My Little Teelo: Masquerade

by Ardwolf

Reflections

In which our heroine slumbers while events proceed apace.

As the chariot came in to land Twilight lifted Teagan slightly so the jarring wouldn’t wake her. She needn’t have bothered since the only way she could tell when wheels met stone was a slight increase in the noise. She stepped clear as the chariot stopped, keeping the unconscious girl floating ahead of her.

When she arrived at the Ghrian suite the two unicorns flanking the suite entrance bowed to her and one of them rapped quietly on the door. It opened almost immediately to reveal Søyle looming behind it. The troll’s expression hardened when she saw Teagan floating unconscious in Twilight’s magic.

Before the troll could demand an explanation Twilight held a hoof in front of her mouth and made a shushing noise, then motioned the troll to step back. When Søyle warily did so Twilight moved past her.

“Which is Teelo’s room?” Twilight asked quietly. Wordlessly the troll pointed. Twilight opened the door to find the chamber lit only by the light spilling from the main chamber. She found Emma already asleep in the ridiculously large bed—which could have comfortably held a pair of trolls. Twilight turned down the covers with her magic and tucked the unconscious girl into bed then quietly retreated and closed the door behind her. Turning around she suddenly found a slate green wall in front of her and felt herself lifted by the scruff of the neck.

“Ow, ow, ow!” She yelped, spreading her wings instinctively to keep her balance.

“What did you do to my queen?” Søyle asked in a hissing growl that made Twilight’s irises shrink in terror. She was glaring at the alicorn.

“No-no-nothing!” Twilight protested.

“The Dronning was fine when she went to see you! You bring her back and she is senseless. What did you do?”

Twilight was standing on her rear hooves, the troll’s grip on the back of her neck bringing tears to her eyes. She tried to shift her weight and instinctively fluttered her wings to keep Søyle’s pull from ripping out a huge chunk of her mane

“Teelo fought the renegade troll!” Twilight blurted. “She killed it! Crush used a spell to help her recover from the fight because they were afraid she’d have to fight draugrs. But that kind of spell always exacts a toll later! When the spell ended, she collapsed. She’ll be fine, I promise! She’s already had a big meal, all she needs is sleep. She isn’t injured, she’s just exhausted!”

“You swear this?” Søyle growled, showing more teeth than Twilight had ever wanted to see that close to her muzzle. Her eyes crossed trying to focus on the gleaming white—and more importantly sharp—collection of mouth knives hovering over her. She’d never really noticed that trolls had fangs before…

“You have my word, as a Princess of Equestria,” Twilight said, summoning what little dignity she could while shivering. Søyle straightened, lowering the pony until her front hooves touched the floor.

“We shall see, Princess of Ponies,” Søyle’s expression had turned neutral. “It is fortunate I was the troll you encountered tonight. The others would have taken this—badly. Very badly. There would have been blood.”

“Blood?” Twilight’s eyes widened. “Are you saying they would have attacked me?”

“And then leveled the castle,” Søyle said seriously. “You were stupid to bring her here like that. I have learned restraint from my husband, Your Highness. None of the others understand pony ways nearly so well, save perhaps Alene Hule.”

“You do understand if I were hurt Princess Celestia would—take it badly, right?” Twilight said cautiously. “She couldn’t ignore something like that.”

“I understand this, Princess, and to honor the Dronning’s wishes I will not be the claw that brings war between us,” Søyle stared down at the alicorn. “But be aware the others are not so perceptive. For the sake of both our peoples, do not be so stupid again.”

“I don’t understand! How was I stupid? I was bringing her back so she could rest! I never hurt her!” Twilight objected, beginning to feel the first stirrings of indignation.

Søyle sighed.

“You must think simply, Your Highness. You must see the world as a troll would,” Søyle said. “All trolls are sworn to protect the Kongen and the Dronning. By summoning her you took personal responsibility for her safety. She was hale when she left, yet when you returned she was unconscious, helpless, and in your power. To most it would be obvious you had betrayed her and were flaunting it—that you had foresworn yourself. To trolls this is an evil beyond bearing. Seeing what I saw, and knowing their duty, they would not hesitate. Do you understand now?”

