The Ash

by Raging Mouse

Arrival

Chapter 4:

Arrival

“Canterlot Central! End of the line! Thank you for travelling with Equestrails, have a pleasant day!”

Ponies were disembarking well before the conductor had finished his monologue, some jumping onto the station platform even before the train had completely slowed to a standstill. A group of six ponies from Ponyville were among the last to exit, partly because one of the ponies was being towed on cloud barely larger than her. Rainbow Dash was sound asleep, covered by blankets. One end of a rope was tied to one of her forehooves and the other end was tied to a hook on Applejack’s saddlebags.

They joined a colorful stream of travelling ponies, the fog from their breaths mixing with the smoke from the trains in the freezing air. The stream moved neatly around some areas, like water around rocks, before flowing onto the streets of Canterlot. Twilight and her friends found out why as they were carried to the edge of the first such open space.

A blanket was spread on the icy concrete of the platform in front of them. It was dirty and torn, and the tears had been patched (and some of the patches were torn), but it seemed to serve as home to a family of ponies. A pegasus mare and an earthen stallion together with their four foals were huddled together on it, sandwiched between heaps of furniture and storage crates. Their eldest daughter, a unicorn, seemed to be cooking dinner, using her magic to boil some water in a kettle.

“You poor things! Don’t you have anywhere to stay?”

The stallion switched his attention from the sheet of linen he was mending to Fluttershy, smiled slightly and nodded.

“Our village was evacuated two days ago. The blight from the mountain is getting too close to it, and the pegasi can’t keep away the ashes forever unless they’re willing to fly in poisonous air. We were given a free train ride here. The problem is, thirty other villages are being evacuated at the same time, and all those ponies are coming here on account of this being the central junction of the railways. So there’s not a single room in Canterlot that isn’t housing a family, and the rest of us make do.”

Fluttershy looked like she was about to cry.

“But... What about the cold and the snow?”

“Weather Central has spread these fliers around, look!”

The stallion turned to a pile of paper stacked loosely on a box, tugged at one with his mouth and held it so Fluttershy could read it. The rest of the pile had been disturbed enough to cause half of it to slide off the box and land on the ground. The pegasus mare that appeared to be his wife wrinkled her muzzle and shot him a sharp look.

“Flax Spinner! You shall tidy that up right away!”

The stallion named Flax ignored this outburst while he waited for Fluttershy to finish reading the little leaflet held in his mouth. When she reached the end of the text she looked up at the sky, then lowered her eyes to gaze at the throngs of ponies.

“They’ve cancelled all weather? Really?”

Flax turned and spit the paper from his mouth, letting it fall to rest among the other displaced papers. Then he turned back to Fluttershy.

“That’s right. Mighty kind of them, I must say, though of course they can’t do anything about the cold. I’ve heard rumors that some ponies miss the snow, it being nearly hearths’ warming and all, but the townsfolk have been nothing but kind and understanding to our faces. So you see, we might not have a roof but we can’t really complain.”

Fluttershy shook her head.

“Still. How about I let you stay at my cottage while you get your legs under you? I live in Ponyville, I could give you...”

Fluttershy’s voice faded away as she gazed at the family. She had expected the family to be delighted, but instead they’d hung their heads and wore gloomy expressions. Flax’ smile was tragic, and he looked at Fluttershy with sadness.

“We wouldn’t feel right accepting that. You only offered it to us because we happen to be closest to where you stepped off the train, right? Other families have been here for much longer than two days, and they are still out in the cold even though some of them are quite ill. If you really want to share your house with some family then you should head to the castle. They are trying to make waiting lists and they’re looking for volunteers to house the refugees.”

By now there were tears making their way down Fluttershy’s cheeks. The pegasus mare walked over to her and patted her gently on the leg. She spoke soothingly.

“What’s your name, darling?”

Fluttershy whispered her name and sniffed.

“Fluttershy of Ponyville, I bet you have a heart so filled with kindness that you could share it with every refugee in Canterlot and still have enough left to move Discord to tears, but you only have one house. We’ll manage. Really. But there are ponies out there who’d really need and appreciate it. Don’t cry for us. We’re provided for.”

The pegasus paused for a moment and smiled gently.

