61. The pieces have been moved
“‘Vacation’?” Matthias asked, surprised.
He wasn’t the only one. For her suggestion, Rarity was rewarded with five more surprised stares, although only his and Twilight’s were genuine. The others have all rehearsed this with her previously, so it wouldn’t look like a set up. Hoping that nopony would fell out of their roles (especially Pinkie Pie), the white unicorn explained.
“Yes, a vacation. I’ve been thinking about it since the wedding, figuring we deserved some relaxation after all that changeling’s business, but I had too much work with my new designs.”
Luckily, that part actually was true. After the wedding in Canterlot, she was swarmed with new clients. Not surprisingly, making the dress for Princess’s wedding was really good for her business.
“However, thanks to the delay, I was able to make reservation in a very pleasant resort in Altomare.”
“Altomare?” Twilight questioned. “That’s all way to the West Coast, past the San Palomino Desert!”
“Yes, and I already made a reservation for four days and three nights starting tomorrow, so we’d better pack!” Rarity finished, and was about to go back to her boutique, when...
“Hold on there for a minute, sugarcube!” Applejack said, stopping her. “Ya can’t just com’out and say ‘let’s go!’”
“I know, but because of Princess’ and Prince’ visit, I’ve completely forgotten about it.” Rarity replied, faking embarrassment. “I remembered about the reservation just this morning when I checked my calendar.”
“Oh, I can understand that!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “I always forget about stuff I write down in my calendar, too!”
Fighting off the urge to laugh at the sight of Matt’s frown, directed at her pink friend, Rarity continued:
“I’m very sorry about coming out with this like that, but it would be really nice if we could all go. And I went through so much trouble to reserve a beach house big enough for eleven ponies...”
“Wait, eleven?” Rainbow Dash and Twilight asked at the same time.
“Wow, Cadance really knows her well...” Rarity thought, seeing the reaction from Twilight.
“Well, I counted Spike, of course, and I figured that my sister and the other two would probably try to tag along, and we would find them in our bags on the train or something, so I just thought that we would go ahead and invite them.” Rarity explained.
That part of the plan confused her when Cadance proposed it, until the Princess told her the reason behind.
“Both Twilight and Matthias are really smart and perceptive, seeing as they manage to see through the Changeling Queen charade.” Rarity recalling what Cadance said from before. “They are bound to start suspecting something, but, if you will take the little ones with you, then both of them will be more inclined to believe you honestly just wanted for all of you to relax. I mean, who would try to set up the mood for two ponies to fall in love with fillies and baby dragons around?”
Returning to the present moment, Rarity finally asked:
“So, what do you all think?”
Everypony glanced around, uncertain, until one of them spoke up. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Fluttershy, as they practiced, but Matt.
“Personally, I think this is a great idea.” he said, giving Rarity his charming smile. “The construction of the abbey won’t begin until next week, so I wouldn’t mind spending some time with everypony simply relaxing, seeing as I will be busy later. And, once I’ll start training paladins, I’m afraid I won’t have so much free time left to hang around with you all for few next months. It would be nice to use this time to its fullness.”
“Well, I’m pleased that you think so.” Rarity replied a bit nervously, unable to not blush slightly after receiving his smile.
“I, um, also think this is a good idea.” Fluttershy said with uncertain voice, although, it was probably effect of Matthias interjecting rather than her following her ‘script’. “I would need to leave Angel with somepony else, but I don’t think this should be a problem. Do you think you could leave Spottedleaf to that pony as well, Matt?” she asked, much more lively, turning to him. “They really like each other. I don’t think I ever seen Angel so kind to any animal before.”
“I don’t see any problem, but, Fluttershy, do not hold me responsible if there will be bunnies with claws running around Ponyville later, okay?” the paladin replied, winking, causing the shy pegasus to blush on her pet’s behalf once she realized what he was suggesting, and the other mare to giggle.
“Well, I guess Cloudchaser and Flitter, or maybe Thunderlane, should have no problems with filling the weather jobs for me.” Rainbow Dash said, scratching her head.
