CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence

by GanonFLCL

Chapter Thirteen: Convention

Dinnertime was fast approaching, and Fluttershy hadn't been expecting to do very much in the long run besides just putting chairs around their dining table and picking out Dolor flavors for everypony. Nopony had really picked favorite flavors yet and so they'd mostly just settled on trying everything tonight to try to narrow it down a bit; it wasn't quite as classy as those wine tastings that Rarity went to sometimes, but it sounded similar.

But then Pinkie came home from work, and brought with her a pretty reasonable amount of knowledge on how to properly cook the stuff, and more importantly mix them, and that's when everything changed. None of them had known that they could mix these pastes together to make all sorts of other unique flavors; apparently, Lockwood, Flathoof, and Winter had all forgotten to mention it. Pinkie had at least mentioned that it was a complicated process, so maybe that was why.

Fluttershy knew she still needed to get some recipes from Twilight and was actually looking forward to it now, but Pinkie's know-how would suffice for the time being to at least make tonight's dinner a little bit unique compared to what they'd gotten used to so far.

Pinkie had also brought with her a new friend, Red Velvet, who made Fluttershy do a double-take to make sure she wasn't seeing double. Thankfully this new mare looked and acted differently enough that Fluttershy was able to eliminate the idea that there was a Mirror Pool in this world, too. It was probably the clothes that helped the most, which for some reason made Fluttershy's face feel hot.

Apparently the pair also had stopped at Velvet's apartment on the way up—she lived in the same complex—to grab her sister to bring over for dinner to meet everypony. Fluttershy recognized the name from earlier in the day and so wasn't surprised when said sister turned out to be Gray Skies, who she was actually happy to see. She wouldn't mind getting to know Gray a little better while around all of her other friends; she'd be less intimidated that way.

So the table was now set for more than Fluttershy was expecting, which meant that everypony would be crowded together. It would thus be herself, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Twilight—Lockwood said that Applejack would almost assuredly not be joining them—as well as Velvet, Gray, and their other sister, Insipid; Velvet and Gray had left a note for her in the apartment, since she hadn't come home yet.

"So, this is your place?" Gray asked Fluttershy as she helped set the table—Pinkie and Velvet were busy in the kitchen making some concoctions that Fluttershy just hoped were edible.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "It is. Home… sweet home," she said, hoping she hid her disappointment well enough; this apartment was home for now, but it was far from the home she was used to and was hardly sweet.

"Hmm. It's cozy," Gray noted, nodding in what Fluttershy was sure was approval, though she didn't know why.

"So, um… Red Velvet's your sister, huh?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head towards the kitchen. "She seems… nice."

Gray grunted and shrugged. "I guess. My sisters are too active for my tastes. That's why they usually just leave me home alone."

Fluttershy didn't really question that. She knew well enough that siblings could be drastically different from one another, just like friends could be. Her brother Zephyr was as different from her as possible, a constant source of frustration whenever she visited her parents and found that again he had moved back in after giving up on whatever job he'd been getting into. How she ended up with such a lazy mooch for a brother, she didn't know.

Twilight was the next pony to arrive home, and she seemed in rather high spirits. "Hey, everypony! I'm home!" She noticed Gray and Fluttershy standing together near the dining table. "Oh! Hello. I didn't know we were having company. I would have insisted Winter join us instead of going out by herself."

Fluttershy smiled and gestured meekly at Gray. "This is… my new… um…" She hesitated, not wanting to assume that she and Gray were friends just yet. "This is Gray Skies. She… lives a few floors down from us. I met her earlier today while helping Lockwood with some work."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Skies," Twilight said with a smile of her own. "I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"It's just Gray," Gray said. "Nopony calls me Miss Skies."

Twilight chuckled. "Alright then, it's nice to meet you, Gray. You're joining us for dinner, I take it?"

"Yeah. Pinkie invited me."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Pinkie did? Not Fluttershy?" she asked, looking at the latter for confirmation.

Fluttershy nodded. "Pinkie invited her new friend over for dinner, and when she found out that she lived with her sisters here, she… well, she invited them all. Gray here is one of her sisters, so…"

"Oh, that's wonderful! The more the merrier, right? It might get a little cramped in here, but I'm sure we'll make due." Twilight glanced around. "Where is Pinkie anyway?"

"I'm in here, Twilight!" called Pinkie from the kitchen. "Just whipping up some dinner! Everything should be ready pretty soon! You're gonna love it!"

"Okay!" Twilight called back as she made for the dinner table to take a seat. She paused midway into her chair. "Wait, she's whipping up dinner? I thought we just had those packets to eat?"

"Oh, Pinkie found out that you can cook and mix them in certain ways to make them taste different," Fluttershy said. "I mean, um… we already sort of knew that first part, but Pinkie found out some actual recipes that require mixing the colors." She paused. "Speaking of which, could you maybe find some recipes tomorrow to bring home for me?"