“I’m Dewdrop Spinner, from Gallopwoods, and if it would make you feel better we could always write to you once we’ve gotten someplace to stay.”

Fluttershy gulped and nodded.

“I’d like that.”

Dewdrop hugged her lightly.

“Happy hearths’ warming to you.”

A single, powerful sob escaped from Fluttershy, but she fought to keep her emotions somewhat in check and managed a nod in response. The rest of the ponies from Ponyville had looked on silently and with a mixture of disquiet and concern, and they returned the seasons’ greetings somberly. They nudged Fluttershy onwards and started moving, only to stop after a couple of steps when it dawned on them that Rarity wasn’t following.

Rarity had set down her luggage, opened one of her bags and had pulled out a white silk duvet, partially embroidered with a diamond pattern. Emotional turmoil was apparent on her face as she levitated it over to the family of six.

“I – I’d brought this along as a little vanity project to work on while in town, but I want you to have it. And before you ask, I didn’t bring enough for everypony.”

Her smile was brittle.

“I still want to give it to you. Think of it as – as a hearths’ warming gift.”

The family hugged Rarity as thanks, renewing their promise to write. Then Rarity walked to her friends with an apologetic grin and moist eyes.

“Sorry for delaying us! I just had to do something.”

Fluttershy walked up next to Rarity and drew her into a hug, whispering “thank you” into her ear.

The lightened mood lasted until they walked past the next blanket, only a few dozen paces from the first. Applejack, Twilight and Pinkie Pie acted upon a silent agreement and moved so that Rarity and Fluttershy were in the middle of their group, shielded as much as possible from the scenes of need all around them.

Canterlot’s population had seemingly doubled, the town being completely unprepared for the logistical strain this put on the city’s resources. An effort was being made, though. Twilight and her friends noted that all the cafeterias and restaurants seemed to have been converted to food distribution centers. Lines of ragged ponies snaked out of their doors. Food seemed to be running short, however, judging by crowds of disappointed-looking ponies walking away from some of the eateries. Cast-iron braziers were placed at every intersection, and the ponies crowded around their dancing fires. There weren’t enough braziers though, so simple buckets, stood on loose cobblestones and fed with wooden debris, had also been put to use. The scents of cooking mixed in the air. All of this was probably in violation of fire code, but the city guard (frequently seen mingling with the crowds by the braziers) didn’t seem to care.

The trek through Canterlot was emotionally trying, especially for Fluttershy and Rarity, so the mood of the group was dismal by the time they reached the gates to the castle. The scene in front of them was worse still. Rainbow Dash had awoken by then and what she saw on the castle grounds made her tremble and bury her face in her cloud.

There were ponies everywhere, lying on beds, mattresses or simply a heap of bags on the ground, and surrounding them was a constant droning of misery. These were ponies who were hurt or ill. All too often there were thin sheets propped up on a wooden frame above them, enclosing their heads and torsos. Dash had experienced this, and simply looking at it was enough to trigger claustrophobia in her: it meant the ponies had inhaled ash from the mountain. The sheets prevented secondary poisoning.

There were ponies caring for the ill and wounded, but they were few and far between. Their faces and motion radiated exhaustion. The main path was unoccupied and Twilight hurried, almost breaking into gallop, up to the gatehouse to the inner keep, the others following. The gates were open but the group stopped as if they weren’t, for they had been met with a wall of sound. And of stench.

Rainbow Dash cried.

“No. I just can’t. Leave me out here. I just...”

Pinkie Pie untied the rope Dash was tethered to from an unresisting Applejack, pulled Dash together with the cloud closer to the ground and patted her while making soothing noises. Then Pinkie turned her head briefly to the other four and motioned them on with a wave of her hoof. Twilight steeled herself and entered, with Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy following reluctantly. By now Rarity and Fluttershy were staring with hollow, absent expressions at the mounting despair, but the scene visible from the threshold caused both to twitch and shy away before they could follow Twilight into the keep.

The ponies in the gatehouse were in worse shape than those out in the yard, but where the yard had displayed a mixture of illness and injury every pony indoors had been affected by the alien ash somehow. The cloth tents were everywhere but there were other signs as well: Discolored blotches of fur or patches entirely devoid of fur, infested with sores, boils or stranger deformations still. Twilight spotted a streak of what appeared to be black scales and looked elsewhere with a shudder.

