Yes, My Lady

by Tatsurou

Chapter 18

Cheerilee returned to Ponyville at the end of the month, looking relaxed, refreshed, and ready to take over her class once more. Sebastian stayed one extra day to help acclimate Cheerilee back into the coursework and where they were in studies, and then left her to it. His only parting advice was to contact Filthy Rich about the new arrangement regarding his wife and daughter's behavior. Cheerilee was flabbergasted yet relieved to learn that situation had been resolved, and fully intended to ensure it stayed resolved as best she could.

With Sebastian no longer needing to remain Ponyville's substitute teacher, Scootaloo's 'vacation' there came to an end. She said her goodbyes to her friends Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. A few of Scootaloo's secrets had slipped out during talks with the former bullies - her status as nobility, her recent bereavement, Sebastian secretly being her butler - but the pair had sworn to keep it secret. Diamond Tiara had found the entire situation ironically hilarious, considering who her Mother had sicced her on as a bullying target in the name of 'social climbing'. Keeping her mouth shut on this let her keep to herself the ultimate proof that Spoiled Rich had been wrong about everything. Silver Spoon didn't have as much of an opinion on the matter, and was instead simply glad to see genuine smiles on Diamond's face.

With the return to Canterlot, Sunrise took care of the details of that side of her life that had built up in her month long absence. This included ordering new seed for the gardens since Silver Tongue had managed to kill the entire landscape with a leaky weed killer tank, ordering a fresh set of china plates because Gretchen had managed to smash the worst set while trying to clean the cupboard it was kept in, and ordering a new kitchen due to Flambe's allergy attack due to the dying plants. Thankfully, she had all those order forms pre-set as form letters, since it seemed she had to place those orders every time she left the trio unsupervised in the house. About the only thing the trio had managed to do right was to keep the cats fed and cleaned up after.

With all that fixed, Scootaloo decided it was time to investigate the cult. With Sebastian's help, she had crafted a strategy to be allowed in without drawing suspicion. She was going in under the name of Citrine, the orphaned heir to upper-middle-class entrepreneur family. Sebastian was the family butler and her legal guardian, though this gave him no authority over the estate. The same ripe plum of a wealthy estate attached to a grieving, 'impressionable' child without the danger of being caught out as being House Wingshadow...or being identified as the same filly from before if this was the cult responsible for what became of her parents. Towards the end of getting in smoothly, her agents in the area had been discussing the 'economic upheaval' of such an 'important company' now being run by 'a spoiled child'. Filthy's network proved especially useful in this regard, including creating the documentation for the company and imaginary family so 'Citrine' could make her way past scrutiny.

Despite the best investigation her network could manage, Scootaloo had been unable to locate the cult's 'stronghold'. All she'd managed to learn so far was of a few churches where the cult gathered and recruited new members. As such, they had decided to investigate the one to the south of Applewood, where her fictional family business - actually one of the many unofficial holdings of House Wingshadow - was based.

Making it to Applewood was easy enough. The heart of the budding 'film industry' had sky chariots coming and going at all hours. One more went completely unnoticed. Getting from there to the church was more difficult and time consuming, as 'Citrine' wouldn't have access to state of the art sky chariots, and would have to make that leg of the journey via chariot. That wouldn't have been so bad, but the only chariot available to her in mourning black was not properly protected against the environment, which made it less than ideal for a journey into the San Palomino Desert. Hot sun, dry winds, black chariot, and black mourning dress, petticoats, and veil all added up to make 'Citrine' hot, sweaty, and miserable before they were even halfway to the church.

As they journeyed, she found herself frequently glowering across the chariot at Sebastian. Despite the heat, the dry wind, his own dark coloration, and his dark suit, Sebastian lay regally upon his own seat showing absolutely no sign of discomfort whatsoever. "There are days I absolutely despise you," she growled out as he sat there with his smug smirk.

"I endeavor to please, My Lady," Sebastian teased back.

