Evergreen Falls

by Meep the Changeling

17 - Meanwhile III…

Raven Inkwell - 19th of Harvestide (Nightmare Night), 4 EoH
Young Moon’s Hunting Lodge - Hackamore Valley

Raven stepped off the ATV she’d rented for her stay in this Celestia forsaken town and wiped the mud from her bloodshot eyes. Groggily, she took three pills from a tin of Pewter's Peppy Step: Trucker's Aid and downed them dry.

I. Hate. Dirt. Roads. I hate pep pills. This day is pear shaped. And now I have mud all over me! Raven groweld internally, doing her best to vent her frustration at the glaring lack of infrastructure before making her way towards the ancient log lodge she’d driven nearly half an hour through the pines to reach.

Princess Luna had taken to living in the old lodge she’d kept as a young mare while staying in Evergreen Falls. It was still called by its original name, Young Moon’s Hunting Lodge, and was a lovely two story log structure. Sadly for those who prefer misery and depressing lack of basic functionality in their homes, the lodge had been renovated and refurbished several times over the centuries, including just last year. It was no longer a pre-medieval structure, instead it had bathrooms, lights, a stove that didn’t burn wood, central air, and modern furnishings.

Luna loved the changes. She was debating moving her official residence to the lodge, an idea its current owners were all for.

Raven couldn’t fault Luna’s decision. If I could step into a shadow and go anywhere I wanted, I’d like it here. Stupid commute skipping alicorns!

Raven took a few deep breaths and flicked as much mud from herself as she could by shaking herself. She’d have scraped the muck from her fur with magic if she hadn’t just spent most of her energy that morning on some rather delicate spellcraft. The exhaustion was more than enough to have prevented her from remembering to slow down when crossing the creek on her rented ATV with its terribly designed fenders.

I swear they direct more filth onto me than away…

Raven walked to the lodge door, flicking her legs every few steps to try and shake off more mud, and raised her hoof to knock. Before she could even make contact with the door’s wood paneled surface, it clicked open and a mint furred unicorn mare with hundreds of tiny black spots on her coat and a creamy white mane immediately and wordlessly began to scrape the mud from Raven’s fur.

With a pressure washer.

Raven’s ears drooped all the way back.

Oh. Good. Princess Cadence is here too. Which means so is Mint… Yay… Raven thought before giving the mint colored mare her best low key glare. “Thank you, Mint. I appreciate it.”

Mint Chocolate, oblivious as always to any negativity directed her way, finished the spray down and flicked the water out of Raven’s fur with an expert pulse of telekinetic power. As the mute mare couldn’t “speak” while using her magic, she waited until she was certain Raven was clean and dry before conjuring an illusory speech balloon to talk to Raven with a genuine smile.

[Good morning, Raven! I’m sorry you got so messy. I haven’t had time yet today to build a bridge over the creek. I’m hoping to get to it before Princess Cadence wishes to go for her evening walk. Are you here to say hello to my mistress, or are you here to see Princess Luna?] Mint asked before floating the small pressure washer back into its place in the closet near the door for thorough cleaning emergencies.

Raven cleared her throat. “I have business with Luna, can you take me to her?”

Mint nodded and made an adorable happy noise. [Of course!] She wrote, turning to walk deeper into the rustic hunting lodge’s interior while adding more text by scrolling it into her speech bubble. [So, you two are on a first name basis. Are you dating?]

Raven’s ears flicked back. “No! I’m happily married, thank you.”

Mint replaced her bubble. [Friends then? I’d like to know how to announce you.]

“I can announce myself, thank you,” Raven said firmly as she could. Annoying as she is, she’s going to have been impossibly thoughtful in three, two—

Mint turned a corner to enter a short hallway leading to the lodge’s main hall. Sitting in that hall was a tea trolley set for brunch, complete with four individually brewed cups of tea, four place settings including a plate and soup bowl, four small cauldrons which smelled like they contained soup, and four sandwiches. Each of which were entirely unique, practically perfectly made, and nothing less than exactly the favorite type of sandwich for their intended recipient.

[You still prefer pickle and tomato with watercress on pumpernickel, yes?] Mint asked as she began to push the trolly into the room.

“... Yes…” Raven was forced to admit. She sniffed the air. “Did… Did you bake those this morning?”

