Chapter 2
Pegasus guardponies flanked the chariot as we flew to Queensmouth, and I stared out over the landscape as we passed over it. Normally I was pretty happy to get out of the palace and to be doing something different from my normal routine. While it could be intimidating whenever Aunt Tia gave me a special assignment, there was still a sense of wonder in visiting new places and meeting new ponies. Not this time.
“Is something the matter, Cadance?” I could see Aunt Luna frowning out of the corner of my eye. “Thou hast been silent for some time now. ”
I grumbled something under my breath and wrapped my wings around myself. Seconds passed before Aunt Luna hazarded speaking again. “I can tell something troubles thee.”
I considered not answering, but I had a feeling she wasn’t going to let it be. I sighed. “Shining.”
“What about him?” Aunt Luna’s frown deepened. “Hath he done something to cause this melancholy?”
My ear flicked. “You really don't get it?” Could she really be that dense?
Aunt Luna tilted her head slightly. “Get what? Pray, explain.”
I groaned and rubbed my face. “You don't think it was a little inappropriate to hit on him right in front of me?”
Aunt Luna blinked and leaned her head back. “What dost thou mean? I did not strike him.”
I ground my teeth as I reminded myself to be careful what words I used with her. There was probably a whole list of words and phrases my time-displaced aunt wouldn’t know. “I mean flirting with him!”
Aunt Luna flinched. “'Twas nothing serious, I assure thee. ‘Tis not as though I kissed him, wrote him love poetry, gave him gift of endearment, or cornered him in my bedchamber.”
I ground my teeth and bit back the first couple of things I wanted to say. “It was still ... inappropriate.”
“I, um...” Aunt Luna’s sides heaved with a great width and her eyes fell to the floor of the chariot. “My sister warned me about this. How ... certain things have changed since ... I was away. 'Tis much easier to adapt to the changes that come with the march of time when one marches with it.” Her shoulders sagged. “Mine apologies if I did insult thee. I will make penance for it.”
I took a deep breath as I tried to rein my temper in. When was the last time I had been this grouchy? But as I took a moment to think things through, I once again reminded myself that Aunt Luna was a mare out of time. Really, social customs had changed a great deal over the centuries, especially where things like love and courtship were concerned. Big surprise what might have been considered appropriate in the past might not be now.
With all of that in mind, I spoke as calmly as I could. “I'm sure you didn't mean to upset me.”
“Neigh, I did not. ‘Twas mine intent to but tease thee a trifle.” Aunt Luna let out an annoyed huff. “I was not aware everypony had become as prudish as my sister.”
“I'm not prudish!” I snapped at her. “I am very open-minded and more than willing to talk about various aspects of love, thank you.”
Aunt Luna’s ears fell flat against her head. “Mine apologies, I misspoke. 'Tis just...” She sighed and shook her head with a resigned sigh. “Mine apologies, again. I am at fault.”
She slumped against the side of the chariot, and neither of us spoke for a time. I left her to her thoughts as I tried to rein in my temper. Aunt Luna had apologized but... I didn't know what I was thinking. My new aunt was just so—so different than her sister. It was jarring. When I pictured Nightmare Moon, I imagined some classical villainess from a stage play, maniacally laughing as her evil plans came to fruition. The mare before me was nothing like that, and that was something I was going to have to come to terms with if I was going to get along with her. It wasn't her fault she was having trouble adjusting; really, it was something I needed to help her with.
I took another calming breath before I finally spoke. “I forgive you, Auntie Luna. If you say that you didn't meant to hurt my feelings, then I believe you.”
“Cadance...” Aunt Luna rubbed her face. “I do not wish for any discord 'tween us.”
I sighed and nodded. “I know.”
Aunt Luna’s shoulders slumped. “And here I had promised Tia that I would do what I could be get along with thee. Already I have made a fool of myself.”
I couldn’t take this anymore. My aunt was obviously miserable. This seemed like a good time to have bygones be bygones. “Let's ... do-over? Restart from scratch and just move forward like nothing happened.”
Aunt Luna gave me a smile that was brittle on the edge. “If thou wouldst have me.”
I smiled encouragingly for her. “You're still my aunt.”
Her smile became more confident. “And thou art my beloved niece.”
“Thanks,” I said. “And if you can’t forgive family, who can you forgive?”
“And if I say something untowards, please, tell me.”
I nodded. “I can do that.”
“My thanks.” When next she spoke, it was with an annoyed grumble. “I have a feeling I will make similar mistakes in the future.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. I doubted this would be the first incident where my aunt put somepony off due to her dated mannerisms. “It's a risk, yes. We’ll just have to take it as it comes.”
Aunt Luna straightened herself and puffed out her chest. “Well, I am not about to help my ponies by moping and sulking 'bout the palace all day.”
“Talking with ponies is probably the best thing you can do right now,” I said.
“Aye.” Some of the confidence in her frame left her as she deflated slightly. “If they will have me, that is.”
