Secret Search

by computerneek

Chapter 8: The Secret

When she wakes up again, she’s still in the same place. There’s a worryingly large puddle of blood on the floor around her, and much of it has gotten into her coat. However, as she stands up, she doesn’t feel the signs of low blood pressure… And, a quick spell confirms, she is not bleeding. She uses another spell to vanish all of the blood, and turns to review the results of her restoration spell.

… Which appears to have done absolutely nothing. It is true, fueling any spell with negative emotions has a tendency of negating its effects. Oh well.

She turns to trot out towards the exit. She’s not even aching this time.

Though her back is a little itchy.

Come to think of it, she’s lived alone her entire life. She’s been trying to get somepony into her life and, as soon as she succeeded, she was torn ruthlessly away. So…

What if she cut her losses, stopped suffering failure, and chose the solitary life?

If she does that… Her grin widens slowly into something that might be considered an evil grin. If she does that, especially while her power is still so incredibly high, she can have fun…

Her grin rapidly developing into a low cackle, she gallops up to her electric kitchen to whip together a meal- drawing the recipe from memory- and sends an alibi upstairs. Bonbon had insisted upon giving her all of the bits from the candy, so she’s got plenty of money.

This is going to be a somewhat expensive project… But the Everfree Forest should provide most of the materials without issue. After her meal, she runs up to it and drops a perception filter on half a meadow before she sets to work. Her alibi, with a somewhat randomized appearance, is requisitioning the other materials right now.

After all, she wants to look like she’s still living at home. Time to make the RIA’s ‘Secret Searcher’ not so much of a searcher.

No- instead, she’ll be a secret agent… For herself. At least for a while.

She’ll travel the world. She’ll explore all kinds of cities, meet all kinds of ponies. Solve all kinds of problems.

She’ll practice her alibi spell more than Princess Twilight practices reading. She’ll leave alibis all over Equestria, picking up rumors for her to investigate.

She’ll be the equivalent of the entire RIA, if she can.

Though… That’s an idea. Before, she was just a secret searcher, doing just a fraction of what Daring Do does. But now, she’s going to be a bit more than a searcher.

Her grin develops once again- and, her alibi arriving with the rest of the materials, she sets to work painting her work of art. And finishing this part. And that part.

Finally, she jumps aboard, collapses the perception filter to cover just her now finished project, directs her now-looking-like-herself alibi back home, and deploys the collapsible gas bag. Nopony will see her coming.

Not until long after she’s left, at least. She’s fairly sure of that.

Though… On a thought, she replaces the perception filter with a layering of other spells. Perception filters are too simple… but this combination of spells should mess with the minds of anypony that realizes it’s there.

---

“Um, Sir?”

“Yes?”

“We’ve had a… suspicious ship dock here fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh? How so?”

“To begin with, it’s called the Secret. Then, it’s piloted by only two mares, and neither of them know the difference between port and starboard. Third… You know it’s standard procedure to record where any given ship lands, right?”

Nod.

“Well… We can’t find it. When we count from afar, it’s there- unless we look at the names of the ships we’re counting, where it simply isn’t there. When we’re guiding other ships in, it’s very clearly there, though it disappears when we look at it. When we walk along the docks, it’s there in our peripheral vision- but it’s berthed at dock #3… which has ceased to exist.”

Eyebrow raised.

“I’m being serious!” He points a hoof. “Count the number of ships, then list their names! The numbers won’t match!”

The Royal Guardspony’s eyes search the airship docks momentarily- six ships present. The Concord, Raspberry, Zap Apple, Rainbow, and the Tank… five? He breaks his professional stance, quickly counting balloons. Six. He counts names again… Five. And he can clearly see the name of every ship in the dock right now.

“Did they debark?”

“One did.”

“When she returns, direct her to me, please.”

“Yes sir.”

“You’re returning to the Secret?”

“Yes, sir.” She’s a bright blue earth pony.

“Ahh… Could you come this way?”

“Um… Isn’t my ship over there…?”

“The Royal Guard over here wanted to talk to you before you returned to your ship.”

“Ahh… I hope it’s quick, my sis will leave without me before too long.”

“Oh? Is that why there’s only two of you?”

“No… it was always just the two of us.”

“Ahh… Well, here he is. Sir? This is the mare returning to the Secret.”

“Oh, hello!”

“Good evening. Where did you get your ship?”

She tilts her head. “Huh? Why ask?”

“It’s got some bothersome spells on it.”

“Oh…” She glances back towards the docks. “Oh shoot, she’s leaving without me!” She turns to run… and dissolves into arcane mist.

The Guard blinks. “What just…?”

The porter stares at the spot she’d vanished from. “I… Good question.”

A ship leaving the docks catches their attention- but whenever they look, it isn’t there.

The two stallions curse in tandem. “Shoot.”

---

“You’re sure he didn’t make that up?”

Nod. “Fairly certain, given the evidence, Princess.”

“Evidence?”

“Not of the same incident, but we’ve had similar reports in different cities.”