[I didn’t want to trouble the local baker,] Mint replied, quickly writing out. [Earl gray and carrot and leek soup, low sodium, extra pepper, with gingerbread crumbles on the side, correct?]

Raven stopped walking. That was exactly correct.

“Mint… Please, for once, just answer this straight,” Raven begged. “You overheard my favorite brunch once. How do you remember it two decades later? And how in the world did you know I would be coming? You’re lying about not being able to see the future, aren't you?”

Mint rolled her eyes and giggled in the way any mare would when somepony asked them a very silly question.

[No, silly. I merely take the time to get everything as perfect as can be. My Princess deserves no less,] She said before trotting into the room and replacing her speech balloon with another in the view of Luna and Cadence who were sitting at a table in one of the far corners where Raven couldn’t read it.

Raven narrowed her eyes. Okay. The foal gloves are off. I’m getting a field agent to investigate her.

Luna turned her head to look to the door after reading Mint’s speech bubble. “Raven! Come in, and join us. Cadence’s maid is a wondrous cook! You’ll love her… Little… Filled… Pastry…”

Luna trailed off and looked to Cadence for help with a desperate plea on her face. The smaller pink and sherbert alicorn smiled kindly. “They’re called churros. They’re not normally cream filled, but I prefer them that way.”

“Yes!” Luna said, slamming a hoof down on the hewn-timber table excitedly. “They were excellent.”

Raven crossed the room and sat down just in time for Mint to pull a chair back from the table for her while levitating everyone’s meal into place, including her own. Cadence began to eat immediately, though Luna waited for Raven to sit down (and have her chair pushed in gently by Mint, to precisely the exact location Raven was about to scoot it herself).

Raven sighed and looked over to Princess Cadence for a moment. “Princess, are you here on a simple social visit, or has Luna requested your help with an ongoing matter?”

Cadence finished chewing a bite of her grilled plethora-of-cheeses sandwich before replying. “I am here to assist Luna in the likely event of our shadowy friend striking tonight,” she answered casually. “Just in case it’s a two-alicorn job.”

[Also, Consort Shining wished to go out with “the boys” for Nightmare Night, leaving us free.] Mint added while daintily drinking her bowl of—

Raven’s train of thought derailed. “Is she drinking a steaming hot bowl of garlic and onion soup?” Raven demanded of everypony before looking up into Cadence’s eyes. “You made her as some kind of biomancy experiment, didn’t you?”

Cadence laughed and shook her head. “If only I could get more of her. I’d make an army of Mints if I could.”

“If I may address the topic at hoof,” Luna said, wishing to get business out of the way so she could eat her meal uninterrupted. “I have asked Cadence here in her role as Celestia’s Spear rather than…”

Luna frowned and turned to Cadence. “How would you phrase your other duty?”

“Tending for those Celestia’s world rejects, showing everypony who isn’t malicious they are loved, and making every twink in the kingdom jealous of my husband,” Cadence answered without a hint of irony.

Raven cleared her throat. “We condense that to Public Relations on the official paperwork.”

Luna nodded in understanding. “Princess of Fun it is,” she said, making Cadence crack a grin. “Regardless, while Nightmare Night is a holiday honoring me in a way I do quite enjoy, this particular one happens to fall upon a blood moon. I’m certain you’re already aware of the event.”

Raven nodded slowly. “I am. I’m also aware of the many forms of magic which a blood moon can affect. What are you anticipating?”

Luna gestured towards the valley with one wing. “I expect our shadowy friend to react to our efforts to disrupt its workings on the night it will have the most power. It's not the strongest of assumptions, but similar entities in the past have shown greater strength during such events, as such, Cadence is here to help me slay it.”

Raven winced and looked up to Cadence. “You won’t use the—”

Cadence rolled her eyes. “I used it in a town once! After it had been fully consumed by a monster. I’m not in the business of maximizing property damage.”

Raven nodded then sighed in relief. “Forgive me. I don’t have the clearance to read most of your mission reports. Princess Celestia marks them for her eyes only.”

Cadence’s wings and ears twitched with irritation a split second before Mint seemingly instinctively refilled Cadence’s tea without looking up from her meal.

“You’re her Regent… You should know,” Cadence grumbled into her newly replenished tea.

