Caverns & Cutie Marks: Our House Now

by TheColtTrio

Chapter 32: For Future Reference, This Is ‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong’

Twilight squinted and raised a hoof to cover her eyes as she and Rarity stepped onto Canterlot’s train platform. The duo had rushed to the station in Ponyville as soon as their supply of alcohol had run dry, having realized that the longer they dally, the longer things got further out of hoof.

Rarity’s cheeks bulged and Twilight couldn’t help but sympathy gag to the white mare’s predicament.

“Maybe we should have limited ourselves to a glass each,” Rarity said slowly, trying not to anger her already queasy stomach.

“That-” Twilight hurked, “-would have defeated the point of drinking in the first place.”

“True. Perhaps better heads should have prevailed.” Rarity inhaled deeply through her nose, fighting past the first steps of nausea as they walked. “Unfortunate that Fluttershy was absent.”

Twilight nodded, not feeling able to speak as she focused on putting one hoof in front of the other.

“Who’s idea again was it to leave directly after we’d finished drinking?” Rarity asked.

“Applejack,” Twilight replied stiffly. “Her concern for family members in Appleloosa most likely supersedes any interest in checking on the alleged rumor of ‘all of the alicorns’. Quite frankly, the idea of it is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous enough to start day-drinking,” Rarity returned. The purple alicorn merely nodded in agreement. “What are we doing in Canterlot again?”

Twilight stopped, eyes going glossy for a second. “Uuuhhhhh...”

Rarity swore loudly, only to cringe as her head pounded in displeasure. “Owowowow,” she moaned. “You’ve forgotten, haven’t you?”

“Nooooo?”

“...Are you asking me or telling me, dear? My head hurts too much to hear nuances in punctuation.”

“...Telling.”

Rarity sighed. “For goodness sake! Isn’t there a spell that will get rid of this hangover?!” She winced at how loud her own voice was.

Twilight nodded slowly. “Yes, there is.”

“Well then… what is it?” The white mare looked at her companion with a prompting expression on her face.

“...I don't know.”

“...You… don’t know.”

Twilight nodded.

Rarity blinked. “How can you not know?”

Twilight shrugged and stopped walking. “Never had a reason to.”

“...How about now?”

“Now would be a good time.”

“...Indeed.”

The pair of mares stood there on the corner for several seconds, trying to fight through the haze that had suddenly settled on their brains. That haze was abruptly and thankfully banished when the words of a passerby reached them.

“I heard that Beekler Alfreeves is making a statement to the Senate today.”

“The Prince’s Butler?”

“Yeah. Apparently he was made regent. Dunno how that happened.”

Twilight and Rarity stared off into the middle distance as they digested the offhoof words with sudden clarity.

“Twi?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know where the Senate building is?”

“I do. Let’s go.”

The pair dashed down the street, making no effort to avoid their fellow pedestrians in their mad dash to the Senate. Mares and stallions alike swore after them as they ran, ignoring any and all before them.

“On a scale of one to ten,” Rarity asked as they turned a corner and saw the Senate building looming before them, “how bad is it that Blueblood’s butler became regent?”

“Depends on what he’s talking to the Senate about,” replied Twilight as she used her magic to fling the doors to the foyer open. The glass doors shattered as they struck the wall and, with a mere passing thought, Twilight repaired them as they ran past. The clerks and government workers all gaped at the two Elements of Harmony, too stunned to stop the two mares.

Another burst of magic saw the doors to the main Senate Chamber bang open. Rarity and Twilight finally stopped, breathing hard as they took in the sight before them.

“Friends, ponies, Equestrians, lend me your ears,” the regent said. “I come not to bury Blueblood, but to praise him. I was surprised, yet honoured to be confirmed as the next in line for regency should Blueblood become unable to perform his duties. It is with a heavy heart however that I tell you of Blueblood’s incapacitation.” A low murmur moved through the senate while Beekler took a moment to let his words impact his audience. “I’m sure that most, if not all, of you know this. But, it is my duty to confirm such rumours. Blueblood fell ill and was immediately prescribed a doctor’s note preventing him from accomplishing his duties as Regent.”

Beekler paused, taking a sip of water from the glass on the podium. “Not only has our leader fallen ill, we are being assailed by an army of alicorns on our western border. Already, they have deployed a vanguard spanning from the Smokey Mountains to Dodge City. It appears they only have small squadrons in each of the major cities while they consolidate their main force.”

