Evergreen Falls

by Meep the Changeling

6 - Meanwhile…

Trixie “Shuffle” Lulamoon - 18th of Lunar Dawn, 4 EoH
The Deep Woods - Hackamore Valley

Trixie and June flew in silence for several minutes, during which Trixie silently lamented Sam’s obliviousness to her advances. I know she likes me, Trixie thought to herself. She should also know I know she likes me. Hell, we hooked up that one time! Was she too drunk to remember? We’d both had a few…

Trixie banked left to avoid running into a red tailed hawk out for its breakfast. Does she think changelings come in flavors other than bisexual? If she thinks that night was me just experimenting it might explain it.

“Hey, I know you’re upset about something. Can we talk though?” June called over her shoulder from the echelon of their two mare wing.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “I’m just upset and confused that Sam acts like I’m straight and fishing for compliments like we’re playing over some stallion, even though we’ve already hooked up… And frankly, I’d like to maybe primarily date her, because she was great! But… Well, you saw how she reacted to me flirting.”

June triple blinked and head tilted, frowning then facehooved, nearly falling out of the air. “Oh my Celestia! You were flirting? Now it makes sense!”

Cadence save me from thickheaded featherbrains… Trixie pleaded, hoping that someway, somehow, the Princess of Love would hear and answer her prayer.

“She might think you’re just not into her specifically?” June suggested, not aware of her particular suggestion being the obvious answer. “But uh, we need to talk about what we tell my dad.”

Trixie nodded quietly, refocusing on the matter at hoof.

“Yeah, we do,” she said, trying to shift herself into work mode. I’ll probably have to do a little yarn twisting to help her with the inevitable security holes she’ll—

Wait! Trixie bit her lip as her brain refused to change rails just yet and landed on a particular idea. If Sam met Aura, she might have panicked or told Sam she wasn’t interested… Dammnit, that would do it! I’ll call her and see if that happened when I get back home. She should be performing in Ponyville right now, assuming she sticks to our tour schedule. Why didn’t I think of this months ago? You should be used to having a stage double, Trixie, it’s been years!

June cleared her throat to try and make sure she had Trixie’s attention. “The mayor kinda sorta low key wants me to lie, right? She said I could tell them I work for CARE now, but that I shouldn’t. Which means ‘Legally you can, but if you do, you’re on the shit list’. Right?”

“Basically correct,” Trixie agreed, nodding firmly as June looked back mid flight. “You tell them, they tell a friend, their friend gossips a bit about their friend’s kid and suddenly a foreign corp’s spy knows who to sweet talk.”

June hummed, thinking for a few moments. Trixie flinched as she felt June’s indecision and hesitation about lying to her parents. Okay, I’ll have to take the lead more than I’d prefer here.

“Okay, so… We don’t mention the specifics. Got it. Uh, there's more. I mentioned this to Dusk,” June began, “I think part of why my dad is out here is he’s gone a bit… Nuts? It’s a real sudden thing, he barely knows anything about survival and stuff, and it happened just after Triek, you know?”

Trixie lazily rolled over mid air to refocus herself.

“Could be,” she agreed. “Sometimes ponies react to trauma like that.”

“He wants to be as far from any of Celestia’s business as he can be right now,” June continued. “So… Maybe we shouldn’t mention it’s a government organized community at all?”

Trixie’s ears perked. “We don’t have to lie there. The town wasn’t founded by CARE. They just took it over. It’s been here… Well, almost forever! Our hive’s been here since before ponies were. We settled here for much the same reason as your dad. Safety, shelter, and being away from most Celestia problems. That’s also what attracted CARE.”

June smiled. “Oh! Good. Okay so we just—”

Trixie waved her hoof in a calming fashion.

“Let me take the lead, I’m trained for this.” Trixie said, loosely referencing the many times she’d helped anomalous people slip away form their families to relocate to Evergreen Falls. “I’m going to say a bunch of stuff that’s either technically or literally true. Back me up with as little detail as possible so we don’t have to actually lie. If he asks any opinion questions, I’ll answer them. Okay?”

“Okay,” June said before suddenly pointing with one hoof. “There’s a tent in that clearing, that will be them.”

Trixie turned to look at the sea of green below her. She squinted, having forgotten to switch her eyes for pegasus ones when she’d swapped her horn for wings. There was a clearing below them, she could tell that much, but the canopy filled out so much of the open space she simply couldn’t see a tent through the leaves.

Getting rusty on the shapeshifting, there, Trix. Let’s put in some practice this weekend.

Not wanting to shake June’s confidence she simply nodded and said, “Lead us down, pointmare.”

The two descended towards the camp, falling through the canopy to find a large purple expedition tent set up in a rather nice flowery clearing. Lime was busy playing with some bits of kindling, pretending to start a fire like a cave pony. Lemon sat in her old folding camp chair, simply letting her hooves rest. Night stood next to her, talking loud enough for the two mares to hear the tail end of the conversation as they descended.