They hurried onwards, past the gatehouse and the inner courtyard (which was blessedly empty from ill ponies, instead being crammed with stretchers, heaps of clean and dirty bed linen, bandages, bags of oatmeal and more), into the main hall of the keep. The hall was spacious and usually held only a quiet echo carried from activities elsewhere in the castle, so the light and noise (and the smell) were jarring to ponies such as Twilight who were accustomed to the normal atmosphere.

A desk had been carried to the middle of the hall. Some unicorn official Twilight vaguely remembered seeing before was sitting on his haunches behind it, surrounded by piles of documents, currently writing on a piece of paper while referencing a file. He was the center of attention of a large group of refugee ponies, while his attention occassionally wandered over to the family of three standing in front of the desk. He floated the paper he’d been writing on over to one of the trio as Twilight approached and caught his attention.

“Miss Sparkle. Notary Inkstain at your service. It is a pleasure to see you.”

His tone was polite but carried a hint of distraction. He glanced around the room as he spoke.

“You have questions, no doubt, and I’ll gladly answer them, but would you mind if we talked while I carried on with my current duties? We are swamped, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. She now remembered having been introduced to the pony during the Grand Galloping Gala: he was apparently attached to the castle kitchen’s treasury department.

“Not at all, please carry on.”

Notary Inkstain breathed deeply and called out a number. A family of four who had been hovering nearby, clearly anticipating being next in turn, walked up to the desk. He asked for details, such as their names and where they had been evacuated from, and chatted to Twilight while carefully writing down their answers on a form.

“What can I do for you, Miss Sparkle? You wouldn’t by any chance be here to help?”

“Sorry, I’m here first and foremost to see Princess Celestia.”

Something yellow and pink appeared in the corner of Twilight’s eye. She turned to look at Fluttershy, who’d walked up to the desk. Rarity was just behind her.

Fluttershy spoke with more confidence than usual as she looked at Inkstain.

“I want to help. Any way I can.”

She turned to look at Twilight, silently pleading for permission while Rarity placed a hoof on the purple unicorn's shoulder.

“I’d like to help as well. Please don’t think we’re abandoning you, but I just can’t stand not doing anything.”

Applejack spoke next, hesitatingly.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to lend a hoof too. These ponies look like they could use it.”

Twilight looked from friend to friend and felt her heart swelling. She caught all three in a forceful hug.

“I love you all so much!”

She released them and drew a shuddering breath.

“Tell you what. After I’ve met the princess I’ll arrange for some place for us to stay and then I’ll come back to help you.”

Inkstain’s priorities seemed to have shifted by these statements and he signalled to the family to wait before addressing Fluttershy and company.

“Am I correct in assuming I am speaking to none other than Fluttershy, Element Bearer of Kindness? I have only glimpsed you briefly before, so...”

He rose, walked around the table to face Fluttershy and bowed.

“It is an honor to meet you.We can discuss the specifics of assistance in a moment.”

Turning to Twilight, he coughed apologetically.

“I am afraid I do not know the current whereabouts of her highness Princess Celestia, but I believe Night Court is just starting up in the throne room. Princess Luna or her seneschal will surely know.”

Twilight nodded and gave each of her friends a brief hug before walking towards the stairs to the upper floors and the throne room. She heard Fluttershy mention her cottage as she moved away.

A short while later she entered the courtroom where court was indeed in session, though none of the princesses were presiding over it. Twilight hadn’t socialised with the nobility – in fact, she suspected Princess Celestia had actively kept her away from that life while she was in Canterlot – so she was unfamiliar with Luna’s seneschal. The mare was elderly and didn’t acknowledge Twilight further than with a brief glance. The seneschal was facing the door and easily looked over everypony else as she was standing in front of the Throne of Moon and Sun, up on the dais. Twilight watched the session for a moment.

The seneschal was apparently reading a part of the court protocol out loud.

“...To shorten response time and increase leverage, the elders of Cloudsdale are asking for temporary permission to move the city to an as of yet undecided location, closer to the fallen mountain.”

There were murmurs in the hall and several ponies shifted uneasily. The seneschal raised her head and addressed the assembly.