“I think they will,” I reassured her. “It's just ... well, like Auntie Tia said, you need a bit of time to adjust.” Hopefully those tutors Aunt Tia hired would be able to help also. If I knew my aunt, she had probably been preparing for Aunt Luna’s return for a long time.
“Aye, that is probably the truth of it.” Her smile was bittersweet, and I could only imagine what was going through her head. This was the mare who had tried to bring on an eternal night because of her jealousy of her sister and her desire to be noticed by their subjects, or so the stories went, anyways.
That reminded me that I better get some of those details from Aunt Tia. It was probably going to be hard to pin her down to get those details, but I needed to understand my new aunt if I was going to help her. “I can help you with that,” I said.
“I would be grateful.” Aunt Luna huffed in annoyance. “I could certainly use it. I cannot seem to talk to anypony without discomforting them.”
I reached out and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “We’ll get there, together.”
We sat there smiling for a long moment before Aunt Luna broke the silence. “Wouldst thou object if I were to hug thee? Merely hugging was fine in mine own time, but as we have discussed, much has changed. I would not make thee uncomfortable.”
I hugged her in reply, wrapping my wings around her. “Yeah, that's fine.”
Aunt Luna hugged me back, and while it was much more gentle than the hugs she had given me during our first meeting, I could feel the familial love coming from her. I drank it in, enjoying the warm, comfortable feeling of it. “‘Tis good to finally have a niece.”
“Having another aunt should be nice.”
“And we do have much catching up to do.” She nuzzled me.
I nuzzled back. “I'm looking forward to that.”
The two of us spent the rest of the flight talking to one another. It was pleasant as we went back and forth over a variety of topics—questions about each other, some of the choicier bits of gossip in Canterlot over the years, and what Aunt Tia had been up to lately. Overall, it was pretty nice and helped pass the long hours of the trip.
As I finished a story about a rather disastrous experiment with a casserole recipe back when I foalsat Twilight, Aunt Luna peered over the side of the chariot. “Ah, I think that is Queensmouth right there.”
I craned my head to catch a glimpse. The town was difficult to see at first through the fog that clung to the land like a thick blanket, but as we got closer, it took shape at the mouth of a river that ran into a bay. It wasn't a large town; dirt roads wound their way between a few dozen buildings that lined the shore. Most of the structures looked modest in size and appearance from the air. The largest structures were a trio of warehouses along the waterfront, what I was reasonably sure was the town courthouse, and a lighthouse made of gray stone sat on a hill a little ways up the shore. The dock looked nearly empty, the town vessels probably out at sea to ply their trades.
We soared over a series of small farms that helped feed the community, and I noted that the railroad had not come to Queensmouth. Aunt Tia and her tutors stressed the significance of seemingly small details, and as I thought it over, it occurred to me that the lack of a railroad either meant the railroad simply hadn't gotten around to extending itself this far north or the town hadn't been considered profitable enough it to stop here.
“Sure looks like it,” I told my aunt. “It seems ... peaceful.” Queensmouth certainly looked the picture of a sleepy little seaside town.
Aunt Luna pressed her lips together before replying. “Aye, though sometimes appearances can be deceiving. In my experience, every town contains its own secrets—some more nefarious than others.”
“Well, only one way to find out.” I looked straight down into the town as we banked down towards it. The guards pulling the chariot glanced around for a good place to land.
I always felt a little bit silly having to ride around a chariot to get most places, especially when I could fly faster and farther than most of my bodyguards even when they weren't chauffeuring me. But as Aunt Tia had told me, there were appearances to keep up as a princess. Admittedly, it was a bit hard to maintain my royal dignity with the kind of damage long-distance flying can do to my mane and makeup. I could fix my mane quickly enough with a spell, but the rest would require a mirror.
Aunt Luna stood up in the chariot. “Aye, now let us make our entrance and make ourselves known to our subjects.” Before I could react, Aunt Luna lept off the rear of the chariot.
“Aunt Luna!” I yelled after her, quickly poking head over the side of the chariot to see what in the world she was doing. Our guards jerked in surprise at my aunt’s sudden departure, but years of training gave them a quick reaction time, and they dove after Aunt Luna as she plummeted towards the ground.
Stretching out her wings, Aunt Luna landed in the middle of the market square with a loud thud that caused several of the nearby townsfolk to yelp in surprise. She struck the pose of an imposing warrior as the crackle of thunder surrounded her. “CITIZENS OF QUEENSMOUTH!” she bellowed, unleashing the Royal Canterlot Voice on the unsuspecting populace. “THY PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT HATH ARRIVED!”
The ponies nearest to her were blown back by the physical force of her voice, and loose items all over the market were thrown about. A dozen ponies bowed before Aunt Luna, though whether it was an act of supplication or merely to brace themselves against the Royal Canterlot Voice was anypony’s guess. Ponies not caught in the immediate blast radius either stood in shock with their mouths agape at the sudden arrival of royalty, or outright fled from the display.
For my part, I was acquainting my hoof to my face. As far as making an impression goes, we were not off to a good start.
