyes unfocused for an instant. "Ah. Yes. I..." Her mane seemed a lot less flowing all of a sudden. "I saw the listing there for audiences, but I hadn't expected...I mean, why would anypony show up now? I was sitting over there dealing with petitioners most of the day!" She jabbed a hoof back in the direction they'd come. "Why didn't they just come then??"

Pinkie cocked her head. "Y'ever notice how some ponies are more comfortable at night, your Highness?"

All her friends and the princess stared at her, and Pinkie laughed. "Just like you, y'see?" She bounced forward to the big wooden doors, pushed them open to reveal the recesses of the Night Throne Room. "They wanna be your biggest fans, but this is prob'bly the first time you've given 'em a chance to come and tell you so!"

The others had all followed her in, the only light the barest grey afterglow washing down the corridor behind them. "But...," Princess Luna said. "We can't hold audiences here! Look at it!" Her horn glowed, the pillars casting shadows all along the bare floor and walls. "There's no proper receiving area, no way to record their petitions, no one to escort them in and out, nothing at all like the set up Sister has in the Day Palace!"

"All right," Twilight said in what Pinkie recognized as her 'problem solving' voice. "We'll just need to...to put something together, something that'll--"

"How can we possibly??" Princess Luna stomped a shoe against the floor as loud as a lightning strike. "Those ponies are expecting to meet the ruler of all Equestria! And I'm in no fitter state for that than this room is! I--!"

"Hey!" Pinkie had been looking around and was surprised to see her pack leaning against the base of the carpeted ramp that led up to the Night Throne. She trotted over, picked the pack up--and was even more surprised to see the great big switch it had been covering.

Until it all come back to her. "Oh, yeah!" She stomped on the switch, and the fire pots she'd found while poking around the Night Palace's kitchen all reacted to the trigger spell and flared to life. "I knew I'd spent all afternoon doing something!"

Torches crackled softly, their flames illuminating the walls and making the whole chamber glow. The big fire pit in the center of the room sputtered and caught, too, and the effect of the pillars and the friendly fire light, Pinkie was overjoyed to see, really did give the hall the look of a summer campout in the woods.

Giving a nod, she turned to the others, staring around with their mouths hanging open. "We want to keep it simple, cozy, and intimate, right? So maybe ponies can meet you here by the fire, Princess, instead of up on the throne."

"Pinkie!" Twilight didn't have her grumpy face on at all, the torchlight shining in her eyes. "It's...it's--!"

"Perfect," Princess Luna said. She stepped forward, bent down, touched her horn to Pinkie's head so soft and warm and gentle, Pinkie thought about being a balloon again so she could drift up to the ceiling and float around there for a while. "I can see," the princess went on, turning to smile at all Pinkie's friends, "that I really need to just stop worrying about whatever impossible task might next confront us. Because with the six of you here, the word 'impossible' loses all meaning."

And Pinkie really had no choice then but to pull open her bag, slip her front hoofs into her tambourine shoes, and shake a quick rhythm up and around everypony, grins perking their faces. "OK!" she told them. "I'll be hostess and guide our guests in and out. Twilight, you be here with the princess and write down anything that needs writing down. Applejack, you keep an eye on everything." She waved a shoe at Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. "You can go about your business, but I'll wanna hear all about it at breakfast tomorrow!"

***

"You're sure?" Rarity asked again, still a little overwhelmed by the lovely and tasteful decorating job Pinkie Pie--Pinkie Pie!--had done in the throne room.

"Go," Pinkie said, tapping her ridiculous shoes alongside Rarity and Fluttershy down the main hall toward the huge stone archway of the Night Palace's main entrance. "Laugh. Sing. Dance. Party." And she punctuated each word with a rhythmic rattling step.

"Well, if you insist." Rarity shook herself so the traveling cloak fell more completely around her: she'd had her and Fluttershy's gowns set out all afternoon, so they merely had to slip into them once they'd made that lonely procession into the Night Palace. "Although if Orrery Stargazer truly turns out to be as boring as Twilight Sparkle says, we may be back here before you're done with your duties."

"Oh!" Fluttershy perked up. "A nice, quiet little party would be so nice!"

Pinkie rolled her eyes at that, Rarity saw, but they emerged from the archway at that moment and came into sight of the ponies queued up outside: not more than twenty, it seemed to Rarity, but she was more interested in the black stallion standing a bit to the side and looking quite dapper, she thought, in his evening clothes, a stylish white shirt front and black bow tie visible under his own cloak.

