Fading Suns: A New World

by David Silver

20 - An Important Date

Laud was walking with Lyra towards the exit. "Now is a matter of waiting. There isn't much more to do to help Starlight on her task."

"Suppose not," agreed the mint green unicorn before she frowned. "Except wonder what Twilight is doing."

Laud heard hooves and turned to see Twilight approaching with a pair of tickets hovering in her magic. "Glad I caught you two before you ran away. Here." She floated the tickets over towards Laud. "Two tickets to Canterlot."

He accepted the tickets, plucking them free of the magic field that had held them up. "Thank you, but?"

"You didn't forget, did you?" Twilight hiked a brow. "That's where Princess Luna is. She's eager to meet you."

That made sense enough, but... "Why two?"

Twilight pointed at Lyra. "I figured you'd take a pony with you to help you get around."

Lyra's grin stretched wide, but she didn't say anything.

Laud considered over the list of ponies he knew well. There was Spike, though he was no pony. Playing servant to Laud would do him no particular favors, though Laud doubted he would refuse if asked. There was Maud, but she was hard at work with her metallurgy, which could have incredible dividends in the end, no, best to leave her be. Starlight was in the same category. Twilight was a princess, he would not request her personal company, especially to visit a peer of hers. It would send many messages, some of them poor.

There was Cheerilee, but she was employed fairly constantly in the education of the town's young. It would be quite a burden to tell her to stop. Pinkie?

Twilight had left while Laud made his considerations. "Good luck!"

Lyra, on the other hoof, grinned up at him, almost bouncing in place. "So, when are we going?"

It seemed like a decision made for him, which he did not like. Still... "Do you know Canterlot well?"

"Well?" She gave a pfft. "What a question. Me and Twilight were classmates when she was there. I moved to Ponyville basically the same day she did. There isn't a pony in this whole town--" She spread her forehooves wide, balancing on her hind legs well. "--that could be a better guide." She came back down to all fours. "Besides, I understand you, Laud. I'll make sure you get where you want to go."

Lyra turned for the door and started trotting for it. "So let's get to it. The sooner we're on the train, the sooner we get there."

Though no expert in Equestrian navigation, Laud had seen the train coming and going and strode to be at the front of their little group. "Tell me, what powers this train? Is it magic?"

"Nah." Lyra waved a hoof as she trotted. "Usually they use a big coal engine, but when that's not feeling so hot, they strap up four to eight of the biggest earth ponies they can find and get 'em galloping."

"Galloping?" Laud considered how heavy the trains appeared from a distance. "More of a slow walk?"

Lyra giggled at the very idea. "No one wants to wait while they walk. No, they make them gallop. Why would they walk?"

Laud decided to hold his tongue until he could see himself. He knew where the station was and moved for it quite directly.

"Nervous?" Lyra bumped into Laud, side-to-side. "Luna's a softie from what I hear."

"And how much have you heard?" They were approaching the station itself. There were ponies waiting on the platform, and others forming a queue to buy tickets. Laud already had his tickets, which he looked over as he went. They were clearly stamped as being from Ponyville to ... He assumed it said Canterlot. He was still working on his reading ability in the equine tongue.

Lyra was joyfully talking still, "She's a little awkward. Being trapped on the moon for a thousand years does that, I guess. She's adjusting nicely and so long as you don't get scared by her, which is easy to do, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Scared?" Well, she was a princess... "Is she known for harsh punishments on those that find her displeasure?"

"The way you put that." Lyra sank to her haunches on the station platform, peeking back and forth along the lines. "I mean, no, she hasn't had anyone executed or banished or anything that I know of. Oh, right, you don't know the tale of the Mare in the Moon."

Laud suddenly remembered the book he was supposed to read that he didn't quite get to. "I presume you know it. Perhaps you can share it with me as we travel?"

"Gladly! Oh, here it comes." She pointed a hoof down the rails. The ground began to tremble softly as the great engine emerged over a hill and began powering towards the town. The color scheme was... interesting. Bright pastels gave the impression of being an art piece, or a child's toy. The rumble it made as it came closer, spewing smoke into the air, implied it was built for power and speed. "The Friendship Express!"

Laud frowned with thought. The idea that such a great thing, rumbling as it did, could be pulled along by a few ponies, at a full gallop? That was... worrying. How strong did ponies get? Was that seemingly harmless school teacher perhaps the most immediately powerful of all the ponies? Was it truly magic that was worthy of being nervous about? While Twilight could weave blasphemous magic, perhaps Cheerilee could simply reach out and snap him in half, if such a desire came to her.