Aunt Luna glanced around to the ponies about her and she frowned pensively as her brows furrowed. Realizing I better get on damage control fast, I flittered down to the ground as fast as I could to land next it my aunt. “I think you overdid it a little bit.”
Her head tilted in a questioning look. “What? How so? Ponies have always cheered me when I suddenly appeared in their midsts to save their village, but now they cower before me like I am some bloodthirsty tyrant.”
I bit my lip as I considered how best to answer that. “Well, ponies in this time aren't quite as ... used to you.” Needless to say, if Aunt Tia had ever made an entrance like that, it had been long before I was born. At least when it wasn't an emergency, anyways. Aunt Tia was normally a very level-headed and loving mare, but when it came to one of those rare times she really got mad...
“Neigh, they have been without their princess of the night for too long,” Aunt Luna groused. She narrowed her eyes at one of the prostrate ponies before her, causing the mare to whimper. My aunt let out a long sigh. “This is not how things should be. I have lost my touch with the common ponies.”
“Exactly.” I placed a hoof on her shoulder to reassure her. “It’ll be alright. Just let me handle this, I’ll show you how to interact with everypony.” My aunt pacified for the moment, I cleared my throat and called out in a gentle and reassuring tone. “Hello everypony. I'm Princess Cadance, and we're here to help you.”
Ponies started to look up at us from the bows, and those that had hidden behind their stalls poked their heads out. I smiled, and that seemed to encourage them enough to stand and approach us.
Aunt Luna then smiled for the townsfolk. It was ... less than effective. Several ponies flattened themselves with a whimper again. It only got worse when Aunt Luna’s smile turned into a scowl. I stepped forward to try and put this fire out before it could escalate, making a mental note to talk to my aunt about interacting with ponies. “It's alright. Really. We’re only here to deal with a problem we heard you were having.”
One of the ponies, an earth pony stallion with a dark-green coat and wearing an apron, uncertainly emerged from his stall and bowed before us. “P-Princesses, what d-did you want?”
Before I could answer, Aunt Luna unleashed the Royal Canterlot Voice again. “WHERE IS THY MAYOR? WE WOULD HAVE WORDS WITH HER.” Ponies quailed as they were hit by that physical force once more.
“Aunt Luna!” I stomped a hoof. That was not helping right now. “Stop yelling at them!”
“I AM NOT YELLING AT THEM.” Aunt Luna said, blasting me full in the face with her words. “I AM USING THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE. SURELY MY SISTER TAUGHT IT TO THEE?”
I could feel that my mane had been blown into something unprincessily. I was glad I couldn’t see my reflection, but did not look forward to fixing it later. “I don't think we do that anymore.”
Aunt Luna brought her voice down from something that could burst eardrums instantly to merely damaging with prolonged exposure. “But whyever not? 'Tis traditional.”
“A lot of traditions have changed.”
My aunt rolled her eyes. “Ah, but of course.”
“Just try speaking normally?” I begged, giving her the smile I normally reserved for begging Aunt Tia to let me do something. “Please?”
“Very well.” Aunt Luna’s frown promised that this wasn't going to be the last word on this topic. “Let us be about our business here.”
“Great.” Happy to have made some ground with my aunt, I approached the food stall pony with a friendly smile. “Hello, can you tell us where the mayor is?”
“S-she should be in the courthouse over there.” He pointed to the large stone building which dominated the center of the town.
“Thank you.” I knew ponies could be a bit intimidated by royalty, but all of this was taking it to a new level.
He returned with a shaky smile. “Of course, Your Highness.” His eyes briefly darted to Aunt Luna. “Highnesses!”
With the immediate crisis averted, I returned to my aunt. “So, shall we go see the Mayor?”
Aunt Luna nodded. “Aye, we shall.”
Queensmouth wasn't a large town, so it didn't take us long to enter the courthouse and find the mayor’s office. Our guards took positions on either side of the door as we entered.
The office was a relatively simple affair. Most of the furniture seemed old and worn with the passage of time and the succession of different majors. A couple of aged bookcases with old law books lined one wall while a simple painting of the sea adorned the other. The large, darkwood desk that dominated the room looks new though, even if the chairs facing it looked liked they had seen better days.
What really caught my attention was the pony in a cushioned chair behind the desk. The earth pony mare—Mayor Sea Foam, according to the plaque on her desk—had a lean build and looked like she was rounding out the end of her middle age. With a gray coat and dark green mane, she had a hard, leathery look to her typical of ponies who had spent long years at sea and seen both sun and storm aplenty.
The mare was busily writing something and didn't bother to look up. “Yes, yes, what is—” Her eyes widened when she looked up at us. “P-Princess Cadance? And N-Nightmare Moon?!” Bolting to her hooves and rounded her desk to bow to us.
Aunt Luna’s face darkened at the mention of her alter ego. “I am no longer Nightmare Moon, but Luna, Princess of the Night.”
The Mayor bowed closer to the floor under the glare of my aunt. “O-of course, Princess! My apologies, I meant no offense.”