"Sure, I'd love to! Looking forward to trying out some yourself, huh?"

"Yes. I don't want Pinkie to have to cook for us after spending the day working. I'm here… alone… all day anyway, so I should be the one handling it." If Twilight noticed the pauses, she didn't show it.

There was a knock at the window. Fluttershy got up and headed over, first lifting up the protective air filter screen then the window itself to reveal Rainbow just outside. "Oh, hello Rainbow. Welcome home."

"Hey, Shy," Rainbow said as she squeezed in; the window wasn't exactly made for a pony to fit through, but Rainbow was nimble enough to do it. "Sorry I came in this way, but I didn't feel like taking the stairs. I've already got my workout in for the day, y'know?"

Rainbow turned and saw Gray sitting at the dinner table. "Oh. Hey." She looked at Fluttershy. "We've got guests?"

"This is Gray Skies," Fluttershy said, gesturing towards the towering pegasus. "She lives a few floors down from us. I met her earlier today, and Pinkie invited her to dinner, along with her sisters."

Rainbow tilted her head up. "'Sup. I'm Rainbow Dash."

Gray did the same. "'Sup."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, she's cool. She can stay."

As Fluttershy looked between the two briefly, she couldn't help but notice that their eye colors were remarkably similar. Normally that wouldn't be something anypony would find odd—she and Pinkie had similar eye colors, after all—but it just seemed so… uncannily exact. But it didn't bother anypony else and Fluttershy just considered it an odd thing to notice, so she didn't think anything further of it.

"Welcome home, Rainbow," Twilight said with a little wave. "How was your tryout, or whatever it was you were doing? Sorry, I'm not quite up on how these sports things work. My brother's the sports buff in the family."

Rainbow's grin turned particularly smug as she took a seat at the table. "Oh, you know, nothing special. I just got offered a spot in the striker position on a semi-pro skyball team, so hey, whatever, no biggie."

Fluttershy smiled. "Wow, way to go, Rainbow. I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks, Shy."

"Woohoo," said Gray, though she wasn't really looking anywhere in Rainbow's direction and seemed oddly univested in the conversation.

"You know, I don't really understand much about skyball," Twilight said, tapping her chin. "It's not a popular sport among non-pegasi, really. So I do understand that's great you got onto a semi-professional team, but is being a striker a good thing?"

"It's just one of the positions, like a linebacker or a quarterback."

Twilight's expression remained blank.

"First base? Shortstop?"

No change.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Strikers are the team's offensive players whose job is to get possession of the ball and bring it to the goal to score. Simple stuff." She cockily put her hooves behind her head. "It's only the most prestigious position on the team. I mean, I know there are three on the team, but like, those three players are usually the most popular ones with fans."

"Fans love seeing the strikers fly," Fluttershy added with a proud little grin. They have to be very quick and agile, so they're usually the most interesting to watch."

"You know about skyball, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, seemingly surprised.

"Oh, yes. I've never played it myself, but I always liked to watch it back at flight school." She gave Rainbow a smile. "Rainbow was on the team, and I came to every game so… so that I could support my friend."

She wouldn't tell anypony that she went because she had a crush on one of the team's other strikers, a cute colt named Bumbershoot. Even Rainbow didn't know, and Fluttershy would keep it that way.

"You ever play skyball, Gray?" Rainbow asked, sizing the huge mare up. "You look like you'd be an ace blocker. You're built like a house."

Gray shrugged. "Nah. Too active for me. I watch sometimes, though."

"Oh yeah! Speaking of watching, if you guys want to watch any games, I hear they… uh, 'broadcast' them, or something like that? They'll be showing them on that Teevee thingy. If you guys can't make it to the games in person, you can at least watch from home!"

Twilight's eyes widened. "Really? Wow! I'd love to have a chance to watch you in action, Rainbow. Let me know the schedule of games when you can, and I'll try and watch them whenever I'm not at work."

"Will do, Twi. Say, how was work, anyway? Did you and Winter find anything… interesting?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, Winter and I collected a bunch of reading materials to go over, mostly historical stuff for that project she's working on. I'm going to meet her in the lounge after dinner so that we can start reading through some of it together."

"I hope you find something that'll help her," Fluttershy said.

She knew about the cover story Winter and Twilight had cooked up if anypony asked, and it was certainly believable enough in Fluttershy's mind. She didn't know how Gray would react if the truth came out, and was steadily finding herself worried that she would. Would Gray even want to be friends if she found out that Fluttershy was an… alien?

Then, the door opened and drew Fluttershy away from those thoughts, and Rarity made her grand entrance. "Helloooo, I'm hoooome, darlings!"