Twilight felt a chill sweep through her.

“How can trolls think that way?” She asked plaintively. “That’s not logical.”

“No, it is not logical,” Søyle agreed. “It is simple. If a troll sees an evil they kill it. That is the Law. It is proper. Evil must not be allowed to live, lest it destroy us all. The World Below is not a place that forgives those who hesitate.”

“But I wasn’t being evil!” Twilight protested, indignation turning to annoyance. “I was helping.”

“It did not appear so,” Søyle said. “We both know ponies and trolls see the world very differently. The Dronning wishes ponies and trolls to live in peace. For that to happen there is much about ponies trolls must learn. But it is also true ponies must learn more about trolls as well. Tonight it was your turn to learn. Be happy you survived the lesson. In the World Below those who fail such tests are seldom given a second chance.”

Twilight stared at the impassive troll, appalled.

ooOoo

Fjell stared at the trolls seated around the large table, outwardly untroubled.

“A pony draugr came into this very room not five hours past,” he rumbled, “swimming through the floor like a days-dead fish. The Deepest Dark has awakened.”

Among humans or ponies such an announcement would have provoked panic and instant bedlam. Had Truth Speaker, for example, been present at the meeting he would have been dumbfounded by the complete lack of reaction from the notoriously volatile trolls.

After considering the matter in silence for several minutes one gnarled ancient troll with skin faded to dull silver spoke.

“You are fortunate, Kongen. Why did the styggedom not slay you and ravage the caverns?”

“It was an emissary, Varig,” the Kongen’s disgust was plain in his twisted features, “although it would not name its master Had its message achieved the intended effect it would not have had to raise so much as one diseased hoof, for we would have done the deed ourselves. Fortunately, its master miscalculated.”

“And what was this message that would have caused us to destroy ourselves?” Varig asked.

“I will not repeat it,” the Kongen said calmly, “for the matter is now resolved. Let it lie forgotten and still, as corpses should. It is the draugr’s master we should concern ourselves with.”

“Who is this master?” Another troll asked, so old its massive muscles had vanished with time, leaving a thin wiry troll that would have given the CMC nightmares.

“I know not, Tynn,” Fjell shook his head. “Living or dead, troll, pony, or other, it lurks in the Deeper Dark. But we must prepare. I have alerted Alene Avgrunn to the peril. He assures me the Alene will look to Hejm’s wards. Whatever hole this abomination used to worm its way into the World Below the first time, it will not find a second visit quite so easy.”

“You all remember the tales of old, when last the Deepest Dark tested us,” Fjell continued. “Grim tales of magic and steel, the claws of every troll united against the hordes of the dead. If such times come again they will not find us wanting.”

“What of the ponies?” Sannheten asked, “Our new kinfolk.”

Several trolls chuckled in spite of the serious atmosphere of the council chamber.

“I have given a message to Truth Speaker to send to Princess Celestia, warning her of the danger,” Fjell said impassively. “For I doubt very much the Deepest Dark will spare them if the rest of us fall. Those ponies living in Hejm have as much stake in this as any at this table. Do not forget they are now a troll clan.”

“And the Dronning?” Sannheten pressed. “Where is she in this time of need? Mountain Heart should be here, Kongen Fjell.”

There were several growls of agreement around the table.

“That is what we must decide this night,” the Kongen said. “The Dronning has done remarkable things, and wields Mountain Heart with skill and daring. Yet she is not yet grown and has no familiarity with true battle, having fought only single opponents up till now, mighty though they were. We must weigh her inexperience against the need to have Mountain Heart here with us.”

As the debate began Fjell settled back in his chair to listen carefully. He made sure to get comfortable, for he knew the meeting would last for hours. He also knew it would grow heated as all sides hammered out a consensus.

There was a reason the council table was made of the toughest, most durable stone trolls knew of, magically reinforced by the Alene.

ooOoo

Celestia looked up as a knock sounded on her private office door.

“Come in,” she called, setting aside yet another of the endless stream of scrolls that crossed her desk.