Wanting to smooth over that rough introduction, I stepped forward and addressed the mayor. “We heard there was a problem here in Queensmouth—something about a nymph causing trouble for you? We'd like to help however we can.”
“You here to deal with that stupid nymph then, Your Highnesses?” She looked between Me and Luna. “I admit, I didn't think we'd be getting royalty to deal with a little problem like this. Not that I'm complaining, that is.”
I gave the mayor a supportive smile. “Please tell us everything you can about the situation.”
She rubbed her brow with a handkerchief. “The thing is that the damned sea nymph been causing trouble for the ponies of our town for as long as anypony can remember. Hylas—that’s the troublesome monster’s name—gets up to all sorts of mischief: destroying crops, breaking things, scaring fish away, even wrecked my new ship just a couple of weeks ago. Ran it right up on the rocks. ‘Bout time somepony dealt with her, I say.”
“Do you have any idea why she's escalated her attacks?” I asked. Hylas had only recently become a major problem for the townsfolk from what Aunt Tia had said, but from the sound of it, she was making a solid effort of it.
Sea Foam shrugged. “Who knows? Those fey are a tricky lot. You never know what'll set them off. Could be somepony said the wrong thing where she heard, somepony might have cut down the wrong tree someplace, maybe somepony got off on the wrong side of the bed. Best to just get rid of her and let us get along with our business.”
“I'd like to resolve this peacefully, if possible,” I said.
The mayor snorted. “And what? Pass the problem off to another generation?”
Aunt Luna’s eyes narrowed at Sea Foam. “Thou wilt address my niece—thy princess—with the respect due to her station, Mayor.”
“O-of course, Your Highness.” Sea Foam swallowed. “Beg your pardon.”
“I want this problem to be solved properly and permanently,” I assured Sea Foam, “but violence is always the last resort.” At least I was really hoping there would be another way. I didn’t like the idea of hurting anyone, and would much prefer to find a diplomatic solution to whatever was going on. Maybe somepony had caused the fey some unwitting offense? It would be fairly simple to placate Hylas if we just talked with her.
Aunt Luna nodded. “We will deal with the issue as we feel is best, and take whatever measures need to be taken.”
Mayor Sea Foam considered that for a moment. “I understand, but—”
A commotion behind us cut her off. A small group of ponies had gathered just outside of the door, and at their head was a heavyset earth pony stallion with a light blue coat and dark gray mane. He too had the hardbitten look of a pony who had been out on the sea for many years. “Mayor, what do you think you're tryin' this time?!” the newcomers called out, only stopping short when our bodyguards interposed themselves between him and the door.
I raised one of my eyebrows at the scene while my aunt stood impassively, her eyes briefly flicking in my direction. The Mayor ground her hooves into the floor. “Jetsam, is that you?! You lookin' to cause trouble again?” She gestured at us. “Can't you see I'm in a meeting with royalty here?”
The pony blinked and looked at the pair of us, as though noticing the pair of alicorns for the first time. Where just a second ago he looked ready to charge into the office, he backtracked and bowed before us. “My apologies, Princesses. I-I didn’t see you.”
This was quite the curious development, and I wondered what would have caused this pony to barge into his mayor’s office so suddenly. I smiled to reassure the newcomer. “It’s quite alright.” I motioned for the guards to step aside, which they reluctantly did—though their withering stares made it clear to the others that their leader would be the only pony to enter the office. Somepony walking up to their princess and screaming wasn’t something they typically liked to see. “Now, who are you?”
He between me and my aunt and stepped hesitantly into the office. “Jetsam’s my name. Sea a-asked you to kill Hylas, didn’t she?”
Aunt Luna answered in a completely neutral tone. “She did, aye.”
The uncertainty in Jetsam’s face disappeared into a fierce scowl directed at the Mayor. “And you tried to do it behind everypony's back, you miserable bitch.”
Mayor Sea Foam met Jetsam’s snarl with an equally determined glare. “Only because you and your lot were gonna cause a ruckus over somethin' that needed doin' a long time ago. I'm the mayor here, and I'm gonna do what I feel I have to.”
“Darn right I’m gonna cause a ruckus!” Jetsam barked.
“Jetsam,” I said in the most soothing voice I could. “Would you mind explaining what brought you here?” As Aunt Tia always told me, all information was relevant, and it this pony could tell me something that might let me resolve this problem peacefully, then all the better.
Jetsam made a determined nod. “Of course. It’s just that there’s no need to—”
The Mayor interrupted him. “Don’t listen to that rabble-rouser, Princesses!”
“They didn’t ask you to—”
“I told you! I’m the mayor, and—”
“SILENCE!” Aunt Luna slammed her a hoof down on the floorboards, and the entire building shuddered as a thunderbolt cracked outside. The office went deathly silent as Aunt Luna’s disdainful glare fell upon the two rabble-rousers and the crowd outside, who had started to argue in support of Jetsam. With everypony now quiet, my fellow princess jabbed a hoof in Jetsam’s direction. “Thou. Explain thyself as my niece commanded.”