As she walked into the room, Fluttershy noticed that Rarity had on a new dress, and a lovely one as well; Fluttershy was the only other pony in their group of friends with an eye for fashion, so she knew what qualified as "lovely", and that dress definitely qualified.

It was made of black lace that hugged the unicorn's figure, dark enough across most of it that her white coat just barely peeked through. It was long enough to trail down her hindquarters in what Rarity would call an "alluring, yet appropriate" way, as in it left just enough to the imagination to attract attention. It wasn't decorated with Rarity's trademark gemstones, though, so Fluttershy knew it wasn't one of Rarity's dresses.

Still, it made Rarity look lovely.

Rarity had also come in with another unicorn, this one with a charcoal-colored coat and a bright yellow—not blonde—mane. She wore a dress practically identical to Rarity's, only hers was purple to properly contrast with her coat and mane colors; her figure was much like Rarity's was and so the contours of the dress hugged her close. The two could almost pass for sisters, especially since this new unicorn's eyes were an uncanny match for Rarity's own.

This other mare would also look lovely, if not for the fact that her mane was a mess.

"I brought along a guest!" Rarity announced as she gestured proudly to the other unicorn. "Everypony, this is Insipid—"

The other unicorn gasped and waved at Gray, with the kind of enthusiasm Fluttershy didn't see in adult ponies besides Pinkie. "Hey, sis! Like, what're you doing here? Oh, did we move again? 'Cause, that would be, like, major unfresh. I was just getting used to the new place!"

Fluttershy recognized the name immediately; Lockwood's paperwork had mentioned Gray's other sister as Insipid, which meant that she must have gotten the note that Gray and Velvet said they'd left for her. Wait, no, that couldn't be right; Rarity said she brought Insipid as a guest. What was going on?

Gray gave a half-hearted wave. "Hey. Got invited to dinner."

"Me too!" Insipid said with a bubbly, airy tone. She pulled Rarity in for a side hug. "My new friend Rarity, like, asked me to come along! We're totally besties now. Cha!"

"She and I are the inaugural members of Lovers' Lane's new fashion line, Rising Star," Rarity explained with a proud grin. "I'll be designing and fashioning the dresses, and Insipid here will be modeling them. It's all part of an attempt by the established fashion companies to highlight new talent. Isn't that wonderful?"

"She's gonna be your new dress model?" Rainbow asked. She briefly gave Insipid a once-over; Fluttershy could see her eyes lingering a bit around the other mare's rear, which was perfectly understandable. "Yeah, I can see her shaking it down the runway. Good pick, Rares."

Rarity ignored—wisely—Rainbow's not-too-subtle half-flirt. "I invited her so that once we're all done with dinner, I can give her a little make-over. So if anypony needs to use the bathroom for getting cleaned up, fair warning that I'm calling dibs on it right now."

"Yeah!" Insipid cheered, apparently not noticing or acknowledging Rainbow either. "She's gonna do up my mane, and like, give me a hooficure, and, um… some eyeliner and… uh…" She looked to Rarity desperately for help finishing her thought.

"And dye your mane as well, dear," Rarity said, pawing at the other mare's locks. "Your color is generally fine, but I believe you might have used too much dye; it's horribly oversaturated."

"Yeah! That! And like, when she's all done, I'm gonna look…" She paused, holding her hooves together like she was in a play, staring off-stage at an unseen sunset. "Beautiful…"

Fluttershy watched the display with awe. Pinkie was a bit flighty at times, but this mare put Pinkie to shame. But if anypony could take her under their metaphorical wing and bring out the best in them, it was Rarity.

Rarity smiled sweetly at her new friend, then turned to Gray. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, dear, I didn't mean to ignore you. My manners are just all over the place today, it seems. Did I hear correctly that you're Insipid's sister?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah. Name's Gray Skies. Just Gray will do."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rarity, by the way. I take it you were invited to dinner as well? By whom, if I might ask?"

"Pinkie. She and my sister Red made friends, I guess. They invited me over. Normally I'd say no, but hey." Gray shrugged, looking lazily towards Fluttershy. "Free meal."

Fluttershy wondered if Gray would've said no if she'd been the one to ask her. After all, Gray had offered to spend time together, right?

Rarity and Insipid each took seats as well, and it wasn't long after that that Pinkie and Velvet came bounding in from the kitchen and loaded the crowded table with food. Fluttershy was impressed to see that Pinkie had made such a presentation; none of it looked like anything she'd ever seen before, but it all definitely looked different, in a good way. The little plate of treats, though, looked particularly authentic, but Pinkie assured them they were just as "fakey-fake" as the rest.

"Okay, so, I put together a few things based on what I've learned so far about this Dolor stuff," Pinkie said as she took her own seat. "I've gotta work on my presentation when it comes to healthier foods, though. It just doesn't work the same as it does for the sweet treats!"