"Do we need to pick up a pair of Siamese on the way home?" Scootaloo snapped back.

Sebastian shivered slightly. "What have I done to upset you, My Lady?"

"How can you sit there like you aren't even feeling this heat!" she groused irritably.

"Because I don't feel the heat," Sebastian responded with a teasing smile.

Scootaloo grumbled irritably for a time. "Yeah, I should have seen that coming. Well...can't you act like you do? Or find some way to keep it from affecting me so much?" Reaching up, she tried to wipe the sweat from her brow, but only managed to disarrange her veil.

"But a Wingshadow butler who can't perform to his best in such conditions isn't worth his salt," Sebastian countered archly. "Besides, the whole point is for you to appear as bowed down with grief and miserably wretched as possible when we get there."

Scootaloo let out a soft growl, but said no more. He was right, and it was her plan.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before they arrived at the church. Rather than a soaring structure, it was a wide, flat building with wide halls and plenty of wide windows to catch and direct the slightest breeze, the roof shading an entire acre. As the chariot came to a halt, a white-coated mare with pink eyes wearing an all covering nun's habit approached them. "Welcome to Today's Hope, Citrine," she spoke softly, courteously. "We have been expecting you. Please, allow us to guide you to a cool bath before joining us for services."

Scootaloo did her best to hide her relief at the sound of a cool bath. Then again, the mare probably interpreted it as relief at being so welcomed by strangers in her bereavement...yet again playing into her plan. She'd just have to see what this cult was really about.

Comments

[Crescent Glaive]

Will Scootaloo/Sunrise return to Ponyville later on?

[the other sans]

all added up to make 'Citrine' hot sweaty, and miserable

1. Just missing a comma here.

As long as 'Citrine' isn't all hot and bothered about that plan, nothing can go wrong.

[Moonlight Masquerade]

Is 'Citrine' a reference to Eakin's A Taste of the Good Life?

[Bugsydor]

Since there are churches, what do the ponies in this 'verse usually worship?

[Tatsurou]

8153762
Ponies generally don't. Churches were developed by other races.

[SvenFoxx]

8154344 I always imagined Celestia had an ongoing war with the ponies regarding whether or not they should worship her, with Luna probably having a similar battle against the Thestrals.

Face the facts, Diarchs. When you're a one-horned disaster preventative, you get worshiped.

[Tatsurou]

8154731
Thankfully, in this timeline 'taxes' have long replaced 'offerings', and the closest to worship either of them gets is when someone swears by them.

Considering how many of those swears are by specific body parts rather than just their names, Celestia isn't entirely certain this is an improvement.

[alfonso_rd_33]

8154802 so, it's safe to assume to be a little Pipian style swearing, yes?

[Kenshinryuu]

With those bulky heavy clothes... is Scootaloo going to do a ripoff of the start of the Lobby Fight in the first Matrix movie and reveal a bunch of crossbows or other weapons???? At the very least I can see her having a pair of daggers and wing blades hidden.

8153762 derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/6/9/913606__safe_princess+celestia_dark+souls_image+macro_jolly+cooperation_meme_praise+the+sun_solaire+of+astora.jpg

[tdnpony]

The only downer about this story is the foregone conclusion that any Black Butler fan will know. Scootaloo may have a happy life, heck, depending on how things go, she could have a full and fulfilling life...but that's it.

[Darkwave525]

Everytime I hear dying and reuniting with loved ones I think of necromorphs.

[Zane Wolfe]

8157898 Exact words my friend. Remember her EXACT words.

[tdnpony]

8158991
...I'm sensing loophole abuse here. Lol

[Literary]

8153306 hopefully

[Blaze Song]

8159880

Oh yes, there Is Loophole abuse there, lots of it..

[Umbra Animo]

Whats with the cats

[Snow]

8471022
Calico and siamese cats are renowned for... difficult temperaments. Also apparently Sebestian has an affinity for cats in general.