Caverns & Cutie Marks: Our House Now

by TheColtTrio

Chapter 29: Meanwhile… Coal Beard wants his segment back

Moon Dancer stared at the blank piece of paper in front of her; a hundred things she felt should be the first thing said in the letter, leaving her with no idea of where to begin. She took her third deep breath to try and calm herself down, thought about what Twilight would say as advice, and decided she didn’t really want to do an entire sorted list of importance based on various types of importance.

She was about to start trying to sort things in her head again, but then she thought about what Princess Twilight might say, which was something sappy but meaningful. With that, she finally knew where to begin her letter. “Hi Twilight. In some good news, I think I’m finally getting used to the cold. That's not to say I’m enjoying it, but it’s not been bothering me as much lately, and I don’t delay going out into the freezing cold like I used to. Now it’s just more of a sigh, and tugging my scarf and other gear a little tighter.

“I also have more good news. I have the results from those scanning spells you asked me to cast. You’ll also notice that there’s two sets of results from them. That's because it happened again. Light Patch’s actions, and even his personality, have... shifted again. Not quite as dramatic as the one you noted, but he seems to be more driven than he was, and he’s being much more coy with me about his goals.”

She paused to refill her quill’s ink, and looked at the notes she had on spells and theories that Light Patch had been focusing on of late. “I’m not sure what he’s focused on now, but he’s throwing himself at it with a strong passion. I’m still trying to figure out what his goal is... He’s been keeping important bits of his work, so I can’t figure it out. But whatever it is, I believe it still has to do with other universes. Maybe a lot of them.

“He also seems to be seeding tension between the two groups of ‘mercenaries’ we had to start paying off—and no, he still won’t tell me where that money is coming from. I think he’s trying to get them to fight each other before they try to take the artifact for themselves. Though, he’s doing it with a passion that suggests he had a grudge against them. Is... ” Moon Dancer trailed off in her writing. She hated to be suspicious about Twilight, but well... “Is there something you haven’t told me about Light Patch and these two groups of bandits?” She sighed, but if she was going to help tie up loose ends like Twilight asked her to, she did need to know everything. “It’s one of the few things he puts effort into since his recent shift in priorities. Still, I have to admit I’m skeptical of his methods, and as such I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands.

“...Sorry, I’ve been talking with Light Patch a bit too much. He’s fun to talk to, even if I don’t get half of the references he’s making. I can only imagine what it must have been like with all three of them at once... One thing we’ve been doing is trying to tie the references together, and figuring out an equivalent cultural reference from our own culture to one from his. Of course, this required also just trying to tie similar characters and stories together. Some were, of course, easier than others, such as a character named Indiana Jones and his similarities to Daring Do. A harder one was the myth of the lost city of Atlantis. Without doing some indepth research—I would fight both groups of mercs for an even halfway decent library around here—my best, guess now that the Crystal Empire is back, is going to have to be the town that used to be around the Lost Castle of the Sisters in what is now the Everfree Forest. And of course, some of their fictional soldiers are almost without comparison for us here really. We could maybe use some of the characters from-

“Oops, I strayed from the point I was trying to make. In any case, I have my doubts about LP’s plan to deal with the bandits. I’m dragging my hooves, hoping to let the guard unit dispatched up here catch up. I’m worried I won’t be able to stall much longer, though, so I also have another plan, but I’m keeping that more of a secret just in case this letter is intercepted somehow.” Moon Dancer finished her last line before looking at a clock to check the time.

“I don’t have much more time but... well, as with a lot of things right now, the good news does come with bad news. Like I’ve mentioned, Light Patch’s goal has shifted. I don’t think he just wants to make some kind of bridge. I don’t think it’s radically different from his original plan, but I have a feeling it’s something that could be much more devastating. Maybe not burn the world to ashes levels, but close? It’s more of a gut feeling.” She checked the clock again. “I’ve included those spell scan results, but I encoded them for safety. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. I must be off to check on the dig site, and deal with a few side issues.”

With that done, she quickly sealed the letter up and applied spells to make sure it got to Twilight unhampered, then gathered on her snow coat and stepped out into the cold. She made her way down the plowed path the townsponies called “main street” as a joke and, after a quick stop at the post office, she hurried to the inn. She entered and quickly picked out the stallion she wanted to meet.