Jetsam jerkily nodded, his eyes wide. “Y-yes, Princess. All I wanted to say was that Hylas doesn't hurt nopony and that most of us don’t want to see her hurt. We've been livin' in peace with her for longer than anypony's remembered, since our grandparents’ grandparents founded the town.”
Mayor Sea Foam spoke up, still glaring at Jetsam. “Only because we've—”
“I did not ask thine opinion, Mayor.” Aunt Luna’s dismissal nearly blew Sea Foam against the wall, and knocked more than a few objects from her desk. Sea Foam’s ears flattened to her head and she hunched her shoulders submissively. Thankfully for my hearing, if nothing else, my aunt brought her voice down to something resembling an inside voice when she turned back to Jetsam. “Please, continue.”
Jetsam shuffled in place. “Hylas ain't no monster, you—beg your pardon, Princesses. Sure, we have to give her some things she likes, but it ain't much. All we need to do is give her some milk, honey, and bread, and the festival we have for her once and year, and she’s as happy as a clam.” A ghost of a smile spread on his lips. “It’s not that bad. She keeps the nastier monsters away, and that’s not even gettin’ into how the crops and the bounty of the sea are a lot better when she’s happy.”
I frowned as I considered this revelation. These were things the mayor should have told us, for they changed the outlook of the situation. There were plenty of examples across Equestria of ponies who had made peace with local spirits and other supernatural creatures, either just to placate them or even reap some benefits from the relationship. It was often a lot simpler and safer than to have to deal with it in some more violent way. Still, I sensed there was more I could learn. “But what about the recent destruction I've heard so much about?”
Jetsam’s glare returned to the Mayor and I could practically hear him grinding his teeth. “It's because that idiot over there's gotten a bunch of ponies to stop giving their offerings to Hylas. Even had Hylas’ festival canceled. That ain’t right, and now she's mighty upset and takin' it out on all the fools listening to Sea. She's left the rest of us alone. Not that there’d be a problem if we’d just kept to the old ways as we should.”
Now that was some important information. “So she punishes any who don't meet her price?”
“Well, yes,” Jetsam said, sounding less sure of himself. “But that's the way it's always been. It’s not like it’s a mystery.”
I hummed to myself, and decided now would be a good time to cast a spell that Aunt Tia had told me. I sent a telepathic message to Aunt Luna to allow us a private conversation. “I doubt we'll get an accurate story from either side.”
“Neigh, I sense that each holds their secrets,” Aunt Luna replied in kind. “'Twould not be the first time townsfolk have kept their own council on matters they should have shared forthright. Especially with their princesses.”
“It might be quicker to go to the source,” I suggested.
“A meeting with this Hylas sounds like the quickest way to resolve this. I think 'twould be best to end this meeting 'tween these ponies before there is a fight and act on this plan.”
“Agreed.”
“Citizens!” Aunt Luna called out, thankfully sparing us another full round of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “We declare this meeting adjourned. We will deal with this matter as we see fit. Return to your businesses and we promise that all will be well.”
Mayor Sea Foam frowned. “What're you gonna do?”
“As we see fit, Mayor.” Aunt Luna turned to leave without further fanfare. “Good day to all of you.”
I motioned for Jetsam to leave with us. No sense leaving an opportunity for a fight to break out. “We promise we'll find the best solution for everypony.”
Now what exactly that was going to be, I wasn’t sure yet.
Once we were outside and made sure Jetsam and his fellow villagers had left the courthouse, I turned to face Aunt Luna. “So, I guess our next step is to find Hylas.”
Aunt Luna nodded. “Aye. But finding the nymph shall be the trick. The fey can be wily bunch, and difficult to discover if they do not wish to be found.” She rubbed her chin. “I will bring forth the full measure of my magics to find her: I shall summon ravens to go and comb the land, use powerful divinations, and summon forth spirits to give me the knowledge I desire.”
That sounded like a lot of work, and I was little worried my aunt was going to become a little too enthusiastic again. The energetic glint I saw in her eyes didn't do much to reassure me. “Um, before you get going on all of that, I have an idea that I was to try first.” Before Aunt Luna had a chance to object, I trotted up to a villager pulling a cart full of food towards the market. “Excuse me, could you tell us how to find Hylas? We just want to talk with her.”
The earth pony mare tried to bow, but being tied to the cart prevented her from doing so. She smiled apologetically and her eyes flicked to the guards flanking me. “O-of course, Princess. If you go up the river for a bit, you’ll see a pond feeding into the river and a waterfall right next to it. She’s often hanging around there most days when she’s not out and about.”
I smiled appreciatively. “Thank you. I won't take anymore of your time.” I left the farmer to her work and returned to my aunt, who had been watching the brief conversation.
“That works too,” Aunt Luna grumbled, her ears wilting.
Her tone made me wonder if I might have offended her. From what I had gathered of her thus far, her pride seemed to matter a great deal to her. She may have wanted to show off her abilities to me, and I might in turn have just stepped on her hooves. It was hard to say, though. I didn't know her well enough to say exactly what made her tick.