When the door opened to reveal her favorite ex-student, Celestia smiled in genuine pleasure. That smile faded as the purple alicorn slunk into the room, head down. The Princess studied her fellow royal with growing concern. The look on Twilight’s face was one of confusion and sadness mixed with a trace of fear.

“What’s the matter?” Celestia asked gently. “Did something go wrong with the rescue effort? Was anypony hurt?”

“No, Princess,” Twilight’s voice sounded tired and uncertain. Celestia had often seen Twilight like this growing up. Whenever the young unicorn had made some kind of fundamental mistake it always seemed to rock the foundations of her world. Celestia had seldom had much trouble jollying her student out of her funk because the errors were never truly earthshaking.

But now that Twilight was a princess the implications of such a crisis of confidence were disquieting.

“You seem troubled,” Celestia said. “What’s the matter? You may no longer be my student Twilight, but you are still my friend. You can tell me. And remember, when we’re alone, it’s Tia, not Princess.”

Her light hearted quip was met with silence. Twilight sighed and visibly collected herself. Celestia could feel every muscle in Twilight’s body turn rigid with self-control as the purple alicorn lifted her head. It made the solar diarch wince inside to see it although millennium-long habit kept her expression one of friendly concern.

“Before I get into that, there’s something else that needs addressing, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said with careful formality. “I wish to report that Sweetie Belle is home safely. Rolling Thunder found the foalnappers lair, which is now under our control. We suffered no casualties, although the leader of the foalnappers escaped. The details are in Heavy Hoof’s report,” she floated the scroll over to Celestia’s desk where it landed silently.

“That’s wonderful news, Twilight!” Celestia said warmly. “Why don’t you give me the highlights now? I’ll study the report in detail later.”

Twilight’s stance tightened even more and she refused to meet her mentor’s eyes. “The foalnappers consisted of two unicorns, a griffin, a troll, and a dragon,” she said in a carefully controlled voice. “There were signs that a pack of diamond dogs had been there as well, but Rolling Thunder didn’t encounter any of them. Evidence suggests the group had been there for at least a month, probably longer. They,” Twilight winced, “had foalnapped eight other ponies besides Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh dear,” Celestia murmured. “Are those ponies all right?”

“No,” Twilight said in a heavy voice. “One mare and stallion are dead, the other six mares are nearly comatose, and have probably been driven insane by their ordeal,” Twilight swallowed as she paused.

“Princess, the two dead ponies had been skinned alive. They were still alive when Cerise found them but,” Twilight closed her eyes, “she said they co—couldn’t scream anymore. So she, she…oh Celestia, she killed them,” Twilight’s eyes opened, showing white all the way around. “Heavy Hoof, he said, he said…” Twilight sank to her knees and burst into sobs.

Celestia hurried to the wailing alicorn and gathered her in with her wings, her face showing tender concern. But even her legendary control couldn’t quite stop the spark of light that ran up and down her horn.

ooOoo

Emma woke with a start, her fuzzy mind trying to latch onto what had woken her. For a minute she couldn’t remember where she was. Then the sound came again, a low moan from behind her. Startled she turned over quickly, seeing another sleeper in the dim light of the chamber.

Everything came flooding back.

“Lights,” she commanded and the magic globes obediently lit up, revealing a sweat-drenched Teagan, lying on her back, sprawling bonelessly under the covers. The red-haired girl suddenly jerked upright, biting off a scream as her eyes flew open.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked anxiously.

Teagan’s head snapped around. Her glare made Emma gasp and draw back. Tears were flowing down Teagan’s face and her green eyes were wild and fierce. She raised an arm to strike even as her whole body shuddered with the force of the sobs she was fighting to keep silent.

After a moment she came back to herself and lowered her hand. Emma tried a little smile, only for Teagan to turn her back and curl up tightly.

“I’m not safe to be around, Emma,” Teagan said in a juddering voice. “I’m a killer, I’m dangerous.”

“No you’re not. You had to kill those bug-unicorns or we’d have died,” Emma said softly. “They were psychotic. It was self-defense.”

“I’m not talking about them,” came the muffled response. Teagan started rocking.

