Curving Bullets: A Dash of Fate

by Book_Wyrm

The Imperial Court

Chapter 3

Rainbow Dash lay in the armored wagon, nursing a headache. As her adrenaline had faded, the after-effect of the bullet curving hit her. While she had been panicking and running, the shock had to hit. Now, safe and being delivered to the Crystal Palace, her body was hitting her head on with a yak. At least, that’s how she felt.

The Crystal Palace loomed ahead of them as the armored cart rolled up the street. Rainbow Dash watched it approach. The towering crystal structure glinted in the sunlight. The various balconies and facades showed, all made of pure blue crystal. An envy of rulers everywhere and a wonder of the world. Some said that not even the Royal Palace of Canterlot could compare.

Dash took in the entire scene, not even blinking at the beauty. All she cared about was what lurked underneath. The beauty of the Crystal Empire hid the horrors underneath. A workforce of thousands, all of them slaves, supported the luxurious homes seen in the capitol. The experiments said to go on in the basements of the wonder before her would have made brave stallions want to throw up. Terror and corruption were rooted in every corner of the beautiful city. And all of it stemmed from one pony.

These thoughts allowed Dash to escape from her headache, but not for long. As the wagon pulled up to the palace, she forced herself to stand. Two maids were standing in front of the doors.

“What is this, Diamond Blade?” one of the maids asked. “Why are you here?”

The commander bowed slightly. “Mistress Silver Polish. We were responding to a new attack by the Amore Society. These two noblemares, on their way to the palace, were caught up in the situation. Since we were coming here to give His Majesty a report, I decided to escort the young ladies.”

Silver Polish ushered Dash and Twilight out of the cart and onto the steps. “Oh, you poor dears,” she said. “You must be so very shook up.” She turned behind her. “Feather, get over here!’

A young maid rushed over. “Yes Mistress Polish.”

“Take care of these two mares.” Silver Polish commanded. She looked at the two mares beside her. “Ladies Quartz Blossom and Prism Shine, I presume. You were expected to arrive today.” She turned back to the maid. “They just had quite a fright. Bring them to their rooms and arrange baths to be drawn up for them.”

The maid bowed. “Lady Blossom. Lady Shine. Right this way please.” She indicated the doors. Dash and Twilight followed her up the steps, leaving Mistress Silver Polish to discuss with the guards. They walked through the hallways of the palace.

The inside of the Crystal Palace was as beautiful as its exterior. The carpets were made of shimmering purple silk. Plants growing in crystal vases stood at intervals along the hallways. Floor to ceiling windows allowed the sun to illuminate the crystal structure. Everything glistened. The ornate tapestries were well kept, and there was not a speck of dust to be seen. The extravagance of it all disgusted Dash, but she looked about, pretending to be in awe.

As they walked, Twilight moved to walk beside the maid. “Ms. Feather, I heard that guard mention something called the Amore Society. Would you mind explaining to me who or what that is?”

“The Amore Society is a bunch of terrorists, demanding change.” The mare replied, keeping her head facing forwards. “But you ladies should not trouble yourselves about such things. You’ve had quite a shock and you should worry about getting cleaned up and getting ready to meet the court.” With this, she lead them to a carved door, along a long hallway. “This is your rooms. We decided to put you in a set of rooms connected by a parlor and living area.”

The maid opened the door. The room on the other side was a spacious living area with a fireplace, some fine sofas, and a dining table with four chairs. There was a piano in the corner. On either side of the room were two doors, presumably leading to bedrooms. The massive windows allowed a beautiful view of the shining city of Crystallia.

The maid pointed them to the bathroom before bowing and taking her leave. Dash opened the door and gaped. A pool of steaming hot water awaited them. She stepped inside. Then Twilight Sparkle entered. The unicorn lit her horn, working a spell. When she had finished she looked back at Dash.

“There’s a listening spell in the corner. I did a little piece of magic though. Now all it will hear is idle chatter. I decided that a room like this was best to do some more discussion, now that we’ve arrived.” Twilight slipped out of her gown and climbed into the pool. “Of course, there’s no reason not to soak while we talk.”

Dash undid her own bloodstained gown before entering the hit water. The water around her took a faint red tint as the blood on her coat washed away. She sighed, before looking back at Twilight. “This mission keeps getting harder and harder. First, we have to complete this impossible challenge. Now, there’s a bunch of terrorists involved. Whatever happens, I can guarantee this ‘Amore Society’ gets in our way.”

“I agree. However, first we must focus on our target. During our ride here, I did some additional research through the files on Sombra’s magical ability and such.” Twilight took on a look of concentration as she brought up information. “He is an umbrum, a creature of darkness from the Northern Wastes. It gives him many powers, and is the reason for his strange appearance. His unique form crystal magic stems from his heritage.”

