Sigil of Souls, Stream of Memories

by Piccolo Sky

Daybreak: A Voice in the Crowd

What in Greater Everfree am I doing here?

A couple days after their unexpected night visitors, and long after Sunset Shimmer had sat through getting a new wardrobe and hair dye and boarded the train with her new companions, she was still asking herself the same question. Much of her former anxiety had returned now that Twilight was gone, and as she drew closer to Manehattan she felt more exposed and helpless than ever. The old helmet, which by now had become her ‘teddy bear’ of sorts, was being clutched fiercely in her fingers as the steam engine chugged along and she found herself even wishing Spike was there for comfort as she watched the trees slowly start to thin.

Why oh why did I agree to do this? Especially when three of the four people I’m going with have good reason to leave me to rot when something goes wrong? And going back to Manehattan, of all places! I haven’t even been helping out that much with Twilight’s research! The whole reason I wanted to stick with her in the first place was because she was the only one I could count on to keep my head out of a noose! Now I’m shoving it into a guillotine!

I’m losing my mind. That’s all. Why else would I be out here? Why else would I have said yes?

And the craziest thing?

I think I actually miss Twilight…

“Hey.”

Sunset looked away from the car window and behind her. They still didn’t have any true passenger accommodations in their train…just an empty cargo car for people to stand around in. Hence, the group was just loitering about for the most part. Big Macintosh was standing up and at the ready. Marble Pie, looking as shy and anxious as ever, yet occasionally glancing to him, was seated nearby. Stygian was tending to the weapons, of which they had only brought a couple handguns for emergencies, looking like he was doing it just to keep busy. That left Shining Armor, who had approached her.

“We’re nearly there. Only about three more miles.”

“Oh…uh…alright.”

“You should probably stay in the back of the group, just in case. I don’t think they’ll recognize you with your hair dyed black, but you never know.”

“Yeah…no argument here.”

He was quiet for a moment after that, looking her over. In particular, the helmet in her hands. He stared a few seconds before looking up at her. “Are you scared?”

She practically guffawed. “Oh no…I’m perfectly fine with going right back into Manehattan after I went on a bit of a killing spree of its Promethian Sigil bearing citizens while I’m powerless along with a group of people whose family members I also tried to kill.”

A pause. “Do you…regret that now?”

She hesitated, slowly inhaling and exhaling. “I suppose I could tell you I ‘saw the light’. That running around with Twilight made me see the error of my ways and all that. But…that would just be another lie. If you’re asking me if I would have done the same thing today then…then I honestly don’t know.”

She frowned.

“I would have seen what I was doing for what it really was—the act of a coward. Just like everything else I did when I was under Manehattan. Someone craven…and desperate…and willing to do absolutely anything to survive when she was better off than almost anyone else. I guess I can understand now what Celestia was trying to tell me when I said I deserved to be a god…why someone like me never deserved my own power.”

Her head lowered.

“But some things haven’t changed. I didn’t go through most of my life being treated like an unwanted rodent without learning how things work and what really matters. In the end, I was still the only person I could lean on to protect myself. It was true then---it’s true now.”

“You can lean on us. You can lean on me.”

Sunset turned to him in a bit of disbelief. He looked sincere, but she merely snickered. “I’m sorry, but after my incident in your hometown I still find that a tad hard to believe.”

“And I’m not sure I’ve fully forgiven you for that, either. But that’s alright just the same. I may not be you or Twilight. I don’t know why I got this sigil on my hand or what your headmistress was going to tell me if she hadn’t died. I know what I want to do with it though.”

He tightened his fist and looked down to it as he held it up. Sunset glanced at it herself.

“I may have never been born the strongest or the most gifted, but I always knew I wanted to help protect people. Even as a little kid I’d always go around daydreaming I was a knight trying to save people who needed to be saved. I know that all sounds a little corny and cliched, but…but I feel like I got this power for a reason. That now I finally have the power to protect people, and I’ve got a duty to use it. Maybe that’s what Celestia was trying to tell me.”

Sunset looked up and smirked before turning back. "Maybe if you ever get another Anima Viri, you’ll end up being the role of the Knight. It would suit you.”

He half-smiled. “I think it would.”

Sunset was quiet for a moment. “Do you want to know where I got this helmet?”

He glanced down, seeing it in her hands again.

“I got it from using a desperate man who wanted to be a knight in shining armor. He thought it was his duty to be a brave person who had the duty to protect people too. I found him in the remains of a castle surrounded by the mutilated bodies of people he couldn’t save—broken and shattered inside. Seeing everything he had ever loved or valued lying in puddles of blood. He would have killed himself, so I told him if he wanted to protect someone that he could protect me.”

Her smile faded.

“And in the end, he died saving me. Me. A murderer and a coward. He threw his life away protecting me when there were thousands of men, women, and children who deserved life more and who needed him more than I ever would.”