“I killed a troll tonight, Emma. One of the kidnappers. His name was Jern,” she squeezed herself into an even smaller ball. “He threatened to eat Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh, God!” Emma put her hands over her mouth, “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she was pretty beat up, but she’ll be okay. Wish I could say the same about the others,” Teagan’s voice was bitter.

“They kidnapped more kids?” Emma asked, feeling sick.

“No. Full grown ponies. Two dead and six insane. Not to mention the one killed by diamond dogs,” she replied. “To top it all off the kidnappers’ boss got away,” she slammed a fist into the mattress. “Damn it! I couldn’t even do that right!”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” Emma protested. “You were going in blind. You couldn’t know. Besides, you weren’t alone. There was a whole platoon with you and they couldn’t stop him either.”

“I’m a queen, Emma! I’m supposed to be on top of things so stuff like this doesn’t happen!” Teagan groaned. “What good does having a magic club do if you’re not there to smash the bad guys?”

“You can’t be everywhere, Teelo,” Emma retorted. “You’re not Superman.”

“No, I’m just a stupid tenth grader pretending to be a hero,” Teagan’s voice was almost unintelligible from the effort of suppressing her weeping. “If I was a real queen I’d have been there for Sweetie Belle. I’d have driven them off!”

“That’s crazy and you know it,” Emma said, sliding over and trying to hug her friend. Teagan refused to uncurl, forcing Emma to abandon the attempt.

“You’re not God,” the brown haired girl said more quietly. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“I want to believe that, I really do,” Teagan said. “Did you know I couldn’t keep up with the platoon? I had to use Crush to go part of the way, and ride Pinkie the rest. Some hero, huh? Without Crush I’m worthless.”

“Bull. Didn’t you say you managed to save Celestia before you got Crush?” Emma asked. “Isn’t she supposed to be the life of this world? You saved the world without Crush, Teelo! Without all that Krav Maga stuff, without being queen of the trolls. But you still did it! You aren’t worthless! You’ve saved this world twice, remember? Cut yourself some slack. You can’t do everything.”

“I didn’t do a damn thing when Tišina showed up,” Teelo muttered. “I was just sort of along for the ride. I didn’t fight her. I wasn’t the one who found her lair. I didn’t even come up with one single solitary idea that helped defeat her.”

“Søyle thinks differently,” Emma replied. “She believes in you. So do Flint and Skrent—and the troll king. Not to mention I do too.”

“No offense, Emma, but you’re hardly an expert on the subject,” Teelo sighed but uncurled.

“You know what you need?” Emma said, growing obnoxiously chipper. “Chocolate! Do they have chocolate here?”

“I am a little hungry,” Teelo admitted. “And yeah, they have chocolate. But it’s really late. What time is it?”

“Two AM,” said Emma, looking at the grandfather clock across the room.

“Are you nuts? We can’t wake up somebody in the middle of the night just so I can have some chocolate!” Teelo objected.

“You need it,” Emma said sternly, getting out of bed. She picked up her jeans and started struggling into them.

“Emma, stop,” Teelo said, sitting up. “This isn’t right. How would you like it if somebody woke you up in the middle of the night?”

“Did you forget Princess Luna stays up all night?” Emma asked, arching an eyebrow. “This castle works around the clock, day or night. Didn’t you know that? I thought you were an expert on Equestria!”

“Yeah, I guess I did know about Luna. How did you know?” Teelo asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “You’ve only been here a few hours.”

“I asked,” Emma said. “Lantana is really nice. She answered a lot of my stupid questions after dinner. Søyle filled in the rest.”

“You know, I’m beginning to think you were right,” Teelo said, yawning widely enough to stress her jaw muscles.

“I’m always right,” Emma grinned at her. “But what was I right about this time?”

“About me being able to use your help this summer,” Teagan replied. “The way you get along with the ponies and the trolls is amazing. They don’t scare you at all. Pity your parents ordered you to come home, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Yeah, about that…” Emma said unhappily. “Princess Celestia said they can’t send me back tomorrow—probably not for three more weeks until Subtle Dancer gets out of the hospital.”

