True Harmony

by Saturni_Rose

Part 8: Right under your nose.

Luna stirred. Looking up, she saw Ruby prodding her in the dull predawn. She turned over, starting to say something, but paused, realizing she still had on the plain white dress she’d worn last night. It was wrinkled here and there from a still night of lying across her back in it.

“Sorry to wake you.” Ruby’s tangerine eyes were sullen, seemingly still exhausted. “The library is supposed to open soon. I didn’t want you to sleep through it.”

Heaving over the side, Luna slipped out of the dress and left it on the messed up pink sheets. Lingering in the doorway to the bathroom, she beckoned. “Come, then. Let’s get ready to meet the day.”

Side by side, they stood in the mirror, taking turns splashing their faces with cool, refreshing water. Both were quiet, dragging their brushes across their manes. Wandering eyes glossed across the mirror’s surface, catching the other’s reflection. They couldn’t help but notice it, given their height disparity meant a greater distance for their wandering gazes to find the other. Still, they said nothing.

Decently groomed enough for the day, out they went, across the floorboards for the door down to the books and the outside world besides. Luna reached for the latch, but lingered. Her hoof sank back to the floor. “Ruby?”

She looked to Luna, quiet for a moment, trying to ponder what might come next. “What’s up?”

“I notice you left the armor behind.” said Luna, nodding over to where they’d been keeping their things in the corner.

Ruby followed her gaze. She considered that helmet, its shiny, polished steel. Shaking her head, frizzy curls of pale blond swayed like summer stalks of wheat. “I don’t want to wear that stuff. Not ever again.”

“And that is quite alright.” Turning, she placed a firm hoof onto Ruby’s shoulder. “Listen, I know I’ve made your staying here seem like this big imposition. And I certainly don’t know what your plans going forward are…”

Watching Luna fumble for words made Ruby a little nervous. Especially after learning what she had about her last night. “But?”

“If you, I don’t know,” she said, rolling her hoof in a cycle, “needed someplace to stay for a little while? You know, while you work at getting your hooves firmly back under you. Well. You know where to find me.”

Ruby’s mouth formed words that wouldn’t come. She tried to smile but couldn’t keep it. Her eyes felt moist, so she blinked them shut. She leaned in and clamped her hooves around Luna’s larger frame as best she could manage. “Thanks. That really means a lot to me.”

Luna pat her on the back before pulling her away to level with her. “Don’t thank me just yet. I certainly don’t want to overpromise; the building technically isn’t mine, you see. I’d have to check with the mayor.”

Ruby shook her head and laughed a sweet little laugh. “Still, though.”

“B-but if she can’t do me this favor, I might have a friend who can.”

“Luna, it’s fine.” laughed Ruby, playfully nudging her ribs. “The sentiment still means a lot. And hey, I’ll make sure I let you know ahead of time, instead of showing up the day of, huh?”

“Heheh. I’d certainly appreciate that.” She turned back for the latch and led her on to greet the day that awaited them. Below, they discovered the library absent one Marble Glade. Luna found her bedroll dutifully and tightly rolled to the side behind her main desk.

“Seems like mom locked the door behind her. Wherever she went.” Ruby scuffed the floorboards, peering around to be doubly sure she wasn’t hiding someplace else.

Luna tapped the side of her head, seemingly embarrassed. “Oh, right, she still has my keys. Hrm.”

Ruby ambled around to the side of the main desk. There sat a cart. Grabbing the printed chart from it, she looked it over and said: “Well… why don’t I help put some books away while you get ready to open?”

“Ruby, you needn’t do that.” assured Luna as she reached for the return bin.

“It’ll help take my mind off things.” Ruby wheeled the cart around, adamant about having the distraction. Once Luna loaded it down for her, she went on her way through the shelves.