“— was I supposed to know she’d take it that way?” Night asked, seemingly genuinely distraught.

“She’s a young mare. Of course she’s more concerned with her personal identity than her future!” Lemon sighed, rubbing her sore forehooves. “Don’t you know anything about—”

“No!” Night exclaimed, his ears drooping with embarrassment. “Honestly, I don’t know how I wound up with you in the first—”

Night stopped talking as June’s flapping reached his ears. He looked up in reflex, his own wings twitching nervously in the way many ponies do when something flies over them. He softened for a moment, spotting June descending through the treetops.

“June!” He called out, audibly both shocked and glad to see she was safe. Only for his eyes to narrow as he noticed Trixie flying after her. “I’d thought you’d— Wait, who's that with you?”

Lemon blinked, her head snapping back at the mention of somepony else.

“Her name’s Trixie. She’s from the small town that’s just across the lake,” June said as she touched down.

Trixie quickly scanned Night visually and emotionally, checking to see how to best approach him at the moment. He’s exhausted, stressed, but feeling remorseful. I should be able to emphasize Evergreen Falls as a place for people to get away from the big city and be safe in the wilderness, and make him assume we’re a prepper community… Which isn’t untrue.

Night’s brow furrowed, and Trixie felt a few sparks of panic and confusion building in his mind.

“Town?” Night asked.

Trixie landed and closed her wings. “Yes, sir! Little place called Evergreen Falls, it’s not on most maps” she said, putting on her best rural accent. “It’s nice to see some new faces. Nopony comes out here. Too remote for everypony aside from the odd hiker.”

Trixie offered Night a subtle smile, nodding slightly. That should prime him to think—

Night’s frowned and twisted around to rummage through his saddlebags. “I don’t remember seeing a town,” Night said as he stared at his travel map.

Trixie nodded. “Yeah like I said, we’ve opted out of being on most maps. Folks around here can get their mail and out of towners don’t swing by. Which is just how we tend to like it.”

Lemon blinked, remembering a random factoid she’d learned one trivia night about Equestrian cartography standards. “Oh! You’ve got less than a thousand ponies then?”

“Just over one and a half,” Trixie answered honestly. “We’re so far out in the sticks nopony official cares to update anything unless we file it ourselves. Besides, most of us are changelings, so—”

“Changelings?!” Lemon gasped, a look of terror coming over her as she flashed back to Princess Cadence’s wedding.

Night’s wings spread slightly, he looked over Trixie with a more critical look than he had previously. That would be him trying to identify me as a changeling. Good luck with that, sir. I’m not copying anypony. All original body work here.

Trixie winced in response to Lemon’s gasp and offered her a friendly smile. “Hey, easy! We were just as horrified as you when Chrysalis attacked. We depend on love to live, hurting ponies is like cutting down the apple tree to get at the apples. Aside from her hive, we all care about your welfare more than most other ponies do, frankly.”

Night’s wings settled down. He nodded, satisfied this particular Changeling wasn’t any sort of threat. As a researcher, he was aware of the many hives scattered across the world. Obviously most of them simply wished to live in peace, quiet, and obscurity. Otherwise they’d be openly walking the streets of most Equestrian cities.

Lemon’s face went paler as she realized she was talking to a Changeling, then slowly returned to normal as the simple reality hit her. This was a changeling, just standing there. Talking. Not hurting her or anypony. Calling Queen Chrysalis insane.

“Oh… S— So you don’t follow her then?” Lemon asked shakily.

Trixie looked to June and Night. “Was she at Canterlot when—”

“Yep,” Night answered bluntly. “Dear, if she wanted to hurt us she could have love drained us from the air when she arrived and there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done. She’s harmless.”

Trixie internally rolled her eyes. Wow, thanks jackass… My phenotype literally can’t do that. Could have shot you from the air though, so the point stands.

“Chrysalis is insane, and a terrorist. We’re at war with her… Technically. She’s nowhere near these parts,” Trixie explained with a polite smile. “My hive farms our love. Generally by just openly dating ponies. We scratch your herd’s back, your gratitude is our lunch. That’s the real changeling way.”

Lemon let out a long breath and shivered before looking at Trixie apologetically. “I’m sorry… I just… It was so cold.”

Trixie reared up to offer the mare a hug. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. We just grow weed for college students and help out ponies who need a nice remote place to be safe.”

Trixie spared her attention to focus her empathic powers on Night. Her statement seemed to have allayed most of the fear and panic he had over knowing there was a community nearby. Good. That’s progress.

Lemon stood up and accepted Trixie’s hug, quietly whispering so her husband wouldn’t hear. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you get me some of that weed? I have had a bucking month.”