Dash nodded along. Much of what Twilight was saying was known to her. She had read the file before the mission had begun. “And is there anything else?”

Twilight looked at her. “Yes actually,” she said. “Not only is Sombra a master at dark magic, allowing him to access many dangerous battle spells, but he has another talent. In fact, one of our prime initiatives is to remove his Phylactery, leaving him vulnerable.”

“His Filacte...what?” Dash asked. “What exactly do you mean by that. I’m not exactly some kind of magic theoretician” She pointed to herself. “I go in there, I blow something up. Subtly. But I have no idea what you mean when you start talking magic babble.”

“A Phylactery is the object a lich uses to capture their soul so that they can continuously return from the dead,” Twilight explained. “In other words, Sombra is an undead necromancer.”

“A necromancer?” Dash stared at the unicorn across from her. “He’s a necromancer? Why didn’t I know this already?”

“It seems to be highly classified information that we were only given because it is highly relevant to the mission,” Twilight said. “I don’t think the heads of the Lunar Division want it to be common knowledge. It's dangerous information. If everypony knew that her was a necromancer, do you think that some would not come to him, hoping to learn his dark arts?”

Dash looked at her incredulously. “Why would anypony want to do that?”

Twilight sighed. “There are always those who will embrace the darkest arts of magic. Power and fear are two of the greatest motivators out there, and they are the most common reasons why one becomes a practitioner of the darker magics.”

“I guess you would know.” Dash settled back in the pool, relaxing. She allowed herself to reflect. Sombra being a necromancer was believable. It was still nuts. She was beginning to truly understand why the heads of the EIRA had sent Twilight in with her. Dash might not be used to working with any kind of team, but she was starting to really be glad of it.

After a few more minutes soaking, Twilight stood up. As the mare moved to get out of the pool, Dash saw something attached to her hind leg. She focused on it. A band of purple fabric matching the mare’s fur color was tied around her leg. Stuck in it was a fairly small curved knife with a black hilt. The hilt was embossed with a small white crescent moon.

“What, you admiring the view?” Twilight joked, noticing Dash’s stare. Then she looked down. “Oh that. That’s standard Lunar gear.” She floated the knife out of the strap. “We aren’t as subtle as you are, usually. I mean, it's a lot of sneaking around and being smart to out think dark mages, and sometimes espionage is necessary, but it's not the same as what you Solars do. Anyway, I’m keeping that in there. Such things are useful, especially under a dress.” The unicorn stuck the knife back into the band.

“You know, it probably wasn’t best to say that standing in front of an open window,” Dash pointed out.

“I cast an illusion spell, so that anything that we say is masked by conversation that matches what the listening spell is picking up,” Twilight answered.

“Wow, you are good at magic,” Dash said. “I never realized these spells existed.”

“They don’t, outside the Lunar agency,” Twilight replied. “You’re one of the few who will ever know such spells are around. There’s a reason we Lunars are scanned so much when we are recruited. There’s a lot of magic you learn in training that you’ll not find elsewhere.”

Dash, rising out of the water, took that as a hint not to ask more. She was impressed she’d been allowed to know as much as she’d learned, and she wasn’t going to look for more. Much of what the Lunar agency actually did besides fighting monsters and dark magic was fairly unknown, as was its commander’s identity.

After leaving the bathroom, the two mares began to prepare themselves for a formal court introduction. They dressed themselves, Dash slipping a gun into her dress while Twilight zipped it up. After their clothing was on, however, they called in maids to help do their manes and tails into elaborate styles. As the maids chatted idly about all kinds of things, Dash ran through the proper court procedures with Twilight. A court introduction was an extremely formal event, and they both needed to perform their parts perfectly. The maids seemed used to such behavior. It was likely that many young noblemares did such run throughs before their introduction.

“There,” one of the maids said, stepping back to survey the work. “Now you’re ready to be presented to the court.”

The maid led the two mares out of the room. They wandered down more hallways, Dash memorizing every turn and staircase as she went. The pegasus also made a note of any interesting doors or hallways, to check out later. If caught, she could always claim she was lost.

Before long, they were approaching the throne room. The blue crystal doors were massive, shimmering and elegantly carved. A herald stood outside the door, along with two guards. The maid nodded to the herald and bowed politely to the mares before leaving.

The herald opened the doors. The room within was impressive as the entryway, and crowded with ponies dressed in glistening fabrics. Maids circulated around the rooms with drinks. An open path lay from the doors to the steps of the throne. Nopony even noticed the door opening as they talked.

Drawing up a cornet, the herald blew a loud fanfare. Conversation stopped and ever eye turned towards the door. Dash stood in the doorway, nervous. Even after so many missions, she was still scared that she was going to botch something. Her talents had always lain in action rather than politics.

“Welcoming to court the Lady Quartz Blossom and the Lady Prism.” The Herald announced, his voice filling the room. The crystal stallion gestured to the two mares. They entered slowly, walking the carpet stretching to the throne. About five steps away, they halted. Both bowed deeply.