“What? Oh, crap,” Teagan said, the bad news snapping her out of her funk. “Your parents are gonna freak.”

“She said we stirred things up too much in the forest. The only ponies that can open the portal are Subtle Dancer, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna,” Emma explained. “She said the council wouldn’t permit her or her sister into the Everfree until things settled down. By that time Subtle Dancer will be out of the hospital anyway.”

“That’s just great,” Teagan fumed. “I can’t take you with me to Hejm and I really don’t want you here alone in Canterlot. By the way, it’s Bridge, Emma, not portal. This isn’t a video game.”

“Tomato, tomahto,” Emma waved Teagan’s objection away as she tied her shoes. “Now, let’s get you some chocolate.”

“Don’t you mean us?” Teagan gave her friend a half smile. “I can’t believe you’d pass up chocolate, you chocoholic. Especially the chocolate they have here in the castle. It’s so good it’s sinful.”

Emma shook her head. “Normally, I would but I ate way too much at dinner. Even with filly-sized portions I was waddling. Anymore and I’ll explode.”

She left the bedroom and opened the main suite door. One of the unicorns turned to her.

“Yes, Lady Emma?” The unicorn’s tone was polite but his expression was neutral.

“How do I get a pound of chocolate? Teelo’s crashing and she needs a serious chocolate fix to snap her out of it.”

“Crashing?” The unicorn asked, startled, suddenly giving her his full attention. “What do you mean? Does she need a doctor?”

“She needs chocolate,” Emma said patiently. “She’s had one hell of a day. She’s emotionally drained and border-line traumatized. Trust me on this, it’s a human thing. Chocolate. Where?”

“In your chamber there is a bell-pull,” the guard said. “If you use it the maid on duty will attend you. She can get whatever you require.”

“What does a bell pull look like?”

“It’s the velvet rope with a hoof ring on the end,” the unicorn explained, “hanging next to the headboard.”

“Thanks, uh…”

“Blazing Hammer,” the unicorn replied.

“Thanks, Blazing Hammer. You’re a real life saver!” Emma smiled at him and went back inside.

Once the door was closed the unicorn shook his head and resumed his post.

“Humans,” he muttered softly. His partner simply nodded silently.

ooOoo

Twilight finally stopped crying and spent a long moment just selfishly enjoying the comfort of her mentor’s wings before growing embarrassed and gently but firmly breaking free of Celestia’s embrace.

“Well, that was unprofessional,” she said, blushing. “Thank you, Princess. I’m sorry I lost control like that. It’s been a trying day. It won’t happen again, you have my word.”

“I don’t blame you, Twilight. No one should have to deal with such things. Nothing can really prepare you for the horror,” Celestia said gently. “Even princesses aren’t immune.”

“I just can’t understand how anypony could do something like that,” Twilight said, hanging her head. “It’s evil. Not even Sombra was that horrible!”

Celestia paused, trying to frame what she wanted to say in the gentlest manner she could.

“Nightmare Discord was,” she said at last. “Lady Teelo managed to stop him in time but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have done something just as hideous.”

“Heavy Hoof said that if he’d been—that stallion—he’d be thanking Cerise every day he was in the Elysium Fields. What really bothers me is I understand what he meant. But…”

Twilight shook her head.

“The dreadful algebra of necessity, Twilight,” Celestia said heavily. “We who are princesses are all that stand between our little ponies and the unthinkable. We face these things so they will not have to. Or even know of the battle we wage on their behalf.”

“That brings up the other problem,” Twilight said with a sigh. “When I brought Teelo back to the Ghrian Suite Søyle, well,” she paused, not wanting to say it.

“She what?” Celestia asked gently.

“I…don’t know,” Twilight said slowly. “I mean I know what she did, but I don’t really understand why, even though she tried to explain it. I mean there was a reason, but I can’t follow the logic.”

“I see,” Celestia said, settling down on the floor to get more comfortable. “Tell me, when you came back what condition was Lady Teelo in?”

“She was unconscious from the aftereffects of Fairy Song’s Endurance, or something very much like it,” Twilight said. “After she killed the troll they were afraid they might have to face draugrs, so Crush cast it on her. Then she walked all the way back from Froggy Bottom Swamp.”