"It still looks rather appetizing, doesn't it?" Rarity said as she eyed a dish full of the watery Red stuff that looked like it had been mashed up into liquid and topped with bits of Green. "What's this one supposed to be?"

"Tomato soup! Just take some frozen Red, heat it up in a pan with water, and boom! Tomato soup!"

She then leaned over and carefully stage-whispered so that everypony could hear, "The Green bits on top are supposed to be parsley, but I don't know if they worked right or not. Green's kind of picky. So y'know… eat those at your own risk. Might be broccoli, might be cabbage, I dunno."

With that, everypony served themselves and dug in, sharing stories about their days around the table as they ate. Fluttershy noticed that Rainbow's attention was consistently shooting towards Velvet, then back to Pinkie, to whom she would whisper something that Fluttershy couldn't hear, but based on Rainbow's wings Fluttershy was pretty sure what the conversation was about.

And as Fluttershy sat there and listened attentively to the conversations she could hear, sharing occasional looks at Gray who was also sitting quietly and attentively, she had the strangest feeling that things were going to be okay.

*****

Shadows played across the expanse of Silvertongue's private dining room, the ambience kept pleasantly dim by a series of flickering wax candles. A solid black tablecloth covered the large dining table, which with the rest of the dimmed atmosphere made the candles seem as though they were floating. Plates, bowls, glasses, forks and spoons; the table was set for ten, as always.

At present, it seated just three. Dawn sat on one of the long ends of the table, Havoc directly across from her, with Silvertongue seated at the head of the table between the two, as was appropriate for the head of the family.

A veritable smorgasbord of foods—real foods, because Pandora Tower was far too good for those inferior Dolor synthetics—lay spread out across the table within reach, all of it respectable and healthy, essential for providing the key nutrients needed as part of perfectly balanced diets. The spread was absolutely lavish: dishes of fully-loaded green salads, a broth-based vegetable soup, fluffy, buttery rolls, little sandwiches with various fillings, and for desert, sliced fruits and berries in syrup.

Dawn possessed the sort of perfectly-practiced etiquette that was expected of somepony of her bearing, much like her father did, and so she followed his example as the meal was served by Pandora Tower's chef, Crème Brûlée.

When Havoc attempted to reach for a roll too soon, Dawn was quick to silently chastise her with just a look of clear incredulous contempt, and she continued with these looks towards Havoc throughout dinner, sometimes adding a clearing of her throat for extra emphasis.

When Havoc started to unfold her napkin before their father did? Look.

When she went to grab her fork and start eating before their father did? Look.

When she wiped with her napkin instead of dabbed? Look.

When she chewed with her mouth open? When she put her hooves or elbows on the table? When she used her napkin to pick her nose? Look, look, look.

Dawn couldn't but wonder that there was no way the two were related. She couldn't possibly have a sister this uncultured. Even Insipid knew how to follow instructions, and Insipid was an idiot.

"You don't need to castigate your sister's manners on my account, Dawn," Silvertongue said as he served himself a second helping of salad, a little grin on his face.

"But Father, her table etiquette is atrocious," Dawn said, condemningly eyeing Havoc, who had started to reach across the table to grab the pepper shaker, giving her another look. "It is absolutely unacceptable for a pony to dine in such a fashion."

"What's the big deal, sis?" Havoc asked as she grabbed the pepper anyway; Dawn didn't dare grasp it away, as that would be just as rude. "This ain't some fancy-schmancy dinner party. This is a family dinner." She glanced at all the empty seats. "Just, y'know, without most of the family here."

"That is utterly opposed to the intention of my denunciation."

Havoc blinked. "Huh?"

"That is not the point!"

"Psh. Yeah, whatever. Kinda sucks that Gray, Red, and Insipid gotta chow down on that fake Dolor crap while we get the good eats, huh? Sucks to be them, I mean, ha! Up top!" Havoc held her hoof over the table expecting a high hoof that definitely wasn't coming.

Dawn's eye twitched angrily. "It is most unfortunate for them, yes, but I do not think they would appreciate your jocularity regarding the issue."

"On that, I agree," Silvertongue said with a disapproving look of his own towards Havoc. "With the situation as it is, I required some of you to house yourselves in a standard city residence. It makes contact more believable and convenient for both parties. You, Dawn, and Curaçao were permitted to stay here because of the space allotted. However, I would be happy to send you to live with your other sisters if you find their situation so amusing."

Havoc frowned. "No, that's okay, I, uh… I like it here in the Tower. Sorry Pops, I didn't mean nothing by it, won't happen again." She looked at Dawn. "Say, where is Curaçao, anyway? I thought she'd be joining us for dinner? It's rude to be late. Where's all your huffing and puffing towards her?"