As Beekler spoke, whispers broke out amongst the senators. By the time he finished speaking, the chamber resonated with a low rumble as the ponies’ voice rose in volume. Rarity and Twilight stared at each other.

“How did they invade so far so quickly?!” Rarity asked, surprise evident in her hushed voice.

“I don’t know!” Twilight hissed. “Equestria didn’t have a lot of military history to study!”

A senator, a pegasus from Cloudsdale, stood and splayed his wings. “I propose we take action to fortify our borders!” A number of senators voiced their agreement, but most of the chamber either remained silent or voiced dissent at the prospect of martial action. Beekler rapped a hoof on the podium for attention.

“As regent, I wish to serve our country to the best of my ability,” the earth pony stated. “I need your approval to take action against this invasion, bizarre as it is. Where did these alicorns come from? And what do they want with Equestria?” He paused, looking around the senate chamber, eyes bright with passion and fire. “I could mobilize the Royal Guard without your approval. But, I don’t want to present a divided government to the public in this stressful time. So, do I have your approval?”

Rarity and Twilight watched with bated breath as the senate sat in silence for several seconds. Then a pony stood, stating his approval. Then another stood, followed by a half dozen, followed by a score, and before long, the entire senate stood in approval of Beekler’s proposal.

Madam Speaker Top Class stepped onto the dais. “Regent Beekler Alfreeves, We the Senate agree to allow you the power to impose martial action until such a time as the threat to Equestria has abated.” Beekler sighed and nodded.

“My thanks,” Beekler replied. “It is with great reluctance that I agree to this calling. I love democracy. I love the Senate.” He paused, looking up at where Twilight and Rarity stood for the first time since they entered. “The power you give me, I will lay down when this crisis is abated. And with this new authority, I will empower the Royal Guard to counter this sudden and irrational invasion of our country.”

The senators broke into raucous applause. Rarity and Twilight watched on, stunned at the positive response to the new Regent’s declaration of intent. Beekler raised a hoof and the senate slowly quieted, eager to listen to his next words.

“I take my leave,” he said. “I will appoint a liaison to inform you of all troop movements over the course of this campaign.”

Beekler stepped down off the dias and walked up to where Rarity and Twilight stood. He inclined his head to both mares as he passed.

“Princess,” he greeted.

“Regent Alfreeves,” Twilight said, stepping out of the senate chamber with him. Rarity followed, closing the doors behind them.

Beekler turned. “Is there something I can do for you, Princess?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. “You can tell me why you pushed for the Royal Guard to be mobilized. The Elements of Harmony are quite capable of addressing the matter of the alicorns.”

Beekler arched an eyebrow. “I was under the impression that the operations of the Elements of Harmony fell under the purview of the Panel of International Situation Solutions.” Twilight bristled and she opened her mouth to retort, but Beekler spoke again.

“I do not doubt the ability of the Elements,” he said. “However, I’m not convinced of their capability to deal with an army. In the past, you have excelled in dealing with singular adversaries. But respectfully, I suggest leaving the armies to those with the experience and capability to do so.”

Rarity stepped forward. “Are you saying you don’t trust the Elements to handle the situation properly?”

Beekler shook his head. “Hardly,” he said dismissively. “I believe the time has passed for the Elements to be useful in regards to the current matter. If the alicorns had not developed a salient deep into our territory, I would have no qualms sending you and your compatriots to establish diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, that moment has come and gone before we even knew it existed.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to convince Casus Belli to come out of retirement, recall Belisaddelus from the East, and find where Ibericolt Mayham got stationed. I’ll need their expertise in this matter.”

“One last question before you go,” Twilight said. “What caused Blueblood to fall ill? Do you know anything of what might have happened?”

Beekler shrugged, sighing heavily. “It’s hard for me to say precisely what could have affected him in such a malignant manner,” the regent replied. “He was working awfully hard the last few days talking to advisors and meeting with the governmental department heads. Maybe the stress got to him in a hurry and his body decided an immediate shutdown was required.”

“That certainly sounds like Blueblood,” Rarity muttered to Twilight. Twilight’s eyes widened and she glanced at Beekler. The colt didn’t react to the fashionista’s assessment of Blueblood and merely spoke again.

“I believe the culmination of his mounting stress combined with the news of the Alicorn Incursion is what shook him so badly he went comatose.” Beekler shook his head and sighed. “I worry for that colt. If he doesn’t take care of himself, he’ll never get better.”