“Most ponies are very helpful if you just ask for help,” I said with a smile, hoping that I could put a positive spin to this.
“As long they wish to be helpful,” Aunt Luna groused, though her heart wasn't into the objection.
“Now now, Aunt Luna,” I tried to reassure her. “I see no reason to assume the worst.”
“Let us find out the truth of the matter, then.” Aunt Luna spread her wings out. “I merely need to retrieve mine arms and armor and I will be ready.”
“Do you really need to do that?” I asked with a frown. I wasn’t exactly been thrilled that she had loaded some Guard issue armor and weapons into the chariot, but there hadn't exactly been time to object at the time. That, and I had other thing on my mind, such as Aunt Luna checking out my coltfriend.
“But what if there is a battle?”
“We're just going to talk to her,” I insisted.
“If all goes well, aye,” Aunt Luna said, “but ‘tis naive to think every conflict can be solved with mere words. We will be in a sorry way if it comes to battle and we are not equipped to dispatch the nymph.”
That was a good point, but I hadn't had all those diplomacy lessons with Aunt Tia for nothing. “Though it might start things off on the wrong hoof. The fey don't exactly like it when you come to meeting covered in armor and bearing weapons. Especially if we bring cold iron with us.”
Aunt Luna’s frowned thoughtfully. “ Aye, the fairie folk can be quite fickle 'bout such things.”
“Exactly.” I motioned to our guards. “And it’s not like we’re going alone. Even if the two of us aren’t armed, our bodyguards will still be able to protect us.”
Aunt Luna looked to our guards, who stood at stoic attention. “Very well then. I will dispense with mine arms and armor.” She shrugged. “'Tis not as though they were fitted for me anyways. I am far too used to such things being made specifically for me.”
“I think it’s for the best.”
She spread her wings and took to the air. “Come then; let us meet this Hylas.”
The flight to the pond was fairly short, and we found it readily enough. The water sparkled as we glided over it, and the glade surround the pond looked quite inviting. “Oh, this looks lovely,” I said.
“Aye. though be careful not to let thy guard down.” Aunt Luna pointed at a figure lying in the shallows of the pond. “I believe that is whom we seek.”
I couldn’t make any details of whoever was down by the pond, but based on what we had been told, it was probably Hylas. “Probably. How should we approach her?”
Aunt Luna thought for a time before answering. “I believe thou shouldst speak with her, Cadance.”
I quirked one of my eyebrows. “Just me?”
“Aye.” Aunt Luna turned a wary look to the mysterious sunbather. “We do not want to scare her away.” She gave me a smile with a mischievous edge to it. “And I am curious to see if my niece can match wits with a fey.”
I frowned, not exactly loving the idea. “Are you sure about that?”
She nodded. “I am, and I will be near thee in case thou dost need aid. I assume thou wert educated on how to deal with fey such as Hylas?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “I know all the rules for dealing with fey, Aunt Luna: watch my exact words, don't accept any gifts, don't make any bargains...” I waved vaguely to tell her I could go on for quite some time. In addition to what my tutors had told me, Aunt Tia had been very firm about the dangers of dealing with fey. Being virtually immortal, the more powerful individuals could make all sorts of long-term plans. They were quite capable of manipulating ponies when they had a mind to, and they usually did.
“Very good,” Aunt Luna said. “And dost thou know how to defend thyself?”
“I'm far from helpless,” I assured her. That was another thing that had been part of my education. I was no soldier, but I wasn’t some damsel in distress either.
“Good, then.” Her teeth flashed in a predatory grin. “I would be most cross with my sister if she were remiss in thine education. So, let us speak with this troublesome nymph.”
As one, we glided down to the glade. I fluttered my wings as I landed and walked towards the figure lying by the pond, my aunt a short way behind me. The nymph appeared completely equine, with a dark-blue coat like the ocean and a green mane that reminded me of kelp. She let out a long, melancholic sigh as she ran her hoof over the surface of the pond.
I cautiously approached her. Hylas didn't look dangerous, but that could change very quickly under the right circumstances. Water nymphs were supposed to be pretty magically powerful, so I stopped well short of her before greeting her. Now that I was close enough to get a good look, I noticed that she was extremely attractive: narrow faced with strong cheekbones and winnowy in body, she had the type idealized looks you would normally only see in fashion magazines and art pieces.
Hylas turned her head to look at me with yellow, cat-like eyes. When she spoke, it was with a bored disinterest. “Oh, hi.”
I gave her a welcoming smile. We were just here to talk, after all. “I'm Princess Cadance, and this is my aunt, Princess Luna. What's your name?”
“Hylas.” She rolled onto her back, letting her mane fall into the pond as she let out another long sigh.
This hadn't been the type of greeting I would have expected from one of the fey. Her tone and posture gave me the impression of a moody teenager who had just been dumped by her coltfriend. But the fey were supposed to be pretty strange to ponies in more ways than one. Still, I stepped a little bit closer. “You look upset. Is something wrong?”