Dawn stuck her nose in the air. "Curaçao has already informed me that she would be dining elsewhere for dinner this evening, as her assignment required an additional period of time for her to accomplish, which she did not account for prior to this morning's deployment."

"She contacted you?" Silvertongue asked, briefly pausing his fork and raising an eyebrow. "How? None of you were provided with communication equipment. Such devices would draw suspicion, as they are not exactly common."

At this, Dawn gave her father a proud smile. "It is a rather elementary spell I developed, Father. Curaçao was assisting me in assessing its efficacy, so that I might expand its influence to the remainder of my sisters once the evaluation is complete."

Silvertongue set his fork down on his plate; proper etiquette, Dawn noted, not letting it touch the table. "And are you satisfied with your results thus far?"

"Thus far, my expectations have been met, which is to say that the spell is flawless. Curaçao and I can communicate across nearly the entire city's area, assuming I am here in Pandora Tower, and either one of us may initiate the connection. It is a vast improvement over the prevailing telepathy spells utilized in other circles."

"It certainly is. The most practiced of those have a range of only one hundred feet."

Her proud grin grew wider. "With additional effort, I surmise that I can amplify the range further, perhaps as far as the continent's edge, if not further."

"Fascinating." Silvertongue leaned back in his chair, then gestured briefly to Havoc. "Demonstrate, if you would?"

Dawn tilted her head. "You wish me to demonstrate the spell? Now?"

"I would. Such a spell would drastically increase the efficiency and effectiveness of you and your sisters on this assignment, as you could communicate issues as they crop up rather than hours after the fact. This is a tactical boon, so I wish to see how well it works."

Dawn nodded, then lit up her horn briefly to extend the spell's influence over Havoc as well. It was rather simple, and technically Havoc didn't even need to be in the room with her, since they shared a sisterly bond that made them familiar with one another; she couldn't use it on a stranger, for example. The process was also undetectable apart from Dawn's initial casting, and would last indefinitely, unless she purposefully dispelled it.

Havoc tilted her head. "So, uh… did it work? Can I talk in your head now, sis?"

Dawn nodded, and communicated directly with Havoc without words. "Affirmative, Havoc, you can. Simply 'think' your words aloud and—"

"Whoooaa! I can hear you in my head! This is awesome! Can you hear me? Helloooo! Echo!"

"Affirmative again, I can hear you," Dawn thought disdainfully. She turned to her father. "The connection has been established, Father. How would you prefer I demonstrate it?"

Silvertongue tilted his head, then leaned over his seat to whisper in Dawn's ear, "Tell her to touch her nose with her left hoof, and raise her right hoof straight up."

Dawn nodded, waited for Silvertongue to return to a comfortable seating position, then mentally communicated the thought to Havoc: "Touch your nose with your left hoof, and raise your right hoof straight up."

Havoc nodded, and followed the instructions precisely.

Silvertongue hummed. "A wonderful proof of concept thus far. As a further demonstration, this time of the distance and ability to communicate with those outside the room, can you tell me where Curaçao might currently be?"

"Certainly, Father. One moment." She took a short breath. "Curaçao, where are you currently located? Father wishes for an update on your position."

Curaçao's voice came through the connection loud and clear. "Ah, Bonsoir, ma sœur. I am in the middle of something at the moment, oui? I will likely be returning home within the next hour or so. Do not wait up for me."

"I did not inquire as to your scheduling conflicts, sister, I inquired as to your location. Where are you?"

"Ma sœur, pardonne-moi, but I cannot divulge where I am at the moment, because that is part of my assignment, oui? If Papa is asking you about this, then he will understand. Now, if that is all, please, do not distract me any further. Au revoir!"

Dawn grumbled, then turned to her father. "She is refusing to divulge her location, Father."

Silvertongue smiled. "Good, that is precisely what I was hoping for."

"It… it is?" Dawn asked, eyebrow up.

"Your sister's assignment plays on her natural talents for subterfuge, deception, and investigation. Wherever she is at the moment and whatever she is doing, I am certain that she is performing amiably. Her assignment is far different from any of yours, you understand, and she will achieve better results without meticulous oversight."

"But she can still tell us when she's gonna miss dinner?" Havoc asked through a mouthful of sandwich, earning another look from Dawn.

"If something causes a deviation in her schedule, yes, I would expect her to at least keep you and your sisters informed," Silvertongue said with a grin. "Just as I also expect her to deliver information to any of you that may be of use in your own tasks. But as to where she is or what exactly she's doing? Those are unimportant to any of you."

Silvertongue then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ah, but it is getting late, and I have some additional business to attend to. I'll take my leave shortly, if you two wish to dine any further."