“What’s the next one?”

“Trottingham. Same ship, same… difficulty seeing it. Different mare- looked much like a unicorn version of Fluttershy, I understand- debarked last Tuesday.”

---

“Um, sorry, ma’am, you just…”

“Look much like the Element of Kindness? I get that a lot… No relation, I’m afraid. Is there anyplace around here I can play for some bits?”

“Play?”

“Yes. You know, music?”

“Oh? Oh, yes! Sorry, I thought you meant…”

“No! No, I’m not a gambler. Just a traveling musician.”

“Ahh. Yes. Um, the music show in the stadium on 9th Street should still be open… Though probably not for long.”

“Music show? What kind of music?”

“Any. Honestly, it hasn’t been worth attending the last half-dozen times; nopony good ever plays.”

Smirk. “I’ll see what I can do. The stadium on 9th street, right?”

Nod. “Yep. Any… Uh, where’d your ship go…?”

“It’s still there…?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Duh. Um…” He blinks a couple times, shaking his head. “Okay. Um… Do you want us to resupply your ship while you’re away, or…?”

She shakes her head. “I’m afraid I don’t have the money for that- and besides, my sis is quite picky about exactly what comes aboard.”

“Ahh… No supplies, then. You do have those supplies already, right?”

Nod. “Yep.”

“Ahh… Um… Is it just me, or does it keep disappearing…?”

Shrug. “Lotsa ponies seem to have trouble finding it for some reason, not sure why. Good thing they don’t have to, right?”

He chuckles too. “Right, yes. Well, have a good evening!”

“Will do!”

“That was awesome, Golden Notes! Where’d you learn to play that well?”

Smirk. “I compete with myself, mostly. It helps to have a related cutie mark and a good example, I must say.”

“Wow. Can you teach me?”

She shakes her head. “I’m afraid not- I’ve gotta get back to my ship before my sister leaves me here, and she doesn’t like taking on passengers.”

“Ahh… Any chance you could come back to play at my sister’s birthday party?”

Another shake. “Not likely. When is it?”

“Next Thursday- so, nine days.”

A sad shake this time. “Sorry, we’re scheduled to be halfway across Equestria by then.”

“Aww… How important is that?”

She lets out a small chuckle. “Very, I’m afraid.”

She winces gently. “Really? Darn.”

“Maybe she would help…?”

“She? Who?”

“Lyra Heartstrings, in Ponyville. She was my role model growing up- and I think I’ve managed to approach her skill. She’s… not a traveling musician, though, and last I heard, her schedule is all over the place.”

Wince. “So she’s not going to be able to help, is she?”

Shrug. “It’s possible. I don’t know how far ahead she plans most of her little shows; I never heard about them until the day before, myself. As for if she’d take the offer… I know she struggles with money, but I don’t know how far away from home she’s willing to go.”

“Hmm… I’ll have to look into that. Ponyville, you said?”

“Yes. Lyra Heartstrings… I understand she’s taken up work at the town candy shop. Something about boosting customer morale… I think she just likes the owner.”

Smirk. “Ahh. Um, we haven’t passed your ship, have we?”

“Ah, no, it’s right here.”

“Oh, there you are.” The green pegasus jumps at the interjection by the earth-colored earth pony. The earth pony glances at the pegasus, turning back to the unicorn. “I’ll put it away while you talk.”

The unicorn nods, levitating over her saddlebags of bits and her instrument.

The pegasus blinks as the earth pony turns back the way she’d come, carrying the load up the boarding ramp of a fairly large airship… which hadn’t been there a second before. “Uh… Wow. I must have missed it…” She smiles at the unicorn. “I must be getting old.” She looks back at the ship… but it’s not there. The entire docking platform it was docked at is missing. “Uh… Wow.”

The unicorn tilts her head. “Something wrong?”

“Um… I must be hallucinating…” She looks back at the unicorn. “For a second, I could have sworn there was an entire docking platform here, with a large airship docked on it and an earth pony coming down to take your bags… Wait.” She blinks, wide-eyed, gazing at the unicorn’s back for a second… and searches for the ship again. “I can’t be missing a ship that big, can I?”

The unicorn smirks. “Well, there’s a question… How many ships are docked here?”

She raises an eyebrow at the obvious question. “Two. The Bountiful and… Uh…” She searches the docks. “What… How…”

She tilts her head. “Something wrong?”

“How can I count two ships… yet only find one?! It’s like it only exists when I’m not looking for it!”

Nod. “Sorry… the Secret does that to ponies.”

“The Secret? An airship, named Secret?”

Nod. “It’s pretty good at keeping secrets, isn’t it?”

“Uh… I might say, yes.” She blinks, searching the docks again. “That’s… Wow.”

---

“I understand Agent Silent Stroke was able to get ahold of Lyra Heartstrings, but she knows nothing of this ship.” He glances at a clock. “She should be playing at that party right about now.”

“Did Silent Stroke try following Golden Notes?”