Luna nodded in agreement. “Cadence and I are also discussing future plans for the post-Celestia Equestria,” she informed. “Primarily her roles. In short, I don’t believe we will change anything. Aside from expanding the extent to which Cadence is permitted to assist in drafting policy.”

Raven hummed and nodded. “Interesting idea. I’ll have to put a pin in it for now. I need to talk to you about the investigation… In private if possible.”

“Is it something I could help with?” Cadence asked hopefully.

Raven paused for a moment, thinking it over, then nodded. “Yes, it is. However, I would prefer not to discuss an active investigation near a civilian, ma’am.”

Cadence and Mint shared a quick snort of amusement.

“Tell her, Mint,” Cadence urged.

Mint nodded. [I accompany my mistress everywhere, and aid her in everything. Including violence.]

“Legally speaking, she’s my squire,” Cadence explained. “It stopped Celestia from excluding her from meetings, and ensures she can travel with me on my stipends. She’s also fully combat trained, and prior to working for me, was a retired detective turned police consultant for the Manehatten PD. Whatever it is, she’s cleared to know.”

Raven blinked once, her brow furrowing. “Oh. Well, that explains a few things.” She said before nodding to herself. “In that case, we’re currently investigating the site Director, Doctor Grape Vine, on corruption charges. He’d recruited a few of the old lead researchers, most notably the late Doctor Apple Brandy, to work on an off the books personal project. The nature of which is not confirmed but I highly suspect to be studying a particular object in CARE’s possession which would allow one to become quite powerful and wealthy.”

Cadence nodded and took another bite of her nine cheese sandwich.

“We have no conclusive proof as of yet,” Raven continued. “At least, when it comes to Grape’s involvement. However, the extent of what we can confirm is impossible without his implicit permission and help… Unfortunately, despite the logical impossibility of everything occurring without his help or by his command, we still have nothing solid. A good lawyer could get him cleared of all charges.”

Raven turned to look at Luna with a dark expression. “You were right. Countering his plays with your own positive ones made him slip up. As of this morning, we may have him on murder.”

Luna stood up from the table. “Who did he kill, and how? If we have proof, I will personally execute him and put an end to this today.”

Cadence levitated Luna’s tea up to her face. “Luna, hon, put the murder boner away until we know where to stick it.”

Luna begrudgingly took the tea and sipped it.

Raven bit her lip to stop herself from laughing at Cadence’s choice of words.

“The tunnel leading into the ruins beneath town was collapsed through the use of explosives. Muffled ones, military equipment. Meaning somepony enchanted them to go off silently, though it clearly didn’t muffle the rockfall…” Raven said grimly. “Like I said, Luna, he’s making mistakes. Before I continue, is there any other entrance? Junebug needs access to the ruins as soon as possible. The Astrolabe must be returned to where it was found.”

Luna sat down and thought for a moment before shaking her head. “No. What’s worse, my own experimentation this week has shown the city’s teleport interdiction remains functional. There is no way to access it magically. Nor would it be advisable for me to burn a tunnel to it, as the city’s more reactive defenses are likely awake and well.”

Cadence winced. “I cut into a First Kingdom ruin once… I almost died when it shot back. Thankfully, Mint was able to perform a liver transplant in the field. Still not sure how she pulled that one off.”

Everypony stopped talking and turned to Mint who was calmly sipping on her tea.

[It was nothing, really. Just a little cutting and sewing.] She explained, explaining nothing.

“Where did you get the liver?” Luna asked suspiciously.

Mint smiled politely. [There were plenty of fresh bodies available for organ donations.]

Cadence nodded in agreement. “Foal trafficking ring,” she summarized. “There were no survivors.”

“Good,” Raven said, nodding in satisfaction. But how the buck did she perform that operation?! Two field agents. I am going to put two on her.

Raven cleared her throat. “To continue… The tunnel was blown as one of my field agents was leaving it. I have no idea why Safety Lock went down there, or who set off the explosives, but the boys from forensics are going over everything with a fine tooth comb.”

“Safety Lock? I know that pony. His name is on half of the reports for this operation. Was he our lead investigator?” Luna asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yes,” Raven answered bluntly.

“Mistakes indeed,” Luna growled.