He poured himself a cup of coffee, which Dawn understood as the proper signal etiquette-wise that dinner was concluded, and she and Havoc could leave whenever they wished. Given his recent statement, though, she knew he meant that they should leave sooner rather than later and was just being polite; she wouldn't expect anything less of him.

"I believe that it might be best if we retire for the evening instead," Dawn said with a nod. She turned to Havoc. "Come along, sister. Leave Father to his business."

Though Dawn rose from her seat—and Silvertongue politely rose as well—Havoc did not just yet. "What? But I'm still—"

"Havoc. Now," Dawn communicated via the new telepathic bond, giving Havoc yet another look.

Havoc rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I guess it might be cool to check out my new room." She waved farewell to Silvertongue. "Later, Pops! See you tomorrow!"

Before she left, she grabbed a few rolls, even stuffing one in her mouth. Dawn could practically hear her sister cackling as she did it.

"Havoc!" Dawn hissed.

Through the telepathy, Havoc said: "Fuck you, sis!"

But Havoc was already sipping out of the room faster than Dawn could blink, leaving Dawn seething.

"Don't worry about her, Dawn," Silvertongue chuckled, taking a sip of his evening coffee. "Your sister isn't cut from the same cloth as you. None of your sisters are; you're all unique in your own ways, and have your own strengths and weaknesses. Remember that. Remember that even you likely have some quality that your sisters may view as a negative."

Dawn put her nose in the air. "I cannot fathom a single attribute of my character that anypony could judge as anything less than exemplary." She made her way for the door. "Good night, Father."

Silvertongue smiled, surely proud of her confidence. "Good night, Dawn. Rest well."

*****

It was rather late at night when Curaçao arrived back at Pandora Tower, heading for a hidden entrance near the perimeter that required special keycards that only residents of the Tower possessed. They were meant to be used when Tower workers needed to get to and from their "day jobs", though mostly it was so they could entertain themselves out in the city during their free time.

For Curaçao it was much easier to get in than the average Tower resident, since she could morph her appearance so precisely that her entire body became transparent, utterly invisible to the naked eye. Others usually used disguises and had to be extremely aware of their surroundings; some, like her sister Dawn, could just teleport inside. Pegasi like her sister Havoc couldn't fly in, naturally, so she'd have had to do this too.

She'd missed her first chance at having dinner with her family since the infusion process that gave her these strange new powers, and she was rather sad that she had to. But that was just the nature of her work; she had to ensure that every piece of the puzzle that was in front of her was carefully placed in its proper spot, and that often meant long nights alone more often than not.

Once she'd entered into the secret tunnel that led into the Tower, she readjusted her appearance to her natural, blue-coated, red-maned self. She was glad her new abilities also applied to her clothing, which was the same silver jumpsuit she'd worn during the morning's test. If it wasn't, things would be complicated and awkward if she needed to take on the forms of others. She'd have to wander around nude to maintain her invisibility, for one, and need to find other ponies' clothes for another.

She shifted it now into a dark gray moto jacket and an olive green beret. Simple, fashionable, comfortable.

After making her way through the tunnel, she ascended the elevator up to the fiftieth floor, which was used mostly for data storage and a single office/apartment combination that belonged to her father's secretary, Shroud. Curaçao had important business to attend to, and Shroud had key access to all of the data in her office and was the only pony in the Tower, including her father, that did.

When she quietly entered said office, however, she was expecting to be alone, considering the late hour. Instead, she found herself looking right at the office's lone occupant, a pink-coated unicorn mare with a red mane not unlike Curaçao's own, a thick pair of horn-rimmed glasses over her nose. She was wearing a set of blue, fuzzy pajamas that Curaçao found quite cute; they had what looked like little yellow stars on them.

"Hello? Can I help you?" the mare asked; Curaçao already knew this was Shroud, but they'd never been properly introduced. None of her sisters knew Shroud either, come to think of it. An odd circumstance, all things considered.

"Oh, bonjour," Curaçao said, a small smile on her face. "Pardonne-moi, I thought you would be asleep by now."

Shroud raised an eyebrow. "So… you were gonna sneak into my office?"

"Oui, I was," Curaçao said, unfazed. "I needed some important information, and your office has access to the Tower's entire database, non?"

"It does. Usually the ponies around here just buzz me on the intercom if they need something, though, at any hour of the day or night. Nopony comes up personally."

"Ah, I think that is what I was told, but I did not want to disturb you in case you were sleeping." Curaçao shrugged. "But you are awake, non? Perhaps you can help me then."

"That's why I'm here." Shroud paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, I don't recognize your voice. Are you new in the Tower?"

Curaçao tilted her head. "Non? I have been here for a long time. Ah, pardonne-moi, I have never spoken with you before tonight though. Je m'appelle Curaçao. Et tu es?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shroud," the unicorn said, offering her pajama-clad hoof.