“I’d like to point out that the matter is somewhat urgent. We’ve discussed this over the previous three days now, with many significant points voiced concerning the matter. Does anypony have anything to add or shall we proceed with voting?”

She looked around the courtroom. Nopony seemed to have anything to say.

“Very well. Then we shall vote: all in favour of granting the city of Cloudsdale temporary exemption from clause five of the Cloudsdale treaty, concerning relocation of the city for military purposes or otherwise, of the year of falling lights, please raise...”

Twilight exited the courtroom and turned to one of the guards stationed by the doors.

“Um, hello?”

The guard nodded to her. Then he raised an eyebrow and seemed to focus on her more intently.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Twilight Sparkle? Captain Armor’s little sister?”

Twilight smiled at the recognition.

“That’s right. Is he here, by the way?”

“Sorry, Captain Shining Armor has departed Canterlot with most of his guard to oversee the evacuations. Just us half-trained rookies are left. Is there any way I can assist you?”

She felt a twinge of worry but ignored it.

“I was looking for Princess Celestia, actually. Do you know where she is?”

The guard furrowed his brow and tilted his head while humming, deep in thought.

“She’s not in her private chambers, or if she is she doesn’t have her guard detail stationed by the doors. So I doubt she’s there. I think most of the instructions she’s given the court lately has been delivered by a secretary, so you could head to the Hall of Secretaries and ask them. I don’t know where her sister is either, but that’s business as usual.”

“Okay, thanks for your help!”

Twilight waved and walked away.

~~~~~~

Staff Secretary (2nd class) Birch Blossom regarded Twilight thoughtfully while she considered the question. The sounds of quill against parchment scratched all around them, at times broken by a runner’s hoofbeats.

“It’s true, we’ve relayed quite a lot of instructions from Her Highness lately, but she’s not been here in person. It’s always been runners carrying her messages. Oh, and one pony from the treasury department, now that I think about it. You could try there.”

“All right, thanks!”

~~~~~~

Lesser Treasurer Gem Polish shook her head.

“She hasn’t been in here in ages. Bad for the public image to be associated with the country’s riches being pooled in the castle treasury. Or not, as the case may be.”

He made a show of trying to be helpful by leafing through some documents.

“I do remember something, however... Ah, here we are. Yes, a cost estimate from the kitchen for some meals to be prepared for her and a number of other ponies, in addition to the usual food they cook. The report came in this morning, so they might have a trail for you to follow.”

“All right...”

~~~~~~

Kitchen matrons Pot and Kettle, two of the largest (and not necessarily in the sense of being fat) ponies Twilight had ever seen, shook their heads without pausing their work.

“We just prepare the food and place it in the delivery room. Somepony else picks it up and delivers it, and we are too busy to pay attention and see who it is.”

Kettle smacked her lips and frowned while inspecting a bubbling cauldron being tended to by two kitchen assistants.

“I did hear the maids from the cleaning staff gush about them being visited by one of the princesses just before noon today. I didn’t believe a word of it, of course, but who knows?”

Twilight nodded silently, sighed and walked on. Just how was it possible for a pony as important as the princess to disappear while still being in control of affairs, and why did Twilight get the feeling she was being given the runaround?

Comments

[Raging Mouse]

Hello all,

I'd just like to mention how encouraging your thumbs up and favouriting has been. I started writing and publishing this story because it just wouldn't leave my head otherwise, but I must admit that seeing it being read and appreciated has become another source of motivation. So, thank you. It feels good.

On another note, please point out any strange grammar or choices of words that you might find. English is not my first language, so I won't be surprised if my wording isn't the best. I'm of course a layman at writing fiction of any kind, so general critique and constructive tips would be really helpful.

Thank you for your time!

[SuperBro.BrawlerKart]

I really like your description for this fic. It's a new and interesting idea to me in having the alien be poisoned by Equestrian air. I haven't read any of the chapters for your fic when I wrote this, but have no fear, you have caught my eye dear author. Definitely tracking this for sure.

[EvilTaco7655]

I don't know why but I always feel slightly angry at the ponies that ask who the mane 6 are when they first meet them, I mean come on they saved the world like 4 or 5 times!

[DemonOJM]

I see a reference Asterix and Obelix cartoons

[xErickKingx]

1910205
you got that right