She turned back, now giving him a more critical look.

“That’s what happens to knights, Shining Armor. That’s the end of their honor and devotion. So I’d think a bit harder about what your Promethian Sigil is for before you decide to go the route of the fairy tales.”

She looked outside again after that, but Shining Armor didn’t say any more in the remaining minute before they broke the tree line. At that point, Sunset moved back and made herself scarce as the train slowed down and rolled into Manehattan.

Quite the operation was going on now. The government was clearly upgrading the rail lines to try to make permanent headwind into their old territory and, eventually, Equestria. At the moment, it was still all run by the military—much to Sunset’s chagrin. She only saw one entrenched encampment after another pass them by alongside the serviced rail lines, along with the corpses of what had to have been a great deal of Nighttouched. It looked like they finally had the edge on them. In addition, she saw some signs of the telegraph lines that Starlight had mentioned, and it seemed in spite of Luna’s refusal they were still in the process of setting them up.

Eventually, the train halted at a platform. While it was temporary, it nevertheless had been built up well, and had a new road leading to and away from it to the rest of the city. More military folk were gathered there along with the rail workers and some other administrative officials. Sunset didn’t look at most of them as, by this point, she was trying to keep her face hidden.

The doors eventually opened and, taking a deep breath because he looked tense himself, Shining Armor stepped out. Big Macintosh followed behind, with Stygian and Marble Pie coming up after that. Sunset herself took the rear and, again, tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. There seemed to be some minor Manehattan officials waiting for them on the temporary platform, although they did look just slightly confused on who they saw step out of the train. That did serve to take the focus off of Sunset, which she was glad for.

On coming to a halt on the platform, one of the officials stepped forward. “Welcome back to Manehattan, although…I’m a bit puzzled. Where is Twilight Sparkle or her associates?”

“Twilight’s trying to stop a new threat that’s using the Nighttouched,” Shining Armor answered. “We’re filling in for her and Starlight Glimmer for the moment.”

The officials continued to look confused. “I’m…afraid we weren’t expecting you back so soon. We don’t have any transportation or new supplies arranged for you.”

“Are there any other people who need to be relocated to Canterlot?”

Shining Armor’s voice was a bit sharp at this, which Sunset thought showed a little lack of subtlety. However, she also noticed that they looked caught a moment before answering. “I’m afraid not, sir.”

“Alright. We’ll need to head to the capitol as soon as possible. We have new things to report.”

“Unfortunately…as we said, this visit was unexpected and we don’t have any transportation arranged I’m afraid.”

“That’s alright. I think we have our own ready. Thank you.”

The officials nodded, and then turned and moved aside to let them pass. Shining Armor proceeded to lead the group right by them; Sunset struggling not to cringe or duck her head into her collar as they went. Soon they were descending the platform and making for the road.

Stygian looked about a little as they moved. “They seem to have more soldiers than what one would think they would need around here…”

“It could just be because they’re making inroads into Equestria and expecting a Nighttouched attack at any moment. Or they know about those swarms Sombra’s commanding,” Shining Armor suggested.

Stygian said nothing more. Just continued to walk.

After weaving through a few gun emplacements and platoons, each of which made Sunset sweat when they seemed to be staring at them, they finally came to a barrier on the outskirts for civilians. A pair of individuals were there, a young man and young woman, looking up and around as if they were expecting normal passengers from the train. They spotted the group and were confused for a moment, until Shining Armor reached into his coat pocket and pulled out three envelopes from Starlight Glimmer—each one stamped with her particular seal and colorful wax. He held them up enough for them to see, and as soon as they spotted them their eyes widened, but they simply stood until the group approached. After the soldiers let them pass, they came in front of them.

“Party Favor and Sugar Belle? I’m Shining Armor. I’ve been working with Starlight, Twilight, and the ladies up in Canterlot. I’m sorry none of them are here to tell you this in person but they’re caught up in something very important.” He proceeded to hand the envelopes over. “Starlight wanted me to pass these messages along to you but, more importantly, we need your help.”

They stared at the letters a moment before slowly taking them. Fortunately, Starlight had taken the precaution of addressing one of them: “Read Me First”. They broke the seal on that one, got out the note, and proceeded to squeeze together to read it as one. After a minute or so, they looked a bit troubled, but then nodded. Party Favor took the other two notes while Sugar Belle looked up at him. “Of course. We’ll do anything we can to help. It seems you already know the two of us…Shining Armor, was it?”

He nodded back, and stood to one side. “This is Big Macintosh, Applejack’s older brother.”

He nodded as well.

“Marble Pie, Pinkie Pie’s younger sister.”

She blushed a little before muttering an “mmm-hmm”.

“Stygian, one of Manehattan’s own soldiers.”

He stood at attention for them.

“And…um…Moonshine…Flash.”