“Oh, dear,” Celestia said with a wince. “Poor Lady Teelo must have been completely exhausted. Are you all right?”

“She didn’t hurt me,” Twilight said quickly, “but she lifted me up by my mane and snarled in my face, baring her fangs. I didn’t even know trolls had fangs. She demanded to know what I had done to Teelo. She didn’t let go until I swore Teelo wasn’t hurt. And then she said not to be so stupid again.”

“Ah,” Celestia relaxed minutely. “I thought that must be it.”

“I still don’t understand,” Twilight nearly wailed. “She said something about thinking simply, not logically! It sounds like trolls react without thinking! But that can’t be right, can it?”

“Trolls are not ponies, Twilight,” Celestia began. “The World Below has many dangers and few places to run. They have lived there for many thousands of years, far longer than ponies have been in this world, in fact. To survive they’ve had to develop certain—well I suppose you could call them reflexes. Their society, their laws, all of it has been shaped by the realities of their world, and they had to turn those reflexes into virtues. Just as we value Harmony, they value Law. The Law is how they keep the peace between themselves while allowing them to keep the reflexes they need to survive.”

Twilight considered that.

“I guess it makes sense when you put it like that,” she said slowly. “But if that’s true how will ponies and trolls ever manage to coexist peacefully?”

“Thanks to Lady Teelo ponies are trolls now,” Celestia said with a mischievous smile. “That makes trolls hesitate, and keeps their reflexes in check. It’s not a long hesitation, mind you, but long enough to let us live together. At least once ponies become used to trolls.”

“Søyle said if it had been anyone but her that answered the door they’d have tried to kill me,” Twilight said hesitantly, “and then destroyed the castle and everyone in it.”

Celestia considered that, staring mildly into the distance.

“She’s probably right,” Celestia conceded, not appearing overly concerned. “They’re very protective of their king and queen, because they are the only ones who can wield Crush, and Crush is to them what the Elements of Harmony are to us.”

“It doesn’t bother you she could have killed all of us?” Twilight asked incredulously.

“Of course it does,” Celestia replied serenely. “You narrowly averted a war.”

“Because of the trolls, Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, “Because they have such dangerous hair-triggers!”

Celestia shook her head.

“No, Twilight. If you must blame something, there were three agents involved, and all were equally guilty.”

“Three?” Twilight asked, confused.

“The trollish instinct to destroy evil, your own ignorance of that instinct, and the necessity of that instinct,” Celestia said quietly. “If you blame trollish instinct you must also blame your own, which is born from necessity as well.”

“My instinct—to help my friend?” Twilight asked incredulously.

Celestia nodded.

“Your instinct springs from our history, our very natures,” she explained. “Ponies have learned through bitter experience that to survive we must cooperate, no—more than that, we must be friends with as many ponies as we can, lest the ice come again.”

“Windigos,” Twilight said grimly.

“Exactly. On the other hand trolls need to react in certain ways without hesitation to survive the monsters and dangers of the World Below. Ponies run from danger, or face it only as a last resort. Trolls have nowhere to run, therefore…”

“They face it as the first resort!” Twilight said in an excited epiphany. “So when Søyle saw Teelo unconscious in my magic she saw a threat. And since trolls react to a threat without hesitation by attacking it…”

Celestia nodded.

“Luna and I learned many such lessons in our youth, Twilight,” the diarch said. “Cadence and Shining Armor are learning them now, as are you. You might want to consult with Luna on troll law to gain some insights into how they react to surprises.”

“I’ll start immediately, Princess!” Twilight sprang to her hooves, a determined expression on her face. “Thank you so much for explaining things!”

And then Celestia blinked as Twilight vanished with a flash of light.

“Ah, my former student, you have lost none of your enthusiasm, I see,” the alicorn murmured to herself as she returned to her desk and began to study Heavy Hoof’s report.

Comments

[More Dakka]

watch out for that cultural first step, its a real lu lu.

[Ephedianroyalty]

3403697
You terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person. I love you.