“I am honored to welcome you to the Imperial Court, my ladies,” King Sombra said. His voice was fairly deep, but mellow. Dash was slightly surprised at how not sinister it was. She still felt a little odd though. Something about the king’s presence just felt wrong, unnatural and disturbing. She had never been so close to him before, and now that she was, she wanted just to get away.

“It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty,” Twilight replied, “My cousin and I thank you for your hospitality.”

“Any such ladies are welcome in my court always,” Sombra said, giving a fairly tradition response to the formalities. “You may rise, Lady Blossom, Lady Prism. I wish you well on any endeavors you make during your stay at the court.”

As she rose, Dash suppressed a grin. I really don’t think you mean that, Sombra, or at least you’ll wish you hadn’t. She looked up, getting her first up close sight of the King of Monsters. Sombra was a gray unicorn with a midnight black mane. His horn was curved and red, contrasting with his fur. His green eyes smoked purple fire. He wore an iron crown and a fine red cloak with trimming made with, of all things, what looked to be real animal fur. It made Dash want to shudder.

After taking their leave of the king, Dash and Twilight split up, mingling with the crowd. Many ponies came up to officially welcome them to court. Dash wandered off into the right side of the room, taking the offered welcomes and replying as best she could in a courtly fashion.

Dash stepped out of the crowd, popping into an alcove formed by a massive window. She took a gulp of air. A mare of open spaces, she hated the oppressing feel of a mass of ponies. Instead, she looked out the window. Pink and purple and green were everywhere. Tiny figures of ponies rushed here and there, going about their business. She could see the square where the terrorist attack had occurred, made obvious by the military vehicles parked there.
“Enjoying the city sights?” A male voice asked. Dash turned, facing the speaker. It was a pegasus stallion, about her age. He had light blue fur and a dark blue mane. His suit laid bare his cutie mark of a storm cloud and lightning bolt.

“I guess,” Dash replied. “I’m Prism.”

“I know,” he grinned at her. “I’m Lord Soarin’ Skies, but just call me Soarin. Everypony else here does. Except my father” He leaned on the wall. “Welcome to the Imperial Court, Lady Prism. By the way, why are you hanging out in the corner instead of throwing yourself in the middle of the fray, like your cousin over there.” Indeed, Twilight was already chatting with a group of mares.

“I suppose I’m just not used to the court yet.” Dash said, “It’s nothing like home.” It wasn’t even a lie, strictly speaking. The Imperial Court was nothing like Cloudsdale. If Cloudsdale could even be considered her home. She hadn’t been back in three years. Mostly, she stayed in the Canterlot Palace when she wasn’t out on a mission.

“No, it really isn’t.” Soarin commented. He was staring out the window. “It’s not at all like things were at home.”

Both stood, looking out the window. There they stayed for a few minutes, silent, before Twilight came over.

“Prism,” she called out, trotting to the window while floating two glasses of champagne. “Are you just going to stand there all day cousin, or are you going to come and join me?”

Dash looked to Soarin. “I think that's my cue.”

“See you around,” he said. “And trust me, we’ll be seeing each other around quite often. It's a small palace, after all.”

Twilight and Dash walked away, the unicorn giving the rainbow maned pegasus a glass. They wandered off into the crowd a little. “I see you’ve already made a friend,” Twilight said as they pushed their way through. “Not a bad looker, either.” The lavender unicorn elbowed her partner. Dash elbowed her back, a smile on her face.

“Lady Quartz Blossom, Lady Prism, it’s wonderful to meet you.” Rainbow Dash looked for the speaker. The words came from a white unicorn with a beautifully styled purple mane and well applied blue eye-shadow. She moved over to approach them, stopping in front of the two mares and grabbing a glass of champagne off a passing by tray. “It's a pleasure to see you here in the court, dears,” The unicorn said. “My name is Countess Rarity Belle, and I’d like to formally welcome you into this wonderful palace.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Countess Belle,” Twilight said. She bowed to the mare, and they shook hooves. “And my cousin is…” she looked around. Dash had managed to slip off again. “Excuse me, Countess, but I must go and find my cousin, Lady Prism.”

“Of course,” The Countess replied. “It was nice to make your acquaintance.” She turned away, allowing Twilight to slip between two ponies. Dash had returned to the window. When she arrived, Soarin had already moved away. She sighed, looking out the window. Why do I get the feeling life is about to get a lot more complicated.

Author's Note:

Here we go. Its been a while, but I finally got the work done to finish this chapter. And its the longest chapter I think I may have ever written.

Comments

[Grekoy]

Yay!

[Ratmandango]

this is pretty good, my man

[Diokno44]

Keep up the great work

[overthemaginot]

This is great! Keep up the good work.