That sorted, Luna got the lights and found she had nothing left to do to prepare the library to open in half an hour. So she found the latest in the line of books her little club had decided upon. The tale of a sad stallion having finally made it in life, only to find his lost love in the hooves of another. Rarity regarded it as a heart-wrenching classic. Luna, however, found she hadn’t a taste for stories fraught with fictitious, forlorn lovers lately. Nevertheless, she forged on, terribly behind if she was ever to finish in time for the week’s end.

Thirty minutes before opening the doors swiftly became five. Ruby’s attempt at busying herself didn’t last as long as she had hoped. She ended up taking the last book from the cart, rather than placing it in its correct space. But she and Luna both lifted their faces from the pages that had kept their attention when the front door audibly unlocked.

In stepped Marble Glade. She looked at her daughter, but moved her gaze over to Luna in a quick second. She cleared her throat as she ambled her heavy frame over to the desk, onto which she placed Luna’s ring of keys, and then a trio of paper cups. “Your keys, Luna. Sorry I borrowed them for longer than either of us intended.”

Closing her book, Luna took them, saying: “It’s quite alright, ser Marble. I knew I could trust you with them.”

“I… also went and got coffee for the three of us.” She slid one cup towards Luna, pondering it as if it might jump to life and undo her intentions by spitting toxins or some such. “I wasn’t aware of how you take yours, but one Marlo insisted you’d taken a liking to it this way. She sends her awfully familiar regards, by the way.”

“Oh, Marley is just an absolute sweetheart once you get to know her.” chimed Luna, graciously accepting her cup.

“That is certainly one way of putting it.” whickered Marble. “I had never even heard of this particular brew. Roasted with fruit pulp?”

“The honey-like tones remind me somewhat of breakfast teas.” offered Luna with a shrug. “Still, thank you.”

Marble took one of the other cups, and ice shook around inside. She craned her head about to where Ruby halfway kept paying attention to the words on the page. Holding the drink aloft, she called over to her: “Ruby? I got your favorite.”

Ruby closed the book and finally placed it into its proper place, making a note to come back for it. She was skeptical that her mom remembered her favorite, so approached sluggishly at best. “Oh. Thanks, mom.”

A knowing look crossed Marble’s face when her daughter was obviously pleasantly surprised she knew her favorite kind of iced coffee, but quickly tried to hide it. And when greater surprise shot up at her smile, she only smiled wider, despite strangely feeling very aware of her age. She looked back at Luna for a moment. “I had a little chat with our lady—er, rather, I spoke with Luna last night. It made me… think on a few things.”

After another thoughtful sip, Ruby looked from one to the other. She swirled her drink around, and the cold ice rattled pensively. “Oh yeah?”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to take a walk. So we can talk, just you and I.” Marble felt at her chest, trying to stem the ache of regret built up over the years which finally bubbled up. But, as always, she swallowed it all back down to keep a stoic face.

Tangerine eyes sunk into their pinkish red bowls as Ruby considered the cold drink in her hooves. She mulled it over, carefully, holding the moment in the swirling sweet ichor within. “Mm, okay, I guess.”

Marble breathed the sigh of a mare both exhausted and relieved. She took her own cup and followed her daughter toward the door. Lingering in the frame ringed by the dull first light of morn, she called back to Luna, saying: “We’ll return in a little while. Thank you, Luna. For putting up with us.”

Luna waved them on with a smile as Marble switched the sign around to “Open” for her on her way out. It was right about that time, after all. Not long after they’d gone, a young colt came in to ask about reference material for the next paper he had to write. She led him to the sections that would contain the most relevant information. And so another normal day began for Luna. It was exactly what she wanted.

---

The door violently swung inward, clattering against the rubber stopper on the far wall, well beyond the usual bend of its poor hinges. A figure blurred over the shelves, sending paperbacks and hardbacks alike to the floor with presiding thuds along the way. When Rainbow set heavily upon her hooves before Luna, she was awkwardly navigating a conversation with a young mare asking about the medicinal books and expecting a foal. “Luna, I need to talk to you!” she blurted. Turning to the mare she halfway recognized, she added “Oh, hey, you, congratulations, by the way.”