Curaçao took the hoof and smiled. "Enchanté. I must say, your pajamas are adorable."

Shroud blushed, but did not take her hoof from Curaçao's. "Um, thanks. Wait, you said your name is Curaçao? I recognize that name. Mister Silvertongue told me that I was supposed to get you anything you needed. You've got Master-Level security clearance, so, uh… you must be pretty important."

"Bien sûr. Mon père has trusted me with some very important work, and that requires as few restrictions as possible, non?"

"Right. So, what can I help you with?"

Curaçao smiled. "I need a complete file on one Captain Flathoof of the NPPD. Everything you can give me: school records, tax records, the works. J'ai besoin de tout."

Shroud tapped her screen a few times, her hooves moving so fast that Curaçao could barely keep track of them. A look at the mare's eyes—which Curaçao noted were a lovely blue—showed them zipping just as quickly across the screen. It took less than thirty seconds before Shroud dramatically clicked the screen again, and announced—

"Done. Every single public record—and some not public—of one NPPD Captain Flathoof." She reached under the desk and pulled out one of those fancy little data drives and handed it over. "Anything else?"

Curaçao nodded, and pushed the drive back towards Shroud. "Oui. I need another complete file for one 'Lockwood'. He is just a civilian, but I need all of the same information on him that you can provide me, s'il vous plaît."

Shroud nodded, reinserted the drive under her desk, then did the same process that she'd done with Flathoof. Curaçao was rather surprised that it took much longer for her to take care of his file; was there that much more information?

"Okay, got a little snag here: you said 'Lockwood', right?"

Curaçao raised an eyebrow. "Oui?"

"Which one? I've got two on here."

"Quoi? Deux? What do you mean?"

"Yeah, I've got one older, one younger. They even look a lot alike, except the eyes."

"Hmm. Intéressant. Get me the files for both of them. You never can be too thorough, oui?"

Shroud nodded. "Sure thing." After nearly three minutes, Shroud removed the drive and passed it back over to Curaçao. "Anything else, Miss Curaçao?"

"Mademoiselle Curaçao, if you wish to be formal," Curaçao said with a smile. "But there is no need to be formal with me, mon amie. We are working together in a way, non? Just Curaçao will do. And no, that will be all. You have been très utile. Merci beaucoup."

"I'm glad I could be of help. That's my job. Just remember, you don't need to come here in person next time; just buzz me on the intercom. I'm on call twenty-four-seven."

Curaçao frowned. "Oh non non non, I could not do that! Périsse la pensée! It would be so rude to wake you when you are sleeping, and so impersonal even when you are awake."

Shroud dismissed that thought with her hoof. "Psh, it's okay. That's what everypony does, anyway. Most folks in the Tower don't usually even bother with that, actually, just Mister Silvertongue. Apart from him I don't even talk to anypony outside of a few random reports, and never really hold a conversation."

Curaçao's frown deepened. "C'est terrible! You must be so lonely." She shook her head. "Non, I will not do this. If I need something, I will come to you en personne."

"Uh… I mean, sure, okay? You don't have to do that—"

"Tut tut. I do, mon amie, I do." Curaçao placed the drive under her beret. "But for now, I will bid you adieu, so that you may get some sleep, oui? It is very late, after all." She headed for the door, giving a little wave as she did so. "Au revoir, et bonne nuit!"

"Uh… bye?" Shroud said, waving back with a yawn. "See you around, I guess."

Curaçao smiled once she was out of the room, mostly to herself, and headed down the hall towards the elevator. It might be late, but she still had plenty of time to do some research. After all, a mare with her responsibilities never rested.

C'est la vie.

*****

It was nearly midnight, and Silvertongue had yet to retire for the evening to his bed, though he had readied himself for the journey: he took his nightly shower to ensure he was clean of sweat, dressed in his evening wear—a black silk robe with a red collar—and everything else that a pony of his caliber should reasonably be expected to do before tucking in for the evening.

He settled into his huge bed that was big enough to comfortably fit ten ponies, pulled up the silk sheets, and settled himself in and prepared for sleep.

Just before he managed to drift off, however, he felt a familiar presence probing his mind. "My Warden, how is our grand design progressing?" came Nihila's voice, smooth as the silk on his bed.

Silvertongue fought hard not to let his mild aggravation bleed through into his thoughts; he hadn't been expecting her to contact him until morning. "From my assessment thus far, I'd say that it is too early to make any manner of judgement on the matter," came his terse reply.

"A ridiculous concession," she hissed, making his blood run cold. "You have spoken with some of our tools already, have you not? Surely they presented you with some measure of success thus far?"

"Due to the circumstances of our plan, my lady, I have only spoken personally with Golden Dawn and Havoc, and I asked that they keep their reports brief such that I do not steer them improperly along their path. They have been left to their own devices, as we agreed, for they will benefit more from these 'bonds' forging naturally."