"Ooooo," she heard Pinkie say softly. "A lotta things there, but boring ain't one of 'em." Rarity turned to give her a quizzical look, but Pinkie had already started tapping toward the line, was calling out in a voice that barely sounded like her, "Thank you so much for coming tonight, dear friends. Our beloved Princess Luna is gratified that you would take the time to seek out her company, so--"

She moved out of earshot, then, Rarity and Fluttershy continuing on toward the stallion. "Good evening, Mr. Stargazer," Rarity said, not quite sure how she felt about the little smirk she saw now on his face. "I do hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"Not at all, Miss Rarity." He gave her a slight bow, his eyes straying to the dark bulk of the Night Palace. "I was just standing here doing my best not to become a crotchety old plow horse."

"Indeed?" She cocked her head. "Is that a likely event, sir?"

"I fear so." He waved a hoof at Pinkie, leading the first of the waiting ponies through the archway, the rattling of her shoes echoing as they stepped inside. "For you see, back when I was undersecretary of the Night Ministry, we had an honor guard for our receiving lines and banners with--" He stopped, shook his head, smirked his smirk. "But there I go, living in the past. Princess Luna is not Princess Celestia, and expecting her to have the same tastes and manner is utter foolishness."

"Yes," Rarity said, the thought occurring to her suddenly that Orrery might very well be a suspect in this whole roof collapsing incident Applejack was investigating. His entire family had lost their jobs, after all, had in fact been thrown from the only home they'd ever known when Princess Luna had returned and disbanded the Night Ministry...

It quite gave Rarity palpitations, wondering if she and Fluttershy were perhaps on the verge of entrusting their lives to some sort of fiend, and wracking her brain, trying to think of a clever way to expose his guilt, she found nothing coming to her but etiquette. "I don't believe you know my friend Fluttershy." She turned, her smile phony enough to feel painted on. "Fluttershy, this is--"

"Fluttershy?" a small voice asked, and Rarity blinked to see a young filly gallop from the line across the paving stones toward them. "Oh, Miss Fluttershy!" She clattered up, the night too dark to see more than the red ribbon tied around her horn. "And you must be Miss Rarity!" The little unicorn was practically dancing in place. "You're even more beautiful than your pictures!"

Rarity smile became quite real, then, more than a little pleased that Orrery was watching all this. She was about to ask the clever child her name when Fluttershy spoke up: "Juniper! I thought you told me you were going home!"

"I did!" She waved a hoof back at the line, two slightly older unicorn fillies edging from their places, their nervousness so palpable, Rarity was sure she could smell it. "But when I told my sisters I'd met you and you'd given me this ribbon to wear, they wanted to get ribbons, too!"

"Ribbons?" Rarity did some more blinking, then recalled the story Fluttershy had told earlier. "Oh! Yes! Of course!" She turned her smile toward the slowly approaching fillies. "Do you also wish to be special friends of Princess Luna?"

"They do!" little Juniper cried out, jumping up and down. "They were afraid to say anything at home 'cause Mom and Dad always got so mad at me for talking about Princess Luna, but when they saw my ribbon, that was it!" The two other unicorns had sidled over by now and were looking as mortified as only big sisters can when confronted by the antics of a younger sister. "So I showed 'em how I sneak outta the house, and we all came over here to maybe see Princess Luna and maybe get some ribbons! And now we can!"

Nodding, Rarity sparked her horn, made two lengths of the ribbon she'd cut earlier float from her cloak. "May I ask your names, please?"

The oldest of the three stepped forward. "I'm Aurora Borealis, Miss Rarity, and this is my sister Zephyr. We--"

"Aurora?" Orrery asked, his horn lighting up bright enough to cast a glowing puddle all around them. "I thought I recognized your voice."

All three of the little unicorns stared, and Aurora looked like she wanted to be anywhere other than where she was. "Mr. Stargazer! I...I didn't...didn't know it was...was you over here..."

He gave a charming smile. "Oh, now, don't fret. I won't tell your parents you were here--if you follow Miss Fluttershy's advice and head home straight away."

Juniper's face fell even further. "But Mr. Stargazer! We wanna tell the princess that we--!"

"And you will." Ory's voice made Rarity think of sweet hot tea. "Tomorrow evening when I shall be more than happy to escort the three of you to Princess Luna's salon."

"You will??" the Borealis girls all said at once.

Ory held up a hoof. "With your parents' permission."

Their horns practically drooped. "They'll never let us do that!" Juniper said, her lower lip trembling.

Rarity let her horn spark again, touched it to the tip of the filly's. "Perhaps we can persuade them."