Mildly embarrassed, she put the book back onto the shelf where Luna had shown her, scurrying away with: “Uh, thanks for your help, I’ll just pick that up for my sister later on, see you.”

Luna started to call out to her, but she was moving pretty quick. Turning, apprehensive of what was to come, she asked: “What’s the matter, Rainbow?”

“Did you see Pinkie Pie last night after the concert?” she asked, somewhat frantic, pointing her hoof.

“Oh, dear. That.” Luna said, anxiously. She winced, grabbing at her haunch. “I hate to have hurt her feelings like that. I just wasn’t ready to be that close again.”

Rainbow squinted, losing some of her urgency. She shook herself out of it and placed a hoof onto Luna’s free shoulder. “Look, I don’t know what went down between you two, and I don’t need to. I went to check on her this morning, and the Cakes say she never came home last night.”

“Oh no.” Luna’s posture sank in on itself, her frame seemingly no longer strong enough for her own height. Her hoof rubbed at the tensing muscles along the bridge of her nose. “She… walked me home last night, but left in an embarrassed state when I didn’t reciprocate her affections.”

A grimace spread across Dash’s face. “I think I know what you mean, but run it by me in new Ponish just to be sure.”

“She tried to kiss me, Rainbow.” huffed Luna. “Ugh. I should have been clearer about where our boundaries still are last night.”

“And she didn’t say anything at all about where she might be going after that?” Rainbow tried to give her space, but her concern showed through her tapping hoof, impatient for the moment she knew her friend was okay.

“No,” she told her solemnly, “I assumed she was heading home.” She shook her head warily, hoof to her cheek. “More the fool I. I should have gone after her to talk about it like I thought to, I was just so tired from…”

“Hey.” snapped Rainbow, grabbing hold of her. “This isn’t your fault, okay? Like, maybe she went somewhere to be alone and just sulk it out for a little while. Practically what she’s already been doing since the gala.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” assented Luna. She pondered a moment, only to draw a blank. “But then, where do you suppose she would have gone? Where’s more quiet and private than her own room?”

“Aw, I don’t know.” admitted Rainbow, feeling more defeated by the moment.

“Have you tried checking with the other girls? Maybe we should start with them.” Luna tapped at her chin, longing for an easy answer.

“Right, right, good idea.” Rainbow stood and stretched her wings and rolled her shoulders. She’d need to be limber for the day she was about to have. “I’ve got cloud kicking today, so I’ll be flying all over Ponyville. I can easily do both in an hour, no prob.”

Luna took hold of her shoulder. “Rainbow. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Hey, I got this, no sweat. Wherever she is, I’ll find her.” She flashed Luna a confident grin. “Why don’t you stay here though, see if she comes around. Who knows?”

“Okay. Thank you, Rainbow.” Luna felt at her chest. Something dark and sharp seemed to clutch round her heart, threatening to squeeze all the tighter. The hairs along the back of her neck stood on end. Something wasn’t right.

Rainbow put her hoof up to Luna’s sinking chin and lifted. “Hey, chin up. I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll go get her.”

Before Luna could elaborate on her growing trepidations, Dash made good on her namesake and was out the door both with a wink and in a wink. Bereft, Luna ambled about her books, trying to take her mind off it. When Marble and Ruby returned, she told them. The conversation was a blur, the all too steady beating of Luna’s heart overriding the words. Marble offered to look about town so she could look after her library.

Her library, and Ruby.

Looking at her as though she’d just entered the conversation, Luna asked: “And Ruby?”

“I’m asking a lot of you. But you’re a better caster than I’ll ever be.” She knelt before Luna, clasping her hoof between hers. “I know I’m being paranoid. But it is still out there. I just got my daughter back, Luna. And you can keep her so much safer than I can.”

“Mom.” whined Ruby, trying in vain to hoist her back onto her hooves. “C’mon, don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic?”