“Of course. She couldn’t follow into the ship- Notes locked the door behind herself- so she tried following it in the air; they pulled out right away.

“Only thing is, she couldn’t find it. One of the biggest ships she’s ever seen, supposedly, but she couldn’t find it, only count and avoid it.”

“Ahh. Next?”

“Monday, in Dodge Junction. Same ship, green pegasus with a jumbled mane and unkempt wings.”

---

“It’s rare to see an airship that big around here,” the porter comments.

“We won’t be long, I’m afraid- we’re in a bit of a hurry, but we ran out of wing wax. Anyplace I could snatch some?”

“We can provide a full resupply for your ship, for a fee, if you would like.”

Scowl. “I would like, but my sister would never allow that. Besides, we’ve got decent supplies of everything else already. She just happened to forget I’m a pegasus during our last shopping stop.”

“Ahh… You’ll find it at the general store, two blocks down on the left.”

“Thanks!” She runs off.

The porter smiles. “I don’t see many pegasi… Wait, what? Where’d it go?”

A guard trots over. “Ma’am?” she begins.

The porter performs a quick about-face. “Ahh! Sharp Stroke! Do you need something?”

The guard scowls. “This… ship. I happened to notice we’ve got one docked, right?”

“Yes. Lovely pegasus- looks like a Rainbow Dash wannabe- needed to get some soap.”

“Well… where is it?”

“It’s…” She looks around. “I was actually just asking myself that.”

“Yet if you count the ships here…”

“One. The… um…”

“Exactly. One ship- and a really big one at that- but nopony can find it. A couple pegasus guards have tried flying to it- and while they can always steer around it, and know that’s what they’re doing, they can’t seem to find it… Or land on it.”

She scowls. “How could they do that…?”

The guard shrugs. “Perhaps we could ask that pegasus?”

“Perhaps… Oh hey, you’re back!”

The pegasus flings her tied-off shopping bag into the air as she brakes to a stop and glances at the guard. “Yes. Something wrong?”

Both unicorns watch the bag sail through the air- until an earth pony standing at the top of the boarding ramp catches it, taking it inside.

“Wow,” the guard mutters, her eyes widening as she looks at the ship. “How…”

The porter breaks her gaze on the ship, turning to the pegasus. “Your ship, it’s…” She searches quickly- and fruitlessly- for it.

“Disappearing?” the pegasus asks.

The guard turns away from the ship. “Yes,” she states.

The pegasus nods. “The Secret does that to ponies. Sorry, but I really have to-!”

She had resumed her gallop towards the ship, but the porter caught her with her magic. “Wait! Where… WHAT?”

The pegasus had dissolved into arcane mist.

---

“Agent Shining Light reports she still can’t figure out what happened to her- but it matches what happened in Las Pegasus. The guards tried following the ship there too, but again, they couldn’t find it.” The Director of the RIA then moves slightly to indicate his office window, conveniently overlooking the Canterlot docks. “Then…” He looks out for a second. “How many ships are docked in Zone Three, then how many of them can you name?”

Princess Luna steps over, gazing out the window for a few seconds. “Eight ships… The Jasmine, Bountiful, Raspberry, Lightning, Orange, Starshine, and the Noodle Ferry… always thought that ship was weird…” She trails off, her brow furrowing as she mutters to herself for a few seconds, gazing down at the dock.

“That’s not possible,” she finally declares.

“Seven ships, but when you’re only counting gas bags, there’s eight?”

She turns to face him, her expression dangerous. “Why?”

In answer, he places a clipboard on the desk between them, rotating it for her to read. “I sent for you as soon as I learned of this. This here is a copy of the Zone Three docking manifest, requisitioned by the onsite agent. The second page-” he indicates the page folded over the top of the clipboard- “is her written testimony. Apparently, it’s a blue unicorn with purple mane… and a cutie mark that couldn’t be looked at.”

Luna flips the page down, scans the message, and flips it back up to read the manifest, muttering to herself. “Jasmine… Noodle Ferry… Orange… Lightning… Bountiful… Starshine… Raspberry…” She pauses at the final entry on the page. “Secret, docked across slots thirteen through fifteen…” She looks up at the clock. “Thirty-five minutes ago.” She looks back down at the manifest. “Declined resupply, paid for single-day berthing… Blueberry Truffle?” Her eyes widen very suddenly, and she draws in a breath. “Blueberry Truffle!?”

Her direct subordinate draws alarmedly back almost a full foot from his desk, his chair skittering slightly on the smooth marble floor. “Did we miss something?”

Princess Luna stares at the manifest for a second, glances at him, and looks at the clock again. “Blueberry Truffle… is scheduled to meet Princess Celestia in private court thirty seconds ago!”

Comments

[LostArchivist]

Wow. That's impressive. Not sure it's the best idea, or that she's completely sane right now, but Discord's gotta be having fun with the confusion she leaves behind.

Something tells me that the itchy back, stronger magic, and preening supplies might be related...

[tsaukpaetra]

Oh dear, here we go...