Trixie let go of Lemon and turned to Night. “June mentioned you plan on building a bunker? If you don’t know how to excavate one, I can get a few certified bugs out here to lend a hoof.”

June nodded, that seemed about right. As far as school had taught her most bug ponies preferred to live underground.

“Sorry. This is just… Quite unexpected.” Night’s frown steepened. “I thought I’d be the only family out here…”

Trixie gestured to the woods around them with one hoof. “You are! Town’s border stops at the opposite side of the lake there. Woods are all yours and nopony’s going to bother you out here unless you invite them. You don’t have to worry about us putting our noses in your business. We keep to our own affairs, but you’re welcome to drop by if you need a hammer, nails, flower, an entire hospital, affordable stiff drink, expensive stiff drink, whatever.”

That should be the last of the priming. Trixie noted to herself.

“Are you all out here trying to stay safe too?” Night asked, cutting to the chase in a way June hadn’t seen him do in a while.

Holy buck, you dense horse… Trixie thought with a smile.

“We’re all about safety,” Trixie answered honestly. “For us, for the ponies who live topside—”

Night relaxed visibly. “Well in that case, I suppose having some neighbors isn’t too bad… How far off are you?”

“On hoof? About half an hour,” June said, fluttering her wings. “A few minutes by air.”

“Your camp is well hidden from the air too—” Trixie began, only for Lime to run up and bounce excitedly.

“Hey! Hey are you the Great and Powerful Trixie?!” The tiny colt asked between eager bounces. “Can you do a trick?”

Night blinked and looked Trixie over. “She can’t be, Lime. She’s a pegasus. But that’s some serious resemblance. Are you related?”

“Yes,” Trixie answered with a wing shrug. “She’s my twin sister. Don’t you worry about her. She’s like us, the stage act is just an act. Besides, it pays to have someone bringing news home the Princess might not want the papers to print.”

Lime’s shoulders sank. “Aww… I wanted to see a trick…. Wait, she's a changeling! She could totally be a unicorn if she wants.”

“I could,” Trixie agreed politely. “But that’s not me. She’s performing in Ponyville right now. You can check the tour schedule.”

Lime went back to playing cavepony, suspiciously looking at the changeling from time to time.

Night nodded in agreement, his eyes and heart softening enough for Trixie to be certain he was fully where she wanted him to be. There we go. Right impressions laid. Now to close the deal.

“Sounds like we have plenty in common,” Night decided after a moment’s thought. “I take it you healed June’s leg. Do I owe you anything?”

Trixie shook her head. “Not one bit.”

“Actually, they owe me bits,” June corrected with a smile. “There’s an observatory in town and I ran into a recruiter. I qualified for the job, so… I applied and since it’s been open for a couple years now, I took it.”

Night raised an eyebrow. “Observatory?”

Trixie nodded, then sighed and shrugged her wings. “Yeah… We might get to stay off most maps, but once you’ve got enough ponies in one place in Equestria you get the government mad if you don’t have the essentials. Water. Sewage. Power. Mail.”

Night mmmed and nodded slowly. “Fair enough. So to pay for it you… Lease land to a university?”

Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. “Eh, some research organization or another. Not too sure on the specifics since they don’t matter that much. We’ve got a nice expensive observatory, optical, radio, and thaumic. Apparently out here is one of the few places you can put one. The people who run it basically pay for everything we need as a town, so… They’re welcome to run their labs.”

Night nodded twice, Trixie could feel him deciding that he agreed with everything she’d said. This was one of the few places in Equestria with low enough light pollution, auric interference, and radio broadcast levels to put a major observatory.

“Weird you’re not on the map with something like that,” Night began, but June interrupted him with a shake of her head.

“Not at all. It’s a changeling town. Celestia mentioned they prefer to be left alone, so—”

“We kind of asked to be kept off the map once or twice,” Trixie affirmed. “We sleep better when our hives are hidden.”

Night nodded once, flicking his tail back and forth. “Well… I suppose it is best if there’s a hardware store nearby. I wasn’t looking forward to a three day commute to get concrete. Only so much you can pack in saddlebags. Even if you get the expanded ones.”

“We’ve got two of those,” Trixie said with a helpful gesture towards town.

Night bit his lip, then with some hesitation reached out to Trixie with one hoof as if to shake. “Well… Nice to meet you, neighbor.”

Trixie shook his hoof. “Nice to meet you too.”

Night let go of her hoof and turned to June. “So… Astronomy, huh? Not a bad career. Not the one you wanted, but… I’m sorry. I just can’t be in a city anymore. There’s just too much left that could happen.”