Sunset couldn’t help it. She actually looked to him incredulously for a moment in spite of her anxiety, before she quickly straightened. “Uh…yes. Hi.”

Both Party Favor and Sugar Belle looked a bit put off by that name, but in the end rolled with it. “Alright…um…here, right this way! We have a steam wagon waiting.”

The two turned about and began to lead on, and Shining Armor quickly fell in behind. Sunset followed the others after sighing in relief. Fortunately, they didn’t have to go too far out of the perimeter. While it seemed there were a few newshawks and civilian construction workers there, not too many people wanted to be that close.

In only a few moments they began to approach what Sunset realized was the steam wagon. After being used to cruising around in Starlight’s battered, smelly, used Steel Lion, she was a bit stunned to see a much more up-to-date model of a true steam carriage. This one looked so fresh and new that the paint was still shining and the pipes hadn’t had a chance to develop their first full layer of grime.

On arrival, Party Favor went right for the helm while Sugar Belle opened the side door. “Hop aboard, everyone!”

One by one they filed in. The interior was just as nice. The seats were actually cushioned and roomy enough for each one of them to find a place to sit without cramping. Sunset saw the others looking around and wagered this was the nicest steam vehicle they had ever been in. She herself had seen better, but not many.

She couldn’t help but blurt out as Sugar Belle shut the door and made for the passenger side. “A…bit of an upgrade from your last model, huh?”

Party Favor gave a nervous chuckle. “Well, to be honest, until Nightmare Moon disappeared we were mostly a fringe group at best. Now we’re getting new members and donations all the time. It’s really helping our research.”

“And I admit this wagon is a bit…classier than we needed,” Sugar Belle added as she slipped inside and shut the door, prompting Party Favor to fire up the engine. “But we got a great deal on it due to…” She trailed off, looking more uneasy. “You know…all things considered.”

Shining Armor looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“Oh…that’s right. You aren’t getting the news regularly. “Um…Marble Pie, was it? Today’s newspaper should be right to the side of your seat.”

The shy-looking woman looked about on either side of her for a moment, feeling in between her seats, until she finally found the periodical. She gripped it and pulled it out, turning it over for the front page. Everyone leaned in and had a look at the headline.

Shake-Up in the Political Landscape: Southern Equestria Declares Independence and Neutrality.

“Wait…what is this?” Sunset voiced aloud.

“Manehattan just lost its biggest overseas protectorate, although I guess it doesn’t really matter…what with how bad ocean travel’s been getting in the first place. We were lucky to get any ships from there for a while now, and what ones did come were weeks overdue…”

“That’s just half of the problem,” Party Favor added as he engaged the wagon and began to roll down the road. “Fillydelphia declared neutrality at almost the exact same time.”

Sunset quirked her eyebrow at that, then turned to Marble Pie. “Didn’t Pinkie say that she and Dash thought Fillydelphia was encouraging the unrest in Southern Equestria?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she answered with a nod.

“That means this is probably a behind-the-scenes deal with whoever is in power down there,” Shining Armor grimly answered. “But why?”

There was silence for a few moments as they drove along, before Sunset let out an exhale and leaned back in her own seat.

“Well…I guess it’s no secret to everyone around here that I know a thing or two about manipulating people…” she half-muttered. “Fillydelphia has been Manehattan’s sword and shield ever since the Lunar Fall. They absorbed the brunt of the Nighttouched attacks as well as had to deal with countries that invaded when they began to collapse.”

“Not to mention, from a territorial perspective,” Stygian quietly spoke up, “the placement of Fillydelphia has made sure that they always get the brunt of any conflict."

"To say the alliance has been ‘a bit one-sided’ isn't an exaggeration… I guess they finally want a better deal. Especially now that Trottingham is gaining power and territory. The Hyperborean Mountains can’t keep them safe forever. Not if Griffonstone works out a deal to start letting them pass around south…or they simply mass produce their airships.”

Shining Armor frowned. He slumped in his seat and stared out the window. Sugar Belle noticed. “Is something wrong?”

“Just more of what we already knew. The shadow over Equestria is gone but we know full well we could end up with something worse any day now, yet things seem like they’re getting worse than when we were all waiting for the Light Eaters to come for us…”

“Sometimes it seems like whenever we’re all being threatened, we want to beat out fate to annihilation first…” Stygian grimly added.

The wagon was quiet again after that. Almost unsettlingly so. Sunset, of course, had no reply. She had long known this about human nature. Known it and used it. She had no comfort to give.

Finally, Shining Armor put his fist against the door and leaned up again. “I guess the government’s all convening to try and get a response for this right now? Along with the grand chancellor?”

Party Favor nodded. “The capitol was already getting more tense by the day, but now it’s really getting hairy.”

“Well, at least that means the chancellor is somewhere we can talk to him. I don’t suppose you can drive us to the place of a Major General Kibitz, can you?”