“Could we be allowed to see him? Maybe I can give my own diagnosis?” Twilight suggested. Beekler’s body stiffened imperceptibly and he stood tall before the two mares. The pair couldn’t help but gulp minutely as Beekler towered before them.

“I’m afraid I cannot allow such an appointment,” he rumbled authoritatively. “I can assure you, the greatest minds Canterlot has to offer have already provided a diagnosis. He needs rest and to get away from the political intrigue of the capital for a while. We can only hope that he can overcome his illness quickly.”

Beekler inclined his head to the Rarity and Twilight again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be going. I have a severe timetable to follow.”

He turned then, leaving the pair alone in the corridor as he strode swiftly away.

“Twilight?” Rarity asked after a few seconds of silence. “What do we do now?”

The purple alicorn glared at the Regent’s retreating back. “We sneak into the castle and find out just what’s wrong with Blueblood,” she decided. “And we need to dig up some information on this Beekler Alfreeves. Strange colts have been popping up recently and I have the impression that Purple Heart is involved somehow...”

“You think that Purple Heart is conscripting ponies to be his eyes and ears for whatever plan he has in the works?” Rarity asked.

“At this point, I’m just throwing theories at the wall hoping one will stick,” Twilight huffed. “If only we could track down where Beekler came from...” The two fell silent, pondering what little they knew of the new regent.

Rarity’s brow creased with a frown and she looked down the hall. “Do you think the receptionist still has Baelhart’s address on file?” she asked.

Twilight blinked. “Huh?”

Rarity sighed. “I’m not sure what we can do to get information on Beekler, so I figure the next best thing is to look into other colts that have popped up remarkably recently. Like the ex-senator Baelhart, for instance.”

“Or even Purple Patches, the producer for that Errant Drapes Company in Snohomare. Remember Local Purple Heart mentioned he recognized Wits End in a conjured portal?” Twilight said.

Rarity squinted into space. “Did that happen? It feels like an awfully long time ago...”

Twilight rolled her eyes and walked off down the hall towards the reception desk. “We should check on Blueblood first. Come on, Rarity,” she urged. “Time is of the essence.” Rarity rolled her eyes and trotted after the princess.

“Somehow, I don’t think we’ll be in time,” she muttered.

* * *

“Then Cadance was like ‘I know you got here, but could you two please explore ahead of Shiny and the Guard? I’m really worried, and you two have more experience with Light Patch. I mean he seemed nice enough the few times he popped in, but now we've got reports that both bandit groups are quietly pulling in their allies. I know a guide who might be able to help you two.’” Pinkie rambled, hopping through the snow and matching the footprints of the ice blue crystal pony leading them.

“Then we met up with you and started this trek,” Rainbow finished with a roll of her eyes.

“Right! Though you kinda rushed that last bit, Dashie. You didn’t even mention the important stuff, like how you had three scones, Cadance had one, and I ate like twelve. Maybe thirteen. I think I had two at once. Maybe three, I wasn’t paying attention.” Pinkie shrugged, “So Winter, how did you end up here?”

“Well, to explain that story, we have to go back to the beginning. It was the third of the month at midnight when I was born-” The ice blue mare giggled at Rainbow’s sigh and defeated look. “It’s more because I used to live not too much farther along this path with my family and our farm. Bandits raided it recently, but thanks to a heroic stallion we were all able to get away safely. I was in the Crystal Empire trying to find some work when I heard the call for guides, so I signed up immediately.”

“Wait, you mean that was your farm?” Pinkie said, freezing mid-air with a freezing noise. “Rarity and I found Light Patch there! He’d probably be happy to know you guys are mostly okay!”

“I’m happy to know he’s okay,” the mare, Winter Sun, said with a smile. “Last we saw of him was him buying us the time to get away.”

“Speaking of getting away: why are we taking this little rocky trail? We'd be at Glacier Host by now if we took the main trails.” Rainbow looked at her map as she hovered alongside the others.

“This is the trail my family used to use. I'm hoping the smaller nature of the trail means the bandits won't patrol it, so we can get to Glacier Host without trouble. Plus, I’m hoping that maybe there's food or something we can recover from my family's farm and…” Winter Sun trailed off, hesitant to finish.

“Hoping a couple of things you had to leave behind might still be salvageable?” Rainbow asked, just before Pinkie could start talking. Winter Sun looked surprised, but never got to ask as Pinkie grabbed Rainbow’s face.

“Have you seeeeen it too?” Pinkie asked breathlessly. “The Space Between? The Missed Second? The Hall of Tess Ting? The Line Between?”