June trotted to Night and gave him a hug, letting go and taking a step back after a short moment. “Honestly, dad? I get it. I’m sorry for storming off earlier. You have some good points about the disasters recently. I know you were hoping for the middle of nowhere, but, like… It’s probably best there’s a few people nearby who can help when you have to dig a septic tank.”

Night winced, nodding sharply. “Okay, yeah, fair! I didn’t think about that…” He shivered momentarily, then cleared his throat. “So uh, indulge your old man a little. Do you know enough about astronomy to keep this job for long?”

June shrugged her wings. “I did take that one semester on ancient star charts, and from what I can see, I’ll mostly be checking some instruments occasionally. Not entirely sure what for, I haven’t read the orientation packet, but I think they want someone with an academic background to keep an eye on the data systems. Which I can do.”

Trixie shrugged apologetically, doing her best to take some of Night’s attention off June to prevent the vagueness of her statement from sounding too odd. “That does sound right. Last I heard they are trying to do some kind of star mapping or another.”

Night hummed. “I could do that,” he reasoned, nodding to himself. “Well, that’s good. Hopefully they’ll keep you for whatever project comes next and you’ll have a nice stable job. I— I still want that for you.”

June twitched her tail, her face falling somewhat as she pawed the ground. “I’m glad… But uh, the’re… One more thing about the position.”

Trixie did her best to keep her emotions hidden. Cadence’s teats, June! Don’t buck this up, we're golden!

Night arched an eyebrow.

“The observatory has an apartment, which comes with the job. So I’ll be living there. No offense but… I’m a grown mare. I should probably start living my own life,” June said firmly but gently.

Oh, thank buck, Trixie thought, managing to remain looking generally upbeat.

Night’s face fell slightly. “I see.”

Lemon stood up and gave June a quick hug. “I think that’s a great idea. Especially since you’ll be so close by. Night, why don't you give her one of the radios? A half hour walk is a five minute flight. It’s not like she’ll be in Manehatten. We can easily keep in touch.”

Night’s ears perked. “Hey, that’s right!” He fished in his saddlebag and pulled out a small minotaur built walkie talkie and handed it to June. “Here. Keep us posted… And if you’re not too mad at me for our fight, I’d like to drop by and visit once in a while. Your mom explained you thought I was talking about you… I was talking about your future. You know, finding a job and a wife. I’m sorry. I’m exhausted, and wasn’t thinking about how you’d take what I said.”

June winced. That made a lot more sense to her, but she still knew her stepfather was almost entirely oblivious to the details of modern Equestrian culture. It occurred to her that the griffons who raised him in Prance might be to blame, but surely after decades of living in Equestria…

June shrugged her wings to break from the introspection, took the radio and tucked it into her saddle bags. “It hurt… But I’ll be fine in a day or two,” June said coolly. “You can visit if you want. Maybe we could watch the playoffs?”

Night flicked his tail and Trixie winced as she sensed a sharp spike in the stallion’s regrets. “I— You don’t have to do guy stuff just because I like—”

Trixie physically recoiled from June as a wave of negative emotions welled up in her. Everypony in camp turned to look at the blue mare in shock and confusion.

Trixie took a deep breath, shivered, then looked Night in the eyes. “Sir, please take everything I am about to say as being my direct knowledge due to changeling empathic abilities, okay?”

Night triple blinked. “Uh, okay?”

“Your daughter is tomboy as buck! She likes hoofball. She’d enjoy watching a game with you. I felt that spike of fear and regret from both of you. You think you messed her up, but she just wants to go back to sitting in the stands with her old man watching ponies kick a ball. She likes that. She’s always liked that.”

June looked to Trixie and gave her a thankful nod before turning back to Night.

“Seriously, dad. I’m the same pony. I just look a little different,” June said, sounding quite hurt.

Night took a short breath. “Really?”

“Yes!” Lemon, Lime, June, and Trixie shouted in unison.

Trixie cleared her throat and with a flash of pale yellow flame transformed into a male version of her usual pony self.

“Can you think of any reason why what I just did would make me stop liking cheesy crackers and adventure novels? Also, TADAA!~” She said while also turning towards Lime, her voice now male to match her sudden transformation.

Lime clapped his hooves at her trick. “Yay!”

Night facehooved. “Luna above… When you put it like that—”

“You feel like an idiot?” Lemon suggested helpfully.

Night nodded once, practically bleeding genuine shame for his own stupidity. “Yep…”

“Did you think I’d changed my entire personality after I started my own transition? ”She continued.

Night bit his lip, eyes widening in mild terror. “Uh… Look I feel dumb enough right now, okay?”

Lemon patted Night’s head and smirked as years of vindication settled on her mind in a pleasant fashion.

Trixie shifted back to her preferred female form, taking the opportunity to make sure her eyes were properly pega’d up. Wow he’s really upset by that. I hope his negative vibes don’t make me throw up. If it gets stronger I can dash behind that log…

“Uh… C— Can I drop by on the third for the playoffs then?” Night asked hopefully.