“Mayor Case,” she muttered, “I’m sorry about being late. I had to finish a letter.”

“It’s okay,” he whispered conspiratory, looking at the other ponies dotted around the inn’s main room, “but please call me Basket. We are trying to keep this under wraps.”

“If we’re gonna do that, then we should use codenames and disguises. And not be so obvious about trying to be quiet and stealthy when we’re sitting at the center table in a crowded inn’s common room.” Moondancer sipped the cup of tea she was holding in her magic, while Basket blushed and looked around at the other mayors seated at the table; several of whom were grinning or quietly snickering.

“Uh, right.” He lapsed into silence for a few moments, “So, uh, what did you want to talk about?”

“The so-called mercenaries that the dig leader has hired.”

“Ah, the bandits.” Basket Case checked to make sure none were present. “Is it just me, or do they seem to be getting tense with each other?”

“That's a part of what I wanted to discuss with you. The dig leader’s plan is to play them against each other to keep them from extorting more money. And from grabbing the main reason for the dig.”

Another one of the mayors grunted. “From what he’s told me, it’s mostly been the promise of a big payday keeping them from starting anything yet. Well, that and their equal strength..”

“Well, I’m concerned that the money won’t be enough soon. And when they start fighting, five towns are going to be stuck in the middle of it.”

“Five towns? I thought it was only our four towns closest to the dig site.”

“Yes... They’ve also ‘secured’ another further away town. Layered Permafrost wanted to try and spread them out further, and he had only one of the groups to further play them against each other.” Moon Dancer sighed as the four assembled mayors absorbed the information. Finally, she looked up and gave the four of them a hard look. “And now, I plan to take advantage of that.”

“How do you want to take advantage of it?” Basket Case asked. “The only way I could see us taking advantage of them spreading their… Are you suggesting-”

“That the towns ready themselves for the bandits going at each-other's throats?” Moon Dancer said calmly to the now quiet room. “Like I said, if something doesn’t change soon, they will probal-”

The rest of what she was saying got cut off as the inn’s door banged open, and one of the griffin mercenaries barged through it, breathing heavily. He quickly picked out Moon Dancer and rushed to her.

“Ma’am, I’m supposed to bring you back to the dig site,” the griffon said tersely. “We’ve broken into a huge chamber with something... glowing in the center of it. We suspect the glow is what we’ve been digging for.”

Moon Dancer’s eyes widened and she quickly stood up. “Go. I’ll meet you outside. I need to settle my bill quickly.”

“Be quick,” the griffon said with a nod. “The dogs wanna dig it out and go back somewhere warm. Even I know you don’t just mess with the glowy stuff without double checking.” With a sharp turn, he headed outside and replaced his scarf and goggles. Moon Dancer nodded and hurried to the bar to toss a hoofful of bits on the counter on her way to the door. She paused at the threshold and looked back.

“Something changed,” she stated before hurrying out.

* * *

I hope Starlight doesn’t hate me now.

It had taken some convincing for Trixie to get Wits to move the wagon again. It had also been worth it to get out of the weird shifting forest, in her opinion. Now she sat next to her wagon a little ways away from the mouth of the Thestrals’ cave, staring out at the shifting forests below. Now that she wasn’t in the middle of it, there was a certain fascination in watching the trees as they moved between eyeblinks.

It also gave her time to think: something that had been in short supply recently. Ever since the attack on Twilight’s castle, Wits had been busy coordinating things all across Equestria; meeting with Batpony spies, acquiring supplies and materials, and recruiting informants amongst the general populace.

All of that meant that Trixie was feeling more and more like a glorified magical carriage driver. She sighed through her nose. At least before that attack, I could pretend we were partners in this, she thought. Uneven partners, sure, but he was asking my advice on how far to go with his plans. Ever since then, though...

It really seemed to come down to the attack on the castle. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Wits said he needed to make sure the Elements didn’t forget about him, and a direct assault was the best way to do that without drawing attention to his real plan. He had even asked her for ideas on how to make it memorable. Trixie had suggested revealing that she was working with Wits, as a way to demoralize the Elements. After all, if somepony who had once been a villain could fall again, it would shake their otherwise unshakeable belief that they could reform anypony.