***

The streets of Canterlot at night simply took Rarity's breath away, tiny twinkling lights strung between poles and along the towers giving quite a festive air to the bustling cafés, bookshops, and boutiques, these last nearly calling out to Rarity as their little group trooped past. Just the designs she could see in the windows started ideas tumbling through her head, and several times, she found she had to force herself to keep walking.

Fortunately, the fillies were so overwhelmed at meeting Fluttershy that they clustered around her talking of the various small joys and anguishes inherent in a schoolgirl's life, Fluttershy's gentle nature, Rarity saw once again, more than enough to win their hearts completely.

Which was just as well as it allowed Rarity to drop back a few steps and ask Ory, "The sentiment against Princess Luna, Mr. Stargazer. I understand it's not confined merely to the elders of the Borealis family."

His mouth went sideways. "If one wished to strike a fear into the heart of Canterlot greater than any threat of earthquake, flood, or even the suggestion that the volcano beneath us is perhaps not quite as dormant as we might like to think, one should merely whisper the word 'change' along our ivy-covered streets."

She started to laugh, but when he turned his dark eyes upon her, the intensity there made her mane stand on end. "Make no mistake, Miss Rarity: I love Canterlot. But being home to Princess Celestia for so many generations has solidified the general opinion here that we are indeed the center of the universe. By the simple act of returning, Princess Luna has reminded the citizens of our fair city that they don't know everything, that there was a world out there before they were born, a world that will continue after they're gone. And we Canterlotians don't take kindly to that sort of thing."

"I see." Determined to keep the atmosphere light, Rarity tossed her mane. "Rather like the crotchety old plow horse you mentioned earlier?"

"Exactly like him." Ory gave her a slight smile. "We know how things ought to be done since we've always done them that way." He shook his head. "Never mind that Princess Luna was doing things her way for longer than any of us can easily imagine, and who's to say that this change might not be for the best?" His smile became much broader. "I for instance have returned to my study of the jazz trombone now that I needn't worry about besmirching the dignity of my office and the good name of the Night Ministry, as my mother so often put it."

She stared at him. "The trombone?"

He gave a little shrug under his traveling cloak. "I've sat in on a few small gigs around town, received more than a few invitations to return, have started picking up some coin here and there for my efforts. Nowhere near as steady as ministry work, but then, well, there is no more ministry. Yet life goes on, does it not?"

And for all that jazz was not at all her choice of music,-- "Are you playing anywhere this week?"

"There's always a session somewhere." Ory gave her a sideways glance. "Would you be interested in--?"

"We're here!" one of the fillies called, and Rarity looked forward to see that they'd come into a residential part of town, the houses not large but immaculately kept, hedges and trees and the lovely towers that seemed to crown most buildings in Canterlot all tasteful and delicate. Fluttershy and the three Borealis girls had stopped at the base of one of the many stairways that wound up from the street, were all looking back at Rarity and Ory with expressions of fear and excitement mixing over their faces.

Ory's ears flicked, and he bowed to Rarity. "If you'll excuse me, I believe my diplomatic skills are called for."

***

Rarity wasn't at all surprised when Hibernus Borealis and his wife Hesper recognized Fluttershy at once, but she got to do a little preening herself when Hesper came all over gushing about some of the hat designs Rarity had sent to Hoity Toity last month. The young couple ushered them all into the family's sitting room, and there, over cups of green tea, Rarity learned that they'd both worked in Ory's office at the Night Ministry. "And a better boss no pony could ask for!" Hibernus insisted.

So they readily accepted Ory's story about coming across their three daughters just a few minutes ago a mere block from home-- "Although," he went on, "when they said they were headed for the Night Palace over your objections, well, I'll admit I didn't know what to think."

Hesper's face hardened, and Hibernus shook his head. "I can't understand it myself," he said. "You try to raise your girls right, and bam! Outta nowhere, they get all weepy about this...this--" He looked around and lowered his voice. "This usurper Luna!"

"Usurper??" Rarity couldn't keep the indignation out of her voice. "Now see here!"

Ory resting a hoof on her shoulder stopped her. "I should perhaps inform you," he told the Borealises, "that Miss Rarity and Miss Fluttershy are here this week assisting Princess Luna with her duties."

Both the dun-colored unicorns went wide-eyed, their ears folding back. "No!" Hesper blurted out. "How can you??"

Fluttershy ruffled her wings. "She's our princess."

Hesper sniffed, and Hibernus shook his head. "I've no wish to quarrel with you," he said. "So perhaps we'd best let you be on your way." He looked at Ory. "Thanks for bringing the girls back, Ory. I'll give 'em a talking to, don't you worry about that."

Rarity started to open her mouth again, but Ory was faster. "How're you two doing?" he asked.