“Of course something is wrong!” She snapped out of her melancholy with a jolt, her body shifting as quickly as her mood to sit up and face me. “Isn't it obvious?!”
I did my best not to let the sudden outburst throw me off, and kept smiling to present an aura of calm and understanding. “Would you like to talk about what's bothering you?”
Hylas grumbled, crossing her legs over her chest as she glowered at me. “And why do you care?”
“Because you're upset, and I'd like to help.”
“You wanna know what my problem is?” Hylas bolted to her hooves. “You keep up a covenant with some little village of ponies for centuries, you play nice, be friendly, and you don't drown the whole village. And what do they do in thanks? They ignore you! Like a bunch of ungrateful little—little—argh!” She spun around and kicked a rock the size of a watermelon into the center of the pond.
Note to self: don't let Hylas kick me if it comes down to a fight.
Still, I was getting a solid idea for why Hylas was suddenly causing trouble for the ponies of Queensmouth. “That does sound very upsetting.”
“You have no idea.” Hylas paced back and forth along the pond’s shore. “They're lucky I don't just flood their village. It's not like they don't know I'm here or about the whole covenant thing. They've been giving me tribute long enough that it should just be a habit by now. Really, are they a bunch of inbred idiots in that town?!”
“Now that's not a very nice thing to say about ponies who've been your friends for so long,” I said, trying to calm her down. Hylas losing her temper was one of the last things I wanted to happen right now—especially if she was serious about her ability to flood the town.
“Shame they're not my friends anymore.” Like a balloon that had suddenly lost all of its air, her shoulders sagged and she sat back down.
“Have you tried reaching out to them?” If she saw the ponies of Queensmouth as friends, then there was probably a good chance we could solve this amicably.
“A little,” she grumbled. I motioned for her to continue. If nymphs were anything like ponies, then getting this off of her chest would go a long way to calm her down. “I tried talking to Sea Foam and asked her where my tribute was. And you know what she did? Ran me off! Threatened me with some cold iron and chased me off like—like I was some beggar! Can you believe it?!”
“That does sound pretty bad,” I agreed reservedly.
Hylas spat into the pond. “I was tempted to give her a nice curse—something to remember me by, like have barnacles grown on her skin or have seagulls torment her.” Her ears wilted and her shoulders slumped. “But then some of the other townsfolk asked me really, really hard not to do anything like that for some dumb reason. Because she totally deserves it.”
I decided to try and bring the conversation back around to a topic that might help me resolve this conflict, instead of letting Hylas dwell on the idea of revenge. “So the mayor stopped paying tribute first? Before any of the other trouble started, I mean?”
Hylas nodded. “Yeah, Sea Foam’s the troublemaker. First she stopped giving me my fair share, and then she started getting to some of the others. Said that they should just scare me off or something. Can you believe the nerve?! After all I've done for them—I keep scary sea monsters away, help make their harvests better, and a dozen other things. And are they thankful for it? Nooo.”
“That does sound like a sour deal,” I agreed.
The nymph grumbled and kicked a rock the size of a pony’s head into the pond. “Really, I don’t know how that stupid Sea Foam even got elected in the first place. Normally I don't care about the whole elections thing; it’s just some big popularity contest. I mean, it's just going to be a different pony who’s mayor in four years or whatever. What do I care? I’ll still be here. But it’s weird that Sea got elected because she isn’t the least bit popular. Near as I can tell, most everypony hates her.”
Now that was curious, if the odd fey was actually correct. She might be projecting her own dislike for Mayor Sea Foam onto the townsfolk, but that was still something I would have to ask about if I got the chance. “Do you know why she doesn't like you?”
Hylas shrugged. “Don't know. She'd been away for ... years, I guess. Joined some merchant ship, I think. Which is weird—I remember when her grandmother several times over moved to Queensmouth, and all her family liked it here just fine. Don't know why she felt the need to leave for... I don't know where.” She scrunched up her muzzle. “Came back smelling weird, though.”
I shrugged helplessly to Aunt Luna. I wasn’t sure if this specifically was anything to pursue, but she shrugged backed and nodded her head for me to continue. “Weird how?”
Hylas frowned in contemplation. “I don't know... Off. Wrong, somehow. Thought it was that gold she came back with.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “She said it came from Camalton. Been a weirdo ever since coming back.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “What gold is this?”
“Gold.” Hylas sighed in exasperation. “You know—shiny yellow metal? Said she made a fortune overseas. Talked about ... mmm, something. Making Queensmouth better somehow. Didn't make sense to me. Queensmouth is perfect as is, I don't know what she's complain' about.”
I frowned at Aunt Luna, pondering what we had just been told. “Sounds like there's another layer to this story.”
“I concur,” Aunt Luna said, finally joining the conversation. “Tell me Hylas, hast thou seen the mayor doing anything ... unusual? Besides how she is most grievously offending thee?”