“No,” Rainbow replied as she failed to pry Pinkie off, only for the party pony to simply let go. “I knew because I built my own cloud house while learning how to build a cloud house. So, more than once I had to see what was left when it broke or the floor dissipated.”

“There are a couple of small things I was hoping might still be intact,” Winter Sun admitted sheepishly.

“We’ll help you see what can be found,” Rainbow assured her. “Anyway, how much farther do we need to go before we reach the farm?” She looked down, noticing that the ravine was getting narrower.

“We’re almost out of the ravine, then things should be getting easier. It’ll open to a large plain…” Winter Sun trailed off as she scaled up a short wall that marked the end of the ravine. “I wonder if it’s still doing okay. I hope the bandits didn’t mess with it....”

“If what’s okay?” Rainbow asked as she flew up to stand next to Winter Sun.

“What? What? You can’t leave me hanging like that!” Pinkie asked, trying to scale the wall with reckless speed. “Wait, are you talking about that flower that Rarity and I... saw?” She stopped next to the other two as they looked out over a field of flowers. “Wha- But how? The flower was dying when Rarity and I found it.”

“Not dying.” Winter Sun said, walking towards the largest one in the center. “Seeding, actually. Winter Fire is what they're called. Well, it’s what the locals called them from the stories. Back before Sombra, these flowers used to grow in vast fields, with green grass and other flowers growing around them.”

“How are they- Why is it so warm around them?” Rainbow asked, waving her hoof around near one of the flowers.

“They give off heat, and the warmer it is the bigger they can grow,” Winter Sun replied as she stopped near the one towering over the others in the center of the field. Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the warmth. “I was surprised when I found this flower. They disappeared when the Crystal Empire vanished. Most figured they needed the Crystal Heart, so it was thought they were all dead because none returned with the Empire. I wondered if they just went into some kind of dormant state. I was going to move them closer to home-” Her breath hitched. Pinkie hurried over and wrapped her up in a hug. “...To study,” Winter Sun finally finished.

“I’m sure that Light Patch will be happy to help you and your family rebuild,” Rainbow said, unsure what else to say. “I’d probably have a little time to chip in too,”

“Thanks, but he seemed a bit scrawny to be much help raising a new house,” Winter Sun laughed, wiping away the tears once free.

“No, but he could probably intimidate the bandits into helping out,” Pinkie chimed.

“Hah! I’d like to see that. He didn’t seem like he could intimidate a wet paper bag.”

“You’d think that, but I’ve heard that you have to hear him talk about the importance of fitting villains in fiction,” Pinkie chirped.

“Where’d you hear about that?” Rainbow asked.

“Chatting with Sunset while she was in Equestria.” Pinkie looked at Rainbow with a questioning look, “What about you? Where did you hear it?”

“Rarity, Perfect Profit, and I ended up hearing about it while leaving the Arachcolsid kingdom.”

“Aracholsid kingdom?” Winter Sun asked.

“That's a long story we’ll probably want to save for the next leg of our journey,” Rainbow replied with a shrug.

“We are close to my family's farm... Or what's left of it.” Winter Sun finished with a frown as she looked over the field. She gestured for Rainbow and Pinkie to follow as she led them through the field of flowers. Eventually the field gave way to snow, which itself gave way in the form of a ridge Winter Sun led them up. At the top, they were able to look down into a crater-like depression in the hills, where the charred skeleton of a building sat surrounded by some mostly intact smaller buildings, and fields filled with a mix of intact and pulped plant matter.

Pinkie stepped next to Winter Sun and put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I mean, the house is gone,” the Crystal Pony said, swallowing hard. “But the rest looks like just some minor repairs. And the fields sprouted! They’re small, but next year's harvest should be doable without having to buy too many more seeds.”

“So what are you looking for?” Pinkie asked, scanning the area. “Rainbow and I can search for it, while you see what food and other supplies would be worth taking with us.”

“It was a small plush toy,” Winter Sun said, walking with confidence down a trail she’d walked so often before. “One of my siblings was playing with her favorite outside when she first spotted the bandits. She rushed to tell everyone about them, but lost track of where she’d dropped it.”

Pinkie hummed in thought as she put her sleuthing hat on. “Was there any place she’d often play where she might have seen the bandits from?”

“I never heard where they first came from, but she likes to play away from the house towards the outer buildings. I’ll check the two closer to the farmland, if you two will take the ones closer to the valley entrance.” Winter sun led the group down to the bottom of the hill and farm. Before they could split up though, Pinkie gasped.