"Look alive, Laud. Time to board." Lyra was waving excitedly at one of many boarding ramps into the train. "If we miss it, we'll have to wait like half an hour for the next one."

Was he protecting the ponies, or would he serve as shield to the rest of the universe against them? He let out a little breath as he got to walking. In the end, any country worth talking about required both. He would be their shield, their restraint, and their voice. Such was the lot of royalty.

As he stepped onto the train, he gave the side of it a rap. The deep reply was that of solid metal. It was no flimsy thing. The sound from his footfalls said the same thing. He was on a massive beast.

"Ticket?"

Laud looked down at pony with a hat and impressive facial hair. The stallion was holding forward a hoof expectantly. Laud surrendered the pair of tickets he had been given. "This will get us to Canterlot." He said it as a matter of fact, even if there was a question in there.

"Sure will," replied the conductor as he ripped off a bit of both tickets and handed them back. "Get yourself comfortable." He strode past, not even asking what Laud was or questioning his presence beyond having a ticket.

Lyra pointed to an available bench. "Let's get a spot."

Laud agreed with the notion and soon set himself down on window-side seat. "He didn't seem alarmed by me."

"Should he be?" Lyra shrugged. "You had a ticket."

While that was true... "He is very well trained if nothing can bother him so long as it follows the protocols." He doubted any of his manservants would have returned the favor if a pony made an appearance, even with all proper paperwork. "So, about that story?"

"Oh yeah!" She cleared her throat. "Alright, so, a long long time ago, there was Celestia and Luna, princesses and sisters. Celestia raised the sun, and Luna raised the moon. They ruled over their half of the day." She rose and lowered her forehooves to emphasize each part. "Problem. Luna's ruling over the night, when most ponies are busy sleeping. She doesn't get half the attention Celestia does. All the parades and parties and stuff were on her. Luna, who? Oh, that mare we never see." Lyra wriggled her nose. "So she got pissed off eventually."

"It is a thing of less glamor, but still of importance to be alert when the sun has set." Laud typically avoided night shifts, so he was not entirely without sympathy. "What did she do with her anger?"

"She attacked Celestia." Lyra shrugged. "Don't hold it against her, they've worked it out, now, but she did. Celestia hit her with a big magic kapow." She punched a hoof ahead. "Off to the moon she went, becoming the Mare in the Moon for a thousand years."

And that was who he would talk to? "So she was in a state of suspension for a millennium?"

"Basically, yeah." Lyra shrugged softly. "She's been back for a little bit now. Ponies stay up a lot later these days. I blame lightbulbs. She gets a fairer shake, and the sisters are reunited. Happy ending!" She clopped her hooves softly. "I mean, really, it could have gone so much worse if you think about it."

"Did she just... emerge from her lunar stasis a reformed person?"

"As if." Lyra waved the motion away. "She was angry and ready to go all out again, but that's where Twilight first had a chance to shine. She was just a unicorn at the time, but she made her friends, the ones she's glued to now, and they went off and confronted her and literally blasted the bad thoughts out of her."

That... did not sit well with Laud. "They forced her mind, with magic?"

Lyra shrugged. "I mean, yeah? Kinda? They cleared out all the icky junk so she could see what was going on with a clear head and she realized she was being a huge jerk. She apologized to her sister and became our princess of the night again. Hurrah for that!" Lyra pointed at Laud. "Speaking of that, what are you going to ask her about?"

Laud leaned forward a little, his hands on his knees. "Is there a defense against this? I don't fancy the idea of my mind being 'cleared', altered, or in any way influenced by magic. I will admit it is a bit baffling that you are so comfortable with the notion."

Lyra rubbed the side of her head with a hoof. "You could get a fancy helmet. If you have some bits, we could shop around Canterlot before we go say hi. Still, unless you plan to do something crazy, I don't think anyone's going to do anything that bad."

Bits... He did not have many of those. As royal as he was, he only had what his hosts provided. It was galling on some levels. "This conversation cannot be delayed." If he was appointed to proper station, overseeing the world and its relations with the greater universe, finances would fade as a limiting factor. "Is there something we could get that would be... frugal?"

"Frugal mind protection..." Lyra looked left and right before her horn glowed and she plucked up an abandoned newspaper. "Maybe there's a sale!" She held the newspaper fully open and scanned over the many little lines of equine writing. "News... obituaries, funnies, oh, haven't seen this one yet." She giggled a bit at the joke she was reading. "Oh Punch Line, you always know just what to say..."

"The mind protection," gently reminded Laud.

