The train skidded to a halt at the train station in the desert town of Appleloosa. It opened its doors to let passengers embark and disembark. Among the disembarking passengers were Betty Pringle and a task force of CPD officers. One of the officers took a look at the town and furrowed his eyebrows under his sunglasses. “So this is where those UniMagix terrorists fled to. A town full of Earth Ponies. The perfect hiding place.” He commented.
“Ah, we don’t know that for sure.” One of his colleagues said. “We’ll have to ask around.”
“Right. Never take a suspect’s word for it. Everypony have a copy of each photo?” The first officer asked.
“Yeah we do Sarge.” Sarge’s group replied.
“Right.” Sarge nodded. “Somepony go with Pringle. Everypony else, fan out. Horn Pulse the group when you have an address.”
“Right.” The group replied before dispersing. Heading into the town.
Back in Canterlot, all the Nobles that sent threats to Sparkler had been gathered and were now sitting in a conference room at the CPD. All of them looked particularly unhappy to be there. Finally, one of them spoke. “So. I take it nopony has any clue why we’re here.”
“Nope.” One of the other stallions said. “We have no clue Hoofington.”
“Oh so the great Stalliongrad can’t use his big brain to figure out why we were forced to come here?”
“Careful Blueblood, don’t pick a fight you can’t win.”
“I am the nephew of her Royal Highness Princess Celestia. I can take on anything.”
“Oh yeah? Wanna take a potshot at me?”
“Why you—“
“Ahem!” Before a fight could break out. The six Nobles heard a new voice and turned to see Chief Quill standing there, with an unamused look on his face.
Sensing that Quill wasn’t in the mood to be ignored, the Nobles all sat down. Quill started walking around the table, giving the Nobles a nasty look. “I take it you’re all wondering why I had you brought in.” He said.
“Is this gonna take long Chief?” Silver-Mane asked. “I’m a very busy stallion today, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The other Nobles voiced their agreement that they hadn’t done anything wrong. Quill shook his head and turned so he was fully facing the table and the Nobles. “Is that right? None of you did anything wrong? You all can’t come up with a single reason why I would bring you all here?” The Nobles all shook their heads, answering Quill’s question. Quill lit his horn and summoned a file. “Oh. Ok, so I guess that means none of you remember THESE!” In a quick fashion, he took out the contents of the file, the threat messages that the Nobles originally sent to Sparkler, and slammed them down onto the table so the Nobles could get a look at them.
The Nobles took a few seconds to look at the notes...and all of them shot glares at Quill.
“What are you doing with that Falsicorn’s mail?”
“These are meant for her eyes only!”
“Not only is this a breach of privacy, these notes are frankly none of your business!”
Quill just laughed. “Hahaha! That is where you are all wrong!” He started circling the table. “Threats to an innocent pony’s livelihood is very much my business. Doubly so when they are intended to scare said innocent pony into agreeing to amputation just because she was born with extra bits—“
“She was NOT born an Alicorn Quill!” Silver-Mane shouted, cutting Quill off. “You are not born into greatness. You must earn it. And that FALSICORN has definitely not earned it!”
Quill shot Silver-Mane a glare. “Oh? You can’t be born an Alicorn? Is that right?” Quill lit his horn and pulled down a sheet of parchment hanging from the wall. “Then explain to me Silver-Mane, how is it SHE’S an Alicorn? She couldn’t possibly have done anything attention grabbing at her age right?” He asked as he pointed to a picture of Flurry Heart.
Silver-Mane looked at the picture and just rolled his eyes. “That’s an error that we shoulda corrected.” He said simply.
“You are SO lucky Princess Cadance didn’t hear that!” Quill said as he let the parchment roll back up. “Ever since Sparkling Medley came out as an Alicorn, you all have done nothing but ostracize her, calling for her immediate descension without proper justification. And now these foalish threats. I don’t suppose anypony would like to tell me what the endgame is here?” He asked the Nobles.