He looked a little uneasy, but nodded. “Y-Yeah…but, it might be a bit hard getting there fast…”

---

“I think they mentioned something about this to Twily, but…sheesh…”

The steam wagon had a hard time moving through to the square. Part of that was due to increased security, almost as much so as what they had passed through on arrival in Manehattan, but mostly it was due to the people.

The periodic demonstrations that Twilight had told Sunset about had swelled to permanent crowds, and they were looking wilder and less civil than before. Some of them were being led by people who looked like religious authorities for Harmonium, but many more so were holding up symbols from it as well as signs that were a bit more extreme. Sunset read many saying: “The Old World’s Death is Nigh”, “The Age of Harmonium is Coming”, “Save Yourselves from This Condemned Generation”, and the like. They became rather hard to avoid as people clustered closer together the nearer they drew, and soon the sounds of their own chanting and processions began to make it hard to even speak over one another and the engine.

“This…is definitely not what Twily told us about…” Shining Armor remarked nervously.

“Don’t I know it,” Party Favor groaned. “I mean, it’s nice that all of this is getting more folks signing up with us, but all those new things that are going on? They’re working people up more than ever. It’s like they think there’s going to be a new Lunar Fall all over the world any day now.”

“And even if you aren’t worried about that, there’s still Trottingham to be afraid of…” Sugar Belle added.

Sunset said nothing, although she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. A part of her, one more akin to the “old” Sunset, wanted to laugh at how easily everyone was losing their heads and flocking to the first thing that gave them some sense of normalcy. However, the more sensible part of her reminded her that everyone had plenty to go into a panic about. Sombra’s new attacks had to be worse than what any of them were accustomed to due to the Nighttouched, the oceans were getting impassible due to what those mysterious entities were, and any day now the Angra Mainyu could manifest itself and start turning the world as they knew it upside down.

Besides…some of this seemed to be more than standard panic. It seemed stronger than that…

At long last, and, unfortunately, near a particularly loud crowd filled with crazier elements of the growing clamor, they managed to pull up to one of the gated buildings. Fortunately, Twilight’s group had maintained enough contact with them that they recognized that Party Favor and Sugar Belle were supporting them, but it still forced them to dismount the steam wagon to get there. Sunset would have hated risking showing her face even at the best of times, but surrounded by a crowd that had countless eyes going who knew where almost petrified her into her seat. Nevertheless, she finally managed to emerge with the rest.

While they had to stay reasonably close together, fortunately the crowds were only demonstrating and it was possible to move through them. The group immediately went up to the gate. Once there, Party Favor and Sugar Belle took Shining Armor up to the front while Sunset, struggling to look inconspicuous, stood behind them with the others.

Party Favor faced the guard and called out over the chanting and commotion. “We’re here to see Major General Kibitz!”

“The major general’s busy! Who wants to see him?”

“Cpl. Shining Armor!” the man in question immediately interjected. “We’re with Twilight Sparkle’s task force and here on her behalf!”

The guard hesitated. He looked to the others around him and spoke too quietly for Sunset to hear. He looked back afterward. “We’ll need to ask you a few questions first!”

The gate was unfastened, and he along with Party Favor was let in, while Sugar Belle stood outside with the others. As soon as it was closed again, the two were led in a bit further, while she turned around back to them. “I’m sure it’ll just be a moment. Everyone just sit tight…er, stand tight!”

Sunset exhaled and risked another look around—more out of lingering anxiety that someone would spot her than anything else. This seemed like the least-likely spot, however. The people in this area looked the most haggard and preoccupied with their chants, and what few people weren't—such as soldiers and government officials—were tiredly milling about trying to get where they needed to go.

One particular figure, however, caught her eye.

A dirty-looking, half-crazed woman dressed in messed up clothing with a series of metal emblems that looked made from junk rather than designed to resemble anything in particular was walking along the crowds. Unlike them, she seemed to be of a different sort all together. Not like she was part of the demonstrators but rather professing her own message among them. She bore a sign of her own, but this one was painted in a dark red. It didn’t stand out as much as the black on white lettering of other signs, but the fact it was so hastily scrawled and in colors that closely resembled blood made it pop to Sunset in a rather unsettling way.

It didn’t help that the message was unique as well.

BEWARE! HE WALKS AMONG US

As she drew nearer, Sunset saw her looking over the crowds…or, perhaps, not looking over them at all. For as she got close enough to see her face, Sunset noticed she was walleyed and didn’t appear to be looking at anything in particular at any moment—just letting her head drift one way or another. However, she chanted continuously to all of them as she rang a handbell in her free hand.

“Cleanse! Cleanse! Cleanse yourselves! Cleanse!”

She kept shouting this as she grew nearer, and her presence and chanting began to unnerve Sunset as she approached. She grimaced and started to turn her head away to avoid making eye contact.