“Ah will need to talk with Big Mac an’ Granny.” Applejack told them, while pretending to be uncertain.
Rarity was surprised how well the farm pony could act. She knew that Applejack wasn’t pleased with this whole deception, but like everypony, she agreed that they were doing it for the good of their friends. Once Rarity explained to her that it wasn’t exactly lying, Applejack was won over.
The next one that was supposed to speak up was Pinkie Pie, but instead it was Twilight.
“I think it would be nice to spend some time on the beach.” she said, and for a moment, there was some nostalgia flashing in front of her eyes. “I haven’t seen the sea since my parents took me and Shining Armor on a trip there when I was a little filly.”
“Great.” Rarity told her. “I’m pretty sure this time it will be much more memorable, though.” she thought, barely keeping herself from giggling happily for her friends.
“Pinkie Pie, what about you, dear?” the white unicorn turned to the last pony.
The party pony, for some reason, instead of bouncing around happily as they all expected and rehearsed, was deep in thoughts. On the sound of Rarity’s voice, however, she quickly lived up.
“Oops, sorry, I was just thinking how to smuggle in my Party Cannon, since resorts doesn’t look too kindly at that sort of objects.”
“How do you know that?” Rainbow asked, confused.
“Shhh!” the pink pony replied in hushed voice, looking around. “It’s a secret!” she said and quickly run off, moving from house to house as to not be spotted by somepony.
“I guess some things never change.” Twilight thought in amusement as her friend run covertly back to Sugarcube Corner.
She was really, really grateful for Rarity’s suggestion. Not only because thanks to it, she would be busy packing for the trip, and wouldn’t have time to be worried about her and Matt and possible relationship between them and the future of said relationship; but also for this would buy her more time to figure out what to say to him, and find a way for them to be alone for few moments.
Twilight just hoped that she wouldn’t mess her chance up.
“The train is here!” shouted the three fillies, excited about the trip, as the train rolled into the station.
Matthias watched this in amusement, pleased to see them happy, especially Apple Bloom, who not so long ago was in such grave danger. However, like all kids do, she shook it off very quickly, and was back to her usual Crusading-self.
The hour was late, as the setting sun was indicating. The ride to Altomare would take a half of day, so it was most common for ponies to take the night train, sleep in it, and wake up shortly before arriving in the port city. Of course, Matthias seriously doubted that the excited fillies would fall asleep quickly.
He, like everypony else, spend the rest of the day preparing for the trip. Although to be fair, it wasn’t as much as spending ‘the rest of the day’, but rather the matter of few minutes, seeing as he practically owned nothing. The few things he did had, like the toothbrush, was bought for him by Twilight, as if to remind how much he owed her. Other than those few things, he also packed some books, with the first book of ‘Daring Do’ among them, that Twilight recommended him over time, but he never got around to read any. Unlike her or Jaina, he didn’t read for pleasure, but to learn (although, that too he did only when he had to).
“I might get a chance to read them once they will go visit a spa or something.” he thought as the train finally stopped and they trotted into it.
However, as soon as he put his hoof on it, something happened that caused him to glance behind.
“What was that just now?!?” he wondered, alarmed.
For a second, Matthias thought he felt some kind of... presence observing them. This feeling passed almost as instantly as it appeared, so the paladin pony was inclined to think that it was just his paranoia, but there was one thing about it that unnerved him.
He didn’t sense it by neither by hearing or sight nor through the telepathic powers, like he could as the Lich King. I was more like... a strong feeling of malice coming from some being.
“Hey, do you mind?!” somepony behind him asked, after few seconds of Matthias not moving.
“Oh right, sorry.” he replied, snapping out of his trance and walked inside.
“I must be still shaking off the effects of my trip to the moon.” he decided, despite still thinking uneasy, as he followed his friends to the sleeping cart.
“I can’t believe we’re going to see the West Sea!” Sweetie Belle was saying as Matthias have entered, while jumping up and down on one of the beds.
“Sweetie Belle, behave yourself.” Rarity scolded her.