None of the Nobles spoke up. They all just sat there with crossed forelegs. After a few seconds, Quill sighed. “Of course not. How could I be so delusional as to think you’d willingly tell me anything.” He said sarcastically. He had known full well they weren't gonna talk. “Listen here and listen well. Princess Celestia and I are sick and tired of your shenanigans, and we won’t put up with it anymore. So either this Falsicorn crap ends right now and you all admit that you won’t win this one. Or you all can spend some time in a jail cell for harassment. Your call.”
The room fell into silence as Quill and the Nobles fell into a staring match. For the next few moments, nopony spoke.
Finally, the silence was broken. “Are we done here?” Asked a Noble.
“Hold it right there Hurricane.” Quill responded. “Nopony leaves until I get verbal confirmation you’ll all end this ridiculous crusade.”
“If we do anything else I’m sure you’ll hear about it and you can smile as you throw us into the slammer. Happy?”
“Get out of my station. And know that we’ll be watching.” Quill said. “Oh, and just in case I haven’t convinced you yet not to take anymore action. Investigators Nosey Pants and River Song have been assigned to Ponyville. So seriously think about it before you give me a reason to put you in the slammer. Because if I get one word about an incident involving Sparkler caused by Nobles like you, I will come after you.” He added.
The Nobles just rolled their eyes and started getting up to leave. Quill watched as they walked out the door. But he stopped one of them. “Ah, not you Silver-Mane.” He said.
Silver-Mane stopped just short of the door. He groaned and turned to face Quill. “Whatever it is Quill it can wait another time.”
“Nope. You aren’t going anywhere til tomorrow. Yer spending the night here.” Quill responded.
“What?!” Silver-Mane exclaimed. “You can’t do that!”
“Oh, but I can.” Quill replied. He lit his horn and summoned the note that Silver-Mane had sent Sparkler. “Not only are you the ring leader in all this Falsicorn crap. But you, in this note, go on to berate her, attack her legitimacy as an Alicorn, and most disturbing of all, you go one to use her young charge as leverage. That’s just wrong in of itself.”
“I really don’t see the problem here.” Silver-Mane said.
“You don’t see that what you’re trying to do is wrong?!” Quill exclaimed. “Your little war against Sparkler boils down to three reasons. Hate, Jealousy, and Racism. And ALL of them stem from the simple fact that she was born an Alicorn.”
“How many times do I have to tell ponies one isn’t—“
“Finish that sentence and I will glue your mouth shut!” Quill cut Silver-Mane off. “It IS possible to be born an Alicorn. It’s happened TWICE now! So stop saying otherwise!”
“Well she’s still unworthy of her status!” Silver-Mane responded.
“Unworthy? Ha! If you want to call saving a foal’s life unworthy then go right ahead.” Quill fired back.
“That’s not enough.” Silver-Mane said dismissively.
“Well good for you. But your still spending the night here. Lieutenant, take him to where he’s staying.” Quill ordered.
The lieutenant nodded and proceeded to escort a reluctant and angry Silver-Mane out. Leaving Quill alone in the room. He took a deep breath, let it out, and smiled. “Ooh that felt good.” He mentally gave himself a pat on the back. Over the years he had dealt with a variety of shenanigans the Nobles were responsible for. It felt good to at last show them who was boss.
Right then, Switch cautiously entered the room and turned to look at Quill. “Uh, Chief. We just got a scroll from Appleloosa. Erm, they believe they located Sparky’s and Misty’s place of residence...and want to try something.” He said nervously.
To be continued...
Unworthy. Adopting a child for being abused is nice but unworthy of being a alicorn. Sry.
10785141
Uhm, I was more going for Quill was giving an example of what could make her worthy when Silver-Mane was saying she wasn't worthy AT ALL.
10785143
Ok.
Nice chapter and good to read one "live". Of course I bet with who Silver-Mane is she'd "DeAscend" all the alicorns if she thought she could.
10785154
He. Silver-Mane is a he.
10785155
Wow! Well he's such a female dog plus his name has had me thinking he's been female all this time. Certaintly enough of a drama queen he could probably win on Rupaul's drag queen show thingy.
10785166
Oh just you wait. This won’t be the last we hear from the arrogant hothead.
ooh stat felt good ^^
10785176
Chief Quill was a happy stallion that day.