“Cleanse! Cleanse yourselves! Clean-”

Suddenly, Sunset felt her shoulder seized with surprising force, and she was so shocked she couldn’t resist as she felt her body pulled about. To her stunned surprise, she found herself looking right into the walleyes of the woman—who now had leaned in so close she was mere inches from touching noses.

“He wants them, Sunset.”

Her mouth loosened, but she could say nothing. Between the shock of being seized, addressed by name by a woman she had never seen, and the sudden cold quietness with which she had spoken that, she could only stare back in stunned silence.

“The one who was never born and never dies.”

Without another word, she released her, turned away, and continued down her way. A few seconds later, she resumed her cries of “cleanse”.

Sunset was left standing there, still open-mouthed, looking after her for a moment or two before she heard another voice.

“Moonshine!”

She snapped and turned around. The gate was open again, and the others were already heading inside. Shining Armor lingered behind, looking at her. “Come on in!”

Sunset blinked. She looked back to where the woman had gone, but she was already vanishing back into the crowd. Still looking unnerved, she only slowly swallowed before turning around and following after the others through the fence.

---

“Well, I can certainly see why Ms. Twilight Sparkle or Ms. Rarity didn’t want to deign to give me this news in person…”

Sunset knew of Major General Kibitz only by reputation, having made it a point when she was still with Trottingham to make mental notes of who were all of the higher ups in the Manehattan military. Nevertheless, meeting with him was the most nerve-wracking moment so far. She knew her face wasn’t well known, but if there had been any spy or intelligence who had managed to get her face and pass it up along the ranks to the point where a major officer would recognize her, it would have been him.

However, when Shining Armor had introduced himself, the others, and her under her pseudonym, he seemed somewhat questioning of who this mysterious “eidolon expert” was and why she hadn’t been mentioned before now but ended up rolling with it. She along with the others was introduced to a room where tea and coffee was offered as they were sat down to converse with Kibitz briefly. It mostly went untouched. Big Macintosh didn’t care for the tea, Marble Pie didn’t care for the coffee, and everyone else cared for either. Shining Armor seemed fairly eager to get through the initial report to voice his more pressing concern, while Sunset herself tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible in that small room.

“This would explain why things have gotten so much worse outside. We knew we had to be concerned about those mysterious ‘metal soldiers’ running about, but the attacks from this…this ‘Sombra’ person not only being so horrible but a precursor to something even worse? And to say nothing of all the other bad business as of late…”

“I’m afraid that’s not all, sir,” Shining Armor interjected, his voice growing a bit sharper. “There were people who recently arrived at Canterlot. Fleeing refugees. And they claimed they were fleeing from your government.”

The general gave a start, where until now he had been brooding over all the information. “What was that?”

“They said they belonged to a select community of individuals bearing Promethian Sigils that basically kept entire families in confinement. And they said that community was shut down and relocated through physical force. Via your military. Twily told me that you’re heading up any military affairs that have to do with ‘eidolons’. I was hoping you had an explanation for this.”

Kibitz only flustered a moment before shaking his head. “Well, I’m afraid your ‘refugees’ were either mistaken or lying. No such operation has taken place, and I certainly would never have authorized one.”

Shining Armor didn’t look like he entirely believed that. However, he also didn’t seem to be the type to know when to probe deeper or how to press an issue. As for Kibitz, he didn’t dwell on the matter long but began to straighten up.

“Although in light of what you’ve said, I believe I need to confer with the grand chancellor at once. It sounds as if we’re misappropriating our resources in entirely the wrong direction.”

“What do you mean?”

“By now you’ve read the news, haven’t you? While the crowds outside grow in number and fervor every day, our legislature and grand chancellor have been focusing almost entirely on the situation with Fillydelphia and Manehattan. The power alliance structure of Greater Everfree could be looking at its greatest rearrangement since the Lunar Fall’s early days. I dare say that’s kept everyone’s attention…and what the grand chancellor is addressing the legislature about right this minute. However, in light of what you’ve told me about this ‘Sombra’, I’ll need to confer with him again.” He exhaled as he began to rise from his seat. “I’m only hoping he’ll spare me the time on this occasion… I regret to inform you I was hoping for Ms. Rarity or Ms. Sparkle. I thought they’d get his ear better…”

Shining Armor looked up in some puzzlement and Sunset was much the same. But as he continued to sit silently, she found herself blurting out. “I’m sorry… What was that?”

Kibitz paused, both on hearing Sunset speak up for the first time as well as her interruption. However, he only frowned slightly. “The grand chancellor has been pushing himself harder and harder as of late. I dare say it’s beginning to impact him in more ways than one. Nowadays, even for someone like myself, it’s hard to find time to speak with him.”

“Well…maybe he should find the time. This is kind of important.”