But he’s holding back. She kept her eyes on a particular section, without really focusing on it. Those items… He seemed to want them so specifically before, but then they just sat until he faced off with Twilight. And with that oversight panel hanging over the Elements of Harmony, he could be pushing so much harder than he is. It’s like he… Like he doesn’t even want to beat them at their weakest. He didn’t even try to control Twilight and the others while fighting them.

Trixie summoned a small mirror from her wagon and held it in front of her. She could see the glint of silver in her eyes, and the thin trails of magical essence that played at the corners of her eyes: all the telltale signs of Wits Ends Guiding Sunlight magic. A little focus was all it took to hide the signs again, like pulling a rubber band taut. Of course she had been angry when she’d first discovered the spell on her, but the spell had also soothed that anger away just as quickly. She smirked, remembering the shock it had given Wits when she’d revealed that she knew about the spell in the first place. One doesn’t work with magic like the Alicorn Amulet without learning the signs of magical mind control, she thought wryly.

That smirk fell quickly. No matter what else, one thing kept weighing on Trixie’s mind: what exactly was the spell doing? It obviously wasn’t hiding itself. She had to make the effort to hide it herself. And it wasn’t hiding its presence from her either, since she was pretty darn aware of it at this point. All it seemed to do is make it so that having the spell didn’t seem that bad. She paused, lowering the mirror again. That, she thought, and making me want to help Wits End. It wasn’t a compulsion or anything like that. If anything, it was exactly what she’d said to Twilight: she wanted to be helpful, and Wits had asked for her help. That didn’t seem too insidious.

Did it?

Trixie frowned to herself. Just like hiding or revealing the magic in her eyes, if she focused then she could make herself feel suspicious of the magic, or angry that it was there, or fearful of what it was doing. But the moment she stopped trying, the spell cleaned up any remaining doubts, leaving her ready and willing to help out again. It was…

Well, if she imagined a hypothetical scenario where some other pony did the same thing to her, it was certainly disturbing. Tirek, Chrysalis, Celestia, Twilight, even imagining Starlight Glimmer planting a spell like that in her mind gave her the shivers. But the moment I put Wits End in that spot, she thought, it becomes… not “fine”, but more like… neutral. Expected, in a completely emotionless way. Like how water flows downhill. Not worth worrying about.

Even with the spell’s calming effect, that excessive naturalness was worrying to her. It wasn’t a driving corruption like the Alicorn Amulet had been. This was subtle. Insidious. It seemed more like the tool of a grand chessmaster; somepony who ruled from a dispassionate distance. Not somepony who got their hooves dirty like Wits End was doing. Not somepony who seemed to care about both his subordinates and his foes.

Her frown deepened. There was certainly one way to tell what the spell was doing to her, and that was to break it. She didn’t know exactly how to do it, but a strong enough general counterspell would take care of anything. It was similar to using a sledgehammer to pound in a finishing nail. Less sophisticated than Trixie was a fan of, but beggars had very few chances to be choosers, and a magician couldn’t choose what volunteers she got from the audience. She glanced behind herself, then closed her eyes and focused her magic inward.

It felt a bit like somepony broke a faberge egg over her soul. She had to steady herself by spreading her forehooves out to either side as the last traces of magic faded away. Trixie took a deep breath and checked herself for any lingering enchantments; a check that came back with nothing. A look in the mirror showed no traces of the silvery magic in her eyes either, even when she focused on unhiding it. I guess that means the spell really is broken, she thought. One way to find out… It seemed silly to base her trust in a dispelling in how she reacted to it, but it was all she had.

She thought about Wits casting his manipulation spell on her again.

The immediate frown that spread across her face was proof that the spell was broken. When it came to mentally manipulative magic, her brain no longer treated Wits End any different than Twilight Sparkle or Nightmare Moon. Trixie sighed in relief. Once again, she was free from the corrupting influence of an entity that wanted to use her for villainous ends. Now she could…

Trixie’s frown returned. She had expected that she would immediately want to pack up her wagon and return to Ponyville, find Twilight, and tell her everything. What she actually wanted to do was somehow even worse than having to tell Twilight that she had been wrong for a third time in her life.

Trixie wanted to keep helping Wits End.