Amazing the nobles who are not Alicorns know what makes one worthy and what is and isn't possible about becoming one. Yes lets see the nobles try to fix the "mistake' of Flurry or let Candance or Shining Armor hear them. Methinks the annoying nobles will be resolved for Quill and Celestia
10785220
Yeah. Silver-Mane was REAL lucky Shining and Cadance weren't in the room. He woulda been dead in seconds.
Maybe Luna, Celestia, Candance and Twilight are the falsecorns since they weren't born Alicorns unlike Sparkler and Flurry. Who is to say which right
Oh, i liked it for sure!
10785481
Do we know if Celestia and Luna were ascended like Twilight and Cadance?
10785735 That seems to vary from story to story if they touch upon it at all. Though Celestia and Luna ascending seems to be more common than being born as alicorns
10785945
I mean, to me it seems like they were born Alicorns as well. I mean, There HAVE to have been other Alicorns before Celestia and Luna.
10785946 This is something that largely is upto your head canon
I don't know if I'd be more scared of an angry momma Cadence or Sparkler.
So, all their next actions will be undercover.
Great job, Quill. You could have pretended not to have heard about the letters, and then jail them with some real accusation when they'd do something stupid.
IF Silvermane actually planned all the letters just to be imprisoned, in order to... I don't know... free Misty and Sparky, then there's absolutely no chance someone could beat them.
He'd be simply too smart for them
10786202
Oh Sparky and Misty are back in the dungeons at this point in time. Silver-Mane's just gonna be in a holding cell tonight.
Also, Be more afraid of Momma Sparkler. Unlike Cadance Sparkler nearly lost her child and she is NOT gonna let that happen again.
10785946
There are a lot of fanon on the argument, but in the show Celestia says clearly, when talking about Flurry, that "The birth of an alicorn is something Equestria has never seen", meaning that Celestia, Luna and Cadence at least have ascended.
10786229
But, Equestria as a nation wasn't a nation until the last 2 thousand years. So Maybe Celestia and Luna were born well before that and HOW was probably NEVER explained.
10786235
(episode 1, season 6)
Celestia: "The birth of an alicorn is something Equestria has never seen"
Luna: "It is beyond even our understanding."
I don't think there's any doubt here.
Luna and Celestia cannot explain how it is possible that Flurry is a naturally born alicorn.
It means, in particular, that they have not been alicorns their whole life.
10786245
Well...
Ok so maybe in canon but I'm gonna choose to go the route that they were natural born Alicorns too
Something tells me things are about to get real, and it seems the "Nobles" weren't at all fazed by Nosey Pants and River Song being near Sparkler. That's a bit worrying.
As I said before in another comment, This is why one must have ways to keep those like this in line.
This may come of as ruthless, but if this was happening under my rule, I would have carefully "removed" them, permanently. Make it look like it just happened by chance. As for our two kidnappers, they would have had their horns removed.
Still, I have another feeling there are forces that are protecting Sparkler thanks to that hooded figure we saw earlier, that and Celestia is likely not idle either at the moment.
Heck that talk could have recorded for later.
10786649
Celestia is making sure that the Noble's Threats cannot be carried out. So She's doing that right now.
And Flappy will be on the lookout for anymore threats.
If you have some things in mind on what the Nobles COULD do feel free to DM me on Fimfiction. I actually am curious to hear them now that they can't overtax, Evict, or deport Sparkler.
10786654
Good to knows she's doing something, and Flappy's got help in the form of a certain fiery bird.
10786704
Keep in mind they live in different cities. So he doesn't get her help too often. But still.
10786716
True, but one never knows for sure.
10786718
Heck, for all we know Mina can telepathically communicate with Flappy and he can respond back with her help.
10786721
Indeed, and those trying to harm Sparkler sudden have a flaming bird on their rumps, both literally and figuratively.
10786745
Make that two birds. Lol. Because Flappy's not sitting back if any o them try to hurt Sparkler. Or Kicker for that matter since Flappy sees him as family just as he sees Sparkler as such.
So Flurry Heart has been born by this point. I was going to chalk some of their aggression up to fear of the unknown, but no. They're just bigots. Go figure.
10795026
I did say this series starts during Season 8 of the show.
And yep. Bigots indeed.