Kibitz again eyed Sunset, who wondered again what drove her to speak up like that, but fortunately Shining Armor stood at this moment and joined in. “Perhaps we should come along, sir. We might get more of his attention if he sees people have arrived from Canterlot.”

The major general hesitated, looking them over and seeming to consider it, before he gave a short nod. “I do not see the harm. Let’s be off. The session should be ending shortly.”

---

Fortunately, getting to the legislature wasn’t nearly as hard as getting into the governmental square. The demonstrators were allowed to mill about outside the complex, but the roads leading that way were kept clear for the normal day-to-day administrative affairs. Not to mention the entire trip was a short walk to begin with.

That wasn’t to say the area itself wasn’t crowded. Far from it. More representatives of the local papers were there than ever. Everyone that could be admitted into the press commons areas was allowed, and there were still more outside waiting for the latest news. That, of course, necessitated even more security than normal—rendering it impossible to get anywhere near the front doors. As a result, the major general’s own retinue led them around the back.

“We should be able to see him as soon as he finishes speaking,” he explained. “There’s only one entrance the grand chancellor ever takes. Hopefully we’ll get the jump on any more reporters.”

“It seems a bit strange to try and meet him this way,” Stygian spoke up in a half-mutter. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to try and see him when he returns to his office?”

“Normally I would say yes, young man, but nowadays his door is always either closed or filled with other people he’s trying to meet with. Believe me when I say this is the best chance we have at an unscheduled meeting.”

Stygian seemed to note something about that, which Sunset noticed, but said no more.

While it took a bit of wading through guards stationed at the back, as well as the grand chancellor’s own retinue and steam carriage awaiting him, Kibitz managed to lead them until they reached the accompanying crowds gathered outside. Once there, they had to make much slower progress pushing through people up until the doorway, and once inside they had to navigate narrow, thin, unlit halls making their way closer to the main chamber.

Sunset found it rather uncomfortable again, especially crushed in by so many people, but gradually they began to hear the sounds of loud speaking. Sunset had never heard the grand chancellor in person, but as they drew nearer and only one voice was audible, she assumed that was who she was listening to.

At last, they made it to a stairwell chamber. One end of it was blocked off by larger doors with windows, which Sunset assumed led to the main chamber, while they came in via a side door. Realizing this same room had to function as a fire escape for the building, she realized this had to be the spot. Sure enough Kibitz soon drew to a halt and Shining Armor followed suit, causing the rest to follow afterward.

Everyone went quiet and still and, as a result, they were able to hear the loud voice in the next room. It was a bit muffled due to the closed door, but she still made out the words.

“-suggest that our alliance has been slanted is preposterous. The Lunar Fall affected all nations in Greater Everfree and especially those bordering the former Equestria equally, and while our share of combat may be unequal we have more than done our share for Fillydelphia’s economy by forgiving debt after debt, funneling millions in weapons, food, and relief aid, and personally committing to both the resources and manpower to rebuilding their infrastructure not once but thrice now. If Fillydelphia seeks to punish us for these acts of good will and mutual benefits at a time when we are at our most vulnerable, then, as grand chancellor, I feel it is only fair to return the favor and distance Manehattan from any ‘one-sided’ relationships of its own. It is for that reason that, effectively immediately, in concert with the current legislature retabulating the tariff and taxation rates for commerce with Fillydelphia, that all foreign accounts with Fillydelphia are hereby indefinitely frozen.”

Most of those present didn’t react, even though murmurs were heard from through the doors. Stygian, however, looked rather stunned, and Sunset didn’t blame him. Back when she was working with Trottingham, if that had been a move she could have somehow pulled off, it would have been a master-stroke. Practically a governmental double suicide pill. And the grand chancellor had just thrown it out like a ton of bricks.

“When the Fillydelphian president is wishing to discuss more reasonable terms of our alliance, I will be more than willing to revoke this freeze. Until that time, I will consider it due compensation for us to have to strengthen our own military without them. This concludes my address. Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen.”

The murmurs quickly grew into speaking out loud as a rush of noise and clamor came from the other side of the doors. The reporters certainly had something to put out that evening now, after all. However, Kibitz braced himself and waited for the fateful moment when the double doors would open, as did much of the other personnel nearby. Sure enough, after about sixty seconds, it did, and both the grand chancellor and his retinue walked inside.

Sunset had never seen the grand chancellor in person, obviously. Only in the occasional photograph from a periodical from their country or, more often, in an etching for the same. Yet even if she had no idea what he looked like she still would have been a little taken aback. There was no question about it—the man looked tired. Like he had definitely been working long hours lately with sleepless nights. While he managed to keep his hair, mustache, and suit in well enough order, the lines on his face and under his eyes belayed a different story.