It was a strange feeling. She didn’t want to do as Wits said, the way she had while under the spell. She didn’t want to help conquer the world, the way Wits had asked her to do. She didn’t even want to usurp the newly conquered world from Wits in a moment of weakness. She just… wanted to keep being around him and see what he did. That’s weird, she thought in the same way one might think about a comic book character acting strangely in the background of a panel. Despite the fact that he’s trying to overthrow my country, usurp the throne from my Princesses, and defeat some of the ponies I would consider friends… I want to side with him over the others. What’s up with that?

Trixie sat down, staring out over the Shifting Woodlands at the unshifting horizon beyond it. A lingering effect of the spell? she thought, looking at a shape in the distance she thought might be Canterlot. Maybe it’ll wear off over time and I’ll want to leave then. Her frown deepened. Or maybe I’m just predisposed to being manipulated for evil purposes. That would be depressing.

She shook her head and sighed, which she realized she had been doing a lot recently. Maybe… Maybe I’ll just give it a couple of days. I won’t tell Wits. I’ll just… see if he notices, and see if this feeling fades. I can tell Twilight at any time now, anyway. Idly, she knocked a pebble over the lip of the cave, listening to it clatter against the mountainside beneath them. How deep could the spell go, anyway? After a moment, she charged another dispelling charm and cast it on herself. This one made her a bit unsteady, but it didn’t have the telltale ‘crunchiness’ of a spell that found an enchantment to break.

That concerned her a bit. If it was that easy to break Wits’ spell, she thought, how much does it actually do? Could somepony else break the spell on their own, just like I did? Or maybe… Could a pony still act against him while under it? I mean, I kinda did by breaking the spell, but-

A mental tug interrupted her, coupled with the tip of her horn glowing softly: the signal she and Wits had set up so she’d know he was ready for teleportation. Trixie stood again, brushing the dust off with a puff of magic as she resettled her hat. Her horn started to glow as she charged the teleportation spell, but she paused just before casting it.

A smile spread across her lips in spite of her previous concerns. After a moment, she summoned one of the strange graspers that Wits End was fond of using. What did he call them? Hands? Such a weird name. With a grin, she made the motion she had seen him do so many times. Trixie snapped her magical fingers, vanishing in a puff of billowing blue magic.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!” she declared as she arrived at Wits’ location. “How may she be of- CROWLEY’S TAILFEATHERS!” The mare looked up at the lumbering eel-like monstrosity that had pulled itself up onto the coast of a lake.

A blob of slime slid down one tentacle, forming into a massive bead at the tip before, at the last moment, it flicked back up towards the rest of the mass. A trio of eyes looked over her, and the massive lamprey-like jaw beneath gaped like a hungry pit. “Hewwo.”

Trixie blinked. “Buh?”

Wits End appeared out from under the creature’s shadow, and gave the wall of blubbery flesh a comforting pat. “Whimsy, I’d like you to meet my friend Trixie Lulamoon. Trixie, this is Whimsy the Aboleth. They’re gonna be staying with us for a while. Can you ‘port us back to the cave?”

Whimsy waved a tentacle, sending blobblets of slime and mucus into the treeline. “Fank you, Miss Twixie.”

Trixie continued to blink. “Buh.”

* * *

Twilight Sparkle glared at the pile of papers sitting innocently on her desk hoping against all hope that they’d simply burst into flame. Several seconds of silence passed and the papers remained innocuously piled before her. Heaving a resigned sigh, Twilight grabbed the first sheet and started reading. She’d barely finished the first sentence when the door to her office banged open and Spike darted inside.

“Twilight!” he cried, waving a wax sealed scroll over his head. “This just arrived!”

“This being what?” Twilight asked, hiding her joy at not having to do paperwork.

“A scroll with a weird mark on the wax!” Spike elaborated. “I dunno who it's from, but the pony who gave it to me must be important! He was wearing a silver cloak and had a really fancy name!” He tucked the scroll under his left arm and lifted his right, moving it in an arc in the air.

“Mentaanto...”

Twilight stared at the little dragon. “Mentaanto,” she echoed.

“Mentaanto...” Again, his arm moved in an arc.

“Spike.”

“Mentaanto...”

“SPIKE!”