Rising, her daughter stumbled back a few steps, but managed to keep her balance. She smiled, proud that some of the things she taught would still be practical. She brushed away some of that sweet hair that still reminded her of Ruby’s father, and kissed her on the forehead. “No.” she said softly, but stoically. “I fully intend to account for every unknown. And if this thing is any remnant of Nightmare Moon, then it’s entirely possible this is some cunning ploy to draw defenses away from Luna.”

Luna shifted uncomfortably when Ruby looked up at her. Nodding with great shame and reluctance, she admitted: “Well, that is what I would do. Divide and conquer.”

“So I can count on you? Should worse come to worse?”

How someone of her frame, heavy with muscle and might, could ever seem so frail and vulnerable, Luna could hardly grasp. But then, she knew well what it was like to hold a head high and still be brought so low. So she nodded her assent. “Ruby is my friend. Of course I won’t let anything harm a hair on her head.”

Marble was gone. Luna and Ruby tried to busy themselves with little tasks around the library. When there were no books to place, Luna got out a duster, some rags, and a bottle of cleaner. When there was nothing to clean, they read. But the words passed slowly, slower still than the minutes that felt like hours and the hours that felt like days. Every pony coming in for a book or two was a blur, their features forgotten as soon as they were gone. The sun would begin to set soon, and still no word. Luna couldn’t even remember if they ate anything for lunch. But her stomach ached in different ways.

---

With the setting sun racing for the horizon, Marble considered turning back. But a thought occurred to her, to at least let proper authority know of the lost pony before nightfall. There was always the risk the town guard might come across the nightmare entity in her stead. But had they not signed up to protect their home from the chance of monsters?

Past the square, around the way, she found the town hall building. Here, she’d be able to alert the authorities. But on the outside of the premises, something gave her pause. A pale blue pegasus, even paler in the face, halfheartedly climbed the steps, panting like a dog in the hot sun. She moved up to her side. “Are you alright, miss?”

“I’m good, I’m good.” huffed Rainbow, the hair of her namesake equal parts matted and frizzy from the day she’d had. “I’ve just been flying all over town today, so I’m a little, whew, tired.”

Marble considered the ache in her old hooves. A similar trek on ground had not been much kinder to her. “Whatever your reasons, miss, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. Here, I’ll help you up the steps, if you’d like.”

“Heh,” said Dash with a grin, brushing a colorful mess of hair back off her brow, “you sound just like my friend, Luna.”

“Ah, you must be Rainbow Dash.” She had fit the description she’d gotten, but Marble always liked to be certain before engaging. “I’m a… an acquaintance of Luna’s.”

“Small world.” mused Rainbow continuing up the steps. “Don’t suppose you were also searching town so she could look after the library?”

Marble could tell that was meant as a joke. But it stopped being funny when she nodded. She got the front door for Rainbow, saying: “Let’s fill out a missing pony report and then get you home. You looked like you could use the rest.”

Rainbow’s wings fidgeted. Her mouth tightened. “M-maybe just one quick loop around town. There’s gotta be something I missed.”

From what Marble had learned about this one, she should have been able to escape before she could react. That she was able to take hold of her before takeoff was as clear and indication of her exhaustion as anything. “Whoa, now. You won’t help your friend by rushing around until you collapse.”

Squirming in Marble’s hold, Rainbow said: “But filing this report feels like giving up. I can do it myself, I can find her, she’s my friend.”

“Then don’t think of it as giving up.” said Marble, holding her firmly in place. She was a quick one, but Marble was stronger. “Think of it as casting a wider net. You’re only one pony, after all, and there’s strength in numbers, Rainbow. Numbers your friends can provide you.”

She settled down, wondering if she might have struggled on longer had she not been so tired as is. Rainbow wasn’t sure. Instead, she put on a weak smile, saying: “Wow, you really have spent some time around Luna, huh?”