“Everypony wait!” the party pony exclaimed. “Look, those hoof marks look fresh! …ish.” Rainbow Dash and Winter Sun looked over at the tracks.

“You don’t suppose your family came to look for things, huh?” Rainbow guessed.

“I’m the first one to leave the Crystal Empire since we went there,” Winter Sun said, looking at the tracks still barely visible under the fresh layers of snow.

“Do you think it’s the bandits?” Rainbow said, perking up as she looked around. “Maybe they’re still in the area? We should be careful in case we have to fight.”

“I don’t know Dashie,” Pinkie chimed in, staring closely following one of the tracks. “I don’t see the bandits patrolling out this far. At least not when they’re focusing on the dig site.”

“Wish I’d paid more attention to my dad when he was trying to teach me how to track in the snow,” Winter Sun muttered as she tried to remember.

“What do you guys have to track up here?” Rainbow asked.

“A few dangerous animals, bandits, and the lost,” Winter Sun replied offhandedly.

“Oooh, what are the lost?” Pinkie asked. “Are they some kind of ice zomponies? Are they a cryptid that turns others they capture into them? Do you become them if you’re lost in the forest for too long?”

“I think she meant looking for ponies that got lost in the snow,” Rainbow deadpanned.

Winter Sun ignored their comments for the moment. “I think these tracks might be the freshest... My best guess might be a couple of weeks to... maybe a month old, depending on exactly how much snow recently came down in this area.”

“I guess this means we’re probably not going to find a lot of useful supplies,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Once we find that stuffed toy, you think we oughta get going?”

“Well, I’m still holding out a little hope that those tracks are leading to some food storage. Most of the useful stuff would have been in the sheds around on the other side of the house.”

“Hey Winter!” Pinkie shouted, waving a hoof to get her attention. “Was whatever was hanging here something we wanted?” she asked, pointing at a spot on one of the barns, where the difference in the wood showed something had been hanging on the wall.

Winter Sun gasped when she saw the area Pinkie was pointing at. With a speed Rainbow was impressed by, she'd galloped over and frantically dug around in the snow under the spot. After a few moments, she’d finally stopped and slumped, staring at the empty patch on the wall.

“Uh...” Rainbow Dash hovered over. “You okay there?”

“Why would any pony take it?” Winter Sun asked a different question.

“Take what?”

“It was a really simple wooden carving one of our ancestors made. It was just a simple tree. It wasn’t worth stealing, and I know the bandits didn’t smash it or there’d be bits of it in the snow.”

“And you're sure none of your family came and retrieved it or took it with them when you left?”

“Very. If any of my family had gotten it, they would have grabbed a bunch of other things and told everypony when they got back. Not kept it a secret.”

“So the question is... who’s taken your family heirloom? ...Or multiple who’s?” Pinkie said, noticing something about the house. “I think there’s been more than one pony here. Those three sets of tracks leading into the house all look... different.”

Rainbow Dash nodded. “So some ponies have been here since your family fled, and taken at least one-”

“Two,” Winter Sun interrupted, pointing out where she noticed other objects missing. “No, three.”

“...Taken several family heirlooms and left,” Rainbow corrected herself, “but don’t seem to have gone anywhere that might have stuff you’d actually want to take, or would be worth bits to take.”

“Maybe I’m thinking a little too positively about this,” Pinkie said cautiously before looking towards Winter Sun, “but it sounds to me like they’re doing it to protect stuff they think is important to your family. Your family doesn’t have any friends who live nearby and know you were driven out, do you?”

“None who aren’t in one of the towns controlled by the bandits,” Winter Sun said with a sigh. “These tracks are way too recent to have been them. And this set of heirlooms is way too big for any of them.”

“It also looks like somepony repaired the house slightly; at least enough to get to the basement,” Winter Sun added, looking through one of the walls into the burnt farmhouse.

“Three different sets of tracks, one of which easily belongs to a pony as large as Big Mac…” Rainbow met Pinkie’s gaze. “Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

“You think that Light Patch was using this as a base, and had gathered his friends here?” Pinkie guessed aloud.

“But... why not use a location closer to the towns?” Rainbow said, voicing aloud the same thought they all shared. Many potential answers circulated through their minds, but none seemed fitting. They didn't arrive at any consensus either, as the snow began to fall at this point. So, they hurried at gathering up what supplies they could and, after a quick meal in one of the sheds, set out again.