Spike jerked and snorted a spurt of flame in surprise. “Sorry,” he said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. “Got kinda caught up in the moment there.”

“I noticed,” droned Twilight. “The scroll?” Spike walked over to her desk and hopped onto it, carefully edging his way by the accruement of papers.

“I think it was a messenger from the Undiscovered West,” he added, handing the scroll to Twilight. “He said it was for ‘the Princess of the Sun’ after saying a weird word… Aranell anar or something like that...”

Twilight frowned, eyeing the scroll in her hoof. “If this is for Celestia, why did he bring it here?”

Spike shrugged. “Hay if I know. He knocked on the door, introduced himself, gave me the scroll, told me who it was for, and left.”

Twilight squinted at the purple dragon. “He just… left.”

“Uh-huh.” Spike was swinging his legs off the side of the desk.

Twilight sighed and stood. “I need to get a better security system,” she muttered. Louder, she said, “I’m going to take this to Celestia.” She made to teleport away, but paused. “If you could start sorting through those, I’d be most appreciative.”

“How appreciative?” Spike asked, eyeing the desk warily.

“...Let me think about that.” Ignoring Spike’s groan, Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magic. A short burst of static later and she opened her eyes to see the balcony of her old room in the castle of Canterlot. She wasted no time in unlocking the door and passing through her room to the corridor beyond. As she walked through the halls, she peered at the scroll speculatively, trying to discern its purpose without opening it. The parchment was thick and weighty, similar to what most legal documents were written on. The wax was bright red and imprinted with a seal: three concentric rings bracketed by antlers.

The mare wracked her brain, calling up all the heraldries she’d seen while reading books. None of them matched with the one on the scroll she bore.

She nodded at the two guard ponies on duty outside the Hall of Glass and entered, ignoring the numerous stained glass windows depicting the trials and tribulations of Equestria. She hesitated as she passed a blank space on the wall to her right. Glancing to the side, she saw a red rope cordoning off a section of wall. A frown creased her brow as confusion stole across her mind. Then her eyes widened in realization as she looked down the hall at the other stained glass windows depicting the other adventures and victories of her friends and herself. She pulled her gaze back to the blank wall and sucked in a breath to steel her nerves. Hopefully, she’d be able to solve this problem before too long.

With a resolute twist, she turned to continue down the chamber to the throne room. She gently nudged the door open and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. Celestia sat on her throne, sorting through a number of documents being held before her by several scribes. Twilight stopped several paces away, patiently waiting for Celestia to notice her. It didn’t take long.

Celestia looked up, blinking in surprise. “Twilight! When did you arrive?” she asked, waving the scribes and their documents away with a hoof.

“A few minutes ago,” Twilight answered, stepping closer to the dais. “A courier gave me a scroll intended for you, so I teleported over as soon as I could.”

Celestia frowned, opening her mouth to chide the mare but paused, blinking in surprise at something over Twilight’s shoulder. “Blueblood, what are you doing here?”

Twilight turned and saw Prince Blueblood accompanied by a large colt walking into the throne room. Her eyes rested on the stranger for a second, just long enough to take in his green coat and short dark brown mane.

“Ah, hello, Aunt Celestia,” Blueblood greeted, inclining his head to the Princess. “I was merely showing my new butler around the castle.”

Celestia and Twilight both blinked, their eyes tracking to the colt standing just behind Blueblood’s left flank. “Butler?” they echoed.

The colt stepped forward and bowed to the pair. “Beekler Alfreeves, at your service, highnesses,” the colt said in a drawling baritone.

“Mister Alfreeves,” Celestia said, standing from her throne. Beekler raised a hoof, forestalling the Princess.

“Please, Mister Alfreeves is my mother’s brother’s husband’s step-son’s great-uncle,” Beekler interrupted. “Please call me Beekler.”

Celestia blinked again while Twilight tried not to burn her brain out trying to understand the relationship. With a shudder, Celestia made her way down the steps, muttering as she descended.

“I don’t have time to unpack all of that,” she muttered. Upon reaching floor level, she looked at Beekler and smiled.

“My apologies. Beekler,” Celestia corrected herself, “it is a pleasure to welcome you to Canterlot. I hope your time with Prince Blueblood is long and fruitful.”