"Right right." She flipped to the next page. "Here we go, sales... Oh! There's a big one going on at a department store I used to go to all the time when I lived there." She pressed her hoof to the page. "Stallions and Bucks. Don't let the name fool you, they got plenty of things for boys and girls. It's a big place with a little of everything. They might have something sitting on a shelf, just waiting to be picked up."

A marketplace seemed as fine as any other to seek answers. "We'll take a look there, but we press on whether we find it or not. I have little doubt that Princess Luna knows we're coming, and to tarry long would speak ill for us."

Lyra folded the paper up even as a portion of it came free and floated into her grip. "There was a coupon. It might come in handy."

Author's Note:

We're off to see a princess! You know what this means, right? Shopping!

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Comments

[unclefester84]

Fading Suns? I havent heard that name since i played the D20 version as a break from D&D many, MANY years ago...

[David Silver]

8377598
Welcome back!

[A.P.O.N.I.]

Only in Equestria will the major newspaper contain a coupon for a discount off of an already discounted anti-mind-control helmet.

...Or in a Sierra On-Line game...

[Neece]

Buying anti magic control gear on department stores... At a discount. How effective are those things actually, and how common are mind whammies for them to be sold like that?

[Comnislasher]

Was he protecting the ponies, or would he serve as shield to the rest of the universe against them?

Yeah! With her unstoppable army of ponies, Celestia could conquer the universe! But ruling it kinda boring and too much work so she don't. :)

[terrycloth]

8377649
They had product placement in the Grand Galloping Gala a few years back, too.
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/172/922/574746456456.png

[Booster Spice]

If he thought the Freindship Express was heavy, I think he would been a bathroom break on seeing the Crystal Empire Express, and its massive armour piercing nanotech glassine crystal nosecone. I mean, reentry? Dont even get close to its stress capacity.

Lets see, Discount Mind Protection Helmet by FlimFlam Industries? Reminds me of an episode of a certain language free CGI animation cartoon, Oscars Oasis? Where Pepe the truck driver dances to the radio. But only when asleep. Which is most of the time.

Also, having Earth Ponies gallop, so the train maxes out about 60 mph, means they avoid the rather unsettling side effects on trying to reach 90mph.

[Daremo]

forming a que - forming a queue

replied to conductor - replied the conductor

Celestia rose the sun, and Luna rose the moon - Celestia raised the sun, and Luna raised the moon

Hirrah for that - Hurrah for that

just waiting to pick up - just waiting to be picked up

---

"If we miss it, we'll have to wait like half an hour for the next one."

I don't know about Laud, but that sets off alarm bells in my head. If they can afford to run enough trains so that there's an arrival every half hour, that speaks volumes to the strength of Equestria's economy.

[Vutava]

Was that seemingly harmless school teacher perhaps the most immediately powerful of all the ponies he had been nervous about their magic about?

Awkwardly phrased.

He was one a massive beast.

on

Hirrah for that!"

Hurrah

[David Silver]

8378027
Fixed!

[David Silver]

8378204
Rephrased.

[RadicalDishonesty]

Called it. Lyra indeed.

And Laud continues to find out ponies are magic, and that means powerful.

And That magical reformation is a thing.

[FanOfMostEverything]

And so Laud comes to understand some of the more dangerous divergences between these strikingly similar cultures. Of course, the nature of the Elements of Harmony is up to interpretation, but it's not like Laud's going to give any magic the benefit of the doubt.

In any case, let's just hope that the discount mental protection isn't just a roll of aluminum foil. (Some assembly required.) And that Luna doesn't see such protection as an insult.

Also:

Was that seemingly harmless school teacher perhaps the most immediately powerful of all the ponies.

This should be a question.

[David Silver]

8381224
He missed the prompt of 'And then a thousand years later, Celestia is still here!'. There was a lot on his plate.

[EverfreeSparkle]

8377705
Luckily for the universe, her ponies are anything but unlimited. No one how strong a single force you have, numbers and resources will ALWAYS win against you.

[tsaukpaetra]

it's too bad the translator didn't come with a "training mode" for situations like this...

[_SkyHorse]

The color scheme was... interesting. Bright pastels gave the impression of being an art piece, or a child's toy.

"BUY OUR TOYS!"

[iloveportalz0r]

I don't fancy the idea of my mind being 'cleared', altered, or anyway influenced by magic.

I believe 'any way' is better in this context

[Norad2]

Was he protecting the ponies, or would he serve as shield to the rest of the universe against them?

Depends on how long it takes for the gate to be repaired. If it takes a decade or more, you’ll end up with an Outside the Reaching Sky type situation.