Oh thank buck.

June walked over and gave him a quick hug. “Yes! I’ll make sure I have a TV and everything in time, okay? I’ve got to go now though. Because my place has a shower, and I would like to stop feeling like I rolled in sweat and mud. I uh, I know I’m clean and stuff, but I need the emotional comfort of a long hot shower.”

Trixie did her best to pretend she didn’t know June really meant she needed a spot away from her parents and sibling after over a week of being constantly around them while still being a hormonal young adult.

Maybe it’s best ponies aren't empaths after all. This kind of thing would be super awkward for them. Maybe I should send somebuggy over to help her with that… Nah, she wants to be alone for a bit.

Lemon’s ears perked at the mention of a hot shower. “Can we all drop by for a shower now?”

Trixie mmmed and shook her head. “That’s probably not the best idea. It’s your girl’s first night of independent living. How about I run back to town and get you a heated camp shower? Call it a welcome to the wilderness present.”

Night’s ears perked. He hadn’t even thought about bringing a normal camp shower. “Ma’am, I think I’d like that very much. I’d also like to talk to some of you about defense plans for the inevitable. I’m sure you know every good point in this valley to make a bolt hole if you need one.”

Trixie smiled and opened her wings to fly off. “We sure do! I’ll get someone to drop by and give you a tour, say…. In two days? June, I’m going to go. I have a friend to meet up with after I get your folks that shower.”

“Two days sounds good to me, noon?” Night asked.

“Noon!” Trixie agreed, making a mental note to pass the details on to some other changeling field agents.

June nodded and waved as Trixie took off. “Bye! I’ll see you around.”

That went as well as it could have, Trixie thought as she flew back towards town. It probably won't stay that way too long after the property dispute starts through… Hopefully I can convince the mayor to make that seem like part of the ruse? Heh, I suppose it’s more of a standard containment operation. I wonder if he’ll get assigned a number?

Trixie’s mind turned to more important matters. I wonder if Aura will be forthcoming about anything relating to Sam. If she bucked this up for me, we’re going to have to have a serious conversation about communicating who did what today… Again.

⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Raven Inkwell - 23rd of Lunar Dawn, 4 EoH
Palace of the Sun - Canterlot

The first moment of silence in the last two hours came upon Raven Inkwell’s office. She took a moment to enjoy the lack of enraged screeching echoing from her mostly bare marble paneled walls, wishing her minimalist preferences would permit her to install sound dampening.

“Please send in the next appointment,” Raven said into her desk intercom as she looked towards the heavy gold-plated double doors to her office.

She took a moment to take a breath, put on her usual professional face, and quickly straighten her desk decorations. Then she tipped her terminal back upright. Luckily for whomever was next, the head of the Manehatten Carpenter’s Union had not shattered its screen when they’d punched it over.

Suffice to say, he had not taken being officially ordered to allow building supplies to be purchased by other communities first given their reconstruction was now 98% complete well. While the argument had involved a good deal of yelling about the foundational righteousness of capitalism, Raven was happy that the thousands of other communities in Equestria would stop writing in to complain about a lack of construction supplies.

Raven spared a moment to hope none of the Royal Guards “escorting” him out wound up in the infirmary.

The doors swung open with an audible click and the shush of well oiled hinges. Raven flicked her eyes up from her desk, and frowned at the rarely welcome sight of a tall, reedy, bespectacled, pale cream and brown unicorn stallion dressed in a simple black suit filling her doorway.

Doctor Buttondown. Speaker of CARE Council. The Council had almost total autonomy in terms of the organization’s day to day affairs. Today wasn’t any of the scheduled reports or any kind of formally arranged meeting between the Council and Administration.

Buttondown closed the doors behind him with an elegant flourish of his telekinesis that betrayed barely a spark of his magic, then took a seat at Raven’s desk without her prompting him to sit down.

“We have two problems,” he said, bypassing the usual pleasantries to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

Raven closed her eyes for a moment. “Which site?”

“Evergreen Falls.”

Raven paused, arching an eyebrow. “A Safe Site. Attacked? Infiltrated?”

Buttondown shook his head once, he had no time to waste on speculation. “The site is currently secure and functioning normally. For the short term. This is an emergent medium term threat. One we may be able to avert, or which may not occur. But it still needs discussing and planning for potentialities and eventualities. Immediately.”

“Please explain.”

“The biggest problem is legal in nature,” Button elaborated. “Are you aware of the full history and nature of the town’s ownership?”

Raven shook her head. “I only know for sure that we don’t own it. The parcel has an enchanted holder’s deed, which was slated to be sold to us, but the Lord died before the document could be signed by the buyer, then vanished.”