Hibernus shrugged. "I got one of the new positions over at the Parks Department, and Hesper's sister's done so well with her shoe store, she needed an accountant." He flashed a grin. "It's taken some adjusting, but yeah. We're doing OK."

"And the others from the old office?" Ory took a sip of tea. "Harlow and April and all? Heard from them lately?"

Brightening, Hesper proceeded to tell several stories about ponies Rarity didn't know, all of whom had found a greater or lesser degree of success in other positions around town after the closure of the Night Ministry. "Give good ponies enough time and the chance to do so," she finished up, "and they'll turn every challenge into an opportunity!"

"Exactly." Ory's eyes got deep and intense again. "Might I ask, then, that you give Princess Luna that time and that chance?"

Again, both unicorns went wide-eyed, and Rarity's heart swelled in her chest. "We've all been there," she said, picking up Ory's words. "In difficult situations like these, all we can do is our best, and all we can expect from those around us is that they do their best as well. I can assure you that Princess Luna relishes the opportunity to serve the ponies of Equestria, but to succeed, she needs friends."

Rarity found that she'd leaped to her hoofs, and she let her voice rise and ring out as dramatically as she knew how. "Friends who can forgive her her mistakes, who can give her advice on how to avoid those mistakes in the future, and who can help her settle back into her rightful place among us! Half the day is night, after all, and having the true ruler of that half in our midst once again can only bring Equestria greater happiness and greater prosperity!"

Cheers went up from the three fillies in the corner of the room. A look from their mother quieted them, and Rarity thought perhaps her words had missed their target. But then Hesper sighed. "We have been a bit hard on the princess, I'll admit that." A bit of her former hardness can over her face. "But is she willing to listen? Really and truly listen?"

Hoping the princess wouldn't mind, Rarity said, "She's just this very evening reinstated her sister's practice of holding general audiences. I know she'd love to hear from those who are as concerned about the future of Equestria in general and Canterlot in particular as she is."

"In fact," Ory added, "I was thinking of attending the princess's salon tomorrow night." He tapped a hoof against the floor. "Why don't we all go together! Hi? Hesper? Show Princess Luna that we're willing to give her a chance if she's willing to take it!"

"Please, Mama?? Please, Papa??" Juniper was jumping up and down, the ribbon around her horn flouncing with her. "And we can all wear ribbons so she'll know we don't hate her!"

"Indeed." Ory turned to Rarity, his dark eyes sparkling. "Which reminds me, Miss Rarity. I never did get my ribbon from you."

***

She'd tied the ribbon behind his ear, strangely thrilled to be stroking her magic through his mane. Each Borealis got one as well, and promising to see them all the next evening at the Night Palace, she, Fluttershy and Ory had stepped back onto the street to resume their interrupted journey.

"Wow, Rarity." Fluttershy sounded more like herself than she had all day. "That was a really great speech!"

"Yes," Ory said, and Rarity couldn't quite place the tone she was now hearing in his voice. "Quite stirring."

She tossed her mane. "One does what one can. My real concern, of course, is that we not arrive too late for your party, Ory. I'd hate to think--"

"No," somepony said ahead of them, and out of the doorway of a shuttered grocery store stepped a figure wrapped in black from ears to fetlocks. "Sorry, filly, but that's not your real concern."

"Who--??" Ory began, but he stopped when a second black-clad pony stepped out to join the first. A clatter behind her, and Rarity glanced back to see at least another five shadowy figures moving to block any possible retreat.

"You." The first figure gestured with a metal-shod front hoof. "Stargazer. How 'bout you just trot on home, huh?"

"I beg your pardon??" Ory drew himself to his full height. "What manner of--??"

The first pony made another gesture, and the pony behind him rushed forward, spun around, and kicked at Ory's head; Rarity gasped, but the pony didn't seem to make contact, her rear hoof flashing past Ory before she whirled again to face frontwards.

But Ory cried out, too, his hoof touching his cheek, and in the dim light of the tiny street lamps, Rarity saw a red streak against his dark hide, the awful and salty stink of blood suddenly in the air.

"That's one," the first pony said quietly. "You really don't wanna see what two is. So how 'bout you get on your way before--"

"How...dare...you??" came a voice Rarity hadn't heard since the time she'd been standing on a mountain peak with a full-grown dragon glaring down at her; she glanced over, saw Fluttershy hovering above the paving stones next to Ory, the air crackling with static electricity. "Attacking my friends??" Fluttershy demanded, and even though it wasn't aimed at her, Rarity felt the force of Fluttershy's stare like a winter wind brushing by. "Oh, I don't think so!"