Winter Sun paused at the valley's entrance and turned to look at the farmhouse, and the bare place on the shed's wall where the carving had sat. Pinkie quietly placed a hoof on Winter Sun’s shoulder and, after a few seconds, the mare shook herself and turned to face the next leg of their journey.

“Well,” her voice cracked for a moment before she cleared her throat. “If we go now, we can probably reach the nearest town by sunset.” The mare used her inspection of the shadows, or lack thereof, to also wipe a tear or two away before it could freeze solid.

“Well then, let's get going!” Pinkie declared.

“By sundown?” Rainbow’s head shot up as she checked the position of the sun. “It’s noon! How far are we walking?”

“‘Til sundown, if we don’t dawdle,” Pinkie chimed in helpfully, pronking in place.

“It’d be a good time for long stories,” Winter Sun replied.

“Oooh, we have a long story to tell!” Pinkie cheered before looking at Rainbow Dash. “Do you mind if I start this story?”

“Go ahead,” Rainbow replied with a shrug. “It doesn’t get too interesting until the first couple of fights anyway. But let's make this a moving production.” She gestured for Winter to start them off.

“Right! Well, this story all begins when three eldritch beings decided to work together in shaping a small piece of time and space to suit their own whims. But then one of them said ‘but what if more?’”

* * *

The rolling hills of central Equestria gave way to the plains of the Southern territories, scrublands speeding past outside the train window. Fluttershy swallowed hard, looking away from the land flying by. “Are you sure we should-”

“‘Shy.” Applejack cut her off, her tone flat. “Ya ain’t gotta come with me, but Ah’m goin’ to Applelossa and seein’ to my family.” The farmpony looked stressed, in that way that only somepony trying their hardest to look unconcerned could. “Ah appreciate ya’ll bein’ worried, but please don’t try to stop me here.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just…” She looked out the window again, trying to see ahead further down the rails. “Should we be taking the train? I mean, won’t whoever took over Appleloosa know we’re coming?”

“We’re the Elements of Harmony, ain’t we?” Applejack shrugged. “If they’re friendly, we ask’m politely to leave.”

“And, um, if they’re not friendly?”

“We ask’m in a much less polite way to leave.”

Fluttershy gulped, starting to wish she had drank some of the cider Twilight had offered earlier. “Do you think they’re really alicorns? The ponies in Appleloosa, I mean.”

“If ya’ll asked me that a few months ago, Ah’d’ve said ‘ain’t no way’.” With a shrug, Applejack sighed and slumped in her seat. “Now? Ah’m just as libel to say ‘yes’ as Ah am to say ‘it’s a trick of Discord’s’.” She straightened up a bit and adjusted her hat. “But if it’s alicorns, Ah wanna know where they’re comin’ from, an’ what they plan on doin’.”

“Maybe they’re friendly?”

Applejack gave the pegasus a deadpan stare.

“I mean,” Fluttershy tried to recover quickly, “they let Braeburn go, didn’t they? Maybe this is all just a big misunderstanding?”

“They did let my cousin go…” Applejack frowned. “Far as Ah know, th’ rest of my folks’re still in Appleloosa. Ah can’t imagine Brae abandonin’ th’ rest of th’ Apple family just to tell me what the hoohaw’s all about.” She grunted in irritation. “If they ain’t friendly, then this’s th’ strangest invasion of Equestria since Discord.” After a moment, a thought crossed her mind. “Where’s Discord, anyway? He’d be mighty useful what with th’ weirdness goin’ on.”

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to frown. “...I haven’t heard from Discord since he said goodbye after the, um… play business. He said he’d be… over the hills and far away? And he swore he would return one day? I get the feeling he was making a reference to something that I didn’t understand.”

“That sounds like Discord, alright.” Applejack paused. After a few seconds, she spoke slowly. “‘Shy?”

“Yes?”

“Is th’ train slowin’ down?”

Both ponies opened the window just in time to hear the telltale call of the train’s whistle announcing an unexpected stop. “We can’t be at Appleloosa yet, right?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s still an hour away,” Applejack muttered, leaning out the window and peering in either direction. When she turned towards the front of the train, she froze. “Oh hayseeds and apple maggots.”

“What?” Fluttershy jumped as the farmpony swung herself back into her seat. “What is it?”

Applejack slammed the window shut. “Alicorns. Half a dozen, Ah reckon. Wearin’ armor and armed with swords.” She ducked down in her seat as the other train passengers started muttering. “Still think they’re friendly?”

“Maybe they’re friendship swords,” Fluttershy muttered.