Nihila's essence wafted about inside him, a simmering heat; she was not satisfied with that answer. "This plan of yours is progressing far too slowly."

"It has only been a single day since we put the plan into effect."

"Excuses!" she snapped; he felt like he'd been punched in the gut, and was almost mildly concerned with her impatience.

"It is far too early to expect them to have made any progress beyond an initial introduction and perhaps, in some cases, the beginnings of a new bond of friendship. Forging relationships like this takes time, my lady, and we have the benefit of nearly a month's worth."

"Why do my pawns not simply offer them what they want?" she asked with a low growl. "You led me to believe those foolish worms would gladly accept help when offered."

"I did, my lady, but it will take time for these otherworldly mares to trust their new friends enough to consider it. If we offer it too soon, they will become suspicious. Otherwise, I would simply offer them the solution myself. And we both know they would not accept our terms."

Nihila paused for a long moment. "I am this close to finally wiping Harmonia's luster from this world, my Warden. I can taste victory in the air for the first time in hundreds of years. I will not be denied my due."

Silvertongue sighed, again forcing down the feelings of frustration. "Our plan will work. I assure you of that. But we must give it time. Your pawns will waste away the precious weeks these mares have before they bring them to me, to us, and then they will have no recourse but to accept your terms. Everything is in motion. I have never given you reason to doubt me."

"No… no, I suppose you have not. But I am still hesitant on the pace at which these… 'bonds' are forged. There must be some method that you can implement that will hasten the process."

"I will devise a plan to help strengthen their bonds, then, my lady, if that will alleviate your concerns," Silvertongue said with a nod. "Your every command is mine to obey."

"Good. Do not disappoint me, my Warden."

"I won't."

With that, he felt her essence leave his mind.

In the brief moment of clarity, he knew that he needed to ensure that this grand scheme went off properly, and that meant that Nihila had a point: he couldn't afford to wait for the opportune moment to strike. He'd wanted to gauge the results of his daughters for a few days before he proceeded with anything else, but Nihila wanted results and wasn't listening to reason; she was forcing his hoof.

So be it.

Silvertongue rose from his bed and pushed an intercom button on his nightstand. "Shroud."

It took a few seconds—it was late, so he knew she'd be sleeping—but eventually her somewhat-groggy voice came from the other end: "Sir?"

"I need you to look into Project Four-One-C-N, first thing in the morning."

There was a pause on the other end. "Yes, sir, Project Four-One-C-N, first thing in the morning. I'll contact you with results as soon as I have them."

"Very good, Shroud. And don't worry if it takes time; it is a top-secret project and has several protocols that might make your search… rather protracted."

"Very well. Anything else, sir?"

"No, Shroud, that will be all."

"Have a good night, sir."

With that, he clicked off the intercom and settled back into bed, staring at the ceiling.

His mind was racing. Moving this early could cause any number of snags or fumbles in the plan. There were too many variables, too many possibilities. Just one mistake and the whole thing would be for naught, a beautiful wasted effort with no positive outcome and potentially several negative ones.

He wouldn't be able to sleep properly until he was assured that everything was according to plan.

Comments

[RoboRed]

One half of the set pieces definitely coming together.

Might just be me, but this version of Curaçao seems different and..."sneakier". Me like.

[My name is R]

"Oh! Hello. I didn't know we were having company. I would have insisted Winter join us instead of going out by herself."

Wouldn’t company be a reason not to invite her? Yer place is already a bit small.

Fluttershy’s really beatin' herself up here, innin she? Both in general and in relation ta Gray.

Dawn put her nose in the air. "I cannot fathom a single attribute of my character that anypony could judge as anything less than exemplary."

Thus demonstrating your hubris.

She was glad her new abilities also applied to her clothing, which was the same silver jumpsuit she'd worn during the morning's test. If it wasn't, things would be complicated and awkward if she needed to take on the forms of others. She'd have to wander around nude to maintain her invisibility, for one, and need to find other ponies' clothes for another.
She shifted it now into a dark gray moto jacket and an olive green beret. Simple, fashionable, comfortable.

Wait, I thought she only changed appearance, which wouldn' affect how it feels. Does she have some physical transformation abilities?

Curaçao had important business to attend to, and Shroud had key access to all of the data in her office and was the only pony in the Tower, including her father, that did.

Really now? I took Silvertongue for tha sort who'd have access to everything, probably with a hidden master code or somethin'.

Lookin' at Curie talkin' ta Shroud, she reminds me a Capper. Or more generally of half a dozen other rougish chamers, a noticeable amount a which are of romantic origins. Tha language family, not romance. Well, both, but I meant tha language family.

Time ta read up on how ta kill a goddess, I see.
The plan is going according to plan. ...Where is that from!