Buttondown nodded sharply. “That’s half of the complications relating to the property. Evergreen Falls is built within Hackamore Valley, which is itself part of the Deep Woods. The Valley is, and has been since time immemorial, a Changeling reservation. The previous Lord Deep Woods granted them full ownership of all land beneath the valley and the right to use the surface for their agricultural needs, though retained all other rights over the surface. The terms of this bargain did not specify equestrian or changeling agriculture, which—”

“Which in a contract that old means it defaults to the growing of crops and keeping of animals legally classed as livestock,” Raven sighed slowly. “Meaning our current arrangement with Citrine Hive, effectively leasing the land, in exchange for placing sufficient ponies there to sustain their dietary needs is protected under modern law, has backing old enough to be very difficult to question using Solar Era laws still on the books… What’s the problem?”

Buttondown took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It would be, if the deed had not just remerged. It was recently sold and activated, fortunately without the buyer or seller knowing there’s a patent of nobility attached to the valley. The deed itself doesn't include the patent as there was a previously existing separate document, also lost. Unfortunately for us, them lacking the patent of nobility does not preclude the de facto transfer of the Lordship as the law is very clear about the transfer of land titled under one of those deeds when there is no living individual with an active claim to the accompanying title.”

Raven groaned, resting her face in her hooves for a moment. “Who's our new Lord Deep Woods?”

“We’ve been a little lucky with that element of the problem,” Buttondown remarked, adjusting his glasses with his hoof tip. “One professor Night Sky purchased the land from one of Lord Stirrup’s descendants. He is recently retired, and while he didn’t work directly for CARE he was a frequently utilized consultant, though he didn’t know of our organization. This means we have records on him.”

Raven mused thoughtfully. “I take it since you’re here talking to me about this, there’s a wrench in the works somewhere.”

Buttondown shook his head again. “The problem is that his retirement took the form of becoming something of a doomsday prepper. As far as we can ascertain, he bought the Deep Woods specifically to live as far from his perceived source of danger as possible. Us,” the stallion explained. “We have call records indicating his daughter attempted to have him psychologically screened via Foal Protective Services before the family’s recent move. Meaning his family thinks he’s unstable at present. His overall behavior provides sufficient evidence for me to agree with them.”

Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She sank back in her chair, thinking for several long moments. “I haven't gotten a phone call, email, or letter from him on this. If he knew he was the local lord, he could easily insist the Citrines are in violation of their reservation’s rights and demand our entire operation’s removal. If it reached the courts, it would cause—”

“An instant containment breach,” Buttondown agreed, interrupting to show he was fully aware of the consequences. “Specifically of Silkwing. We would no longer own the shed which, apparently, some numbskull placed within her moat instead of outside of it, she could if she desired enter it and destroy the pump, thereby freeing herself.”

Raven arched an eyebrow. “Silkwing wouldn’t do that. She’s one of our most—”

“She’s been starved since the Tirek incident.” Button said with venom in his voice.

Raven’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

“Her backup food supply was cut for budgetary reasons by a mid-level functionary who is now under review… Which is the second problem.”

Raven held up her hoof to stop Button. “Please quickly explain this.”

Button cleared his throat to suppress a cough. “The current head of the Civics Department, Grape Vine, is without a doubt corrupt. We’re investigating them presently, but are unlikely to be able to terminate him within the year due to how long the investigation will take. In addition to cutting Silk’s backup food supply, leading to her being presently feral due to the blood shortages from Tirek’s attack, he’s also allowed all of the maintenance staff to quit before sourcing replacements. Leaving Evergreen Falls with just a single mare, Samhain, to do all repair work.”

Raven’s eyes widened as the fur on the back of her neck stood up. “Excuse me?! She’d better be undead, because I’ve seen the work orders with that name on the budget reports! That mare has got to have three hooves in the grave!”

Buttondown coughed lightly into his hoof, Raven frowned slightly, wondering if he was coming down with something.

“Are you ill?”

“Recovering,” the stallion grunted. “Samhain is a problem the Council has just taken care of. We’ve hired 08 as additional maintenance staff for the time being, and started a proper headhunt, overriding Grape’s authority on the matter via Article 3. Silk remains a problem, but we’re losing focus. We need the Administration's help with the land dispute.”

Raven groaned into her hooves. “But the blood banks are still replenishing… Faust, damn it!” She took a few moments to just breathe. “What are we doing about Silk?”

“As I said, the council has handled it. I’ve tasked maintenance with installing a second pump, one outside of her moat. I told them it’s an emergency backup so no one suspects there could be a land ownership issue with containment. Fortunately, Silk isn’t automatically aware of ownership… That we know of. That could have changed since the last check,” Button said with a nervous twinge of his ears.

“I suppose we could stake her until blood can be found,” Raven proposed halfheartedly, knowing full well that nopony would be willing to try.