Setting Rainbow down, Marble beckoned her through the door as she opened it once more. “Hers is a sort of wisdom that comes from a mystically long life and plenty of mistakes to learn from.” She followed in after her, adding: “It’s both infuriating and humbling.”

“I know that’s right!” For the first time all day, Rainbow burst into a laugh. With a hoot, she wiped a single tear from the corner of her eye. “Hoo, I needed that. Hey, you’re pretty alright, lady.”

For a moment, she considered puffing up her chest and giving her the full title she enjoyed, of knight captain ser Glade of the royal guard. Instead, she quietly pointed at her chest and said: “Marble.”

They made their way across the foyer to a round desk where sat a blond filly filing at her hoof. The tag upon the desk merely read Belle. She tucked the file away, making sure not to mix it in with any real files that mattered and welcomed them with a smile. “Hi there, ladies. What can I do for you two?”

“I’m afraid we need to fill out a missing pony report.” announced Marble solemnly.

“Oh dear.” she drawled, piebald patterned hoof raising to her mouth. She wheeled her chair to her farthest drawer, quickly retrieving a paper. Sliding back to them, she plucked her pen from its stand. “We don’t have to handle these too often, thank goodness, though it may take me a second to go over it with you.”

Rainbow craned her head to look over the prompts with the secretary. Description, last sighting, next of kin, it was all pretty straightforward. “Okay, I got it. What… what do we do after we fill this out?”

“I’ll get it to the head of our town guard, and personnel will be sent out in search parties. Hopefully these details will provide a good starting point, though.”

“Right, right. Well uh, her name is Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow shuddered. Why was this suddenly becoming harder to say? “Sh-she’s my best pal, and she’s, like, a pastel pink, with magenta hair.” She waited a moment as the pen scratched away, but she nodded for her to keep going. “Her hair is normally really curly, it’s honestly kind of a mess, heh. Oh, but lately, she’s been wearing it straight.”

“Say, does this filly have sky blue eyes?” asked the piebald, tapping her chin. She got a confused nod back, and nearly just as dumbfounded, said: “You would not believe this, but I bumped into her a couple times at a concert last night. Was she still wearing that white jacket last you saw her?”

Marble nudged Rainbow. “Small world, eh?”

“Yeah, and my friend, Luna, she saw her last. She said she was still wearing it when they parted ways.” Rainbow followed along the swoops and swerves as the pen went on, black ink spreading on white paper.

“Okay, good to know. And do you have a rough idea of what time frame on this last instance where somepony saw her?” Belle’s pen hovered, awaiting the next bout of information.

“Uh, lemme see, it had to be after the concert, so like, between ten and eleven? I know she was at the library.” Rainbow sighed, wishing she could narrow that down.

“Luna came in at approximately 10:47 last night, so she had to have spoken with Pinkie about a minute prior.” added Marble, not realizing she’d answered Rainbow’s wish. The confused look she got, however, wondered at how she knew that.

“And lastly, are there any next of kin that need to be kept informed of this?” asked Belle as she finished marking the last details.

Rainbow’s view swiveled back around. Her curiosity about this Marble lady would have to wait. “Well, none of her family, uh, actually live here in Ponyville, see. But she’s been staying with the Cake family in their loft. They’re definitely pretty worried about her. Oh and, her friends. Me, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy… and Luna.”

The jotting ceased, and Belle gently set the paper aside. “Thank you for all the info. I know this hasn’t been easy, but the city will do everything in its power to find her.”

“Yeah.” quietly mewled Rainbow, feeling at her shoulder. She felt so deflated, hardly able to stand on her own. Though, perhaps that was from dashing across the skies above every corner and quarter of the town to the other and then back again for good measure.

Marble pat her gently across the back, mindful of her wings when they fidgeted in response. “Why don’t I escort you home so you can rest, Rainbow.”

Dash sluggishly followed her along to leave through the way they’d come in. She bowed her head in thanks when she opened the door for her. “Hey, I really appreciate it, miss Marble. And uh, it’s been nice meeting you.”