However, he only had a fraction of a second to see them standing there before the major general quickly stepped in. “Grand chancellor, I’m sorry to spring this upon you, but I wanted to inform you directly that Twilight Sparkle has sent representatives from Equestria on her behalf as she is unfortunately detained at this time.” He turned and gestured. “May I introduce Shining Armor and company.”

The grand chancellor turned to them, blinking a few times and looking a tad weary, but then drew himself up. “Oh…oh, is that so? Well, welcome to Manehattan, sirs and madams.”

Shining Armor made a curt nod. “Thank you, sir. Now, I don’t mean to-”

“I’m terribly sorry,” he cut off, “I wish we could meet right now, but we’re in the middle of a rather tense political situation and I’m afraid I’ve barely caught a wink of sleep in the past day. You’ve reached me just as I was about to go home. But I assure you the first chance I get I’ll want to speak with you. Until then, I’m sure the major general can see that you and your companions are taken care of.”

Shining Armor was taken aback by the sudden reply, especially with how hurriedly it came out. However, he barely managed to get out a syllable before the grand chancellor gave him another nod, and his retinue began to lead him right past the group and out through the rear exit.

Only once this happened did Shining Armor manage to find his voice enough to try and call out. “Mr. Grand Chancellor?”

It was already too late. The reporters were swarming over him and between their bombardment of questions and his retinue trying to keep them at bay, a din mixed with a crowd to make Fancy Pants both unreachable as well as impossible to alert. Moments later, he was vanishing all together and the crowd soon followed after him. Shining Armor was left standing looking flabbergasted, enough to almost make Sunset smirk.

“Uh…”

“I didn’t think he’d brush us off so quickly…” Stygian finally spoke up.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered.

Kibitz sighed. “I wish I could say that was uncommon, but it’s becoming the norm more every day. At least he’s heading home regularly now. He certainly needs it. The last thing we need on top of everything else is for his physical condition to start deteriorating. I’m afraid there’s nothing for it. I certainly hope that you won’t be needed to return to Manehattan soon. Scheduling an impromptu meeting such as this usually requires a day or two notice.”

Shining Armor looked struck at that, but after nearly protesting he closed his mouth and frowned. “I really wanted to get back to Twily and the others as soon as possible, but…this is important too. We really need to speak with the Grand Chancellor in more than just a passing greeting.”

Kibitz nodded. “And I’m certain the Grand Chancellor wishes to speak with you as well. It’s simply a matter of poor timing. However, if you’re committed to staying, we have accommodations prepared for special envoys right here in the Congressional Square all ready for you.”

“I guess we have no other choice… Thank you, sir.”

---

It didn’t take long for Kibitz to get them relocated, which Sunset was grateful for as she could have sworn some of the people with the Grand Chancellor had glanced at her more than once. Fortunately, where they were staying was right in the Congressional Square, so they had a nice window view of the continuing situation. Even as it grew late and the sun began to go down, the crowds didn’t thin out that much. The entire square remained on high alert. However, Sunset was far more at ease on knowing they didn’t have to worry about any guards monitoring them and that they were on a third floor—well above anyone who could look in and spot her.

As they didn’t have much in the way of luggage, Big Mac handled the bags while Marble Pie went about getting the place organized—something that wasn’t hard considering that the area had already been prepared and furnished. That gave everyone else a chance to idle while the sun kept setting. Shining Armor himself stood near the window, looking on edge as he stared at the ground below. Sunset took the chair in the corner on the wall against the window, just to be safe, while Stygian had silently taken a spot near the fireplace as he began to hide their weapons underneath the frame of the armchair; just in case. Since his one comment in meeting the Grand Chancellor he hadn’t said much, but Sunset wasn’t really thinking of him at the time.

They had only been left alone a little while ago and it had been silent ever since. Shining Armor broke it when he sighed and turned from the window. “Now I’m starting to second-guess myself. I didn’t know we’d be stuck here this long, and Harmonium knows what’s going on with Sombra.”

“Nothing that we can help out with, at any rate.”

Sunset and Shining Armor both looked up at Stygian on having heard him speak up again, but he never looked away from his task. He acted as if he hadn’t said anything.

Sunset stared a moment but then looked back at Shining Armor. “Stygian has a point. You may have an Anima Viri of your own, but the rest of us don't really have a defense...let alone an offense. Besides, we just got here.”

“Yeah, but we can’t really do much from the Congressional Square to find out who ran those people out of Manehattan. I doubt they’d flaunt themselves out in the open.”

“No, but someone in charge around here might know something.”

“You heard the Major General. He doesn’t know anything.”

Sunset burst into a snicker. “Right. And I’m sure that’s the sort of thing he’d be completely honest about when accused. You know how many of my antics Trottingham had to cover up?”

“I guess I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for now…or maybe just wishful thinking on my part.” He turned back to the window. “It’d be nice if I could believe we have at least one country on our side.”

Sunset paused; her own look turning troubled as well. “That…actually worries me a little.”