“For once, Ah hope ya’ll’re right ‘bout that.” The door to their car slid open, and several ponies gasped. Both Applejack and Fluttershy carefully peeked around the seats at the newcomers.

“Everypony, please!” A trio of armored alicorns had entered the car, with one staying by the door while a second strode across to the other exit. The remaining alicorn, the one who had spoken, esqued the helmet of her companions in favor of a peaked cap. She stood in such a way that the feathers of one wing brushed against the hilt of the shortsword at her side, making it clear that she was in charge. “If I may have everypony’s attention, please!”

As if on cue, the two other alicorns stomped their hooves as they came to attention. That was enough to silence the rest of the ponies. “Now,” the leader said, clasping her wings behind her back. “First of all, please allow me to introduce myself.” She gave a tight, disciplined bow to the passengers without taking her eyes off them. “My name is Iron Maiden, lieutenant of the Diarch Strike Forces. Secondly, please allow me to welcome you.”

In one smooth motion, Iron Maiden straightened and tucked her cap under one wing, revealing an undercut mane and short horn. “As some of you may know,” she said as she began to pace down the center of the car, “as of a few days ago, the Diarch Strike Forces have seized and liberated a number of territories. These include the townships known as Tall Tale, Los Pegasus, Dodge City, and…” she paused next to where Fluttershy and Applejack were seated for a full beat, “your current destination of Appleloosa.

“Now, we of the Diarch Strike Forces do not intend to cause any undue panic, chaos, or distress amongst you.” She gave a strangely genuine and soft smile, which was equal parts reassuring and unnerving to the two Elements of Harmony. “So please, remain calm. We have a few questions we would like to ask you, and then you will be on your way back to the last available stop.”

“Back?” An older stallion stood, in spite of the whispered pleas from his companions. “What’d you mean, back? What about goin’ down to Appleloosa? I paid good money for these tickets!” He brandished a hoof-full of tickets at the alicorn as if presenting garlic to a Batpony.

Iron Maiden maintained her smile in the face of the stallion. “Then I recommend you request a refund when you arrive at your previous stop, sir. While we are allowing some ponies to leave our liberated territories as a show of good faith, we are not accepting entry quite yet.” Her smile turned hard for the briefest of moments, just enough to make the stallion back down. “Please have a seat, sir.” As the stallion staggered back into his seat, Iron Maiden turned to face the rest of the passengers. “We would greatly appreciate your cooperation in this time of change. You have my word as a loyal servant of the Diarchy that, so long we all remain civil, no-pony shall come to any harm by alicorn hooves.”

With that, Iron Maiden turned to Applejack and Fluttershy, still with the same soft, real smile on her face. “May I sit down?”

Applejack and Fluttershy shared a glance, each one trying their best to look like they weren’t panicking. Eventually, Applejack tilted her head down by a few degrees. “Take a seat,” she said flatly.

“Much appreciated.” Iron Maiden slid onto the bench next to Fluttershy. With a quick glow from her horn, the alicorn’s sword belt came undone and floated onto the table between them; sheath, sword, and all. “You Equestrians put so many carriages together. I’ve given that speech a dozen times since we arrived.” She turned her smile on Applejack. “How did I do? Do you feel more friendly and cooperative than when we first entered?”

Applejack stared back for a good few seconds. “Ain’t nopony freakin’ out,” she said slowly. “Ah’d say that’s a point in ya’ll’s favor.”

“Ah, excellent!” The alicorn seemed to relax a bit, setting her cap on the table next to the sword. “It took me quite some time to augment the speech provided by the Princess’s Strategician to this state. The first time was…” She shuttered, armor rattling with the motion. “Less successful.”

“Did anypony get…” Fluttershy squeaked as Iron Maiden turned towards her. “...hurt?”

“Hurt? Goddesses, no!” Iron Maiden placed a forehoof over her heart in surprise. “We’re not bandits, little one; we’re liberators! What would be the point of liberating ponies from their current tyrants if we were just going to be tyrannical ourselves?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “An’ how exactly did ya’ll ‘seize an’ liberate’ Appleloosa, then?”

“With diplomacy!” Iron Maiden shot the farmpony a smile. “After we explained that their liberation was inevitable, the citizens of Appleloosa were more than willing to accept the Diarchy’s protection.” Her smile faltered for a moment as she thought. “Although, it did take some time to explain that our Diarchy is different than the one they were following previously. A strange coincidence to be sure.” She gasped, her cheeks turning a shade of pink. “Where are my manners? I have yet to even ask your names!”