“With her in her current state? I don’t think any of our available agents would be able to get close to her,” Buttondown grumbled. “You’ve seen her file. You know she stands a chance against an alicorn. Our best bet is to try and keep this all under the rug and resolve the ownership dispute as quickly and above board as possible. A blood bag has already been dispatched by special courier, but a problem with delivery is still possible, and obtaining it was not without… Consequences.”

“I understand. I’ll… I’ll write something for the family, of course.” Raven said as she strained back up. “So… Back to the main topic at hoof… Professor Night clearly doesn't know he is the local lord yet. Or if he does, it hasn’t occurred to him that he can get rid of a government outpost on his land. OR, hopefully, he knows and doesn't give a buck… But, we have to assume the worst. What cards do we have?”

“We have an ace,” Buttondown replied with a mischievous smile. “His daughter Junebug was recently hired at Evergreen Falls. If he discovers our operation and raises an objection, he can’t shut us down without hurting her career and the new life she’s starting for herself. His former co-workers report he loves his children, which means he will likely hesitate to take any action once aware.”

Raven nodded, then paused. “Of course, with that close of a family bond, she’s absolutely told him of her newfound employment. It’s also likely she ignored the warnings and mentioned she joined CARE. In which case that starts the usual ticking leak clock.”

“Indeed,” Button’s face contorted as he attempted to continue to speak. He suddenly coughed into his hoof, frowned, then cleaned his hoof and lips with a handkerchief. “My apologies. I believe the stress is reinvigorating the infection.”

“Anomalous?”

“No. Mundane pneumonia. Disruptions in antibiotics since—”

“Tirek. I know,” Raven reached behind her desk for her can of disinfectant and generously sprayed the area around them. She put the can away before continuing with their discussion.

“We have another ace,” she mused as she set the can down.

“Oh?” Button asked, leaning forwards to alleviate pressure on his lungs.

“The title for the Deep Woods was never invalidated. That means the title’s requirements, obligations, and privileges are working under Solar Era laws except where the new Harmony Era law expressly alters them. The agricultural permit may have been made species-specific rather than pony-centric by some bill passed sometime during the last thousand years. More importantly, there will be all kinds of odd laws still on the books relating to the title’s responsibilities. I’ll have the Royal Scribes check over all relevant laws and requirements for that title, so that if he tries anything we can tie him up until he satisfies them. Now that the actual deed has been signed by a new living owner, we could turn this into an opportunity to establish more solid legal ownership for CARE.”

Buttondown chuckled and began folding his handkerchief to put it back in his pocket. “You know, if we had a torrens system we could have simply invalidated the deed due to it lacking a registered owner for nearly a thousand years. Ever wonder how many of Celestia’s other decisions have come back to bite her in little ways? The big ones are obvious, but few. I’d put my last bit on these little problems being uncountable.”

Raven ran a hoof down her mane. “You have no idea, Buttondown…” She shook her head slowly, then her ears perked as a thought occurred to her. “Changeling reservations have some interesting laws. For instance, the Crown holds the right to build defenses on them. We can probably use the old levies law to take ownership of the town itself by making it a fort, then we could transfer the fort to CARE as leased space under modern law. There’s likely a few other things we could do, too. I’ll get you a list of realistic ones as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, that’s what I came here for,” Buttondown said with a respectful nod. “As I said, this is a mid-term problem. Long term, we’ll win. Worst case scenario, Celestia simply goes through the process of delanding a Lord. I hope it won’t come to that, given the shitshow that would create with every other noble… Regardless of what the future holds, I do have two requests for the present.”

“Which are?”

Buttondown removed a manilla envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and set it on Raven’s desk. “This is a report I prepared on Professor Night’s daughter June. She was recruited personally by Dusk, who also arranged for June to take over the study of Object 92. Death’s actions are usually beneficial to ponykind, hence, I personally approved June’s hiring after verifying her ID.”

Understanding Button wouldn’t have brought the file to her if its contents were not important, Raven gestured to the envelope with one hoof and said, “Pretend I had time to read it. What would I see?”

Button cleared his throat, and began to quickly summarize. “June’s had a rough life. Born male, her biological mother, not the individual she currently calls mother, that’s her biological father… Her mother died while on duty as an ambassador to the gryphon kingdoms in a terror attack,. Long history of bullying as she was suspected of being developmentally disabled due to lacking social grace until her college years…”

Buttondown sighed and shook his head slowly. “She’s well adjusted despite everything. However, I believe there are some simple things CARE could do to make her feel extremely welcome at home, and generally respected. If we do, then she’ll love her job and any action Night may take against us will hurt her far more. She’ll have told him about her friends, coworkers, and life as any child would, and so—”

Raven nodded sharply. “You’re considering special treatment… If we do, we can’t just stop once everything is convenient. Assume everything goes perfectly and then we cut that special status. We’ll own an enclave within Lord Night’s land, and will have hurt his daughter. Toll roads? Commercial access restrictions? It’d all be on the table for him.”