He turned back. “What does?”

“What we heard about in the legislature today. Manehattan and Fillydelphia have been allies for years. Now it sounds like tensions are growing and today only escalated it.”

“It did escalate it.”

Again, Sunset and Shining Armor turned to Stygian, who was done hiding the weapons under some of the furniture. This time, he kept talking although he didn’t look up.

“No one has invested more money and resources in combating the threats both of the eastern countries as well as the Nighttouched than Fillydelphia. The reason they weren’t bankrupted and overrun years ago was because Manehattan’s commerce with them has always been at a preferential rate. Fillydelphia may feel like Manehattan benefits from their soldiers spilling their blood, but the grand chancellor was right in what he said. Manehattan has made sure that their nation still has blood to spill for quite some time.”

“This sort of tension is music to the ears of Trottingham,” Sunset added. “Apart from geography and wealth, the main thing that has kept them from pushing west is that they knew they couldn’t attack one without the other one jumping on them. Breaking their alliance apart would be a game changer.” She looked down to one side. “Definitely something I would have done…”

“Except there is little evidence to suggest Trottingham is behind all of this,” Stygian added. “From what I have seen, as ill-timed as all of this is, it is nevertheless purely by the accord of their own respective leaders. Not to mention how senseless it all is.”

“How so?”

“Most nations that turned on each other did so during the heyday of the Lunar Fall. That’s when Fillydelphia turned on Cloudsdale, after all. As much of a crisis as the situation with Trottingham might be, why turn on them now?”

A pause went through the room. Even Big Mac and Marble Pie paused at that. “That…is a good point.”

“Now that I think about it…” Stygian spoke up. “Based on what Rainbow Dash was saying, it seems like part of Fillydelphia’s new stance is to use people with Promethian Sigils, doesn’t it?”

Marble Pie nodded with an “mmm-hmm”.

“Well…is that all too different from what Manehattan is doing? Or, for that matter, what Trottingham was doing? Perhaps their end purposes were more nefarious, but in the end it did amount of identifying everyone with those traits.”

Shining Armor looked a bit unsettled. “And…if what those people who arrived in Canterlot said was true, wouldn’t that mean Manehattan was doing something similar?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered.

Sunset sat rather uncomfortably now. Something definitely wasn’t right about all of this. At the moment, perhaps a bit of it was just conjecture or coincidence, but the whole reason she had been so secretive herself was to try and keep the world from finding out about the potential of everything she had learned and known. However, it was getting out now.

Not to mention, they had this room all ready for who they thought would be Promethian Sigil bearers…in a place of their choosing surrounded by their military.

Even more uncomfortably, she thought again of that woman who had spoken to her at that time, although she had nearly forgotten about her until now. While she tried to immediately tell herself it was simple craziness, it sent a very unwelcome chill down her spine.

Shining Armor sighed. “I guess all of this means is that it was a good idea to come here after all, and we’ve got a lot of questions that need answering. First things first, I need to start writing a letting to Twilight about what’s going on. I’m going to send her at least one a day until we find something out. Hopefully she’ll keep sending letters back too. The moment she finds Sombra, we may need to head back. Let’s just hope they get us a time tomorrow morning.”

“And that those people who showed up in Canterlot were wrong…” Sunset muttered.

Comments

[dannny43]

Dude, I am just completely and utterly baffled that this amazing and incredibly detailed and well thought out story has just completely flown under everyone's radar! I'm honestly fucking pissed that you've been working extremely hard to craft a well developed, refined, original and interesting story for exactly 4 years come this January 1st, and yet there's just a bunch of low tier pornfics that take no effort at all and get like 50x the viewership and likes and comments and everything!

There's one story that popped up 10 months ago "A Cloaked Heart" that has been chugging out enough chapters that it Is like 60k words away from surpassing you that, granted I haven't read a single chapter, seems to be about some overpowered Gary stu harem typical iseki character with overpowered godly powers and it feature stuff like netflix and reddit or some other meta stuff that is somehow fucking gaining well over 15x the viewership and likes and comments and is practically featured like once a week!

I don't mean any disrespect to the author of cloaked heart, they somehow came on top and well, the people like what the people like, but goddamn is it frustrating to see you go through all this effort to hand craft an amazing and interesting world, assumingly by yourself, for the past 4 years, and yet YOU ONLY HAVE 54 PEOPLE TRACKING YOUR STORY!? LESS THAN 1000 VIEWS FOR YOUR FIRST CHAPTER!? ONLY 51 UPVOTES!?!? WTF!!! THIS IS A FUCKING OUTRAGE!

[Piccolo Sky]

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Thanks for the compliments. :)

Well...I have let it lapse quite a bit. I've been bogged down editing a friend's book and as soon as I was done with that I was back in school, but who knows? Maybe it'll eventually hit it big.