“As do I, your highness,” Beekler replied, inclining his head to the pale alicorn. The colt stepped back to stand beside Blueblood.

“If you’ll excuse me, Aunt Celestia, I’ll be showing Beekler the rest of the castle,” white unicorn stated. “I’ll leave you to your counseling.” He nodded once to Twilight and turned smartly, striding away from the two alicorns.

Beekler made to follow, but Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she watched the green colt. He bore a striking similarity to one of her erstwhile associates. The only differences were a change in palette and his bearing. Twilight cleared her throat and spoke.

“Excuse me, Beekler, but you look familiar,” the Princess of Friendship said. “Have we met before?”

Beekler turned smoothly to face the princesses again, brow furrowed in confusion. “No.”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “Ah. Must have been my imagination.”

Beekler arched an eyebrow. “Indeed.” He turned, walking after Blueblood out the door. Twilight exhaled a sigh and looked at Celestia.

“What was I here for again?” she muttered. Celestia, having heard the muttered words, smiled gently, shaking her head at her frazzled student.

“Something about a letter you received?” the elder Princess supplied. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Oh yeah!” She opened her bag and pulled out a scroll, passing it to Celestia. “The seal isn’t one I’m familiar with. At least within Equestria that is.”

The Princess of Sunlight looked contemplatively at the wax seal; three interconnected rings backed by a pair of antlers. She hummed, breaking the seal and unrolling the scroll, glancing at Twilight as the correspondence unfurled. “It's from the Deerkin of the Undiscovered West,” the white alicorn revealed. “During our reign, neither Luna nor I have had many significant encounters with them. Nothing that merited the public being informed.”

Twilight frowned. “Your Highness, I’ve read every book in the Royal Library at least twice. Why haven’t I seen any mention of the Undiscovered West or the Deerkin there?”

Celestia gave a wry smile. “Have you read anything from my personal library?” she asked.

Twilight opened her mouth to immediately reply ‘yes’, but balked. “Uhhh… No?”

Celestia laughed gently and turned her attention back to the scroll. As she read, her brow creased and a frown slowly made its way onto her face.

“Hmm,” she hummed. “The Deerkin have requested Luna and I to attend a summit to broker a cessation of hostilities between their country and the Thestrals.”

Twilight blinked. “They specifically requested you and Princess Luna?” she asked.

Celestia nodded as she re-rolled the scroll. “The request is very pointed,” she said. “I have the feeling they won’t even accept a Negotiator. It's very explicit they expect Luna and myself.”

“Not even Poni-Wan Koltobi?” Twilight asked. Celestia shook her head as she walked up to the throne.

“I don’t believe they will accept anypony less than a Princess,” the white alicorn replied. “I’d send Cadence, but she is busy dealing with bandits and a very stubborn mining mogul in the Crystal Empire.” She looked appraisingly at Twilight. “Would you-” She trailed off upon seeing her student shaking her head.

“I have problems in Ponyville,” the princess of friendship said. “We’re still trying to track down those colts I told you about and I have to worry about the Panel breathing down my neck.”

Celestia let a smug smile curve her lips. “I believe you won’t have nearly as much trouble with them as you’ve had in the past,” she declared. “Earlier today, Madam Speaker Top Class brought me to a senate trial to strip the then Senator Baelhart’s position from him.”

Twilight nodded. “Rarity told me that he’d been removed from office and I’m grateful for that.” She looked up at Celestia and smiled wanly. “But lately, it seems that solving one problem reveals three more.”

Celestia stepped down to place a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and smiled gently at the young mare. “I know that you will persevere through all that comes before you,” the Princess of the Sun said. Twilight smiled at Celestia’s assurance and nodded.

“Who will you choose to be regent while you and Princess Luna are away?” she asked. Celestia’s smile shrunk a few teeth.

“Blueblood,” she ground out.

Twilight blinked and resisted the urge to groan. “Oh. I should let Rarity know before she comes to the castle…” The purple alicorn inclined her head. “By your leave.” Celestia nodded, and waved a hoof in dismissal.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, Twilight,” the Princess of the Sun said. “What could go wrong?”

Twilight’s smile became very fake as she walked out of the throne room.
“I really wish you didn’t say that,” she groaned after the doors shut.