“Sorry.” the filly said, as she stopped her bouncing with ears dropped, but brightened up almost at once. “But I’m just so excited!”
“Yea, me too!” Apple Bloom added. “We might even get’ur cutie marks while we’re there!”
“Perhaps, but remember, girls, there will be plenty of excitement without you getting into some trouble, so do try to take a break from your Crusading.” Rarity told them. “We’re here on vacation, and I intend to relax.”
“Okay, we promise to not get into any trouble!” the three fillies responded, but they didn’t fool anyone.
Matthias simply rolled his eyes, not wanting to comment on that, as he sat on one of the beds and put his saddlebag down. He wasn’t especially looking forward to this part of the trip. When there was nothing to do, like during the train ride, ponies usually talked; and with the majority of present here happened to be of the opposite gender, which meant they would talk about girl stuff, leaving Matthias out of the conversation to himself (save for one dragon, of course).
“Hey, Matt?” Scootaloo asked him as he was about to reach for one of the books. “Are the seas and beaches at your home are the same as Equestria’s?”
“Huh, maybe this won’t be as boring.” he thought.
“I would assume so.” Matthias replied. “It definitely seems like it, judging by what I heard.”
“So did you spend some time on the beach when you were a colt?” Sweetie Belle asked as she crept closer.
Matthias chuckled.
“What’s with this sudden interest in my ch... foalhood?” the paladin replied with a question, correcting himself at the last moment.
“We were just wondering what kind of things we could try to do while we’re there to get our cutie marks.”
“Well, I’m afraid you wouldn’t get much of me, then.” he told them. “I’ve never been to the sea as a colt, so I’ve never had a chance to play there any games.”
“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked him, surprised. “How come, couldn’t your parents take you there?”
“Let’s just say they were both very busy throughout my foalhood.”
“Well, ruling the land is pretty time-absorbing activity.” Matthias thought with a pang of sadness and nostalgia.
“Were their busy with war?” Scootaloo asked, excited. “You do mention that the land you are from is often plagued with wars, so it must be it, right?!”
The paladin looked at the filly sternly as he replied her in a serious voice:
“War isn’t something to be excited about, Scootaloo.” which caused the small pegasus to immediately look down. Next, Matthias spoke in his usual tone: “And no, I happened to mostly grew up during the time of peace, at least for the kingdom where I lived. It wasn’t until I was nine that the Second War happened.”
“‘Second’? Didn ch’ya tell us that there are wars almost all the time?” Applejack asked, confused. “How come this one was the ‘Second’?”
“It’s a long story, which I would prefer not to dwell on.” he told them, regretting mentioning the name of the war. “Whenever Twilight asked me about the history of my w... homeland, I didn’t go into the subject of wars as well, not wanting to ‘pollute’ you Equestrian ponies.” Matthias added, smiling at Twilight.
“Umh, right.” the lavender unicorn replied, quickly glancing through the window, much to Matthias dismay, but she then coughed and recovered. “So, seeing as we have a long way ahead of us, anypony would like to play chess?”
“Chess?” Rainbow Dash, who just received popcorn from Spike asked with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“I would like to play.” Matthias told her, hoping that a little game would make her more at ease around him.
“Oh… um, okay.” Twilight replied, somewhat surprised, but nonetheless she picked up a small foldable chessboard with her magic and moved to sit on the bed next to him, placing the chess board in the air between them with all the chess pieces already in position. “Black or white?”
“Lady decides.” the paladin responded.
Twilight chose black, which meant that Matthias would be starting.
“Curious choice.” he commented while moving his pawn to the center.
He wasn’t exactly very familiar with this game. He knew the rules, of course, and played it few times as a kid. He recalled how people always said, to his frustration, how it helps to develop strategic abilities.
“In chess, it is necessary to sacrifice your pieces to win.” he commented, observing Twilight’s move. “I always put the lives of others before everything, and would fight to protect them... until I became the Lich King.” he snorted as he moved his knight next to the pawn. “As Lich King, I would be great at this game.”
He was much better at card games, like bridge, as well as dices, the favorite game of dwarves, thought to him by Muradin, but since Twilight proposed chess...