Hylas hummed unhappily as she overturned a few shoreside rocks. “She has been having a bunch of late night meetings with ponies in the caves under the lighthouse. I only really noticed because after she's talked with them, she's somehow convinced them to turn against me. Every. Single. One.” She sighed and splashed her hoof in the water. “Whoosh. Just like that, another friend lost.”
I traded another look with Aunt Luna’s narrowing eyes. That sounded suspicious to say the least. “I don't suppose you know anything about what goes on at these meetings?”
The nymph shook her head. “I considered going to one. You know, to sneak up and see what they're up to. But then ... I don't know. Something felt wrong down there. Really wrong.” She shivered and wrapped her legs around herself. “It would have been best if I had just flooded the whole cave network, but I didn't want to go anywhere near the place. Not even to touch it with my magic.”
“Then mayhaps we should?” Aunt Luna mused, more as a statement than a question.
I nodded. “It certainly sounds like something is going on down there.”
“I suggest we find out exactly what,” Aunt Luna said.
“Agreed.”
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Your Royal Canterlot Voice was so strong it bled over into the narrative text!
Looks like you forgot to close the bold.
Love it cant wait for more!
So was I supposed to read this while shouting. Seems kinda rough on the voice. Other than the bold snafus you are doing great.
Crap! Sea Foam is pony-Obed Marsh, and wants to kick the fey out in order to turn the town into a Dagon cult
This is great, the world needs more fic about Cadance being a Princess and Luna is great too.
"gray stone sat on a hill"
"sitting"?
"Realizing I better get on"
"I'd"?
"to land next it my aunt"
"next to my"?
"my reflection, but did"
"but I did"?
"the room looks new though"
"looked"?
"Bolting to her hooves"
"She bolted to"?
"looked between Me and Luna"
"me"?
"He between me and my"
Missing word?
"and it this pony could"
"if"?
"her head and she hunched
"head, and"?"
"her once and year"
"a"?
"the Mayor and I"
"Mayor, and"?
"had Hylas’ festival"
"Hylas's"?
"Aunt Tia had told me"
"told me of" or "taught me"?
"and I was little worried"
"a little"?
"apologetically and her eyes"
"apologetically, and"?
"I wasn’t exactly been thrilled"
"hadn't"?
"Though it might start"
"It might"?
"come to meeting"
"to a meeting"?
"Aunt Luna’s frowned"
"Luna"?
"the glade surround the pond"
"surrounding" or "that surrounded"?
"Aye. though be careful"
"Though"?
"and winnowy"
Extra space?
"the type idealized looks"
"type of idealized"?
"like have barnacles grown on her skin or have seagulls torment"
"like having barnacles grow on her skin or seagulls torment"?
Sea Foam's a changeling!
So ... sounds like Sea Foam is using bribery or some kind of magic (alchemy, maybe?) to control ponies, and whatever her "big plans" are for Queensmouth, having a Fae around screws with them ....
Or ... Sea may not be in control of what she's doing (the whole "smelling weird" bit) ... or she could just be a changeling. (When in doubt, blame the changelings
)
Ah, I predict black magic might be afoot. By who is still the question, but too many ponies seem to be being enthralled to easily.
Returning from foreign lands with an aura so disturbing that a nature spirit wants to keep her distance? This could just be bribery, but given the repulsion effect, there may something far darker here. It will be hard-pressed to be darker the the Princess of the Night, but it still sounds like very bad news indeed.
[Lovecraftbigotry]Damn sailors, going to strange lands, bringing back alien ideas, secret degeneracies, and subequine spouses! [/Lovecraftbigotry]
Or maybe just cursed gold. And Dr. Horse says it's always Changelings!
Bit definitely not Lupus.
Good to see we are getting right into the weirdness
7487898
And Luna's a changeling ... and Cadance ... and Celestia ... EVERYBODY'S a changeling.
7487972 And when changelings won't cut it, blame Cthulhu.
Dear author, good job. The Cadence-Luna dynamic is quite enjoyable, as is the entire pony-out-of-time characterization.
Lastly, a crack theory: Sea Foam's a changeling cursed by ancient pony-Aztec gold to serve the local Cthulhu analog. There, that covers all possible bases.
so am I the only one that got the far harbor vibe
At that instant, Statuecord in the Royal Garden shook violently, sensing an opportunity for trolling going wasted. Alas, he'd have to wait at least another year... maybe two? The timeline in this show was an awful mess... he wished he could have been responsible for it.
What the ponies heard: "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."
Cadance blinked as the ponies screamed in abject terror and galloped away to hide themselves in the hills.
I make deals with the fey all the time. Nuthin' to it!
*a slow evil smile spreads across Alondro's face* They're not the only beings in the position to make 'long-term plans', let us say. *Alondro's powers are nearly completely restored... soon the world shall quake with fear once more! HE SHALL START TWEETING AGAIN!!
*
So weird gold from overseas, a strange smell, secret meetings in caves near the sea and a weird obsession with chasing out a spirit whose intended purpose is to keep monsters away from the town.
Yea this is definitely going to get fishy