The two Elements of Harmony shared another glance. “Mare-Do-Well,” Applejack said, grasping at the only other name she’d been called that wasn’t apple-related.

“Angel Bunny!” Fluttershy blurted.

Iron Maiden grinned. “A pleasure to meet both of you, Lady Well and Lady Bunny! Fear not; I never forget a name once spoken.” She grasped both ponies by the forehoof and shook them vigorously. “I do hope that once all of this liberation business is resolved, we will be able to engage in friendly activities like having tea and watching gladiatorial fights!” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “I always wanted to do that back in the Bastion of the Night.”

“Not to put th’ cart before th’ pony,” Applejack cut in, “but do y'all mind if Ah ask ya a silly question?”

“There’s no such thing as a silly question,” Iron Maiden proclaimed. “Only silly ponies who ask questions.” She paused, looking as embarrassed as an alicorn in full armor could do. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Something my father used to say. Please, ask your question.”

“Well, uh…” Applejack scratched the back of her head under her hat. “We got ‘bout 4 alicorns in all’ve Equestria, an’ ya’ll’ve got 3 in this here train car alone. So, uh… Where’d ya’ll come from?”

“Oh!” Iron Maiden perked back up. “That is thanks to the Strategician! He came to our Princesses with a magical artifact that allowed us to cross the heavens to this greenest of pastures.” She glanced out the window at the scrubland that stretched out to the horizon. “Metaphorically speaking, that is. I imagine that the green parts are more to the north. Similar to… Ah…” She tapped her chin with a forehoof. “What was that queendom named again? Roania?”

Fluttershy’s eyebrows shot up into her mane. “You’re from Discord’s-” She cut herself off before she could call it a ‘game’. Things were starting to fall into place for the meek pegasus.

Iron Maiden turned towards her. “You know of that Serpent of Chaos? How far does that abominable creature’s reach go?” She snorted through flared nostrils. “We must do something about that once the liberation is final. Do you know of his whereabouts?” The alicorn placed her hoof on the hilt of her sword, almost without thinking about it.

Fluttershy gulped. “Haven’t the foggiest.”

“Hmm, well that is likely for the best.” Iron Maiden paused as one of the fully armored alicorns leaned down to her and whispered something. “Ah, it seems we are finished here.” She stood, picking up her cap and belt in one smooth motion. “My apologies, small ones, but I must depart and prepare for any more of your carriages that come this way. Your drivers have been informed to take you back the way you came.”

“Wait!” Applejack leapt to her hooves, prompting the two alicorn guards to bristle. “What about th’ ponies in Appleloosa? What ‘bout my-” She caught the word ‘family’ in her throat just in time. “My friends, the Apple Family? Ah gotta see them! Braeburn said-”

“I assure you, Lady Well,” Iron Maiden said calmly, “no-ponies have been harmed in the slightest. Under certain circumstances, some ponies have been released into Equestria to spread word of our peaceful intentions.” She bowed her head. “I hope that you two will do the same. Please let your friends and family know that they should prepare to welcome the Second Alicorn Diarchy with open hooves quite soon.”

“Why?” Fluttershy squeaked. “What’s going to happen?”

Iron Maiden gave the pegasus a gentle smile. “Why, Lady Bunny, what else? The second wave is coming.” She turned to the rest of the car and raised her voice. “I must extend my sincere congratulations to all of you. Soon, you shall all be liberated. Please, good ponies, do not resist.”

Comments

[Mix-up]

I wonder what made those alicorns Diarque change their minds from being withdrawn from the rest of the world to wanting to take over Equestria and replace Celestia and Luna, I am not sure Wits alone is the soul reason for that, but just nudged them in that direction. I would wonder how they managed to come into Equestria and seem to be aware that they aren't from that world.

I think the best option would be to break the alicorn trust in the sisters and get them to intergrade Equestria proper as regular citizen, which would probably undermined the royalty imagery of Celestia, but could still work. Or, agree give them there own land land or dutchy. At the moment we don't know what the alicorns themselves want out of this, which at the moment they only seem to do it on the sisters say so and don't really have much interest or gain behind the military action. If they are more in the mood to explore Euqestria it could work too. We have no idea of how powerful these alicorns can be.

I are really starting to wonder if Wits and Purple Heart are just acting out and still just acting out on the Mane 6 but heavily pushed by their later ego in the back of their mind and just want a reaction from them and ultimately are just a distraction from what Light Patch is doing, and seems to have the only real goal.