“Ah, this is boring!” Rainbow Dash accused them, turning her back on them. “I’m gonna read ‘Dearing Do’, call me when it’s over. I’m betting on Twilight, by the way!”
Matthias rolled his eyes, as the other mares, fillies and Spike talked about Altomare, occasionally glancing in their direction.
“So, why choose black?” he asked Twilight after some time as she was about to move her rook and take out his bishop.
“I figured it would be safer to let you move first and then decide how to react.” she replied, returning to the analytic tone she used whenever she talked about some tough spell.
…Unless she was excited about the said spell.
“Oops, didn’t notice that your rook was free.” Matthias commented as he moved his knight out of harm’s way. “You often play chess?”
“From time to time.” the unicorn replied, looking at the board. “I usually have nopony to play it with. I would have probably didn’t remember to bring it if I hadn’t played few times with Shining Armor when you were in Canterlot, which was about the first time in months. Do you like it?” she asked, bringing out her bishop.
“Not really.” Matthias replied casually, and seeing the look she gave him, he explained: “Everypony always said to me that playing this sharpens the skill that the leader needs when leading others into battle, but... I just lost a bishop. If this was a real battlefield, I would charge in trying to protect him, or heal him, or revive him. In this game, however, it is necessary to sacrifice others, while in real battle, I would fight triple hard to make sure none of my comrades dies. Like your pawn.”
“That was... deep.” Twilight said, watching him take her pawn out of the board. “But, aren’t there always casualties at battles and wars?”
“Yes, they are. Which would make me fight even harder.” he told her, winking, and then asked: “If this battle we are having would be real, can you guess which of this figures I would be?”
Matthias question surprised Twilight, causing her stop her hoof in mid-air over her bishop.
“Is this some kind of even deeper over-thinking of the game?” she asked with one eyebrow raised.
“You could say that.” Matthias chuckled. “However, I am more interested in how well you understand this game and how well you know me. For example, you,” he said, pointing with his hoof, “would be most likely a knight.”
“A knight?!” Rainbow Dash spouted as Matthias glanced at her, who is apparently started paying attention at some point. “Twilight? You’ve got to be kiddin’.”
“Well, there isn’t a mage on the board. A knight can jump all around, like Twilight with her teleportation spell; however a bishop, like you, cannot even move in straight line, and hits everything.”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, while everypony else laughed, safe for Scootaloo; although Matthias noticed that she covered her mouth briefly.
“So...” Twilight said when she calmed down. “I’m a knight, Rainbow is a bishop,” few more laughs were uttered, “but I have no idea what are you... unless you’re saying you’re a queen!”
Everypony laughed again, even Matthias, despite that the joke was at his expense. He had no doubt that most of them were trying to imagining him in a crown and dress. The paladin was simply happy that Twilight started to act like her old self around him.
“Actually, I believe the answer is quite opposite.” he replied, moving one of his pawn.
“Are you saying that you’re a pawn?” Twilight asked, hesitating to take the pawn Matthias has just moved, but eventually she took it with her queen. “Check.”
“In more sense than one...” the earth pony thought about her comment, moving his remaining bishop to block Twilight’s queen.
“I have no objections as to sacrificing myself save the lives of others. Check.”
Twilight glanced surprised at the board, only now noticing that her king was exposed. She bit her lower lip as she thought what was best to do.
“So you sacrificed that pawn just now to get a shot at my king?” she asked, castling.
“Yes... as well as that bishop earlier.” Matthias replied, as he takes out the rook that took his bishop few moves ago with his queen. “Checkmate.”
“What? Ho-”
“You cannot move your king to the right because of my rook, nor forward where he would be in sight of my knight. Checkmate.”
“... You talked to me to make me less concentrated!” Twilight accused him, but without anger.
“During war, advantage can save the lives of ponies.” Matthias replied, sticking out his tongue playfully.
Twilight grumbled something to herself, annoyed at him.
Rarity was impressed.