Buttondown smiled faintly. “I’m aware. It won’t be expensive to make permanent. Just a few subtle policy adjustments, a special clearance here and there to allow her to consult on items she could be of help with, permission to ask Cadence to find her soul mate, the odd generous bonus… Oh!” He paused, frowning slightly. “And approval for reasonable expenses. Such as getting an HVAC system installed in the Observatory complex. Apparently it has no cooling in the residential building. We could start by getting her climate control by the end of the week. Though it would mean having 08 do the work.”

“Who?” Raven asked, frowning at both the unknown entity ID and also wondering just who was going to get a hoof upside their head for building a small apartment building without a cooling system, and if she could be the mare to do it.

“The alien,” Button elaborated, ears slightly flat with irritation at one of the Administrators not knowing everyone and everything by ID number. “They are the only qualified technician we can get to Evergreen Falls on short notice due to its remote location. As she’s mostly harmless, well behaved, and generally inclined to be helpful, I had her removed from general containment a few years ago and placed into provisional citizenship. Did you not get the memo?”

“I had. I just didn’t recognise the number. Let’s see… Enox, right?”

“Right.”

Raven thought for a moment, then asked, “She’s a citizen of Equestria like any other in our employ. What’s the problem with letting her do the work?”

Button thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Nothing, come to think of it. It’s just that, well, I’m in the healthy habit of asking permission to use CARE’s charges for our operations.”

Raven smiled. Of all the bureaucratic sticklers on the Council, Buttondown was her favorite, and the most agreeable. His hang-ups were easier to predict, and almost never a problem. Not to imply any lack of effectiveness out of the rest of the council, but Raven preferred her solutions without collateral and coverups.

“Request approved. I’ll put it in writing later, but you have formal permission to make reasonable purchases, expenses, policies, etc. relating to June’s career. What’s the other request?”

“I want Celestia to know.”

Raven paused, her ears standing up in alarm. She’d planned on bringing the Princess into the fold eventually, but only once there was a clear road forwards. Besides, Celestia herself was becoming a concern, what with—

“Why?”

“Because while we will retain control over the site in the long term by one way or another, in the short term, if Night chooses to, he could do a great deal of harm to people within CARE’s… Erm, care. Evergreen Falls is her… Well, you know what the town means to her. She needs to be brought in on this as soon as possible. She won't be rash about it, I’m certain, even with— Not when it involves her. Oh, and don’t mention our plans for June. I don’t want the dressing down that she’ll want to deliver for that, and you and I both know Junebug is the best card we can pocket.”

Raven gestured for Button to let her think. Celesita had only rarely acted on impulse when problems arose in the past, but something like this could strike at her emotional core. In the old days, Celestia would probably have invited Night to discuss the matter over tea. Now?

Raven focused a little more, trying to predict the actions of an exhausted monarch. Now… Well, this problem did relate to her hometown. Surely she would still hold plenty of love for Evergreen Falls.

“You’re right. We won't mention June… But we’ll keep what we do with her subtle and we won't go further than we would for any other potential protege. I’ll email you the list of reasonable options once I have it, and I’ll tell Celestia as soon as I’ve made the call to the Scribes.”

Buttondown stood up, ending the conversation with a slight nod then wordlessly stood to leave.

“Button, wait. The name.”

“Name, ma’am?”

“Of the family. The one who isn’t getting their blood, so Silk can eat. For the card.”

Buttondown stared at her in visibly dawning shame, coughing slightly.

“I… I’ll find out and get that to you immediately, ma’am.”

Coughing wetly, he left the room with a wavering flare of orange from his magic on the doors.

Raven pressed down on her intercom button. “Rose, cancel the rest of today’s meetings. Code gray.”

“Yes, Ms. Inkwell.”

Raven let go of the button, ignored the upset shouting from her waiting room, and picked up the phone to dial the Royal Library.

Comments

[Asolem2]

Button cleared his throat to suppress a cough. “The current head of the Civics Department, Grape Vine, is without a doubt corrupt. 

...the name is different

“With her in her current state? I don’t think any of our available agents would be able to get close to her,” Buttondown grumbled. “You’ve seen her file. You know she stands a chance against an alicorn.

Damn, that's quite something

Raven paused, her ears standing up in alarm. She’d planned on bringing the Princess into the fold eventually, but only once there was a clear road forwards. Besides, Celestia herself was becoming a concern, what with—

Evergreen Falls is her… Well, you know what the town means to her. She needs to be brought in on this as soon as possible. She won't be rash about it, I’m certain, even with— Not when it involves her. 

Hmmm