“We recovered Safety's body from the rubble. He almost made it out. He had a large manila envelope on him containing notes. Mostly text, but some drawings and maps,” Raven said, pausing a moment to take a sip of her tea. “Our shadow friend… Ate most of them. I checked the arcane residue myself and its signature is all over the damaged pages. Fortunately for us, I was able to use my own talents to reconstruct a few key items. I’m… Nearly out of mana. It took most everything I had. So it’s for the best you brought Cadence to help. If that thing attacks…”

Raven shook her head slowly only to nearly jump out of her skin as Mint seemingly teleported to her side with a small green potion vial.

[I forgot to set this on your plate earlier, my apologies.] Mint said as she sat back down.

Raven stared down at the mana restorative potion on her plate for a moment before looking back up to Cadence, then Mint, and then lastly Luna, begging with her eyes for them to tell her the answer to the mystery of Mint’s sheer impossibility.

Luna shrugged her wings. “Don’t look to me for answers. She somehow found my old hairbrush twenty minutes after I complained of missing it.”

Raven took a moment to quaff the potion so she wouldn’t be dead on her hooves and useless come nightfall.

Ugh… Why do they always taste like whatever the horseapples pharmaceutical companies think grapes taste like?

Raven took several bites of soup to cleanse her palette. “The recovered documents detail some of the ruins, cover a good chunk of the investigation’s general details, but most importantly for us, state that Doctor Grape Vine is indeed the mastermind of an operation intended to use the Astrolabe to steal valuables, information, arcana, and technologies from other universes for…a reason I couldn’t recover entirely, but is some form of personal gain. More importantly, combined with what Junebug discovered this morning, Safety’s notes indicate that there is a prison for our shadowy friend beneath the palace. One which he’s slowly been breaking out of but is still mostly contained by.”

Luna nodded solemnly. “I see… Then as you mentioned June must return it, the device is part of the creature’s prison,” Luna pondered something for a moment. “How long has the astrolabe been away from its, resting place?”

“Officially away? As in physically removed? A year,” Raven said bitterly. “If what Safety learned was correct, then Grape Vine has been attempting to remotely make use of the device since a few months before your return, Luna. It’s possible that while being remotely operated it was unable to contain the creature, allowing it to do what we know it did. Or, alternatively, and what I personally fear is true based on what fragments I have been able to read from some of his more recent notes…”

Cadence closed her eyes and groaned. “The idiot discovered the creature and was trying to use it for their own ends?”

“It's possible,” Raven admitted.

“Can we prove this to the satisfaction of your modern court of law?” Luna asked, her eyes narrow with anger.

Raven shook her head. “We have the suspicions of a trusted agent. Nothing concrete. Grape is usually infuriatingly excellent at covering his tracks…” Raven smiled for a moment. “But Safety Lock took a picture of the bomb. It’s from the local STF armory. Guess who has to sign those out.”

Cadence’s wings fluttered excitedly. “Please tell me you also have a wizard who can do retro-temporal scrying on the way before it's too late to get an accurate—”

“Junebug has Primary Source on retainer, he got here today,” Raven said with a knowing smile. “I was hoping to get Luna to play bodyguard while he works, just in case.”

Luna stood up immediately. “You have my full cooperation. Let us go at once!”

Cadence stood as well. “I have no one to do. May I accompany you?”

“You mean noth—” Raven managed to say before noticing Mint had left and just arrived with Cadence’s traveling cloak, rainboots for both alicorns, and four umbrellas.

[It looks like it will rain later. We should dress for it.] The mare wrote so everypony could read her speech bubble.

Raven looked out the window at the small patch of cloudless blue sky she could see through the treetops out the lodge’s window.

You know what? I’m not going to waste agents on her, Raven decided as she took an umbrella.

“Source is currently at the observatory, and I have several STF agents body guarding him from the shadows. Let’s—”

Luna looked to Cadence. “Teleport to me after a count of six,” she said before simply grabbing Raven with her magic and telling the unicorn mare. “Hold your breath.”

Raven had just enough time to hold her breath before Luna stepped into the shadows beneath the table, taking Raven with her.

There was no more time to waste.

Comments

[smolbep]

Mint seems to be as effective as an ophthalmologist's scribe.

I wonder where she came from - perhaps she is a creation of dark science.