“Would that it was under better circumstance.” said Marble. She followed her out the door.

Belle watched them leave and sighed. She’d heard of this Pinkie gal before, even prior to the incident in the summer. Apparently, she was pretty well liked here in Ponyville. Not that she truly knew the extent of this, having only moved here last winter. But for all else she could say, it had definitely been an interesting year.

Taking up the paper, she hurried along. Mayor Mare would doubtless want to know about this. This throng of six friends were of great interest to her, given their involvement in that aforementioned Summer Sun fiasco. And this was quite the strange new development. She walked a little faster, thinking: I’d better catch her before she heads home for the evening

Belle stopped short. The mayor’s office door was closed. But she couldn’t have left already, not without at least telling her. With great trepidation, she approached. Through the door, she could just make out hushed voices. She raised her hoof and knocked, unsure why she suddenly felt a cold sweat coming on. “Mayor Mare?”

A pause hung over the air like the first chill of winter, quiet and cold. Someone inside cleared their throat, and Mare’s voice came through: “A-ah, miss Belle. Could you come back a little later? I’m… in a meeting.”

That didn’t seem right. Belle hesitated though. Was the mayor nervous? “But you didn’t have any meetings planned this late.”

“Ah, right, well, an old friend dropped by, so, you know. Don’t mind us, we’ll be done in a bit and I’ll just be heading home.” Mayor Mare’s voice sounded very slightly strained, as though something tightened around her chest.

Something was amiss. Belle reached out for the latch and quickly pushed in. She saw the mayor in her desk chair as per usual, but she was sweating entire beads, looking at whoever sat across from her. But as she came in, Mare lost eye contact with them, frantically shaking her head for her not to come in.

It was too late. The door hung halfway open. Belle could just see a portion of a figure sitting in the chair across from Mare, her back turned to Belle. Fake leather of pale white crinkled thoughtfully at her undue arrival on the scene. No cue had prompted her, and she wasn’t even standing on the correct mark. This wouldn’t do at all.

Ah, but what’s a little improv?

“Come in, won’t you? Join us.”

She was still obscured by the door. But then Belle realized it was creaking open further. She wasn’t aware of how until she looked down to see her own hoof pushing inward. She hadn’t decided to do this, yet her body felt compelled all the same, like tiny wires tugged ever so gently at her. In she stepped, closing the door behind her, breath quickening as she did so.

Loose locks of magenta draped over the back side of the chair. The jacket crinkled noisily again as she reached up and flipped some of it back over her shoulder. Fading light of golden pale peaked through the office blinds. And when she turned her head to see what she was working with, it glinted off a gilded face. But it was a fake face, with a fake smile, sitting comfortably over a real one, teeth glinting white and sharp, glistening not with intent, but the will to lash out and bite down hard. All she’d need is the right push.

“Do you have a name, miss?” She gestured her on and she moved as directed, enunciating with gusto and feeling. Oh yes. She had the looks of a potential leading lady.

“Rena Belle,” she said, “but my friends just call me Belle.” There was something so commanding when she spoke. Belle felt the shiver run down her spine when she turned to face her. Those eyes were cold as ice, piercing a veil of shadow which seemed to rest just under the smiling mask that taunted her so. Under the left eye sat a sparkling blue stone in the shape of a tear.

“Pff, there’s a name that rings a bell, eh?” she said in a blithe, mocking tone. She reached out to take her chin and get a nice look at the features of her face. “Well, Belle. I was just having a little chat with the mayor here about our plans for Nightmare Night. Perhaps you’d be interested in helping out.”

Belle smiled very nervously. Something told her she couldn’t really say no.

Author's Note:

Hit some real "I do not control the hyperfocus" hours working on the last few updates.

Also here's a branchwraith conversion I'm working on.

Comments

[Kydus]

Glad to see this story back in action. Hope you're doing well.

[DavisSentoV5]

I don't trust that pony that was talking to the mayor at all

[Savant Sentral]

10753974
its pinkie