Princess Cadance mentioned that she had encouraged Twilight to play chess with Shining Armor, hoping that she would take them with her, but to predict that it would help the other unicorn break off from the attitude she had for days now...
“It was as much due to our meddling, as well as Matthias.” she thought. “Those two will be great together!”
She had to admit to herself that she was slightly jealous of Twilight. She longed to meet somepony like Matthias, a stallion so brave and strong, but also kind and gentle, who would be able to make her feel better by doing something trivial, like playing a game. There was Spike, of course, but as much as she liked the dragon, he was a baby dragon. Not only he was too young to involve himself in a relationship, but Rarity was also afraid that someday he might simply grow up from this crush.
The fashionista wondered if she would meet the stallion of her dreams soon, would she be able to bring herself to breaking Spike’s heart.
“The paladin almost noticed me.”
The unicorn that was studying the book they stole from Ponyville glanced at the shadowed figure that had appeared within the depths beneath Canterlot.
“Are you sure?” he asked, tilting his head. Once his minion nodded, he ordered: “Tell me everything.”
The leader listened to his spy’s report, analyzing every word carefully.
“It shouldn’t be among his abilities to sense you through those spells.” he finally said, thoughtfully. “They are leaving for few days; this should give us time to modify them...”
“You don’t intend to spy on them in Altomare?”
“I would prefer to know about their day-to-day life, and learning that will be a bit more difficult to know with this ‘order’ being created there. I want to milk as much information as we can before that happens.”
The shadowy pony nodded, and then, hesitating for a bit, added:
“There’s one more thing, actually.”
The leader gestured for him to continue.
“Those two past days that I observed them, I had this strange... feeling, that I was being watched as well by somepony else.” he confessed. “I wouldn’t have brought this up, but you told us to report everything.”
For the first time, a surprise flashed in the eyes of the leader. He knew what this could mean.
“I didn’t expect her to make her move so quickly.” the unicorn murmured, as he glanced at the dark shape chained in the corner of the cave that he shaped into his study room. His gaze lingered for few moments, until it returned to regard his minion. “Inform the others that we will no longer spy on them. We have enough information as it is.”
“What are we supposed to do now, then?”
The leader once again looked at the dark shape, his eyes gleaming in the dark.
“Wait.” was all he said.
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Cutie Mark Crusaders Stowaways, YAY!
sweet celestia good chapters cant wait for more hehe
I'm hoping that the meddling 5's decietfulness will drive a wedge in between twilight and arthas.
I remember a city with a similar name in one of the pokemon movie, turns out this name isn't a horse pun of it. The city name in Pokemon Heros is actually called Altomare.
The name means high seas in Italian apparently.
*EDIT*: It seems you are well aware of this due to the fact your other story is a crossover with Pokemon Heros
Woot! Update!!! :D
Hoping that nopony would fell out of their roles
hang around with you all for few next months
although, it was probably effect of Matthias
she said and quickly run off
as her friend run covertly back to
would take a half of day
He, like everypony else, spend the rest of the day
but rather the matter of few minutes
ruling the land is pretty time-absorbing activity
happened to mostly grew up
played it few times
I’m gonna read ‘Dearing Do’
played few times
who is apparently started paying attention
while everypony else laughed, safe for Scootaloo
took his bishop few moves
lingered for few moments
1. Fall.
2. Hang around with you all for the next few months.
3. Although it was probably the effect of Matthias.
4. Ran.
5. Ran.
6. Would take half a day.
7. Spent.
8. But rather the matter of a few minutes.
9. Ruling the land is a pretty time-absorbing activity.
10. Grow.
11. Played it a few times.
12. Daring.
13. Played a few times.
14. Who apparently started paying attention.
15. Save. (Tried to search for relevance but found none, so I switched to my default)
16. Took his bishop a few moves.
17. Lingered for a few moments.
WHO ARE THESE STUPID MEANY HEADS??
3503313 Doomed.
It really does amuse me just how badly the enemy is underestimating Arthas. They seem to genuinely have no idea of just how truly powerful he really is.
I thought I was reading a altoshiping fic on fanfiction for a sec when I read this.