The full brunt of the stare struck Ory's attacker, and the pony froze in place. "Run!" Rarity shouted, slamming her head into Ory's side in the hope that it would shock him awake if he'd caught any of Fluttershy's backlash, and following her own advice, she galloped full-tilt toward the one pony ahead of them.

"Hey!" he yelled, but by then she'd whisked past him, was heading for the open street.

Hoofbeats behind her: she looked to see Ory following, blood still welling from his cut, Fluttershy airborne at his side. "Who were those ruffians??" he panted out.

"I've no wish to make their further acquaintance!" Rarity forced herself to slow till the two caught up. "Might you have some thoughts as to how we can get away from them?"

"Ummm,...here!" He wheeled up a sidestreet, and she followed, let him take the lead. Another turn, a quick stretch of street, then he was skidding to a stop at a small stone shack of the sort Rarity had seen squatting here and there between the buildings they'd been passing all night. His horn glowed, a key floated from beneath his cloak, and he jabbed it at the stone shack's metal door, the door sliding open without nearly as many creaks and groans as Rarity had expected from it. "Quickly!"

Fluttershy swooped in, but Rarity had to stop, her nose wrinkling. "It looks filthy!"

"It isn't!" Fluttershy popped her head back out. "Please! They're coming!"

Shuddering, Rarity leaped through the doorway, Ory right behind her and pushing the door closed with a boom. His horn still glowed, though, the key turning the inside lock, and Rarity glanced around to see nothing but a set of wooden steps leading down, a strange whooshing noise reaching her ears, her nose twitching at the scent of--

"Fresh water?" she asked.

"Canterlot's aqueducts." He turned, the key tucking back into his cloak. "They pass under the city from the wells at the center of the volcano's caldera." Giving her a grin, he started down the steps.

Fluttershy looked at her. She nodded, gestured with her nose, and followed. The whoosh became a rush as they approached the first turn in the stairs, and rounding the corner, she almost had to squint at the rush becoming a roar, a flood of water crashing through a vast stone tunnel to her right, the little wooden walkway built into the wall ahead lit only by Ory's horn.

He started out onto the walkway, turned that grin of his back over his shoulder. "Its perfectly safe!" he called above the water. "These paths are so very handy for getting from one end of town to the other without worrying about street traffic, I kept these keys when I left the Night Ministry!"

Fluttershy had moved out onto the walkway as well, her eyes wide and fixed on the torrent beside and below them. Rarity shuddered but stepped out just as a voice beside her whispered, "So many of us did."

Snapping her head over, she saw a shadow moving to the side of the walkway. The boards shivered below her hoofs, shivered and cracked and tipped, her inner ear spinning, the walkway slowly heeling over beneath her. "Ory!" she shouted, but the whole stretch of walkway was going, Ory and Fluttershy both looking back at her with their mouths open just before the whole thing fell, water swallowed them and lashing against Rarity worse than any rainstorm she'd ever been caught in.

How she clung to the walkway, she had no idea, but it bobbed up under her, let her open her eyes, her mane drenched and plastered against her head. Ory's light still burned ahead, he and Fluttershy also clinging to the boards, and she saw the tunnel flashing past, the water barrelling them along at a pace that made Rarity's stomach yaw and spin.

"Where??" she tried to shout. "Where does this go??"

Ory's head was up staring into the blackness they were hurtling into, but then he turned and shouted one word, a word that made Rarity go even colder than she was: "Waterfall!"

For an instant, she saw Canterlot from Ponyville, saw the shimmer that even at that distance danced below the domes and spires of the Day Palace, the great waterfalls and the seemingly magical mist they shed over the whole valley below.

And then she was back on the whirling wooden walkway, a darker darkness looming in front of her, Ory's light suddenly just a pinpoint, the flood of water dropping away, the open sky surrounding her, stars shining in the blackness.

A second or two of suspension, then the end of the walkway arched downward, and Rarity felt them start falling.

Comments

[Flame Runner]

I see you put the title into the story and in a very fitting speech too.
The story is really starting to pick up some steam. I can't figure out who's good and who's bad...yet. Excellent work and I can't wait to see how it all pans out!

[lazyreader19]

Da fuq!? Trying to murder the elements of harmony!? Don't they realize that is putting everything and everyone at risk!?

Oooh man when Celestia cones home to this mess, it wouldn't be pretty. Assuming you don't find a way to resolve it all by the end of this.

Great story so far!

[Carnation83]

I love the section from Pinkie Pie's POV. She's a difficult character to read/write and you do a great job in not making her annoying.